102nd Separate Rifle Brigade (2nd formation)

The brigade was formed in accordance with the directives of the Deputy. NPO USSR No. org. 2/787533 dated 09.09.1942 ^[4] and В / Council of the Moscow Military District No. 16307 dated 09/11/1942 ^{[4] [5]} . It was named the 102nd Separate Marine Rifle Brigade ^[5] , and the teaching staff number was 2267 ^{[6] [7]} .

On October 6, 1942 it was renamed the 102nd Separate Rifle Brigade. ^{[8] [9]}

Since the formation on September 13, 1942 ^[9] , it was part of the troops of the Moscow defense zone ^{[10] [11]} and until December 9, 1942 was stationed in the Aleksin (Sosnovy Bor) area of ​​the Tula Region ^[10] .

Personnel

By the time of the speech in the new concentration area, the brigade had a total of 6021 personnel. 554 of them are senior and middle commanding officers, 798 people are junior commanding officers , and 4669 are ordinary officers.

The age composition of the brigade was:

• from 19 to 20 years old - 502 people;
• from 20 to 25 years old - 948 people;
• from 26 to 30 years old - 1021 people;
• from 31 to 35 years old - 1152 people;
• from 36 to 40 years old - 1082 people;
• from 41 to 45 years old - 1142 people;
• from 46 to 50 years old - 162 people;
• Older than 50 years - 12 people

45% of the total, the team was manned by recovering wounded who arrived from hospitals. ^[10]

Sailors who arrived at the formation of the brigade, usually reduced to separate units (platoon, company, battalion). ^[5]

After completing a combat mission, the brigade had a total of 1721 personnel. Of these, 329 commanding officers, 322 junior commanding personnel, and 1070 ordinary soldiers. ^[10]

Losses and replenishment

Due to the difficulties of relocation, 65 people left for hospitals. ^[10]

During the combat mission, the brigade suffered losses in personnel - 5179 people and received a replenishment - 1064 people ^[10]

Composition

The brigade consisted of four separate infantry battalions, a machine gun battalion, a machine gun battalion, an anti-tank ^{[4] [12]} , a 120-mm mortar division and a five-battery artillery division , a reconnaissance company, a separate communications company, and a sapper company ^[10] . In addition to the combat units, the brigade included an autorot, a medical station and a field bakery ^[4] .

Due to losses incurred by combat units, on January 23, 1943, instead of four rifle battalions, two are created - the 2nd and 4th ^[4] .

On February 8, from the 11th rifle brigade , in return for the replenishment of 1924, the first rifle battalion in full force was received. ^{[4] [13]}

Due to the lack of command personnel and the battalion commander, the 3rd rifle battalion was not re-formed ^[4] .

Armament

The brigade was armed with rifles , including sniper, PPSh , light and machine guns, anti-tank guns , 76 mm and 45 mm guns , 120 mm, 82 mm and 50 mm mortars , walkie-talkies, ampoules , gas masks, anti-aircraft machine guns and horses. ^[10]

In the book of the Participant of the Great Patriotic War and Operation Iskra, Shigin G. A., the following lines are given - the memoirs of the brigade commander Lt. Col. A. Batluk about arriving at the Leningrad Front from the Reserve Headquarters of naval infantry brigades:

“ ... in terms of the number of weapons and personnel, these brigades were not much inferior to the infantry divisions of that time .” ^[3]

The number of weapons and personnel, in comparison with the requirements of GKO decrees, is in the following table.

• Lieutenant Colonel Batluk Alexey Vasilievich ^[3] (October - January 27, 1943)
•   Colonel Ugryumov Nikolay Stepanovich ^{[3] [4] [14]} (end of January - April 1943, Order No. 14)

From December 8, 1942 ^[15] to January 6, 1943, the brigade changes its place of deployment. By rail moved to the Toksovo district of the Leningrad region. From December 20 to January 6 it was at the disposal of the Leningrad Front, and on January 8 it joined the 67th Army ^[10] .

In Operation Spark

On January 11, 1943, the brigade is located in the vicinity of the village of Bolshoy Manushkino , and its artillery division is in the region of 16.7 of the Leningrad Region ^[4] (Map 1: 25000 from 1939), 2 kilometers from the right bank of the Neva opposite Maryino. The artillery, anti-tank and mortar divisions of the brigade from January 11 included in the artillery group of the 45th Guards Rifle Division . Since January 12, they have been supporting the advancing units of the division ^{[12] [16] [17]} .

With the beginning of Operation Iskra, the brigade received an order from the Military Council of the 67th Army to force the river. Neva , later take possession of the 2nd, 1st Gorodok Nevdubstroy and 8 hydroelectric power stations ^[10] .

