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First combat use of the BM-13 Katyusha rocket artillery launcher
On July 14, 1941, the first experimental battery of the BM-13 Katyusha rocket artillery, under the command of Captain I. Fliorov, struck at German troops, equipment, ammunition, and fuel at the Orsha railway junction and the crossing of the Orshitsa River. This was the first time the Soviet weapon was used in combat, and it had a significant impact on the enemy, both physically and psychologically.
The multi-shot BM-13 rocket launcher, informally known as the Katyusha, was added in the armory of the Soviet Army just hours before the start of the Great Patriotic War, on June 21, 1941. That day, the Central Committee of the Communist Party issued a resolution to begin mass production of M-13 rockets and BM-13 launchers. This marked the start of the formation of rocket artillery units.
Initially, production of the BM-13 rocket launcher began at the Komintern Plant in Voronezh. Later, the production of shells and combat vehicles began at the Compressor Plant in Moscow, and then at the Plant named after Karl Marx in Leningrad from September 1941 onwards. The first seven launchers formed an experimental battery under the command of Captain Ivan Fliorov. Fliorov was a participant in the Soviet-Finnish War and a cadet of the Dzerzhinsky Military Artillery Academy. He was appointed to form the battery by the Commander of the Moscow Military District based on Directive No. 10864 issued on June 28, 1941.
The command staff of the battery, consisting of cadets from the Dzerzhinsky Military Artillery Academy, and the enlisted and non-commissioned personnel from the combat crews of the Moscow Artillery School, did not have enough time to receive specialized training. They were able to conduct only three training sessions with the personnel, which were led by representatives from the Research Institute-3 who developed the weapon and engineers A. Popov and D. Shitov, who were acting as commanders.
On July 2nd, 1941, under the cover of secrecy, the artillery unit left Moscow and headed for the Western Front. On July 9th, they took up position near Borisov. In the night between July 12th and 13th, they were alerted and moved closer to the city of Orsha. On the night of July 14th, Soviet troops had to leave the city, taking positions on the east bank of the Dnieper and Orshitsa rivers. In order to slow down the Wehrmacht's new offensive and give time for reinforcements, General G. Karyofilli, deputy chief of artillery of the Western Front, commanded Captain Fliorov to attack the railway station in Orsha, where German troops had gathered. The Soviet artillery unit positioned their weapons near the village of Gadichi, about 5-6 kilometers from the station, and on July 14 at 3 pm, they launched 112 rockets, completely destroying the railway station.
At 16:45, rockets rained down on the German crossing of the Orshitsa River, allowing Soviet troops to dislodge the Germans from their bridgehead.
The result of the first salvos of the BM-13 rocket artillery was impressive. Marshal S. Timoshenko reported to I. Stalin that the battery of rocket artillery had inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that they were picking up the wounded and dead all day, halting their offensive for the entire day. As reported in official documents, after the salvos of the battery, the Germans retreated not only from the areas under fire, but also from nearby areas - at a distance of 1-1.5 kilometers. The first combat experience demonstrated that the new Soviet weapon had not only a significant destructive effect, achieved through the surprise of fire and the design of the shells, whose fragments were heated to 800 degrees Celsius, enhancing the destructive power of the salvo, but also had a powerful psychological impact on the enemy. The booming sound of the rockets literally sent the enemy soldiers into a state of panic.The protocol of interrogation of German soldiers captured during the counteroffensive near Moscow in December 1941 has been preserved. "<...> Two soldiers captured in the village of Popkovo became delusional from the rocket launchers, and a corporal said, 'There were many instances of delusion in the village of Popkovo due to the artillery bombardment by Soviet troops.'
On August 14, 1941, Soviet rocket launchers surprised the German command, who were informed about the 'Russian automatic multi-barrel flame thrower cannon', whose shots are 'generated by electricity'. Each use of these weapons was ordered to be reported to command.I. A. Flerov's battery successfully operated during the summer and autumn of 1941 on the western strategic front. On the night of October 7, it was ambushed near the village of Bogatyr (now part of the Znamensky district in the Smolensk region). According to the orders of the commander, the battery destroyed its combat vehicles to prevent them from falling into German hands. Captain Fliorov, severely wounded, blew up the head launcher along with himself. Of the 170 members of the battery, only 46 escaped from the encirclement.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 14, 1963, Ivan Fliorov was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, First Degree. By decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated June 21, 1995, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously.
Monuments have been erected in the cities of Orsha, Rudna, and near the village of Bogatyr to honor the feat of the battery. On May 9, 1975, a memorial museum was opened at the birthplace of Captain Fleerov in the village of Dvurechka, Lipetsk Region. In 2001, Secondary School No. 3 in Balashikha, Moscow Region, where Fleerov lived, was named in his honor and a museum of military glory was established.
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