Doctrinal Origins of Spetsnaz: Soviet Submarine-inserted Special Operations in Northern Scandinavia During World War Two

During the 1930s the Soviet Union began developing tactical and operational instructions for naval forces, describing that the Soviet Navy should be prepared for active-offensive actions in the open sea, in the air, and near the coastlines and bases of the enemy. This was a task for the Soviet Navy in both peace and war, and preparations were a continuous effort. During World War Two the Soviet Union developed special operations forces, amongst them submarine-inserted naval scouts, later referred to as spetznas. These conducted operations against German convoys supporting the German-Finnish war in northern Scandinavia and Soviet Union. From the first failed attempts, it eventually evolved into a mature, seasoned unit. The German Wehrmacht tried different methods to combat the reconnaissance parties, the agent insertions, and the raids they encountered. The intent, means, and methods of these Soviet units is similar to actions in present day.