December 28, 2017 12:59

Translation from Russian into English: December 28, 2017 19:10.

Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Монолог о французском триколоре и о Ставке'.

LXX. The Short Story about the Navy of railways

The general has come to cafe-library by Gorky's invitation. Having entered into library, the general has expressed doubt: whether there is a sense at a short meeting? - when it is supposed to put an immense subject for discussion. "Let's interest in a subject of readers", - Gorky has offered.

Listeners have seated around the general, questions have begun.

- You was the Chief of the Rear of the Red Army. Probably it was served boring for you? Sheets - towels?

- In vain you so think, - the general has answered. - First, the Rear is a providing military units with arms, ammunition, fuel. Secondly, during war of a problem of supply of army become complicated by 1000 times.

- So and in 1000? - the mistrustful remark from audience was heard.

- What army in 1941, till October - December, was the strongest in the world?

The audience was silent.

- I will risk to assume that - Hitlerite army, - the general has continued. - But the Hitlerite army was very and very strong up to the Battle of Stalingrad. And after Stalingrad... And so, whether you know that in frosty days of the end of 1941 the German army was left without warm clothes in necessary quantity? That before invasion into Stalingrad the mechanized units of Hitlerite army in 1942 stood idle noticeable number of days without fuel. Precious summer days were lost . Many both victories, and defeats had the reasons in work of the Rear. History are known cases when large army units starved, sustained losses, suffered a defeat from a lack of food.

The British military attache believed that shortage of food at defending was one of the reasons of unusable defense in October, 1917 of the Winter Palace (and in Palace there was a Provisional government).

- And what, you managed to adjust work of the Rear during war? - the question was raised.

- You tell "Rear". But "Rear", - as a concept, - was created gradually. Before war I worked at a position of the Chief Quartermaster of the Red Army. The fighting, front situation has forced to create the enormous, but effective organizational structure which has received the name "Rear". According to the resolution of the State Committee of Defense and the order of the People's Commissar for Defence of August 1, 1941 the position of the Chief of the Rear of the Red Army was established and the Governmental Agency of the Rear has been formed.

Such centralized organization wasn't known before by any army of the world.

At the beginning of 1942 I was assigned the People's Commissar of Railways. I have been loaded completely. I tried to refuse additional duties. It hasn't turned out.

- In what there was a purpose of additional appointment? - the audience has become interested.

- And how you think, than the locomotive differs from the steamship? - the general has unexpectedly asked a question.

- The wheels, - someone has joked.

- The wheels - are important. But it is not the main difference. - the general has reacted. - Remember books about distant sea campaigns. It is clear, that the ships differ on the device. But nevertheless the ship is intended on rather long autonomous swimming. The locomotive, train crews, have been organizationally connected with the sites, with depot, with warehouses of fuel and points of repair.

Locomotives with loads were leaving in the direction of the front, organizational ties were violated. The destroyed depots were added up to the broken communications. Chaos was beginning. As a result transportation of freights to the front was hampered or stopped.

Remember the beginning of 1917. The bread was in Siberia, but there were difficulties with its transportation to central Russia. It became one of the reasons of the February revolution.

- Organizational communications "broke", depots have been destroyed - often. How have you resolved this situation? - one of listeners has become interested.

-And how were the sea powers, fleets, ships coming out of the situation? - General again asked the counter-question.

The audience hasn't absolutely understood a question and has perplexedly fallen silent.

- Ensuring autonomy. - the general has shortly explained. - The different ships have different degrees of autonomy. But nevertheless their autonomy considerable.

The audience with interest looked at the general.

- We have gone to an innovation. We have created the militarized locomotive columns of a special reserve of People's Commissariat for Railways.

- Napoleon operated with the military "columns". They "punched" linear infantry constructions, - some fan of historical literature has spoken.

The general has responded nothing to a remark. He opened the book:

- Here one of descriptions: "Each locomotive column joined about 30 locomotives which had integrated locomotive and konduktorsky teams and crews of train carriage masters. All this staff was accommodated in the special railway cars which were constantly going in a column. Each column had the mobile baths, laundries, a ware warehouse and a 15-day stock of food. For repair of locomotives of a column have been supplied with spare parts and materials, mobile repair means and the machine equipment.

Thus, columns didn't depend on depot. They could work at any site and at "shoulders" (distances) of any length. Locomotive columns became the efficient military units equipped with all necessary. Success of this business has surpassed all expectations".

The audience was interested.

- It is possible to call you the admiral of the Navy of railways! - One of the listeners expressed a joke.

The general has smiled. Also he have answered in a playful manner:

- Our Navy of railways has passed tens, hundreds of thousands of kilometers. By the way, the distance from Central Europe to the Far East also should be meant. But the opponent couldn't sink him. On the contrary, we, our Army, our Rear have made to the opponent some kind of "Rollover", "Keel upside down".

The general has returned to a serious manner of speaking:

- I drawn some analogies with 1917, in general, - with "that" time. But it isn't necessary to treat excessively crucially to people, military leaders of that time. If they had an experience of world war, they would consider it. Our Supreme Commander has considered experience of World War I.