Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces Russian Federation— formation (special troops) of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, intended for engineering support (equipment of the territory of military (combat) operations, engineering reconnaissance and escort of troops (forces) on the offensive, and so on).
The engineering troops include control bodies, institutions, enterprises, engineer-sappers, road engineers, pontoon and other formations, military units and subunits.
The engineering troops finally separated from the artillery, becoming an independent branch of the military. By the end of the first quarter of the 19th century, their number exceeded 21 thousand people, which accounted for about 2.3% of the total armed forces. In 1873, a Special Meeting on the strategic position of the country was established in Russia, which, based on a plan developed by Eduard Ivanovich Totleben, decided to carry out a complex of military construction work.
Over the course of 35 years, military builders built the fortresses of Novogeorgievsk, Warsaw Citadel, Zegris, Brest-Litovsk, Osovets, Kovno, Ivangorod, Dubro outpost and various fortifications and structures.
For more details, see the website: Spurs on “OVS” - Organization of the Armed Forces - Creation of the Russian Railways.
Aeronautics gradually took its place in the Russian army. In the second half of the 19th century, balloons were in service. At the end of the century, a separate aeronautical park operated, which was at the disposal of the Commission for Aeronautics, Pigeon Post and Watchtowers. During the maneuvers of 1902-1903. in Krasnoe Selo, Brest and Vilna, methods of using balloons in artillery and for aerial reconnaissance (surveillance) were tested.
After making sure that the use of tethered balls is advisable, War Ministry decided to create special units at the fortresses in Warsaw, Novgorod, Brest, Kovno, Osovets and the Far East, which included 65 balls. The production of airships in Russia began in 1908. At the same time, the Engineering Department was distrustful of the idea of using aviation for military purposes.
Only in 1909 did it propose to the Training Aeronautical Park to build 5 airplanes. Then the military department purchased from foreign companies several Wright and Farman aircraft. Meanwhile, several private enterprises for the production of engines and aircraft arose in Russia. Some of them were subsidiaries of French factories. From 1909 to 1917 More than 20 aviation enterprises emerged in Russia.
The problem of communications in military affairs acquired great importance in the 20th century. The first initiatives to introduce the telegraph took place during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, which brought enormous benefits to the command and control of troops; they led to the wider use of technical means of communication. The telegraph and telephone took over leading place in command and control of troops. The most widely developed were mobile lines intended for commanding troops directly in the theater of war. At the end of the 19th century, the number of telegraph parks under the jurisdiction of the Main Engineering Directorate was 17 (975 versts) in Central Russia and 2 (130 versts) in the Caucasus. In addition, 55 communication centers (423 versts) were created in the fortresses.
In 1912, standards for supplying corps with communications equipment were established. Each corps, consisting of two infantry divisions (8 infantry regiments), one sapper battalion (one telegraph and three sapper companies) and one field engineering department, was equipped with 20 telegraphs, 193 telephone sets and 333 miles of cable.
Automobile troops.
One of the reasons for the slow introduction of automobiles into the military economy was the poor development of the highway network. In 1884, the construction of highways was entrusted to the War Ministry. Thanks to his efforts, from 1885 to 1900, the highways St. Petersburg - Pskov - Warsaw with branches to Riga and Mariupol, Moscow - Brest - Warsaw with branches to Kalisz and Poznan, Kyiv - Brest, the Pskov - Kyiv road and some others were built. In the 1880s, the first runway (in the form of wooden flooring or wooden rails) was built near Krasnoe Selo to test the Mozhaisky aircraft. Airfield construction received significant development in 1905-1910, when the first airfield complexes were built in a number of cities in the country.
The increased role of engineering troops was shown by the Russo-Japanese War. At the beginning of the war, the engineering formations of the Manchurian Army had only 2,800 people. — by the end of the war they numbered 21 thousand.
By this time, in the Far East there were:
· engineer battalions - 20;
· pontoon battalions - 4;
· aeronautical battalions - 3;
· telegraph battalions - 2;
· serf sapper companies - 4;
· mine mouths - 5;
· aeronautical companies - 1;
· spark mouths - 2;
· serf telegraphs - 1 (Beskrovny L.G., 1986)
The further development and technical equipment of the engineering troops, especially during the First World War, as well as the incredible overload of the administrative bodies of the engineering troops due to the sharp increase in the number of aviation, automobile units, and armored vehicle units led to the separation of aviation and automobile units into independent branches of the military.
The number of engineering troops by the beginning of 1917 amounted to 6% of the total number of the army.
Monument to the Great Sappers Patriotic War in front of Izmailovskaya gymnasium No. 1508 in Moscow
Both during the times of the USSR and now, the main purpose of the Engineering Troops is engineering support for combat operations. Engineering support for combat operations of troops was organized and carried out with the aim of creating the necessary conditions for troops to timely and covertly advance, deploy, maneuver, successfully carry out combat missions, increase the protection of troops and objects from all types of destruction, to inflict losses on the enemy, and to hinder enemy actions.
· destruction and neutralization of enemy nuclear mines;
· making and maintaining passages in barriers and destruction;
· arrangement of passages through obstacles;
· demining of terrain and objects;
· preparation and maintenance of routes for troop movement, transportation and evacuation;
· equipment and maintenance of crossings when crossing water barriers;
· engineering measures to camouflage troops and objects;
· engineering measures to restore the combat effectiveness of troops and eliminate the consequences of enemy nuclear strikes;
· extraction and purification of water, equipment of water supply points.
The engineering troops performed engineering support tasks that required special training of personnel, the use of engineering equipment and engineering ammunition. In addition, their tasks include the destruction of enemy equipment and manpower with mine-explosive and nuclear mine weapons.
Everyone knows well what combat missions artillery performs, what tankers are needed for, and also what marines, special forces and paratroopers do. But not even everyone who serves today can clearly talk about the role of the Russian engineering troops. Russian army, not to mention the civilian population. At best, to the question: “Who are the engineering warriors?” civilians will answer simply - they are sappers, because they are constantly mining and clearing things, blowing up and building. And some “knowledgeable” people, upon hearing the name “engineer troops,” will wave their hands dismissively and say that these are ordinary soldiers from Stroybat.
In reality, the Russian engineering troops have absolutely nothing to do with the construction battalions. First of all, these are mobile special forces units (barrage units, territory clearing brigades, assault groups, etc.), which accompany the main forces in offensive operations and conduct comprehensive engineering reconnaissance of specific terrain squares. In addition, they are designed to quickly solve various tasks related to the technical support of a military operation with the participation of infantry units and other units of the Russian ground forces. In 2017, active units of the Russian Engineering Troops (IT) solemnly celebrated 316 years of service in the ranks of the Russian army. And today they are considered one of the most popular branches of the Armed Forces.
Over three centuries, Russian military engineers have gone through a rather thorny path of development and formation as an independent branch of the military, but at the same time, these brave soldiers have always demonstrated an unbridled desire to serve their Motherland. For the first time, professional training and education of engineering fighters in various specialties began to be carried out back in 1701. According to the personal order of Tsar Peter I Alekseevich the Great, the first special educational school was created in Russia on the basis of the then main governing body - the Pushkar order. In the “training”, professional and experienced artillerymen and, together with them, specialized specialists - military engineers - were prepared for future military service in the army. The very next year, graduates of the school were sent to the existing army mining units for further service. Later, pontoon teams were also formed.
Over the centuries-old history of the engineering troops, in the memory of chroniclers, military historians and ordinary eyewitnesses of that time, there was practically not a single “high-profile” battle in which military personnel of the IW units did not directly participate. This only confirms the fact that their role in any land battle was fundamental and extremely important. Russian warrior-engineers, not having theoretical knowledge and sufficient experience, and also not having the proper technical equipment, were able to show themselves in all their glory in many fierce battles. The soldiers distinguished themselves during the Battle of Poltava and the difficult Crimean War. The soldiers of the engineering troops made a huge contribution to the victory under the command of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov during the storming of the Izmail fortress. Later, for this valiant feat of arms, the great Russian commander was awarded the highest rank of generalissimo, and the IV soldiers who participated in the battle were presented with state orders.
Regardless of the nature of the hostilities, detachments of engineering troops almost always arrive at the “meeting point” before everyone else. They check the territory for mines and other explosive devices, construct river crossings, and, if necessary, quickly build safe passages through enemy minefields. Military engineers, on duty, are faced with “dirty work”, and very often carry out their direct duties while under massive enemy fire. No matter how loud it may sound, not a single army in the world is able to completely do without engineering troops. In Russia, Military Engineer Day is celebrated annually on January 21.
Origins of the Corps of Engineers
According to ancient chronicles, the first officially confirmed information about warrior-builders in Rus' appeared back in 1016 AD. The soldiers who were in the sovereign's service differed significantly from the classical city planners, who were called carpenters, stone craftsmen and “city dwellers” foundries. It was customary to call military engineers differently - city workers or bridge workers. In fact, even the word “city” itself had a completely different meaning in the ancient Russian language. It did not mean a populated area, but military settlement according to the type of fortress in which it was convenient to carry out defensive actions.
Warrior-builders also differed from ordinary army soldiers and patrol units. The tasks of organizing the defense of cities were entrusted to their shoulders. From some ancient Russian chronicles of the tsarist period of the 9th–10th centuries, which have survived to this day, it is known that many military engineers had extensive knowledge of the art of war. They did not just sit in fortified cities, coming up with a plan for organizing defense, but built various military fortifications that were used against enemy troops. In the second half XVII century warrior-engineers who were at the royal military service, actually became elite soldiers. And there were reasons for this.
