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When was the Marine Corps formed? History of the Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet in the pre-revolutionary period

In the VII-X centuries. Russian princes repeatedly made sea voyages to the Black Sea on boats and landed troops on the coast of Byzantium. In these campaigns, the foundations of the combat use of the Marine Corps were born and detachments of warriors were formed, conducting combat operations on the border of sea and land.

The naval infantry received further development during numerous campaigns of the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks in the 15th-17th centuries, in battles of small rowing ships with numerous and well-armed sailing ships of the Turks. Using the good camouflage and maneuverability of their ships, the Cossacks, in conditions of limited visibility, especially at dusk or at night, approached the Turkish ships and quickly attacked them from different sides, ending the boarding battle with hand-to-hand combat. Subsequently, this tactic was developed in the Northern War in the battles of the galley fleet, on the ships of which Peter’s marines operated.

In the second half of the 16th century. As part of the crews of the ships of the flotilla, created by order of Ivan the Terrible, special teams of streltsy (naval soldiers) were formed, which became the prototype of the marines.

In 1669, the first Russian military sailing ship "Eagle" had a crew of 35 people. of naval soldiers (Nizhny Novgorod Streltsy) led by commander Ivan Domozhirov, intended for boarding operations and guard duty.
During the Azov campaigns, the most combat-ready Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments successfully operated on ships of the Azov and Baltic fleets as parts of the marine corps, from which the Naval Regiment (regiment) in the amount of 4254 people was formed. Peter I himself was listed as the commander of the fourth company under the name of Peter Alekseev.

In 1701-1702 The struggle between Russian army detachments, operating on small rowing vessels (plows, karbass, etc.) began with the Swedish lake flotillas on Lakes Ladoga and Peipsi.

These detachments, formed from the personnel of the army infantry regiments of Ostrovsky, Tolbukhin, Tyrtov and Shnevetsov who served in the fleet, as a result of a series of boarding battles, won a victory over the Swedish flotillas, which consisted of large sailing ships, had strong artillery and were staffed by professional crews. The combat actions of these regiments were distinguished by audacity, courage and determination.
Peter I was able to truly appreciate the role of naval soldiers during the Northern War by taking part in a boarding battle in May 1703, when two Swedish ships were captured at the mouth of the Neva. The marines played an important role in the defense of Kotlin Island, where the heroism, courage and courage of the Tolbukhin and Ostrovsky regiments were clearly demonstrated, writing many glorious pages in the military history of Russia.

Outlining his views on the construction of the fleet in 1704, Peter I wrote: “It is necessary to create regiments of naval soldiers (depending on the number according to the fleet)... corporals and sergeants should be taken from old soldiers for the sake of better training in formation and order”.

On November 16 (27), 1705, the first naval regiment of Count Fyodor Golovin was formed in the city of Grodno, which consisted of 1,200 people (two battalions of five companies, including 45 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers) and became the founder of the marine corps in Russia. This date is considered to be the starting point in the history of the Russian Marine Corps. Count Golovin's regiment was intended to serve in boarding and landing teams on warships of the sailing fleet. The regiment was staffed not by recruits, but by trained personnel of army units, which was caused by increased requirements for combat training of the Marine Corps and more complex combat missions assigned to it (compared to army units).

The experience of combat use of the newly created unit during the Northern War showed that the regimental organization of the Marine Corps did not correspond to the organizational structure of the fleet and did not allow it to be used correctly in combat conditions. In view of this, the naval regiment was disbanded, and in 1712-1714, five naval battalions were created from its personnel and army units assigned to the fleet:
“Vice Admiral’s Battalion” - for service in boarding and landing teams on the ships of the vanguard of the squadron;
“Admiral’s Battalion” - for service on ships of the center of the squadron;
“Rear Admiral’s Battalion” - for service on the squadron’s rearguard ships;
“Galley battalion” - for service on combat ships of the galley fleet;
"Admiralty Battalion" - for guard duty and other tasks.
Marine boarding and landing teams, led by their commanders, were subordinate to the ship commanders, and in matters of special combat training and leadership - to the head of the squadron's marine corps, who, as a rule, was the commander of the corresponding battalion. After the end of the campaign, the teams were united into their battalions, underwent combat training and performed guard duty at the base. According to the states of the Baltic Fleet in 1720, the composition of naval crews for battleships was set from 80 to 200 people (on frigates - from 40 to 60 people).
On combat ships of the galley fleet, marines accounted for up to 90 percent of the total crew. The widespread joint actions of the Russian army and navy during the Northern War required the creation, in addition to the marine infantry formations, of the largest formation at that time - an amphibious corps numbering 18-26 thousand people. In 1713, the corps included 18 infantry regiments and a separate infantry battalion with a total number of about 29,860 people, of which 18,690 officers and lower ranks took direct part in hostilities.

The marine infantry, which included a galley battalion and guards and infantry regiments of the landing corps assigned to the fleet, acted as part of boarding and landing teams. The rowers on the ships were marines.

Among the crew of the scampavea, numbering 150 people, only 9 were sailors (navigator, skipper, boatswain, etc.), the rest were officers, non-commissioned officers and marine soldiers. The commander of the scampaway was, as a rule, the senior Marine officer on board the ship.

Convinced of the inability of the allies of the Danish and Saxon armies to actively and coordinately act against Sweden, Peter I decided to take control of Finland, and then deliver a powerful blow to Sweden through the Gulf of Bothnia and force it to conclude a peace beneficial to Russia.

Intense preparations for the upcoming campaign were carried out for several months. Peter I and his associates in the shortest possible time created special tactics for the marine corps of the galley fleet, which included the procedure for landing troops on ships, crossing them by sea, landing troops and fighting on the shore.

On May 2, 1713, a galley fleet with an amphibious corps consisting of 16 regiments numbering about 16,000 people. under the command of Apraksin and the naval fleet under the command of Peter I went to sea and headed to the Finnish skerries.

In the battle at the river. Pelkina on October 6, 1713, Russian troops attacked enemy positions from the front, simultaneously making a deep outflanking of them with the forces of a specially allocated combined detachment of ten regiments of the airborne corps with a total number of 6,000 people. under the command of Lieutenant General M. M. Golitsyn, one of the best military leaders of the Russian army.

At dawn on October 6, after a successful night crossing on rafts across Lake Mallas-Vesi, Golitsyn's detachment went to the rear of the fortified Swedish position and quickly attacked the enemy, who had retreated in the direction of Tammerfors. At the same time, Russian troops attacked the Swedes from the front and, with artillery support, crossed the river. The enemy twice repelled attacks by Russian troops, but after the third attack they fled, losing 600 people. killed, 244 people. captured and leaving eight guns on the battlefield.
In the battle at the river. Pelkina's combined detachment of the airborne corps was the first to use new methods of combat for that time in lake-wooded terrain: a deep detour of the enemy's flank with crossing on rafts and landing of troops in the rear, a decisive bayonet strike and a column attack.

In the campaign of 1714, it was planned, in close cooperation between the army and the galley and naval fleets, to completely capture Finland, occupy the Abo-Aland Islands and create a base for landing troops on Swedish territory.

In Tverminskaya Bay, the galley fleet was forced to stop, since its further path was blocked by the Swedish squadron of Admiral Vatrang. By this time, Golitsyn’s detachment, which was in the Abo area, deprived of the support of the artillery of the galley fleet and did not receive the expected ammunition and food, was forced to retreat to Poe-Kirka, where it boarded the ships abandoned by Apraksin and subsequently united with the main forces of the galley fleet.

On May 27, 1714, the Battle of Gangut took place, in which two guards, two grenadiers, eleven infantry regiments and a galley battalion of marines took direct part - a total of about 3,433 people, not counting officers. About 240 sailors took part in the battle on the scampaways of these regiments.
During the two years of the war, the Marine Corps had to endure the hardships and deprivations of the harsh conditions of Finland, be on the verge of starvation, beat the Swedes from rafts, and do the hard work of oarsmen on scampaways. In the Battle of Gangut, she took part in a boarding battle at sea in extremely difficult conditions against superior enemy forces.

The Gangut victory had important military and political significance. It became the first naval victory, after which Russia rightfully took its rightful place among the naval powers. The Battle of Gangut was also of strategic importance: the entry of the galley fleet into the Gulf of Bothnia was opened and conditions were created for the Russian naval fleet for active operations in the southern and middle parts of the Baltic Sea. It also showed the importance of close interaction between the galley fleet and the regiments of the landing corps.

The successful breakthrough of the enemy squadron was made possible thanks to the skill and courage of the sailors, but the victory on May 27, 1714 was almost exclusively the work of the guards and infantry regiments of the Marine Amphibious Corps. The battle of the vanguard was led by Army General Weide, who was awarded the highest award - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

After the failure of peace negotiations with the Swedes at the Åland Congress of 1718-1719. Peter I decided to strike Sweden from Finland.

In 1719, the landing corps under the command of Admiral General Apraksin (about 20,000 people), operating on the coast from Stockholm to Norrköping, landed 16 troops consisting of from one to 12 battalions. Another part of the corps under the command of Major General P.P. Lassi (3500 people) carried out a landing of 14 troops in the area between Stockholm and Gefle.
The Russian government considered the actions of the landing corps as a means of forcing Sweden, which had not lost hope of help from the English fleet, to agree to peace.

