Mechanized Corps (Soviet)
Encyclopedia
A mechanised corps was a Soviet armoured formation used prior to the beginning of World War II
.
, the term armored forces (thus calledBronevyye sily) preceded the mechanised corps. They consisted of the autonomous armored units (avtobroneotryady) made of armored vehicles and armored trains. The country did not have its own tanks during the Civil War
of 1918-1920.
In January 1918, the Russian Red Army established the Soviet of Armored Units (Sovet bronevykh chastey, or Tsentrobron’), later renamed to Central Armored Directorate and then once again to Chief Armored Directorate (Glavnoye bronevoye upravleniye). In December 1920, the Red Army
received its first light tanks, assembled at the Sormovo Factory. In 1928, it began the production of the MS-1 tanks (Malyy Soprovozhdeniya 1, 'Small Convoy 1'). In 1929, it established the Central Directorate for Mechanisation and Motorisation of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Tanks became a part of the mechanised corps at this point.
During this time, and based on the experience of the Civil War with its sweeping movements of horse-mobile formations, Soviet military theorists such as Vladimir Triandafillov
born in Pontus of Greek parents and Konstantin Kalinovsky elaborated the principles of combat use of armored units, which envisioned a large-scale use of tanks in different situations in cooperation with various army units. In the mid-1930s, these ideas found their reflection in the so called deep operation
and deep combat theories. From the second half of the 1920s, tank warfare development took place at Kazan
, where the German
Reichswehr
was allowed to participate.
In 1930, the First Mechanised Brigade had its own tank regiment of 110 tanks. In 1932, the First Mechanised Corps had over 500 tanks, and it was probably the first armoured unit of operational significance anywhere in the world. That same year, the Red Army established the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army (today’s Military Academy of Armored Units named after Rodion Malinovsky
).
In 1931-1935, the Red Army adopted light, medium, and later heavy tanks of different types. By the beginning of the 1936, it already had four mechanised corps, six separate mechanised brigades, six separate tank regiments, fifteen mechanised regiments within cavalry divisions and considerable number of tank battalions and companies. The creation of mechanised and tank units marked the dawn of a new branch of armed forces, which would be called armored forces. In 1937, the Central Directorate of Mechanization and Motorization was renamed to Directorate of Automated Armored Units (Avtobronetankovoye upravleniye) and then to Chief Directorate of Automated Armored Units (Glavnoye avtobronetankovoye upravleniye), headed by Dmitry Pavlov
. Soviet armored units gained some combat experience during the Battle of Lake Khasan
(1938), Battle of Khalkhin Gol
(1939) and the Winter War
with Finland
(1939–1940).
However, experiences in these operations, and also the experiences from the Spanish Civil War
, led the Red Army command to the conclusion that the mechanised corps formations were too cumbersome, and a decision was taken to disband them in November 1939, and to distribute their units among infantry. This was a mistake, as the success of German panzer divisions in France had shown, and in late 1940 the decision was reversed. However, there was not enough time before the German attack in June 1941 to reform the mechanised corps units fully and for them to reach their former efficiency http://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN0760313024&id=e-TLx03_eIgC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&q=corps&vq=corps&dq=mechanised+corps&sig=32nLTtq24VMzLDzymtlqokKLBKU
http://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN0714652032&id=v-6N4d59HNwC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=mechanised+corps&sig=T8nIfa6QdV0EnDr2N5TqgaQjZgA.
Besides the operational armoured and mechanised formations, there were independent tank battalions within rifle divisions. These were meant to reinforce rifle units for the purpose of breaching enemy defences. They had to act in co-operation with the infantry without breaking away from it and were called tanks for immediate infantry support (tanki neposredstvennoy podderzhki pekhoty).
tanks. Both of these formations, having more than 350 of the T-34 plus KV-1, could be reasonably expected to break through any German Panzer Corps of the time, not to say Army Corps. Such estimation is based on sheer number of concentrated tanks, their main armament, the thickness of their armor, their actual failure rate, the eventual losses to aircraft, and normal scheduled maintenance. What it does not count are human-related factors.