By the beginning of 1200 Julian calendar the “fragmentation” of Rus' into separate feudal principalities began. Against the background of these processes, the construction of castles and new defensive fortifications intensified. The services of military engineers became in demand, and the soldiers themselves received decent salaries for their work. This served as a fairly powerful impetus for the further development and improvement of military engineering in Russia. In addition to constructing defensive structures, soldiers discovered and implemented new opportunities for engineering support and combat support for offensive operations.
In 1242, Russian troops were able to defeat German soldiers “to smithereens” right on the ice of Lake Peipus in the Pskov region on the border with Estonia. During the fierce battle, military engineers put into practice not only standard field-type fortifications, which were built taking into account the terrain, but also used special defensive structures designed for a long period of operation. The warrior-builders of Rus' distinguished themselves in 1552, when, by order of Tsar Ivan IV, in less than a month they built the fortress city of Sviyazhsk, where the support base of the Russian troops involved in the siege of Kazan was located.
Development of military affairs in the 17th–18th century.
In 1692–94 The last Tsar of All Rus', Peter I Alekseevich, personally supervised the conduct of experimental training maneuvers using engineering communications and defensive fortifications. At the same time, for key basis The tactical “experiments” were based on the then popular scientific works of a French military engineer named Sebastien Le Prêtre de Vauban. The fortified cities of the Grand Marshal subsequently became a World Heritage Site and are today under the protection of UNESCO. Therefore, it is not surprising that all countries of the world, including Tsarist Russia, tried to copy his inventions.
Tsar Peter I made a lot of efforts to create regular IW units in 1712, and it was he who insisted on the use of transport means and the construction of field fortifications, which made it possible to provide offensive combat operations that unfolded on land with the necessary weapons and technical equipment. Subsequently, this made it possible to actively develop and implement new ways to strengthen state borders. However, Peter I began to seriously engage in the professional training of military engineers much earlier.
The official history of the development of IV units dates back to January 21, 1701, when Peter I Alekseevich decided to create the Pushkarsky Prikaz school in Moscow, where officer ranks of artillery regiments and individual army engineering formations of the regular troops of Russia were to undergo tactical training. This experience turned out to be successful, and already 18 years later, in 1719, a new school was opened, but in St. Petersburg. The military regulations of Peter I, which replaced the old “cannon and military regulations” proposed by Anisim Mikhailov, marked the beginning of the restructuring of the regular units of the Russian army, which had a positive effect on the level of its combat effectiveness. Some time later, in 1722, the tsar introduced the famous Table of Ranks, in which all officer ranks of engineering formations of the Russian army became “head and shoulders above” infantrymen and cavalrymen.
In the 1750s, units of the engineering troops were subordinate to the Chancellery of Artillery and Fortification. During this period, they experienced a rapid surge in development and an invaluable contribution to the “common cauldron” was made by the talented General-Chief of the Engineering Troops Hannibal Abram Petrovich. Thanks to his efforts, the popularity of military builders increased sharply. Near the end XVIII century the number of military forces in the active Russian army increased almost 3–4 times. This opened up new opportunities for the development of the defense of the Russian state.
In 1757, frame-canvas pontoons first appeared in service with the Russian army - they were intended to secure floating supports on the water, which in turn were used by military engineers to build a temporary floating bridge with a lifting capacity of up to 3.5 tons. In 1797, at the instigation of Emperor Paul I, regular army battalions necessarily included one mining company, which carried out military construction activities during offensive campaigns, and was also engaged in camouflage of various objects on land and the construction of field structures. Thus, already at the end of the 18th century, the development of engineering troops was progressing in full swing, which made it possible to significantly strengthen the combat power of the Russian Empire.
IW units in the era of great wars
Before the start of the war with Napoleonic France, which began in 1812, about ten mining and pioneer units of engineering troops were formed in Russia. In addition, support for combat ground operations was provided by artillery pontoon teams. Another 14 companies were stationed in fortified fortresses. However, they were staffed only by conductors and officers. The need for manpower was compensated by infantrymen and volunteers from among the local population.
One sapper and two pioneer regiments from the existing battalion composition of the IV took part in foreign campaigns against France. If we talk about exact numbers, then at the time of World War II there were about 45 regular combat engineering units in the Russian army. Sapper and mining army detachments were engaged in the construction of long-term defensive fortifications, which were used to protect fortresses, as well as in offensive operations. While the pioneer companies actively carried out work to improve travel routes, bridge crossings and field fortifications. Pontoon teams were engaged in constructing floating bridges across rivers.
During the Crimean War, which took place in 1853-56, in which the army of the Russian Empire was forced to confront a coalition of European states, two cavalry pioneer divisions were involved, performing important tasks for the construction of defensive “heights”, as well as 9 battalions of sappers. It should be noted that at that time the IW separated from the artillery and became an independent branch of the military. And although the successes of the Russian army in this battle were very doubtful, military engineers proved themselves to be courageous, persistent and brave fighters. Actually, other military units also showed their best side, but the defeat itself was more of a political nature and was due to “mistakes” in strategic calculations made by the army command.
In the Russian-Turkish War, which broke out in 1877-1878. units of the engineering troops achieved previously unprecedented results - the number of regular units exceeded 20,000 military personnel. At the same time, new vacancies were opened in the specialties of aeronautics and pigeon communications. By the end of the 19th century, engineering troops provided technical support for almost all offensive operations of Russian infantry, cavalry detachments and artillery regiments. In addition, the soldiers took an active part in the construction of fortresses, and also carried out important engineering problems when arranging travel routes and laying new radiotelegraph lines.
Contribution to the victory of the USSR in World War II
In the Soviet army, the primary purpose of the IW was technical support for offensive and defensive infantry combat operations. In the conditions of a tough war, the forces of ordinary soldiers and officers competently planned and successfully implemented all the necessary conditions for the rapid advancement of the main offensive units of the Soviet army. IW special forces carried out tasks to camouflage military installations, construct defensive fortifications, including anti-tank ditches, and other command orders. In many ways, it was thanks to the timely and coordinated actions of military engineers that the German occupiers faced insurmountable obstacles on the way to Soviet fortified areas of strategic importance.
During the Second World War, battalions and detachments of the USSR IV gained enormous experience and prospects for subsequent development. Technical capabilities improved, and the range of military tasks constantly expanded. At the same time, the role of IW soldiers increased. Almost from the first days of the invasion of the fascist invaders into the territory of the USSR, they actively participated in the preparation and conduct of defensive battles - they dug trenches, cleared roads, created defensive fortifications and erected water crossings using pontoons. Together with other army units, military engineers steadfastly held back the powerful onslaught of German forces.
On the Northern and Western fronts, special forces of the IW acted as mobile mobile barrage units. They covered the retreat of the main forces of the Soviet army, destroying river crossings, mining fields and creating insurmountable zones of artificial obstacles, which forced the Germans to slow down. And on the Kola Peninsula, the soldiers of the engineering troops, together with the surviving motorized riflemen, lacking tanks and artillery, were able to actually completely block the advance of the Germans in this direction.
When organizing the defense of the Russian capital, by decision of the highest ranks of the Supreme Command of the Army, 10 mobile mobile units were urgently formed, which carried out combat missions right in front of the fascists, mining the passage of tanks and destroying road communications. Thanks to the work carried out, during the attack on Moscow in one of the areas, German units lost about 200 units of heavy armored vehicles and about 140 units of trucks with weapons and ammunition. For this valiant feat, the soldiers were presented with high state awards. True, many of them received medals and orders posthumously.
In 1942–43, when Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, military engineers of the Red Army had to hastily restore previously destroyed bridges and build new river crossings. In addition, the tasks of clearing mines from the territories that the Germans “marked” before retreating fell on their shoulders. In winter, it was also necessary to lay column tracks in meter-long snowdrifts. However, this task was successfully solved in a short time. Whereas many retreating German units were simply captured in the snow, not having special equipment to clear the territories, and became easy money for Soviet soldiers. With the start of a full-scale winter counteroffensive in 1942, teams of reconnaissance and demolition officers were deployed every day to the enemy rear.
Assault engineering units often had to perform army-wide military missions. For example, during a fierce battle in the Lithuanian city of Vilna, soldiers of the fourth sapper brigade of the IV were personally able to neutralize and destroy about 2 thousand Germans, take about 3 thousand soldiers prisoner and free more than 2.5 thousand Soviet prisoners of war and ordinary citizens who were in a local concentration camp. As a result of the Second World War, about 800 soldiers of the IW units became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and about 300 people were solemnly awarded the Order of Glory.
Secondary tasks of the Engineering Troops
The profession of a military engineer is quite multifaceted and universal - adapted to any needs. Experienced IW specialists in Russia are equally in demand both in wartime and peacetime. After the end of World War II, military personnel from engineering units were involved in the Afghan War, and also took direct part in peacekeeping missions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Today, Russian engineering troops are conducting active military activities to clear mines in Syria. They accomplished many feats during periods of “calm.” The brave soldiers of the IW provided enormous assistance in eliminating the consequences of the large-scale man-made disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which occurred in 1986.
In peacetime, special units of the engineering troops of the Russian Armed Forces, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other federal departments, carry out measures to evacuate the population from dangerous areas, as well as liquidate negative consequences Emergencies of both man-made and natural nature. Among the primary tasks of the IW are the construction and subsequent operation of bridges and pontoon crossings on the country’s waterways, extinguishing forest fires, disposal of nuclear waste, and eliminating life-threatening consequences of the collapse of emergency industrial facilities. This is only a small part of all the secondary tasks that Russian engineering troops regularly have to perform.
