Why did some Red Army soldiers use bows in battles with the Germans?

For thousands of years, the bow and arrow was the most effective and reliable long-range weapon. With the advent of firearms, the popularity of this tool of warriors and hunters fell significantly. But despite the fact that the rifle and machine gun shoot faster and hit further, even on the fronts of World War II, some people preferred the good old bow.

The Second World War engulfed half the planet, drawing dozens of nations into the bloody slaughter. But they fought with bows not in North Africa, as you probably thought, but in Europe. These were Red Army soldiers from Tuva, which was not yet part of the

The People's Republic of Tuva, a state located between Soviet Siberia and Mongolia, entered the war on the side of June 25, 1941. Tuvans went to the front as volunteers and formed the 8th Cavalry Division. They were tough and very brave fighters, about whom the division's special officers constantly complained to the front headquarters.

The Tuvan warriors had their own special idea of discipline and dress code. They did not recognize the Red Army uniform issued to them and preferred to fight in their national clothes. In addition, the stern Siberians did not like firearms and preferred hunting bows brought from their homeland.

Sometimes the Tuvans, ignoring the orders of their commanders, went out in small groups at night and hunted the Germans. Their arrows hit without fail - people who grew up in the mountains and forests could see perfectly in the dark. The light of the stars was enough for them, and if the night was moonlit, the hunters acted as confidently as during the day. The Tuvans could sneak up to the enemy at a bowshot distance and also disappear into the night unnoticed.

Bows had many advantages over rifles. Yes, arrows didn't fly as far as bullets, but the shot wasn't accompanied by a roar or flash. German shooters couldn't return accurate fire, because the Tuvans could send arrow after arrow without being noticed. Even the vaunted German snipers were ineffective in this case.

On the contrary, when the Germans started shooting at random at night, their losses increased even more. Invisible in the darkness, archers had an easier time hitting Germans illuminated by the flashes of their own shots. To combat the archers, the Germans brought dogs trained to hunt people to their positions. Tall German shepherds were trained to hunt people and could operate in the dark. The animals relied on hearing and smell, which turned out to be not so good.

The very first attempt to fight the Tuvans with dogs failed. The dogs rushed into the darkness and unerringly took the direction of the shooters. But as they approached the Tuvans, they lost their enthusiasm, and then turned around and ran away. The Nazis did not immediately understand why the vicious shepherds tucked their tails. It was all very simple - the Tuvans were helped by their national clothing.

The Siberians' sheepskin coats, hats and boots were lined with bear, wolf or snow leopard fur. The shepherds were not trained to meet such predators and, having sensed a large animal, they fled. This circumstance eventually forced political officers and special agents to turn a blind eye to the Tuvans' non-regulation outfits.

Volunteers from Tuva showed themselves at the front as brave, proactive and hardy warriors. Two of them became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and twenty became Knights of the Order of Glory. Another 6 thousand Tuvans received other military awards. And the Tuvans never took prisoners, and they themselves did not expect mercy from the enemy.