That being said, during the war against the Axis, all mechanised corps were destroyed during the early phase of the invasion of the Soviet Union (including 4th and 6th), and less than a month after the attack, the Red Army formally abolished the Mechanised Corps as a formation type. Remaining tanks were concentrated in smaller formations that were easier to handle.
) authorized the formation of a new type of mechanised corps which was to become the main operational mechanised formation for the remainder of the war. They were about the same size as a German panzer division
, and designed as a true combined-arms formation with a good balance of armor, infantry, and artillery. Mechanised corps were not to be used in breakthrough battles, but only in the exploitation phase of an operation. They shared with the new Tank Corps
a four manouvre brigade structure - three mechanised brigades and one tank brigade, plus an anti-tank regiment, artillery, and other support units. The new tank corps had three tank brigades and one mechanised brigade.
A total of thirteen mechanised corps were formed during the war against the Axis nations, nine of them becoming guards
mechanised corps. A further corps, the 10th Mechanised Corps, was formed in June 1945 and saw action during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The 1st, 3rd, and 9th Guards Mechanised Corps were equipped with Lend Lease tanks, Sherman M4A2. The mechanised corps were converted to mechanised divisions relatively quickly after the war - by 1946 in most cases.
Total
The formation was seen as very tank-heavy, lacking sufficient infantry or artillery to support the tank formations. The 1942 order of battle was much more flexible.
Total:
, 2004 (mostly pages 71–75).
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...
.
Pre-war development of Soviet mechanised forces
In Soviet RussiaRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
, the term armored forces (thus calledBronevyye sily) preceded the mechanised corps. They consisted of the autonomous armored units (avtobroneotryady) made of armored vehicles and armored trains. The country did not have its own tanks during the 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...
of 1918-1920.
In January 1918, the Russian Red Army established the Soviet of Armored Units (Sovet bronevykh chastey, or Tsentrobron’), later renamed to Central Armored Directorate and then once again to Chief Armored Directorate (Glavnoye bronevoye upravleniye). In December 1920, the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
received its first light tanks, assembled at the Sormovo Factory. In 1928, it began the production of the MS-1 tanks (Malyy Soprovozhdeniya 1, 'Small Convoy 1'). In 1929, it established the Central Directorate for Mechanisation and Motorisation of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Tanks became a part of the mechanised corps at this point.
During this time, and based on the experience of the Civil War with its sweeping movements of horse-mobile formations, Soviet military theorists such as Vladimir Triandafillov
Vladimir Triandafillov
Vladimir Kiriakovitch Triandafillov was a Soviet military commander and theoretician.-Biography:He was born on March 14, 1894 in Magaradzhik in Kars of Pontic Greek parents. The family name derives from triantáfyllo, Modern Greek for the rose flower. His family moved to Russia...
born in Pontus of Greek parents and Konstantin Kalinovsky elaborated the principles of combat use of armored units, which envisioned a large-scale use of tanks in different situations in cooperation with various army units. In the mid-1930s, these ideas found their reflection in the so called deep operation
Deep operations
Deep battle was a military theory developed by the Soviet Union for its armed forces during the 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by a number of influential military writers, such as Vladimir Triandafillov and Mikhail Tukhachevsky who endeavoured to create a military strategy with its own...
and deep combat theories. From the second half of the 1920s, tank warfare development took place at Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, where the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
was allowed to participate.
In 1930, the First Mechanised Brigade had its own tank regiment of 110 tanks. In 1932, the First Mechanised Corps had over 500 tanks, and it was probably the first armoured unit of operational significance anywhere in the world. That same year, the Red Army established the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army (today’s Military Academy of Armored Units named after Rodion Malinovsky
Rodion Malinovsky
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky was a Soviet military commander in World War II and Defense Minister of the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and 1960s. He contributed to the major defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Budapest...
).