Pontoon crossing technology
One of the key tasks of engineering troops is to construct safe passage routes through water areas. A pontoon crossing is the result of the painstaking work of dozens of soldiers and a rather complex engineering process that requires extreme care and attention. In order for a prefabricated structure made of floating elements to become a full-fledged ferry, you need to know the entire technology of this process from “A to Z”. First, floating conveyors are launched into the water, with the help of which the future floating crossing is gradually and scrupulously assembled. If necessary, the structure is insured on water by river boats. On small bodies of water you can do without them. Engineer troops connect all the elements manually, and then control the crossing from the shore and water.
Pontoon military crossing has many advantages. Firstly, structures on pontoons are practical and highly transportable: they can be easily moved in a collapsible state on land, and then, if necessary, transported by water. But the primary advantage is the high speed of installation, which allows you to quickly transport the necessary equipment or people across any water obstacle. In the capable hands of Russian engineering troops, this mechanism works clearly and smoothly. With the right approach, you can build a pontoon crossing 400–500 meters long in just a few hours.
However, this technical engineering structure There are also obvious disadvantages. For example, in busy areas of water bodies they interfere with river navigation. But if this issue can be resolved at the planning and preparation stages of the operation, then others remain relevant to this day. Floating pontoon supports are highly dependent on water level, wind speed and wave speed. We also have to come to terms with the fact that in winter, in conditions of freezing, the use of pontoon crossings is simply impossible. And if basic operating rules are not followed, floating bridges can even “float away” in an unknown direction. A similar curiosity occurred in 2005 during the construction of pontoon supports on the Condoma River.
Insignia of engineering units
One of the main attributes of the engineering troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is the classic emblem. In the central part there is a double-headed eagle, which, according to the good old tradition, is depicted with wings spread to the sides. In his claws he firmly holds 2 axes (a traditional army symbol of IW), which are located crosswise in relation to each other. This heraldic sign acts as the official coat of arms. As a rule, this army symbol can be found on the gates of the engineering unit, special equipment and military headquarters buildings. The history of the emblem goes back more than 200 years - it first appeared in 1812.
If we talk about award badges, the most important is the medal with a moire ribbon “Veteran of the Engineering Troops”. This memorable award is intended only for military personnel with length of service who have honorably fulfilled their personal duty to the Motherland and retired to a well-deserved retirement. On the obverse of the medal is the coat of arms of the Russian Armed Forces, below is the “branded” sign of the modern-style engineering troops (2 crossed axes and a flaming grenade). Also on the front part there are traditional symbols of the Russian Armed Forces - laurel and oak branches. The reverse of the award medal depicts a small five pointed star, which is surrounded by the jagged “borders” of a classic military fortification.
The official flag of Russian military units is a double-sided rectangular banner. The main symbol is depicted in the form of a 4-pointed white cross, the edges of which widen closer to the outer part of the flag and come into contact with four red and black rays. In the central part there are depicted the blade of a track-layer, a sea anchor, a flaming grenade with lightning diverging in different directions, as well as two axes crossed with each other. Upper part The “exposure” is framed by a gear wheel.
The traditional lapel badge of Russian military forces units is intended to be worn in the corners of the collar of a military uniform, as well as on officer shoulder straps. This emblem, in addition to traditional engineering hatchets and a bulldozer blade, depicts an anchor, a mine and lightning bolts diverging to the sides. The symbol denotes belonging to the Russian engineering troops. Also widely used in everyday life is the breastplate emblem of the 1994 model with the image of a lapel symbol and the inscription: “Engineer Troops.”
Armament and technical equipment
At the height of World War II (1943–44), many Soviet special forces engineering troops adopted the modified CH-42 body armor. Such powerful uniforms were mainly equipped with soldiers of the assault units of individual combat engineer brigades, which were subordinate not to the general staff, but directly to the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. During the war, the engineering troops were also called “armored infantry” or “battleships”, since soldiers in CH-42 body armor looked quite clumsy compared to other units of the Soviet army. Nevertheless, a steel breastplate, made of 2 mm thick 36SGN steel, was able to protect against machine gun bullets and small fragments.
Today, the operating special forces of the Russian Engineering Troops use the most modern technology and equipment. Military personnel of sapper brigades of special forces of the IW are equipped with unique protective clothing of a new generation. The kit is capable of protecting against the explosion of anti-personnel mines and an improvised explosive device with a warhead capacity of about 1 kg in TNT equivalent. In addition to standard firearms, engineer soldiers performing important mine clearance tasks also use new powerful Korshun class mine detectors. A modern military locator detects anti-personnel mines and other hidden explosive devices at a distance of up to 30 meters in any type of soil, in snow, as well as under asphalt and even concrete floors. “Korshun” was successfully used by Russian military personnel when carrying out mine clearance work in Syria.
When there is an urgent need to inspect and clear a vast area of land from land mines and other explosive devices, military engineers have no choice but to put into practice “brute force” - a self-propelled mine clearing unit called the UR-77 “Meteorite”. In wide circles, this miracle technique is better known under the unofficial pseudonym “Snake-Gorynych”. It was adopted by the engineering troops back in 1977, but even today this machine is superior to some modern world analogues produced in the West. UR-77 destroys any explosive devices in its path, providing military equipment and soldiers a safe corridor with a total length of almost 200 meters and a “gauge” width of 6 m.
The engineering troops of the Russian Federation have a wide variety of equipment and equipment on their balance sheet. To quickly overcome ground obstacles and artificially created obstacles, engineering mechanized bridges of the TMM-6 class, as well as earlier modifications, are widely used. Soldiers of the engineering troops, depending on the situation, use in practice special equipment designed for the comprehensive mechanization of earthmoving or road work. In addition, the IV brigades are armed with universal multi-wheeled track-laying vehicles of the PKT-2 class and tank bridge-laying vehicles of the MTU-72 class.
To quickly overcome water obstacles, mobile diving stations, transportable pontoon parks and floating trailers are used. In emergency situations, special “Exit” kits are used, designed for the urgent evacuation of tank crews. The engineering troops are also equipped with truck cranes, sawmills and powerful military excavators. Such a variety of technical means makes it possible to perform the most complex tasks with minimal time investment.
Special equipment of the Russian engineering troops
BAT-2 - indispensable assistant in almost any engineering field. This army track-laying machine, like a sewing knife, has several working tools that are necessary for laying column tracks. BAT-2 also has special crane equipment with a lifting capacity of up to 2 tons. Despite the huge number of additional units and mechanisms, in practice this equipment is a fairly obedient, responsive and very fast machine, capable of accelerating up to 70 km/h.
In addition to performing its direct duties, BAT-2 has proven itself well in clearing terrain from snowdrifts and snow debris in the winter. Instead of the friction and planetary turning mechanism traditional for heavy military equipment, the BAT-2 tracklayer is equipped with 2 onboard gearboxes. For greater maneuverability on rough terrain, the caterpillar drive is equipped with rubber-metal hinges. Activation of one of the three modes of a powerful bulldozer occurs using standard hydraulic equipment. The weight of BAT-2 together with power units and additional installed equipment is 39.7 tons.
IMR-1- engineering barrier vehicle. Built on the basis of the T-55 tank. In just 1 hour, it is capable of turning 300 meters of solid rubble into a road suitable for the passage of conventional vehicles. It is distinguished by stronger hull armor, since very often the vehicle has to perform tasks under enemy fire. A manipulator with a gripper is used to install logs into the ground. The IMR-1 has a very small visibility, therefore, together with the mechanic, a commander-operator is also sent to complete the task, who supervises the driver’s actions in the process of manipulating the crane installation. The body of this armored vehicle has quite powerful protection against radioactive radiation.
The installed working equipment has 3 main operating modes: two-blade, grader and bulldozer, which makes this type of equipment a real all-rounder in military affairs. The suspension is an individual torsion bar, the maximum speed over rough terrain is about 20 km/h. The weight of the IRM-1 engineering vehicle is 37.5 tons.
MDK-3- an army armored vehicle for digging pits, which can quickly dig a ditch 3.5 m wide and deep, and the length of the ditch can be any. This car is equipped with a turbocharged 12-cylinder engine with a power of 710 horsepower. The weight of the machine is 39 tons. Maximum speed up to 80 km/h over rough terrain. For digging a pit, a special rotary-type working body is provided, and there is also a baking powder and a cutter. The rotor's productivity is quite high - in 1 hour, this technique is capable of digging about 350–450 cubic meters of soil.
The external tool of the MDK-3 engineering special equipment is a milling cutter that looks like a meat grinder knife. Actually, its functions are similar. It is the cutter that first “bites” into the ground and feeds the loosened mass into the second wheel - the rotor, which rotates much faster than the cutter and throws the soil to one side. The rotor and the huge working cutter are driven by a gearbox. Its gears are rotated by a driveshaft with a diameter the size of a telegraph pole. But the main movement of all mechanisms is determined by the hydraulic motor.
There is another gearbox combined with a gearbox, and for finishing work the MDK-3 has a small blade that levels the shelter, making the walls vertical, and also quickly builds convenient driveways. The maximum burial depth is 5 meters. Being at a depth, in order not to get sick from exhaust fumes, driver mechanics use a first-class standard air purification and ventilation system made in Russia, which can even withstand radioactive dust. By the way, you can also control the earthmoving machine while digging a pit using a remote control from outside the cab.
Where are military engineers trained?
