Communication is always sacred
And even more important in combat...
Today, May 7, is the day of Radio and Communications. This is more than a professional holiday - it is a whole philosophy of continuity, pride in one of the most important inventions of mankind, which has penetrated into all spheres of life and is unlikely to become obsolete in the near future. And in two days, on May 9, there will be 75 years of victory in the Great Patriotic War. In a war in which communication played a huge, and sometimes a key role. Signalers connected divisions, battalions, fronts, sometimes literally at the cost of their lives, becoming part of a system that made it possible to transmit orders or information. It was a real daily feat throughout the war. In Russia, the day of the military signalman was established, it is celebrated on October 20. But I know for sure that it is also celebrated today, on Radio Day. Therefore, let us recall the equipment and communications technologies of the Great Patriotic War, because it is not for nothing that they say that communications are the nerves of war. These nerves were at the limit of their capabilities and even beyond them.
Signalers of the Red Army in 1941 with a coil and a field telephone
Field telephones
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, wire communication had already ceased to be the prerogative of the telegraph, telephone lines were developing in the USSR, and the first methods of communication using radio frequencies appeared. But at first, it was wired communications that were the main nerve: telephones made it possible to establish communications in an open field, forest, across rivers, without requiring any infrastructure. Plus, the signal from a wired phone could not be intercepted or located without physical access.
Wehrmacht troops did not doze off: they actively searched for field communication lines and poles, bombed them and staged sabotage. To attack communication centers, there were even special shells that, when bombarded, hooked the wires and tore the entire network to shreds.
The first war with our soldiers was met by a simple field telephone UNA-F-31, one of those that needed copper wires to ensure communication. However, it was wired communications that distinguished themselves during the war by stability and reliability. To use the phone, it was enough to drag the cable and connect it to the device itself. But it was difficult to listen to such a phone: you had to connect directly to the cable, which was guarded (as a rule, signalmen went in pairs or even in a small group). But it sounds so simple "in civilian life." During the hostilities, signalmen risked their lives and pulled wires under enemy fire, at night, along the bottom of a reservoir, etc. Plus, the enemy carefully monitored the actions of the Soviet signalmen and, at the first opportunity, destroyed precisely the communications equipment and cables. The heroism of signalers knew no bounds: they plunged into the icy water of Ladoga and walked under bullets, they crossed the front line and helped intelligence. Documentary sources describe many cases when a signalman, before his death, pinched a broken cable with his teeth so that the last spasm became the missing link to ensure communication.
UNA-F-31
UNA-F (phonic) and UNA-I (inductor) were produced in the city of Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) at since 1928. They were a simple device in a wooden frame with a belt, consisting of a handset, a transformer, a capacitor, a lightning rod, a battery (or power clamps). An inductor telephone made a call with a ring, and a phonic telephone with an electric buzzer. The UNA-F model was so quiet that the telephonist was forced to keep the receiver near his ear all the time (by 1943, a comfortable earpiece was designed). By 1943, a new modification of UNA-FI appeared - these telephones had an increased range and could be included in any type of switches - phonic, inductor and phono-inductor.
Field telephones UNA-I-43 with an inductor call were intended for organizing internal telephone communications at headquarters and at command posts of military formations and units. In addition, inductor devices were used for telephone communications between large military headquarters and lower headquarters. Such communication was carried out mainly over a two-wire permanent line, along which the telegraph apparatus also worked simultaneously. Inductor devices have become more widespread and widely used due to the convenience of switching and increased reliability.
UNA-FI-43 - field telephone
The UNA series was replaced by TAI-43 telephones with an inductor call, designed on the basis of a detailed study of captured German field telephones FF-33. The communication range over the field cable was up to 25 km, over a permanent 3 mm overhead line - 250 km. TAI-43 gave a stable connection and was twice as light as its previous counterparts. Such a telephone was used to provide communication in the link from the division and above.
