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Army (Soviet Army)
Encyclopedia
An army, besides the generalized meanings of ‘a country's armed forces
’ or its ‘land forces
’, is a type of formation in militaries of various countries, including the Soviet Union
. This article serves a central point of reference for Soviet armies without individual articles, and explains some of the differences between Soviet armies and their U.S. and British counterparts.
During the Russian Civil War
, most Soviet armies consisted of independent rifle and cavalry divisions, and corps were rare. During World War II
, ordinary Soviet armies initially consisted of a number of rifle corps
. In the emergency of June 1941
it was found that inexperienced commanders had difficulty controlling armies with subordinate corps, and they were abolished, to be recreated later in the war. Thus Soviet High Command's (Stavka
's) Circular 01, of July 15, 1941, directed several changes to Red Army force structure, including the elimination of rifle corps headquarters and subordination of rifle divisions directly to rifle army headquarters. Following the Second World War, an army was reorganised with four or five divisions, often equivalent to a corps
in the militaries of other countries. During a war, an Army of the Soviet military was typically subordinated to a front
. In peacetime, an army was usually subordinated to a military district
.
, the 27th Army was a massive organization with nine rifle divisions, an artillery division, and four attached Romanian infantry divisions. The 40th Army, by comparison, had only five rifle divisions. Both armies were part of the Second Ukrainian Front
.
Special titles given to Soviet armies included red banner army, following the award of the Order of the Red Banner
and shock army. The famous image of the flag over the Reichstag was of men from the 3rd Shock Army
's 150th Rifle Division. In accordance with prewar planning that saw shock armies as special penetration formations, the 1st Shock Army
was formed in November–December 1941 to spearhead the December counteroffensive north of Moscow. A total of five shock armies were formed by the winter campaigns of 1942–43, the 2nd (former 26th Army), 3rd, and 4th (the former 27th Army). During the Stalingrad counteroffensive the 5th Shock Army was the last such formation formed. The 2nd Shock Army
was reformed three times, most famously after being encircled
in the Lyuban operation south of Leningrad, after which its commander, General Andrey Vlasov
, went over to the German side.
Armies which distinguished themselves in combat
during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 often became Guards
armies. These included the 8th Guards Army
.
As World War II went on, the complement of supporting units attached to a Soviet army became larger and more complex. By 1945, a Soviet army typically had attached mortar, antitank, anti-aircraft, howitzer, gun–howitzer, rocket launcher, independent tank, self-propelled gun, armored train, flamethrower, and engineer-sapper units. In particular, the ratio of artillery pieces to riflemen increased as the war went on, reflecting the Soviet need for increased firepower as manpower reserves began to decline after staggering infantry losses.
From the Soviet Air Force
, air armies
were attached to fronts. They were made up of two to three aviation corps. The 16th Air Army is one of the longest serving, still active today in the Moscow Military District
.
armies (obshchevoyskovyye armiyi), sometimes translated during the early Cold War as all-arm
s armies.
and mechanised corps
. Guards tank armies were made up of a number of Guards tank and mechanised corps.
formed ten reserve armies in mid-1942 to bolster the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK).
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
’ or its ‘land forces
Land Forces
Land Forces may refer to:*Ground Forces*Land Forces, a British Army command*Canadian Forces Land Force Command, a Canadian Forces command*Romanian Land Forces, the Romanian Army...
’, is a type of formation in militaries of various countries, including the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. This article serves a central point of reference for Soviet armies without individual articles, and explains some of the differences between Soviet armies and their U.S. and British counterparts.
During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, most Soviet armies consisted of independent rifle and cavalry divisions, and corps were rare. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, ordinary Soviet armies initially consisted of a number of rifle corps
Rifle corps (Soviet)
A rifle corps was a Soviet military organization of the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.Unlike army corps formed by Germany...
. In the emergency of June 1941
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
it was found that inexperienced commanders had difficulty controlling armies with subordinate corps, and they were abolished, to be recreated later in the war. Thus Soviet High Command's (Stavka
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
's) Circular 01, of July 15, 1941, directed several changes to Red Army force structure, including the elimination of rifle corps headquarters and subordination of rifle divisions directly to rifle army headquarters. Following the Second World War, an army was reorganised with four or five divisions, often equivalent to a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
in the militaries of other countries. During a war, an Army of the Soviet military was typically subordinated to a front
Front (Soviet Army)
A front was a major military organization in the Soviet Army during many wars. It was roughly equivalent to an army group in the militaries of most other countries except Germany...
. In peacetime, an army was usually subordinated to a military district
Military district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
.
History
There were large variations in structure and size. For example, in the October 1944 Battle of DebrecenBattle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
, the 27th Army was a massive organization with nine rifle divisions, an artillery division, and four attached Romanian infantry divisions. The 40th Army, by comparison, had only five rifle divisions. Both armies were part of the Second Ukrainian Front
Steppe Front
The Steppe Front and later the 2nd Ukrainian Front was a Front , effectively an Army group sized formation, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
.
Special titles given to Soviet armies included red banner army, following the award of the Order of the Red Banner
Order of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
and shock army. The famous image of the flag over the Reichstag was of men from the 3rd Shock Army
3rd Shock Army (Soviet Union)
The 3rd Shock Army was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The 'Shock' armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and artillery assets than other combined arms armies...
's 150th Rifle Division. In accordance with prewar planning that saw shock armies as special penetration formations, the 1st Shock Army
1st Shock Army
The 1st Shock Army was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II.The 1st Shock Army was created in late 1941 and fought in the northern areas of Russia and the Baltic States until the defeat of Germany in 1945...
was formed in November–December 1941 to spearhead the December counteroffensive north of Moscow. A total of five shock armies were formed by the winter campaigns of 1942–43, the 2nd (former 26th Army), 3rd, and 4th (the former 27th Army). During the Stalingrad counteroffensive the 5th Shock Army was the last such formation formed. The 2nd Shock Army
2nd Shock Army
The 2nd Shock Army was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to overcome difficult defensive dispositions in order to create a tactical penetration of sufficient breadth and...
was reformed three times, most famously after being encircled
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
in the Lyuban operation south of Leningrad, after which its commander, General Andrey Vlasov
Andrey Vlasov
Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov or Wlassow was a Russian Red Army general who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early career:...
, went over to the German side.
Armies which distinguished themselves in combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 often became Guards
Guards unit
Guards units are elite units and formations in the armed forces of the former Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in service, and are considered to have elite status. The Guards designation originated during the...
armies. These included the 8th Guards Army
Soviet 8th Guards Army
The Soviet 8th Guards Army was an army of the Soviet Union's Red Army/Soviet Army, disbanded in the early 1990s.Activated in October 1941 as the 7th Reserve Army, the Army was redesignated the 62nd Army at Stalingrad in July 1942...
.
From the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
, air armies
Air Army (Soviet Union)
An air army was a type of formation of the Soviet Air Forces from 1936 until its dissolution in 1991. Air armies continued to be used in the successor Russian Air Force until 2009....
were attached to fronts. They were made up of two to three aviation corps. The 16th Air Army is one of the longest serving, still active today 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...
.