If you intend to become a sapper in the Russian engineering forces, then documents for full-time training can be submitted to the admissions committee of the 66th interdepartmental training center, which is located in the Moscow region. In this educational institution You can become a mine detection service specialist. In addition to the theoretical foundations of minecraft, cadets have the opportunity to consolidate their acquired knowledge in practice. For this purpose, the training center uses a separate military training ground in Nikolo-Uryupino, where tactical and special training and testing of the latest robotic systems are held.
The Combined Arms Academy of the Russian Armed Forces, which is located in Moscow, is rightfully considered the forge of engineering personnel, where professional training of officers of the Russian army is carried out. The duration of study in the chosen specialty is 5 years. After graduating from the institute, cadets are awarded the junior officer rank of “lieutenant” and are given a state-issued diploma of a qualified specialist. The training time is counted towards the total military experience. You can also undergo training in the structural unit of the university - Tyumen Higher VIKU named after. Marshal A.I. Proshlyakov. Detailed information can be obtained on the official website of educational institutions.
If you intend to obtain a junior specialist's diploma in computer science, then you should contact the regional training centers of the Russian Ministry of Defense. One of these centers is located in the city of Volzhsky, the other in Kstovo. Please note that getting into the engineering corps for permanent service is possible only under a contract, so it is best to decide in advance on the choice of a higher education institution or a specialized center to obtain the coveted “crust” of a qualified specialist.
Benefits of serving in the Army Corps of Engineers
The salary of contract soldiers depends on the region of service. On average, salaries vary between 25–40 thousand rubles. In addition, various monthly allowances, lifting and annual financial assistance are additionally provided. The modern army provides an opportunity not only to earn good money, but also to provide for a family. There is another significant advantage in contract service. After the first contract, any serviceman has the right to enter into a military mortgage. It works differently than a civilian one - while the service is ongoing, the state fulfills loan obligations. But even if a contract soldier decides to become a civilian, no one will take away his apartment or house. In this case, the serviceman will independently pay off the remaining debt to the bank.
The social package of a contract soldier, among other things, includes the opportunity to receive free education, free medical care and rehabilitation support, as well as food and clothing allowances. Soon the term of the first contract is planned to be reduced to 2 years. At the same time, a unified system of discounts will be created when contract workers purchase public goods and services. It is also planned to develop a project for preferential lending to contract soldiers of the engineering forces. The main directions in matters of improving contract service are to create favorable living conditions, optimize monetary allowances, improve social and living conditions and improve the status of engineering troops who serve under contract. In addition, social protection and the rights of military personnel and members of their families are guaranteed.
How do military engineers serve today?
The Russian Engineering Troops are a real gold nugget, an alloy of science and courage. And there is not a bit of exaggeration in this. Quickly laying a road for the safe movement of vehicles, clearing mines from the territory where hostilities are taking place, and providing water and electricity to populated areas in the event of an emergency is an invisible but necessary job. And here we cannot do without professional soldiers serving on a contract basis. That is why modern Russian engineering troops consist of 80-90% trained contract soldiers.
You will not find traditional army armored vehicles in IW brigades. These units are armed with their own unique “monsters” made of metal, each of which has its own specific characteristics. Some machines are designed to clear debris, others make passages in minefields, and still others build bridges across rivers and reservoirs. Separate battalions of engineering troops also perform different tasks. For example, a mine clearance battalion clears areas near populated areas from unexploded shells. Only contract soldiers serve here. In one day, an engineering battalion is capable of clearing up to 5 hectares of land from landmines.
It is impossible to carry out such a colossal amount of work manually, so special equipment comes to the aid of the soldiers. Today, the newest mine clearing machine “Uran-6” is of particular importance. This is a robotic minesweeper that is controlled from a distance. This technique is actively used to clean urban areas, as well as foothill areas. Also today, soldiers of the engineering troops are mastering the latest model of a mine detector, which was nicknamed “Kite” in the Russian army for its unique technical characteristics. Today, engineering troops are developing by leaps and bounds, and automation plays a key role in reforming IW units.
In terms of the level of military training in terms of using special equipment, soldiers of engineering brigades are considered one of the best in the Russian army. A well-thought-out material and educational base helps to hone skills. Many units have their own engineering camp, a waterport for pontoon crossings and a training ground with an obstacle course where driving and fire training are taught. Combat brigades are staffed on a mixed basis - contract soldiers in the most popular army specialties are accepted for service:
- squad leader;
- deputy platoon commander;
- medical instructor;
- electrician-communicator;
- mechanic-driver.
At the beginning of service, a probationary period is provided for all contract soldiers. Unconfident and weak-willed soldiers who simply cannot cope with the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them, after probationary period(3 months) are eliminated according to the principle of natural selection. Only the most persistent guys, ready for self-sacrifice, get into the service. Contract soldiers live in service apartments and cockpit-type barracks. Alternatively, it is allowed to rent housing in a nearby locality. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense compensates part of the money for renting an apartment or private house.
Conclude a contract for the passage military service in the ranks of the engineering troops is possible through the representative office of the Ministry of Defense. Absolutely any law-abiding citizen of the Russian Federation (without a criminal conviction) over the age of 19, who has a state diploma of complete secondary education and has served in military service in active military units of the Ground Forces or Navy, can submit the appropriate application. Entrance tests for all applicants for contract service in the army are carried out at specially created regional selection points. These tests are complex and multi-level competitions, including a mandatory test of psychological stability, as well as a test of physical fitness.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945
MALINOVSKY Gleb Vladimirovich- retired colonel, candidate of philosophical sciences, associate professor (Moscow. T.: 8-499-193-34-53)
Sapper armies
In the autumn of 1941 in Armed Forces In the USSR, unusual formations of engineering troops appeared - sapper armies. Although they solved important problems in the most difficult - the first period of the Great Patriotic War, only some of these associations are mentioned in historical literature and only their construction of defensive lines. Meanwhile, the sapper armies also carried out some other tasks of engineering support for combat operations, and were also the main base for training units and formations of engineering troops for the front and a source of replenishment of privates and junior command personnel for the newly formed rifle divisions. Unfortunately, information about engineer armies in some sources is inaccurate. For example, mention is made of the participation of the 1st and 3rd sapper armies in the construction of lines during the preparation for the defense of Moscow, the formation of a sapper army in October 1941 for the construction of the Mozhaisk defensive line1. But at the indicated time there were no sapper armies there. There are also other inaccuracies regarding the timing of the formation, composition, number of personnel and reorganization of engineer armies2.
During the summer-autumn campaign of 1941, the implementation of engineering support tasks for combat operations was complicated by a shortage of engineering troops. The corps and divisional engineering and engineer battalions (201 units in total) that were involved in the construction of fortified areas (URs) on the western border came under the first attacks of the aggressor and suffered heavy losses3. Therefore, most of the rifle formations at the fronts and many who arrived in the active army from the internal districts fought without full-time engineer battalions4, and the fronts had very few engineering units at their disposal.
The construction of defensive lines was led by the Main Military Engineering Directorate (GVIU) of the Red Army. Their construction in the operational rear was entrusted to the army and front-line military field construction departments formed in July 1941. And in the strategic rear - to the Main Directorate of Hydraulic Works of the NKVD, reorganized in September 1941 into the Main Directorate of Defense Works (GUOBR) of the NKVD, which included 10 directorates of defensive works, as well as to Glavvoenstroy under the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) of the USSR, which had previously been involved construction of barracks and defense enterprises. By the decision of the State Defense Committee (GKO), construction organizations of the People's Commissariat of Construction of the USSR, the Main Directorate of Highways, the People's Commissariat of the Coal Industry and the mobilized local population were also involved in the construction of defensive lines.
The enemy's advance required the urgent construction of defensive lines in the strategic rear to cover the most important economic regions and administrative centers. The first experience of the war showed that their construction by formations of the People's Commissariats of Defense (NKO), Internal Affairs (NKVD) and civilian organizations led to the dispersal of forces and resources and made it difficult to manage them. To successfully solve these problems, large military construction formations were required, so on October 13, 1941, the State Defense Committee adopted two resolutions - “On defensive construction” and “On the formation of sapper armies with a total number of 300 thousand people.” In accordance with them, the Main Directorate of Defense Construction (GUOS) was created as part of the Main Directorate of Defense Construction of the Red Army; the Main Directorate of Defense Construction of the NKVD was transferred to it; all army and front-line military field construction departments, as well as a number of civilian construction organizations, were subordinated to it. GUOS was tasked with the accelerated construction of the following defensive lines: the first - from Medvezhyegorsk along east coast Lake Onega, the eastern shore of the Catherine Canal, Cherepovets, Rybinsk-Yaroslavl-Ivanovo-Voznesensky and Gorky Urals, the Oka, Tsna, Don rivers; the second - along the northern and eastern banks of the Volga from the Gorky fortified area to Astrakhan with the Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Kuibyshev, Saratov and Stalingrad fortified areas; as well as lines in the foothills area North Caucasus from Temryuk along the southern banks of the Kuban and Terek rivers to the Caspian Sea with the Krasnodar, Tikhoretsky, Stavropol and Grozny URs.
To build these lines and simultaneously prepare engineering units for the front, it was decided to form six sapper armies by November 1, each consisting of five sapper brigades (sapbr). The number of personnel in the brigade is 9979 people. It included 19 sapper battalions (sap), motor-tractor (atrb) battalions and a mechanization detachment. Providing new formations with equipment, building materials, tools and other property was entrusted to the State Planning Committee, the relevant People's Commissariats and executive committees of the Soviets of Workers' Deputies of Moscow, a number of regions and territories, which also, at the request of the military councils of the sapper armies, ensured the mobilization of the workforce5.
