Here stood to death 21 division of the NKVD

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

… "If the Germans were stopped, they achieved this by letting them bleed. How many of them were killed in these September days, no one will ever count. Uritsk had a stream. For many days it was red with the blood of German soldiers." …

Formed in July-August 1941. on the basis of the 13th operational regiment of the NKVD, the 14th motorized rifle regiment of the NKVD, the 6th - Rakversky and 8th - Haapsalus border detachments of the Baltic border district guarding the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. The district school of junior command personnel of the border troops joined the division. The division was commanded by Colonel Papchenko M. D.

The 14th regiment consisted of: the personnel of the 14th Red Banner motorized rifle regiment of the NKVD, units of the 33rd and 5th border detachments that had withdrawn from the battles on the Karelian Isthmus, the District School of the junior command staff of the border troops. The regiment commander is Colonel V. A. Rodionov (head of the District school for the junior head. Staff). 3-4 September 41 the regiment occupied the defense sector: the Gulf of Finland, the southeastern outskirts of Uritsk, the Baltic railway. The 8th regiment consisted of the 8th frontier detachment and the soviet activist of the Nevsky district of Leningrad. The regiment commander - Colonel Demidov S. P. Positions as of September 3, 41 - Baltic railway area, Dudergofka river, Ligovsky canal. The 6th regiment consisted of the soldiers of the 6th border detachment and the soviet activist of the Moscow region of Leningrad. The commander is Colonel Nesterov. The regiment reached the line Airport, Srednyaya Slingshot, Vitebsk railway. The 35th regiment of Colonel Efimov was in the second echelon of the division. The 13th regiment guarded Smolny. The Kirovsky Zavod handed over to the division the repaired 75 guns without panoramas, and 18 guns mounted on vehicles, as a mobile reserve. To staff the gun crews, 1,500 people from the city militia, all former artillerymen, were sent to the division.

From September 3 to September 12, the regiments equipped a defensive zone and carried out barrage service on the Tallinn and Pulkovskoye highways, along which the scattered units of the Red Army retreated. The workers of the Kirov plant took part in the engineering work. They mounted steel armored caps and armored shields in positions. On the night of September 12, a large number of refugees and Red Army soldiers passed through the division's battle formations. On September 13, in the area of Uritska and Staro-Panovo, the border guards of the 21st division came into direct contact with the enemy.

The attack was struck by the advance units of the 58th Infantry and 36th Motorized Divisions of the Wehrmacht. At dawn on September 14, the positions of the border guards were subjected to a massive raid by German aircraft. At the same time, the enemy began shelling the positions, and then storming the lines occupied by the 21st division. Our heavy artillery regiments and naval artillery of the Baltic Fleet came to the aid of the border guards. An artillery strike was struck at the enemy infantry and tank concentrations west of Uritsk and Staro-Panovo. German tanks and infantry attacked along the embankment of the Baltic railway were met with anti-tank gun fire. On September 15, the fighting continued on the previous lines. All attempts of the enemy to move forward were unsuccessful. The 56th Rifle Division of Colonel Kuznetsov was introduced into the division's defense zone. From September 16, 1941. The 21st Rifle Division of the NKVD became part of 42 A. On September 17, a strike group under the command of the battalion commander Semin, a battalion of the 85th NKVD railway regiment, 250 soldiers of the 14th regiment of the 21st Rifle Division, and a militia unit was thrown into a counterattack on Staro-Panovo. The soldiers reached the enemy trenches and imposed hand-to-hand combat on the Germans. And although it was not possible to seize Staro-Panov, the exits from Uritska were covered. Despite the huge losses, the Germans could not overcome the lines occupied by the 21st division of the NKVD and by the evening of September 17 were forced to stop attacks and go on the defensive. The border guards also continued to strengthen their positions. 10 KV tanks arrived at the area occupied by the 14th regiment (commander of the tank battalion, Major Protsenko). The tanks were installed as firing points south of Sheremetyevsky Park. The anti-aircraft battery of Captain Morev took up positions there, and the 14th heavy artillery regiment was located in the Avtovo area. The enemy was stopped, the division remained in its positions until January 44.

In October 41. parts of the division, together with the tanks of Major Protsenko, tried to break through to meet the troops landed in Strelna. But it was not possible to overcome the enemy's defenses. No further significant offensive operations were carried out on the 21st Division's defensive sector, apart from periodic reconnaissance in force and harassing actions against the enemy. In October 41. in the 14th regiment of the division, on the initiative of Lieutenant Butorin, the sniper movement began to develop.

In the spring of 42g. the Norwegian SS Volunteer Legion arrived in Uritsk. April 16, 42 near Uritsk the second company of the 14th regiment of the 21st division entered the battle with the legionnaires. The Norwegians made passes through the barriers, advanced to our positions and burst into the trenches. But, having entered into hand-to-hand combat with the border guards, and having lost more than 200 people, they were forced to retreat.

In accordance with the decree of the State Defense Committee of the USSR dated July 26, 42. No. 2100ss, the 21st Rifle Division of the NKVD was transferred from the subordination of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs to the Red Army. From August 16, 42. the division became known as the 109th Infantry Division (2nd formation).

See also: German soldiers about the Soviet. 1941 through the eyes of the Germans

Admiration for enemies. Gestapo about the Soviet people

Literature:

1. Order of Lenin Leningrad Military District: Historical sketch. - L.: Lenizdat, 1968.-- 567s

2. One hundred and ninth soldiers. Collection of memoirs. / Comp. Veresov A. I. - L.: Lenizdat, 1963.-- 224s