Can't answer to you mail as my message hwas filtered as a SPAM

>Thanks much for the information - a lot of information in your post. Also
>some web sites I have not seen before.

Thanks, thats I'm working for ;-D

>I am currently working on scenarios (July 1942) for a computerized version
>of an eastern front ww2 wargame - cyberboard version of Trial of Strength
>(Panther Games, 1985). It is a 'high' level game, mostly German army corps
>and Russian armies, although some lower level units exist - Russian marine
>brigades, airborne corps, NKVD units (corps/divisions?).

I see... ) I also wanted to become an East Front 2 scenario designer, but later I decided to create a site to help other designers....

NKVD - divisions and Armored train Battalions only
At Aug, 09, 1942, 11th Rfl. NKVD Div. accompanied by Gen.-Maj. Timofeev's detachment opposed to the 3rd German Tank Division. on Mineralnye Vody-Essentuki frontline. (Those troops were subordinated from Aug 12 to 37th Army)
At Aug, 28, there was the "Makhachkala"'s NKVD Rifle Division into the reserve 58th Army (deployed in Makhachkala refion)

Novorossiysk Defence operation:
From Aug,19 the144th Marine Battalion accompanied by the 103rd Rifle Brigade opposed to Romanian Cavalry Division near Anasasievskaya

83rd Marine brigade/47th Army was seen at the end of Aug, 21st in Krymskaya vicinity
(Russkoye-Gorishchny-Plavnensky line)
At Aug. 31st ,the troops of 125th German division had broken down the defence of 83rd Marine Rfl. Brigade captured Krasno-Medvedkovskiy
At the same time the Romanian Cavalry Corps manage to breake down the defence of 14th and 140th Marine Rfl. Battalions and captured Anapa town. those battalions were forced to retreat to Abrau lake frontier.
Those battalions were deployed south to Krasno-Medvedkovskaya. and like 83rd Marine RflBrig. had no Anti-tank equipment.
At the end of Sept.01 305th,328th,144th Marine Rfl. Battalions had been blocked on Taman peninsula
142th Separate Marine Rfl. Battalion together with the 2nd Tank Company/126th Sep. Tank Battalion defended Lipki region

The 1st United Marine Rifle brigade opposed to the 9th German Rifle division that was attacking from Neberdzhayevskaya region.
The 2nd United Marine Rfl. Brigade (14th,322nd,142th Marine Btlns) was formed in September for Novorossiysk defence
In the first days of September a part of the Brigade troops took part at the left flank of 47th(?) Army covering Novorossiysk.
Was evacuated from Stannicka region at Sep. 10.

Oct-Dec 1942 operations

145th Marine Rfl. Reg. (324th, 143th Marine Rfl. Btlns) was deployed for Tuapse defence and was set as a reserve.
323rd Marine Rfl Battalion defended Pshadsk's Defence Zone
83rd,255th Marine Rfl. Brigades were subordinated to 47th Army

Approximately at Oct, 19, 83rd Mount. Rfl. Div. was transferred into Black Sea Group
At Dec 05, surrounding by its right flank German's stronghold 3km to the East from Indyuk mountain, by the left flank defended 398.8 hill.
..............
Also NKVD Rifle division took part in the battle for capturing Gizel German Group (Ordzhonikidze vicinity) at Nov 6-12,42

>I've found that the most difficult unit ids to find are in the rear areas,
>as there are few maps with this information. I suspect marines would be
>concentrated in Black Sea ports such as Batumi, Sukhumi, Novorossisk. I am
>less sure of northern locations, but likely places are Volkhov, Murmansk and
>Archangel. I am also unsure if there was a presence on the Caspian at ports
>such as Astrakhan, Makhachkala or Baku.

They were not been concentrated, they were formed there....Mostly Marine formations were formed in the ports which had been under attack.
Not sure about Volkhov.......I have not much info on the Northern Marine brigades too....
Maybe they were formed in 1941 in the time of the most danger to Murmansk......

>As for the southern Caucasus (I know, not a front) it is very likely that
>some Russian troops were stationed near the border with Turkey in the
>vicinity of Leninaken and Yerevan, perhaps in Tbilisi as well. These
>probably included 45A and 46A as well as some mountain and cavalry troops.

Well...It was named a Front ))
9th Mnt. Rfl. Div/40th Inf. Corps (Batumi) check for detailes my formation page Rifle Divisions 1-26
28th MRD was disposed in Sochi (till the end of 1941, Then was disbanded)
31st MRD - (check for detailes my formation page Rifle Divisions 1-26)
At the beginning of Aug 1942 defended river Belaya region covering Maykop-Khadyzhensk-Tuapse direction
In Aug, 1942 defended Main Caucasis mountain ridge on Lazarevskoye direction Deployed in Rezhet'-Maratyki settlement
47th MRD/3rd Inf. Corps (Batumi, till Sep 1941)
63rd MRD /44th Army. Took part in Iran operation. Was disposed at Maku, Mukhuri, Margian (Iran). Took part in Feodosia landing operation.
Data on 1941: For Divisions' compositions you may try to use my info on regiments' subordination (Formation page)
76th MRD (Nakhichevan on Jun 22,1941) Took part in Iran operation
77th MRD (Makhachkala on Jun 22,1941) Took part in Iran operation
136th,138th Rfl. Divisions/23 Inf. Corps Zakavkazky Front - No specified info
157th Rfl Div Zakavkazky Front
165th Rfl. Div/64th Inf. Corps Zakavkazky Front - No specified info
175th Rfl. Div/64th Inf. Corps Zakavkazky Front - No specified info
236th Mot. Rfl.Div/28th Mech Corps Zakavkazky Front
6th,54th Tank Division/28th Mech Corps Zakavkazky Front
17th Mnt. Cav. Div
24th Cav. Div.

44th Army was formed in Jul 1941 using the troops of 40th Inf. Corps.
Oct 41 -Makhachkala,
Nov- Anapa
45th Army was formed in Jul'41 based on the troops of 23rd Inf. Corps. Covered border with Turkey and was used in Iran operation.
46th Army was formed in Jul'41 based on the troops of 3rd Inf. Corps. Covered border with Turkey. Then defended some passes of the Main Caucasis mountain ridge
47th Army was formed in Jul'41 based on the troops of 28th Mech. Corps. In 1941 covered the border, then was used for landing Crimea operation
4th Army (3rd Formation) Formed in Jan 1944. Based in Iran.

25th Mixed Aircraft Division Zakavkazky Front
26th Long Range Bomber Aircraft Division Zakavkazky Front
27th,71st Fighter Aircraft Divisions/8th Fighter Corps/3rd Air Defence Corps Zakavkazky Front
72nd Mixed Aircraft Division Zakavkazky Front
73rd Fighter Aircraft Division Zakavkazky Front
74th Bomber Aircraft Division Zakavkazky Front
I may miss something as I have no full information..................
Some information on Rifle Divisions (51-125) I obtain, but can't specify now due to lack of time. Please, wait for the updated of "Formation" page. I can't promise to do this soon as I have much requests on Khalkhin-gol battle and "Mars" operation 1942.

>Can you tell me what the abbreviation BA stands for on Russian maps? For
>example, in early August, 1942, 5BA fought near Krasnograd and 4BA near
>Stavropol and later west of Orjonikidze.

BA=Aircraft Army