Here, on the left bank of the river. Neva, 1-1.5 km northeast of the Nevsky Piglet, was one of the most powerful German resistance nodes ^[2] . High reinforced concrete ^[18] and brick ^[19] buildings of Gorodkov and hydroelectric power stations, which were hardly amenable to artillery ^[18] , which was available in assault formations, high railway embankments with numerous dead ends and loops, mounds of slag formed from burning fuel at power plants, and wagons standing on rails - all this was used by the enemy to create a solid all- round defense . ^{[2] [17]} There were a large number of bunkers , dugouts , machine-gun nests ^[16] , interconnected by means of communications . The railway section connecting the region with Sinyavino was completely shot through by enemy artillery from the Sinyavino heights . ^[2] The marshland, covered with sparse shrubs and forests, finding the area at a dominant height, giving the enemy full view of the surrounding area, created difficulties, and reconnaissance made almost impossible. ^{[17] The} 391st Infantry Regiment of the 170th Infantry Division defended itself here, reinforced by the 161st Engineer Battalion and the 240th Cycle Detachment. ^[3]

The brigade entered the battle on the morning of January 14 in the offensive zone of the 268th Infantry Division ^[20] , counterattacked by the Germans on the eve of ^{[3] [21]} , in order to strengthen its right flank ^[22] and block the 2nd Gorodok, 8th hydroelectric station and 1st Town, in the strip between the Village and the 2nd Town.

The start of the battle did not work out well - the brigade was immediately counterattacked by the enemy, communication with the army headquarters was lost ^[23] . Over the first four days, according to the Journal of Military Operations , the casualties amounted to more than 2,000 people ^[4] .

On January 16th and 17th, after continuous battles, the 102nd and 123rd Infantry, 152nd Tank Brigades and 123rd Infantry Division manage to break the enemy’s resistance. ^[twenty]

Together with the 13th Rifle Division and the 220th Tank Brigade , with the support of artillery and mortar regiments, the brigade is fighting for the Gorodok Resistance Node with the task of connecting with units of the 45th Guards Rifle Division, but to no avail. This was due to the exhaustion of troops around the clock battles on the eve. On the 19th and 20th of January it blocks it from the north and northeast ^{[2] [3]} and proceeds to defense.

From February 15 to February 17, together with the 138th rifle brigade advancing from the Nevsky Piglet side and the 142nd naval rifle brigade advancing from the east, supported by high-powered artillery, including naval guns of the Baltic Fleet , destroying the buildings of the 8th hydroelectric station, is fighting for the possession of the Gorodok node. By February 16th, it took possession of the 2nd Gorodok and the 8th hydroelectric station. February 17 completes the assault on the 1st Town.

With the destruction of the enemy in the area, communication with the Nevsky Piglet was restored. ^[3]

Timeline of Warfare

On January 14, 1943 at 9 o’clock the combat units of the brigade concentrated north of the Teplobeton platform ^[4] . The left neighbor is the 272nd rifle regiment of the 123 rifle Order of the Lenin Division ^[24] . There is no neighbor on the right flank. In the battle formations of the brigade, flamethrowers of the 175th separate company of knapsack flamethrowers and sappers of the 6th engineer and combat engineer battalion of the 52nd engineer-engineer brigade operate.

The 1st battalion completely crossed the Neva at 9:20 and, discarding small groups of the enemy, continued to move, preparing a bridgehead for the advance of the brigade. The 3rd battalion - by 15:00, with two companies, and one, due to heavy shelling from the 2nd Gorodok and the 8th hydroelectric station, lay down on the Neva until 16:30, where it suffered losses. The team completely moved to the left bank by the end of the next day. The command post is deployed on the left bank, next to the highway between the Garage and the Village (Mark 15.7 Map 1: 25000 from 1939 ), one kilometer south of Maryino. ^[four]

January 16, after artillery fire , at 12:15 the brigade launched an offensive. The 4th battalion caught on the northern outskirts of the 2nd Gorodok and fought on the streets. The 3rd battalion lay in front of him. The 1st battalion entered the southern edge of the grove east of the 2nd Gorodok. ^[four]

On January 17, with the support of tanks, the 4th and 3rd battalions managed to occupy the northern and northeastern part of the 2nd Town before the School. The 1st battalion, having occupied a grove east of the 2nd Gorodok, continued the offensive. ^{[4] [25]}

On January 18, the 1st and 2nd battalions with the 37th separate anti-tank fighter battalion attached ^[26] , the mortar division of the brigade and the attached tank battalion of the 220th tank brigade reached the railway going from Sinyavino to the 8th hydroelectric station ^{[4 ] [25]} , according to which the enemy’s grouping was supplied.

