Penal Company

" You need a suicide squad? "

– Soviet Advisor, whenever a Penal Battalion is recruited in Company of Heroes 2

Flames of War

In game, they can replace a Rifle Company, giving you Fearless troops (3+, 2+ due to the Commissar) that assaults on 3+.

In Real Life

The Shtrafniki penal battalions were infantry units composed of cowards, deserters, and political prisoners (i.e. anyone with an ounce of self-preservation instinct), led by a Commissar who was more than ready to instill discipline in his men one bullet at a time. The first phase of the Eastern Front was going badly for the Russians, who had to contend with mass casualties, retreats, and desertions. Things got so bad that the Russians even had to install Barrier Troops, basically a rear-guard composed of NKVD troops whose main purpose was to capture everyone who fled. Stalin's infamous Order 227 (Of "No Step Back!" infamy) made it very clear that anyone who hesitated (or ordered an unsanctioned retreat) would be either executed on the spot or written up for a court martial. Execution was usually reserved for grunts who refused to fight, however. Most people they caught would be arrested, given a quick court-martial, and sent to the Shtrafniki battalions. Most of the Shtrafniki were therefore composed of ordinary soldiers. Demoted officers who ordered an unsanctioned retreat would be used as an example for anyone who dared question orders - if they were convicted in a court martial that is. While typically a kangaroo court, plenty of officers who retreated without orders from untenable positions to better hold the line often ended up not getting executed or thrown into a penal unit.

The Shtrafniki were often used for assaults of heavily-defended positions under the promise that exemplary service or being wounded in action would grant them a pardon. While this was technically correct, and some Shtrafniki (less than a third) did manage to survive the war, most were killed in action. Those whose sentence/service was coming to an end were often delegated to "mine clearing" missions that they would most likely not come back from. Political prisoners, especially nationalists from the various satellite states, and anti-Soviet dissidents would remain marked men even if they managed to survive all the suicide missions they were sent on. The luckiest of them would be the ones who earned a pardon after receiving a grievous injury that would make it impossible for them to act in their intended role (dying for the emp--Union), but anyone that survived a mission in fighting condition would simply be rounded up and readied for the next assault. Despite the high casualty rates, these units often ended up earning awards, and the non-political prisoners had a chance to return to their original units through either injury or their sentence running out.

The Shtrafniki was actually an idea borrowed from the Germans (Straf is a german word, after all), who used their prisoners as expendable troops as well. Similar to the Soviets, anyone sentenced to service in the Strafbataillon was stripped of rank and political rights, and were expected to regain their honor and status on the battlefield. This incentive was often suitable enough in the early phase of the war, when morale was high and Germany was in a strong enough position that the soldiers had something to look forward to, but later in the war, these troops were more likely to desert to the Western Allies and so were of dubious effectiveness. The Germans were more likely to use their prisoners for slave labor or "minefield clearing".

A little known fact was that the Soviet Air Force also operated Shtrafniki. They were used as pilots or gunners in the intense air missions over Stalingrad, but unlike their infantry counterparts, the air force kept no records on these men or their victories. Just like the infantry, if a Shtrafniki returned, they would simply be reassigned to the next bombing run and expected to repeat running sorties until they died.

Soviet Forces in Flames of War
Tanks:	T-70 - Valentine - M5/M3 Stuart - M3 Lee - T-34 - KV - Churchill - IS-2 - Captured Tank Platoon - T-28 - BT-7 - KV-2 - T-26
Transports:	M3 Scout Car - Universal Carrier - SdKfz 251
Infantry:	Rifles - Motor Rifles - Penal Company - Storm Group - SMG Company - Engineer Sapper Company
Artillery:	Katyusha - 152mm Artillery - 122mm Artillery - 76mm Artillery - 120mm Mortars - 82mm mortars
Tank Destroyers and Assault Guns:	45mm Anti Tank - 57mm Anti Tank - 76mm Anti Tank - 100mm Anti Tank - SU-76 - SU-85 - SU-100 - SU-122 - SU-152 - ISU-122/ISU-152
Recon:	Scout Platoon - BA-64 Platoon - Armored Reconnaissance Platoon - Reconnaissance Platoon
Aircraft:	Il-2 Sturmovik
Anti-Aircraft:	ZSU M17 - DShK AA MG Platoon
Midwar Monsters:	KV-3 - KV-5 - T-43