The opening of the battlefield behind enemy lines
Russian guerrilla warfare has a very long history. As early as 18 12, Russian guerrillas exhausted Napoleon's army. 1941After the German invasion on June 22nd, the spark of guerrilla warfare reignited almost immediately in the vast land of Russia. As early as the end of June of 194 1, news kept coming from the German army, which was still advancing rapidly. Its rear traffic lines, field hospitals and alert troops were frequently attacked by small remnants of the enemy. This was the embryonic form of the Soviet guerrillas, but most of the guerrillas at this time were scattered and temporarily assembled officers and men of the Red Army. This guerrilla warfare is completely spontaneous, and their main intention is to regroup behind the German army, avoid the German raid, and find opportunities to break through and return to the front. After the war broke out, the Soviet government quickly began to organize guerrilla warfare, and the huge state machine of the Soviet Union quickly started. On July 3, Stalin called on the broad masses of the people to carry out guerrilla warfare in the occupied areas in the radio. On July 28th, the People's Committee of the Interior and the Soviet Party organizations began to call on party member from all over the country to join the guerrillas.
At the beginning of the war, Soviet guerrillas could see that the closest to the camera was an older guerrilla.
At the beginning of the war, the Soviet guerrillas were mainly composed of the annihilation battalion organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the guerrillas spontaneously organized by the local government of the Soviet Union and scattered Red Army officers and men. Among them, the annihilation battalion is an irregular army composed of local officers, workers, Red Army reservists and volunteers. Behind enemy lines, there are a large number of guerrillas formed by party organizations at all levels, most of whom are middle-aged and elderly civilians. They often form loose guerrillas with regional party organizations as the core. Generally, the size of this guerrilla group is about 50-80 people, and the leaders are usually leaders of local parties, border guards and collective enterprises. Soviet troops led by May Hellis, director of the General Political Department, also organized combat battalions and sabotage teams to carry out guerrilla operations. Such troops often go deep behind enemy lines, cut off telephone lines, destroy ammunition and fuel depots, blow up railways and attack single or scattered German vehicles.
Guerrillas who are receiving regular officer training and learning to use rifles.
In addition, the People's Committee of Internal Affairs has set up an independent special motorized infantry brigade, which specializes in guerrilla warfare. As a regular army, this independent special motorized infantry brigade performs tasks similar to those of the allied special aviation team or commando team, and goes deep behind enemy lines and returns to its own front. In addition to a large number of instructors and students from the Central School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Frontier Defense School, the independent special motorized infantry brigade also has mobilized members, workers from Moscow Watch Factory, Automobile Factory and Bearing Factory, and athletes mobilized by sports associations such as Dynamo, Sparta and Locomotive. Nowadays, they often appear in European competitions, and athletes from CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Minsk, who are familiar to China fans, have also joined in. In addition, the independent special motorized infantry brigade also includes many foreigners in the Soviet Union, such as the United States, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, Australia, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Yugoslavia, Romania, Vietnam and Hungary. Most of them are international column veterans who fled to the Soviet Union after the Spanish Civil War.
Stalin soon realized that at such a critical moment, transportation facilities must be destroyed to delay the German advance and cut off its logistics supply. From June 22nd 194 1 to September 6th1,Soviet guerrillas who went deep behind enemy lines blew up 447 railway culverts and bridges and 250 railway tracks, including 7 culverts and railway bridges 1 17 behind Moscow Central Army Group. The destruction of Soviet guerrillas hindered the German attack to some extent. On the whole, however, the guerrillas organized by the People's Internal Affairs Committee went deep behind enemy lines in 194 1, and it was almost impossible to gain a foothold in the three Baltic countries and parts of Ukraine with strong anti-Soviet and nationalist sentiments. Guerrilla activities are relatively frequent only in central and northern Russia and Belarus. However, in 194 1, the Soviet guerrilla operations lacked overall planning, the attacks on the German rear traffic lines were relatively scattered, and the personnel lacked proper training and command. Guerrillas in various localities and systems are fighting in their own way and lack initiative. Coupled with the German advance, the situation is unfavorable. Many guerrillas rely on the encouragement and even intimidation of political workers to fight, and the phenomenon of escape is serious. Especially the guerrillas organized by local governments, once the commander escapes or dies, the whole guerrillas often fall apart.