Regular armies
| Army | Notes |
|---|---|
| First Army | 1st Formation fought in Ukraine, Spring 1918. 2nd Formation fought on the eastern front. |
| Second Army | 1st Formation fought in Ukraine, Spring 1918. 2nd Formation fought on the eastern front. |
| Third Army | 1st Formation fought in Ukraine, Spring 1918. 2nd Formation fought on the eastern front. 3rd Formation fought on the western front, 1920. |
| Fourth Army | 1st Formation fought in Ukraine, Spring 1918. 2nd Formation fought on the eastern front. 3rd Formation fought on the western front, 1920. 4th Formation fought on the southern front, 1920. |
| Fifth Army | 1st Formation fought in Ukraine, Spring 1918. 2nd Formation fought on the eastern front. |
| Sixth Army | 1st Formation fought on the Northern Front, south of Archangelsk. 2nd Formation fought on the Southern Front, during the defeat of Wrangel. |
| Seventh Army | Defended Petrograd in the Western Front. |
| Eighth Army 8th Army (Soviet Union) The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. The 8th Army was a field... |
Fought on the Southern Front. |
| Ninth Army | Fought in the Southern, Southeastern, and Caucasian Fronts. |
| 10th Army 10th Army (Soviet Union) The 10th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a field army active from 1939 to 1944.The Army was formed in September 1939 in the Moscow Military District, and then deployed to the Western Special Military District... |
Fought in the Southern, Southeastern, and Caucasian Fronts. |
| 11th Army | Formed from the Red Army of the Northern Caucasus and fought in the Southern, Southeastern, and Caucasian Fronts. |
| 12th Army 12th Army (Soviet Union) The Soviet Union's 12th Army was a field army formed multiple times during the Russian Civil War and World War II.-Civil War & Polish-Soviet War:... |
1st Formation was formed from the Red Army of the Northern Caucasus. 2nd Formation was formed from the 1st & 3rd Ukrainian Red Armies and fought in the Western, Southern, and Southwestern Fronts. |
| 13th Army 13th Army (Soviet Union) The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War... |
First formed from Group Kozhevnikov during Russian Civil War Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a... and fought in the Southern, Southwestern, and again Southern Fronts. |
| 14th Army 14th Army (Soviet Union) The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included... |
First formed during the Russian Civil War Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a... from the Latvian Red Army and fought on the Western Front. |
| 15th Army | First formed during Russian Civil War Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a... from the 2nd Ukrainian Red Army and the Crimean Red Army and fought in the Southern and Southwestern Fronts. |
| 16th Army 16th Army (Soviet Union) The 16th Army was a Soviet field army active from 1940 to 1945.-First Formation, 16th Army:Before Operation Barbarossa, HQ 16th Army was formed in July 1940 in the Transbaikal Military District . General Lieutenant М. F. Лукин took command... |
First formed during the Russian Civil War Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a... from the Lithuanian-Belorussian Red Army and fought on the Western Front. |
| Red Army of the Northern Caucasus | In the Caucasus, 1918. |
| Ukrainian Red Army | later divided into 1st-3rd Ukrainian Red Armies. |
| 1st Ukrainian Red Army | Fought west of Kiev/Kyiv, 1919. |
| 2nd Ukrainian Red Army | Fought east of Yekaterinoslav/Katerynoslav, 1919. |
| 3rd Ukrainian Red Army | Fought near Odessa/Odesa, 1919. |
| Crimean Red Army | In the Crimea, 1919. |
| Latvian Red Army | In Latvia, 1919. |
| Lithuanian-Belorussian Red Army | In Lithuania and Belarus, 1919. |
Combined arms armies
There were 79 Combined Arms army headquarters created during the Second World War, with 16 permanently disbanded during the war, and over 20 converted to other army, Front or military district headquarters. After World War II, Soviet armies were known as combined armsCombined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
armies (obshchevoyskovyye armiyi), sometimes translated during the early Cold War as all-arm
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
s armies.
| Army | Date Formed | Date Disbanded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Red Banner Army | July 1938 | ? | Formed in Red Banner Far East MD in July 1938 as 1st Coastal (or Maritime) Army, redesignated finally as 1st Red Banner Army in July 1940. Served with Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... . |
| 2nd Red Banner Army | July 1938 | ? | Served with Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... |
| 3rd Army | 1939 | August 1945 | Destroyed June-July 1941 while serving with 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... . Reformed twice and survived entire war and disbanded 1945. |
| 4th Army | August 1939 | Nov 1943? | Started war as part of 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... . HQ 4th Army on 23 July 1941 became HQ, Central Front Soviet Central Front The Central Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war... . Reformed from HQ 34th Army January 1944. |
| 5th Army | 1939 | Still active | HQ officially disbanded 25 September 1941. Reformed October within Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... , took part in many operations, including the invasion of Manchuria in the Far East. Still active within 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... . |
| 6th Army 6th Army (Soviet Union) The 6th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army formed four times during World War II and active with the Russian Ground Forces up until 1998... |
August 1939 | ? | Part of Soviet Southwestern Front Soviet Southwestern Front The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several... on the outbreak of war. 10 August 1941 headquarters disbanded. Reformed twice in 1941 and twice again in 1942. |
| 7th Army 7th Army (Soviet Union) The Soviet Red Army's 7th Army first saw action in the 1939-40 Winter War against Finland. In November 1939, just before the initial Soviet attack, it consisted of the 19th Rifle Corps , 50th Rifle Corps , 10th Tank Corps, 138th Rifle Division, and an independent tank brigade... |
1940 | 1944/5 | 18 December 1944 headquarters redesignated HQ 9th Guards Army (Other information indicates that 9 Guards Army was formed from HQ Separate Airborne Army in January 1945) Stationed in Austria as part of 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.... briefly after the war, in 1946 it comprised three rifle corps totalling nine divisions. |
| 8th Army 8th Army (Soviet Union) The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. The 8th Army was a field... |
October 1939 | 1945 | Formed from the Novgorod army group of the Leningrad Military District Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:... in October 1939. Part of Baltic Military District Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.... since summer 1940. Survived entire war and disbanded in September 1945 (July?), becoming HQ Western 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 :... at Novosibirsk Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District... . |
| 9th Army 9th Army (Soviet Union) The 9th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a Soviet field army, active from 1939 – 43, and then after the war from 1966 to 1989.It was active during the Winter War against Finland as part of the Leningrad Military District, beginning operations at the end of November 1939 under ComKor M.P.... |
June 1941 | October 1943 | Army HQ was formed from the Odessa Military District Odessa Military District The 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... . In the summer of 1940 it took part in the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Started the war in the Odessa Military District, which became Southern Front Southern Front The Southern Front is a geographical area where armies are engaged in conflict* The Soviet Southern Front was one of the Soviet Fronts in WWII*Southern Front... . HQ disbanded 29 October 1943. |
| 10th Army 10th Army (Soviet Union) The 10th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a field army active from 1939 to 1944.The Army was formed in September 1939 in the Moscow Military District, and then deployed to the Western Special Military District... |
1939 | 1944 | Formed in September 1939 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... and deployed to the Western Special MD. Took part in 1939 invasion of Poland. On June 22, 1941 part of 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... . Destroyed by German forces. HQ officially disbanded 5 July 1941. Reformed three times in 1941. |
| 11th Army | 1939 | December 1943 | Part of 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... on outbreak of war. HQ disbanded 18 December 1943. |
| 12th Army 12th Army (Soviet Union) The Soviet Union's 12th Army was a field army formed multiple times during the Russian Civil War and World War II.-Civil War & Polish-Soviet War:... |
1939 | November 1943 | Formerly the Southern Cavalry-Mechanized Army Group of the Kiev Special MD. Since the autumn of 1939 at some points the Army was 'known' as the '1st Horse Army', recalling the Civil War glories of that formation. It started the war within Soviet Southwestern Front Soviet Southwestern Front The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several... . HQ disbanded 10 August 1941 after the Army was caught in an encirclement south of Kiev along with the 6th and 18th Armies. Reformed twice in 1941 and reformed again by conversion of previous 5th Tank Army in mid April 1943. |