In agreement with the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (SHC), it was decided to form 10 sapper armies within the limits of personnel and the number of brigades determined by the GKO resolution. By November 1, 1941, 9 sapper armies were created: in the Arkhangelsk Military District - the 2nd; Moscow - 3rd; Privolzhsky - 4, 5, 6 and 7; North Caucasus - 8, 9 and 10th. Each consisted of 2-4 sapper brigades. A total of 30 sabres were formed, including 570 sabres. The staff strength of all sapper armies was 299,730 people. They were subordinate to the GUOS NKO, the head of which was concurrently appointed the head of the Main Military Inspectorate of the Red Army, Major General L.Z. Kotlyar.
A number of military field construction departments, all defense works departments of the NKVD Main Directorate for Military Development, and some civil construction organizations involved in the construction of defensive lines were asked to form sapper armies. Many heads of these departments headed sapper armies and brigades.<…>
Read the full version of the article in the paper version of the Military Historical Journal and on the website of the Scientific Electronic Libraryhttp: www. library. ru
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NOTES
1 Engineering troops in the battles for the Soviet Motherland. M.: Voenizdat, 1970. P. 94; Mozhaisk-Maloyaroslavets operation 1941 / Soviet military encyclopedia: In 8 volumes. T. 5. M.: Voenizdat, 1978. P. 354; Engineer Army/ Soviet military encyclopedia. T. 7. M.: Voenizdat, 1979. P. 248; Living memory. M., 1955. Book. 1. P. 62.
2 Kolesnik A.N. Soviet military builders. M.: Voenizdat, 1988. P. 108, 109, 115; Engineering troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. M., 1995. P. 10; Sidorov V.P. Soviet engineering troops in the Great Patriotic War. M., 1985. S. 2, 3; Fire years. M., 1999. P. 76.
3 History of the Second World War 1939-1945: In 12 volumes. T. 3. M.: Voenizdat, 1974. P. 439.
4 Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (TsAMO RF). F. 69. Op. 12112. D. 72. L. 98.
5 Russian state archive socio-political history (RGASPI). F. 644. Op.1. D. 12. L. 113, 118-121.
Soviet military miracle 1941-1943 [Revival of the Red Army] Glanz David M
ENGINEERING (SEPER) TROOPS
ENGINEERING (SEPER) TROOPS
Engineer and sapper regiments and battalions
Throughout the war, the engineering troops of the Red Army included sapper troops as part of the active fronts and sappers under the control of the leadership of the RGK or RVGK, who were allocated by the Headquarters to the active fronts and armies as needed. Both of them were supposed to be involved in the construction and renovation of defensive structures and providing various kinds of engineering support to field troops during offensive and defensive operations.
Engineering troops as part of the active troops of the Red Army included separate sapper battalions (squadrons) in rifle and cavalry divisions, motorized engineer battalions in mechanized corps, sapper battalions (squadrons) in rifle and cavalry divisions, pontoon-bridge battalions in tank divisions, light engineering battalions in motorized rifle divisions, engineer companies or platoons in rifle and cavalry regiments and in tank and motorized rifle regiments and brigades, as well as engineer platoons in regiments of the RVGK and corps artillery.
Sapper battalions of corps and divisions consisted of three sapper companies of three platoons and a technical company in battalions of a corps or technical platoon in battalions of divisional subordination, a bridge-building platoon and a platoon of secret weapons and a small rear service. The total strength of the corps engineer battalion was 901 people, the divisional one - 521 people. Depending on the division to which they belonged, these battalions moved either on foot or on horseback. On June 22, 1941, the field forces of the Red Army included over 200 sapper battalions, all of them retained their pre-war structure until December 1941, when the People's Commissariat of Defense (NKO) reduced the strength of the battalion to two companies, mainly due to the creation within the RVGK larger and more efficient engineer troops.
The engineering troops of the RGK included 19 engineering and 15 pontoon-bridge regiments stationed in military districts, which the NKO formed in the first half of 1941 from 22 separate engineering battalions and 21 separate pontoon-bridge battalions. Of this number, ten engineer and eight pontoon-bridge regiments, seven engineer battalions and two sapper battalions were assigned to active fronts, two engineer and two sapper battalions were directly subordinate to the RGK, and the rest were located in military districts and inactive fronts.
The RGK engineering regiment consisted of a headquarters, two engineering battalions (one of them motorized), a technical battalion with electrical, electrical, defensive, hydraulic and camouflage companies, a light pontoon-bridge fleet (NPL), 35 engineering vehicles, 48 trucks and 21 tractors. The pontoon-bridge regiment included a headquarters, three pontoon-bridge battalions (but only one personnel), a technical company with platoons for road laying, bridge construction, lumberjacks, electrical and field water supply, the N2P pontoon-bridge park and an officer school equipped with pontoon bridges and technical equipment.
On the eve of the war, the military plans of the General Staff required the NPO to have in each field army at least one separate motorized engineering battalion, one motorized pontoon-bridge battalion and separate field water supply companies, camouflage, electrical and hydraulic technical support, a sapper training unit and a separate reserve pontoon-bridge park equipped with the N2P kit. In addition, each field army should have a reserve engineer regiment and a separate reserve technical company to perform special engineering tasks.
However, in addition to the general shortage of engineering troops, in the engineering regiments and battalions of the RGK existing on June 22, 1941, from 35 to 60 percent of the full-time command personnel, from 20 to 70 percent of the full-time sergeant-major personnel were missing. They were short on average 35 percent of their manpower and approximately 50 percent of their equipment.
In addition to the engineering troops, the People's Commissariat of Defense on the eve of the war also had 25 military construction departments. 23 of them were engaged in the construction of fortified areas and field defensive structures in the western military districts, along with the majority of engineer troops belonging to future fronts. As a result, with the outbreak of the war, most combat formations were deprived of the necessary engineering support.
When the Wehrmacht troops brutally defeated the Red Army during Operation Barbarossa, the already fragile Soviet engineer troops suffered big damage. The NKO responded to this by hastily and practically from scratch starting the formation of new engineer battalions for the RGK (later RVGK) with their subsequent allocation to the active fronts. For example, in July 1941, all engineer and pontoon-bridge regiments of the RGK were disbanded, and their remains were used to form 100 small sapper battalions, equipped only with rifles and other hand weapons, as well as entrenching tools, explosives and anti-tank mines. 25 such battalions were assigned to rifle corps, and another 75 to rifle divisions.
As a result total number engineering-sapper and pontoon-bridge battalions in the Red Army constantly grew - from 20 on July 1 to 178 on November 1, including 140 assigned to the active fronts. However, during the same period, engineering support for rifle divisions decreased markedly. For example, on July 29, the NKO disbanded the technical and pontoon platoons in the sapper battalions of the rifle divisions, and in July 1942, after the liquidation of the battalion's three sapper companies in December, he reduced the size of the battalion by 60 soldiers, also reducing the number of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.
Starting from the first months of 1942, the NKO began to compensate for the shortage of engineering troops, giving the active fronts and armies one or two new engineer or sapper battalions, and the fronts - new pontoon-bridge battalions. Individual engineer battalions could be either foot or motorized, they consisted of three engineer companies with three engineer or motorized platoons and one technical platoon each (the latter had electrical, lumber and transport sections). The total strength of the battalion was 405 people. Individual sapper battalions had two or three sapper companies with a total strength of approximately 320 people.
While the number of separate engineer and pontoon-bridge battalions in the Red Army increased during the period described from 82 and 46 on January 1, 1942 to, respectively, 184 and 68 on January 1, 1944, the number of separate engineer battalions decreased from 78 to three .
Sapper brigades and armies
Although during the initial stages of the German Operation Barbarossa the number of Red Army engineering troops was greatly reduced, the State Defense Committee (GKO) ordered
Headquarters to build new strategic defensive lines and positions to slow down the Wehrmacht’s advance, using newly created engineering and sapper units for this purpose. For example, on June 24, the State Defense Committee ordered the construction of a strategic defensive line along the Luga River south of Leningrad, on June 25 - a second line from Nevel through Vitebsk and Gomel along the Dnieper to Dnepropetrovsk, and on June 28 - a third line from Ostashkov through Olenino, Dorogobych and Yelnya along the Desna to Zhukovka, 50 kilometers west of Bryansk.
As the Wehrmacht advance accelerated, the GKO in mid-July ordered Stavka to build two more large defensive lines, the first to protect Odessa, the Crimean Peninsula and Sevastopol, the second to protect the approaches to Moscow. The Moscow line, which blocked the Wehrmacht's advance in the Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk and Maloyaroslavets directions, began from Rzhev, went through Vyazma, south from the Moscow reservoir along the Lama River, then through Borodino and Kaluga to Tula.
Responsibility for the construction of these defensive lines was assigned by the Headquarters to Main Military Engineering Directorate NPOs and the Main Directorate of Hydraulic Construction ( Glavgidrostroy) under the NKVD. The first was to use military construction battalions subordinate to the front and army military field construction departments in the areas allocated to them for the construction of lines; in turn, the latter had to use its construction troops to build defensive lines in the deeper rear. When this organization of work turned out to be ineffective, the GKO on August 22 transformed Glavgidrostroy into the Main Directorate of Defense Works (GUOBR) under the NKVD and gave it responsibility for coordinating the construction of rear defensive lines.
