Soviet Naval Infantry

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Lurken

Then there is also the Naval Infantry formed from port side personnel and sailors without ships.

Soviets did it in Odessa, Sevastopol, and would have done so again in Murmansk with NATO came closer to them during their offensive.

I'm working on a history of the Norwegian-Kola campaign and have done exactly that. Division Polyarnyy is rushed to the front, composed of whatever excess naval personnel that could be found ashore in Severomorsk and Murmansk, to stop the NATO advance, especially since the east shore of the Litsa Fjord is a major series of submarine bases.

[Lurken]

Originally Posted by chico20854

I'm working on a history of the Norwegian-Kola campaign and have done exactly that. Division Polyarnyy is rushed to the front, composed of whatever excess naval personnel that could be found ashore in Severomorsk and Murmansk, to stop the NATO advance, especially since the east shore of the Litsa Fjord is a major series of submarine bases.

Exactly why I referred to Murmansk after reading your material =)

[Olefin]

Keep in mind for improvised units that they would have most likely taken very heavy casualties as they learned to be infantry (i.e. excess ship personnel, maintenance and support units, etc. turned into infantry). All depends on if the Soviets would have had time to train them properly. The Soviets learned that lesson the hard way in WWII when they had to use personnel like that at Riga and Leningrad and Sevastopol.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Keep in mind for improvised units that they would have most likely taken very heavy casualties as they learned to be infantry (i.e. excess ship personnel, maintenance and support units, etc. turned into infantry). All depends on if the Soviets would have had time to train them properly. The Soviets learned that lesson the hard way in WWII when they had to use personnel like that at Riga and Leningrad and Sevastopol.

Absolutely! The NATO troops were at the end of a very long supply line and had advanced over 1000km in a matter of weeks through the Arctic night after halting a mechanized invasion while having a naval infantry brigade sitting on the sole overland supply route, so they were far from fresh and full strength themselves. Nonetheless, yes the improvised units took horrendous casualties on par with the improvised/hastily formed units of 50+ years prior!