In 1721, a Russian landing force under the command of Lassi again landed on Swedish territory, where they destroyed 13 factories, including one weapons factory, and captured 40 small Swedish ships and a lot of military property.

The raids of the Russian galley fleet on the coasts of Sweden, the depletion of the country's forces and the moral depression of the population, as well as the futility of hopes for English help and the complete failure of the English policy of intimidating Russia forced the Swedish government to make peace with Russia on the terms dictated by Peter I.
Marine tactics were further developed during the Persian Campaign of 1721-1723, in which 80 companies of the former Marine Corps took part, later consolidated into 10 two-battalion regiments. The actions of these regiments, which glorified the Russian Marines during the Northern War, in Derbent, Baku and Salyan in the Caspian Sea, had a significant impact on the military-political situation in Transcaucasia and ensured the security of Russia's southeastern borders.

Subsequently, during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna in 1743, the personnel of the four regiments that took part in the Persian campaign were used to staff two naval regiments of the Baltic Fleet. Thus, in the first half of the 18th century. It became natural to attract army infantry regiments that had previously served in the navy to replenish marine units.

In 1733-1734, due to financial difficulties, a reorganization of the fleet and marine corps was carried out, the number of which was reduced by 700-750 people. By decree of Empress Anna Ivanovna, instead of separate battalions, two three-battalion regiments were created in the Baltic Sea.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739. From the personnel of two regiments of the Baltic Fleet, a combined marine battalion of 2,145 people was formed, which took an active part in the siege and capture of Azov.

A bright page in the diverse activities of the regiments was the participation of 46 people. (3 officers and 43 lower ranks) in the second Bering expedition.

Great influence on the development of the Marine Corps in the second half of the 18th century. had the effect of the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, in which the Marine Corps' advanced tactics for that time were used and its most advanced forms were used.

During the Seven Years' War, the bold and decisive actions of the Baltic Fleet marine landing force predetermined the success of the ground forces in capturing the important Prussian fortress of Kolberg.

During the siege of the fortress, a landing party consisting of 2012 marines and sailors under the command of Captain 1st Rank G. A. Spiridov, after landing on the shore, interacted with the troops of the siege corps of General P. A. Rumyantsev.
On the night of September 7, 1761, a landing force under the command of Spiridov, as a result of a bold attack, captured a Prussian coastal battery located opposite the right flank of the Russian siege corps, along with all the guns and a garrison of about 400 people. In this battle, the grenadier company of the marine corps under the command of Lieutenant P. I. Pushchin, which was considered the best unit among the grenadier units of the siege corps, especially distinguished itself.

A brilliant example of the combat activities of the Marine Corps to protect the national interests of Russia in the Mediterranean Sea was the first Archipelago expedition of 1769-1774, during which the blockade of the Dardanelles was carried out, and landings landed on the islands of the Archipelago, the coast of Greece and the Anatolian coast of Turkey, diverting significant forces Turkish army from the main Black Sea theater of operations and assisted the Greek rebels in the fight against Turkey.

Marine boarding teams took part in the famous Battle of Chesma.

During the Archipelago Expedition, over 60 landing forces were landed, the main combat force of which was the marines of the Baltic Fleet.

In accordance with the strategic plan of the war, from 1769 to 1774, five squadrons of the Baltic Fleet were sent to the Mediterranean Sea with a landing force of more than 8,000 people, including the regular marines of the Baltic Fleet and the personnel of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards, as well as the Kexholm, Shlisselburg, Ryazan, Tobolsk, Vyatka and Pskov infantry regiments. These regiments, previously part of the landing corps created by Peter I, again came to the fleet to honorably fulfill their military duty to the Fatherland.
The squadrons of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea independently maintained their combat effectiveness for several years, and the brilliant victories they won over a larger enemy fleet were a remarkable example of the long-term actions of a large naval formation, including the marines, far from their bases.

The successful actions of the Russian fleet raised the authority of Russia in the international arena and had a significant impact on the overall course of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.

Using the power of its fleet, in 1783 Russia, without war, finally annexed Crimea, where the main base of the Black Sea Fleet was created - Sevastopol.

During the fighting of the Liman (later Danube) flotilla during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791. The Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet was born, especially distinguished itself during the heroic assault on the Izmail fortress.

As you know, Izmail was taken as a result of an assault by nine columns of the Russian army under the command of Suvorov who attacked it from three directions. Six of them attacked from land, and three, which included the marines of the Black Sea Fleet, attacked from the river.

According to Suvorov, the Marines “showed amazing courage and zeal.” In his report to G. A. Potemkin about the capture of Izmail, among those who distinguished themselves, the names of eight officers and one sergeant of the naval battalions and about 70 officers and sergeants of the Nikolaev and Dnepropetrovsk coastal grenadier regiments were mentioned.
One of the most glorious pages in the history of the Marine Corps was its participation in the Mediterranean campaign of Admiral F. F. Ushakov of 1798-1800. As a result of brilliantly carried out landing operations, the Ionian Islands were liberated from the Turks, the fortress of Corfu, which was considered impregnable, was taken by storm from the sea, and Naples and Rome were occupied.

Marine combat operations were distinguished by a variety of tactical forms. She successfully operated as part of landing forces, especially during the assault on coastal fortresses.

On November 9, 1798, a joint Russian-Turkish squadron under the command of Ushakov blocked the island of Corfu, the main base of the French naval and ground forces in the eastern Mediterranean. The fortress located on it, built by the Venetians and heavily fortified by the French, was considered one of the most powerful in Europe.

The advance detachment of the landing party was headed by the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Skipor, the other two detachments were led by the battalion commanders, Majors Buasel and Brimmer, and the landing reserve was on the ships of the squadron in readiness for landing. By 10:30 a.m. A total of 2,158 men were landed, including 730 marines, 610 sailors, 68 artillerymen and 750 Turks.

After the fall of Vido, all forces and means were concentrated to storm Corfu. An hour and a half after the start of the assault, all three fortified forts covering the approaches to the Corfu fortress from land were taken by storm as a result of courageous and decisive landing actions.

Admiral Ushakov highly praised the actions of the marines, who played an important role in the capture of Corfu. In his reports to Paul I on February 21 and March 13, 1799, he reported that “naval troops and their commanders carried out combat missions with unparalleled courage and zeal”.

Having received news of the victory at Corfu, the great Russian commander Suvorov enthusiastically wrote: “Our Great Peter is alive! What he said after the defeat of the Swedish fleet at the Åland Islands in 1714, namely: nature has produced only one Russia, it has no rivals, we see now. Hooray! To the Russian fleet! Now I’m telling myself why I wasn’t at Corfu, even though I was a midshipman!”
The capture of Corfu, the most powerful fortress in Europe at that time, only by the forces of the navy and marines wrote another bright page in the military history of Russia.

The combat activities of the Marine Corps as part of the Russian fleet seriously changed the military-political situation in the Mediterranean Sea.

With the loss of the Ionian Islands, France lost its dominance in the Adriatic and eastern Mediterranean Seas, and Russia acquired the important naval base of Corfu.

In the Italian campaign of Suvorov and the Mediterranean campaign of Ushakov, a close military partnership between two outstanding military leaders was revealed, which largely determined the successful combat use of the marine corps in the coastal areas of the Apennine Peninsula. It is characteristic that many marines of the Black Sea Fleet, which took Izmail, took part in the assault on Corfu.
Based on the provisions of Suvorov’s “Science of Victory” and the national combat training system he created, generations of marines were trained and educated. Suvorov's system of teaching bayonet attacks and aimed shooting had a deep educational meaning. In the Marine Corps soldier, she developed courage, boldness, and composure in battle and taught him to take proactive and decisive actions.

The ability to strike with a bayonet was the moral criterion of the Russian Marine Corps. It was not without reason that near Izmail and Corfu, in the direction of the main attack, marine battalions—masters of the bayonet strike—attacked as assault detachments.

All of the above allows us to draw the following conclusions. Russia's intense struggle for national independence in the 18th century. and the peculiarities of the construction of its Armed Forces during this period determined a unique path for the development and combat use of the Marine Corps.

The merit of the Marine Corps is that through its combat activities it had a significant influence on the outcome of many wars of the Russian Empire. Having adopted the advanced system of training and education, she managed not only to develop, but also to enrich it with new content, proving the invincibility of the Russian military school.

In 1803, all individual battalions of the Marine Corps were consolidated into four naval regiments (three in the Baltic and one in the Black Sea Fleet), which wrote many glorious pages in the history of the Marine Corps.
During the second Archipelago expedition of the Russian fleet of 1805-1807. in the squadron of Vice Admiral D.N. Senyavin, from the battalions of the naval regiments of the Baltic Fleet, the second naval regiment was formed, which heroically acted in landings and took part in many battles with France in 1805-1807. and the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. The third naval regiment of the Baltic Fleet participated in the landing corps of Lieutenant General P. A. Tolstoy in the Hanoverian expedition of 1805.

