The first experimental samples of rockets (RS) and launchers for them, as well as jet armament for aircraft, were developed and produced in our country before the start of the Great Patriotic War. However, they were at the stage of range and military tests. The organization of mass production of these weapons, the creation and use of units and subunits of rocket artillery had to be dealt with in the most difficult conditions of the first period of the war. The resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR on the serial production of jet weapons was adopted on June 21, 1941, that is, the day before the start of the war. By subsequent resolutions of the State Defense Committee, personal responsibility for the production of PCs was assigned to the People's Commissar of Ammunition B. L. Vannikov, and for the production of combat installations - at the People's Commissar of Mortar Armament P. I. Parshina.
Among the factories that, during the war years, received a task for the serial production of rockets, as well as launchers for them, were the Moscow factories named after Vladimir Ilyich, "Compressor", "Krasnaya Presnya", the Voronezh plant named after V. I. Comintern and others. A significant contribution to the development and introduction of new combat rocket launchers into production was made by the employees of the SKB of the Compressor plant.
The difficult situation on the fronts in 1941 demanded the earliest possible equipping of the troops of the active army with jet armament. Therefore, already on June 28, they began to form on the territory of the 1st Moscow Artillery School. L. B. Krasin battery of rocket launchers, it was decided to test the quality and effectiveness of rocket weapons directly at the front.
This battery (commander - Captain I. A. On July 5, 1941, Flerov received the task, and on the 14th the battery fired two volleys, which became the first combat volleys of a new type of weapon: the first - to concentrate enemy troops on the Orsha railway junction, the second - to the enemy crossing the river. Orshitsa. Subsequently, the battery made a number of quite successful fire strikes near Rudnya, Smolensk and Yartsevo, inflicting heavy losses on the fascist troops.
Until the beginning of August 1941, by order of I. V. Stalin, eight more batteries of rocket launchers were formed.
On the night of July 21-22, 1941, a second battery of rocket-propelled mortars under the command of Lieutenant A. M. Kuhn. It was armed with 9 combat installations of the BM-13 type. The battery was sent under the command of the commander of the 19th Army, Lieutenant General I. S. Konev, who assigned this unit the first combat mission. At 0930 hours on 25 July, she opened fire on a concentration of enemy infantry. Subsequently, the battery two more times fired at the fascist armored vehicles and infantry preparing for the attack.
On July 25, 1941, a battery of rocket launchers consisting of three BM-13 combat vehicles (commander N. I. Denisenko) reinforced the grouping of Major General K. Rokossovsky, standing on the defensive in the Yartsevo direction. The batteries were tasked with destroying German troops at a resistance center located four kilometers west of Yartsev. Already in the evening, a volley of rockets was fired. Generals K. K. Rokossovsky and V. I. Kazakov, who were present at this, noted his high performance.
In the evening of July 27, a battery of rocket launchers (commander P. N. Degtyarev), which consisted of 4 BM-13 combat installations, set out from Moscow near Leningrad. She followed its own power and at 21 h 30 min arrived in Krasnogvardeysk. On July 31, Lieutenant P. N. Degtyarev and military engineer D. A. Shitov were summoned to K. E. Voroshilov. During the conversation, which lasted about an hour, the battery was given specific tasks: within 3 days to prepare personnel and property for hostilities, to assist the Leningrad factories in setting up the production of ammunition for rocket launchers.
On August 1, a battery of rocket launchers (four BM-13s) arrived at the disposal of the Reserve Front from Moscow. The battery commander was Senior Lieutenant Denisov. On August 6, from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm, the battery fired three volleys in the offensive zone of the 53rd Infantry Division, which made it possible for the division's units to seize the enemy stronghold with almost no losses.
Until mid-August 1941, three more batteries of rocket launchers were sent to the Western and Reserve Fronts, commanded by N. F. Dyatchenko, E. Cherkasov and V. A. Kuibyshev, and on the South-West - the battery of T. N. Nebozhenko.
On September 6, the tenth battery of rocket launchers under the command of V. A. Smirnova arrived at the Western Front. On September 17, the 42nd Separate Guards Mortar Division (GMD) was deployed at its base, which also included batteries under the command of Flerov and Cherkasov.
The fate of the first Soviet rocket artillery batteries is different. The batteries of Flerov, Cherkasov, Smirnov died on the Smolensk land, the batteries of Dyatchenko, Denisov and Kun - in the battles near Moscow. N. I. batteries Denisenko and V. A. Kuibyshev continued to fight successfully on the Western Front. A little later they were reorganized into separate guards mortar divisions. Battery P. N. Degtyareva, who fought near Leningrad, in the early autumn of 1941 was deployed into a separate KMD, becoming the basis, formed in November, of a separate Guards Mortar Regiment (GMR) of the Leningrad Front (commander Major IA Potiforov). On February 28, 1942, it became known as the 38th Guards Mortar Regiment. Battery of rocket launchers T. N. After the Kiev defensive operation, Nebozhenko was deployed into a separate guards mortar division, which proved itself well in the battles for Odessa and Sevastopol.
