Signal Troops - Early History
From the very beginning of the formation of the Red Army, battalions and communications teams were no longer on the staff of engineering units and subunits. However, no central body had yet been created to direct the communications of the entire Red Army. Since October 1918, radio communications in the army were managed by the radiotelegraph inspector, who was operationally subordinate to the headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, and technically - to the head of the Main Military Engineering Directorate. The Main Military Engineering Directorate provided the Red Army with communications equipment.In 1855, a military electric telegraph was used for the first time in the conditions of combat operations in Sevastopol during the Crimean War. It should be noted that by 1855 over 5 thousand km had already been built in Russia. permanent telegraph lines.
In 1864, the Sveabor fortress military telegraph was formed, and in 1865, the fortress military telegraph in Kronstadt. In 1867, the first exemplary military telegraph park was formed ( the park included 4 officers and 40 lower ranks, 8 Morse devices and 35 miles of wire ). In April 1905, two companies of the wireless telegraph (radiotelegraph) were formed. Since 1910, communications teams appeared in the infantry regiments.
A major shortcoming in the development of military communications was the lack of a single central leadership body. There were no independent signal troops. The communications service in the troops was assigned to the general departments of the headquarters. Only in May 1917 was the post of chief of communications introduced at all headquarters from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander to the regiment inclusive. However, at the same time, the issues of organizing a single centralized communications service in the Russian army and the allocation of communications units and subunits into special communications troops were not resolved.
By order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic dated October 20, 1919 No. 1736/362, the Communications Directorate of the Red Army was formed, headed by the chief of communications of the Red Army , as well as the communications departments of fronts and armies, communications departments in divisions and brigades. Thus, the official registration of the unification of the communications leadership of the Red Army into a coherent system took place. October 20, 1919 was the birthday of the communications troops of the Armed Forces of the countryas independent special troops. The Communications Directorate of the Red Army was responsible for organizing and maintaining communications between the RVS of the republic and the Field Headquarters of the Red Army with the fronts and armies, the formation of communications units, their staffing, training, provision of equipment and other property. The first head of the Communications Department of the Red Army was A. M. Lyubovich ( formerly People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraph ), from September 1920 to April 1924 he was I. A. Khalepsky ( formerly the head of communications of the Caucasian Front ), who did a lot to become and development of signal troops.
By the end of 1920, the signal troops had 13 separate battalions and 46 signal battalions of divisions and brigades, a large number of signal companies and commands, warehouses, workshops, as well as other units and subunits. The total number of signal troops was more than one hundred thousand people. The organizational and staffing structure of the linear and nodal units and communications units was continuously improved. For the first time in the history of military communications, communications trains were created and used to control the troops of the Red Army. The management of the communications service by the commanders (commanders) and staffs at all levels of command has also improved.
The activities of the signal troops during the Civil War were highly appreciated in a special order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic of February 17, 1921, which noted: “The heroic Red Army, which covered itself with unfading glory, is largely indebted to the signal troops, who performed great responsible tasks . Great difficulties in the organization of communication were caused by the diversity (multi-type) and depreciation of the means of communication. The issue of improving military communications has become topical.
By order of the Revolutionary Military Council of June 6, 1920, under the head of communications of the Red Army, a full-time Military Technical Communications Council (VTSS RKKA) was established, which was entrusted with making decisions on all major issues of organizing and developing military communications, including the management of scientific research and the creation of new technical means, and resolution of current pressing issues.
After the persistent efforts of the head of communications of the Red Army , I.A.). A scientific center appeared in the signal troops, which, based on a constant analysis of scientific and technological achievements in the country and the world, began to search for and military-technical justification for specific ways to use them in military communications. The Institute from the first days of its formation to the present time has become a reliable support for the leadership of the Signal Corps in the formation and implementation of technical policy in the field of improving and developing systems and technical complexes of military communications.
In terms of their technical level, these funds basically met the requirements of the troops of that time, but they were not enough. In parts of the Red Army, a significant number of outdated communications equipment continued to remain. The problem of providing the troops with communications equipment became especially acute with the start of the mass deployment of the Armed Forces in the autumn of 1939.
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