| 13th Army 13th Army (Soviet Union) The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War... |
Civil War | Circa 1991? | Started World War II with 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... . Survived not only entire war, but also entire Cold War up to dissolution of USSR. Still serving with Ukrainian Ground Forces Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces are the land force component of the Military of Ukraine. They were formed from Soviet Army formations, units, and establishments, including three military districts , that were on Ukrainian soil when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990-92.Between the fall of the USSR and... as 13th Army Corps. |
| 14th Army 14th Army (Soviet Union) The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included... |
Civil War(?) | 1950s? | In World War II, formerly the Murmanskaya Operative Group of the Leningrad Military District Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:... . It was upgraded to Army status in October 1939. After the end of Winter War Winter War The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty... , it remained in the Kola peninsula, coming under the command of the Belomorsky Military District and having two rifle corps. Carried out 1944 Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation The Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmachts forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway, and was called the "Tenth Shock" by... under Karelian Front Karelian Front The Karelian Front was a Front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.- Wartime :... , probably including 45th Rifle Division 45th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) The 45th Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division formed originally during the Russian Civil War that fought in World War II and then served through the Cold War in the Leningrad Military District.... . 31 July 1945 HQ disbanded and personnel used to fill out HQ, Belomorsky Military District Belomorsky Military District The Belomorsky Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, active from in the immediate aftermath of the Russian Civil War and just after the Second World War.... . The Army may have been re-established in 1947 with 121st Rifle Corps(?) and 1222nd Artillery Regiment. According to some data, there were plans for its use in Chukotia and, in the case of war, landing in Alaska. It was probably disbanded in the middle 1950s. |
| 15th Army | 1918-19 | Circa 1991? | In World War II, the headquarters was formed in July, 1940 within the Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... on the basis of HQ 20th Rifle Corps. After the end of the war and the completion of the invasion of Manchuria, 15th Army was immediately relocated to Kamchatka and the Kuriles. Its composition after the crushing defeat of Japan was changed substantially. It comprised 2 rifle corps (8 divisions) and two fortified regions. |
| 16th Army 16th Army (Soviet Union) The 16th Army was a Soviet field army active from 1940 to 1945.-First Formation, 16th Army:Before Operation Barbarossa, HQ 16th Army was formed in July 1940 in the Transbaikal Military District . General Lieutenant М. F. Лукин took command... |
14 July 1941 | 1943 | Before Operation Barbarossa, HQ 16th Army was formed in July, 1940 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... (uniting the forces deployed in Dauriya (Даурии). In June, 1941 it was relocated (with six Trans-Baikalian divisions) to Ukraine and subordinated to the Kiev Special MD. HQ disbanded 8 August 1941 after encirclement just west of Smolensk Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk... as part of 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... . Reformed three times in 1941; under Bagramyan's leadership, the 16th Army performed so well during the February 1943 Bryansk offensive that the Army was redesignated the 11th Guards Army. Later briefly formed in the Far East in 1945. |
| 17th Army 17th Army (Soviet Union) The 17th Army of the Red Army was a Soviet field army. It was formed from the 1st Army Group of the Transbaikal Military District on 21 July 1940 . From 1941 to 1945, the army assumed a general defensive posture, including within Mongolia... |
June 1940 | 1945/46 | Formed from the 1st Army Group of 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... (Lenskii 2001). During the invasion of Manchuria 17th Army included 209th Rifle Division, 278th Rifle Division, 284th Rifle Division, the 70th and 82nd Separate Tank Battalions, and other artillery and tank destroyer units. It ended its existence four months after the end of the war with Japan. |
| 18th Army 18th Army (Soviet Union) The 18th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was formed on 21 June 1941 on the basis of HQ Kharkov Military District and armies of the Kiev Special Military District.The Army's commander in 1941 was General-Leitenant Andrew Kirilovych Smirnov... |
25 June 1941 | May 1946 | The Army HQ was formed from Headquarters Kharkov Military District, and taking six divisions under command it joined the Southern Front. The Army HQ was destroyed in the Battle of Uman Battle of Uman The Battle of Uman was the German and allied encirclement of the 6th and 12th The Battle of Uman (15 July–8 August 1941) was the German and allied encirclement of the 6th (General Lieutenant I.N. Muzyrchenko) and 12th The Battle of Uman (15 July–8 August 1941) was the German and allied... . Reformed, took part in 1943 Kerch-Eltigen Operation Kerch-Eltigen Operation The Kerch–Eltigen Operation was a World War II amphibious offensive made in November 1943 by the Red Army as a precursor to the Crimean Offensive with the object of defeating and forcing the withdrawal of the German forces from the Crimea... . It became after the war a Mountain Army in the territory of the Carpathian Military District Carpathian Military District The Carpathian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.Two... and North Bukovina, where it was disbanded in May 1946. Some of its elements were used to form HQ 8 Mechanised Army. |
| 19th Army 19th Army (Soviet Union) The 19th Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, formed in 1941 and active during the Second World War. It was disbanded in 1945 or 1947.-First Formation:... |
2 July 1941 | 1947 | The Army HQ was formed from HQ North Caucasus Military District North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.... ; under instruction from the General Staff it was moved to Cherkassy in Ukraine with five North-Caucasian divisions as the "operative group of the NCMD staff". It was then included in the Main Command reserve. The Army HQ formally disbanded 20 October 1941, after having been wiped out in the Vyazma Pocket, along with various formations under its command, including the 89th Rifle Division, first formation. Reformed three times in 1941, and after the war remained in Poland until 1947, having two Guards Rifle Corps containing six divisions. |
| 20th Army 20th Army (Soviet Union) The 20th Army was a field army of the Red Army that fought during the Great Patriotic War.-First formation:The Army was first formed in the Orel Military District in June 1941... |
June 1941 | 20 October 1941 | HQ 20 Army, formed from the Оrel MD staff, was moved to Smolensk by 25 June 1941 and brought into the Main Command reserve. The Army HQ was disbanded having been encircled and destroyed in the Vyazma Pocket. Reformed November 1941 for the Battle of Moscow Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of... , comprising 331st and 350th Rifle Divisions, and three separate brigades. Fought as part of the Western Front. In 1942-43 it operated on the Rzhev-Sychevka bridgehead, and took part in the Rzhev-Vyazma offensive operation. In 1944 it became part of the Stavka Stavka Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union... Reserve and was then reassigned to 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... and Leningrad Front Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:... . It was disbanded in April 1944 by being dispersed within the formations of 3rd Baltic Front 3rd Baltic Front The 3rd Baltic Front was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was set up on 21 April 1944 and disbanded on 16 October that year after taking part in the occupation of the Baltic states by the USSR in summer and autumn 1944.... . |
| 21st Army 21st Army (Soviet Union) -June to September 1941:21st Army was a part of the Second Operational Echelon of the RKKA. It was formed from the forces of the Volga Military District in May 1941 and was initially based on 63rd Rifle Corps and 66th Rifle Corps. The army was under the command of Lieutenant-General Vasilii... |
2 July 1941 | 16 April 1943 | Formed from HQ Volga Military District, the Army HQ had moved up to Chernigov by 25 June 1941, joining the Main command reserve. HQ awarded 'Guards' status and renumbered to HQ 6th Guards Army on 16 April 1943. |
| 22nd Army 22nd Army (Soviet Union) 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.... |
June 1941 | August 1945 | Formed from HQ Ural MD, on General Staff instructions the 22nd Army joined the Main command reserve in June 1941. After disbandment HQ personnel were used to form HQ, Tavricheskii Military District in the Crimea Crimea Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name... . 109th Rifle Corps arrived with the Army HQ. REformed in 1990s and still active with 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... . |
