Division - is this a fighting unit? Airborne Division

Reading a literature, watching films or broadcasts on military topics, an ordinary person constantly encounters the names of various military formations that are not entirely clear to him. Any military will immediately understand what is at stake, what kind of army is represented by this military formation, what the number of soldiers is, what tasks it performs on the battlefield. For civilians, such information is not known due to their lack of information. The division also applies to such terms unfamiliar to ordinary people.

The meaning of the term "division"

The division is one of the main tactical military formations. It combines different kinds of troops, but one of them still prevails. The structures, for example, of the tank and motor rifle divisions fully correspond to each other. The only difference is that the tank includes two or three tank regiments and one motorized rifle. But in motorized rifle - exactly the opposite. It consists of two or three motorized rifle regiments and only one tank. But apart from these regiments, the division also accommodates companies and battalions of other kinds of troops. For example, a car battalion or a chemical protection company.

The modern army of the Russian Federation has in its composition such divisions as missile, tank, airborne, air, artillery and motorized rifle. The division for other types of troops is not the greatest formation. It is dominated by either a regiment or a brigade. The division commander is an important person in her life. They can become a military man with the rank of Major-General.

Historical necessity

The twentieth century was marked for mankind by many excellent achievements in the field of science. But the horrific side of this century has become two wars of a global nature, affecting more than one country. In such a war time, people measured the military strength and potential of other states by the number of divisions. The defense of each country was built precisely on this military formation, and not only defense. A large number of divisions could increase the importance of any country among other states. The division is a variable. That is, in each country the number of people and weapons that make up the division was different. Therefore, a comparison of the military potential of countries on this basis at the present stage is considered incorrect.

The divisions of the Soviet Union during the war

Divisions in the USSR before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War were one of the main military formations. The number of such tactical units in the entire Red Army throughout the war amounted to 132 divisions. The strength of each of them was about 15 thousand people. The armament and technical equipment of the divisions was only slightly inferior to those of the German army. Also, each of them was reinforced with 16 tanks and armored cars, which greatly increased combat power. Due to the time, the divisions also had horses in their composition, the number of which reached 1100 individuals. Insufficient funding for the army led to a drop in the level of the division's strength as a tactical military unit. But the war forced the country to intensify all its forces, including financial ones. The divisions received the missing resources, including the replenishment of personnel. This helped a lot in the positive resolution of the situation at the front.

Regiment and division - what is the difference?

As in the times of the USSR, and in the modern Russian army, the regiment is a key military formation. If we look at the regiment from the economic side, it immediately becomes apparent that it is completely autonomous in this regard. Most often the regiment commander is the colonel. The predominant type of troops and gives the name of the regiment, although it includes not one kind of troops. The big and the main formation is the division. The regiment is a part of it, joining with other regiments, companies and divisions. Unlike the division, the predominance of a certain kind of troops is very pronounced. In its ranks the regiment can contain 200-900 personnel.

Division and team

The brigade serves as an intermediate link between the regiment and the division. It is also referred to the main military formations in many countries of the world. The brigade is very similar in structure to the regiment, but the number of its units is much larger. Personnel of the brigade - 2-8 thousand people. The main thing in this tactical formation, as well as in the regiment, is the colonel. The division is a larger formation. It has its headquarters for the coordination of military operations, units and units. The brigade is considered more flexible and simple formation, unlike the division. This led to the fact that the Russian army was transferred to a brigade structure. Divisions have been preserved only in several branches of the army.

Division command

As mentioned before, the Major General is at the helm of the division. This military rank is widespread in many countries of the world, including in the Russian Federation. The Major General is a member of the highest officer corps. On the ranks of the ladder he was located between the colonel and the lieutenant-general.

The post of division commander appeared after the reform of the military forces in 1924. It was a typical command post. In 1935, after the decision of the CEC, the personal title of "divisional commander", that is, the commander, was introduced. In the hierarchical structure of the Red Army, the commander stood above the brigade commander and below the corps commander. This title existed until 1940, when it was abolished, again turning into a post.

Guards Division - what is it?

The Guards Division was considered one of the most elite military formations. The most important and complex tasks were entrusted to her. Guard as an elite part of the army appeared in the era of slavery. The notion of "guards" in close to modern meaning was first applied in the 12th century in Italy. So called the detachment of soldiers guarding the national banner. This innovation was adopted by Peter I. He created the first regiments of the Guard in 1690.

During the Second World War, divisions, which were called Guards, were considered the best military units. The title of "Guards" they appropriated for special courage and heroism, as well as for the ability to masterfully fight.

In September 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of the USSR, even infantry divisions were transformed into guards. Subsequently, this day was the day of the Guard. For example, the 42nd Guards Rifle Division inherited its high rank from the First Guards Rifle Brigade. Each such division was given a banner, which had special significance for them. In addition, the monetary compensation for the service in this part also increased. The salaries of the chiefs were increased 1.5 times, the rank and file - 2 times.

In 1942, a new decree issued, in which, among other things, was established a special badge "Guard". It was worn on the right side of the chest.

Airborne Forces

Airborne Division is a part of a special kind of troops that have the opportunity to operate behind enemy lines. This type of troops is created in order to counteract the enemy, destroying, among other things, their nuclear weapons and control posts. The Airborne Forces, acting in the rear, must help both land forces and sailors. The equipment of such divisions is the most modern, the types of weapons are diverse. In order to drop the right loads in the most difficult conditions (bad weather, open terrain, night darkness or daylight, high altitude), the Airborne Forces use parachute equipment. The airborne division, along with the brigade, is the main unit of this type of troops.

In peacetime, the Airborne Forces do not cease to carry out their service. They carry out various tasks that allow maintaining the level of combat readiness of the troops, as well as the mobilization of the determination of the civilian population. This is very important, since in the event of a military conflict, it is the spirit of the people and the high combat preparedness that decides very much. From the above, we can conclude that the airborne division is a reserve of command, which is addressed, if it is necessary to carry out an operation to capture the enemy either from the air or from the rear.

Thus, the division is the main formation of a tactical clan in all types of troops. Although the modern Russian army has abandoned the divisional system, other countries and organizations, such as NATO, are actively using this system. The battle path of the division is not easy. This proved a lot of wars, but it is an indispensable military formation.