The Special Volunteers.

Their past was not remembered. They were not mentioned in books. They were not trusted by the leaders. But they, the special-settlers, the exiles, on par with the rest forged our Victory.

A Special Draft.

In the bloody fighting of 1941-1942 Red Army suffered heavy losses. A lot of soldiers were prisoners of war. But Wehrmacht’s advance eastwards was stopped. Large reserves were then needed for the counteroffensives and the liberation of occupied territories.

It was then that Stalin remembered the special-settlers.
On April 11th 1942 the State Defense Committee of USSR issued Order #1575 in which NKVD was to “draft 500 thousand labor-settlers fit for line duty.” In another Order #2100 of July 26th 1942 “another draft was to be issued” for further 500 thousand men. Therefore, a total of one million special-settlers fought in the Great Patriotic War. Nothing about these mobilizations, however, has been mentioned in the history books.

Under the circumstances of the massive mobilization of special-exiles into the army, People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs L.P. Beriya issued Order #002303 on October 22nd 1942. According to this order all the drafted and their families were to be removed from the labor-exile registries. For all these people the basic civil rights were restored, but the release from the special settlements was not planned. Stalin did not totally abolish the special settlements as an institution. The party committees were ordered to mobilize the peasants repressed by the Soviet regime under the appearance of a patriotic volunteer movement.

On July 11th 1942 the regional committee of Omsk city issued a directive #223 “To form a ‘Stalin Volunteer Independent Rifle Brigade’ made up of Siberians from the Omsk region.” The brigade was expected to be forged by July 17th. Furthermore, the “secretaries of local, town, regional committees were to organize and conduct wide mass-political work among the draftees, which were to submit applications for volunteer service in the Red Army.”

Already on the next day July 12th - 1200 special-settlers were sent to Khanty-Mansiisky regional enlistment office and by a steamship transported to Omsk. According to the documents of this enlistment office, founded on August 30th 1938, only 320 men were drafted up until July 12th 1942, but a total of 17 000 men fit for line duty and 5174 men for labor duty were drafted through such “special mobilization” until the end of 1945.

Were there real volunteers among these newly drafted men, or were the applications simply dictated by the NKVD officers? According to the veterans living in Khanty-Mansiisk and Tyumen, the men born in the 1919-1923 period eagerly went to the front. Paradoxically, only the war gave them a chance to escape the literally indefinite socialist slavery. The older special-settlers, former “kulaks” punished by the Soviet regime, were not sympathetic to the state, but frequently volunteered in fear of new repressions. There also were a few that probably sought a chance to switch sides and fight against the Bolshevik regime.

After formation the 75th Omsk Rifle Brigade became part of the 6th Siberian Volunteer Rifle Corps. Other units the corps were the 150th Novosibirsk Rifle Division (Novosibirsk, Prokopevsk, Kemerovsk and Tomsk regiments), 74th Altaisk and 78th Krasnoyarsk Rifle Brigades. These units made up primarily of special-settlers were given “Stalin” titles. In October 1942 the corps was sent to the frontline. They were joined by the 91st Rifle Brigade, made up of prisoners from NKVD camps, or how they were officially called “special-volunteers.” Right before the 25th anniversary of the October Revolution, all these special-volunteers took the oath and then marched into an offensive near the city of Belyi in Kalinin region. The 6th Rifle Corps commanded by Major-General S.I. Povetkin was to penetrate enemy defenses, cooperating with the 1st Mechanized Corps commanded by Major-General M.D. Solomatin.

Supported by artillery and tanks, the Siberians advanced over the enemy fortifications. But the Hitlerites pulled reserves including an “Ost-Battalion,” consisting of Soviet prisoners of war. A propaganda campaign was launched to demoralize our brigades, made up of people who suffered from the Bolshevik regime, and encourage them to desert and surrender in masses. Germans sent small recon-sabotage groups dressed and armed as Soviet soldiers and officers into the corps’ area of operations. Overall, this Hitlerite propaganda campaign failed to demoralize warriors-special-volunteers - individual acts of treason do not count. Heavy fighting in the swampy-wooded region continued until February 1943. At a price of very high losses, the special-volunteers proved themselves to be reliable and steadfast.

Operation “Suvorov”

Stalin still did not trust these people. Few know that Stavka daily described the actions of the special-volunteers in a separate report for Stalin. During the whole war Stalin only twice visited the frontline (in December 1942 and in August 1943), both times into the Siberian volunteer corps’ area of operation.

On February 23rd 1943 such a report told: near the village of Chernushki close to the city Velikiye Luki, a private from the 91st Rifle Brigade, former prisoner Matrosov blocked with his own body the embrasure of an enemy bunker. Stalin wrote with a pencil over the report: “Soldier - Hero! Corps - Guards!”

The corps was renamed into 19th Guards Siberian Rifle Corps: 150th division became 22nd Guards Division, and all the brigades were formed into the 56th and 65th Guards Divisions. Three months later the Siberians were to open the “Smolensk Gates” - they were to storm the Gnezdilovsk heights, called by the Hitlerites the “Eastern Rampart.”

The Germans concentrated here larges forces of various types. A major strongpoint of the defense was the Height 233,3. This hill was surrounded by several lines of trenches, a deep anti-tank ditch, had over 400 dug-outs in 8-10 rows, over 200 bunkers with steel “crab” roofs. All the approaches to the hill were mined and surrounded by several lines of barbed-wire.

