Day of rocket artillery. Day of the Strategic Missile Forces (Day of the Strategic Missile Forces)

Almost every military unit has its own holiday: the Day of the Anti-Missile Defense Forces, the Day of the Airborne Forces, the Day of the Air Force. So the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery was no exception. On this day, artillerymen receive special attention, they demonstrate the capabilities of modern Russian artillery and, of course, celebrate the anniversary of the start of the counteroffensive of the Battle of Stalingrad, which marked the beginning of a new period of the Second World War. The Day of the Rocket Forces and Artillery is an important date not only for the representatives of these troops, but also for the entire Russian history.

Story

The beginning of the war was given to the Soviet army very hard: there was not enough ammunition, new equipment, talented commanders were repressed, so there were problems with the command staff. German troops marched on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine, behind them were the conquered Baltic, Moldova and Estonia. The Soviet Union lost a huge number of industrial centers, which caused problems with the provision of troops. In 1942, the situation changed: the battle for Moscow allowed the Nazis to be thrown back from the capital of the Soviet Union, and the defense of Crimea continued. The troops of the Red Army planned and carried out a number of successful military operations, which dealt a significant blow to Germany, which simply did not have time to make up for the loss of equipment and soldiers.

Stalingrad was one of the most important strategic points - its owner received not only a huge number of industrial enterprises, but also access to the railway leading to the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. That is why the capture of the city was so important for Germany. The Soviet government understood that the loss of the city on the banks of the Volga would be a heavy blow for the military forces of the USSR. On July 17, 1942, the defense of Stalingrad began, dragging on for eight long months. By the end of August, most of the inhabitants were evacuated; in September, German troops broke into the city. For each quarter destroyed by the bombing, a hard struggle was waged, both the Wehrmacht and the Soviet army suffered huge losses, but no one was going to give up.

On November 19, 1942, a counter-offensive began, which made it possible to cut off one of the German armies holding the city from the supply channels. It was this day that later began to be celebrated as the Day of the Rocket Forces and Artillery of the USSR. A successful military operation was the beginning of a series of victories that led to the liberation of Stalingrad and a turning point in the course of the war.

holiday institution

In 1944, the key role of artillerymen in the Battle of Stalingrad was marked by the establishment of the Day of Artillery, which twenty years later was renamed the Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery. The celebration has been preserved to the present day. True, it has been renamed again: now November 19 is the Day of Russian Missile Forces and Artillery.

The current situation of artillery and missile forces in Russia

At present, a huge number of artillery weapons are in service. Today, all artillery is subdivided into rocket, rocket and artillery brigades proper, the main tasks of which are not only the capture and defense of strategically important objects, but also reconnaissance and damage to command and control systems.

The Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery is a great opportunity to showcase the latest weapons. Today, the Msta-SM howitzers are being modernized, the Tornado-G jet and Khrizantema-S anti-tank howitzers, the famous Iskander-M and Topol-M missile systems are being put into use.

The Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery - November 19 - is celebrated by demonstration performances of troops, target shooting and military parades, commemorative events and flower laying at memorials are held in many cities.

Do not confuse!

Very often, the Day of the Missile Forces and Artillery is confused with another military event - the Day of the Strategic Missile Forces. In fact, the difference between these holidays is colossal. Nevertheless, November 19 is more of a holiday for artillerymen, and December 17 (the date of the second holiday) is for a soldier of the missile forces. For military personnel, congratulating them on the "wrong" day can even become a reason for resentment, so be sure to remember: Missile Forces and Artillery Day - November 19th.

Celebration in schools

When is the day of rocket troops and artillery? Far from every adult will be able to answer this question, let alone modern schoolchildren, who, in principle, are not particularly interested in the army. But at the same time, some schools hold special events that tell not only about the troops themselves, but also about their role in military affairs. The main goal of such meetings is to instill patriotism in the younger generation and familiarize them with the latest models of military equipment. Often, activities are held as part of military training lessons.

