Soviet Naval Infantry

[Raellus]

In the Soviet Vehicle Guide, four regiments of Naval Infantry are listed. None of those are identified as being based in Sevastopol, or operating anywhere in the Black Sea region during the war.

According to current sources, there were four brigades in the late 1980s, one of which, the 810th, was based in Sevastopol. The existence of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the Black Sea region was known (or at least strongly suspected) during the Cold War. Osprey's Warsaw Pact Elite Forces (1985) places an unidentified Guards Naval Infantry Regiment there.

Have any of you seen mention of Soviet Naval Infantry in the Black Sea region during the Twilight War (in any canonical source)?

I suppose the Black Sea-based unit could have been destroyed, or absorbed by another unit, but the SVG usually mentions stuff like that.

Also, aside from the landings in Alaska, does cannon mention any other Soviet amphibious operations anywhere?

Thanks.

[Jason Weiser]

IIRC, there was some mention of minor operations in China (the 63rd), and of course, Norway. Other than that, nada. Most of them sat on their arses until Alaska. Though, the 63rd again, was used in Korea? That makes little sense, unless there just wasn't enough lift to get them TO Alaska?

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Jason Weiser

IIRC, there was some mention of minor operations in China (the 63rd), and of course, Norway. Other than that, nada. Most of them sat on their arses until Alaska.

Ah yes, how could I forget about Norway? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Jason Weiser

Though, the 63rd again, was used in Korea? That makes little sense, unless there just wasn't enough lift to get them TO Alaska?

I don't know what the thinking was behind that, but Korea's where the SVG had 'em in 2000, so that's where I put them in the Korean Peninsula Sourcebook.

If the Black Sea-based Naval Infantry Brigade isn't mentioned in canon, I guess that means it's up for grabs.

[Legbreaker]

It's possible the Osprey book got it wrong (it was written during the cold war) and they mistook an existing unit which had been temporarily deployed there, or they just made an assumption based on what they thought should be there using similar situations elsewhere as a template.
It's also possible the Black Sea unit was only a training unit and stripped for reinforcements later in the war. The weather there allows for year round training in the fundamentals much more so than does postings further north.
As for the 63rd in Korea, it's quite likely there was only limited transportation and escorts available (after all, the last major fleet in being had just been destroyed off Norway), so it's quite likely the 63rd were reassigned to Korea when it became apparent that not only could they not be lifted to Alaska, but the Soviets were having trouble supplying the units they'd already sent. Additionally, it appears they were needed as reinforcements against the US/UN offensive.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

It's possible the Osprey book got it wrong (it was written during the cold war) and they mistook an existing unit which had been temporarily deployed there, or they just made an assumption based on what they thought should be there using similar situations elsewhere as a template.

Possible, yes, but multiple other, current sources do list a brigade (not a cadre/training unit- that was listed separately) as being in the Black Sea Fleet OOB.

But, in the T2k writers' defense, neither source ('85 Opsrey) or Global Security.org, et al was available when they were writing the various T2k OOBs and campaign/unit histories.

Or, they misplaced it. There were four RL Naval Infantry brigades and the SVG lists four Naval Infantry Regiments so they may have mis-labeled the Black Sea Fleet one and forgotten to fix it. It was a huge project, and minor errors were bound to happen. There are lots of little mistakes like that throughout canon (numbers transposed, units listed as being in two places at the same time- that sort of thing).

Anyway, I'm a big fan of missing units (ie RL units that aren't mentioned in the SVG), so I'm totally cool with it. Missing units allows an aspiring source book author to expand a bit on canon without departing from it. For example, I found two Far East TVD units that the T2k authors missed (or didn't know about, more likely) and, with Marc Miller's permission, incorporated them in Soviet Forces Korea in the KPSB.

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

As for the 63rd in Korea, it's quite likely there was only limited transportation and escorts available (after all, the last major fleet in being had just been destroyed off Norway), so it's quite likely the 63rd were reassigned to Korea when it became apparent that not only could they not be lifted to Alaska, but the Soviets were having trouble supplying the units they'd already sent. Additionally, it appears they were needed as reinforcements against the US/UN offensive.

That sounds more than reasonable. Good call.

[Legbreaker]

Naval Infantry make a bit of sense in Korea anyway. After all, MacArthur used marines at Inchon to good effect, why wouldn't the Soviets/NK's try something similar?