Created in 1811, the 25th Infantry Division, which included two brigades formed from naval regiments, fought on the land front in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The heroism and military valor of the Marines was especially evident in the Patriotic War of 1812. On the Borodino field, among the 34 obelisks erected in honor of the heroes of this battle, there is a monument to the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment and the sailors of the Guards crew, majestic in its austere and memorable beauty.
They came here with the army of Barclay de Tolly from the western border of our Motherland, having overcome 300 miles of difficult travel. The task of the Marines was to build bridges and crossings for the rapid advancement of our army and destroy them when the French approached. Often this had to be done under enemy fire and suffered heavy losses. In the Battle of Borodino, a detachment of 30 marines led by midshipman M.N. Lermontov was tasked with monitoring the bridge over the Kolocha River, which separated the Russian rangers stationed in the village of Borodino from the main positions of the right flank of the Russian troops. Kutuzov ordered the sailors, in the event of the rangers' withdrawal, to destroy the bridge and with dense rifle fire to prevent the French from crossing the river.

On the morning of August 26, taking advantage of the thick fog, the French unexpectedly attacked Borodino. The rangers held out bravely, but, having suffered heavy losses, were forced to retreat across the bridge to the left bank of the river. The sailors immediately set fire to the bridge. However, the French of the 106th regiment advanced so quickly that they rushed forward straight across the burning bridge. The sailors had to destroy the bridge deck and at the same time participate in hand-to-hand combat with the French. Barclay de Tolly saw the fierce battle at the bridge and sent two regiments of chasseurs to help. With the joint efforts of the 106th French regiment, the French regiment was destroyed and the bridge was destroyed. Thanks to this, the right flank of our troops was protected from the French advance. This heroic feat of the sailors and rangers was immediately reported to Kutuzov. Midshipman Lermontov, who was wounded in this battle, was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree, and all the sailors of his detachment received various incentives.

In 1813, parts of the Marine Corps were transferred to the army department and lost contact with the fleet. For almost 100 years, there were no large full-time marine formations in the Russian fleet.

However, the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855 required a large number of naval infantry units from the fleet, once again confirming the need for the marine corps. In total, during the defense, 17 separate naval battalions were formed, which, together with other participants in the defense of Sevastopol, covered themselves with unfading glory. Considering the development of the Russian marine corps from the time of its formation until the middle of the 19th century, it should be noted that it took an active part in all Russian wars of that time. Its main tasks were:
- independently or jointly with army units, land on the shore occupied by the enemy, capture and hold targeted objects;
- participate in the anti-landing defense of fleet bases and islands;
- in naval battles, conduct targeted rifle fire at enemy personnel, and at short distances use grenades to destroy personnel and create fires on enemy ships;
- when your ship approaches an enemy ship, side by side, be the main force of the boarding teams and ensure success in battle, in hand-to-hand combat;
- carry out guard duty on ships, in bases and fleet stops, form small garrisons of islands and provide the ships of the galley fleet with rowers.

The defense of Port Arthur on land in 1904 involved many units and teams formed from the personnel of ships and naval crews: seven separate naval rifle battalions, a separate landing detachment of sailors, three separate naval rifle companies and several machine gun teams. They played a significant role in the long and stubborn defense of Port Arthur.

The question of forming permanent units of the Marine Corps was raised only in 1910. In 1911, the Main Naval Staff developed a project for the creation of permanent infantry units in the main fleet bases: an infantry regiment of the Baltic Fleet, a battalion of the Black Sea Fleet and a Vladivostok battalion.
In August 1914, two separate battalions were created in Kronstadt from the personnel of the Guards Fleet Crew and one battalion from the personnel of the 1st Baltic Fleet Crew. In March 1915, a separate naval battalion of the 2nd Baltic Fleet Crew was transformed into a Special Purpose Naval Regiment.

In addition to rifle companies, it included: a mine company, a machine gun team, a communications team, regimental artillery, a technical workshop, a convoy and separate teams of the Ivan-Gorod steamship and boats. The formation of naval battalions of the Black Sea Fleet began on August 1, 1914, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet approved the “Regulations on the temporary separate Kerch naval battalion.”

At the beginning of the war, two more separate naval battalions were formed and placed at the disposal of the commandant of the Batumi fortress. On the Caspian Sea, the commander of the Baku port had an amphibious detachment of the Black Sea Fleet and a separate company of marines at his disposal. At the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917, the Russian naval command began to form two large marine formations - the Baltic and Black Sea divisions.

The Baltic division was deployed on the basis of an existing marine brigade; The Black Sea was formed from naval battalions created back in 1915, and reinforcements from the army department. The personnel of these battalions already had good landing training. The creation of these divisions, unfortunately, was not completed, and after the February Revolution, in April 1917, they were disbanded...

Even during World War II, squads of Marines struck terror into German soldiers. Since then, the latter have been given a second name - black death or black devils, indicating inevitable reprisals against those who encroach on the integrity of the state. Perhaps this nickname has something to do with the fact that the infantryman wore a black peacoat. Only one thing is known for certain - if the enemy is afraid, then this is already the lion’s share of victory, and, as you know, the motto is considered the symbol of the Marine Corps: “Where we are, there is victory!”

Every infantryman was proud of his mission. In cases where it was necessary to fight while wearing a combined arms uniform, the soldiers did not part with their caps and vests. They went on the attack wide open, showing the enemy black and white stripes, instilling open terror on him.

History of the origin of the troops

During the reign of Ivan IV (the Terrible), the crews of all ships were supplemented by soldiers who were not sailors. These were separately created brigades consisting of archers. The first sailing ship "Eagle" was manned by Nizhny Novgorod archers by decree of the Tsar in 1669. Their task included boarding and landing actions. The first prototype of the Marines was also used for guard duty.

History includes the exploits of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, which were formed on ships during the Azov campaigns. Not everyone knows that the commander of one of the companies of the naval regiment was Emperor Peter Romanov himself. Similar regiments equipped ships of the Azov and Baltic fleets.

The first victories of the then completely new formations occurred in 1701–1702. The Russian flotilla, consisting mostly of rowing ships, successfully fought with Swedish sailing ships on Lake Peipus and Ladoga. The Russian army owes its victory largely to the regiments of Ostrovsky, Shnevetsov and Tolbukhin, which served in the fleet, which were assigned to the fleet. Chroniclers noted that the infantrymen behaved boldly and decisively in battle.

If we are talking about the creation of the Marine Corps troops, then this event is closely connected with the name of Peter I. He summarized the experience of introducing ground forces into the fleet and in 1705 issued a decree according to which all squads of Cossacks and Streltsy were united, and the newly created formation was named "naval regiment" According to the new style, this decree is dated November 27, since then this date has been considered.

Black berets - the elite of the Russian troops

The events of the first Chechen war forced the command of the Russian army to resort to the help of marines. At that time, they turned out to be the most prepared for real combat operations. The soldiers accomplished a real feat during the assault on Grozny. Sixteen infantrymen were awarded the Hero Star. Unfortunately, there were casualties; 178 people died during the first campaign. The contribution that the Marines made to the history of the Chechen conflict will at all times be considered as a manifestation of the true professionalism of the Russian soldier.

Vitaly Ryabov

I have served under conscription, and then under contract. Now retired.

Articles written

The marine corps means one of the branches of the military, the main purpose of which is to conduct naval operations, including the landing and capture of coastlines, port cities, important strategic points, naval bases, and ships.

Marines - naval troops

The Marine Corps can be part of the Navy, or it can be a separate branch of the military, as we can see in the US Army.

At the moment, the American Army, whose marines number more than 200 thousand, is considered the most powerful in the world.

History of the Marine Corps

Marine Corps - history from ancient times

Contrary to many misconceptions, as history claims, the marine corps arose in the period of antiquity, although not in the form in which we are accustomed to think. The ancient Greeks used fighters called Epibates, who fought on the decks of ships and then fought on land, pursuing the enemy.

The Punic Wars - the first documentary mentions of the Marine Corps date back to this period. The Romans used special ships, on board which were military infantry, designed to board enemy ships. However, it should be noted that these soldiers did not have any special training, and therefore this branch of the military was just beginning to emerge.

History of Marines in the Middle Ages

1066- the Normans launched a successful attempt at a massive naval offensive on the shores of Britain, which was followed by fighting on land. William the Conqueror relied on the experience of the Vikings, for whom attack from the sea was perhaps the only battle tactic for many centuries.

Subsequent development of the Marine Corps

During the Early Modern period Marine detachments began to play a more significant role. These units were mainly used by the British. So, on frigates and battleships there were about 100-150 infantrymen, most often 136, which made up a company.

136 infantry

was on frigates and battleships

Such a unit was commanded by a captain and several junior officers. The captain stood alongside the other officers on the ship and was often responsible for training the entire crew in close combat.

XV-XVIII century- the British used infantrymen as the core for all landing operations, but they rarely went into battle on their own, as there simply weren’t enough of them. The marines in Britain stood significantly above sailors and ordinary infantrymen.

Mid-18th century- The Marine Corps appeared in the USA. In France, it evolved significantly after the revolution and began to occupy a place between the regular army and the militia. She fought with both cold steel and small arms.

XVIII century- military leaders began to realize the need for the existence of troops that could effectively participate in landing operations, since the ground army and navy, without special training, did not cope with this task in the best way.

Marine Corps during the First World War

Early 20th century- the marines were instruments of colonial warfare. Such soldiers did not yet have any special training - they did not study in specialized schools and were armed like ordinary ground soldiers.

1915-1916- the Dardanelles operation was carried out, the essence of which was the landing of landing forces on Turkish territory. Due to the lack of preparations to capture the coastline, the British soldiers became bogged down in bloody combat and were forced to evacuate with heavy losses.

