Approved by Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 298

September 28, 1942

Regulations on Penal Battalions of the Active Army

I. General Provisions

1. Penal battalions have the purpose of giving officers of the middle and senior command, political, and supervisory staff of all branches of the armed forces who have committed offenses involving violations of discipline through cowardice or instability the opportunity to atone for their crimes against the Motherland through blood, by courageous struggle against the enemy in a more difficult sector of combat operations.

2. The organization, numerical and combat composition, and also the pay rates for the permanent staff of penal battalions are determined by a special manning table.

3. Penal battalions are under the authority of the military councils of the fronts. Within each front, from one to three penal battalions are created, depending on the situation.

4. A penal battalion is attached to a rifle division (separate rifle brigade) in whose sector it is placed by order of the military council of the front.

II. On the Permanent Staff of Penal Battalions

5. Commanders and military commissars of the battalion and companies, commanders and political officers of platoons, and all other permanent supervisory staff of penal battalions are appointed to their posts by order of the front troops from among resolute officers and political workers most distinguished in battle.

6. The commander and military commissar of a penal battalion exercise over the penal soldiers disciplinary authority equal to that of the commander and military commissar of a division; the deputies of the commander and military commissar of the battalion — authority equal to that of the commander and military commissar of a regiment; commanders and military commissars of companies — authority equal to that of the commander and military commissar of a battalion; and commanders and political officers of platoons — authority equal to that of commanders and political officers of companies.

7. For all permanent staff of penal battalions, the periods of service required for promotion in rank are reduced by half compared with the command, political, and supervisory staff of field units of the Active Army.

8. Each month of service in the permanent staff of a penal battalion is counted as six months for the purposes of pension calculation.

III. On the Penal Soldiers

9. Officers of the middle and senior command, political, and supervisory staff are sent to penal battalions by order of the division or brigade (by order of the corps — in respect of personnel of corps units, or of the army and front — in respect of units under army and front subordination respectively) for a period of one to three months.

Officers of the middle and senior command, political, and supervisory staff who have been convicted with a suspended sentence (note 2 to Article 28 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR) may also be sent to penal battalions for the same periods by verdict of military tribunals (of the Active Army and rear).

Upon the dispatch of persons to a penal battalion, an immediate report is made up the chain of command and to the military council of the front, with a copy of the order or verdict attached.

Note. Commanders and military commissars of battalions and regiments may only be sent to a penal battalion by verdict of the military tribunal of the front.

10. Officers of the middle and senior command, political, and supervisory staff being sent to a penal battalion are simultaneously, by the same order of the division or brigade (corps, army, or front troops respectively) (Art. 9), subject to demotion to the rank of private.

11. Before being sent to a penal battalion, the penal soldier is brought before the formation of his unit (subunit), the order of the division or brigade (corps, army, or front troops respectively) is read out, and the nature of the offense committed is explained.

The orders and medals of the penal soldier are taken from him and kept for the duration of his service in the penal battalion by the personnel department of the front.

12. Penal soldiers are issued a Red Army booklet of a special form.

13. For failure to carry out an order, self-inflicted wounding, desertion from the battlefield, or attempted defection to the enemy, the command and political staff of the penal battalion are obliged to apply all measures of compulsion, up to and including on-the-spot execution.

14. Penal soldiers may be appointed by order of the penal battalion to positions in the junior command staff with assignment of the ranks of lance corporal, junior sergeant, and sergeant.

Penal soldiers appointed to positions in the junior command staff receive pay according to their position; all other penal soldiers receive 8 rubles 50 kopecks per month. Field pay is not issued to penal soldiers.

Payment of funds to the family under a pay allotment is terminated, and the family is transferred to the welfare payments established for the families of Red Army soldiers and junior commanders by the Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 26, 1941, and July 19, 1942.

15. For distinguished conduct in battle, a penal soldier may be released early on the recommendation of the penal battalion command, approved by the military council of the front.

For especially outstanding distinguished conduct in battle, a penal soldier is furthermore recommended for a government decoration.

Before leaving the penal battalion, the soldier released early is brought before the formation of the battalion, the order for early release is read out, and the nature of the feat performed is explained.

16. Upon completion of the assigned period, penal soldiers are presented by the battalion command to the military council of the front for release, and upon approval of the presentation are released from the penal battalion.