In 1931-1935, the Red Army adopted light, medium, and later heavy tanks of different types. By the beginning of the 1936, it already had four mechanised corps, six separate mechanised brigades, six separate tank regiments, fifteen mechanised regiments within cavalry divisions and considerable number of tank battalions and companies. The creation of mechanised and tank units marked the dawn of a new branch of armed forces, which would be called armored forces. In 1937, the Central Directorate of Mechanization and Motorization was renamed to Directorate of Automated Armored Units (Avtobronetankovoye upravleniye) and then to Chief Directorate of Automated Armored Units (Glavnoye avtobronetankovoye upravleniye), headed by Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov was a Soviet general who commanded the key Soviet Western Front during the initial days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, or Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941. After his forces were heavily defeated in the first days of the campaign, he was relieved of his...
. Soviet armored units gained some combat experience during the Battle of Lake Khasan
Battle of Lake Khasan
The Battle of Lake Khasan and also known as the Changkufeng Incident in China and Japan, was an attempted military incursion of Manchukuo into the territory claimed by the Soviet Union...
(1938), Battle of Khalkhin Gol
Battle of Khalkhin Gol
The Battles of Khalkhyn Gol was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese Border Wars fought among the Soviet Union, Mongolia and the Empire of Japan in 1939. The conflict was named after the river Khalkhyn Gol, which passes through the battlefield...
(1939) and the 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...
with Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(1939–1940).
However, experiences in these operations, and also the experiences from the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, led the Red Army command to the conclusion that the mechanised corps formations were too cumbersome, and a decision was taken to disband them in November 1939, and to distribute their units among infantry. This was a mistake, as the success of German panzer divisions in France had shown, and in late 1940 the decision was reversed. However, there was not enough time before the German attack in June 1941 to reform the mechanised corps units fully and for them to reach their former efficiency http://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN0760313024&id=e-TLx03_eIgC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&q=corps&vq=corps&dq=mechanised+corps&sig=32nLTtq24VMzLDzymtlqokKLBKU
http://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN0714652032&id=v-6N4d59HNwC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=mechanised+corps&sig=T8nIfa6QdV0EnDr2N5TqgaQjZgA.
Besides the operational armoured and mechanised formations, there were independent tank battalions within rifle divisions. These were meant to reinforce rifle units for the purpose of breaching enemy defences. They had to act in co-operation with the infantry without breaking away from it and were called tanks for immediate infantry support (tanki neposredstvennoy podderzhki pekhoty).
Period 1940-1941
In June 1941 there were twenty-nine mechanised corps in various stages of formation. The plan was for each of them to have about 36,000 men and 1,000 tanks, and a few approached that strength level by the time war with Germany broke out http://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN0760313024&id=e-TLx03_eIgC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&q=corps&vq=corps&dq=mechanised+corps&sig=32nLTtq24VMzLDzymtlqokKLBKU. Of this number, two formations especially stood out: 4th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) and 6th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union). In 22 June 1941 each of these was fully formed, armed with more than 900 operational tanks, and stationed not further than 100-300 kilometers from the border. Considering the armor qualities, each of these formations had a substantial concentration of the T-34 and KV-1Kliment Voroshilov tank
The Kliment Voroshilov tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early war, especially during the first year of the invasion of the Soviet...
tanks. Both of these formations, having more than 350 of the T-34 plus KV-1, could be reasonably expected to break through any German Panzer Corps of the time, not to say Army Corps. Such estimation is based on sheer number of concentrated tanks, their main armament, the thickness of their armor, their actual failure rate, the eventual losses to aircraft, and normal scheduled maintenance. What it does not count are human-related factors.
That being said, during the war against the Axis, all mechanised corps were destroyed during the early phase of the invasion of the Soviet Union (including 4th and 6th), and less than a month after the attack, the Red Army formally abolished the Mechanised Corps as a formation type. Remaining tanks were concentrated in smaller formations that were easier to handle.
Period 1942-1946
In September 1942, the General Headquarters (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...
) authorized the formation of a new type of mechanised corps which was to become the main operational mechanised formation for the remainder of the war. They were about the same size as a German panzer division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
, and designed as a true combined-arms formation with a good balance of armor, infantry, and artillery. Mechanised corps were not to be used in breakthrough battles, but only in the exploitation phase of an operation. They shared with the new Tank Corps
Tank 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...
a four manouvre brigade structure - three mechanised brigades and one tank brigade, plus an anti-tank regiment, artillery, and other support units. The new tank corps had three tank brigades and one mechanised brigade.
