22nd Army (Soviet Union)
Encyclopedia
The 22nd Army was a field army
of the Russian Ground Forces
, part of the Moscow Military District
. It was active from 1941 to 2010. The order for the formation's dissolution was signed by the Minister of Defence on 1 July 2009.
Originally it was formed in June 1941 within the Red Army
and it comprised 51st Rifle Corps (98th, 112th, and 153rd
Rifle Divisions) and 62nd Rifle Corps (170th, 174th
, and 186th Rifle Divisions), and several separate regiments, including the 336th and 545th Corps Artillery Regiments. Headquarters was at Velikiye Luki
by 22 June 1941, and General Lieutenant F. A. Yershakov took command (who would direct the army until August 1941). Lenski notes that it was then made part of the 'Group of armies of the Reserve of the Main Command'.
During the Battle of Smolensk (1941)
, six rifle divisions of the army fought fiercely against what victory.mil.ru describes as sixteen Wehrmacht
divisions, including three tank and three motorized, and under their assault 22nd Army was forced to retreat. On July 16, 1941, the Germans managed to surround the 51st Rifle Corps, and on July 20, to seize Velikiye Luki
. 48th Tank Division joined the Army by August 1, 1941.
As part of the Soviet Western Front
, since October, 17th the Kalinin Front
, the Army conducted defensive operations on the Idritsa–Drissa–Vitebsk
frontier, participated in the Battle of Smolensk
, the Kalinin
defensive operation, and the Battles of Rzhev
- Operation Mars
in 1942. General Major V. A. Yushkevich again took command in April 1942, after previously commanding the army in August-October 1941. 3rd Mechanised Corps
under General Major M. Ye. Katukov joined the Army in September 1942 when it was formed, though it was later reassigned.
The Army's task as part of Operation Mars was as part of what in Soviet parlance was the 'Bely Offensive Operation in conjunction with 39th Army
. Spearheaded by the 3rd Mechanised Corps, the army was tasked to: 'advance eastward up the Luchesa River valley, pierce the German defenses, assist in the capture of Bely, and encircle German forces around Olenino
in conjunction with 39th Army.' 'Early on 25 November, 22nd Army, with over 50,000 men and 270 tanks of 3rd Mechanised Corps, assaulted eastward up the Luchesa River valley. Attacking along a narrow corridor flanked by forests and frozen swamps, Soviet forces tore a gaping hole through German defences and drove German forces eastward up the valley. General Yushkevich's attack was spearheaded by Colonel I. V. Karpov's 238th Rifle Division and two regiments of Colonel M. F. Andryushenko's 185th Rifle Division, supported by a tank brigade of General Katukov's mechanised corps. The combined force routed a regiment of the German 86th Infantry Division and punctured the German front.'
In 1943, the Army fought as part of the North-Western Front
since April 21, then from October 13 as part of the Baltic Front, which became 2nd Baltic Front on October 20, 1943. 22nd Army defended the river Lovat, and participated in operations at Kholm
, Velikiye Luki, Leningrad-Novgorod, Staraya Russa
–Novorzhev
, and Rezhitsa–Dvina
. It then took part in the Riga Offensive Operation, part of the Baltic Offensive. Since October 1944, together with the other armies of the Front it carried out the blockade of the German Army Group Courland
in the Courland Pocket
. One of the Army's rifle corps was the Latvian 130th Rifle Corps that included two rifle divisions in which served a large number of Latvians in their ranks who would soon be facing their opposites in the Latvian 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
.
Immediately after the war ended, its HQ along with the 109th Rifle Division arrived in the South Ukraine in May 1945. In the Northern summer of 1945, together with the headquarters of the Separate Coastal Army
, located in the Crimea, it was reorganised as the new but short-lived Tavricheskiy Military District.