| 23rd Army 23rd Army (Soviet Union) The 23rd Army was a Field Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army. It was formed in May 1941 in the Leningrad Military District for the defence of the southernmost part of the Soviet Union's border with Finland, north and northeast of Vyborg... |
May 1941 | Late 1950s(?) | Survived the entire war within the Leningrad Military District Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:... . Began war in the Northern Front consisting of 19th and 50th Rifle Corps and 10th Mechanised Corps. It was disbanded in the period of reductions (in the late 1950s?). |
| 24th Army | 15 July 1941 | 1943 | The army headquarters, formed from Headquarters 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 :... ; under General Staff instructions of 25.06.41 arrived on 28.06.41 at Vyazma Vyazma Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow... , accepting on arrival in this area six Siberian rifle divisions of the high command reserve. Involved in the Yelnya Offensive Yelnya Offensive The Soviet Army's Yelnya Offensive operation was part of the Battle of Smolensk during the initial period of the German-Soviet War.... , August-September 1941. HQ disbanded 10 October 1941, having been destroyed in the Vyazma Pocket. Reformed again, then redesignated as HQ 58th Army on August 28, 1942; Soon afterwards reformed again from 9th Reserve Army and ended up in the Stalingrad area. Then redesignated 4th Guards Army on 16 April 1943 (Glantz, 2005, p. 511), or May 1943 (Perechen) |
| 25th Army | January 1941 | 1955 | Formed in the Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... on the basis of HQ 43rd Rifle Corps Rifle corps (Soviet) A rifle corps was a Soviet military organization of the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.Unlike army corps formed by Germany... (in Primorski Krai). In June 1941 comprised 39th Rifle Corps with 32nd Rifle Division 32nd Rifle Division The 32nd Rifle Division was first raised in 1934 at Vladivostok and organized as a Siberian Rifle Division. The division initially served Far Eastern Military District as part of the 39th Rifle Corps. It took part in a number of border skirmishes on the Manchurian border near Lake Khasan... , 40th, and 92nd Rifle Divisions, plus 105th Rifle Division as Army troops. Immediately after the end of the war with Japan it included two rifle corps (6 divisions) and 8 fortified regions, but they were all reorganised in 1946 into machine-gun artillery divisions. Took part in Soviet move into northern Korea immediately after World War II had ended, and was headquartered at Pyongyang Pyongyang Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was... for a period. It was situated within what may have been the Maritime Province Military District up to 1955, covering boundary with Korea and China, when it was disbanded. |
| 26th Army 26th Army (Soviet Union) The 26th Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, active from 1941.- Operational history :... |
July 1940 | 1947 | HQ formed in July, 1940 in the Kiev Special Military District. The Army HQ was officially disbanded 25 September 1941 after Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Kiev (1941) The Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It is considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. The operation ran from 23 August – 26 September 1941 as part of Operation... . Reformed three times in 1941, on 12 October from 1st Guards Special Rifle Corps 1st Guards Special Rifle Corps The 1st Guards Special Rifle Corps was a hastily formed Red Army blocking formation active briefly in 1941, during the German advance on Moscow.... and at another point after being redesignated HQ 2nd Shock Army; finally disbanded in Romania in 1947. |
| 27th Army 27th Army (Soviet Union) The 27th Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, which fought in World War II. First formed in May 1941. Initial commander was H. E. Berzarin. Took part in battles in the Baltic. On 22 June 1941 it consisted of the 22nd and 24th Rifle Corps, 16th and 67th Rifle Divisions, 3rd Separate... |
May 1941 | ? | HQ formed in May 1941 in the Baltic Special Military District according to Sovnarkom Decision 23.04.41 No.1113-460ßß. Redesignated HQ, 4th Shock Army on 25 December 1941. Reformed, 27th Army was involved in the Battle of Kiev (1943) Battle of Kiev (1943) The 1943 Battle of Kiev describes three strategic operations by the Soviet Red Army, and one operational counterattack by the Wehrmacht which took place in the wake of the failed German offensive at Kursk during World War II... and the Battle of Romania (1944) Battle of Romania (1944) The Jassy–Kishinev Operation, named after the two major cities, Iaşi and Chişinău, in the staging area, was a Soviet offensive against Axis forces, which took place in Eastern Romania from 20–29 August 1944... . |
| 28th Army 28th Army (Soviet Union) The 28th Army was a field army of the Red Army and the Soviet Ground Forces, formed three times in 1941-42 and postwar active for many years in the Belorussian Military District.- First Formation :... |
June 1941 | ? | The Army headquarters was formed in June 1941 from Headquarters Archangelsk Military District, and was sent south, arriving in high command reserve in the Kirov- Bryansk region by the end of the month. |
| 29th Army 29th Army (Soviet Union) The Soviet Red Army's 29th Army was a field army of the Red Army and later the Russian Ground Forces.- History :It was first formed in July 1941 in the Moscow Military District on the basis of 30th Rifle Corps. The 245th, 252nd, 254th and 256th Rifle Divisions, and a number of smaller units made up... |
June 1941 | ? | Formed from 30th Rifle Corps (I Formation), Joined Soviet Reserve Front 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:... on formation. |
| 30th Army 30th Army (Soviet Union) -History:It was formed on 13 July 1941 based on 52nd Rifle Corps as a Stavka Reserve. In the beginning army included 119th Rifle Division, 242nd Rifle Division, 243rd NKVD Rifle Division, 251st NKVD Rifle Division, 51st Tank Division, artillery and other units... |
13 July 1941 | April 1943 | Comprised the 119th, 242nd, 243rd and 251st Rifle Divisions, 51st Tank Division, 43rd Corps Artillery Regiment, 533rd and 758th Anti-tank Regiments on formation. Joined 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... . Took part in Klin-Solnechegorsk offensive operation, 1941. Redesignated 10th Guards Army 16 April 1943. |
| 31st Army | By 10 July 1941 | ? | Comprised the 244th, 246th, 247th and 249th Rifle Divisions initially (Glantz, Stumbling Colossus). Disbanded summer 1945, may have become HQ Lvov Military District (1945-46). |
| 32nd Army | June-July 1941 | 1991 | Joined Reserve Front when formed and then eventually Karelian Front Karelian Front The Karelian Front was a Front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.- Wartime :... . Second Formation established at Semipalatinsk in 1969 on the basis of the 1st Army Corps(?) almost simultaneously with the creation of the Central Asian Military District as a result of the tensions with China. The Army HQ remained in place until 24 September 1981 when it was redesignated 1st Army Corps, and then seven years later 32nd Army was apparently reformed on 27 February 1988. On June 4, 1991, 32nd Army was redesignated 40th Army 40th Army (Soviet Union) The 40th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1945 and then again from 1979 to circa 1990.It was first formed, after Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, had commenced, from elements of the 26th and 37th Armies under the command... . |
| 33rd Army 33rd Army (Soviet Union) The Red Army's 33rd Army was a Soviet field army during the Second World War. It was disbanded by being redesignated HQ Smolensk Military District in 1945.-Initial Operations:... |
30 July 1941 | ? | On formation joined Reserve Front. |
| 34th Army | 30 July 1941 | ? | On formation joined Reserve Front. Initially comprised 245th, 257th, 259th, 262nd Rifle Divisions and 25th and 54th Cavalry Divisions. Disbanded to reform HQ 4th Army January 1944. |
| 35th Army 35th Army (Soviet Union) The 35th Red Banner Army is a field army of the Russian Ground Forces.The 35th Army was originally formed within the Soviet Red Army in July 1941 on the basis of 18th Rifle Corps, and joined the Far Eastern Front. Within Far Eastern Front it comprised 35th, 66th, 78th Rifle Divisions, the 109th... |
June-July 1941 | Still active | Joined Soviet Far East Front Soviet Far East Front The Far Eastern Front was a Front — a formation equivalent to a Western Army Group — of the Soviet Army during the Russian Civil War and the Second World War.... on formation. Within Far East Front comprised 35th, 66th, 78th Rifle Divisions and 109th Fortified Region. |
| 36th Army | July 1941 | Still active | Formed in the Transbaikal Military District on the basis of 12th Rifle Corps, comprising four rifle divisions. In August 1945, reinforced significantly, took part in the Khingan-Mukden offensive operation, part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, as part of the Transbaikal Front Transbaikal Front The Transbaikal Front was a front formed on September 15, 1941 on base of the Transbaikal Military District. Initially, it included the 17th and 36th armies, but in August 1942 the 12th Air Army was added to the front, and, finally, in June-July 1945 the 39th and the 53rd armies, the 6th Guards... . See also soldat.ru forum discussion 31.08.2006. |