A total of thirteen mechanised corps were formed during the war against the Axis nations, nine of them becoming guards
Russian Guards
Guards or Guards units were and are elite military units in Imperial Russia, Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The tradition goes back to the retinue of a knyaz of medieval Kievan Rus' and the streltsy, the Muscovite harquebusiers formed by Ivan the Terrible by 1550...
mechanised corps. A further corps, the 10th Mechanised Corps, was formed in June 1945 and saw action during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The 1st, 3rd, and 9th Guards Mechanised Corps were equipped with Lend Lease tanks, Sherman M4A2. The mechanised corps were converted to mechanised divisions relatively quickly after the war - by 1946 in most cases.
Composition of a mechanised corps (1940)
- 2 Tank Divisions
- 2 Tank Regiments
- Motorized Rifle Regiment
- Motorized Howitzer Regiment
- Division Troops
- Antiaircraft Battalion
- Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
- Truck Battalion
- Maintenance Battalion
- Medical Battalion
- 1 Mechanised Division
- 2 Motorized Rifle Regiments
- Light Tank Regiment
- Motorized Artillery Regiment
- Division Troops
- Antitank Battalion
- Antiaircraft Battalion
- Reconnaissance Battalion
- Truck Battalion
- Division Trains
- Corps Troops
- 1 Motorcycle Regiment
- 1 Signal Battalion
- 1 Motorized Engineer Battalion
- 1 Aviation Troop
Total
- 1,108 Tanks (420 T-34s, 126 KVs, 560 Light tanks)
- 37,200 personnel
- 5 Tank Regiments with 20 Tank Battalions
- 4 Motorized Rifle Regiments with 12 Motorized Rifle Battalions
- 2 Motorized Artillery/Howitzer Regiments with 4 Artillery Battalions
The formation was seen as very tank-heavy, lacking sufficient infantry or artillery to support the tank formations. The 1942 order of battle was much more flexible.
Composition of a mechanised corps (1944)
- 3 Mechanised Brigades
- 1 Tank Regiment
- 3 Motorized Rifle Battalions
- 1 Submachine Gun Company
- 1 Antitank Rifle Company
- 1 Mortar Battalion
- 1 Artillery Battalion
- 1 Anti Aircraft Machine Gun Company
- 1 Pioneer Mine Company
- 1 Trains Company
- 1 Medical Platoon
- 1 Tank Brigade
- 3 Tank Battalions
- 1 Motorized Submachine Gun Battalion
- 1 Anti-aircraft Machine Gun Company
- 1 Trains Company
- 1 Medical Platoon
- 3 Assault Gun Regiments
- 1 Motorcycle Battalion
- 1 Mortar Regiment
- 1 Anti-aircraft Regiment
- 1 Rocket Launcher Battalion
Total:
- 246 Armored Fighting Vehicles (183 T-34, 21 SU-76, 21 ISU-122, 21 ISU-152)
- 16,438 personnel
- 3 Tank Regiments and 3 Tank Battalions
- 9 Motorised Rifle Battalions and 1 Motorised Submachine Gun Battalion
- 3 Motorised Artillery Battalions
List of Soviet Mechanised Corps
The listing and data here are drawn from Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005, and V.I. Feskov et al., The Soviet Army during the Period of the Cold War, Tomsk University Press, TomskTomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
, 2004 (mostly pages 71–75).
- 1st Mechanised Corps - formed January 1941, at PskovPskovPskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
in the Leningrad Military DistrictLeningrad Military DistrictThe 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:...
/Soviet Northern FrontSoviet Northern FrontThe Northern Front was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War.The Northern Front was created on June 24, 1941 from the Leningrad Military District. Its primary goal was the defense of the Kola Peninsula and the northern shores of the Gulf of Finland. On August 23, 1941, the Front's...
in June 1941. Disbanded in August. Reformed August 1942. Circa 1946 became 1st Mechanised Division, and after a brief period as 19th Motor Rifle Division in 1965 became 35th Motor Rifle Division. Served much of the Cold War with 20th Guards Army in GSFG. - 2nd Mechanized Corps2nd Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)The 2nd Mechanised Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.Initially formed in June 1940 in response the German victories of 1940 it was attached to the Odessa Military District, & attached to the 9th Army in the Odessa fortified region in Soviet Union It was under...