Its wartime commanders were:
at Nizhny Novgorod
. Initially it controlled the 31st Tank Division, withdrawn from the Central Group of Forces
in Czechoslovakia and the 47th Guards Tank Division formerly from the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
, as well as the 166th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (Tver
)(which was formerly the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Division with the Northern Group of Forces
in Poland
), the 211th Artillery Brigade, the 918th Multiple Rocket Launcher Regiment, (both at Mulino
) and two helicopter regiments. However, manpower levels were low; the tank divisions were reported to be at an establishment of 2,193 each and the 166th Motor Rifle Brigade at 3,638.
By June 1998 the two tank divisions had been merged as the new 3rd Motor Rifle Division
, and the new division was designated at as 'constant readiness' formation, to be maintained at at least 80% strength. Also, the 166th Motor Rifle Brigade has now been reduced to a storage base as the 70th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (VkhVT).
The army headquarters was disbanded in 2010 as part of wider reforms of the Russian Ground Forces, and it appears HQ 20th Guards Army is moving to its previous facilities in the Nizhy Novogorod area.
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
of the Russian Ground Forces
Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
, part of the Moscow Military District
Moscow Military District
The Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:In the beginning of...
. It was active from 1941 to 2010. The order for the formation's dissolution was signed by the Minister of Defence on 1 July 2009.
Originally it was formed in June 1941 within the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and it comprised 51st Rifle Corps (98th, 112th, and 153rd
153rd Rifle Division
The 153rd Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed in the Ural Military District. On 22 June 1941 when the German Operation Barbarossa began, it was serving with the 51st Rifle Corps of the 22nd Army....
Rifle Divisions) and 62nd Rifle Corps (170th, 174th
17th Armored Brigade (Ukraine)
The 17th Guards Armored Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Full name of the Brigade is 17th Separate Guards Kryvyi Rih orders of Red Banner and Suvorov Brigade. It was formally known as 17th Guards Tank Division....
, and 186th Rifle Divisions), and several separate regiments, including the 336th and 545th Corps Artillery Regiments. Headquarters was at Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
by 22 June 1941, and General Lieutenant F. A. Yershakov took command (who would direct the army until August 1941). Lenski notes that it was then made part of the 'Group of armies of the Reserve of the Main Command'.
During the Battle of Smolensk (1941)
Battle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
, six rifle divisions of the army fought fiercely against what victory.mil.ru describes as sixteen Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
divisions, including three tank and three motorized, and under their assault 22nd Army was forced to retreat. On July 16, 1941, the Germans managed to surround the 51st Rifle Corps, and on July 20, to seize Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
. 48th Tank Division joined the Army by August 1, 1941.
As part of the Soviet Western Front
Soviet Western Front
The Western Front was a Front of the Red Army, one of the Red Army Fronts during the Second World War. This sense of the term is different from the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front usually operates within designated...
, since October, 17th the Kalinin Front
Kalinin Front
The Kalinin Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.The Kalinin Front was...
, the Army conducted defensive operations on the Idritsa–Drissa–Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
frontier, participated in the Battle of Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
, the Kalinin
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
defensive operation, and the Battles of Rzhev
Battles of Rzhev
Rzhev Battles is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942—March 31, 1943 by the Soviet Red Army in the general directions of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma against a German salient in the vicinity of Moscow, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" for...
- Operation Mars
Operation Mars
Operation Mars was the codename for the Rzhev offensive operation part of the Rzhev-Vyazma strategic offensive operation launched by Soviet forces against German forces during World War II. It took place between 25 November and 20 December 1942 in a salient in the vicinity of Moscow...
in 1942. General Major V. A. Yushkevich again took command in April 1942, after previously commanding the army in August-October 1941. 3rd Mechanised Corps
3rd Mechanised Corps (Soviet Union)
The 20th Motor Rifle Division is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces, originally formed within the Soviet Red Army as the 3rd Mechanised Corps....
under General Major M. Ye. Katukov joined the Army in September 1942 when it was formed, though it was later reassigned.
