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1st Czechoslovak independent field battalion (1942-1943)
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| From-To: |
12.02.1942 - 10.05.1943 |
| Commander: |
colonel Svoboda Ludvík |
| Number: |
30.01.1943 - 974 persons (including 38 women) |
| National composition: |
Czechs (?), Slovaks (?), Rusyns 264 (27,1%), Jews (ap. 25%) [1] |
| Composition: |
26 officers, 237 non-commissioned officers, 10 technical-sergeants, 663 soldiers |
| Under command: |
Voronez's front [2]
03.03. - Soviet 3rd tank army [3], 25th guards rifle division [4]
07.03. - Soviet 3rd tank army, 62nd guards rifle division [5]
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| Movement: |
Buzuluk (12.02.42-30.01.43) - rw Ostrogozsk (18.02.) - rw Valujki (19.02.) - Olhovatka - Volohovka - Volchansk - Murom - Brodok - Bessonovka - Belgorod - Kharkov (01.03.) - Cherkasskie Tishki - Sokolovo [6] (04.03) - Ternovaja (14.03.) - Mohnach (15.03.) - Velikij Burluk (17.03.) - Zacharovka (20.-25.03.) - Veseloe (31.03.-04.05.) - Novy Oskol - rw Valujki - rw Novohopersk (09.05.) |
| Main combats: |
battle of Sokolovo (08.-09.03.1943)
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| Total losses: |
battalion during its mission lost at minimum 112 soldiers (including 3 company commanders and 10 platoon commanders)
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Armaments & accouterments
Czechoslovak recruits coming to Buzuluk were dressed in civil or prisoner clothes. Only first group that arrived from Oranky was dressed in work uniform of Red army. Fortunately the Buzuluk's barracks primarily served as base of W. Anders's Polish army, which left there 3000 British battledresses after their departure. Those British uniforms were finaly used (after negotiations with Soviets) by Czechoslovaks. Besides that soldiers completed own accouterments by fur-caps, officers' fur coats or winter shoes. As far as armament soldiers got weapons even in autumn 1942 [7], so by then trained only with wooden mock-up.
| Pistols and colts |
47 |
| Rifle [Mosin-Nagant] |
192 |
| Automatic rifle [Tokariev SVT-40] |
553 |
| Sniper rifle |
10 |
| Machine rifle [PPS-41] |
47 |
| Light machine gun [Degtjarev DP-27] |
40 |
| Heavy machine gun [Maksim 1910] |
12 |
| Anti-tank gun 14,5 mm [PTRS-41] |
16 |
| Anti-tank cannon 45 mm |
2 |
| Mortar 50 mm [PM-40] |
9 |
| Mortar 82 mm [PM-41] |
9 |
Structure of the 1st Czechoslovak independent battalion
08.03.1943
subaltern units
[1] - source [Kulka E. - Jews in Czechoslovak Svoboda's army] says about 70% of Jews in unit.
[2] - commander general Vatunin N.F.
[3] - commander lieutenant-general Rybalko P.S.
[4] - commander major-general Shafarenko P.M.
[5] - commander major-general Zajcev G.M.
[6] - defense area of the 1st company, the rest of Czechoslovak battalion was situated in villages Artukhovka and Mirgorod till 11.03.
[7] - first supply on 21.10., second on 15.11.
abreviations:
rw = railway
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