Celebration nationwide

The Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery in Russia is usually celebrated on a grand scale. In Stalingrad itself, which is now called Volgograd, rallies and military parades are held. Military equipment passing through the streets of a huge city looks really impressive. Of course, it does not do without festive concerts, where songs of the war years are usually performed, and flower laying at the monuments dedicated to the defense of the city and the military commanders who participated in the liberation of the city. In 2012, on the seventieth anniversary of the famous counteroffensive, the holiday was celebrated not only in Volgograd, but also in other major Russian cities: Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Voronezh and many others. In addition to traditional rallies, a demonstration of weapons from the Second World War was held, where everyone could taste real field cuisine.

Conclusion

When is the day of rocket troops and artillery? On the day when the first counter-offensive of the Battle of Stalingrad began, during which the troops of the Soviet Union were able not only to inflict significant damage on the troops of Nazi Germany, but also completely change the position of forces. On the day when desperate soldiers and talented commanders were able to do what no one before them could do in Europe, which surrendered almost without a fight. On the day when the Soviet people showed what they are capable of, when something so expensive and important is at stake.

The Battle of Stalingrad is the largest land battle in the history of mankind, and we, the descendants, must not forget those who fell for the defense of the city on the Volga. Artillery troops are a unit, without which the command would hardly have been able to achieve a turning point in the war, so their holiday is a truly significant event.

Day of rocket troops and artillery of the Republic of Belarus. Artillerymen and rocketmen of the Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan annually celebrate their holiday on November 19th.

Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery

Artillerymen and rocketmen of the Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan annually celebrate their holiday on November 19th. For missilemen of the Strategic Forces, the holiday comes a month after this date - December 19th.

Due to the same numbers in memorable dates, civilians often confuse the latter with birthdays.

To avoid this confusion and to clarify the situation in this matter, I will tell you about the Artillery Day. That is how, until 1964, the holiday was called, which is celebrated on November 19.
Many people know that the date of honoring the artillerymen coincides with the start of the counteroffensive of the Red Army and the defeat of the Nazis near Stalingrad. And indeed it is.
It was on November 19, 1942, with the powerful artillery preparation of the Red Army, that the military operation code-named "Hurricane" began, which is known to everyone as the Battle of Stalingrad. During this battle, thanks to powerful artillery fire from all artillery systems and installations, a radical turning point occurred in the Great Patriotic War (hereinafter - the Second World War), and subsequently in the Second World War. Every day of hostilities, from 11/19/1942 until the complete victory over Nazi Germany, is marked by the unforgettable exploits of Soviet artillerymen.

However, few people know their heroes, and only a few will name their exploits.

So I remembered twice the hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Stepanovich Petrov, who, being the deputy commander of one of the artillery units, showed courage and heroism when crossing the Dnieper River, near the city of Kyiv. For these qualities, shown by Petrov in the battle against the Nazis, the Soviet officer received in December 1943 the highest title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On this, another fighter would have stopped, but not Petrov V.S. I want to draw your attention to the fact that Captain Petrov was seriously wounded during the attack and military doctors amputated both of his hands. However, despite these circumstances and the prohibition of doctors, the officer completed the treatment and returned to the army. Some time later, in April 1945, commanding an artillery regiment, our Hero again distinguished himself. For the heroism and courage shown, Vasily Stepanovich Petrov was presented to the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. And this hero is not the only one. Along with Petrov, another officer became twice Hero of the Soviet Union - Shilin Afanasy Petrovich, who showed heroism in battles with the Nazis when crossing the Dnieper and Oder rivers.
In total, according to official data, 1885 artillerymen, including 48 Belarusians, became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

50 generals, natives of modern Belarus, who led artillery units and formations located in the directions of the strike, deserved universal respect and Eternal Glory.

10 Belarusian artillerymen became full cavaliers of the Order of Glory.

The artillery of the Soviet Union was rightly called the "God of War".