TAI-43
No less remarkable was the field telephone “PF-1” (Help to the Front) of the platoon-company-battalion level, which “overcame” only 18 km via the field cable. Production of devices began in 1941 in the workshops of MGTS (Moscow City Telephone Network). In total, about 3000 devices were produced. This party, although it seems small by our standards, turned out to be a really big help to the front, where every means of communication was in the account and in price.
Communication center in Stalingrad
There was another phone with an unusual history - IIA-44, which, as the name implies, appeared in the army in 1944. In a metal case, with two capsules, with neat inscriptions and instructions, it was somewhat different from its wooden counterparts and looked more like a trophy one. But no, the IIA-44 was produced by the American company Connecticut Telephone & Electric and supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease. It had an inductor type of call and allowed you to connect an additional handset. Also, unlike some Soviet models, it had an internal rather than an external battery (the so-called MB class, with a local battery). The battery capacity from the manufacturer was 8 ampere-hours, but the phone had slots for Soviet batteries from 30 ampere-hours. However, military signalmen spoke with restraint about the quality of the equipment.
IIA-44
No less important elements of the military communications system were cables (coils) and switches.
Field cables, usually 500 m each, were wound on reels, which were fixed on the shoulder and unwound and wound quite conveniently. The main "nerves" of the Great Patriotic War were the field telegraph cable PTG-19 (communication range 40-55 km) and PTF-7 (communication range 15-25 km). Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the communications troops have annually repaired 40-000 km of telephone and telegraph lines with up to 50 km of wires suspended on them and replaced up to 000 poles. The enemy was ready to do anything to destroy the communication systems, so the restoration was permanent and immediate. The cable had to be laid over any terrain, including along the bottom of reservoirs - in this case, special sinkers drowned the cable and did not allow it to float to the surface. The most difficult work on laying and repairing the telephone cable took place during the blockade of Leningrad: the city could not be left without communication, and the saboteurs did their job, so sometimes divers worked underwater even in severe winter. By the way, in the same way, with great difficulty, they laid an electric cable to supply Leningrad with electricity.
The wires (cable) were subject to both ground attacks and artillery raids - the wire was cut by fragments in several places and the signalman was forced to go look for and fix all the breaks. Communication had to be restored almost instantly, in order to coordinate further actions of the troops, so signalmen often made their way under bullets and shells. There were cases when the wire had to be pulled through a minefield and the signalmen, without waiting for the sappers, cleared the path for themselves and their wires themselves. The fighters had their own attack, the signalmen had their own, no less nightmarish and deadly.
In addition to direct threats in the form of enemy weapons, the signalmen had another danger worse than death: since the signalman who was on the phone knew the whole situation at the front, he was an important target for German intelligence. Signalers were often captured, because it was quite easy to get close to them: it was enough to cut the wire and wait in ambush for the signalman to come to the place in search of another cliff. A little later, methods of protection and circumvention of such maneuvers appeared, battles for information went on the air, but at the beginning of the war the situation was terrible.
Single and paired switches were used to connect telephone sets (phone, inductor and hybrid). The switches were designed for 6, 10, 12 and 20 (when paired) numbers and were used to service the internal telephone communications of the headquarters of the regiment, battalion, division. By the way, switches evolved quite quickly and by 1944 the army had light equipment with a high capacity. The last switches were already stationary (about 80 kg) and could provide switching for up to 90 subscribers.
Telephone switchboard K-10. Pay attention to the inscription on the body
In the autumn of 1941, the Germans set themselves the goal of capturing Moscow. Among other things, the capital was the central hub of all Soviet communications, and this tangle of nerves had to be destroyed. In the event of the destruction of the Moscow node, all fronts would be divided, therefore, the People's Commissar for Communications I.T. Peresypkin in the vicinity of Moscow created a ring communication line with important large nodes North, South, East, West. These backup nodes would provide communication even in the event of the complete destruction of the country's central telegraph. Ivan Terentyevich Peresypkin played a huge role in the war: he formed more than 1000 communications units, set up courses and schools for telephone operators, radio operators, and signalmen, who provided specialists to the front in the shortest possible time. By the middle of 1944, thanks to the decisions of the People's Commissar of Communications, Peresypkin, the “radio fear” on the fronts had disappeared, and even before Lend-Lease, the troops were equipped with more than 64 radio stations of various types. At the age of 000, Peresypkin became a communications marshal.