- 9th Army9th 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....
, Odessa Military DistrictOdessa Military DistrictThe Odessa Military District was a military administrative division of the Imperial Russian military, the Soviet Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was known under such name from around 1862 to 1998. It was reorganized as part of the Military of Ukraine and the Military of Moldova in...
- On June 22, 1941, the 2nd Mech Corps was stationed in the Odessa district near Kisjinov. The corps was lightly involved until about the middle of July, when it was heavily engaged. By 7–8 August, the 2nd Mechanised Corps was totally destroyed. - 3rd Mechanized Corps3rd Mechanised Corps (Soviet Union)The 20th Motor Rifle Division is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces, originally formed within the Soviet Red Army as the 3rd Mechanised Corps....
- 11th Army, Baltic Military DistrictBaltic Military DistrictThe 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....
June 1941. Was encircled & largely destroyed at the Battle of RaseiniaiBattle of RaseiniaiThe Battle of Raseiniai was a tank battle fought between the elements of the 4th Panzer Group commanded by Gen. Erich Hoepner and the 3rd Mechanized Corps commanded by Major General Kurkin & 12th Mechanised Corps commanded by Major General Shestapolov in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas...
in June 1941. Reformed Oct 1942 and became 8 GMC Oct 1943. - 4th Mechanized Corps - formed Jan 41 and began war, under command of General Major Andrey VlasovAndrey VlasovAndrey Andreyevich Vlasov or Wlassow was a Russian Red Army general who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early career:...
, with 6th Army6th 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...
, at Lvov in the Kiev Military DistrictKiev Military DistrictThe Kiev Military District was a Russian unit of military-administrative division of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Ukrainian Army, RKKA, and Soviet Armed Forces...
. Disbanded August, but reformed in Sept 1942 and became 3rd Guards Mech Corps. - 5th Mechanised Corps - started the war in the Transbaikal Military DistrictTransbaikal Military DistrictThe 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...
. Was with 16th Army16th 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...
on 1 July 1941. Consisted of 13th and 17th Tank Divisions and the 109th Mechanised Division. 126th Corps Artillery Regiment and the 112th Separate Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion. Disbanded August 1941, reformed in Nov 1942, and in Sept 1944 converted to 9th Guards Mechanised Corps - 6th Mechanized Corps - formed June 1940 and started war with 10th Army10th 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...
, but disbanded or destroyed by end of July 1941. Reformed Sept 1942, and in January 1943 converted into 5th Guards Mech Corps, which became 5th Guards Mech Division after the war, and after a brief period as 53rd Guards Motor Rifle Division from 1957 to 1965, became 5th Guards MRD and served with 40th Army40th 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...
at ShindandShindandShindand may refer to:*Shindand, Herat, Afghanistan**Shindand Air Base, north of the city*Shindand, Farah, Afghanistan*Shindand, Pakistan, village in FATA, Pakistan...
in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
for some years. - 7th Mechanised Corps - started war in the Moscow Military DistrictMoscow Military DistrictThe 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...
, under General Major V.I. Vinogradov. Comprised 14th and 18th Tank Divisions and 1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division, plus 9th Motorcycle Regiment. Disbanded August 1941. Reformed August 1943. After the war converted to 7th Mech Div and then 7th MRD with 5th Army in the Far East, but then disbanded in 1958. - 8th Mechanised Corps - July 1940 - August 1941 in Kiev Special MD/Soviet Southwestern FrontSoviet Southwestern FrontThe 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...
, including 12th Tank Division, 34th Tank Division, and 7th Mechanized Division7th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 7th Rifle Division was a infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army, formed five separate times from 1918 to 1955. The division was first formed in September 1918 at Vladimir in the Moscow Military District....
