29th Army (Soviet Union)
Encyclopedia
The Soviet 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...

's 29th Army was a field army
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 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 later 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...

.

History

It was first formed in July 1941 in 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...

 on the basis of 30th Rifle Corps. The 245th, 252nd, 254th and 256th Rifle Divisions, and a number of smaller units made up the Army. It joined the Front of reserve armies
Soviet Reserve Front
The Reserve Front was a Front, or roughly Army group-sized military formation, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.-First Formation:...

 and conducted defensive works at Staraya Russa, Demyansk
Demyansk
Demyansk is an urban locality and the administrative center of Demyansky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located along the Yavon River. Population:...

, Ostashkov, Selizharovo
Selizharovo
Selizharovo is an urban locality and the administrative center of Selizharovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia situated at the confluence of the Selizharovka and the Volga Rivers. Population:...

. It was reassigned on July 21, 1941 to 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...

, and with Western Front it took part 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...

, conducted defensive fights in area to the south of the city of Toropets
Toropets
Toropets is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomeno. Population: -History:...

 and on left I protect Volga on a site Rzhev, Staritsa
Staritsa
Staritsa is a town and the administrative center of Staritsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River, from Tver. Population: -History:...

. 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 17 of 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...

 it participated in the defense of Kalinin, and the Kalinin, Rzhev–Vyazma 1942, and Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive operations (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...

). From the end of August 1942 the army defended occupied boundaries on the left bank of the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...

. In the beginning of February, 1943 the Army's units were transferred to Fifth Army and 20th Army, and the headquarters was reorganised as headquarters First Tank Army
Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army
The 1st Tank Army was a Soviet armoured formation that fought as part of the Red Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. The army was commanded throughout most of the war by Mikhail Katukov...

.

Commanders

The commanders of the 29th Army were:
  • General-lieutenant I. I. Maslennikov
    Ivan Maslennikov
    Ivan Ivanovich Maslennikov , General of the Army, was a Soviet military and NKVD commander of Army and Front level during World War II. A career Red Army officer, Maslennikov was transferred to NKVD system in 1928, and remained there until the German invasion of 1941, progressing from a...

     (July 4 1941 – December 11, 1941)
  • General-major V. I. Shvetsov (December 12, 1941 – September 1942)
  • General-major Zhuravlyov (September 1942 – January 1943)

Reformation

It appears the Army HQ was reformed in 1968-9 in the Transbaikal Military District
Transbaikal Military District
The Transbaikal Military District was a military district of first the Military of the Soviet Union and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on May 17, 1935 and included the Buryat Republic, Chita Oblast, and Yakutia. Chita was the headquarters of the district...

 as part of the response to what was perceived as an increasing threat from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. In 1981 the 91st Motor Rifle Division was formed at Nizhneudinsk
Nizhneudinsk
Nizhneudinsk is a town in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Uda River , northwest of Irkutsk. It stands on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and is served by a small airport, ICAO code UINN. Population: 39,700 ....

, and was relocated to Bratsk
Bratsk
Bratsk is a city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River near the vast Bratsk Reservoir. Population: Although the name sounds like the Russian word for 'brother' , it actually comes from 'bratskiye lyudi', an old name for the Buryats.-History:The first Europeans in the area arrived...

 in 1986. The 91st MRD became a territorial education centre in 1987, and 5209 VKhVT in 1989. The 29th Army was active until 1992, when it was downgraded to an Army Corps, but then was reformed from 57th Army Corps at Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga...

 in 2004, and was active in the Siberian Military District
Siberian Military District
The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.- History :...

 until 2007, when it was apparently again disbanded. Its units in July 2003 included 5th Guards Tank Division
5th Guards Tank Division
The 5th Guards Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Ground Forces and Russian Ground Forces, active from around 1945 to 2009. It drew its heritage from a illustrious Soviet World War II cavalry formation, the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps...

, the recently reformed 245th Motor Rifle Division
245th Motor Rifle Division
The 245th Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Army and later the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1967 to 1997 and later from 2001 to 2006.On 31 August 1967 in the city of Kursk the 245th Motor Rifle Division was formed...

 at Gusinoozyorsk
Gusinoozyorsk
Gusinoozyorsk is a town and the administrative center of Selenginsky District of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the northeastern shore of Lake Gusinoye, southwest of Ulan-Ude. Population: 13,800 .-History:...

, and the 11th Air Assault Brigade.

29th Army was reformed once again in 2010-2011, with confirmation coming with a Kremlin decree of 9 January 2011 naming the army's commander. General-Major Aleksandr Vladimirovich Romanchuk, named Commander, 29th Army, was relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 41st Army.
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