Voennyi Sbornik

68-79

Authors: Alexander P. Abramov

The article reveals historic genesis and dialectic specialized military education of the Soviet-era as a space for educational strategies of further officers’ training. Such matrix is a basic ground, which complies trainee’s cult, his knowledge, skills and abilities.

83-88

Authors: Zvonimir Freivogel

Royal Yugoslav Navy followed the tradition of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, but was missing modern warships, and her first new acquisition was the powerful destroyer-leader Dubrovnik, built in Great Britain. Two envisaged sister-ships were not built, and the single ship served before the war mostly to „show the flag“. She remained inactive in 1941 during the short „April War“, and was captured by the Italians, to serve under the name Premuda until summer of 1943. After being captured by the Germans, she received a new designation TA 32, she took part in several operations in the Ligurian Sea, to be scuttled at Genoa in 1945 during the German withdrawal.

95-119

Authors: Aleksandr V. Glushko, Natal'ya I. Shilo

This article examines the events related to the suppression of an Anti-Soviet peasant rebellion in Tambov Governorate (“Antonovshchina”) in the summer of 1921 in the context of a use of chemical weapons against the rebels. Based on new archive documents and little-known works by Soviet and foreign military chemists, the article examines the process of making decisions on the use of chemical weapons, preparations for a chemic attack, issues related to tactics, and the composition of toxic substances in ammunition. The article concludes that in the course of preparations and the use of chemical weapons all conditions providing for the success of such operations were violated. More specifically, the use of gas cylinders amidst the increased complexity of objectives set proved impossible using the resources on hand due to the unpreparedness of the military personnel and an admittedly insufficient quantity of ammunition. Besides, shelling using chemical shells proved ineffective due to a lack of training with the artillery personnel and insufficient expenditure of ammunition. And finally, shells shipped over to Tambov Governorate were intended for putting the opponent out of action – not for physically destroying the opponent, since their combat effect was intended to be triggered through a lachrymatory effect toxic substance. In the end, the author draws a conclusion about the impossibility of an effective use of chemical weapons and, all the more so, impossibility of having human victims. Its use was of a one-off nature and was not the decisive factor for the elimination of the rebellion.

134-140

Authors: Olga V. Natolochnaya, Aleksandr A. Cherkasov

Special Forces specialize in counter-terrorism, reconnaissance and sabotage and have the honor of being the most elite among the forces. They undergo extremely rigorous training for years sometimes, before they are ready and when they are done with the training, they can be easily classified as among the toughest and most competent men in the military. The article presents the analysis of the activities of the best Special Forces around the world.