why are penals better than cons objectively

If you understand Russian:
here is a generalized lecture on the defense of Leningrad in 1941. Isaev also has a book: from the border to Leningrad.
Show Spoiler

Thank you very much. I must admit that I am once again not able to find the book (I see it mentioned on several other sites but was not able to find a site that sells this book) Do you have the ISBN by chance?

Regarding the video: Luckily the auto-translated Subtitles are somewhat ok. 19:21 : Here it is talked about Leningrad Militias (and it is mentioned that they had an abundance of mortars, although no 2:1 abundance is mentioned) so I assume that this is the part you were referring to?

But it reads like he is only referring to one Militia Division(the auto-translation for this part is a bit of a mess, there is even a Donut mentioned for some reason).

(just gonna quote what the auto-translate wrote)(exact time is 19:28)

"Militia Leningrad, it had about 9 thousand people, seven thousand rifles, this is, this is normal, absolutely the number of rifles for a fighter 1 line, she had an abundance of mortars, she had an normal amount of machine guns"

(20:09: Here is the part about the commander that ran over to the germans)

I then went through the transcript and the word militia is only mentioned at the very end two times again (around minute 40 and at 47:44). At 47:44 it is mentioned that the Militia played an important role in the overall strategy.

Thank you very much. I must admit that I am once again not able to find the book (I see it mentioned on several other sites but was not able to find a site that sells this book) Do you have the ISBN by chance?

Regarding the video: Luckily the auto-translated Subtitles are somewhat ok. 19:21 : Here it is talked about Leningrad Militias (and it is mentioned that they had an abundance of mortars, although no 2:1 abundance is mentioned) so I assume that this is the part you were referring to?

But it reads like he is only referring to one Militia Division(the auto-translation for this part is a bit of a mess, there is even a Donut mentioned for some reason).

(just gonna quote what the auto-translate wrote)(exact time is 19:28)

"Militia Leningrad, it had about 9 thousand people, seven thousand rifles, this is, this is normal, absolutely the number of rifles for a fighter 1 line, she had an abundance of mortars, she had an normal amount of machine guns"

(20:09: Here is the part about the commander that ran over to the germans)

I then went through the transcript and the word militia is only mentioned at the very end two times again (around minute 40 and at 47:44). At 47:44 it is mentioned that the Militia played an important role in the overall strategy.

The book is not for sale, perhaps you should look for an electronic version. Here is for clarity.
https://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/6256902/

On this YouTube channel there is a series of lectures from Isaev who are very informative.

While we're citing sources, does anyone have a source for this claim that Katitof keeps posting?

There were penal battalions and penal companies.

Penal companies were what in-game battalion description says.
Penal battalions were trained OFFICERS and had supply priority over regular infantry.

I'd like to know where the distinction between "Penal Company" and "Penal Battalion" comes from here because that doesn't make any sense. A Battalion is a larger formation than a Company, comprised of 2-6 Companies as well as command, supply, and and communications elements. One would assume the standard unit designations apply to Penal units, with Penal Battalions being made up of Penal Companies made up of Penal Platoons made up of Penal Squads.

Penal units comprised of disgraced officers did exist and were considered "Elite" and were used as disposable shock troops, but I see no evidence tying the word "Battalion" to the formations of disgraced officers. Aside from the officer formations, most penal troops were enlisted personnel who got in serious trouble, and were issued equipment equal to that of the regular troops.

While we're citing sources, does anyone have a source for this claim that Katitof keeps posting?



I'd like to know where the distinction between "Penal Company" and "Penal Battalion" comes from here because that doesn't make any sense. A Battalion is a larger formation than a Company, comprised of 2-6 Companies as well as command, supply, and and communications elements. One would assume the standard unit designations apply to Penal units, with Penal Battalions being made up of Penal Companies made up of Penal Platoons made up of Penal Squads.

Penal units comprised of disgraced officers did exist and were considered "Elite" and were used as disposable shock troops, but I see no evidence tying the word "Battalion" to the formations of disgraced officers. Aside from the officer formations, most penal troops were enlisted personnel who got in serious trouble, and were issued equipment equal to that of the regular troops.

Order No. 227 established that each front must create one to three penal battalions (Russian: штрафной батальон, romanized: shtrafnoy batalyon, lit. 'penalty battalion', commonly known as штрафбат, shtrafbat) of up to 800 middle-ranking commanders and high-ranking commanders accused of disciplinary problems. Penal battalions were sent to the most dangerous sections of the front lines. Each front had to create penal companies for privates and NCOs (from 150 to 200 people for a penal company). The number of penal units was not constant and fluctuated depending on the number of military personnel sent there. The average monthly number of their personnel almost never rose to the level established by Order No. 227.

outside of how the game actually is,

does anyone want to explain the logic behind, the mainstay conscript of russia is generally a worse unit than criminals forced to fight fresh out of jail?

I'm who do think would be better at killing people IRL, you the average Joe or the asshole who got himself rightfully shoved for 20-life in prison?????

I'm who do think would be better at killing people IRL, you the average Joe or the asshole who got himself rightfully shoved for 20-life in prison?????

It was allowed to take people with a light or medium conviction to penal companies: fraud, theft, and so on. A 20-year sentence is clearly a heavy conviction. These are murders and so on. Such people were not taken to the penal company because in this way a person (or a group) would most likely arrange an escape with murder and the seizure of weapons.
Second, civilian prisoners were not the majority in the penal company. Most are guilty soldiers.