Radio stations
The war became a period of incredible progress in radio communications. In general, the relations of signalmen of the Red Army initially developed at a stretch: if almost any soldier could handle a simple telephone, then radio stations required signalmen with certain skills. Therefore, the first signalmen of the war gave preference to their true friends - field telephones. However, radio stations soon showed what they were capable of and began to be used everywhere and gained particular popularity among partisans and intelligence units.
Portable radio station HF range (3-R)
The RB radio station (battalion radio station) with a power of 0,5 W of the first modifications consisted of a transceiver (10,4 kg), power supply (14,5 kg) and dipole antenna stacking (3,5 kg). The length of the dipole was 34 m, the antennas - 1,8 m. There was a cavalry version, which was attached to the saddle on a special frame. It was one of the oldest radio stations used at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
Sergeant Major of the Red Army and the Republic of Belarus
By 1942, a version of the RBM (modernized) appeared, in which the number of used types of vacuum tubes was reduced, the strength and rigidity of the structure were increased, as required by real combat conditions. RBM-1 appeared with an output power of 1 W and RBM-5 at 5 W. The remote devices of the new stations made it possible to negotiate from points at a distance of up to 3 km. This station became the personal radio station of the commanders of divisions, corps and armies. When using the reflected beam, it was possible to maintain stable radiotelegraphy communication for 250 km or more (by the way, unlike medium waves, which could be effectively used with a reflective beam only at night, short waves up to 6 MHz were well reflected from the ionosphere at any time of the day and could propagate over a long distance due to re-reflections from the ionosphere and the earth's surface, without requiring any powerful transmitters). In addition, the RBM showed themselves excellently in the maintenance of airfields in wartime.
After the war, the army used more advanced models, and the RBM became popular with geologists and were used for so long that they still managed to become the heroes of articles in specialized magazines in the 80s.
RBM scheme:
In 1943, the Americans asked for a license to manufacture this successful and reliable radio station, but they were denied.
The next hero of the war was the Sever radio station, which was compared at the front with the Katyusha, this device was so urgently needed and timely.
Radio stations "Sever" began to be produced in 1941 and were produced even in besieged Leningrad. They were lighter than the first RB - the weight of a complete set with batteries was "only" 10 kg. It provided communication at a distance of 500 km, and under certain conditions and in the hands of professionals, it “finished off” up to 700 km. This radio station was intended primarily for intelligence and partisan units. It was a radio station with a direct amplification receiver, three-stage, with regenerative feedback. In addition to the battery version, there was a "light" version, which, however, required AC power, as well as several separate versions for the fleet. The kit included an antenna, headphones, a telegraph key, a spare set of lamps, a repair kit. To organize communication at the headquarters of the fronts, special radio centers were deployed with powerful transmitters and sensitive radio receivers. Communication centers had their own schedule, according to which they maintained radio contact 2-3 times during the day. By 1944, radio stations of the Sever type connected the Central Headquarters with more than 1000 partisan detachments. "Sever" supported sets of equipment for classified communications (ZAS), but they were often abandoned so as not to receive several more kilograms of equipment. To "classify" the negotiations from the enemy, they spoke in a simple cipher, but according to a certain schedule, on different waves and with additional coding of the location of the troops.