By the fall of 1941, the serial production of PCs and combat installations for them had increased significantly. Through the efforts of designers, engineering and technical personnel and workers, BM-13 combat vehicles were modernized in a short time and rocket launchers for firing 82 mm PCs were developed, mounted on ZIS-6 (36-charge) vehicles and T-60 light tanks. (24 shots).
The Supreme Command headquarters controlled the production of new weapons and the combat use of the first rocket artillery units. I. V. The results of their use in battle and the proposal to create regiments armed with rocket launchers were reported to Stalin.
In August 1941, the Supreme Command Headquarters issued an order to begin the formation of the first 8 rocket artillery regiments equipped with BM-13 and BM-8 combat vehicles. Each regiment consisted of three fire divisions of three-battery composition (4 combat units in batteries), anti-aircraft and park divisions. All formed regiments were given the rank of Guards, and they began to be called "Guards Mortar Regiments of the Supreme Command Headquarters Reserve." This emphasized the special importance of the new weapon, the subordination of the regiments to the Supreme Command Headquarters, and the responsibility for the selection of personnel. By the end of September, 9 regiments of rocket artillery were operating on the fronts, and the 9th regiment was formed beyond the plan on the initiative and at the expense of employees of the USSR People's Commissariat of Mortar Armament.
Rocket artillery regiments continued to be created throughout October. On the Western Front, the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Guards regiments of rocket artillery were formed. The first regiments in the difficult conditions of 1941 proved to be able to successfully fight the enemy. Their personnel have demonstrated high skill in the use of new weapons. At the same time, combat use during the summer-autumn campaign of 1941 revealed the fact that it was not always possible to use the regiments on a centralized basis. Of the created regiments, only four (2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th) operated compactly, the rest fought sub-divisional, in scattered sectors of the front. During the period of intense defensive battles with the enemy, who had superiority in forces, with a small number of units equipped with new weapons, it was noted that it was more profitable to use rocket artillery - dispersed, sending individual divisions to the most difficult sectors of the front to provide fire support to rifle divisions.
As a result, from October 1941, at the suggestion of the command of the Western Front, the formation of separate divisions of rocket artillery began, and the formation of mortar regiments was suspended. Until December 12, 1941, 28 separate divisions of two-battery composition were formed (8 units in each battery). Of the first 14 mortar regiments, 9 were reorganized into separate guards divisions of rocket artillery, two-battery composition.
These measures made it possible to increase the number of individual units, although the number of combat installations remained the same, and to provide support for rifle divisions in the main directions. By December 1941, there were 8 rocket artillery regiments and 35 separate divisions on the fronts. A single salvo of their launchers was about 14 thousand rockets.
On September 8, 1941, by the decision of the State Defense Committee, central control bodies for rocket artillery were created in the person of the commander, the military council (subordinate directly to the Supreme Command Headquarters), the headquarters and the Main Directorate of Armament of the Guards Mortar Units (GUV GMCh). Management of orders for the production of weapons, supply and organization of repairs of the Main Directorate of the Main Military Unit (the chief was a military engineer of the 1st rank N. N. Kuznetsov).
On the fronts, to provide leadership in combat activities and to ensure the supply of new missile units, new command and control bodies were created - operational groups of guards mortar units (OG GMCh).
From the fall of 1941 to November 1942, the OG GMCh were formed on all active fronts. During the period of the Soviet offensive in the winter of 1941/42, in the armies where a large number of rocket artillery units were concentrated, regular army task forces began to be created. This was the case on the North-Western, Kalinin and Western fronts. However, most of the army OG GMCh were headed, as a rule, by the commanders of the rocket artillery regiments supporting the actions of the army's combat units.
As you can see, in 1941, rocket artillery developed not only quantitatively, but also in organizational terms.
The most important factor that ensured the rapid development of a new type of weapon during the war years was the organizing activity of the State Defense Committee for the creation, development and expansion of the serial production of PCs, combat vehicles and installations. Under the State Defense Committee, a special Council for Rocket Armaments was organized. The production and supply activities of the guards mortar units, as well as their formation and combat use, were under the direct leadership and control of the Supreme Command Headquarters and the State Defense Committee. The best enterprises in the country were involved in the production of jet weapons. Much attention was paid to the development of this new type of weapon personally I. V. Stalin.
