the Country was lucky that at that time the Directorate of military messages (UPWOO) was led by a truly brilliant organizer rail traffic – Colonel Ivan Vladimirovich Kovalev. He did what many seemed physically impossible.
a few forgotten numbers. The amount of evacuation traffic in the initial period of war made 1 million 600 thousand cars and military traffic – 1 million 280 thousand cars, almost three million cars.
But in the first two weeks of rail links to the West of the country was completely paralyzed. The Germans bombed all of the base station, in addition to this, lost all traces of wagons with ammunition and small arms sent to the front. The reason for this loss was the prewar optimization of railway transportation and the fight against bureaucracy.
in tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union each wagon carrying military cargo, was in a special account, he was litereally, the movement on the Railways of the country were controlled every six hours. Shortly before the outbreak of the war, the people’s Commissar of Railways Lazar Kaganovich saw this archaic and terrible bureaucracy. He ordered literati only trains, and the interval of the control over their movement greatly increased. In peacetime, the novelty seemed to many a progressive. And at the end of June 1941 this fight against bureaucracy was a disaster.
the Wagons with ammunition and weapons cling to any convoys in the Western direction, who often had no military designation and is not particularly controlled. After two weeks in supplying the red Army at war is in chaos.
And then the head of the military posts, Colonel Kovalev was able to organize a census of all the cars available in the country, with a mandatory verification of their content. He insisted on a return to the old system of control. In order to supply the troops was restored.
In the beginning of the war the situation in the railway transport did look hopeless. The movement in the border areas were virtually paralyzed. Everyone was afraid of German aircraft. And no one imagined how the railway can play at least some role in the evacuation of civilians and industry, in the sending of reinforcements to the front.
the head of the Department of military communications found out that the Germans, as a rule, do not shoot from the air moving trains. Shot on separate trains free hunters of the Luftwaffe. Targets for the destruction of rolling stock, the Germans were not. Locomotives, wagons, especially the way in 1941 the Germans were saving for yourself. They methodically destroyed, only the base station, and the raids were made with true German thoroughness is exactly at 21.00.
Colonel Kovalev gave the PRICAS: to nine in the evening at one station, located within reach of enemy bombers, there should not be any car, especially locomotives. All formulations stretched chain on the highway was diverted on alternate routes. And the incredible happened. German bombers flew over quietly standing under dozens of pairs of compositions, stretched on the approaches to stations, and rained the entire bomb stock is empty railway junctions.
Immediately after the bombing, the station was restored the way required for maneuvering and movement was resumed. Thus, were achieved the incredible in war, the intensity of railway traffic and emergency traffic. It’s very simple! But it was a truly brilliant simplicity. Surprisingly, the Germans were unable to rebuild and start bombing the very railroad and follow her compositions, although, of course, understood, as the Russian literally encircle them around your finger.
When the battle for Moscow, the General staff proposed to eliminate train troops, and all the personnel to throw the Marines to the front. Stalin supported the idea, as the situation and it seemed hopeless. Created a liquidation Commission headed by Lev Mehlis. However, at the last meeting of the liquidation Committee, when the question was put to the vote, the head of the Department of military communications Ivan Kovalev categorically stated that to put all military railwaymen in the battle for Moscow – mind do not need much. But to prepare a change in the conditions of war will not succeed. And what to do when the retreat is complete and our army will go to the West? Who will restore railway communications, who will lead the trains with equipment and troops? Who are finally going to shift reserves from Siberia to Moscow? In fact, Colonel Kovalev accused of Mehlis and even the chief of the General staff in a defeatist mood.
Naturally, both immediately reported to Stalin that Colonel Kovalev sabotaging the implementation of the instructions of the Supreme commander. Stalin called for him and rudely demanded an explanation. Ivan Vladimirovich was not overawed, he repeated all his arguments. Stalin, although not having higher education, the nature of the problem sorted out immediately. Then went to Mehlis, and Shaposhnikov. The liquidation Commission was dissolved, train troops retained. And its huge role in the future Victory they played. In the period of the battle of Moscow the transfer of the reserves from Siberia walked with an average speed of 1,000 kilometers per day! Just because he led this movement UPWOO, and provided her railway troops.
it Should be noted that during the great Patriotic war the Railways controlYali two structures – the people’s Commissariat of communications and the Management of military messages. So that’s where all the power in their hands took UPWOO, there it was perfect. Where the priority was for the people’s Commissariat, often happened to grandiose failures. It is the fault of the leadership of the people’s Commissariat were frustrated by the transfer of troops of the don front from Stalingrad to the Kursk bulge. Stalin eventually got tired of the constant “competition” UPVOTE and nkps. In 1944 the people’s Commissar of Railways of the USSR with the preservation of priority rights in the management of military messages already appointed Lieutenant-General Ivan Vladimirovich Kovalev.
After that appointment many years on the accuracy of movement of trains checked the clock. And this is not a joke.