During the Great Patriotic War, one of the main focuses of Soviet guerrillas and German anti-guerrillas was the traffic line. You can see guerrillas burying bombs on the bridge in the picture.
German version of "Three Lights Policy"
On the other hand, before the invasion of the Soviet Union, Nazi German military and political officials seriously misjudged the overall strength of the Soviet Union, naively believed that the war would end in 194 1, and did not prepare for the long-term war or the possible Soviet guerrillas. With the failure of the original plan, the German Wehrmacht not only had to deal with the pressure of the Soviet army on the frontal battlefield, but also was troubled by the increasingly active Soviet guerrillas. Contrary to the impression of ordinary people, the main force of the German army in the public security war is actually the Wehrmacht. However, although the Germans tried their best to deploy troops to the rear to buy off the guerrillas, due to the tight front, the Germans had to set up a special security division to buy off the guerrillas, which was responsible for the security of the rear areas of the army groups. At first, there were nine German guard divisions, and later it was increased to 14. In addition, vassal countries such as Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have also provided a considerable number of troops to carry out anti-guerrilla tasks. But even so, Germany's public security forces in the occupied areas are still seriously inadequate. According to statistics, there are only two German soldiers every 3 square miles on average.
194 1 From the end of the year to the beginning of 1942, Soviet guerrillas ushered in the coldest winter in the war. There are only about 30,000 Soviet guerrillas left in the entire German rear, but the German delusion of eliminating guerrillas is still shattered. With the shortage of various resources and the shortage of frontline troops brought about by the protracted war, the Germans quickly tore off the mask of "goodwill" and revealed their fangs of supporting war with war. In order to ensure the food supply of the national defense forces and German nationals, Germany carried out a thorough predatory policy in the Soviet-occupied areas. 194 1 year, the excessive grain requisition by the German army led to the emergence of a "grain-free zone" in the occupied area behind it, and the whole area was deserted. Within 300 kilometers from the front to the rear, even breeding animals and grain seeds were found. The Kharkov supply area, which provided food for the German Sixth Army, became the so-called "grain-free area". This policy led to the famine in Kharkov 194 1- 1942. In addition, since 194 1 invaded the Soviet Union, on the one hand, the Germans cruelly abused prisoners, resulting in the death of a large number of Soviet prisoners who could have been used as human resources, on the other hand, they forcibly recruited civilians in the war zone and built roads, railways and field fortifications. After 1942, in order to alleviate the shortage of human resources, the German occupation authorities forcibly brought a large number of civilians to Germany to serve as slave workers, on the other hand, they slightly improved the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war and let them serve as slave workers or puppet troops. This inconsistent, barbaric and short-sighted occupation policy will naturally arouse people's resistance and thus become a breeding ground for guerrillas.
1942 once captured, guerrillas are often shot or hanged.
The guerrilla hanged in Kiev, pay attention to the sign hanging on his chest, which is often threatened, and the Germans hope to make an example of it.
German soldiers who are shooting guerrillas, pay attention to the nearest soldiers, with obvious smiles on their faces.
There is a view that Germany's early invasion of the Soviet Union was welcomed by the local people, and if the German occupation authorities take appeasement measures, they will certainly win the support and cooperation of the Soviet people. But in fact, historically, the German army has a long tradition of using ruthless repression in anti-guerrilla warfare. During the Franco-Prussian War, the herrero Uprising in Southwest Africa, and the occupation of Belgium in World War I, the German (Prussian) army showed a brutal and tyrannical side. The German Wehrmacht in the Second World War only built this point on the basis of Nazi ideology. In the anti-guerrilla warfare, although cruel means can temporarily quell the resistance, it will only bring a vicious circle in the long run. Whether it is the Japanese army that carried out the "three-light policy" in the anti-Japanese base area in North China and was surrounded by iron walls, or the Kuomintang army that carried out the "five-light and ten-kill" in the occupied Soviet area, it is difficult to completely annihilate the guerrillas in the end, and so is the situation of the German army in the Soviet Union. As Max Boot summed up in Invisible Army: A History of Guerrilla War: "Only regular" mopping up "or" vigilance search "actions, even cruel repression measures like Nazi, will fail, because civilians know that after the troops are withdrawn, the insurgents will come back." Therefore, apart from arousing more hatred, the atrocities of the German army cannot effectively control the occupied areas. Under the cruel encirclement and suppression, the scale of Soviet guerrillas became larger and larger, and gradually became the second largest guerrilla in Europe after Yugoslav guerrillas.