The rapid development of rocket artillery was largely due to its combat properties, which met the requirements of highly maneuverable operations in the initial period of the war, as well as to the simplicity of the design of combat installations, the low consumption of non-ferrous metals and other scarce materials for its production.
Rocket artillery played an important role during the defense of Moscow, and its main forces were concentrated. The command of the front and the commanders of the armies skillfully used the high maneuverability and fire characteristics of the new type of weapon for the sudden delivery of powerful fire strikes against the enemy forces that had wedged in. Guards mortar divisions covered all major highways leading to the capital, provided counterstrikes and counterattacks. Operating in a wide area, they were used where the enemy posed the greatest threat. The fire strikes of rockets not only inflicted serious damage on the enemy troops, but also produced a strong moral impact on them.
After the start of the counteroffensive near Moscow, the guards mortar divisions were most effectively used in the depths of the fascist defense. Attacking in the first combat echelons, they ensured a breakthrough of the enemy's defense at intermediate lines, and also repelled his counterattacks.
In 1942, thanks to the increased production and economic capabilities, the formation of rocket artillery units and subunits took place on an even larger scale.
In connection with the beginning of the general Soviet offensive and the requirements of the Supreme Command Headquarters to massively use artillery in the main directions, the need arose for organizational changes in rocket artillery. Meanwhile, certain difficulties were created in managing a large number of divisions in battle. Therefore, in January 1942, by order of the State Defense Committee, a mass formation of rocket artillery regiments of the new organization began. At the same time, separate divisions began to unite into regiments (three fire divisions of two-battery composition). The battery, as before, had 4 BM-13 or BM-8 installations. Thus, the salvo of the BM-13 regiment was 384 shells, and the BM-8 regiment - 864. The divisions of the regiments had their own logistical support bodies and could operate independently.
The first regiments of the new organization were the 18th and 19th Guards Mortar Regiments. By mid-spring 1942, 32 regiments and several separate divisions were formed. At the same time, the 21st, 23rd, 36th and 40th Guards mortar regiments were created by combining separate divisions located on the North-Western, Volkhov and Kalinin fronts. Two of the newly created regiments (32nd and 33rd) were transferred to the Far East.
The combat experience gained during the winter offensive of 1941/42 showed that new tasks appeared for the rocket artillery units. Now the targets for the fire of rocket launchers were not only manpower with military equipment, but also fortifications on the lines of attack. To break through the enemy defenses equipped with fortifications, for example, a more powerful and heavier rocket was needed, capable of destroying defensive structures.
By the summer of 1942, Soviet designers had developed two high-explosive rockets: M-20 (132 mm caliber, maximum range 5 km, explosive charge weight 18.4 kg) and M-30 (300 mm caliber, maximum range 2, 8 km, weight bursting charge 28, 9 kg). Firing with M-20 projectiles was carried out mainly from BM-13 rocket launchers, and M-30 projectiles from specially created frame-type machines. Soviet troops received a simple, inexpensive, but powerful tool for breaking through the enemy's positional defenses.
On June 4, 1942, the State Defense Committee announced the creation of heavy rocket artillery units, which obliged the military council of the GMCh to form 30 separate divisions armed with M-30 installations as soon as possible. The heavy rocket artillery battalion was three-battery, each battery had 32 launchers (frames). They were equipped with RS M-30 (four per unit). The division had 96 launchers and a salvo of 384 rounds. On July 1, the formation of the first heavy jet divisions (from 65th to 72nd) was completed, which were combined into the 68th and 69th Guards mortar regiments and sent to the Western Front. The regiments did not have intelligence, communications and a sufficient number of vehicles. On July 3, the 77th regiment departed for the Volkhov front, and the 81st and 82nd regiments on the 8th for the North-West.
The heavy rocket artillery battalions received their baptism of fire on July 5, 1942 on the Western Front, in the area of the 61st Army's offensive. Powerful fire strikes were delivered against the German centers of resistance located in Anino and Verkhniye Doltsy (near the town of Belev). As a result, both fortified points were destroyed and our troops were able to occupy them practically without meeting German resistance. Until mid-July, the 68th and 69th regiments continued to support the troops of the 61st Army and fired 4 regimental salvoes and 7 more divisional ones, using up 3469 M-30 shells.
After the successful combat employment of the first heavy divisions, their forced formation began. By August 20, 80 M-30 divisions were formed, of which 74 were at the front.
The results of the volleys of the M-30 heavy divisions were highly appreciated by both artillery and combined-arms commanders. At the same time, the shortcomings of the organization of the first units of heavy rocket artillery were also revealed in combat practice. Due to the large number of frames (96) in the division, it was difficult to select and equip firing positions. Difficulties also arose during the delivery of ammunition, since the vehicles of the divisions were able to raise only half of the divisional salvo in one flight.