World War II

1940s- the government of leading countries realized that landing operations were a special type of combat operations, which required specially trained troops. The Marine was now a seaman capable of fighting on land, whereas previously he was regarded as a soldier assigned to a warship.

Picture - US Marine Corps during World War II

Fighting 1939-1945- The Marine Corps has ceased to be, in fact, infantry. These elite troops were designed to conduct amphibious operations, had their own tanks, aircraft, naval support and even parachute battalions. Members of the Marine Corps were given special status in the military.

Cold War

Second half of the 20th century- the Marine Corps is turning into specially trained special forces soldiers who are trained according to a special program and the requirements for candidates, as well as training, have become significantly more complicated.

To get into the ranks of the MP, one had to pass complex standards, since this kind of fighters must feel equally good in the ocean and on land. Service in the Marine Corps has become prestigious.

The Marine Corps fought and won the following conflicts:

Korean War;
Vietnam War;
Invasion of Grenada;
Falklands War;
War during the Suez Crisis.

US Navy Marines come ashore near the city of Da Nang in central Vietnam, April 10, 1965.

British troops land on the Falkland Islands. Falklands War. 1982

History of the Russian Marine Corps

By the way, the first naval regiment was convened by Emperor Peter the Great in 1705. It consisted of more than one and a half thousand soldiers who were specially trained to conduct landing operations in the Baltic Sea.

1714- the first successful use of special units in the history of the Russian Marine Corps. During the 18th century, the number of these units increased significantly, and they turned into battalions. Despite this, their numbers were small and there was no professional training among the infantry members.

19th century- Marine regiments are not going through the best of times - they are periodically formed and disbanded due to lack of experience in their use.

Photo of Russian Marines. Officers of the Russian Marine Corps, 19th century

Early 20th century- the emperor made the last attempts to restore the MP, but due to the critical situation in the country this was impossible.

1940s- the Soviet leadership realized the need to create MP units. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, their number was up to 200 thousand people. However, after the victory, the infantry units were disbanded again.

Marine K9

1963- a decree was adopted on the revival of MP regiments. Their numbers continue to grow rapidly due to the acute political situation in the world. Because of the Cold War, the government increased the composition of this type of troops, devoting more attention and funds to their training.

1967- USSR Marines take part in the Six-Day War in the Middle East. These elite units then took part in battles in Afghanistan and Chechnya. At this time, many fighters received the status of heroes and gained fame throughout the world for their exploits.

Marine Corps of the Russian Navy at the present stage

Officially in the Russian Federation, this branch of the military was created in 1992, which included soldiers of the USSR Navy. At the moment, there are about 35-40 thousand MP fighters in the ranks of the Russian armed forces.

Nowadays the Marine Corps is the pride of the Russian Federation. They have evolved into elite first responders, ready to conduct amphibious operations around the world.

Since 1996, in accordance with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, November 27 is celebrated as Russian Marine Corps Day.

Russian Marines

The Russian Navy is deployed in the following fleets:

Chernomorsky (the main forces are based in Sevastopol);
Baltic;
Pacific;
Northern and others.

Brigades of naval units

Among all the MP brigades that are part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, it is worth highlighting the following:

336th separate guards brigade MP - Baltiysk;
810th separate brigade of MP Zhukov - Sevastopol;
61st separate MP brigade - Murmansk;
155th separate MP brigade - Vladivostok;
727th separate MP battalion - Arkhangelsk.

The 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade or ShDB, which is one of the most experienced in the country, deserves special attention. Its fighters took part in the defense of nuclear weapons and controlled their removal from Poland in the 1980s.

Military uniform of the Russian Marine Corps "Ratnik"

Armament of the Marine Corps of the Russian Navy

Since the Marines in the Russian Army are the pride and elite troops, they are equipped with the best firearms and bladed weapons. It is always characterized by lightness and reliability, since the Russian marine must always be ready to fight the enemy in unfavorable terrain.

The armament of a Russian MP fighter is as follows:

(an automatic weapon with a grenade launcher system, as well as the ability to install an optical sight, which turns it into a silent sniper rifle);

VVS or Vintorez(silent SV, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 400 meters, also characterized by its small size and lightness);

NRS-2(a special knife that can be thrown at a distance of up to 25 meters, as well as deliver piercing and cutting blows in close combat).

In addition, AK-74 assault rifles continue to be actively used. The fighters are also equipped with grenades. Certain units of the Russian Marine Corps are armed with machine guns and anti-tank grenade launchers.

Uniform of Russian naval sailors

It is worth immediately noting that the form of MP can be of the following types:

casual;
front door;
field

The dress uniform is black. An integral part of any fighter is the beret, which is the signature symbol of this type of military.

The field uniform is camouflage - there is a summer and winter version. A mandatory element is a helmet and body armor, which can protect a soldier during combat operations.

We tried to briefly outline the combat path of the special forces of the Russian Navy. It is impossible to tell everything about the Marine Corps in one article. Its history is described in multi-volume works.

With the decreasing role of ramming strikes in naval battles, boarding combat, the outcome of which was decided by hand-to-hand combat, began to acquire increasing importance. The soldiers of the Roman legions stationed on ships using boarding bridges defeated the stronger Carthaginian fleet in the First Punic War of 264–241. BC e.

There are two known campaigns of the Romans to the British Isles, as a result of which troops were landed on the coast of Britain.

In the 7th–10th centuries. Russian princes repeatedly made sea voyages to the Black Sea on boats and landed troops on the coast of Byzantium. In these campaigns, the foundations of the combat use of the Marine Corps were born and detachments of warriors were formed, conducting combat operations on the border of sea and land.

The naval infantry received further development during numerous campaigns of the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks in the 15th–17th centuries, in battles of small rowing ships with numerous and well-armed sailing ships of the Turks. Using the good camouflage and maneuverability of their ships, the Cossacks, in conditions of limited visibility, especially at dusk or at night, approached the Turkish ships and quickly attacked them from different sides, ending the boarding battle with hand-to-hand combat. Subsequently, this tactic was developed in the Northern War in the battles of the galley fleet, on the ships of which Peter’s marines operated.

During the Azov campaigns, the most combat-ready Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments successfully operated on ships of the Azov and Baltic fleets as parts of the marine corps, from which the Naval Regiment (regiment) in the amount of 4254 people was formed. Peter I himself was listed as the commander of the fourth company under the name of Peter Alekseev.

In 1701–1702 The struggle between Russian army detachments, operating on small rowing vessels (plows, karbass, etc.) began with the Swedish lake flotillas on Lakes Ladoga and Peipsi.

Peter I was able to truly appreciate the role of naval soldiers during the Northern War by taking part in a boarding battle in May 1703, when two Swedish ships were captured at the mouth of the Neva. The marines played an important role in the defense of Kotlin Island, where the heroism, courage and courage of the Tolbukhin and Ostrovsky regiments were clearly demonstrated, writing many glorious pages in the military history of Russia.

After the defense of Kotlin in the summer of 1705, the question of creating specially trained marine units in the fleet arose again. November 16, 1705 By decree of Peter I, a naval regiment was formed. This historical date became the birthday of the Russian Marine Corps.

For the first time in military history, a national marine corps was created, homogeneous in its composition, armed with the best weapons in Europe and trained on the basis of a unified combat training system.

The Marine Corps officers were staffed by non-commissioned officers of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, who were trained, educated and gained combat experience during the Northern War. The decrees “On Single Inheritance” and “Table of Ranks” adopted under Peter I made it possible to form an officer corps from the best representatives of the young Russian nation, in particular the noble class, as the basis of the autocracy of Russia. The most important rule of Peter I - “in service there is honor” became part of the flesh and blood of the officers of the Russian Marine Corps of the 18th century.

The rank and file of the Russian Marine Corps was distinguished by social, national and religious homogeneity, which gave it the character of a single organism and fostered a sense of patriotism and military duty to defend the Fatherland. All these features of the Russian Marine Corps contributed to maintaining a higher morale of the personnel, in contrast to the fleets of European states, which were recruited for hire and represented troops of diverse national, ethnic and religious composition, which could neither be trained nor led into battle otherwise, than through brutal drill.

Throughout the entire historical process of development of the Russian Marine Corps, its purpose, organizational structure, forms and methods of combat use were not constant, but changed in accordance with the nature of the armed struggle and the tasks of the fleet, the level of weapons and a number of other factors. For more than a hundred years (from 1705 to 1813), developing along an ascending line, it was a permanent branch of the Russian fleet. For twenty years (from 1813 to 1833) the Marine Corps was part of the War Department, and then temporarily ceased to exist.

The regular marine infantry created by Peter I was for the first time divided into three types: the marine infantry of the naval, galley fleets and the admiralty battalion. Such an organizational structure, which was based on a battalion as a tactical unit, most closely corresponded to the purpose of the Marine Corps and the characteristics of its combat use.

Marine battalions were staffed mainly by experienced personnel from infantry regiments serving in the galley fleet. Thus, to form the rear admiral’s battalion, a battalion of one of the most combat regiments of the Russian army that participated in the Battle of Poltava, the Kazan Infantry Regiment under the command of Major Kemkov, was allocated.

