The Russian Ski Battalion
When the Red Army went to war against Finland in 1939, it encountered a new type of opponent. The Finnish Army included numbers of well trained, equipped and highly motivated ski troops. These units were able to move with relative ease through the frozen forests that characterised the Winter War. The Red Army was impressed enough with their ability to attempt to raise its own ski troops. They had finally arrived on the below formula by late 1942 after several extemporised attempts.
The Ski Battalion, circa 1942
Battalion Headquarters (5 Officers, 3 Commissars, 3 men)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 15 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Scout Section (10 men)
Anti-tank Rifle Platoon (1 Officer, 27 men)
Machine Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 21 men)
Supply Platoon (1 Officer, 20 men)
Medical Detachment (8 men)
Three Rifle Companies (6 Officers, 1 Commissar, 129 men) each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 10 men)
Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 18 men)
Submachine Gun Platoon, comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 1 man)
Four Squads, each comprised of 10 men
Two Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 10 men
Total Strength of 556 all ranks (28 Officers, 6 Commissars and 522 men)
The Ski Battalion, circa 1943
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers, 3 Commissars)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 12 men)
Pioneer Section (10 men)
Scout Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Anti-tank Rifle Platoon (1 Officer, 21 men)
Machine Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 15 men)
Supply Platoon (1 Officer, 11 men)
Medical Detachment (5 men)
Mortar Company (5 Officers, 1 Commissar, 49 men)
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 1 man)
Three Platoons, each comprised of;
1 Officer, 16 men
Three Rifle Companies (6 Officers, 1 Commissar, 129 men) each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 10 men)
Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 18 men)
Submachine Gun Platoon, comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 1 man)
Four Squads, each comprised of 10 men
Two Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 10 men
Total Strength of 580 all ranks (32 Officers, 7 Commissars and 541 men)
Points of note
The 1943 version, as described in the Red Army Handbook, was used perhaps by only one Brigade, but it gives an indication that the earlier absence of medium mortars from the Battalion was addressed. In either form, the Ski Battalion was an obviously lightweight unit, completely devoid of motorisation, instead using skis and sleds to move its men and equipment. A note on the 1943 model, the source does not identify Officers and other ranks, so the above is my estimation.
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - slightly larger than that found in the regular Infantry Battalion, and with a surprisingly high number of Political Officers.
Signal Platoon - maintained radio, wire and telephone communication between the Battalion and higher and parallel formations.
Pioneer Platoon/Section - originally quite a large unit, probably an Officer, Sergeant and three ten man Squads. It is probably the only example of a dedicated Pioneer unit in a Red Army infantry battalion.
Scout Section/Platoon - intriguing unit, its strength no doubt mirroring the Pioneer unit described above, but in reverse. It would seem likely it was equipped with submachine guns as the war progressed, possibly supplemented by a light machine gun per Squad?
Anti-tank Rifle Platoon - the Battalion possessed no towed anti-tank guns, and so was totally reliant on the anti-tank rifle. The Platoon served nine such weapons, in three Squads of three, with a three man crew per gun.
Machine Gun Platoon - the Machine Gun Platoon served three M1910 Maxim weapons, which given their wheeled construction must have been even harder to manhandle than usual across soft snow.
Mortar Platoon - the early 1941 Ski Battalion had included a Mortar Company serving nine light and six medium mortars. By 1942 the medium mortars had been deleted entirely from the official organisation. The 1943 version shows that some units at least were reintroducing this vital asset to the Battalion, and it would seem reasonable to assume it was not limited to just a single Brigade. Each Platoon in the Company fielded three 82 mm mortars, presumably towed or pulled on sleds.
Supply Platoon - Transported the Battalions various supplies using a combination of horses, wagons and sleds.
The Rifle Company -
The Rifle Company gave an early indication of the importance that the submachine gun would play in Red Army tactical doctrine from the mid-war period onward. It comprised two Rifle Platoons and one Submachine Gun Platoon, each based on a ten man Squad.
The Rifle Squad included a leader and assistant, commanding eight men. Its firepower was based on a single DP light machine gun, and no doubt a PPSh41 for the Squad leader. The balance of the Squad then carried rifles. Three such Squads served under the typically spartan Russian headquarters, simply an Officer armed with either a pistol or submachine gun.
The Submachine Squad used the same format as the Rifle, but was entirely armed with the PPSh41, there being no light machine guns. Four of these Squads served under an Officer and Sergeant, both no doubt armed with the same weapon.
The small Mortar Platoon included three Squads, each serving a single 50 mm tube. While lacking the destructive power preferred by the Red Army, its lighter weight no doubt made it a much more suitable close support weapon for the ski troops.
Company Headquarters was quite large for the Red Army, and I would suggest the totals included a Medical Detachment of perhaps five men under a Warrant officer. It offered no fire support other than two snipers. Interestingly though, the Company is credited with seven sniper rifles, suggesting some were also to be found in the Rifle Platoons, though the number seems a little odd.
Summary
By its very nature, the Ski Battalion could only operate in extreme winter conditions. When the snows melted, so too did the Battalions, being broken up to make partial good the losses sustained in the regular infantry. A massive expansion was undertaken in 1942, seeing almost fifty Brigades formed. By 1944 there were just four left, all disbanded or converted by 1945. While they existed though, they offered a important tool for Red Army commanders, giving them a unit that could operate in the harshest climes of the Russian winter.
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Reduced Strength Rifle Battalions
Russian Divisional Organisations