The above, as well as the inability at that time to meet the needs of the M-30 regiments in reconnaissance, communications and vehicles from the regimental organization of heavy rocket artillery. The first five M-30 regiments were disbanded, and their divisions became independent. Subsequently, separate M-30 divisions began to be formed according to the changed staff (two batteries of 48 frames each).
Simultaneously with the development of units with M-30 systems in 1942, the rapid growth of the Guards mortar regiments, which had BM-13 and BM-8 installations, continued.
In the fall of 1942, mining combat installations for the RS M-8 began to be created in the Caucasus. From September to October 1942, 58 mining installations were produced, on the basis of which 12 mining batteries were formed, four installations in each. To protect the coast, mountain combat installations began to be installed on railcars and boats.
In the summer of 1942, a fierce struggle unfolded in the southwestern direction. The main event of this period was the battle of Stalingrad. An active role in it was also played by rocket artillery, which was one of the most effective means of the Supreme Command Headquarters Reserve.
During the defensive battles at Stalingrad, a significant number of rocket artillery units were involved, almost three times more than there were at Moscow. Unlike the battles near Moscow, rocket artillery units near Stalingrad usually operated in full force. The regimental commanders had the opportunity to continuously direct the combat operations of the divisions and make full use of their maneuvering and fire capabilities. Depending on the importance of the defended areas, the regiment supported from one to three rifle divisions. Divisions conducting combat operations in the main directions were reinforced with 1-2 Guards mortar regiments. The army commander usually had in his reserve a division or regiment of rocket artillery.
Guards mortar regiments took part in all stages of the defensive battle: they ensured combat operations of the forward detachments on the distant approaches to the city; destroyed enemy troops in areas of concentration and on the march; participated in repelling attacks by infantry and armored vehicles on the defensive lines around Stalingrad; supported the counterattacks and counterattacks of our troops. For the first time, rocket launchers were used in hostilities inside a large city.
To control parts of jet systems and provide them with everything necessary, two operational groups of the GMCh were created on the Stalingrad and Don fronts. They were headed by General A. D. Zubanov and Colonel I. A. Shamshin. The participation of rocket artillery in the defense of Stalingrad can be traced to the example of the fighting of the 83rd Guards Mortar Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel K. T. Golubev.
The regiment was armed with BM-8 rocket launchers mounted on T-60 tanks. The unit arrived at the Stalingrad Front at the time of its creation and entered the battle even at the distant approaches to the city, in the Chernyshevskaya area. The regiment supported the fighting of the forward detachment of the 33rd Guards Rifle Division, and later covered the retreat of the army across the Don with fire from its divisions, and ensured the counterstrike by the 1st Panzer Army units west of Kalach. During the defense, the regiment participated in repelling massive enemy attacks on the outer and inner contours of the city, often resorted to firing from open firing positions, fought surrounded by the Peskovatka and Vertyachy areas. But special difficulties fell to the lot of the soldiers of the regiment, with the beginning of fierce battles in the city, reaching the point of hand-to-hand combat. The guardsmen of the 83rd regiment, together with the soldiers of the 62nd army, had to repel enemy attacks in hand-to-hand combat several times, to bring their military equipment to a safe place under small-machine gun fire. And they passed all the tests with honor and rendered great assistance to the infantry in holding the right bank of the Volga. The regiment's divisions supported the fighting of the famous 13th and 37th Guards, 284th and 308th Infantry Divisions in the city center, near the railway station and the main crossing, defended the factories "Red October", "Barricades" and "STZ", fought on the Mamaev Kurgan.
The most distinguished guards units of rocket artillery in defensive battles were awarded government awards. Among them: 2nd (commander Colonel I. S. Yufa), 4th (Colonel N. V. Vorobiev), 5th (Colonel L. 3, Parnovsky), 18th (Lieutenant Colonel T. F. Chernyak), 19th (Lieutenant Colonel A. I. Erokhin), 93rd (Lieutenant Colonel K. G. Serdobolsky), guards mortar regiments.
The first period of the Great Patriotic War turned out to be the period of the greatest quantitative growth of rocket artillery. In mid-November 1942, more than 70% of the total number of divisions available in rocket artillery by the end of the war were in the ranks. At the same time, along with the quantitative growth of the guards mortar units, their qualitative composition improved. So, out of 365 divisions available by the end of the first period, 23% were heavy divisions, 56% were BM-13 divisions and only 21% were BM-8 divisions.
In the same period, a huge combat experience was accumulated in the use of rocket systems in all types of combat operations, which showed the feasibility of the massive use of rocket artillery. By the beginning of the counter-offensive of our troops at Stalingrad, rocket artillery was a fairly developed type of Soviet artillery, possessing great firepower and high maneuverability.
