How many materials, especially in the liberal press, appeared after the statement of Lieutenant General Ivan Buvaltsev, head of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, about the appearance in our army of units, units and formations, which will be given the honorary name "shock" for their high performance in combat training !
Journalists rushed to look for the origins of the appearance of such units. Fortunately, today the possibilities of the Internet are almost endless. Especially in the field of information retrieval. Remembered about the "first" official shock units. Those who covered themselves with the glory of daredevils during the First World War and remained faithful to the oath after the revolutions.
Indeed, in the course of the "trench" war, which turned into the First World War, it became unreasonable to act in large units and formations. The prepared defense, the presence of minefields and obstacles during the attack of conventional units led to huge losses, often incommensurate with the result achieved. Sharp, even revolutionary, changes in battle tactics were required.
The commander of the 5th Army, General of the Cavalry Peter Plehve, became a "military revolutionary". It was he who, by his order of October 4, 1915, formed units for close combat. Today many people, far from the realities of war, read the lines from this order with a malicious grin. I also remember the lack of rifles, and free-form axes, and shovels …
However, it was the grenadiers (another name for shock units) that often ensured the success of military operations at the front. It was these subunits, at the cost of the lives of their soldiers and officers, who made a breach in the enemy's defenses and provided the opportunity for the main units to attack. Gradually, already from an understanding of the capabilities of the grenadier units, separate shock battalions began to form. Or death battalions. This name did not come from the nature of the military work performed. It's just that service in such a unit almost always ended in either severe injury or death.
Very often, death battalions are written about as a kind of detachments that were in the rear of the units and did not allow the soldiers to defect from the front. Well, Soviet propaganda is firmly entrenched in the minds of the majority of the people. Remember the film "Chapaev". The famous episode of the psychic attack of the Kappelites. But these units were not in the trenches. They were in the rear! They were supposedly a detachment. However, even in the post-revolutionary period, with what respect for the courage of these people the episode was filmed! What fortitude and contempt for death were in the hearts of these soldiers and officers. Doesn't it look like anything? From our great past.
Let me remind you the story of another death battalion. The one that was shown recently by our filmmakers in the film "Battalion". Perhaps someone will now say about some "fabulousness" of this film. Women in war … Women who could give odds to most men … I will not argue. Stupid. Read, if you are interested, historical documents. Everything is there. Both the bad and the good.
The history of the Great Patriotic War again revived the glory of shock units. I already wrote about this in my articles about the capture of Konigsberg and some other operations of the Red Army. Again, the units and formations recruited the best. Again the soldiers went to their deaths. Again they performed impossible tasks. And again … were in the rear before and after the mission. What can be interpreted as the performance of the work of the detachment. True, to the credit of our liberals, I have not seen materials that throw mud at these particular brigades. I think genetics is to blame. The heroes from the assault brigades have descendants. And heroism, perhaps, is transmitted at the genetic level.
But let us return to the initiative of General Buvaltsev, head of the Main Combat Training Directorate of the RF Armed Forces. In particular, how the honorary title will be awarded. Socialist competition again? Indeed, according to the general, the rank will be awarded based on the results of the check during the training period to the most combat-ready units and formations. With the presentation of special heraldic signs.
I have been hearing "screams" about the revival of "socialist competition" in the army for a long time. "Help! Again we will carry out the decisions of the Congress of the CPSU, no, United Russia …" Aren't you cringing, gentlemen democrats? In Soviet times, getting a pennant at the end of the competition for the training period was oh, how honorable. And to plow for this pennant, especially in units "away from Moscow" it was necessary so that … And as a result, the Soviet Army had enough combat-ready units that were always ready for battle.
Let me remind you, for those who have a tight memory, the very recent history of our country. Chechen war. How many parts were we really able to exhibit? Many? How many combat officers were there? Did the officers go on business trips several times because of the good life? From a good life to the war, they sent fats after training?
Today we have subunits, units and even formations both in the army and in the navy, which in real time can move into a dangerous area and take the first blow. Crimea and Syria showed it perfectly. So why shouldn't these units be singled out from the general mass? Why is there no heraldic sign of the "drummer" next to the unit's banner?
I am sure that the majority of readers have the "Guard" sign in boxes with awards, next to orders and medals. The badge, which was received, from the point of view of modern critics of the army, just like that. A soldier or officer came to the guards unit and got it. Soviet soldiers received a decent "set of signs for demobilization." Remember, "Excellent worker of the Soviet Army", "Warrior-athlete", "Specialist of 1, 2 or 3 classes" and others. However, we only store the "Guard".
I think the Ministry of Defense has already thought about introducing special signs or chevrons for the strike units. After all, all this was already in our army. And the soldiers will always keep these signs. Badge of belonging to the unit of heroes.
Today, the ministry has a list of 78 divisions, units and formations that deserve to bear the proud title of "shock". Only 78 for all armed forces. Now active work is underway to check these units. And it will be finished by the end of May. This means that at the beginning of June we will receive a modern "addition" to the guards units: shock battalions, regiments and divisions. We will get an incentive for the development of military units.
And all the talk about the fact that the shock unit for the next year may not win the competition or allow any misconduct among its servicemen is from the evil one. In the guards units, this happens. But even the thought does not arise to deprive many people of the honorary title because of one or more slobs. In my opinion, we will simply get a slightly different name for the permanent alert units. The army must develop.