| 37th Army | 10 August 1941 | Postwar | Encircled along with the 5th, 21st, and 26th Armies during the Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Kiev (1941) The Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It is considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. The operation ran from 23 August – 26 September 1941 as part of Operation... . Served in southern areas of the Russo-German War. Occupied Bulgaria in 1944 and remained there until the end of the war. Renamed 10th Mechanized Army postwar. |
| 38th Army 38th Army (Soviet Union) The 38th Red Banner Army of was a field army of the Soviet Union that existed between 1941 and 1991.The army headquarters was formed in July 1941 by redesignation of the staff of 8th Mechanised Corps.On 1 May 1945, the army was part of 4th Ukrainian Front... |
4 August 1941 | Circa 1991 | Erickson says Mikhail Kirponos Mikhail Kirponos Mikhail Petrovich Kirponos was a Soviet Ukrainian general of the Red Army. Being accorded the highest military decoration, the Hero of the Soviet Union title, for the skill and courage in commanding a division in the 1939-1940 Finnish campaign, Kirponos is mostly remembered for his crucial role... ordered this Army to form to hold the Cherkassy bridgehead, on the basis of 8th Mechanised Corps, keeping General Ryabyshev Dmitry Ryabyshev Dmitry Ivanovich Ryabyshev , was a Soviet military commander, commander of 8th mechanized corps .- Before World War II :Ryabyshev was born in Kolotovka, , Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 he was a commander of the 42nd Brigade, 14th Division of the 1st Cavalry Army during... as commander. Spent much of the Cold War Cold War The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States... serving as part of the Carpathian Military District Carpathian Military District The Carpathian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.Two... . After the fall of the Soviet Union the Army became part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces are the land force component of the Military of Ukraine. They were formed from Soviet Army formations, units, and establishments, including three military districts , that were on Ukrainian soil when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990-92.Between the fall of the USSR and... and was later redesignated the 38th Army Corps. The Army Corps, formerly headquartered at Ivano-Frankovsk, was disbanded in May 2003, and many of its formations reassigned. |
| 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... |
November 1941 | Circa 1991? | Formed in Archangelsk MD, postwar served for a long period in Mongolia |
| 40th Army 40th Army (Soviet Union) The 40th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1945 and then again from 1979 to circa 1990.It was first formed, after Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, had commenced, from elements of the 26th and 37th Armies under the command... |
August 1941 | ~1990 | Notably served in Afghanistan, 1979 onwards |
| 41st Army 41st Army (Soviet Union) The 41st Army is a field army of the Russian Ground Forces, currently part of the Siberian Military District. Originally, it was formed in 1942 as part of the Soviet Red Army, during World War II... |
May 1942 | Still active | Formed in the Kalinin Front in May 1942 but disbanded in April 1943, its headquarters forming the Reserve Front. Reformed circa 2001? in 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 :... . |
| 42nd Army | 4 August 1941 | Summer 1946 | Formed under Lt Gen F.S. Ivanov, consisting of the 291st Rifle Division and the 2nd and 3rd Leningrad Militia Divisions. Ended its existence on the Baltic coast in 1946. |
| 43rd Army | 31 July 1941 | Summer 1946 | Formed from 33rd Rifle Corps (I Formation). |
| 44th Army | 1 December 1941 | 9 Nov. 1943 | Formed in Transcaucasus Military District. |
| 45th Army | Between June-August 1941 | 1946 | Formed Transcaucasus Military District For almost the entire war it was situated in Iran and ended its existence after return to the USSR. May have become 12th Army Corps in the North Caucasus Military District North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.... circa 1953 (Feskov et al. 2004). |
| 46th Army | 23 Nov. 1941 | Summer 1945 | Formed in the Transcaucasus Military District. |
| 47th Army 47th Army The 47th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1946.The 47th Army was formed in late July 1941 in the Transcaucasian Military District as part of the Soviet Union's border defenses with Iran... |
25 Dec. 1941 | 1947 | Formed Transcaucasus Military District. It was stationed in Halle, Germany until it was disbanded. |
| 48th Army | 7 August 1941 | Formed from Novgorod operational group, ended fighting in East Prussia. In July 1945 убыла из Германии в Поволжье, где на базе ее управления был развернут Казанский округ. С ней прибыли 17-я и 194-я СД, а 73-я СД убыла на Северный Кавказ. | |
| 49th Army | 7 August 1941 | July 1945 | Initial composition included one mountain and three regular rifle divisions, plus a territorial division. Assigned initially to the Reserve Front, then to the Western Front for the defence of Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... . In 1943 it took part in the Rzhev-Vyazma (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... ?) and Smolensk offensive operations. In 1944-45, as part of the 2nd Belorussian Front 2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front was a military formation of Army group size of the Soviet Army during the Second World War... , it took part in the Belorussian Operation. During the Mogilev Offensive, east of Mogilev Mogilev Mogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants... itself, General Robert Martinek Robert Martinek Robert Martinek was an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, the Austrian Bundesheer and, during World War II, in the Wehrmacht Heer, who came to be regarded as one of the most skilled artillerymen of his generation.-Military service:Martinek was born on 2 February... 's XXXIX Panzer Corps (made up of the 31st 31st Infantry Division (Germany) The German 31st Infantry Division, formed in October 1936, was made up of recruits from the Brunswick region of north-central Germany. The division’s emblem was a standing lion. The 31st Division saw combat in Poland in 1939, and then heavy fighting in Belgium and France in 1940... , 12th, 337th 337th Infantry Division (Germany) The 337th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 16 November 1940 in Kempten. The division was destroyed on the Eastern front in July 1944 and formed the stab of Divisionsgruppe 337 on 7 August 1944 which later was the basis of the 337... and 110th German 110th Infantry Division The 110th Infantry division was formed in April 1940 in Lüneburg, Germany under the 11. Armee and was commanded by Generalleutnant Ernst Seifert. Until June 1941 and the commencement of Operation Barbarossa on the 22nd day of that month, it was stationed in Poland... Infantry Divisions) attempted to hold its lines in the face of a ferocious assault by Grishin's 49th Army during which the latter suffered heavy casualties. After Belorussia, East Prussian Offensive East Prussian Offensive The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May... , East Pomeranian Offensive East Pomeranian Offensive The East Pomeranian Strategic Offensive operation was an offensive by the Red Army in its fight against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front... , and the Battle of Berlin Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II.... . The end of the war found the army on the Elbe River in the vicinity of Ludwigslust Ludwigslust Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:... where it encountered Second Army (United Kingdom). HQ returned in July 1945 from Germany to the Gor'kiy region, where it was reformed as the Gor'kiy Military District. Reformed Stavropol 2010? http://www.ryadovoy.ru/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=2479.0 |
| 50th Army | August 1941 | July 1945 | Joined Bryansk Front Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three... . Took part in Battle of Königsberg Battle of Königsberg The Battle of Königsberg , was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg... in April 1945 where it included the 69th Rifle Corps. Disbanded when it was reorganised as the headquarters of the Eastern 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 :... in Irkutsk Irkutsk Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov... . |
| 51st Army 51st Army (Soviet Union) The 51st Army was a field army of the Red Army that saw action against the Germans in World War II on both the southern and northern sectors of the front. In particular, it was involved in the Crimean debacle of May 1942, and the final cutting-off of German forces in the Courland area next to the... |
August 1941 | October 11, 1993 | Raised in Crimea Crimea Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name... . Involved in Battle of the Crimea (1944) Battle of the Crimea (1944) The Crimean Offensive — known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea — was a series of offensives by the Red Army in the effort to liberate Crimea from the German Wehrmacht occupation... . Moved during June 1945 from the Baltic States to the Urals with almost all its forces. Headquarters moved without its troops to Sakhalin in the Far East Military District in 1953. Disbanded by being redesignated 68th Army Corps. |
| 52nd Army | 25 August 1941 | Took part in Iassy-Kishinev Operation, 1944 and Vistula-Oder Operation. | |
| 53rd Army | 1941 | 1947 | After the crushing defeat of Japan was brought out to Siberia, where it was disbanded in 1947. |