On January 20, due to heavy shelling, the 4th battalion left the School building and occupied the line on the northern outskirts of the 2nd Town.

January 21, according to the Combat Order of the Commander of the 67th Army On firmly securing at the reached line, the offensive is suspended. Actions are limited to firing combat, reconnaissance and improvement of positions held in engineering terms. Parts of the brigade transfer their positions to the 16th Fortified Region ^[4] with the task of blocking the enemy and, from January 29, together with the 74th separate machine gun and artillery battalion , to prevent its breakthrough to the north and northeast ^[22] .

By January 23, the total losses of the rifle battalions, the machine gun battalion and the machine gun battalion reached 70% of the original strength. Under the current conditions, the brigade needed replenishment. ^[17] Due to their small size, two are being created to replace existing battalions. The personnel of the 1st and 3rd infantry battalions are poured into the 2nd and 4th battalion, respectively. The brigade went on the defensive in the area north-east of the 2nd Gorodok (2nd OSB) and east of the 8th hydroelectric station (4th OSB) with a south-west front. The brigade is supported by the attached 37th OIPTB, 74th OPAB and 799th artillery regiment of the 268th rifle division. Directions were given for organizing a solid defense. The team performs the task of encircling and blocking the area of ​​the 2nd, 1st Gorodok and the 8th hydroelectric station. ^[four]

On January 24, to strengthen the left flank of the brigade, by order of the commander of the 67th Army ^[17] , the 272nd Infantry Regiment of the 123rd Infantry Division ^{[4] [27]} becomes subordinate to the brigade commander.

On February 4, a combined detachment of fighter snipers of the 104th NKVD border regiment in the amount of 121 people arrives at the disposal of the brigade commander. ^{[4] [28] [29]}

On February 8, the 272nd Infantry Regiment was replaced by the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 11th Separate Infantry Brigade . The battalion was poured into the brigade and occupied the defense area on the left flank. Using the shift, the enemy attacked the left flank three times. The attacks were repelled with heavy losses for both sides ^{[4] [13] [17]}

On February 13, to strengthen the 1st infantry battalion of the brigade, the 33rd separate penal company was assigned in the amount of 173 people, which occupied the defense between the 2nd company and the 2nd infantry battalion ^{[4] [26]} . The brigade launched an attack on the 2nd Town. Despite the fierce resistance of the Germans, in battles that sometimes reached hand-to-hand battles, they managed to push the enemy back in the area. A military town and a railway embankment with wagons on rails were captured. Further offensive was suspended by two enemy counterattacks ^[17]

February 14 and 15, partially regrouping, was preparing for the assault.

On February 15, 1943, the brigade, together with the 142nd and 138th rifle brigades, as well as attached units and units, began the assault on the Gorodoksky site. ^{[3] [4]}

On February 16, the brigade stormed the 2nd Gorodok and the 8th Hydroelectric Power Station ^[30] and left to the northern edge of the 1st Gorodok with the left edge. ^[17]

February 17 at 2 a.m., together with the armored battalion of the 30th Guards Tank Brigade , began the assault on the 1st Gorodok and took control of it by 5 o’clock ^[31] . By 10:00, the right flank joined the units of the 138th Infantry Brigade ^[32] , advancing from the south. During the day, the CP brigade is equipped in the area of ​​the 8th hydroelectric station.

On February 19, the brigade was withdrawn from the battle.

Guard of the Ladoga ice route

On February 19, at 6 p.m., according to the military order, parts of the brigade march to the Lodozh labor settlement (Vaganovo) and by the beginning of the next day they replace parts of the 55th separate rifle brigade . ^[four]

The brigade carried out the task set by the Military Council of the 67th Army to protect the Ladoga ice route and was engaged in combat training.

March 30, with the liberation of Lake Ladoga from ice, she went ashore and defended the west coast of the lake. ^[10]

April 29, the combat order of the Lenfront No. 0018 / op dated 04/20/43. the brigade was disbanded and went on to form the 124th Infantry Division . ^{[8] [9] [33]}

For the brigade's combat mission, 312 people were awarded with representative prizes ^[10] . Of them:

• Order of the Red Banner - 3 people;
• Order of the Patriotic War of 1 degree - 1 person;
• The Order of Alexander Nevsky - 2 people;
• Order of the Red Star - 84 people;
• Medal "For Courage" - 133 people;
• Medal "For Military Merit" - 89 people

• Mortin Fedor Konstantinovich - Deputy (1954-1958), First Deputy (1958-1971) and Head (1971-1974) of the First Main Directorate of the Ministry of State Security - KGB of the USSR . In the 102nd brigade, he served as head of the political department. ^[34]