The stills of the Soviet film идиииисмоти, which was shot in 1985, truly reflect the cruel means of the German army to suppress guerrillas, so that it is "creepy". In the plot, a large number of "bandits" civilians were put into the barn and burned alive, which is a very common means in the German anti-guerrilla warfare.
Reversing Soviet guerrillas in Gankun
1942 in may, the Soviet union established the guerrilla movement central command in Moscow for unified command of guerrilla warfare fields behind enemy lines. Under the commander of the army, there is also a guerrilla regional command, which has several guerrilla brigades under its jurisdiction. The Soviet Union's counterattack at the beginning of 1942 left many gaps in the German front. The Soviet Union took this opportunity to increase its support for guerrillas and reorganize their command system. Many Soviet troops penetrated behind enemy lines by infiltration or airborne, but by airdrop. In addition, the Soviet Union also sent a considerable amount of weapons and ammunition to the guerrillas, and their equipment was greatly improved, even surpassing the German security forces to some extent. Hitler also began to notice more and more guerrilla actions in the Soviet Union, and he further emphasized the need to punish the guerrillas with an iron fist to ensure traffic safety in the rear. However, from May 1 to July 3 1, there were 30 blow up bridges behind the German army 16, 84 northern railways were damaged, and 20 locomotives were damaged, which seriously affected the German transportation. According to Rouse, the commander of the German Sixth Armored Division at that time, at the end of 1942, when the division was ordered to clear the gap for the Germans in Stalingrad, it was harassed by guerrillas on the way to transfer by train. German officers and men in the army array must be ready to counter the guerrillas who broke through at any time. In addition, in order to prevent the train from derailing, the train must travel at a low speed and hang two or three empty cars in front of the train.
Guerrillas and their families in secret camps in Belarus
In addition, unlike the guerrilla forces in China and Yugoslavia, which basically fought alone on the battlefield, the Soviet guerrillas not only received great assistance from the regular army, but also played a significant role in coordinating the frontal battlefield. After the Soviet army turned to counterattack, the Soviet army often received support from guerrillas. 1942165438+1At the end of October, the Soviet attack in the direction of Liezhev failed, and about 4,000 troops, including the 20 th Soviet Cavalry Division, who broke into the enemy line during the battle, were cut off. This team entered a large forest swamp area in Bochinji swamp area between Sirchovka and Belei, and joined the guerrillas active in this area. The 20th cavalry division cooperated with guerrillas to encircle the Germans for more than a month, and repeatedly attacked the German bridge across the Dnieper River and the German strongholds along the traffic lines, which seriously damaged the traffic behind the Germans and even won the General Medal awarded by konev. At the beginning of 1943, this cavalry unit was surrounded by guerrillas and returned to the main ranks of the Soviet Union.
Guerrillas who are receiving medals, pay attention to the cross on his chest. This may be a priest in the guerrillas. After the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, the Soviet Union quickly formed a "United Front", and people from all social classes and political positions United to resist the German invasion.
1943 the battle of Stalingrad changed the initiative of the Soviet-german war, the Soviet red army turned to a strategic counterattack, and the Soviet guerrillas also ushered in an opportunity of vigorous development. Soviet guerrillas gradually stepped out of the early mode of fighting separately, began to strengthen unified command in organization, and gradually began to emphasize the implementation of larger-scale operations behind the entire front. The Central Command of Guerrilla Movement gained the status of the fourth arms after the army, navy and air force. Among the many guerrillas in the Soviet Union, the most legendary ones are Siddall Altmevich Kovpak and his guerrillas. Kovpak, who participated in World War I and Civil War, was 55 years old when the Great Patriotic War broke out. He used to be the secretary of a district party Committee in Samui, Ukraine. In August of that year, Kovpak organized a guerrilla group of 50 people, mainly local party and government personnel. Under the command of Kovpak, this guerrilla has been active in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, and even organized an expedition to the Carpathian region. Kovpak and his men attacked traffic lines and small enemy forces everywhere, and gradually became the representatives of the Soviet guerrilla movement. With the deepening of the war, his team has been expanding. In addition to absorbing guerrillas from all walks of life, paratroopers airdropped from the rear and defected to the puppet troops. Even Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak and French servant troops defected to Kovpak's command. With the supplement of the Soviet Union and the capture of the battle, the guerrillas in Kovpak also developed from the initial dozens of rifles to the size of artillery. Since then, the Ukrainian guerrilla 1 Division named after Kovpak was established, and he himself won the highest honor of "Soviet hero" twice.
