NKVD Border Guards along Romanian Border 1941

[Jeff Leach]

While looking throught the documents of the Soviet 9th Army, I came across the following statement

На рубеже (иск) КУХНЕШТЫ, ВИИШОРА обороняются части погран. отряда.

loosely translated

The region Kukhuneshti (exclusive) - Viishora (North of Jassy on the east side of the Prut River) is defended by border guard detachments

I was uncertain if погран. отряда refers to NKVD Border Guards or outposts of the 30th Rifle Division. Kukhuneshti was occupied by elements of the 404th Rifle Regiment of the 176th Rifle Division.

Does anyone have any information about the NKVD Border Guard units opposite the Romanian border in June 1941? Any information about their actions during the first weeks of Operation Barbarossa.

This may have been dealt with Before but I couldn't find the posts.

[Art]

Take a look:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &p=1920147
The doc seems to refer to the 24 NKVD Border Guards Detachment

[GregSingh]

There is around 30 pages of NKVD reports from Romanian border in the book (in Russian) I mentioned earlier.
In addition to 24th NKVD Border Guards Detachment mentioned by Art, 2nd and 25th also appeared to cover Romanian border.

[Art]

From a document (the situation report of Moldavian Border District staff's, 24 June 1941):

....
On the front Kukhneshti, Maara, Dominyaska, Visnishoara border troops [from 24 Border Detachment] with a Red Army support are repulsing an a attack of superior enemy forces supported from a region of Kulhneshti by a tank battalion and a motorcycle detachment
.....

https://pamyat-naroda.ru/dou/?docID=152312523
So, yes that was 24 BD.
From this page 24 BD handed over its positions along the border to RA units on 2 July and then switched to guarding rear communications. That seems to be confirmed by documents I can find.

[Jeff Leach]

Thanks for the information.

[Jeff Leach]

In the war diary of the 2nd Cavalry Corps the entry for the 22nd June 1941 says, "

" ... 9 КД, с одним эскадроном БТ 32 ТП, погранкомендатурами No. 1 - 2 оборонять восточный берег п.ПРУТ по линии м ..."

" ... The 9th Cavalry Division with one squadron of BT-tanks from the 32nd Tank Regiment (is to support) the 1st and 2nd Border Commands (of the 25th Border Guard Detachment), which are defending the east bank of the Prut River along the line ..."

Haven't the internal structure of the NKVD Border Guard Detachment been posted alread? If not does anyone know what they were.

Extra Credit: The 16th Tank Division wasn't all that far north (somewhere between Kotovsk and Kishinev) of the 2nd Cavalry Corps. The 32nd Tank Regiment of the 16th Tank Division didn't serve with the division until at least the 15th July, according to the records of the 2nd Mechanized Corps. Does any one know if the 32nd Tank Regiment of the 2nd Cavalry Corps and the 16th Tank Division are the same unit? It seems suspicious.

[Leo Niehorster]

Greetings!

I have posted a start at
   NKVD Border Guard Detachment

Any additional dat is very welcome.

--
Leo

[Art]

Haven't the internal structure of the NKVD Border Guard Detachment been posted alread? If not does anyone know what they were.

Described here:
http://pvrf.narod.ru/wow/pered/str.htm
In short a detachment consisted of 4-5 battalion-size "komendatura" (each of 4 line outposts - 42-64 men and a reserve outpost - 42 men) and a maneuver group (3-5 outposts of 50 men). Also a detachment HQ, NCO school, engineer platoon and and motor transport company. Total 1400-200 men, 20-30 light mortars, 48-60 Maxim MGs, 80-122 light MGs, 25-30 automobiles, 200-300 horses. It's not clear if it's wartime or peacetime organization.

[Jeff Leach]

again from the war diary of the 2nd Cavalry Corps

имея 3 усиленный эск. с погранчастями по в. берегу п.ПРУТ у САРАТА-РОЗЕШ, ТОКАЛИЯ-ПАДЮКАНЫ.

The east bank of the Prut River between Sarata-Rozeshty and Tokile-Radukany (about 15 respective 10 km north of Leovo along the Prut River (Moldavia)) is defended by three reinforced squadrons of NKVD Border Guards.

I am guessing that 'Squadron' is the equivalent of 'Line Outpost', from a cavalry man's point of view.

[Art]

I guess, that means "a cavalry squadron from the 2 Cav.Corps with border guards elements"

[Jeff Leach]

The paragraf is (ЦАМО ф.3465 оп.1 д.78 лл.9, war diary 2nd Cavalry Corps)

5 КП с 1/12 Конад, 1 эск. танков обороняет м.ЛЕОВО х.НИКОЛАЕВКА, в. скаты выс. 149.1 имея 3 усиленный эск. с погранчастями по в. берегу п. ПРУТ ы САРАТА-ПОЗЕШ, ТОКАЛИЯ-РАДЮКАНЫ. Перед ним районе выс. 127. до 2-х арт.дивизионов, до батальона БУМБАТА, до ПП ВЕТРИШИОЯ.

roughly

The 5th Cavalry Regiment together with the 1./12th Horse Artillery Battalion (9th Cavalry Division)** and one squadron of tanks defended the sector Leovo – Nikolayevka – east sloped of Point 149.1. There were three reinforced squadrons (Line Outposts) of border guards (NKVD 25th Border Guard Detachment) defending along the Prut River between Sarata-Rozeshty and Tokile-Radukany. Forward of his (the enemy’s) positions at Point 127 are two battalions artillery, at Bumbata one battalion, at Vetrişoaia one (Romanian) infantry reigment.*

* I think it is saying the amount of enemy artillery support in the different areas.
** the 1st battery of the 12th ...

My reading of the text so far doesn't seem like the NKVD and RKKA units in the area were intermixed (that is a sector was covered by the NKVD or the RKKA) but the 2nd Cavalry Corps did have reaction forces near the NKVD sectors in case they needed support.

[Art]

5 КП с 1/12 Конад, 1 эск. танков обороняет м.ЛЕОВО х.НИКОЛАЕВКА, в. скаты выс. 149.1 имея 3 усиленный эск. с погранчастями по в. берегу п. ПРУТ ы САРАТА-ПОЗЕШ, ТОКАЛИЯ-РАДЮКАНЫ. Перед ним районе выс. 127. до 2-х арт.дивизионов, до батальона БУМБАТА, до ПП ВЕТРИШИОЯ.

I would translate as:
5 Cavalry Regiment with 1 battery/12 Horse Artillery Battalion and a tank squadron defends Leovo-Nikolayevka having the reinforced third squadron together with border guards units along the eastern bank of the Prut River at Sarata-Pozesh, Tokalia-Radyukany.
So they meant 3rd squadron/5 Cavalry Regiment. There were cavalry elements in Soviet border guards troops at some points of time, but they are not was the report talked about.
Naturally border guards on the Soviet western borders became intermixed with army units and came under their operational control in the first day of war. That was however a temporary phenomenon, as later they were normally pulled back from the front-line and formed a bulk of NKVD rear security force (aka mythical NKVD blocking detachments).

[Jeff Leach]

Thanks Art.

[Jeff Leach]

Reviewing this thread I came up with some more questions. Does anyone know any of the details of the stationing of the "Komendatura" of 23rd (Lipkany), 24th (Bel'tsy) [Major V.K. Dunin] or 25th (Kagul) NKVD Border Guard Detachments?

Greg - could you send me scans of the pages from the book?

[GregSingh]

Found it here: http://militera.lib.ru/docs/da/pogranvo ... index.html
Not sure if it's going to help you much...very basic stuff and an old issue - 1968.