Glimpses of History of Strategic Air Defence of the Interior during the Great Patriotic War
| 23 May 2024
Posted in
Publication of archival documents
Sharonin D.A., Samara, Russian Federation
Glimpses of History of Strategic Air Defence of the Interior during the Great Patriotic War
Abstract
The article studies activities of the Thermotechnical Institute of F.E. Dzerzhinsky during the Great Patriotic War is considered. Since its foundation the institute worked on a wide range of energy issues, but the article focuses on its wartime activities and in particular on the development of air defense of strategic sites, such as thermoelectric plants. Having studied research and management documentation (the surviving annual primary activity and research reports for 1941) the author analyses concealment measures offered by the institute. Archival sources show that mostly the institute relied on blackout of industrial facilities, a measure practiced for a while in Germany, England, and France, although it also recommended some Soviet technical proposals. The institute paper titled "Issues of Power Assets Air Defense" mentioned that concealing thermoelectric plants was overall a difficult task, as issuing steam and smoke make them more conspicuous than any other industrial facilities. And yet, taking decoy installations into account, blackout of industrial facilities and deliberate lighting of decoy installations was considered an effective measure producing the necessary contrast and misleading enemy aircraft. Comparative analysis of research, management, and technical documentation demonstrated that integrated cover and deception paid off and came into operation during the first year of the war.
Keywords
Archive, source, air defense, research documentation, decoy installations, blackout, thermoelectric plants
Download the article: pdf
About the authors
Sharonin Dmitrij Anatolyevich – lead specialist of the information activities and archival documents publication department of the Branch of Federal Government Institution "The Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation", graduate student of the Volga Region State Social Studies and Humanities Academy, Russian Federation; 443096, Samara, Michurin St., 58, E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , ph. (846) 930-39-20