Four days before the Spas-Demensk offensive code-named “Suvorov” Stalin personally arrived to the Western Front.
From the memoirs of the Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov: “Stalin stayed at the former headquarters near Yukhnov... In the far corner of the room was an old bed, covered by a regular military blanket. The pillow-case was not exactly fresh from laundry. Under the bed was a small suitcase. In the middle of the room was a frail wooden table standing on two crosses linked by a bar. Near the table were two rough benches and a couple of chairs. On the window-sill was a telephone whose wires lead out to the yard through the window.

Stalin called us and started asking:
- How was your trip? How is the road? How far from here are the new headquarters?

The commander of the Western Front V.D. Sokolovsky and the Military Council member N.A. Bulganin answered him. The telephone rang. Stalin lifted the received and asked to be connected with Molotov.

- Where am I talking from? From far. No, seriously. I escaped from all of you at night, and now I am here at the Western Front.

The conversation was short. Stalin promised to be in Moscow soon. We unfolded the maps on the table and started reporting about our and the enemy forces, but Stalin interrupted:
- The Western Front is to approach Smolensk, after thoroughly preparing and gathering forces, to liberate Smolensk, - he repeated this phrase twice.

We continued exchanging opinions. Nearby circled Beriya, but he didn’t participate in the discussion - only kept leaving and returning.
The table was served by the teapot we brought, glasses, some food and even a bottle of dry Georgian wine. We drank to Victory.
Stalin reasoned: if the breakthrough on the Gnezdilovsk line does not succeed in all the directions, then the tanks, artillery and cavalry are to maneuver and exploit in the most successful sectors. We tried complaining that the Western Front had not received sufficient reserves and materiel.
- We will help you with all that we can, - Stalin answered, - If we can’t, then you are to use what you have. You have the Siberian divisions, and these are stronger than guns and tanks.
After a pause he added:
- Siberians will still take Smolensk. I know their nature.

On that the conversation ended. It was already after dark. We realized that it was our time to leave. The next morning Stalin returned to Vyazma, where his train awaited. I was greatly surprised by Stalin’s secret trip to the frontline. Why did he have to drive so many kilometers through very poor roads? He could have simply communicated with the front from Moscow. All this really puzzled me...”

But one is known: Stalin never did nothing without a cause. Maybe he wanted to find out what the people, whom he personally indefinitely exiled, so bravely fight for? Why didn’t they turn their guns against the culprit of their misfortune? Why didn’t they, as some formerly loyal generals, switch over to the German side?

Not Broken, But Smashing.

On August 7th the Siberian Guards started the offensive against what the Hitlerite progadanda called “Eastern rampart on which the Red Army will break its back.” The offensive was supported by a powerful artillery barrage and air strikes of the first line of defense. The Height 233,3 was targeted by ten artillery regiments and several “katyusha” battalions. In three hours 100 train-car loads of shells were dropped. In one day 337 air sorties were made. It seemed that nothing survived the barrage. But when the infantry rose, the hill shot back.
The attackers took the first line of trenches, but could not advance any further. Two more days of continuous fighting did not bring success either. Then the corps commander Major-General V.A. Chistov sent to the “wicked” Height his last reserve - the storm battalion of “armoured” troops. These were submachine-gunners who wore steel chest-plates made in Kuzbass.

The soldiers were reluctant to use this armour: too heavy, and their reliability was doubted. Such doubts had to be dispelled fast.
The battalion commander could think of nothing else but an experiment. He asked the soldiers to wear the armour. He then took out his pistol and said:
- Now you will see how bullets bounce off these shields.
He fired several times. The closest soldier instantly fell down. When approached, he was found pale and scared, but alive and smiling. There were only barely visible dents on the armour.
- Why did you fall down? Dummie! - everybody asked.
- Who wouldn’t fall: it’s like being hit by a club!
For this experiment the commander was reprimanded by the political department. But ever since nobody abandoned the armour. Before the assault on the Height 233,3 all the soldiers wore their armour.

It is hard to find out what helped the most - a 30-minute barrage or the steel armour, but the Siberian Guards captured the Height. All the enemy counterattacks were repelled. After losing this crucial stronpoint of the “Eastern Rampart,” the enemy started retreating westwards.

On August 11th elements of the corps broke through to Pavlinovo and cut off the railroad: the “Smolensk Gates” were opened.

From the diary of G.M. Gololobov, an officer from the 258th Regiment (former 75th “Omsk” Brigade): “...We paid a high price for the Height 233,3. Very high losses. When I came to the companies I could see them melting before my eyes. All the trees nearby were burned and tortured, only a few bare stems are still standing. The ground is full of craters and shrapnel. Corpses are everywhere. But the most important has been accomplished: the Height is ours! The locals told us that the Germans too sent out convoys of wounded every two hours...”

On September 25th 1943 the operation “Suvorov” was completed with the liberation of Smolensk, the symbol of Russian military glory.

Moscow saluted the troops of the Western Front with twenty salvos from 224 guns. A total of 36 units received the designation of “Smolensk.” Among them the 56th Guards Rifle Division, made up primarily from the special-settlers of Priobye region.

Not all of them saw the Victory. Almost half of all the perished soldiers from Khanty-Mansiisk region died on the Kalinin Front, on the Smolensk direction or during the liberation of the Pribaltic region.

Their names are on the memorial of the 19th Guards Siberian Rifle Corps in Novosibirsk. Their blood is on the banners of guards divisions. Their valour and dignity, not understood by the leaders, will always remain in our memory.