For military merit in the Second World War, more than 2 thousand artillery units were awarded orders, 1200 received honorary titles, and over 500 Guards titles.
It is also interesting that the sons of Stalin and Chapaev, who served as officers in the artillery, took part in the liberation of the Belarusian lands from the fascist invaders.

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One of the greatest battles in history - the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad - destroyed the sixth army of Field Marshal Paulus and turned to dust the last hopes of the Reich for victory. Among other things, this operation demonstrated for the first time the growing capabilities of Soviet artillery, which deservedly earned the nickname "God of War".

Two years later, on October 21, 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR will issue a decree on the establishment of "Artillery Day" on November 19 in honor of the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad. Another 20 years later, in connection with the ever-increasing role of missile weapons in the Cold War, the holiday will be renamed the "Day of Missile Forces and Artillery" - which remains to this day.

This holiday is appreciated not only by gunners and operators of Gradov, Smerch and Iskander. In part, the servants of the new chthonic God of War, the Strategic Missile Forces, also consider him theirs; and air defense fighters who "do not fly themselves and do not give to others."

The funny thing is that the Russian military for the most part is not very aware: the most terrible manifestation of Russian military power for possible foreign "partners" is not the stamina and ferocity of the infantry, not the power of tanks and not the swiftness of aviation - namely, the merciless severity of artillery strikes.

(Photo: V. Savitsky)

It all started in the distant and terrible era of the Mongol invasion of Russia. In order to stop the elusive boyar Yevpaty Kolovrat and his rebels, who avenged the troops of Batu Khan for the death of his native Ryazan, the army of the Mongol Empire "inflicted many vices on him, and began to beat him with so many vices, and barely killed him." It is unlikely that in the field battle against the army of Kolovrat, the Mongols came in handy with siege stone throwers ... but Chinese cannons could play a critical role in the death of the brave rebels.

The presence of artillery among the Mongols in Batu's campaign against Russia is still not confirmed by sources, although it was already possible in time. Therefore, what the chronicler meant by “vices” - siege weapons common for those times (catapults, ballistae), machines for throwing arrows, or, indeed, firearms of the early period, is no longer understood.

In 1382, Muscovites, defending the walls of the city from the armies of Khan Tokhtamysh, for the first time in Russian history massively used cannons that hit the Khan's troops from the city walls. The capital was eventually taken by deceit, but the Russian princes and governors appreciated the power of artillery fire. A hundred years later, the Cannon Yard was founded in Moscow, where the centralized production of cannons of various types and calibers began.

(Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation)

During the famous standing on the Ugra River, the presence of artillery in the army of Ivan III cooled the ardor of the Horde Khan Akhmat, who eventually preferred to retreat. The son of the sovereign, Vasily III, brought 300 guns, including heavy siege guns, under the walls of Smolensk, and recaptured the city from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The great Lithuanian hetman Konstantin Ostrozhsky, who defeated the Russian army near Orsha, who did not have even a shadow of the artillery power of Moscow with his advanced Renaissance army, only looked at the walls of Smolensk from a distance and was forced to leave.

Let us clarify that the city fell on the third attempt, and the siege of one of the most important Lithuanian fortresses at that time did not become an easy walk. But the artillery, which was adjusted in the Russian troops by a German specialist - Master Stefan - really played a key role in this campaign.

The gunners brought many victories to Ivan IV "the Terrible", bringing down the walls of Kazan, as well as the cities of Livonia and the Commonwealth, rescuing the sovereign's soldiers in the fields of Molodi and on the walls of Pskov. In the Time of Troubles, they forced King Sigismund III, instead of a victorious march to Moscow, to spend the entire military budget under the walls of Smolensk. The Russian state of the 16th-17th centuries possessed a huge fleet of artillery of all calibers, and Russian engineers enthusiastically experimented with long-barreled, breech-loading and even rifled artillery.