The Army's task as part of Operation Mars was as part of what in Soviet parlance was the 'Bely Offensive Operation in conjunction with 39th Army
39th Army (Soviet Union)
The 39th Army was a Field Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army formed on 15 November 1941 in the Arkhangelsk Military District, in accordance with a directive issued by the Stavka on 2 November 1941...
. Spearheaded by the 3rd Mechanised Corps, the army was tasked to: 'advance eastward up the Luchesa River valley, pierce the German defenses, assist in the capture of Bely, and encircle German forces around Olenino
Olenino
Olenino is an urban locality and the administrative center of Oleninsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Tver on the federal "Baltic" highway . Population:...
in conjunction with 39th Army.' 'Early on 25 November, 22nd Army, with over 50,000 men and 270 tanks of 3rd Mechanised Corps, assaulted eastward up the Luchesa River valley. Attacking along a narrow corridor flanked by forests and frozen swamps, Soviet forces tore a gaping hole through German defences and drove German forces eastward up the valley. General Yushkevich's attack was spearheaded by Colonel I. V. Karpov's 238th Rifle Division and two regiments of Colonel M. F. Andryushenko's 185th Rifle Division, supported by a tank brigade of General Katukov's mechanised corps. The combined force routed a regiment of the German 86th Infantry Division and punctured the German front.'
In 1943, the Army fought as part of the North-Western Front
North-Western Front
The Northwestern Front was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-created on June 22, 1941, the first day of the Soviet-German War on the basis of the Baltic Special Military...
since April 21, then from October 13 as part of the Baltic Front, which became 2nd Baltic Front on October 20, 1943. 22nd Army defended the river Lovat, and participated in operations at Kholm
Kholm
Kholm is a town and the administrative center of Kholmsky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Lovat and Kunya Rivers, north of Toropets, southwest of Staraya Russa, and south of Veliky Novgorod. Population:...
, Velikiye Luki, Leningrad-Novgorod, Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Veliky Novgorod. It is a wharf on the Polist River in the Lake Ilmen basin. It serves as the administrative center of Starorussky District, although administratively it is not a part of it...
–Novorzhev
Novorzhev
Novorzhev is a town and the administrative center of Novorzhevsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located southeast of Pskov, on the Sorot River. Population: Town status was granted to it during Catherine the Great's municipal reform of 1777....
, and Rezhitsa–Dvina
Dvina
Dvina may refer to:* Daugava river, also known as "Western Dvina", a river in Russia, Belarus, and Latvia.* Northern Dvina, a river in northern Russia.* R-12 Dvina, a theatre ballistic missile from the Soviet Union....
. It then took part in the Riga Offensive Operation, part of the Baltic Offensive. Since October 1944, together with the other armies of the Front it carried out the blockade of the German Army Group Courland
Army Group Courland
Army Group Courland was a German Army Group on the Eastern Front which was created from remnants of the Army Group North, isolated in the Courland peninsula by the advancing Soviet Army forces during the 1944 Baltic Offensive of the Second World War. The army group remained isolated until the end...
in the Courland Pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
. One of the Army's rifle corps was the Latvian 130th Rifle Corps that included two rifle divisions in which served a large number of Latvians in their ranks who would soon be facing their opposites in the Latvian 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
The 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS was an Infantry Division of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was the second Latvian division formed in January 1944, after its sister unit, the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS...
.
Immediately after the war ended, its HQ along with the 109th Rifle Division arrived in the South Ukraine in May 1945. In the Northern summer of 1945, together with the headquarters of the Separate Coastal Army
Separate Coastal Army
The Separate Coastal Army was an army-level unit in the Red Army that fought in the World War II. It was ordered to be established on July 18, 1941 by the order of the Southern Front from the forces of 9th Army’s Coastal Group and was stood up on July 20, 1941....
, located in the Crimea, it was reorganised as the new but short-lived Tavricheskiy Military District.