Despite all the efforts of the State Defense Committee and the Headquarters, the rapid advance of the Wehrmacht inflicted heavy damage on the engineering troops of the Red Army, preventing most of them from taking part in the construction of defensive lines. The Germans forestalled many of Stavka's attempts to build defensive lines. In August and September, German troops overcame the Vitebsk-Gomel and Luga lines of the Red Army, and in early October they broke through the strategic defenses in the Vyazma and Bryansk sectors, encircling and destroying large forces of Soviet troops. Alarmed by the possibility of the Germans reaching Moscow, the Headquarters formed the Moscow Defense Zone on October 12, which was to consist of a series of defensive belts around the city. The most important of them passed through Khlebnikovo, Skhodnya, Zvenigorod, Kubinka and Naro-Fominsk, along Pakhra and the Moscow River.
Since the Red Army lacked the engineering and construction troops needed to build these and other defensive lines, the GKO on October 13 ordered the NKO to form six engineer armies consisting of engineer brigades by November 1, 1941, and transferred all engineering and construction troops of the Red Army consisting of active fronts and in the rear under the command of the GUOBR (NKVD). Numbered 1st to 6th, these armies were formed in Vologda, Gorky, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Stalingrad and Armavir, their total strength was 300,000 people.
The GKO assigned responsibility to the GUOBR for the creation of all rear defensive lines and positions by December 10, especially west of Moscow, and ordered it to prepare all personnel assigned to the newly formed sapper armies and other engineering troops of the Red Army.
Each sapper army was supposed to have approximately 50,000 people, mostly reservists under the age of 45. It was intended to involve personnel from engineering and construction units from active front zones, as well as other specialists mobilized in the rear. The sapper brigades consisted of 19 sapper battalions, one motor-tractor battalion and one mechanized detachment. By order of the State Defense Committee, the sapper army was to have 3,000 trucks, 90 passenger cars, 1,350 tracked tractors and 2,350 tractor-trailers, 12,000 wagons of building materials and the full number of necessary construction tools. In addition, the departments of other commissariats and the civilian population were involved in the construction of defensive lines.
By order of the State Defense Committee, the local population was mobilized for construction. These were mostly women, old people, schoolchildren and teenagers of pre-conscription age. By order of the military councils of the fronts and military districts, as well as regional and district party and administrative bodies, working battalions [mobilized] were formed from them, which were then subordinated to the sapper armies.
Ultimately, nine sapper armies were formed, numbered 1st to 9th. These armies consisted of 30 engineer brigades and had a total of 570 engineer battalions, numbered 1200 to 1465 and 1543 to 1771. The total number of sapper armies as of November 1, 1941 was 299,730 people. However, an acute shortage of engineering and construction troops limited the size and capabilities of these armies and brigades.
Each of the first nine sapper armies consisted of a headquarters and two to four separate sapper brigades. The sapper brigade included a headquarters, 19 separate sapper battalions, divided into three companies with four platoons each and a total battalion strength of 497 people, a mechanized detachment with one road and one bridge platoon, a lumberjack platoon, a position construction platoon and an automobile and tractor platoon with four departments. Although each engineer brigade was supposed to have a strength of 9,979 soldiers, most brigades remained understrength. As a result, the personnel of the sapper battalions, who were supposed to spend 12 hours a day on construction work and another two hours on military training, were forced to work on the construction of defensive structures for 12-14 hours a day and did not undergo any military training at all. The tenth sapper army, number 1, which completed its deployment to the Western Front in January 1942, consisted of ten sapper brigades with eight sapper battalions each - a total of 80 sapper battalions and 45,160 soldiers.
Initially, the sapper armies were subordinate to the GUOBR under the NKVD, but worked under the direct supervision of the Main Military Engineering Directorate of the NKO. However, this organization of command turned out to be not entirely effective, and on November 28, the Headquarters subordinated these armies to the chief of the engineering troops of the Red Army. In December 1942, the chief of engineering troops assigned nine sapper armies and 29 sapper brigades to military districts and active fronts (two to the Western Front and one to the Karelian Front). By mid-January 1942, the structure of the Red Army engineering troops had expanded, now there were ten sapper armies, 40 sapper brigades, three engineer regiments and 82 engineer-sapper, 78 sapper and 46 pontoon-bridge battalions.
These sapper armies and brigades were primarily responsible for the construction of strategic defensive lines deep in the rear of the Red Army. The first of these lines, located in the Moscow, Stalingrad, North Caucasus and Volga military districts, were permanent in nature and consisted of a complex system of fortified battalion defensive areas and company strong points located on the likely directions of the German offensive and around large cities. However, on December 27, 1941, after the Red Army's victory near Moscow, the GKO ordered the cessation of defensive work around Moscow so that more resources could be allocated to transport refugees, grain and bread for the needy population, and limited construction work on other defensive lines.
In addition to fulfilling their construction duties, the sapper armies also served as a training base for the engineering troops of the Red Army as a whole. For example, in November-December 1941, the NKO assigned two and then three battalions in each brigade the designation of training and ultimately transferred over 90 such battalions to the active fronts. Trained as ordinary engineering, pontoon-bridge or road-bridge battalions and staffed with the most experienced personnel, the units intended for transfer to the front immediately stopped all defensive work and engaged in intensive field training. After they left for the front, engineer brigades formed new battalions and companies to replace those who left. However, the chaos caused by the constant flow of personnel between the sapper armies and the active fronts negatively affected the effectiveness of the former's actions.
The ten sapper armies proved their worth during the Red Army's winter offensive of 1941-1942, helping to maintain security behind the lines while enhancing the engineering and sapper capabilities of the fronts. However, they turned out to be clumsy, ineffective and difficult to control, especially in a constantly changing combat situation. Therefore, in February 1942, the State Defense Committee ordered the NKO to disband half of the sapper armies and brigades, assign the rest to active fronts, and use the personnel of the disbanded troops to facilitate the formation of new rifle divisions and brigades.
In February-March, the NKO disbanded the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th sapper armies and six sapper brigades, increasing the number of the 7th and 8th sapper armies of the Southwestern Front, respectively, to five and ten brigades. In addition, he gave the active armies and the Moscow defense zone four sapper armies, three separate sapper brigades and many newly formed special engineering units.
At the same time, the Main Directorate for the Formation and Recruitment of Red Army Troops under the NPO removed the command staff from the sapper armies and brigades for transfer to the active forces, and also reduced the number and strength of sapper battalions in sapper brigades. The NPO took the second step in April, reducing the number of engineer battalions from 497 to 405 people, replacing motor-tractor battalions with companies with four motor vehicles and one tractor platoon in each, and reducing the number of engineer brigades to seven battalions with one motor-tractor company for a total brigade strength of 3,138 people.
At the end of June, two months after the completion of this reorganization, the NKO was faced with the difficult task of stopping the Wehrmacht's new summer offensive, Operation Blau. In addition to providing support to the active fronts, the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 8th engineer armies of the NKO were supposed to strengthen the defensive lines west of Moscow, build new lines to defend the approaches to Stalingrad and the Caucasus, and allocate manpower from their ranks to compensate for losses in the Red Army.
Five sapper armies built these defenses at an accelerated pace, but on July 26, the State Defense Committee ordered the NKO to extract 400,000 people from non-combat units by August 20, including 60,000 sappers to assign them to combat formations. The remaining sapper armies and brigades were supposed to be reduced, since they “too large and organizationally immobile and cannot effectively carry out their tasks of engineering support for the combat operations of our troops, especially in offensive operations”.
The GKO intended to create more flexible and effective engineering troops, which the Headquarters could use in defensive and offensive operations in the most critical areas in the late summer and autumn of 1942. As a result, it was decided to disband the remaining sapper armies and part of the sapper brigades, and transform another part of the brigades into specialized engineering brigades designed to support active fronts.
By order of August 17, 1942, the NKO began transforming the remaining five sapper armies and 27 sapper brigades into defensive structures directorates (see the “Construction Troops” section below). Six sapper brigades were reorganized into engineering brigades of the RVGK, subordinate to the active fronts, and another 8 were disbanded. 30,000 people from the former 1st, 7th and 8th engineer armies were transferred to staff the newly formed rifle divisions. Later, already in September, the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th sapper armies were reorganized into the UOS (Defense Construction Administration), the 8th sapper army became the UOS in October. 12 sapper brigades became engineering brigades as part of the active fronts (see Table 9). The remaining 18 sapper brigades, assigned to the active fronts on October 15, now performed dual functions, providing the front troops with engineering support and serving as bases for the formation of new, more specialized engineering brigades and battalions.
Sapper armies and brigades made a significant contribution to the victories of the Red Army at Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad, preparing defensive lines, providing engineering support to the active fronts, and serving as a base for the formation of other, more specialized engineering troops transferred to the active fronts. For example, in 1941, nine engineer armies organized, trained, and fielded more than 150 specialized engineer battalions; in 1942, engineer armies and brigades formed 27 specialized engineering brigades of the RVGK, 23 of which served until the end of the war, and five still exist today. Finally, the engineer armies contributed more than 150,000 men to man and form new rifle divisions.
Engineering teams
Disbanding its engineer armies in the spring of 1942, the NKO at the same time took into account the demands of the front commanders, who proposed forming specialized and flexible engineering brigades that would better meet their needs. Therefore, at the same time, the creation of a wide range of new engineering brigades and battalions began. For example, responding to the March demand of the chief of engineering troops of the Western Front, the NKO began forming special-purpose engineering brigades (IBON) from April 18. The first of these, the 33rd Special Purpose Engineer Brigade of the Western Front, formed in May from the 33rd Engineer Brigade of the 1st Engineer Army, consisted of six engineer barrage battalions, two electrical battalions, one searchlight battalion, an electrification detachment, an electric generator train, a special technical engineering company, a motor transport company and four electrical engineering companies (seconded), with a total brigade strength of 4,757 people. Ultimately, the NKO formed six special-purpose engineering brigades by July 1 and eight more by November 1, giving their field troops one brigade per active front.