17. All those released from the penal battalion are restored to their rank and all rights.

18. Penal soldiers who are wounded in battle are considered to have served their punishment, are restored to their rank and all rights, and upon recovery are sent for further service; disabled soldiers are assigned a pension calculated on the basis of the pay rate of their last position before assignment to the penal battalion.

19. The families of penal soldiers killed in battle are assigned a pension on a par with all families of commanders, calculated on the basis of the pay rate of the last position before dispatch to the penal battalion.

Regulations on Penal Companies of the Active Army

I. General Provisions

1. Penal companies have the purpose of giving rank-and-file soldiers and junior commanders of all branches of the armed forces who have committed offenses involving violations of discipline through cowardice or instability the opportunity to atone for their guilt before the Motherland through blood, by courageous struggle against the enemy in a difficult sector of combat operations.

2. The organization, numerical and combat composition, and also the pay rates for the permanent staff of penal companies are determined by a special manning table.

3. Penal companies are under the authority of the military councils of armies. Within each army, from five to ten penal companies are created, depending on the situation.

4. A penal company is attached to the rifle regiment (division, brigade) in whose sector it is placed, by order of the military council of the army.

II. On the Permanent Staff of Penal Companies

5. The commander and military commissar of the company, commanders and political officers of platoons, and all other permanent supervisory staff of penal companies are appointed to their posts by order of the army from among resolute officers and political workers most distinguished in battle.

6. The commander and military commissar of a penal company exercise over the penal soldiers disciplinary authority equal to that of the commander and military commissar of a regiment; the deputies of the commander and military commissar of the company — authority equal to that of the commander and military commissar of a battalion; and commanders and political officers of platoons — authority equal to that of commanders and political officers of companies.

7. For all permanent staff of penal companies, the periods of service required for promotion in rank are reduced by half compared with the command, political, and supervisory staff of field units of the Active Army.

8. Each month of service in the permanent staff of a penal company is counted as six months for the purposes of pension calculation.

III. On the Penal Soldiers

9. Rank-and-file soldiers and junior commanders are sent to penal companies by order of the regiment (separate unit) for a period of one to three months.

Rank-and-file soldiers and junior commanders who have been convicted with a suspended sentence (note 2 to Article 28 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR) may also be sent to penal companies for the same periods by verdict of military tribunals (of the Active Army and rear).

Upon the dispatch of persons to a penal company, an immediate report is made up the chain of command and to the military council of the army, with a copy of the order or verdict attached.

10. Junior commanders being sent to a penal company are simultaneously, by the same order of the regiment (Art. 9), subject to demotion to the rank of private.

11. Before being sent to a penal company, the penal soldier is brought before the formation of his company (battery, squadron, etc.), the order of the regiment is read out, and the nature of the offense committed is explained.

The orders and medals of the penal soldier are taken from him and kept for the duration of his service in the penal company by the personnel department of the army.

12. Penal soldiers are issued a Red Army booklet of a special form.

13. For failure to carry out an order, self-inflicted wounding, desertion from the battlefield, or attempted defection to the enemy, the command and political staff of the penal company are obliged to apply all measures of compulsion, up to and including on-the-spot execution.

14. Penal soldiers may be appointed by order of the penal company to positions in the junior command staff with assignment of the ranks of lance corporal, junior sergeant, and sergeant.

Penal soldiers appointed to positions in the junior command staff receive pay according to their position; all others receive 8 rubles 50 kopecks per month. Field pay is not issued to penal soldiers.

15. For distinguished conduct in battle, a penal soldier may be released early on the recommendation of the penal company command, approved by the military council of the army.

For especially outstanding distinguished conduct in battle, a penal soldier is furthermore recommended for a government decoration.

Before leaving the penal company, the soldier released early is brought before the formation of the company, the order for early release is read out, and the nature of the feat performed is explained.

16. Upon completion of the assigned period, penal soldiers are presented by the company command to the military council of the army for release, and upon approval of the presentation are released from the penal company.

17. All those released from the penal company are restored to their rank and all rights.

18. Penal soldiers who are wounded in battle are considered to have served their punishment, are restored to their rank and all rights, and upon recovery are sent for further service; disabled soldiers are assigned a pension.

19. The families of penal soldiers killed in battle are assigned a pension on general terms.