The most numerous was the naval infantry of the naval fleet, which until 1712 consisted of a regiment, and then of three separate battalions of 650–660 people each. According to the state in 1720, this constituted a quarter of the total personnel of the naval fleet.

Each battalion was distributed by separate units (commands) among the warships of its squadron and maintained a certain organizational integrity. The battalion commander, who was the senior commander of the marine corps in the squadron, was on the flagship with the commander and could control subordinate units, and during the landing he led the battalion or part of it during combat operations on the shore in accordance with the instructions of the squadron commander.

A characteristic feature of the Marine Corps tactics was the completion of a battle on land with a swift bayonet strike, and a boarding battle at sea with a decisive hand-to-hand combat, which contributed to the formation of high moral and combat qualities in the Marines. The offensive strategy and active linear tactics of the Marine Corps are reflected in the training and education of its units and units. At the same time, attention was paid not only to the elements of formation and shooting, but also to advanced forms and methods of conducting combat operations both in linear and in other combat formations.

The Baltic Fleet of Peter the Great's time included two large associations of naval forces independent from each other: the sailing (ship) and galley fleets. Each of them had its own marine corps. In addition, the fleet included another type of marine corps - admiralty battalions.

The main tasks of the marine corps of the ship and galley fleets were combat operations as part of landing forces, performing guard duty on ships, participating in boarding battles and conducting aimed fire from small arms at the crews and landing forces of enemy ships when approaching at rifle and pistol range.

Understanding the peculiarities of armed struggle in the military-geographical conditions of the Baltic Sea led Peter I to create the largest marine corps unit of the 18th century. - an amphibious corps capable of solving not only tactical, but also operational-strategic tasks in cooperation with the galley fleet. In 1713, the corps included 18 infantry regiments and a separate infantry battalion with a total number of about 29,860 people, of which 18,690 officers and lower ranks took direct part in hostilities.

In the battle at the river. Pelkina's combined detachment of the airborne corps was the first to use new methods of combat for that time in lake-wooded terrain: a deep detour of the enemy's flank with crossing on rafts and landing of troops in the rear, a decisive bayonet strike and a column attack.

During the two years of the war, the Marine Corps had to endure the hardships and deprivations of the harsh conditions of Finland, be on the verge of starvation, beat the Swedes from rafts, and do the hard work of oarsmen on scampaways. In the Battle of Gangut, she took part in a boarding battle at sea in extremely difficult conditions against superior enemy forces.

After the failure of peace negotiations with the Swedes at the Åland Congress of 1718–1719. Peter I decided to strike Sweden from Finland.

The Russian government considered the actions of the landing corps as a means of forcing Sweden, which had not lost hope of help from the English fleet, to agree to peace.

Marine tactics were further developed during the Persian Campaign of 1721–1723, in which 80 companies of the former Marine Corps took part, later consolidated into 10 two-battalion regiments. The actions of these regiments, which glorified the Russian Marines during the Northern War, in Derbent, Baku and Salyan in the Caspian Sea, had a significant impact on the military-political situation in Transcaucasia and ensured the security of Russia's southeastern borders.

1.2. Marine Corps in the wars of the Russian Empire 1735–1917.

In 1733–1734, due to financial difficulties, a reorganization of the fleet and marine corps was carried out, the number of which was reduced by 700–750 people. By decree of Empress Anna Ivanovna, instead of separate battalions, two three-battalion regiments were created in the Baltic Sea.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1735–1739. From the personnel of two regiments of the Baltic Fleet, a combined marine battalion of 2,145 people was formed, which took an active part in the siege and capture of Azov.

A bright page in the diverse activities of the regiments was the participation of 46 people. (3 officers and 43 lower ranks) in the second Bering expedition.

Great influence on the development of the Marine Corps in the second half of the 18th century. had the effect of the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763, in which the advanced tactics of the Marine Corps for that time were used and its most advanced forms were used.

On the night of September 7, 1761, a landing force under the command of Spiridov, as a result of a bold attack, captured a Prussian coastal battery located opposite the right flank of the Russian siege corps, along with all the guns and a garrison of about 400 people. In this battle, the grenadier company of the marine corps under the command of Lieutenant P. I. Pushchin, which was considered the best unit among the grenadier units of the siege corps, especially distinguished itself.

A brilliant example of the combat activities of the Marine Corps to protect the national interests of Russia in the Mediterranean Sea was the first Archipelago expedition of 1769–1774, during which the blockade of the Dardanelles was carried out, and landings landed on the islands of the Archipelago, the coast of Greece and the Anatolian coast of Turkey, diverting significant forces Turkish army from the main Black Sea theater of operations and assisted the Greek rebels in the fight against Turkey.

Marine boarding teams took part in the famous Battle of Chesma.

During the Archipelago Expedition, over 60 landing forces were landed, the main combat force of which was the marines of the Baltic Fleet.

The squadrons of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea independently maintained their combat effectiveness for several years, and the brilliant victories they won over a larger enemy fleet were a remarkable example of the long-term actions of a large naval formation, including the marines, far from their bases.

The successful actions of the Russian fleet raised the authority of Russia in the international arena and had a significant impact on the overall course of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768–1774.

Using the power of its fleet, in 1783 Russia, without war, finally annexed Crimea, where the main base of the Black Sea Fleet was created - Sevastopol.

During the fighting of the Liman (later Danube) flotilla during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787–1791. The Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet was born, especially distinguished itself during the heroic assault on the Izmail fortress.

One of the most glorious pages in the history of the Marine Corps was its participation in the Mediterranean campaign of Admiral F. F. Ushakov of 1798–1800. As a result of brilliantly carried out landing operations, the Ionian Islands were liberated from the Turks, the fortress of Corfu, which was considered impregnable, was taken by storm from the sea, and Naples and Rome were occupied.

Marine combat operations were distinguished by a variety of tactical forms. She successfully operated as part of landing forces, especially during the assault on coastal fortresses.

After the fall of Vido, all forces and means were concentrated to storm Corfu. An hour and a half after the start of the assault, all three fortified forts covering the approaches to the Corfu fortress from land were taken by storm as a result of courageous and decisive landing actions.

Admiral Ushakov highly praised the actions of the marines, who played an important role in the capture of Corfu. In his reports to Paul I on February 21 and March 13, 1799, he reported that “the naval troops and their commanders carried out combat missions with unparalleled courage and zeal.”

The capture of Corfu, the most powerful fortress in Europe at that time, only by the forces of the navy and marines wrote another bright page in the military history of Russia.

The combat activities of the Marine Corps as part of the Russian fleet seriously changed the military-political situation in the Mediterranean Sea.

With the loss of the Ionian Islands, France lost its dominance in the Adriatic and eastern Mediterranean Seas, and Russia acquired the important naval base of Corfu.

Based on the provisions of Suvorov’s “Science of Victory” and the national combat training system he created, generations of marines were trained and educated. Suvorov's system of teaching bayonet attacks and aimed shooting had a deep educational meaning. In the Marine Corps soldier, she developed courage, boldness, and composure in battle and taught him to take proactive and decisive actions.

The ability to strike with a bayonet was the moral criterion of the Russian Marine Corps. It was not without reason that near Izmail and Corfu, in the direction of the main attack, marine battalions, masters of the bayonet strike, advanced as assault detachments.

During the second Archipelago expedition of the Russian fleet of 1805–1807. in the squadron of Vice Admiral D.N. Senyavin, from the battalions of the naval regiments of the Baltic Fleet, the second naval regiment was formed, which heroically acted in landings and took part in many battles with France in 1805–1807. and the Russian-Turkish war of 1806–1812. The third naval regiment of the Baltic Fleet participated in the landing corps of Lieutenant General P. A. Tolstoy in the Hanoverian expedition of 1805.

Created in 1811, the 25th Infantry Division, which included two brigades formed from naval regiments, fought on the land front in the Patriotic War of 1812.

Formed in 1810, the Marine Guards crew - the only part in the history of the Russian navy that represented both a ship's crew and an infantry guards battalion - took part in all wars of the 19th–20th centuries. as Marines, adding to its heroic traditions. The Marine Guards crew took part in the battles of Borodino and Krasnoye, and together with the entire Russian army traveled from Borodino to Paris. For the courage and valor shown in the battle of Kulm, he received the highest award - the Banner of St. George.

The Marines showed courage and courage during the defense of Sevastopol, Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka Port Arthur and on the fronts of the First World War.

In the heroic defense of Sevastopol in 1854–1855. 17 naval landing and rifle battalions took part, five of which were created at the very beginning of the defense from naval “rifle parties”.

Four detachments of sailors, formed from the crews of the frigate Aurora and the transport Dvina, fought in the ranks of the defenders of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, who defeated the Anglo-French landing in 1854.

Appearance in the second half of the 19th century. The steam armored fleet and the improvement of naval artillery had a significant impact on the organization and combat use of the Marine Corps.

Gone are boarding battles and galley fleets, and there is no longer any need to use marines to destroy the crews of enemy ships with small arms fire. At the same time, the need for marines began to increase for operations as part of landing forces and defense of fleet bases.

On large ships of the Russian steam fleet of the second half of the 19th century. For the landing of small assault forces, airborne platoons were formed, the personnel of which were trained in special rifle schools or training crews. In terms of their purpose and the nature of the tasks performed, the landing platoons were naval commands of the Marine Corps. But there were no permanent marine units in the Russian fleet at that time.