Its wartime commanders were:
- F. A. Yershakov (June — August 1941), Lieutenant General;
- V. A. Yushkevich (August-October, 19th 1941, April-December 1942 and March 1943-April 1944), General-Major, since March 1943 General-Lieutenant; Yushkevich went on to command 31st Army, and after the war, the Odessa Military DistrictOdessa Military DistrictThe Odessa Military District was a military administrative division of the Imperial Russian military, the Soviet Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was known under such name from around 1862 to 1998. It was reorganized as part of the Military of Ukraine and the Military of Moldova in...
briefly) - V. I. Vostrukhov (on October, 20th 1941 - March 1942), Major General;
- D. M. Seleznev (December 1942 - March 1943), Major General;
- G. P. Korotkov (April 1944 - May 1945), Lieutenant General.
Post Cold War
The 22nd Army Headquarters was reformed from the previous 13th Army Corps in the early 1990s in the Moscow Military DistrictMoscow Military District
The Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:In the beginning of...
at Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. Initially it controlled the 31st Tank Division, withdrawn from the Central Group of Forces
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces was a Soviet military formation used to control Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945-55 and troops stationed in Czechoslovakia after the Prague Spring of 1968....
in Czechoslovakia and the 47th Guards Tank Division formerly from the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany , also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany and the Western Group of Forces were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany....
, as well as the 166th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (Tver
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
)(which was formerly the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Division with the Northern Group of Forces
Northern Group of Forces
The Northern Group of Forces was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fall of Soviet Union...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), the 211th Artillery Brigade, the 918th Multiple Rocket Launcher Regiment, (both at Mulino
Mulino (settlement), Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
Mulino is a settlement in Volodarsky District of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Population: Dialing code: +7 83136. Postal code: 606083....
) and two helicopter regiments. However, manpower levels were low; the tank divisions were reported to be at an establishment of 2,193 each and the 166th Motor Rifle Brigade at 3,638.
By June 1998 the two tank divisions had been merged as the new 3rd Motor Rifle Division
3rd Motor Rifle Division
The Soviet Army's 3rd Rifle Division was an infantry division active from 1921 to 1946 and from 1955 to 1956. It was formed 5 June 1921 in the Ukraine Military District. It appears that Order No. № 724/284 created the division from the 3rd and 46th Separate Rifle Brigades. At the beginning of...
, and the new division was designated at as 'constant readiness' formation, to be maintained at at least 80% strength. Also, the 166th Motor Rifle Brigade has now been reduced to a storage base as the 70th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (VkhVT).
Composition in 2000s
- Headquarters - Nizhny NovgorodNizhny NovgorodNizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
- 3rd Motor Rifle Division - MulinoMulino (settlement), Nizhny Novgorod OblastMulino is a settlement in Volodarsky District of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Population: Dialing code: +7 83136. Postal code: 606083....
(Nizhny Novgorod) - 50th Missile Brigade - ShuyaShuyaShuya is the third largest town in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia; located on the Teza River. Population: -History:The first record of Shuya is dated by 1393. Since 1403, the area was held by a branch of the House of Suzdal, which got their name "Shuysky" after the town. In 1539, the town was sacked by...
- 211th Artillery Brigade — Mulino
- 5th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade5th Anti-Aircraft Rocket BrigadeThe 5th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade is an air defence brigade of the 22nd Army, Moscow Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is located in the city of Shuya, Ivanovo Oblast....
- ShuyaShuyaShuya is the third largest town in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia; located on the Teza River. Population: -History:The first record of Shuya is dated by 1393. Since 1403, the area was held by a branch of the House of Suzdal, which got their name "Shuysky" after the town. In 1539, the town was sacked by... - 918th MLRSMultiple rocket launcherA multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
Regiment — Mulino - other auxiliary brigades and regiments
- 3rd Motor Rifle Division - Mulino
The army headquarters was disbanded in 2010 as part of wider reforms of the Russian Ground Forces, and it appears HQ 20th Guards Army is moving to its previous facilities in the Nizhy Novogorod area.