Pavel Sokolov-Skalya, “The Capture of the Livonian Fortress of Kokkenhausen by Ivan the Terrible”

Alas, all the wealth of the old Russian artillery was lost in the fields near Narva, where the Swedes taught the young sovereign Peter Alekseevich an object lesson in modern European warfare. This lesson has been learned. The new artillery of the emerging Russian Empire was created by Yakov Vilimovich Bruce, a descendant of the Scottish kings, the great Russian alchemist and naturalist. Cast from requisitioned monastery bells, the cannons of the "sorcerer from the Sukharev Tower" Bruce destroyed the Swedish army of Charles XII near Poltava and opened a new era of Russian artillery power - which will say a lot of big words on the fields of Kunersdorf, Borodino, Crimea and Manchuria.

I note that the bells, of course, were not removed from the bell towers - they requisitioned the stored and unused samples. It soon became clear that bell alloy was not very suitable for artillery, and monasteries and temples were left behind.

In the USSR, artillery was paid no less attention, having created a number of advanced models even before the Great Patriotic War, many of which are still fighting. Karelian sculptors B-4 will break through the Mannerheim line, Katyusha BM-13 will instill fear in the best divisions of the Third Reich, and the artillery of the reserve of the Supreme High Command will become the very crowbar against which the best strategists of Germany, the heirs of von Clausewitz and von Schlieffen, will not find a reception.

(Photo: Yuri Smityuk)

Now the missile forces and artillery of the Russian Federation constitute one of the most important branches of the ground forces. Their regiments and brigades are armed with thousands of various artillery pieces and rocket systems, constantly replenished with the latest models. From the first "mattresses" and squeakers to tactical missile systems and heavy MLRS, a long and glorious path has been traveled, and the modern descendants of the gunners of voivode Shein, Field Marshal Bruce and Marshal Nedelin are unlikely to disgrace the artillery glory of their ancestors.

Until 1995, the day of the Strategic Missile Forces was celebrated on November 19 as the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery, which was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 17, 1964.

At the present stage of its development, the Strategic Missile Forces include three missile armies located in Vladimir, Omsk and Orenburg and including 12 missile divisions of constant readiness.

The missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces are armed with six types of missile systems (RK), subdivided according to the types of basing into stationary and mobile. The basis of the fixed-based grouping is made up of rocket launchers with "heavy" (RS-20V "Voevoda") and "light" (RS-18 "Stillet"), RS-12M2 ("Topol-M") missiles. The mobile-based group includes the Topol mobile ground-based missile system (PGRK) with the RS-12M missile, Topol-M with the RS-12M2 missile of monoblock equipment and the Yars PGRK with the RS-12M2R missile and multiple reentry vehicle in the mobile and stationary basing options.

The Strategic Missile Forces currently has about 400 launchers with ICBMs. The share of new RK in the grouping of the Strategic Missile Forces will constantly increase. It is planned that by 2022 the Strategic Missile Forces will have 100% of the new RK.

Throughout its history, the Strategic Missile Forces have never been used for their intended purpose as a military force, but together with other components of the strategic nuclear forces, they were visibly present in the solution of many military-political problems.

More than two-thirds of the nuclear carriers of Russia's strategic nuclear forces are concentrated in the Strategic Missile Forces, capable of solving tasks of hitting targets on enemy territory in a matter of minutes.

Every day, about six thousand people are at combat posts as part of the duty forces.

Since the formation of the Strategic Missile Forces, more than five thousand missile launches have been carried out, including about 500 combat training in the course of operational and combat training of troops.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

November 19 is the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery in Russia. In the holiday calendar, the date November 19 was chosen due to the fact that in 1942 it was on this day that the first phase of the counteroffensive of the Red Army near Stalingrad began. From July to November 1942, the defensive operation continued, which extinguished the offensive impulses of the enemy, exhausted him and made it possible for the Soviet troops in difficult conditions to still prepare for a decisive blow. The most important role in the counteroffensive operation was played by the use of artillery against the Nazi troops, which in the future served as the basis for the introduction of a new holiday in the calendar of military dates.

