Page 97 - The Chief Culprit

74 y e Chief Culprit

badge was awarded for jumping out of an airplane, but only to those who beforehand had
completed tests in running, swimming, shooting, throwing hand grenades for long distances
and with accuracy, climbing obstacle courses, learning to use gas masks, and other military
tests. Jumping from an airplane was the culmination of the training of an airborne soldier.
In the 1930s, western regions of the USSR were shaken up by grandiose military ma-
neuvers. Only one theme was developed in each maneuver—“Deep Penetration”—a sudden
attack by gigantic masses of tanks deep into “enemy” territory. e scenario always simple
but menacing. In all training exercises, the sudden attack of land troops was always preceded
by a surprise attack of Soviet aviation on the “enemy” air bases. is was followed by a drop
of the paratroops to take over the air bases. Following the first wave of parachutists, a second
wave of assault troops, with heavy weapons, landed on the air bases.
In 1935 at the Kiev military district training maneuvers 1,200 paratroopers were
dropped, followed by the landing of 2,500 assault troops with heavy weapons, including
artillery, armored cars, and tanks. In 1936, in Byelorussia, the same invasion technique was
practiced. A parachute force of 1,800 men was dropped and followed by 5,700 assault troops
with heavy weapons. In the same year, during attack maneuvers in the Moscow military dis-
trict, the 84th Rifle Division was fully deployed by airborne transport. In 1938, six new air
assault brigades—the 201st, 202nd, 204th, 211th, 212th, and 214th—were created. In total
5
the six brigades consisted of 18,000 men.
6
In 1939, Stalin ordered the destruction of guerrilla warfare bases and partisan units
that were designed for action on Soviet territory in the event of enemy aggression. Instead,
Stalin ordered the formation of new paratroop forces. In the Moscow military district three
regiments co sisting of three battalions each and several separate battalions, five hundred
to seven hundred parachutists each, were formed. In April 1941 five air assault corps were
7
secretly formed in the Soviet Union. All the corps were stationed in the western regions of
8
the Soviet Union. Each corps included an administration, staff, service formations, three air
assault brigades, an artillery battalion, a separate tank battalion (of fifty-four tanks), and other
formations. Each corps numbered 10,419 men. 9
Twice awarded the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union,” Colonel General Alexander
Rodimtsev, who in May 1941 was commander of the 5th Air Assault Brigade of the 3rd
Paratroops Corps, testified about those events in his memoirs. At that time, Rodimtsev was a
colonel with combat experience in Spain, where he had received his first Hero of the Soviet
Union medal. Rodimtsev recalled:

I had to serve with excellently trained warriors, the best of our Soviet youth. . . . e of-
ficers were mostly experienced parachutists: each of them [had] made from fifty to one
hundred jumps. e brigade consisted of four separate paratroops battalions, a separate
artillery battalion, a sergeants’ school, a separate reconnaissance company, a separate ma-
chine gun company, [and] a separate communications company. e brigade was fully
equipped with weapons and necessary supplies, as well as parachutes. An excellent collec-
tive of officers, disciplined and friendly. Later my first impression was confirmed. Every
one of them showed extreme courage and selflessness in battle for the Motherland. e
brigade trained according to schedule. . . . I was pleased by the hard-working nature of
my parachutists, their courage and their will power, which was easy to feel amongst that
confident youth. . . . All the time was used for preparations for jumps and [for the] jumps
themselves.