Tcheka

[Hammers]

"only ideologically firm brainwashed murderers."

Do we have to have this nonsensical crap here?  What strange universe does the writer hail from?  This is a wargames site not a home for people with such a tenuous grasp of reality.

To me that statement did not warrant a personal attack like this.

[former user]

THX

let's just forget it...

[eastern barbarian]

Since when you are not allowed opinions on the wargaming forums? If I will call SS units "war criminals" doesnt it mean I dont have a grasp on reality? Sorry for off topic here..

[Hammers]

Since when you are not allowed opinions on the wargaming forums? If I will call SS units "war criminals" doesnt it mean I dont have a grasp on reality? Sorry for off topic here..

former user who who touched the  subject has asked us to let it go, so lets.

[svinkel]

so i painted my minis like this, they are more beautiful in real

[former user]

they look good

[cuprum]

Very well.
But there is a historical error. Never saw shirts in the Red army, sewed of a fabric of black colour, and furthermore from a skin. It is incorrect. And here helmets from a black skin met.
Do not take offence, for figure game are good and in this kind.

[Hammers]

Very well.
But there is a historical error. Never saw shirts in the Red army, sewed of a fabric of black colour, and furthermore from a skin. It is incorrect. And here helmets from a black skin met.
Do not take offence, for figure game are good and in this kind.

I read somewhere that the Cheka sometimes wore black leather uniform?

[former user]

that's what I read too, and saw pictures
actually black leather jacket is synonimous with cjekist in the easten block

maybe Cuprum refers to the cut of the uniform, which is not jackets, but tunics?
even as fictional variant, they work good for me

[Mark Plant]

I read somewhere that the Cheka sometimes wore black leather uniform?

Presumably the Osprey on the Red Army. Sadly both that and, even more so, the matching White book are riddled with errors.

Senior Cheka operatives were known for their black outfits and use of leather from the early days. But this is the political operatives.

Cheka units were just ordinary units assigned to provide the Cheka with some firepower. They were not particularly elite, and did not dress differently. The Cheka were never a front-line military outfit, and it is rare to see any of their troops fighting non-partisan fronts.

[cuprum]

The painted figures are dressed in summer shirt (gymnasterka). It has always been sewed in Red army from a fabric of various shades khaki, in the south could be white colour, but never black colour.
The jacket, sometimes black кожанные trousers and a leather helmet - budenovka could be the black only кожанная.
And, as Mark has told, army divisions Cheka differed nothing from other Red army. Also were applied, basically, for struggle against insurgents.

[ts]

[ts]

How does someone upload pictures directly on this site?
I did not succed above.

[sepoy1857]

Great information - Thanks! I had the same misconceptions of the Tchecka from the Osprey as well. I understand they were used as "blocking detachments" in some cases like the NKVD in WWII with Maxim guns to ensure no one runs! There were several Tchecka units listed in the Petrograd OOB's that I have; some are listed as blocking detachments (interestingly there are also Naval Blocking detachments!).

[Mark Plant]

Kronstadt is one reason why the idea of Cheka blocking detachments remains so strong. From that use, and WWII, the inference is made that they were common.

Kronstadt was an unusual case, in that it was at a place inside the heart of Russia, so there were a lot of Cheka men already there. It also called for a particularly determined prepared assault. Lastly Tukhachevski took over, and from what I can find, almost all blocking detachments in the Civil War were used under his command. (I wonder if the Cheka and Naval units were used in the rear because they were unsatisfactory as infantry. The best infantry were the ChON.)

On the external fronts there weren't enough Cheka to run "units" and few commanders were fond of the concept anyway. Given that the front lines were ridiculously thinly spread, to have a whole second line to hold the first line in place was a luxury that could never be afforded. (But it would not surprise me to hear of them in the assault of the Crimean Perekop isthmus in late 1920, which was a dense prepared assault.)

Cuprum might be able to help me here. Would I be correct in believing that any formal troops of the "Cheka" in 1920 would go under the name VOKhR? (BOXP)