Selected text
There was a SMERSH [28] department in any military unit. First, I thought that their job was to catch Germans spies. Then I understood from my own experience, that their main task was the same as in the NKVD [29] during peaceful times. There were different talks between the officers and the soldiers: disapproval of the actions of the commandment, doubts regarding correctness of the party assignments. SMERSH was supposed to have their stooges everywhere so that they could find out who was displeased, and it was their major task. Then those people were sent to the Gulag [30] or to penalty squads. I don't think they really took the pain to verify the data provided by the stooges.
Period
Location
Russia
Interview
Miron Manilov