| 54th Army | 5 September 1941 | Formed from 44th Rifle Corps (I Formation). | |
| 55th Army | 1 September 1941 | Formed under Leningrad Front Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:... , from units in the Slutsk-Kolpino area. Initially comprised 168th, 70th, 90th, 237th Rifle Division and 4th Leningrad Militia Division. Involved in the Battle of Krasny Bor Battle of Krasny Bor The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of the Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The Soviet offensive called for a pincer attack near Leningrad, to build up on the success of Operation Iskra and completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, encircling a substantial part of the German 18th Army. ... (1943). |
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| 56th Army | 17 October 1941 | Took part in 1943 Kerch-Eltigen Operation Kerch-Eltigen Operation The Kerch–Eltigen Operation was a World War II amphibious offensive made in November 1943 by the Red Army as a precursor to the Crimean Offensive with the object of defeating and forcing the withdrawal of the German forces from the Crimea... in the Black Sea. |
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| 57th Army | 10 December 1941 | ? | Reformed twice in 1942 having been destroyed. Reformed again in March 1943 from remnants of 3rd Tank Army. On the completion of the war was relocated from Austria to Romania, where it became part of the Southern Group of Forces Southern Group of Forces The Southern Group of Forces was a Soviet Armed Forces formation formed twice following the Second World War, most notably around the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.... . It was disbanded together with the Southern Group of Forces in 1947. |
| 58th Army | Nov. 1941 | In existence | Formed 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 :... in November 1941, but then the Army was redesignated the 3rd Tank Army in May 1942. Reestablished within the Kalinin Front in June 1942 but then redesignated the 39th Army in August. It was reformed in the Transcaucasian Front Transcaucasian Front Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus 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... from the 24th Army on August 28, 1942. The Army HQ was reorganised as Headquarters Volga Military District in October 1943. The HQ was reformed in 1995 in the North Caucasus Military District North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.... . |
| 59th Army | 18 December 1941 | ? | Took part in Battle of the Bay of Viipuri Battle of the Bay of Viipuri The Battle of Vyborg Bay was a battle in the Finnish-Soviet Continuation War .-Background:Soviet offensive against Finns started on June 10 and managed to broke through Finnish defensive lines at Valkeasaari and Kuuterselkä already on June 15. This forced Finnish forces on the Karelian Isthmus to... July 1944. |
| 60th Army | 5 December 1941 | 1945? | Fought at Battle of Kursk Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,... . This army's 322nd Rifle Division liberated Auschwitz in January 1945. |
| 61st Army | 9 December 1941 | June 1945 | It arrived in the North Caucasus from Germany during June 1945 and became the headquarters of the Donskoy Military District. |
| 62nd Army 62nd Army (Soviet Union) The 62nd Order of Lenin Army was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. Formed as the 7th Reserve Army as part of the Stavka Reserve in May 1942, the formation was designated as the 62nd Rifle Army the following month... |
July 1942 | 1943 | Activated in October 1941 as the 7th Reserve Army, the Army was redesignated the 62nd Army at Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943... in July 1942. It included the 13th Guards Rifle Division 13th Guards Rifle Division The 13th Guards Rifle Division was a Soviet Union Red Army infantry division that served with distinction during the Second World War.-Formation:The unit's origin lies with the 87th Rifle Division, a pre-war division, which was established in 1929... . It was among the victors of Stalingrad and thus redesignated the Eighth Guards Army Soviet 8th Guards Army The Soviet 8th Guards Army was an army of the Soviet Union's Red Army/Soviet Army, disbanded in the early 1990s.Activated in October 1941 as the 7th Reserve Army, the Army was redesignated the 62nd Army at Stalingrad in July 1942... . |
| 63rd Army 63rd Army (Soviet Union) The 63rd Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was formed in July 1942, by the order of Headquarters Red Army Supreme Command № 994110, by renaming Stavka's 5th Reserve Army.... |
12 July 1942 | February 1944 | Formed from 5th Reserve Army. Fought at Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943... and the Operation Uranus Operation Uranus Operation Uranus was the codename of the Soviet strategic operation in World War II which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romanian armies, and portions of the German Fourth Panzer Army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was... for which was reflagged as the 1st Guards Army on 4 November 1942. Second formation was formed from 2nd Reserve Army. From May was part of the Bryansk Front Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three... , from 10 October with the Central Front (from 20 October 1943 Belorussian Front). |
| 64th Army | 12 July 1942 | 16 April 1943 | Formed from 1st Reserve Army. Involved in Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943... , became 7th Guards Army 7th Guards Army The Red Army's 7th Guards Army was re-designated from the Soviet 64th Army on April 16, 1943.64th Army had originally been formed from 1st Reserve Army in July 1942, and alongside the 62nd Army, fought the German offensive during the Battle of Stalingrad to a standstill, for which it was raised to... Apr 43. |
| 65th Army | October 1942 | End of war | 4th Tank Army was converted into 65th Army in late October 1942. Involved in the Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943... . Re-converted back into 7th Red Banner Tank Army in 1946. |
| 66th Army | Aug. 1942 | April 1943 | Formed from 8th Reserve Army. Became 5th Guards Army. Involved in Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943... . |
| 67th Army | 10 October 1942 | August 1945 | End of the war was guarding the coast of the Baltic States from Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... to the south. |
| 68th Army | 1 February 1943 | ? | Formed from HQ 57th Army. |
| 69th Army | 5 February 1943 | June 1945 | Formed by the elevation of 18th Guards Rifle Corps to Army status. Commanded by Lt Gen M.I. Kazakov, on the eve of Operation Star in February 1943 the Army comprised the 161st, 180th, 219th and 270th Rifle Divisions, plus smaller formations. The Army was moved without troops from Germany to Transcaucasia in June 1945, where its HQ may have been reorganised as the HQ of the Baku District. |
| 70th Army | February 1943 | June 1945 | Formed from NKVD border guard troops. On February 5, 1943 this army was designated as the 70th Army with Far-Eastern, Transbaikal, Siberian, Central-Asian, Ural and Stalingrad divisions renamed respectively: 102nd, 106th, 140th, 162nd, 175th and 181st Rifle divisions, a total of 69236 personnel. The 70th Army was formed in Zlatoust Zlatoust Zlatoust is a city in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Ay River , west of Chelyabinsk. Population: 181,000 ; 161,000 ; 99,000 ; 48,000 ; 21,000 .... and transferred to Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Rokossovskiy was a Polish-origin Soviet career officer who was a Marshal of the Soviet Union, as well as Marshal of Poland and Polish Defence Minister, who was famously known for his service in the Eastern Front, where he received high esteem for his outstanding military skill... ’s Soviet Central Front Soviet Central Front The Central Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war... , which was preparing a local offensive, and suffered its first defeat. In June 1945 it arrived, possibly just an HQ without any troops, from Germany, in the South Urals, where it's HQ may have been reorganised as the South Urals Military District. |
| 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.... |
1941 | 1945 | Served in Crimea Crimea Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name... during 1941 onwards, disbanded, reformed from North Caucasus Front on 20 November 1943 during the Kerch-Eltigen Operation Kerch-Eltigen Operation The Kerch–Eltigen Operation was a World War II amphibious offensive made in November 1943 by the Red Army as a precursor to the Crimean Offensive with the object of defeating and forcing the withdrawal of the German forces from the Crimea... , and served until 1945. |
Guards armies
| Army | Date Formed | Date Disbanded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Guards Army | first formed August 1942 | ~1991? | Formed first from 2nd Reserve Army. Reformed three times. After the war ended the Army was moved together with a number of its components to Central Asia, where its headquarters during July 1945 became HQ Turkestan Military District Turkestan Military District The Turkestan Military District was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 Russian military reform when by order of Minister D.A. Milyutinym the territory of Russia was... . The 306th and 376th Rifle Divisions became mountain-rifle divisions. Active until around 1991-2 or afterwards with the Ukrainian Ground Forces Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces are the land force component of the Military of Ukraine. They were formed from Soviet Army formations, units, and establishments, including three military districts , that were on Ukrainian soil when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990-92.Between the fall of the USSR and... . |
