Penal Battalions?

[kevsharr]

From what I've read russian transgressor's were given a choice of ground or air duty.If assigned air duty you would indeed be a rear gunner in a Il-2 in fact you would be chained to your position and on the completion of ten mission's you were considered rehabilitated and returned to your unit,unfortunatly after nine mission's the unit doctor would report you as unfit for further flight duties and you went to a ground penal unit.In that unit you would basically be unarmed skirmisher's in front of the assault unit's.The german's soon learned to hold their fire until that line had passed by.