Although the structure of these special purpose engineer brigades could vary, most consisted of a headquarters, a motor-tractor company, five to eight engineer barrage battalions, one of which was converted into a special mine battalion in October 1942, an electrical battalion and an electrification detachment, with a total number of 3097 people per 5-battalion brigade. The brigade's main mission was to perform specialized tasks, such as laying and removing minefields, placing controlled minefields, and creating electrified and other obstacles, but they often had to carry out more dangerous combat missions. For example, the 33rd Special Purpose Engineer Brigade of the Volkhov Front used its engineer barrage battalions as assault groups during the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad in January 1943.
In addition to these special purpose engineering brigades, the NKO also formed separate mine engineering battalions in April 1942. One such battalion was assigned to each of the anti-tank brigades of the Red Army with the task of erecting anti-tank barriers and destroying enemy tanks together with artillery troops.
The NKO continued this process at the end of the summer of 1942, when the formation of guards mine battalions began - the most interesting and most secret of all specialized types of engineering troops. In August, two Guards mine battalions were deployed to the Voronezh and North Caucasus fronts. By October 1, the field troops already had ten such battalions, as a rule, one battalion per active front. Formed specifically to carry out sabotage operations behind enemy lines, the battalions usually operated in small sabotage groups.
In addition to the Guards mine battalions, the NKO formed a Guards mine brigade in the Moscow Military District on August 17, subordinating it to the direct leadership of Headquarters. Formed from two engineer battalions of the 37th Engineer Brigade of the 1st Engineer Army, the 1st Guards Mine Brigade consisted of a headquarters group, a control company and five Guards mine battalions with a total brigade strength of 2,281 people. Like individual battalions, this brigade not only laid and removed mines, but also formed and deployed small groups to carry out sabotage operations (often in conjunction with partisans) against German communications and important rear objectives.
During the summer of 1942, the NKO also created a wide range of smaller specialized units, including five high-explosive flamethrower companies, several field water supply companies, and an artesian well drilling group to provide drinking water to active troops.
In preparing the Red Army for major counteroffensives and the subsequent winter campaign, the Stavka ordered the NKO to form larger and more specialized engineer troops to support these offensives. As a result, many of the existing engineer battalions were consolidated into engineer engineer brigades (Isbr) in October, each of which consisted of four to five engineer battalions, a light pontoon-bridge fleet of the NLP and a motorized engineer reconnaissance company. Several of these brigades were formed as mountain engineering brigades, subdivided into four mountain engineering battalions, capable of operating effectively in mountainous terrain.
On November 12, responding to the demand of the chief of the engineering troops of the Red Army, Major General M.P. Vorobyov, the NKO transformed part of the sapper brigades into 15 engineering mine brigades (IMB), numbered from 1st to 15th. These brigades, responsible for creating operational obstacle zones, consisted of a headquarters, a headquarters company and seven mine engineering battalions with a total strength of 2,903 people.
In addition, on November 26, 1942, the NKO ordered the transformation of five sapper brigades of the Transcaucasian Front into mountain engineering and mine brigades of the RVGK (from 1st to 5th) in November-December. Each such brigade (gimbre) consisted of five mountain engineering mine battalions, the companies and platoons of which had horses and donkeys rather than tractors as vehicles; the total number of the brigade was 2,344 people.
In the fall of 1942, the NPO began to form larger and more efficient pontoon-bridge units - primarily because the Headquarters considered the consolidation of bridge-building units an important condition to achieve success in extended offensive operations. At the beginning of autumn, the NKO sent reinforcements to the active fronts and armies in the form of 11 separate pontoon-bridge parks of the RVGK, and in November 1942 formed two pontoon-bridge brigades and assigned them to the Stalingrad Front for use in the counter-offensive near Stalingrad. These brigades consisted of a headquarters company, three to seven (usually four) N2P motorized pontoon-bridge battalions, one DMP-42 pontoon-bridge battalion with a total bridge capacity of 50 tons, and several diving squads for underwater work. As the winter offensive unfolded, the NKO added a third pontoon-bridge brigade in January 1943 Leningrad Front. In February, four new heavy pontoon-bridge regiments were added to these brigades, each consisting of two battalions equipped with the new 100-ton capacity TMP pontoon bridges.
During 1942, the NPO not only formed and transferred an impressive number of new engineering brigades to the active forces, but also strengthened the existing engineering forces, including new engineering units in existing structures. For example, engineer battalions were included in all the new guards rifle and mechanized corps, and mine engineering companies were included in the new tank corps.
Thus, by February 1, 1943, the structure of the Red Army engineering troops expanded and included 13 special-purpose engineering brigades, one sapper brigade, 17 engineer-sapper brigades (including five mountain), 15 engineer-mine brigades, 185 separate engineer battalions, ten separate Sapper battalions, one Guards mine brigade, 11 Guards mine battalions, three pontoon-bridge brigades, four pontoon-bridge regiments and 78 pontoon-bridge battalions.
All these special-purpose engineering brigades, engineer-sapper, engineer-mine, pontoon-bridge brigades and the Guards mine brigade, as well as pontoon-bridge regiments and mine-sapper and pontoon-bridge battalions, together with the guards mine battalions, were created by the NKO specifically to carry out specific combat missions during offensive operations, either as part of active fronts and armies, or under the direct control of Headquarters.
In 1943, the NKO continued to expand and improve the structure of its engineering troops. For example, in February, the formation of five rear barrage brigades began, consisting of five to seven engineer battalions each. The task of such brigades was to clear the liberated territory of mines and obstacles. After a long process of formation, the Headquarters in December 1943 transferred one of these brigades to the Moscow Military District, two to the newly formed Kharkov Military District, and one each to the North Caucasus and Ural Military Districts.
And more importantly, given the growing ferocity of ground battles and the increased strength of the Wehrmacht’s defenses, the NKO began on May 30 to create assault engineer brigades. Converted from existing engineer brigades, these new brigades consisted of a headquarters, five assault engineer battalions, one motorized engineer reconnaissance company, a light fleet for crossing rivers, a mine clearing company (including mine detection dogs), and a small logistics service. These new brigades were supposed to assist infantry and tank forces in overcoming well-prepared enemy defensive lines and fortified positions.
When the Red Army began new offensive operations in the late summer and early fall of 1943, clearing minefields became more important than laying mines. Therefore, the NPO began to replace the RVGK engineer-mine brigades with the RVGK engineer-sapper brigades, creating new and reorganizing existing engineer-sapper brigades to increase their efficiency. As a result, the number of mine engineering brigades in the structure of the RVGK decreased from 15 on February 1 to 12 on July 1, and by December 31 - to zero, but at the same time the number of engineering and sapper brigades increased from 12 on February 1 to 13 on July 1, and finally - until 22 on December 31, 1943. In addition, by July 1, 15 new assault engineering brigades were created, and by December 31 there were already 20 of them.
And finally, in June 1943, the NKO put into operation new tank regiments, equipped with 22 T-34 tanks and 18 PT-3 mine trawls. Formally, these regiments were not part of the structure of the engineering troops, but their main task was to clear passages through the numerous minefields installed by the Germans throughout their defenses.
Thanks to these NGO efforts, the size and diversity of the structure of the Red Army engineering troops increased sharply in two years - from 32 engineer brigades, three engineer regiments and 206 battalions of various types on January 1, 1942 to 68 brigades of various types, six pontoon-bridge regiments and 270 engineering and pontoon-bridge battalions on December 31, 1943. When the Red Army began the 1944 campaign, the structure of its engineering troops was already fully responsive to increased operational needs.
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Corps of Engineers are called upon to provide engineering support during combined arms (combat) operations, conduct engineering reconnaissance and inflict damage on the opposing side using engineering ammunition.
Russian Engineering Troops! Our motto is “No one without us”
To carry out such tasks, special training of personnel and special engineering weapons are required. Structurally, the engineering troops are part of
Russian Engineering Troops Day
January 21 is considered a professional holiday. The date of the professional holiday was set by Presidential Decree in 1996.
This memorable date was established thanks to the contribution of the engineering troops to strengthening the Russian defense potential and taking into account historical traditions.
The emergence of military engineering and military architecture occurred in Ancient Rus'. However, these troops began to develop systematically after the creation of a regular army in Peter’s times. Subsequently, Peter 1 appointed the first engineering training maneuvers.
Then the creation of various defensive structures was worked out. Military engineering was first mentioned in the decree of Peter 1 of January 21, 1701.
Museum of Engineering Troops
The creation of the museum was marked by the 300th anniversary of the Russian engineering troops. According to official data, the institution opened on December 14, 2001.
The museum collection presents a brief history of the domestic engineering troops, indicating the tasks they solved during the war and peace periods. School students created a panorama showing the heroism of sappers during the Great Patriotic War in the area of the village of Strokovo.
There is also a military-historical museum of artillery, engineering troops and signal troops, created on August 29, 1703. Then Peter 1 gave instructions for the creation of a special Zeichhaus, where ancient artillery weapons could be stored.
In 1963, it merged with the Central Historical Military Engineering Museum, and in 1965 with the Museum of Communications, and received the name of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Communications.