| 2nd Guards Army | October 1942 | ? | After the war the Army returned to 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... with 2 guard corps (6 divisions). According to Feskov et al., the Army HQ existed only on paper, after the reductions of the 1950s, although it is possible an operations group of several officers was present. |
| 3rd Guards Army | December 1942 | 1945 | All formations of this army (except 76th Rifle Corps with the 287th and 389th Rifle Divisions) were disbanded in the summer of 1945, and the Army HQ was reorganised as part of the Volga Military District. |
| 4th Guards Army 4th Guards Army (Soviet Union) The Fourth Guards Army was an elite army headquarters of the Soviet Union during World War II and the postwar era.Formed on the basis of the 24th Army on April 16, 1943, the Fourth Guards Army fought in decisive actions such as the Battle of Kursk, the Iassy-Kishinev Offensive, the struggle for... |
16 April 1943 | ? | Redesignation of 24th Army |
| 5th Guards Army | 16 April 1943 | 1946-7 | Redesignation of 66th Army, April 1943. The Army arrived from Austria to the territory of the West Ukraine in 1946-1947, where it was disbanded, in contrast to some its divisions, including of those remaining in Austria (13th Guards MD and 95th Rifle Div). Up to its disbandment it had 3 guard rifle corps (9 divisions). |
| 6th Guards Army | 16 April 1943 | 1947 | Redesignation of 21st Army, early 1943. Disbanded in 1947 while in the Baltic Military District Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.... (Feskov et al 2004 p.42). |
| 7th Guards Army 7th Guards Army The Red Army's 7th Guards Army was re-designated from the Soviet 64th Army on April 16, 1943.64th Army had originally been formed from 1st Reserve Army in July 1942, and alongside the 62nd Army, fought the German offensive during the Battle of Stalingrad to a standstill, for which it was raised to... |
16 April 1943 | ? | Redesignation of 64th Army, |
| 8th Guards Army | 16 April 1943 | ? | Redesignation of 62nd Army after Battle of Stalingrad. |
| 9th Guards Army | January 1945 | 1946 | Formed on the basis of 7th Army staff and a large airborne forces formation, with 37th, 38th and 39th Guards RDs joining in Hungary in Feb. 1945. Then took part in the Vienna Offensive Vienna Offensive The Vienna Offensive was launched by the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front in order to capture Vienna, Austria. The offensive lasted from 2–13 April 1945... and Prague Offensive Prague Offensive The Prague Offensive was the last major Soviet operation of World War II in Europe. The offensive, and the battle for Prague, was fought on the Eastern Front from 6 May to 11 May 1945. This battle for the city is particularly noteworthy in that it ended after the Third Reich capitulated on 8 May... . In the Moscow area in 1946 redesignated HQ Airborne Forces. (Aberjona Press, 2005/Feskov et al.) |
| 10th Guards Army | April 1943 | 1950s? | Redesignation of 30th Army, 16 April 1943. After the war the Army was in the Baltic region (Estonia), forming part of the Leningrad Military District Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:... and having four Guards Rifle Corps. Prior to the beginning of 1950s it was registered in the same place, including within its structure the 1st Machine-Gun Artillery Division (formerly of naval infantry(?)), and several guards divisions - 36th МД (ex 29th RD), 7, 8, 118, 122nd RD (some of them became brigades). |
| 11th Guards Army 11th Guards Army The 11th Guards Army was a Soviet field army active from 1943 to 1997, which traces its origins to the formation of the Soviet 16th Army in June-July 1940.-History:... |
April 1943 | ~1998 | Formed from 16th Army on 16 April 1943. Took part in the Orel Offensive (Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was a military operation by the Red Army in its fight against the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was named after Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, the Tsarist General credited with saving Russia from defeat during the invasion by Napoleon in 1812.The Operation began on 12... ), Briyansk, Gorodok, Operation Bagration, the Gumbinnen Operation Gumbinnen Operation The Gumbinnen Operation, also known as the Goldap Operation , was a Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front late in 1944, in which forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front attempted to penetrate the borders of East Prussia.The offensive failed, due to strong resistance by the Wehrmacht... and East Prussian Offensive East Prussian Offensive The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May... . Ended the war in the Baltic Military District Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.... . Disbanded late 1990s in the Kaliningrad Kaliningrad Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea... Special Region (KOR), to form the Ground and Coastal Defence Forces of the Baltic Fleet Baltic Fleet The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of... . |
| 14th 'Budapest' Guards Army | 1956 | 1995 | Created in the Odessa Military District Odessa Military District The 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... on the basis of the 10th Budapest Guards Rifle Corps. It included a corps HQ and four motor rifle divisions: 28th, 59th, 86th Guards, 48th, and 180th. Following the end of the Cold War Cold War The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States... it became entangled in the War of Transnistria 14th Army involvement in Transnistria The involvement of the Soviet 14th Guards Army in the War of Transnistria was extensive and contributed to the outcome, which left the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic with de facto independence from the Republic of Moldova.-Background:... . |
| 18th Guards Army | 1957 | ~1979 | Formed postwar, served in Group of Soviet Forces Germany, but withdrawn from Germany in 1979 and later disbanded. |
| 20th Guards Army | 1960 | Still exists | Formed postwar, served in GSFG; withdrawn in 1990s to 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... and now headquartered at Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... . |
Shock armies
| Army | Date Formed | Date Disbanded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Shock Army 1st Shock Army The 1st Shock Army was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II.The 1st Shock Army was created in late 1941 and fought in the northern areas of Russia and the Baltic States until the defeat of Germany in 1945... |
25/11/1941 | 1945 | Formed from the 19th Army (2nd formation). After the war ended the Army was moved together with a number of its components to Central Asia, where its headquarters during July 1945 became HQ Turkestan Military District Turkestan Military District The Turkestan Military District was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 Russian military reform when by order of Minister D.A. Milyutinym the territory of Russia was... . The 306th and 376th Rifle Divisions became mountain-rifle divisions. |
| 2nd Shock Army 2nd Shock Army The 2nd Shock Army was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to overcome difficult defensive dispositions in order to create a tactical penetration of sufficient breadth and... |
25/12/1941 | 1946 | Formed from the 26th Army. Destroyed twice in 1942. Until January 1946 it remained in the northeast of Germany (with HQ at Schwerin), after which in full strength it was returned to the USSR, where its HQ was reorganised as HQ Arkhangel'sk Military District. |
| 3rd Shock Army 3rd Shock Army (Soviet Union) The 3rd Shock Army was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The 'Shock' armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and artillery assets than other combined arms armies... |
25/12/1941 | 1990s | Formed from the 60th Army (1st formation). Traced its history from the 3rd Shock Army of the Second World War. The Shock (Assault) Army was different in composition to other Combined Arms Armies between the 1960s and the 1980s. Title was actually 3rd Red Banner Army, rather than Shock, during Cold War. In the early 1990s the Army included the 7th, 10th, 12th, and 47th Guard Tank Divisions. |
| 4th Shock Army | 25/12/1941 | 1945 | Formed from the 27th Army (Ist formation) From the Baltic States in the summer of 1945 was directed to North Kazakhstan, where its HQ formed HQ Steppe District. Its 19th Rifle Corps may have been reassigned to combat Ukrainian insurgents in the Kharkov region. |
| 5th Shock Army | 9/12/1942 | 1945-6 | Formed from the 10th Reserve Army. Redesignated as HQ South-Eastern Front October 1942, with its forces transferred to 24th Army, reestablished from 63rd Army in November 1942, renamed 3rd Guards Army in December 1942, and that same month reformed from 4th Reserve Army. Part of 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.... for a time after the end of the war. |
Tank and mechanised armies
Normally made up of two or three tankTank Corps (Soviet)
-Pre-War Development of Soviet Mechanised Forces:In Soviet Russia, the so called armored forces preceded the Tank Corps. They consisted of the motorised armored units made of armored vehicles and armored trains...
and mechanised corps
Mechanized Corps (Soviet)
A mechanised corps was a Soviet armoured formation used prior to the beginning of World War II.- Pre-war development of Soviet mechanised forces :...
