REORGANIZATION OF SOVIET BORDER TROOPS AT THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 12, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: February 26, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
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,CONFIDENTIAL
REPORT NO.
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COUNTRY USSR
DATE DISTR. eq,
SUBJECT Reorganization
the Beginnifig
of Soviet
of World
Border Troops at NO. OF PAGES 6
War II
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DATE OF INFORMATION
REFERENCES:
PLACE ACQUIRED
oi
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Sti
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MinistOrial Subordination
1. Duting World War II, border troops were designated Covering Troops
(Zagraditelnyye Posty) and were subordinate to the Chief of Border
Troops for Security of the Rear of the Red Field Army (Nachalnik
pogranichnykh voysk po okhrane tyla deystvuyushchey krasnoy armii),
who in turn was subordinate to Gen. Mai; ZIMIN, Chief of Administra-
tion of Border Troops for Security of the Rear of Red Field Armies
(Naohalnik upravleniya pogranichnykh voysk pc) okhrane tyla deystvuyu-
shchey krasnoy armii). Gen. Maj. ZIMIN was subordinate to the NKVD.
Nomenclature and Strength of Units
2. Some units retained the names of "otryad" and "komendatura"; others
were redesignated regiments and battalions. Companies were called
"zastavy", The strength varied: 1,400-1,900 officers and EM for a
regiment and about 275 to 400 officers and EM for a battalion ffee
Encl. g.
&.ETM
3. Source's estimate of the organization of an NKVD border regiment
during World War is given in Encl. A. In 'Encl. B he gives the
estimate of equipment of an NKVD battalion. Some regiments had four
battalions, others had three. Similarly, some battalions had three
companies, while others had two. Some battalions had HMG platoons,
others had none. Some also had 82-mm. mortars. Source was certain
that during the war NKVD border regiments had no armored cars, tanks,
artillery or AT guns. In the chaos of retreat and defeat, the NKVD
made no attempt to maintain a uniform T/0 & E throughout its subordi-
nate units.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
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CONFIDENTIAL
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Mission
4. At the beginning and during World War II, NKVD border and security
troops were stationed 10-12 km. behind the front lines to:
a. Apprehend enemy paratroopers, terrorists, saboteurs, and spies
operating behind Soviet lines.
b. Detain and hold fleeing Soviet troops. (These were usually
sent in convoy to collection points and then organized into
penal battalions.)
Operations
5. Security units were placed at strategic points: bridges, cross-
roads, and railroad junctions. There was no prescribed size for
unite per army sector. Regiments were used in sectors as available.
6. In many cases, security troops covered the retreat of Red Army
unite and engaged in delaying actions. Because they had no weapons
heavier than 14.5-mm. AT rifles, Maxim M-1910 HMG's and ROD-33
grenades, they suffered high Casualties fighting German units
equipped with slamss tanks and heav artiller . The 23rd Bor5oxi
Regiment, engaged German
armies in e I ra ne n ? an n e r mea n 9 2. In both
encounters it suffered heavy losses.
ENCLOSURES:
A. Estimate of the
in 1941
B. Estimate of the
a on in 1941
Organization of a Border Security
Actual Equipment of a Border Security
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
CONFIDENTIAL
Bnclosure A
Estimate of the Organization of a Border Security Regiment in 1941
Border
Regt,
1400-1900 Offs & EN
About 25 Offs and 5-10 EM
50-75 Offs
and EM
Reserve
Unit
150 Offs and
EM
? ?
30-35 Offs
and EM
12-15 Offs'
and EN
Date of Info: As above A
? I ?
Guard
30-35 Offs
and BM
30-35 Offs
Supplies
Clothes
FOod
Finance 0'0
Border
troops,
About Offs
35 El
About 10 Offs
5 NI
?
? ? ?
1 Off
10 RI
CONFIDENTIAL
HMG
1 Off
10 El
AT
???
1 Off
12 BI
? a ?
5 Offs
5 NCOs
6 Offs
14 NCos
92 Pvta
T'1
Off
30 Pirts
4 NOOs
I? ? 1-11 1 NO0
10 Pvts
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00
CONFIDENTIAL
Enclosure A (Conttd)
Estimate of the Or anization of a Border Seouritz
1154310.111.1241
Headquarters of a NKVD Border Regiment in 1941 consisted of:
00 - Col
Chief Political officer (oalled Komissar) - Col, It Col
Chief of Staff - It Col
Deputy C/S for Personnel - Maj Capt
Deputy C/S for Security 0- Maj Capt
Deputy 0/8 for Operations - Maj - Capt
Deputy C/S for Crypt dgraphy Maj - Capt
Five to seven Political officers (Party secretary, Party
organizer, Komsomol officer, Propaganda officer, Club
officer, Librarian) - It Col to It
Chief Supply officer - Maj
Three to four Supply officers (Food, Clothes POL, Equip-
ment)
One to two Medical officers - Maj.- Capt
One Veterinary - Capt
One Chemical offioer Capt
One Signal officer - Capt
One Reoon officer - Capt
One Engineer officer - Capt
One Finance officer - Capt
Five to ten EM in the orderly room - NC0s, Pvts
Headquarters of a border troops battalion consisted of:
CO Lt Col Maj
Political officer - It Col - Maj
Chief of staff (Senior adjutant) Capt
Adjutant -'Lt
Medical officer - Capt
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL,
Enclosure A (Cont,d)
Veterinary officer - Capt
Supply officer Capt
Signal officer - Capt
Three reconnaisanoe officers - Capt - Lt
Five to six orderly room clerks - NOOs
Some of the headquarters officers had political duties,
such as Party organizer or Komsomol officer, in addition to
their regular duties.
Headquarters of a border troop company consisted of:
00 - Capt
Political officer - Capt Lt
Operations officer - Lt
let Sgt - NCO
Supply Sgt - NCO
Two orderly room clerks - Pvts
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7
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-- CONFIDENTIAL
Enclosure B
Estimate of the ActualEbuiment of a Border
8eour1ii?Retta1aRLISa941
c) ,
'-i
p., ,44,,
"e Se 44 0 tiP
l 0
-41 ?
:14 Total
1?.
I
Q._
353_
5
-
-
--
-
-
AT Plat
1
10
ENG Plat
1
10
1
8
16
814?,lat
/
12
1
6
12
106
2-4
1-2
_2_4
212
Border
Co X 3
6
106
Co Hci
(3)
III
(3)
(4)
(34)
(2-01-2)
(8)
,
(68)
Border
PlatX3
(1)
80
X 5
(U)
(22)
I
Date of Info: 1941
OBIllaff2i,a___.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/09/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000300230006-7