Radio station Sever
12-RP - Soviet portable infantry shortwave radio station, used in the regimental and artillery networks of the Red Army. Consists of separate blocks of transmitter 12-R and receiver 5SG-2. Receiving-transmitting, telephone-telegraph, half-duplex radio station, designed to work on the move and in parking lots. The radio station consisted of transceiver packages (weight 12 kg, dimensions 426 x 145 x 205 mm) and power supply (weight 13,1 kg, dimensions 310 x 245 x 185 mm). It was carried behind the back on belts by two fighters. The radio station was produced from October - November 1941 until the end of the Great Patriotic War named after M. V. Frunze During the Great Patriotic War, the plant made a great contribution to providing the troops with radio communications. 48 front-line brigades were organized on it, in which more than 500 people worked. In 1943 alone, 2928 radio measuring instruments of seven types were produced. In the same year, plant No. 326 gave the army 7601 radio stations of the 12-RP type and 5839 radio stations of the 12-RT type.
Radio station 12-RP
Radio stations quickly became indispensable in aviation, transport, and especially in tanks. By the way, it was the build-up of tank troops and aviation that became the main prerequisite for the transition of Soviet army units to radio waves - a wired telephone was unsuitable for communicating tanks and aircraft with each other and with command posts.
Soviet tank radio stations had a communication range much higher than German ones. And this was, perhaps, the foremost part of the military communications at the beginning and middle of the war. In the Red Army, the beginning of the war with communications was very bad - largely due to the same pre-war policy of not building up weapons. The first terrible defeats and thousands of human casualties were largely due to the disunity of actions and the lack of means of communication.
The first Soviet tank radio was 71-TK, developed in the early 30s. During the Great Patriotic War, they were replaced by radio stations 9-R, 10-R and 12-R, which were continuously improved. Together with the radio station, TPU intercoms were used in the tanks. Since the tankers could not occupy their hands and be distracted, throat phones and headphones (essentially headphones) were attached to the helmets of the tankers - hence the word "headset" came from. The transmission of information was carried out using a microphone or a telegraph key. In 1942, on the basis of infantry radio stations 12-RP, tank radio stations 12-RT were produced (based on infantry 12-RP). Tank radios were intended primarily for the exchange of information between vehicles. So, 12-RP provided two-way communication with an equivalent radio station on medium-rough terrain in the daytime at distances:
- Beam (at a certain angle) - telephone up to 6 km, telegraph up to 12 km
- Pin (flat terrain, a lot of interference) - telephone up to 8 km, telegraph up to 16 km
- Dipole, inverted V (best suited for forests and ravines) - telephone up to 15 km, telegraph up to 30 km
The most successful and long-lived in the army was 10-RT, which replaced the 1943-R in 10, which had ergonomic controls and helmet mounts for those times.
10-RT from the inside
Tank radio station 10-R
Aircraft airborne radio stations of the HF range of the RSI began to be produced in 1942, were installed on fighters and worked for negotiations at frequencies of 3,75-5 MHz. The range of such stations was up to 15 km when communicating between aircraft and up to 100 km when communicating with ground radio stations of control points. The signal range depended on the quality of the metallization and shielding of electrical equipment; the fighter's radio station required more careful tuning and a professional approach. By the end of the war, some RSI models allowed for a short-term boost in transmitter power up to 10 watts. The controls of the radio station were attached to the pilot's helmet according to the same principles as in tanks.
RSI-3M1 - a shortwave transmitter included in the radio set of the RSI-4 fighter, produced since 1942
By the way, there were numerous cases when a radio station in a backpack saved the life of a signalman - she took on bullets or shrapnel during the bombing, she herself went out of order, and saved the fighter. In general, many radio stations were created and used during the war for the infantry, navy, submarine fleet, aviation and special purposes, and each of them is worthy of an entire article (or even a book), because they were the same fighters as those who worked with them . But Habr is not enough for us for such a study.
However, I will mention one more radio station - US radio receivers (universal superheterodyne, that is, a local low-power high frequency generator), a series of LW / MW / HF radio receivers. This radio receiver of the USSR began to be created under the third rearmament program of the Red Army and played a huge role in coordinating and conducting military operations. Initially, the mustaches were intended for equipping bomber radio stations, but they quickly switched to the armament of the ground forces and fell in love with signalmen for their compactness, ease of operation and exceptional reliability, comparable to a wired telephone. Nevertheless, the line of radios turned out to be so successful that it not only “worked out” its own for the needs of aviation and infantry, but also later became popular with radio amateurs of the USSR (who were looking for decommissioned copies for their experiments).