The plan for the counteroffensive of the Red Army near Stalingrad under the name "Uranus" was developed by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command and the General Staff from September 1942. G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky led the development of the operation plan. November 13 "Uranus" was approved. Maintaining the secrecy of the plan made it possible to ensure the surprise of the counteroffensive and, due to the transfer of forces from areas that were not defined as strategically important, a significant advantage was ensured in the strike directions both in manpower and in equipment.

The success in the Stalingrad operation actually provided a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War, and the Nazi army, in fact, did not manage to fully recover from the defeat on the banks of the Volga.

In 1944, November 19 became an important military date - Artillery Day. An addition to this holiday in the form of rocket troops appeared, for obvious reasons, later - in 1964.

However, speaking of rocket troops and artillery, of course, one cannot ignore earlier historical periods. The first mention of the use of guns in our country, generally speaking, refers to the battle against the Horde Khan Tokhtamysh in 1382. During the defense of Moscow, fire was fired from the so-called mattresses (presumably from the Turkish "tyufenk" - a gun and the Persian "tufang" - a pipe).

This firearm was originally used as a means of defense from the city walls. In the same battle, the chroniclers (in particular, the Nikon chronicle) cite materials about the first use of classic cannons, which, according to historians, were mostly of foreign origin.

From the chronicle of 1389:

In the summer of 6879 (1389) the Germans took armats and fiery shooting from the Germans to Russia, and from that hour they understood to shoot from them.

For a long time, by the way, in the historical literature the term “from a German” (actually from abroad) was omitted, which clearly did not add historical authenticity.

And about today...

What are the rocket troops and artillery of Russia in our time? This is an integral part of the Ground Forces, consisting of missile, rocket, artillery brigades, including artillery battalions of high power, rocket artillery regiments, separate reconnaissance battalions and artillery formations of combined arms brigades and military bases.

As part of the re-equipment and modernization of the Russian army, new equipment is entering the troops, which at the same time changes the appearance of the missile forces and artillery (RV and A). Only recently, the troops have been replenished with hundreds of weapons, including 152-mm self-propelled howitzers "Msta-SM", MLRS 9K51M "Tornado-G". The time of the volley "Tornado-G" in the presence of 40 guides is 20 s. This ensures effective hitting of targets in areas with a declared firing range of up to 60 km (some sources report that even 60 km is not the limit for a modernized MLRS model).

Anti-tank weapons, including Khrizantema-S missile systems, are being delivered to RV and A. This is an all-weather multi-purpose missile system designed to destroy not only those that are already in service with a potential enemy, but also their promising versions. "Chrysanthemum-S" is effective against low-flying air targets, small-tonnage surface vessels. With its help, the defense of the enemy, including those in shelters, can be overcome. The complex has a high degree of protection against various radio interference. The maximum firing range is 6 km, the minimum is 400 m. Carried ammunition is 15 ammunition. Implemented automatic loading.

On the eve of the holiday, the head of the Missile Forces and Artillery, Lieutenant-General Mikhail Matveevsky, noted that the plans include the transfer of RV and A from the Tochka-U complexes to the Iskander OTRK by 2020. RIA cites a statement by Mikhail Matveevsky:

At present, all formations of the Central Military District have been completely re-equipped. In addition, rearmament has been completed in the Southern and Eastern military districts.

It is worth noting that the peculiarity of the Iskander-M OTRK, which is actively entering the troops, is its equipment with automation tools not only for preparation for launch, but also for the missile launch itself. The developers guarantee that the Iskander-M missile hits a target with a probable deviation of no more than 15 m. At the same time, active work is underway to equip the Iskander missiles with all-weather homing heads.

On this day, "Military Review" congratulates all military personnel and veterans of the Rocket Forces and Artillery on the holiday. To the troops themselves - systematic development and improvement!