Kovpak was awarded the rank of Major General and twice won the title of Soviet hero.
Before the crucial Battle of Kursk, the guerrillas under the command of the Central Command of the Guerrilla Movement provided the Soviets with a great deal of information about the German assembly and mobilization. From August to September, with the defeat of the Germans in the Battle of Kursk and the general counterattack of the Soviet Union, the guerrillas launched the first large-scale attack, which completely paralyzed the German logistics transportation by attacking the railway line.
During the decisive period of 1944, the number of Soviet guerrillas increased to 270,000. With the approach of spring and summer of 1944, in the upcoming battle of Belarus, in order to ensure the safety of the rear, the Germans are still fighting mantis, trying to save the fate of defeat. In order to ensure the security of the rear of the Central Army Group, the German army, with the Third Armored Army as the main force, launched an unprecedented encirclement and suppression of the Soviet guerrilla zone between Wushaqi-Lepeli-Xiannuo, and launched the operation code-named "Shower Operation". The army and his men marched westward to the left bank of the Devinast River, while the16th Army prevented the guerrillas from making a possible breakthrough in the north and west. Because the German army is threatening, and the Soviet army thinks that this guerrilla zone will play an important role in the future offensive campaign, the Soviet guerrillas are forced to launch positional warfare with the German army. The Soviet main force not only dispatched air support, but also launched a containment attack on the right wing of the northern army group to alleviate the pressure of guerrillas. But in the end, due to the great advantage of the German army, the Second Armored Army, with the cooperation of the SS and the police force, gradually compressed and cut the guerrilla zone, and by mid-May, the guerrilla zone was basically lost. According to the records of the German General Command, a total of 7,697 guerrillas were killed and 5,286 were captured. After losing more than 10,000 people, about 3,000-4,000 guerrillas broke through the south. However, despite heavy losses, guerrilla activities in the German rear did not stop. On the contrary, the actions of Soviet guerrillas were more active than before, and the scale increased instead of decreasing, and gradually began to attack more important targets. With the support of heavy weapons, Soviet guerrillas frequently attacked the traffic lines, support points and settlements occupied by the Germans.
Female guerrilla
Soviet version of "Little Soldier Zhang Ga"-a teenager among guerrillas
On the evening of June 20th, 1944 and 19/20, the Soviet guerrillas kicked off the long-awaited "Bagration" operation. The scale of this big attack even exceeded 1943. The railways and guard posts along the German rear were attacked by guerrillas in all directions, and the Minsk-Olza and Mogilev-Vitebsk railways were seriously damaged, which made them unable to open to traffic for several days. In the subsequent offensive stage of the campaign, the guerrillas cooperated closely with the regular army and performed well in the process of annihilating and chasing the Germans. In the summary of the Soviet General Staff, the role of guerrillas in the battle of Belarus was highly praised: on July 8, the 70 th Infantry Division of the 33 rd Army, with the cooperation of the guerrilla brigade "for Soviet Belarus", annihilated the Germans entrenched in Trubechino; The 35th Army of the 3rd Army around Minsk was supported by three guerrilla brigades. On July 3, Red Army soldiers and guerrillas planted a red flag of victory over Minsk. The victory of the Battle of Belarus marked the complete liberation of Soviet territory. Those guerrillas who struggled between swamps and forests for three years have now put on brand-new military uniforms and merged into the torrent rolling west.
After the liberation of Kiev, guerrillas marched in the streets.
First-class Guerrilla Medal of Patriotic War
Anti-guerrilla badge reissued by the Federal Republic of Germany after "non-Nazism" in the 1950s. Pay attention to the disc on the dagger. The swastika badge used by the Nazis in the original version has been cancelled, so German veterans can still legally wear this badge.