In the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878. Two detachments of sailors from the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, formed in St. Petersburg and Nikolaev, took part. These naval detachments, which included a “naval rifle company” as a regular part of the Marine Corps, established crossings for ground forces, prepared landing and crossing means, guarded bridges, and landed tactical troops and sabotage groups.

In the defense of the main base of the Pacific Fleet, Port Arthur, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. A significant role was played by units and landing teams formed from the personnel of the naval crew and ships.

During the long and stubborn defense, seven separate naval rifle battalions, a separate landing detachment of sailors, three separate naval rifle companies and several machine gun teams fought bravely.

The combat actions of the Russian army and navy during the defense of Port Arthur showed the need to have regular marine units in the fleet. The Main Naval Staff planned to create one regiment in the Baltic and one battalion each in the Pacific and Black Sea fleets, but their staffing was approved only on the eve of the First World War.

During the First World War, the Marine Corps found wide use in the defense of naval bases and islands and in combat operations as part of landing forces.

At the beginning of the war, four battalions were formed in the Baltic and three in the Black Sea fleets. In 1915, from four battalions of marines intended for the anti-landing defense of Revel and the Moonsund Islands, the “Brigade of the Land Front of the Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great” was formed, and the special-purpose naval regiment was transformed into a separate naval brigade. In the same year, in connection with the creation of the Abo-Aland fortified area, a regiment consisting of three battalions and a machine gun team, formed on the basis of the officer rifle school, was transferred to the Baltic Fleet.

In 1916–1917 The formation of two marine divisions began in the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, which was not completed until the end of the war. During the First World War, a new form of armed struggle was established - the landing operation - and Marine Corps tactics were further developed. During the defense of the Moonsund Islands in the Baltic Sea in 1917, the joint actions of the fleet and ground forces acquired the features of an anti-landing operation, although the lack of a unified command limited their capabilities. The experience of the formation and combat use of the Russian Marine Corps during the First World War clearly showed not only its necessity in the fleet, but also the importance of systematic and targeted combat training, the presence of a system of manning, armament and support in accordance with the tasks of this type of force.

1.3. Development and use of the Marine Corps, 1917–2005.

In 1917, the birth of the Soviet Marine Corps began. During the Civil War, the fleet sent about 75,000 people to the land front, from among whom formations were created that had different organizational structures: expeditionary detachments, regiments, battalions.

The main form of their combat use was actions as part of sea, lake and river landings.

The largest formation during the Civil War was the 1st Marine Expeditionary Division, created in 1920 in Mariupol to defend the coast of the Sea of Azov and conduct combat operations as part of landing forces, which was essentially a marine division. Having successfully landed in a counter-landing on August 24, 1920, the division, advancing in a southern direction in cooperation with formations and units of the 9th Army, created a threat to the left flank of General Ulagai’s landing force and forced the enemy to begin a retreat, which contributed to the subsequent liberation of the entire Kuban.

Naval formations during the Civil War, which did not have a unified organizational structure of regular troops and were not prepared to perform the tasks inherent in the Marine Corps, were the prototype of the first generation of Marine Corps of the USSR Navy, the creation of which began in the late 30s, on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. war.

During the interwar period, the naval powers did not pay due attention to amphibious operations, while the capabilities of anti-amphibious defense were overestimated and the increased offensive capabilities of ground forces were not taken into account.

A positive development for the Soviet navy was the development of interaction between the army and navy when conducting combat operations in coastal areas.

In the process of combat training of fleets, serious attention was paid to landing troops (mainly tactical ones). For the first time in the history of naval art, in the 1930s, the theoretical foundations of a naval landing operation were developed, the correctness of the provisions of which was tested during combat training.

However, due attention was not paid to the creation of landing ships, the formation and training of the Marine Corps. The fleets of the Soviet Navy before World War II did not have a single specially built landing ship. The fleets did not have the required number of ships to provide artillery support for the landing and ensure their combat operations on the shore. All this significantly limited the capabilities of the fleet in solving problems of assisting ground forces and complicated its actions during amphibious landings during the Great Patriotic War.

The first step towards the re-creation of the Marine Corps as a branch of the Navy was the formation of a special rifle brigade of the Baltic Fleet. The date of creation of the Soviet Marine Corps should be considered January 15, 1940, when the 1st Special Marine Brigade was created by order of the NK Navy.

During the Soviet-Finnish War, the brigade landed as part of the landing forces on Gogland, Seskar and other islands of the Gulf of Finland. A Marine ski unit and special forces battalions took part in this war. The Marine Corps received particular development during the Great Patriotic War, on the fronts of which one division, 19 brigades, 14 regiments, 36 marine battalions and 35 naval rifle brigades heroically fought.

Organization of the Marine Corps of the Navy at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.

At the beginning of the war, when an extremely difficult situation developed on the Soviet-German front, naval rifle brigades began to be formed from naval personnel, intended for combat operations on land fronts, and marine brigades for operations as part of amphibious assault forces and the defense of naval bases and landing-dangerous areas of the sea coast. The Marines showed particular tenacity, courage and tenacity in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol, Tallinn, Leningrad, naval bases in the Arctic, as well as in defensive battles near Moscow, Stalingrad, Rostov, in the foothills of the Caucasus and other places.

In September-October 1941, on the Oranienbaum bridgehead, out of 60 km of the total defense line, more than 50 km were held by marines.

In September 1941, the 4th Separate Marine Brigade, having crossed the Neva, captured and held the famous “patch” near Nevskaya Dubrovka until December 1941. The Marine Corps showed courage and audacity, acting as part of the amphibious assault forces, in which it was only in 1941-1942. landed 25 times. In total, during the war years, the Soviet fleet landed 125 troops with a total number of about 240 thousand people. Already on the fourth day of the war, on the morning of June 25, a landing force was landed on the Romanian bank of the Danube, in the first attack of which a platoon of Marines Art. Lieutenant M. Kozelbashev.

High morale, an unstoppable offensive impulse, audacity and dedication distinguished the marines during the landing in the Grigoryevka area near Odessa, in the Kerch-Feodosia and Novorossiysk landing operations in 1941–1943, in the Tosno area during the Ust-Tosnensk offensive operation and in the area Cape Pikshuev during the Murmansk offensive operation in the Arctic in 1942.

An example of mass heroism was shown by the marines of the detachment Art. Lieutenant Olshansky, who landed in March 1944 in the port of Nikolaev. At the cost of their lives, the paratroopers completed the combat mission and were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the war years, this high rank was awarded to 200 marines, and intelligence officer V.N. Leonov became twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the war with Japan, thanks to the rapid landing operations of the Pacific Fleet, in August 1945, Soviet troops were able to quickly capture South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands and ensure a high pace of offensive in Manchuria. The amphibious landings in the Korean ports of Yuki, Racine, Ettin and the naval bases of Seishin and Genzan disrupted the communications of the Japanese Kwantung Army with the mother country, which made it possible to successfully complete its complete encirclement and defeat and significantly speed up the end of World War II.

Recognition of great services to the Motherland was the assignment of honorary names to dozens of formations and units of the Marine Corps, as well as the transformation of five brigades and two battalions of the Marine Corps into guards. Many formations and units of the Marine Corps became Red Banner, and the 83rd and 255th Marine Brigades became twice Red Banner.

Landing operations carried out during the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan made a great contribution to the theory and practice of naval art. Marine tactics have been enriched with new, more advanced methods and techniques for conducting combat operations during amphibious landings and the defense of naval bases.

After the end of the war, the global strategy of confrontation required the USSR to develop all branches of the Navy, including the Marine Corps. However, the development of naval construction in the post-war period was influenced by the cult of personality of J.V. Stalin, and was influenced by the misunderstanding by the head of government N.S. Khrushchev and the USSR Minister of Defense G.K. Zhukov of the role of the Navy.

At the end of the 40s, a number of leading theoreticians of the Navy were subjected to unjustified repression, which significantly delayed the development of theoretical thought. Frequent changes in the leadership of the Navy played a negative role.

Due to the downplaying of the role of amphibious operations in conditions of the enemy's use of nuclear weapons, only small tactical landings began to be considered possible.

In the mid-50s. under the influence of the rapid development of nuclear missile weapons, N. S. Khrushchev spoke out in favor of limiting the tasks of the fleet and openly declared the uselessness of the marine corps, the formations and units of which were disbanded, and most of the officers who had combat experience were transferred to the reserve. Military shipbuilding program for 1955–1964. the construction of 12 tank landing ships, 55 large and 83 small landing ships was envisaged. But she did not receive the approval of the head of government, who did not take into account the opinion of the Navy leadership. This led in 1958 to the cessation of the construction of landing ships.

All these circumstances caused great harm to the development and growth of the Navy and Marine Corps in the post-war period and caused a lag behind the US, British and French navies.

In the early 60s. Under the influence of the experience of local wars and serious scientific research, the country's new political leadership supported the proposal of the Navy command to recreate the Marine Corps.

The second generation of Soviet marines began its history in the Baltic Fleet, where in 1963 a separate guards regiment was formed. In the same year, a marine regiment was formed in the Pacific Fleet, in 1966 in the Northern Fleet, and in 1967 in the Black Sea Fleet. In 1967, a marine division was formed in the Pacific Fleet, which became the first formation of the second generation Soviet marines.