Now it is one of the world's largest military-historical museums, and has an impressive exhibition of artillery, small arms, cold steel, military engineering and military communications, military banners, army uniforms, battle works of art, awards, insignia, historical documents on the development of the army and the exploits of Russian soldiers.
In July 2010, Lieutenant General Yuri Mikhailovich Stavitsky was appointed head of the Russian engineering troops, a post he still holds.
He previously held many command posts at various levels in. In 2016, he led the demining of the Syrian city of Palmyra. With the participation of Lieutenant General Stavitsky, the creation of engineering assault battalions and the International Mine Action Center of the Russian Army for humanitarian demining outside Russian territory was organized.
Chief of the Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Stavitsky Yuri Mikhailovich
Lieutenant General Stavitsky has orders and medals for services to the Fatherland.
Equipment of the Russian Engineering Troops
Engineering troops equipment is a group of equipment in the form engineering weapons vehicles, mobile technical equipment for maintenance and repair, and electrical equipment for general military purposes:
Military engineering special equipment for conducting engineering reconnaissance.
One of the most difficult reconnaissance tasks is the identification of engineering obstacles. Such technical means determine the possibility of passing certain areas, the significance of water obstacles, destruction, blockages, the possibility of overcoming them, and the presence of protective and camouflaging properties of the territory.
To overcome water obstacles, carry out reconnaissance of the territory, and determine the routes for the advancement of military units, they use engineering reconnaissance vehicle IRM-2. This is the main reconnaissance technical equipment of the engineering troops.
During reconnaissance, stationary reconnaissance devices are used (wide-coverage mine detector RShM-2 and engineering reconnaissance echo sounder EIR), and portable engineering reconnaissance devices (these include a periscope compass, hand-held mine detectors, engineering reconnaissance periscope, and others).
High-speed trench vehicle BTM-4M "Tundra"
When using a set of tools for engineering reconnaissance from helicopters, aerial photographic and aerovisual reconnaissance of the territory is carried out.
Military engineering equipment capable of overcoming mine-explosive barriers.
The track-knife trawl carries out digging actions; the mechanism is a blade with knives. When you feel a mine, the knives push it upward, and the blade moves it to the side.
The track roller-knife trawl, in addition to the knife trawl, is equipped with two roller sections, which, due to their weight, activate anti-tank mines.
Electromagnetic trawls can be installed on a tank with any trawl.
The UR-77 mine clearing installation is used to make a passage through an anti-tank minefield.
Military engineering equipment for installing mine-explosive barriers.
Mechanization of the cost center installation helps speed up this process, increase its efficiency and reduce the number of military personnel involved.
The mechanization of anti-tank mining is carried out mainly with the help of the GMZ-3 tracked minelayer.
With the help of the UMZ Universal Minelayer, remote anti-tank and anti-personnel mining is carried out.
Military engineering equipment for mechanizing road and earthworks.
Such equipment includes mechanical means for excavation work, for creating and maintaining routes for the advancement and maneuvering of military units, and for passing obstacles.
The purpose of trench machines is to dig trenches and passages in occupied positions.
With the help of excavation machines, pits are dug at equipped positions.
Trenches and pits are also torn off using the regimental digging machine PZM-2.
Universal earthmoving machines are used to mechanize digging and loading.
With the help of track builders, universal road machines, and military bulldozers, military roads, ramps, and crossings over uneven terrain are created and maintained in proper condition.
The track-laying machine BAT-2 is designed for work on laying column tracks, preparing and maintaining military roads.
With the help of engineering clearing vehicles, the movement of military units through destroyed areas is ensured in the event of nuclear strikes.
The universal road machine is used together with bulldozer equipment; it also has loading equipment.
Lumber is harvested using logging and sawmilling equipment. When using lifting and handling machines, loading and unloading and assembly and dismantling mechanization is carried out.
With the help of maintenance and repair of engineering mechanisms, this equipment is maintained in proper condition.
School, military institutes, units of engineering troops
The main educational and methodological center of the Russian engineering troops is the military institute of engineering troops of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - Higher Military School of Engineering Troops
Engineering Troops Murom (military units 11105 and 45445)
The First Guards Brest-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov engineer-sapper brigade of central subordination (military unit 11105) is based in the city of Murom, Vladimir region. One of the battalions is located in the village of Nikolo-Uryupino near Moscow.
The formation was created in 1942 in the Voroshilovgrad region (now the Lugansk region of Ukraine), as the 16th separate special-purpose engineering brigade. In 1943, it became a guards brigade for demonstrating the steadfastness and heroism of its soldiers.
In 1944, as a result of reorganization, it became the first separate guards motorized brigade of the RGK. This compound has received many state awards. For military exploits in battles near the city of Orel in 1943, the unit was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, during the liberation of Belarus - the Order of Suvorov, second degree, and the Brest unit was named for the liberated cities on the Belorussian Front. The Vistula-Oder liberation brought the award of the Order of Kutuzov, second degree, and it received the name Berlin for the storming of the last fascist refuge.
From the end of the war until 1994, the unit was located in the GDR, where it was necessary to raise sunken ships. Since 1994, it was located in Rostov-Veliky (Yaroslavsky). Some units took part in counter-terrorism operations during the Chechen conflict. It became known as military unit 11105 in 1994. Since 2015, it has been permanently located in Murom.
The unit conducts combined arms training, field exercises, and masters military specialties. Military personnel participate in competitions of international status.
The oath is taken on Saturday, after which dismissal is granted, and subsequently dismissals are given on weekends and holidays, but in the presence of relatives.
Military unit military unit 45445
The 28th separate pontoon-bridge brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is conventionally called, located in the Western Military District, its permanent deployment is in the city of Murom, Vladimir region.
This connection was formed on December 1, 2015. The purpose of creating a pontoon-bridge brigade is to increase the efficiency of engineering troops and their rapid response, reserve support in case of a sudden need to solve new problems and strengthen the military group in a certain strategic direction.
Personnel of the engineering troops with the flag of the Russian Federation and the Engineering Troops
The formation consists of pontoon battalions, airborne units, ferry-bridge vehicles, and formations of bridge-building equipment for establishing crossings over water obstacles.
The purpose of the connection is to equip crossings with increased carrying capacity in the event of a significant water barrier and a sudden need to solve problems in peaceful reality for the crossing of material and technical means, as well as in the event of an emergency.
Kstovo Engineering Troops
Military unit 64120 is the Guards Kovel Red Banner Interspecific Training Center for Engineering Troops. The location of the military unit is the city of Kstovo Nizhny Novgorod region. Military personnel undergo training in accordance with the specialization of the engineering and sapper unit.
The formation of the military unit occurred as a result of the merger of the Military Institute of Engineering Troops of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the 6th Guards Kovel Red Banner Training Center of Engineering Troops named after Lieutenant General D.M. Karbysheva.
The military unit was opened on August 30, 1971, but the beginning of its functioning with the reception of military personnel was in June 2012.
The educational institution trains the following military specialists: crane operators, driver mechanics, sappers, truck crane drivers, track layers, excavator operators, electricians, and drivers of universal road construction equipment. After completion of the training process, three battalions are formed.
After undergoing rapid specialized training (usually within four months), military personnel are sent for further service in other formations and military educational institutions, having already completed professional training.
This military institution is universal in that after acquiring professional skills here, such knowledge will be useful not only in the army, but also in civilian situations. Thus, in addition to serving, the soldier will receive a profession for civilian use.
Nakhabino Engineering Troops
The location of the 45th separate Guards Berlin Order of Kutuzov, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, Alexander Nevsky and the Red Star engineer brigade (also military unit 11361) is in several settlements. The location of the main structural units is the village of Nakhabino in the Moscow region.
The tasks of the unit include: conducting engineering reconnaissance, mine clearance, organizing passages in case of interference, equipping crossings, and camouflage actions.
The creation of the 45th separate engineering regiment during the Afghan war in 1980 preceded the formation of this military unit. The regiment included road engineer and road engineering battalions, as well as a field water supply company. At the end of the same year, the regiment became known as military unit 88870, and in 1984 it was further strengthened by an engineering and road battalion.
As a result of the first reorganization, the formation became known as the 45th separate engineering camouflage regiment, located in the village of Nikolo-Uryupino near Moscow. Since 2010, the unit has been subordinate to the command of the Western Military District.
As a result of the reorganization in 2012, the current formation included two parts. Unit 11361 was created on the basis of the 66th Guards Pontoon-Bridge Regiment from Murom, and the 45th Engineering Camouflage Regiment from Nikolo-Uryupino. There are no manifestations of hazing, and military personnel are examined daily for injuries.
Meals in the canteen are organized with the help of civilian staff, and in the teahouse they accept cards for payment. The oath is taken on Saturday, and every Sunday military personnel are allowed to use the telephone.
Corps of Engineers emblem
The emblem of the engineering troops is presented in the form of an image with a double-headed eagle with outstretched wings, holding crossed axes in its paws, with a red triangle on the chest, and with a shield with a cone down, and from above reaching to the crown. On the shield is an image of a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear.
Flag of the Corps of Engineers
The flag of the engineering troops depicts white cross with black and red stripes directed to the sides, in the center there is a silver blade of a track-layer, an anchor, a flaming grenade with lightning and crossed axes, a cogwheel runs along the circumference.
The style of the flag is reminiscent of the 1763 banner designs. This is the first flag created according to the customs of the Russian Armed Forces.
For now, this is all we wanted to tell you about the engineering troops of the Russian Federation. If you have anything to add, write in the comments!