Communist Battalions

Categories / Army. Navy/Blokade
COMMUNIST BATTALIONS. Special subunits of the People's Volunteer Militia, formed as an emergency measure in Leningrad in 1941 - early 1942 on the initiative of local parties, consisting of members of the All-Union Communist Party (of Bolsheviks) and the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth League who were not subject to the draft (armed and equipped locally). The battalions were put into action at the southern and southwestern approaches to Leningrad. Their personnel being inexperienced, the battalions were ineffective and suffered heavy casualties. After 1 - 5 days of action, survivors were usually sent to army troops.

G. V. Kalashnikov.