Intensive combat training of Marine Corps units and subunits began to carry out missions. The highest and most effective form of training and the most important means of combat coordination of units and increasing their field and naval (landing) training were the Ocean and Yug-72 exercises.

In 1971, a Marine Corps training center was created in the Black Sea Fleet, in which officers and sailors of marine combat units of all fleets underwent reconnaissance and sabotage training. The qualitative and quantitative growth of the Soviet Navy allowed it to enter the vastness of the world's oceans.

Formations and units of the Marine Corps on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War

The construction of landing ships of various classifications that meet modern requirements has begun to develop.

At the end of the 60s. 60 small landing ships left the shipyards, a series of hovercraft of the "Scat" type in the amount of 30 units was laid down. In the period from 1966 to 1975, 14 large landing ships of Project 1171 entered service, forming the basis of the strategic landing forces of the Soviet Navy.

In the 70s, a large number of high-speed medium landing ships were built, 10 tank landing ships Project 775, capable of transporting 12–14 tanks and more than 200 marines over a distance of up to 6,000 miles, which allowed NATO military experts to conclude that the Soviet Navy was capable of carrying out offensive operations.

At the end of the 70s. changes occurred in the military doctrine, allowing, under conditions of parity in the strategic nuclear forces of the warring parties, the possibility of creating in the USSR a fleet with a balanced ratio of all types of forces and transforming it, for the first time in the history of the Soviet state, into an offensive strategic branch of the armed forces.

The constant aggravation of the international situation in the Middle East and the need to protect the state interests of the USSR in this region required the deployment of the 5th and 8th operational squadrons in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, in which, starting from the 60s, the naval forces constantly carried out combat service infantry.

Marines of all fleets, performing combat missions in the vast Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, off the coast of Egypt, Angola, Ethiopia, Somalia, Guinea, Vietnam and other countries, showed heroism and high combat skills and influenced politics, international relations and diplomacy , helping to prevent or end military conflicts.

In 1979–1980 The marines of the Pacific and Black Sea fleets were part of a group of naval ships in the Indian Ocean, Red and Mediterranean Seas, ensuring the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. During combat service, which was a new form of employment of the Marine Corps and the highest form of maintaining its combat readiness, high moral, psychological and combat qualities were cultivated, and friendship and military camaraderie, tested by long sea voyages, were strengthened. An important stage in the development of the Marine Corps was the reorganization in 1979 of individual regiments of the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets into separate Marine Brigades, which significantly increased the combat potential. The formation and development of the third generation of marines of the Soviet Navy began.

In the brigades and regiments of the Marine Corps Division of the Pacific Fleet, air assault battalions were formed, intended mainly for operations as part of amphibious assault forces, landed on ship-based landing craft, as well as parachuted and landed by landing methods as part of airborne assault forces.

Scientific and technological progress in military affairs contributed to the further improvement of the Marine Corps' weapons and equipping it with modern self-propelled, mainly amphibious military equipment, primarily diesel armored personnel carriers BTR-80, self-propelled floating artillery guns "Nona-S", self-propelled 122-mm howitzers "Gvozdika" ", anti-aircraft missile systems "Tunguska", self-propelled short-range anti-aircraft missile systems "Strela-10", man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Igla", etc.

The landing ship formations from 1975 to 1981 included 20 Kalmar-type hovercraft landing craft, 8 Murena-type hovercraft landing ships and 18 of the world's largest landing hovercraft of the Dzheyran type, which increased the capabilities of the Marine Corps and significantly increased the pace of landings.

In 1978, the first Soviet BDK “Ivan Rogov”, which was highly praised by NATO experts, went into operation, combining the qualities of a helicopter carrier and a docking ship and capable of taking on board a reinforced battalion of marines, four KA-29 transport and combat helicopters, intended for landing 16 Marines with full equipment and weapons each, fire support and cargo transportation, and two 110-ton Kalmar-type DKVP. The next ship of this project, Alexander Nikolaev, was delivered 4.5 years later.

In 1979, five Dragon-type amphibious ekranoplanes were successfully tested, carrying 120 marines or 20 tons of cargo (including one armored personnel carrier) and capable of moving at a speed of 190 knots. It was planned to produce 120 ships, but the turmoil of “perestroika” and the subsequent collapse of the state interrupted the process of building these unique landing craft at the stage of readiness for mass production.

In the 80s, the new organizational structure of the Marine Corps was mastered and tested during daily combat training and in exercises involving the landing of large landings “Zapad-81”, “Zapad-84”, “Autumn-88”. During these years, the tasks of the Marine Corps became more complicated, which, in accordance with the new “Combat Training Course,” began to purposefully prepare for operations as part of air and seaborne assault forces in air-sea and amphibious landing operations.

The fleet began to receive new air-cushion landing ships of the Zubr type that meet modern requirements, taking on board up to 140 marines or three tanks, and the world's first fire support landing craft, the Kasatka, went into operation.

In 1989, due to a significant reduction in the Armed Forces, especially ground forces, the Navy's tasks in defending the sea coast became more complicated. Taking into account the experience of the Great Patriotic War, which revealed the vulnerability of the defense of naval bases on the land side, a new branch of the Navy was created - Coastal Forces, which included three types of troops: the Marine Corps, coastal missile and artillery troops and coastal defense troops. The latter were based on four motorized rifle divisions transferred from military districts, which were called coastal defense divisions.

The organizational changes carried out significantly increased the combat capabilities of the coastal troops, which began to consist of about 1,500 tanks, 1,100 guns and mortars, 2,000 armored combat vehicles, about 150 launchers of the BR OTN and TN.

The socio-political situation of the late 80s - early 90s. could not but affect the life of the Marine Corps, which began to be recruited for the protection and defense of facilities in the territories of the former Soviet Baltic republics, Crimea, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Marines assisted in maintaining law and order in Baku, participated in the evacuation of civilians from Abkhazia and the disarmament of illegal groups in Georgia.

At the same time, a significant factor in stabilizing the situation in the Caspian Sea, where the interests of a number of neighboring states were intertwined, was the formation of the 77th Separate Guards Moscow-Chernigov Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Marine Brigade within the Caspian Flotilla.

During the first stage of reform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the number of personnel of formations and units of the Marine Corps was significantly reduced, which, nevertheless, managed to maintain its combat effectiveness even in these difficult conditions.

Combat operations during the restoration of constitutional order in the Chechen Republic in 1994–1996 became a severe test for the Russian Marine Corps.

Marine units that were part of the naval contingent of the mobile forces were recruited to participate in hostilities in the North Caucasus: the 165th Marine Regiment of the Pacific Fleet and the air assault battalions of the Northern and Baltic Fleets. The Marines interacted with ground forces and airborne units in the main direction, carrying out the most difficult tasks of capturing and holding important administrative buildings in Grozny, heights in the foothills, bridges, crossings, etc. When carrying out tasks, Marine Corps units showed courage and courage , dedication and high combat skill, appreciated by the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the group of troops in the Chechen Republic.

During the entire period of hostilities, there was not a single case of failure to complete a combat mission, leaving a line, house or entrance, not a single person was left on the battlefield, there was not a single “missing person”. Sixteen marines were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, 4,913 received military orders and medals.

After returning to the places of permanent deployment of units from the Caucasus, the Marine Corps continued combat training, taking into account the acquired combat experience. Constant readiness units were created, staffed according to wartime levels. However, further reduction of the Armed Forces resulted in a decrease in the number of Marine personnel, including its most combat-ready units - air assault battalions. Subsequent events showed the fallacy of such a reduction.

From October 1999 to June 2000, the Marine Corps again took part in hostilities in the Chechen Republic. The main tasks during the ongoing counter-terrorism operation of the Marine Corps units were carried out jointly with the airborne troops as part of a tactical group led by the Chief of the Coastal Troops of the Northern Fleet, Major General A. I. Otrakovsky, who was later awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. Operating in difficult conditions of mountainous and forested terrain, including in winter, day and night, the Marines again showed their high combat qualities: courage and bravery, determination and dedication in fulfilling their military duty. They captured and held residential areas, dominant heights, blocked individual settlements, railways, highways and possible exit routes for militants. During all stages of the counter-terrorism operation, the command of the group of troops repeatedly noted the successful actions of units and subunits of the Marine Corps.

In carrying out their assigned tasks, the Marines invariably showed courage and heroism, perseverance and comradely mutual assistance. Five people were awarded the high title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Currently, the Marine Corps of the Russian Fleet continues to be a highly mobile and combat-ready branch of the military. A significant factor in its combat readiness to defend the Fatherland is the education of personnel in the glorious combat traditions of the Russian Marine Corps, instilling in the current generation of Marines a sense of pride in serving in the glorious formations and units of the Marine Corps.

Notes:

Military encyclopedic lexicon, published by the Society of Military and Writers. Ed. L. N. Zeddeler. St. Petersburg 1855. T. VII. pp. 88–89.

Golitsyn N. S. General military history of ancient times. St. Petersburg 1874. T. II. P. 151.

Grebelsky P. Kh. Pirates. St. Petersburg 1992. P. 11.

Dragomirov M. About landings in ancient and modern times. SPb.1857. P. 33.

Battle chronicle of the Russian fleet. Chronicle of the most important events in the military history of the Russian fleet. St. Petersburg 1857. P. 33.

