Heroes 10/12/19 Ilya Starinov: best spy of the Second world war
Ilya Grigorievich Starinov (1900-2000), the GRU Colonel, had lived a long life. He came to prominence only in the 90-ies, when he was able to tell about the sabotage operation, which was conducted under his leadership before and during world war II.
From infantry to bombers
About his youth are few accurate information. He writes about himself that in 1918 he lived in Tver and was mobilized into the Red Army in the civil war. A website devoted to his biography says he was born in August 1900, and was drafted like 18 Jun 1918. But it’s impossible. First, the decree on universal conscription of workers was issued on 26 Jun 1918. Second, 17-year-old was not subject to appeal. In addition, it is written like Starinov sent to the southern front “against the troops under the command of Kornilov”, while General Kornilov was killed in April 1918.
we Can assume that Starinov joined the red army as a volunteer, before reaching 18 years of age. However, this non-trivial fact of his biography, he certainly did not fail to proudly mention. It is possible that in reality he was born not in 1900, but in 1899. But as he remembered the story of the events of the civil war begins the summer of 1919, it is likely that year, not in 1918, he was drafted into the Red Army.
For the cure of wounds in the battle Short it was defined in a sapper company. Thus began his service in the Royal engineers, which determined his whole life.
Preparations for sabotage on a global scale
In 1930, Starinov was appointed to teach demolitions in the school of partisan saboteurs at the headquarters of the Ukrainian military district. Old boy recalled that since 1929, the USSR launched large-scale training of guerrilla cadres for a future world war.
Here we must digress from the memories Starinov about it, and to say about what he couldn’t know. In 1923, Trotsky wrote that the coming war with the Soviet Union “world imperialism”, because of the backwardness of the USSR will inevitably be defensive. The enemy can capture large areas of the Soviet Union. For this reason, should prepare for war on its territory, respectively – and to guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. All subsequent times, preparing for an offensive war, Soviet military leaders did not rule out the possibility of a defensive war.
old boy testifies: “In 1932, our defenses on the Western borders was based on using groups of partisans. The enemy, crossing the state border and penetrated into our territory for hundreds of miles had to run into fortifications and bogged down in trench warfare. At this time, in occupied territory, the partisans begin organized resistance and cut the enemy communications. It was a very well thought out system, not only in the case of the occupation of part of our territory. The base was laid and outside the USSR. It was very important that was preparing guerrilla formations agile, able to operate both on home territory and on foreign territory”.
In Spain
Soon Starinov had to operate on foreign soil, contributing, as he supposed, the imminent victory of the world revolution. In 1936 he was sent to Spain to train saboteurs and to run their operations in the rear of the troops of fascist General Franco. Spain old boy acted under the pseudonym “comrade Rodolfo”.
the shares of the Spanish demolition began in the winter of 1936/37 G. Starinov Already has specialized in the bombings of transport and other communications. Before the onset of the Republican troops in Granada, the city was paralyzed by a series of explosions on hydroelectric power station and water supply. Another success came to him in March of 1937, when he collapsed railway tunnel on the plot córdoba Benaroya. FLon for a few days paralyzed the communication between the different parts of the front of Franco’s troops.
Soon managed to raise the whole staff of the Italian aviation volunteer division, sent by Mussolini to help Franco. From the memoirs of Starinov, this success was accidental. The Republican commander in the area is strictly prohibited the mining of the railway protivopokazanie mines not to explode a passenger train carrying civilians. “Comrade Rodolfo” and his commandos ignored the order. Once on the bomb plot really moved in a passenger train. But there turned out to be referred to headquarters. Of the Italians and nobody survived. Saboteurs Starinov had in Spain several successful acts of sabotage, sending to the light, in particular, the echelon of elite Moroccan part.
the Explosions in Kharkiv
at the end of September 1941 the Soviet command was convinced that he can hold Kharkov. Operation mining of strategically important objects of Kharkiv and around was appointed to lead old boy. His men had prepared for the destruction of seven buildings in the town and several sections of roads in Kharkiv transport hub.
the Germans entered the Kharkov, 25 October 1941. Already knowing about the use of Tips RC min in Kiev, they immediately began pelengovat signals designed for min in Kharkov. Says military historian Yuri Veremeev, the success of Soviet operations at Kharkov was greatly exaggerated. Almost all the mines in the city were discovered and defused by the Germans.
the mine Exploded only on Holodnogorsko transport viaduct and Mina laid down in the former residence of the first Secretary of the Kharkiv obkom. This beautiful house Germans, fearing that he will be a trap, equipped with the staff of the 68th infantry division. He was blown up on 14 November 1941. However, before the Germans conducted a thorough survey of the house, but found it only an imitation explosive device. In retaliation for the diversion of the occupants was hanged and shot 50 200 the peace of the citizens.
“Rail war” in Ukraine
In September 1942 old boy was appointed assistant to sabotage the chief of the Central staff of the partisan movement, and in April 1943 was transferred to the Ukrainian partisan movement headquarters, its Deputy chief, Timothy strokacha, in sabotage. Under the leadership Starinov has developed and implemented a plan of the famous operation “Rail war”, initiated by the partisans during the battle of Kursk.
during this operation, which lasted from 3 August to 15 September 1943, on the territory of Ukraine partisans produced more than 3500 acts of sabotage on the Railways. Starinov twice flew over the front line for coordination. This operation is largely ensured the success of the Soviet summer offensive of 1943.
Yaroslav Butakov
Source:
© Russian Seven
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