CSS
Spetsvyaz
Speaking about communications during the Great Patriotic War, one cannot but mention the means of special communications. The queen of technology was the government's "HF Communication" (aka ATS-1, aka the Kremlin), originally developed for the OGPU, which was impossible to listen to without sophisticated technical devices and special access to lines and equipment. It was a system of secure communication channels ... However, why was it? It still exists today: a system of secure communication channels that ensures a stable connection and confidentiality of negotiations between the leaders of the country, important defense enterprises, ministries and law enforcement agencies. Today, the means of protection have changed and strengthened, but the goals and objectives remain the same: no one should know a single piece of information that has passed through these channels.
In 1930, the first automatic telephone exchange in Moscow was launched (it replaced the group of manual communication switches), which stopped its work only in 1998. By the middle of 1941, the government HF communication network consisted of 116 stations, 20 facilities, 40 broadcasting points and served about 600 subscribers. Not only the Kremlin was equipped with high-frequency communications; headquarters and command at the forefront were equipped with it to control military operations. By the way, during the war years, the Moscow HF station was moved to the working premises of the Kirovskaya metro station (since November 1990 - Chistye Prudy) to protect against possible bombardments of the capital.
As you probably already understood from the abbreviation HF, the principle of high-frequency telephony was put at the heart of government communications back in the 30s. The human voice was transferred to higher frequencies and became inaccessible to direct listening. In addition, this technology made it possible to transmit several conversations at once over the bottom wire, which potentially should have become an additional interference during interception.
The human voice produces air vibrations in the frequency band of 300-3200 Hz, and a conventional telephone line for its transmission must have a dedicated band (where sound vibrations will be converted into electromagnetic waves) up to 4 kHz. Accordingly, in order to listen to such a signal transmission, it is enough to “hook” to the wire in any way possible. And if you run a high frequency band from 10 kHz through the wire, you get a carrier signal and voice fluctuations of subscribers can be masked in changes in signal characteristics (frequency, phase and amplitude). These changes in the carrier signal form an envelope signal, which will transmit the sound of the voice to the other end. If at the time of such a conversation you connect directly to the wire with a simple device, you can only hear the RF signal.
Preparations for the Berlin operation, on the left - Marshal G.K. Zhukov, in the center - one of the irreplaceable fighters, telephone
Marshal of the Soviet Union I. S. Konev wrote about HF communications in his memoirs: “It must be said in general that this HF connection, as they say, was sent to us by God. She helped us out so much, was so stable in the most difficult conditions, that we must pay tribute to our equipment and our signalmen, who specially provided this HF connection and in any situation literally accompanied everyone who was supposed to use this connection during the movement.
Outside of our short review were such important means of communication as the telegraph and intelligence equipment, the issues of encryption in wartime, the history of interceptions of communications. The communication devices of allies and opponents remained outside the scope - and this is a whole interesting world of confrontation. But here, as we have already said, Habr is not enough to write about everything, with documentaries, facts and scans of instructions and books of that time. This is not just some moment, it is a huge independent layer of national history. If you're as interested as we are, I'll leave some very cool links to resources for you to explore. And believe me, there is something to discover and something to be surprised.
- — site with a lamp soul
- From there
- — another site with a lamp soul
- Special communication in the Russian management support system - section, download PDF, interesting
Today there is any connection in the world: super secure wired, satellite communications, numerous instant messengers, dedicated radio frequencies, cellular communications, walkie-talkies of all models and protection classes. Most of the means of communication are extremely vulnerable to any military action and sabotage. And in the end, the most durable in the field, as then, will surely be a wired telephone. I just don't want to check it somehow, and I don't need to. We better use all this for peaceful purposes.
Happy Radio and Communications Day, dear friends, signalmen and those involved! Your
73!
Source: habr.com