Evarnitsky D. History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. St. Petersburg 1912. T. 7. P. 29; History of the Russian Army and Navy. St. Petersburg 1912. T. 7. P. 29; Razin E. A. History of military art. M. 1961. T. 3. P. 300.

Ustryalov N. G. History of the reign of Peter the Great. St. Petersburg 1858. T. II. adj. P. 398.; Additions to historical acts, collected and published by the Archaeographic Commission. St. Petersburg, 1855. T. V. P. 280; Elagin S. Materials for the history of Russian maritime legislation. St. Petersburg 1859. Issue. 1. P. 5.

Beskrovny L.G. Reform of the Army and Navy / In the book: Essays on the history of the USSR. Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. Transformations of Peter I. M. 1954. P. 362.

Navy Marine Corps. Ed. I. S. Skuratova. pp. 16–17.

Right there. P. 18.

Skuratov I. S. They are called marines // Marine collection. 1992. No. 11. pp. 9–10.

From the book “A Brief History of the Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet in the Pre-Revolutionary Period”

The history of the Marine Corps in Russia is almost as long as that of other great maritime powers. For the first time in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, the marine corps appeared as a separate branch of the military in Spain in 1537; in France, the first units of the marine corps were created by Cardinal Richelieu back in 1622, in England in 1664. In February 1696 she appeared in Russia.

Soon after the failure of the First Azov Campaign in the summer of 1695, due to the lack of a fleet in Russia at that time, Peter I in the fall of the same 1695, he begins to prepare the Second Azov Campaign and for this he begins to build a fleet on the Don in Voronezh.

In connection with the construction of the fleet, the question immediately arose about the marine corps for the future Don, and later the Azov flotilla. For this purpose, simultaneously with the construction of ships in Voronezh, the creation of the first formation of the Russian Marine Corps begins near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhenskoye - " Maritime Regime"(Naval Regiment).

The “Marine Regiment” was created in the village of Preobrazhenskoye from the companies of the guards regiments located there. In total, 28 companies with a total number of 4,254 people were allocated from their composition to form the “Naval Regiment”. The closest associate of Peter I - Franz Lefort, who in connection with this was awarded the rank of "admiral". The Tsar himself, with the rank of captain, became the commander of the 3rd company of this regiment.

The official date of creation of the “Maritime Regiment” is considered to be February 18, 1696, when its first royal review took place.

At the end of May 1696, the siege of Azov by Russian troops began, in which the “Maritime Regiment” took an active part. On July 19, 1696, the fortress surrendered and a month later the regiment left Azov for Moscow.

On September 30, 1696, the ceremony of the ceremonial entry of Russian troops who participated in the capture of Azov into Moscow took place. At the head of the triumphal march was the Marine Regiment. Then, on the same day, the solemn march of the Marine Regiment took place in the Kremlin, after which its companies dispersed to the barracks of their former regiments and the “Marine Regiment” ceased to exist. The regiment's banner was transferred to the Armory Chamber in the Kremlin, where it is currently located.

Thus, date of creation of the Marine Corps in Russia can be ancientized by ten years, and should be established not on November 27 (new style) 1705, when Peter I issued his decree on the formation of a regiment of “sea soldiers” as part of the Baltic Fleet, but 10 years earlier - in the fall of 1695.

Marine Corps in the Russian-Turkish War of 1735 - 1739
During preparations for the next war with Turkey, in 1734, from the personnel of two naval regiments of the Baltic Fleet, a combined marine battalion was formed, consisting of 12 officers, 36 non-commissioned officers and corporals, 577 soldiers, intended to operate as part of the recreated in Voronezh Don (Azov) flotilla.

After the start of the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739 naval battalion together with the flotilla he participated in the siege of Azov and after its capture on June 20, 1736, together with the flotilla he began operations in the Sea of Azov, including the capture of Crimea by Russian troops in 1737.

Subsequently, in June - July 1738, the battalion and the flotilla were blocked by superior forces of the Turkish fleet in the area of Fedotova Spit on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov. Unable to break through the Turkish blockade, the flotilla command burned the ships, after which the sailors and marines marched overland along the seashore to the Azov fortress, repelling attacks from the Tatar cavalry along the way. Arriving at Azov on August 8, 1738, the personnel of the flotilla were divided: the sailors went to build new ships, and the marines became the garrison of the Azov fortress. After the end of the war, the battalion formed the garrison of the Azov fortress in the period 1739 - 1741, then transferred it to one of the army units and returned to St. Petersburg, where its companies returned to their former naval regiments.

According to V.G. Danchenko during this period, the battalion was commanded by Major Kartashov and its strength was 9 officers, 57 sergeants and corporals, 900 soldiers.

Danchenko also claims in his book that during the Russian-Turkish War of 1735 - 1739, the Azov flotilla, in addition to the combined marine corps battalion specially formed for it, also additionally included one of the battalions of the 1st naval regiment of the Baltic Fleet consisting of 14 officers and 448 lower ranks.

According to other available data, a combined naval battalion was formed during this war, also for the Dnieper flotilla.

Formation and combat operations of the Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet during the reign of Catherine II
In connection with the outbreak of another war with Turkey, in November 1768, the construction of ships for the newly recreated Azov flotilla began again at the Voronezh shipyards and the formation of " Soldier's team", that is, a battalion of marines from the marines of the Baltic Fleet.

As a result, a battalion was created consisting of 8 companies, numbering more than a thousand people. In June 1771, this battalion, as part of the Azov flotilla, took part in the battles to capture the Crimea, including the capture of the city of Kerch and the nearby sea fortress Yenikale. According to other sources, a similar battalion was formed for the Dnieper flotilla.

The end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768 - 1774, and the subsequent annexation of Crimea to Russia in April 1783, led to the creation of the Black Sea Fleet on the basis of the Azov and part of the forces of the Dnieper flotilla on May 13, 1783 in Akhtiarskaya (Sevastopol) Bay.

Two years later, August 13 (August 24, new style) 1785, Catherine II approved the first states of the Black Sea Fleet, which became a program for its further development. Based on this document, the creation of the Black Sea Fleet began Marine Corps units in the form of three naval battalions of four companies each, with a total number of 3023 people. To perform guard, security and escort functions, the “Admiralty Company” was formed, consisting of 3 officers, 8 sergeants and corporals, as well as 125 soldiers.

However, soon after this, in 1787, another Russian-Turkish war began and in August 1787 the personnel of all three naval battalions were sent to replenish the crews of ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

As a result, at the first stage of the war in 1787-1789, the functions of the marine corps on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were performed by Greek regiment, created in 1775 in Kerch from former Greek corsairs who moved to Russia with their families and took part in the war with Turkey in 1768 - 1774 as part of the Mediterranean squadron of the Russian fleet. Until 1783, this military unit was called the “Albanian Army”. In 1783, the "Albanian army" was moved from Kerch to Balaklava and was renamed the "Greek regiment". During the war with Turkey of 1787 - 1791, the largest operation of the Greek regiment as a marine corps was the landing on April 22, 1789 in the area of the port of Constanta, where the Greeks killed 50 Turkish soldiers and captured two cannons.

In 1788, a year after the start of the war with Turkey, Sweden began a new war with Russia. This led the ruling circles of Russia in 1789 to the realization of the fact that the war with Turkey had somehow dragged on and needed to be ended, but of course in a victorious manner. Therefore, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army and navy in the war with Turkey Your Serene Highness Prince Potemkin decided to make 1790 the year of decisive victories for Russian weapons.

According to Potemkin's plan, one of the decisive operations of 1790 was to be the capture of the Danube Delta, which was defended by the fortresses of Isakcha, Tulcea, and Izmail. For this operation it was planned to use a galley (rowing) flotilla.

However, for a full-fledged operation here, ships alone were not enough; landing forces were also needed.

For this, by order of Potemkin, on December 11, 1789, the Yaroslavl Infantry Regiment with the addition of the Nikolaev Grenadier Battalion was formed Nikolaev Primorsky Grenadier Regiment, then included in the rowing flotilla.

Then, on May 10, 1790, the Dnieper Primorye Grenadier Regiment was formed from two battalions of the Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment, which subsequently remained a two-battalion regiment. Initially, the Dnieper Regiment was called the Tiraspol Grenadier Regiment for a short time, then for some time the Grenadier Light Infantry Regiment.

Regarding the tasks facing these new units of the marine corps, Potemkin then wrote the following: “The benefit of these coastal regiments will be that they will form guards in Sevastopol, Kinburn, Kozlov (Evpatoria - note of the quoter), Yenikal (a seaside fortress near Kerch - note of the quoter ) and in addition to infantry service they will be trained in sailor service, but now in the fleet they use infantry regiments that do not know anything about ships, and in the flotilla do not know how to wield an oar.”

Speaking about the combat training of the marines of the Primorye regiments, Potemkin demanded that they be trained almost according to the modern special forces program: “Find out who has the ability to shoot accurately, who is easier at running, who is a master of swimming. Teach them to run and climb heights, cross ditches and etc. Officers should be trained to sneak up and sneak up on the enemy in order to capture him.

After completing the formation and training of the coastal regiments, the rowing flotilla left Khadzhibey (now Odessa) on October 13, 1790, having on board the Dnieper Primorye Grenadier Regiment, with a total number of one thousand people. On October 19, the ships entered the Sulina branch of the Danube. Here they are