. Guards tank armies were made up of a number of Guards tank and mechanised corps.
| Army | Date Formed | Date Disbanded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet 1st Guards 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... |
July 1942 | ? | Formed from the 38th Army, subsequently badly defeated and disbanded. Reorganised in January-February 1943. Became Guards unit in April 1944. |
| 2nd Tank Army | January-February 1943 | ? | First activated on the basis of HQ 3rd Reserve Army in Soviet Central Front Soviet Central Front The Central Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war... . Reorganised in Feb-March 1943, but stayed in Central Front. Key formations included 11th and 16th Tank Corps, 11th Guards Tank Brigade, and 60th, 112th, and 194th Rifle Divisions. Awarded Guards title and became 2nd Guards Red Banner Tank Army 2nd Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union) The Second Tank Army of the Red Army was formed in January - February, 1943 on the basis of the 3rd Reserve Army of the Bryansk Front.Originally the Army comprised 11th and 16th Tank Corps, 60th, 112th and 194th Rifle Divisions, the 11th Guards Separate tank brigade, 115th Rifle Brigade, the 28th... in November 1944. Postwar, the Army was in 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.... for many years. |
| 3rd Guards Tank Army 3rd Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union) The 3rd Guards Tank Army was a tank army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. The 3rd Tank Army was created in 1942 and fought in the southern areas of the Soviet Union, Poland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia until the defeat of Germany in 1945... |
May 1942 | 1979 | Formed from 58th Army. Encircled and almost totally destroyed in March 1943, redesignated 57th Army in April 1943. Reformed May 1943 and redesignated 3rd Guards Tank Army 3rd Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union) The 3rd Guards Tank Army was a tank army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. The 3rd Tank Army was created in 1942 and fought in the southern areas of the Soviet Union, Poland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia until the defeat of Germany in 1945... on May 14, 1945. Known as 3rd Guards Red Banner Red Banner Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state flag.Military units, institutions and organizations awarded with the Order of the Red Banner are referred to with the honorific title "of the Red Banner" Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state... Mechanized Army in 1946 and headquartered in Luckenwalde Luckenwalde Luckenwalde is the capital of the Teltow-Fläming district in the German state of Brandenburg. It is situated on the Nuthe river north of the Fläming Heath, at the eastern rim of the Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park, about south of Berlin... , Germany. Redesignated 18th Guards Army in 1957. Withdrawn & disbanded 1979. |
| 4th Tank Army 4th Tank Army (Soviet Union) The 20th Guards Army, , is a field army, since 1991, part of the Russian Ground Forces.-1st Formation :It was first formed within the Stalingrad Front from July 1942 and... |
July 1942 | 1960 | Ceased to exist from December 1942 until July 1943. Achieved Guards status by an order of the NKO dated March, 17th, 1945(Krasnaya Zvezda Krasnaya Zvezda Krasnaya Zvezda is an official newspaper of Soviet and later Russian Ministry of Defence. It was founded on January 1, 1924. Today its official designation is "Central Organ of the Russian Ministry of Defence."... ). From 1946 to 1957 the Army was named 4 Guards Mechanized Army. Renamed 20th Guards Army 1960. After the fall of the Soviet Union 20th Guards Army was withdrawn to Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... . |
| 5th Tank Army | June 1942 | April 1943 | Fought on the Briansk and Voronezh Fronts. Converted to 12th Army in April 1943. |
| 5th Guards Tank Army 5th Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union) The 5th Guards Tank Army was a Soviet Guards armoured formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II.The 5th Guards Tank Army was formed on 10 February 1942. Its organisation varied throughout its history, but in general included two or more Guards Tank Corps and one or more... |
January - February 1943 | circa 1991 | 'Red Banner' The Army was stationed for the entire postwar period in Belorussia and for almost all those years it included the 8th Guards, 29th and also the 193rd (formerly the 193rd Rifle Division 193rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union) The 193rd Tank Division was originally a Red Army infantry division that was reorganised after World War II as a mechanised and finally a tank division of the Soviet Army.- 1st Formation :... ) Tank Divisions. |
| 6th Guards Tank Army 6th Guards Tank Army The 6th Guards Order of Red Banner Tank Army was a tank army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first formed during World War II and disbanded in Ukraine in the 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.... |
January 1944 | 1990s | 'Red Banner Red Banner Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state flag.Military units, institutions and organizations awarded with the Order of the Red Banner are referred to with the honorific title "of the Red Banner" Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state... ' Was in Mongolia for 15 years after the war. The friendship with China of those days and the Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964... military reductions changed the fate of 6th Guards Tank Army, and in 1959 it was relocated to Dnepropetrovsk. Toward the end of the 1980s it retained three Guards Tank Divisions - the 17th, 42nd (the former 42nd Rifle Division) and the 75th (formerly the 75th Rifle Division). |
| 7th Tank Army | 1946 | ? | 'Red Banner Red Banner Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state flag.Military units, institutions and organizations awarded with the Order of the Red Banner are referred to with the honorific title "of the Red Banner" Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state... ' Created in Poland from HQ, 65th Army and in 1947 was brought out into Belorussia. |
| 8th Red Star Order of the Red Star Established on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the... Tank Army |
1946 | circa 1991 | Created in the Carpathian Military District Carpathian Military District The Carpathian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.Two... , when elements of the 52nd and 18th Armies were reorganised as the 8th Mechanised Army. Parts of the Army participated in the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The 8th Mechanised Army was redesignated the 8th Tank Army in 1957. |
| 9th Mechanised Army | 1946? | ~1947-8 | According to some information, the Army was created in 1946 in Primorski Krai from the 35th Аrmy. Its structure included 4 divisions - 2nd and 3rd (was 66th and 264th RDs) ТD, 3rd Guards and 10th Мechanised Divisions (formerly the same numbered mechanised corps). The army was probably disbanded in 1947-1948. |
| 10th Special Mechanised Army | ~1946 | ~1947 | Active in SE Europe briefly, formed from 37th Army |
Reserve armies
The StavkaStavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
formed ten reserve armies in mid-1942 to bolster the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK).
| Army | Date Formed | Date Disbanded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Reserve Army | 26 April 1942 | 10 July 1942 | Became 64th Army (see above). |
| 2nd Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | HQ became basis for 1st Guards Army |
| 3rd Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | Bryansk Front Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three... . Became 60th Army. HQ became basis for 2nd Tank Army |
| 4th Reserve Army | July 1942 | ? | Became 38th Army, see above |
| 5th Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | Became 63rd Army, see above |
| 6th Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | Became 6th Army, see above |
| 7th Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | Became 62nd Army for Stalingrad Front Stalingrad Front The Stalingrad Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the city of Stalingrad on the Volga River.... |
| 8th Reserve Army | June 1942 | ? | Became 66th Army, see above |
| 9th Reserve Army | July 1942 | ? | Became 24th Army, see above |
| 10th Reserve Army | July 1942 | ? | Became 5th Shock Army, October 1942 had 6th Rifle Division 6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) The 6th Rifle Division was a Soviet military unit. They participated in several battles, most notably the Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919 and Estonian War of Independence. From their inception the unit saw combat and had three periods of active service... (II Formation) join it |