Editing Katyusha rocket launcher (section)

=== Combat history ===

The multiple rocket launchers were top secret at the beginning of World War II and a special unit of [[Internal troops|NKVD troops]] was raised to operate them.<ref name=Zaloga-1984-154 /> On July 14, 1941, an experimental artillery battery of seven launchers was first used in battle at [[Rudnya, Rudnyansky District, Smolensk Oblast|Rudnya]], [[Smolensk Oblast]] under the command of Captain [[Ivan Flyorov]], destroying a concentration of German troops with tanks, armored vehicles and trucks in the marketplace, causing massive [[German Army (1935–1945)|German Army]] casualties and panicked retreat from the town.<ref>"История Великой Отечественной войны" в 6 томах (History of Great Patriotic War), vol. 2, p. 66, chapter by field-marshal Andrey Eremenko</ref><ref>Andrey Sapronov «Россия» newspaper No. 23 of June 21–27, 2001</ref><ref>Andrey Sapronov «Парламентская газета» No 80 of May 5, 2005</ref>  This was the first time the Katyusha was ever used in combat. <ref>{{Cite book |last=Zhukov |first=Georgy |title=Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-78159-291-5 |pages=495|publisher=Pen & Sword Military }}</ref> Following the success, the [[Red Army]] organized new [[Guards unit (Soviet Union)|Guards]] mortar batteries for the support of infantry divisions. A battery's complement was standardized at four launchers. They remained under NKVD control until German ''[[Nebelwerfer]]'' rocket launchers became common later in the war.<ref name=Zaloga-1984-154-55 />

On August 8, 1941, Stalin ordered the formation of eight special Guards mortar [[regiment]]s under the direct control of the [[Reserve of the Supreme High Command]] (RVGK).  Each regiment comprised three [[battalion]]s of three batteries, totalling 36 BM-13 or BM-8 launchers.  Independent Guards mortar battalions were also formed of 12 launchers in three batteries of four.  By the end of 1941, there were eight regiments, 35 independent battalions, and two independent batteries in service, a total of 554 launchers.<ref name=Zaloga-1984-155>Zaloga, p 155.</ref>

In June 1942 heavy Guards mortar battalions were formed around the new M-30 static rocket launch frames, consisting of 96 launchers in three batteries. In July, a battalion of BM-13s was added to the establishment of a tank corps.<ref>Zaloga, p 147.</ref> In 1944, the BM-31 was used in motorized heavy Guards mortar battalions of 48 launchers. In 1943, Guards mortar brigades, and later divisions, were formed equipped with static launchers.<ref name=Zaloga-1984-155 />

At dawn on September 5, the preparatory artillery and air bombardment began all along the front of the 24th, 1st Guards and 66th armies. But even on the main lines of advance the density of the artillery fire was not great and did not yield the necessary results. The attack began after Katyusha volleys.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov |isbn=978-1-78159-291-5 |pages=807 |last1=Zhukov |first1=Georgiĭ Konstantinovich |date=2013 |publisher=Pen & Sword Military }}</ref>

By the end of 1942, 57 regiments were in service—together with the smaller independent battalions, this was the equivalent of 216 batteries: 21% BM-8 light launchers, 56% BM-13, and 23% M-30 heavy launchers. By the end of the war, the equivalent of 518 batteries were in service.<ref name=Zaloga-1984-155 />