. Destroyed in battle or disbanded. Reestablished August 1943. After war became 8th Mechanized Division, then 28th Tank Division, serving in the Belarussian Military District - 9th Mechanised Corps - formed November 1940. Started Barbarossa with 5th Army; disbanded Aug 1941. Reformed August 1943; assigned to 3rd Guards Tank Army3rd 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...
until the end of the war. Took part in the clearing of left and right bank Ukraine, Lvov-Sandomir, Sandomir-Silesia, Lower Silesia, Berlin, and Prague offensives. In 1944 gained the names Zhitomir and Kiev as honorifics. Became 9th Mechanised Division, then 82nd Motor Rifle Division, before being disbanded in 1958 in the GSFG, still with 3 GTA. - 10th Mechanized Corps10th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)The 10th Mechanized Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War. Initially formed in March 1941 in response the German victories of 1940 it was attached to the Leningrad Military District, & held in reserve near Leningrad fortified region in Soviet Union It was under...
– acting as Northern Front reserve in 1941 (21st, 24th TDs). Second establishment became 10th Mechanised Division after war, 84th MRD in 1957, 121st MRD in 1965, and finally 121st MRTD in the Far Eastern Military DistrictFar Eastern Military DistrictThe Far Eastern Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District....
. - 11th Mechanised Corps - started Barbarossa with 3rd Army. Active Mar-Aug 41, then disbanded.
- 12th Mechanized Corps12th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)The 12th Mechanized Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.Formed in March 1941 in response to the German victories in the West, it served with the 8th Army and was held in reserve near Šiauliai in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas in the Special Baltic...
- formed March 1941. Started Barbarossa with 8th Army8th 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...
, Baltic Military DistrictBaltic Military DistrictThe 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....
& was disbanded following the Battle of RaseiniaiBattle of RaseiniaiThe Battle of Raseiniai was a tank battle fought between the elements of the 4th Panzer Group commanded by Gen. Erich Hoepner and the 3rd Mechanized Corps commanded by Major General Kurkin & 12th Mechanised Corps commanded by Major General Shestapolov in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas...
in August 1941 - 13th Mechanised Corps - formed March 1941. Started war with 10th Army10th 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...
in the Western Front. Consisted of 25th and 31st Tank Division and 208th Motorised Division208th Rifle DivisionThe 208th Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division in the Red Army during World War II. It began Operation Barbarossa as the 208th Mechanized Division under Colonel V.I. Nichiporovich, with the 128th Tank Regiment and 752nd and 760th Motorized Rifle Regiments. The Division was part of the 13th...
. Disbanded August 1941. This corps should not be confused with 13th Tank CorpsTank 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...
, which was reorganised as a mechanised corps without a change of number in November 1942. - 14th Mechanised Corps - activated March 1941. With 4th Army June 1941. Disbanded July.
- 15th Mechanised Corps
- 16th Mechanised Corps
- 17th Mechanised Corps
- 18th Mechanised Corps
- 19th Mechanised Corps
- 20th Mechanised Corps
- 21st Mechanized Corps21st Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)The 21st Mechanized Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.Initially formed in March 1941, in response to the German victories in the West it was attached to the newly forming 27th Army, and held in reserve near Opochka in Soviet Union South of Pskov in the...
- formed March 1941. Fought in Battle of RaseiniaiBattle of RaseiniaiThe Battle of Raseiniai was a tank battle fought between the elements of the 4th Panzer Group commanded by Gen. Erich Hoepner and the 3rd Mechanized Corps commanded by Major General Kurkin & 12th Mechanised Corps commanded by Major General Shestapolov in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas...
June 1941. Disbanded Aug 1941. - 22nd Mechanised Corps
- 23rd Mechanised Corps
- 24th Mechanised Corps - comprised 45th and 49th Tank Divisions & 216th Motorised Division216th Rifle DivisionThe 216th Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Ground Forces. It was descended from the 216th Rifle Division, a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army. It was established at Staro Konstantinov in May 1941...
, within the Kiev Special Military DistrictSoviet Southwestern FrontThe 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 June 22, 1941. - 25th Mechanised Corps
- 26th Mechanised Corps - included 56 Tank Division, 103 Mechanised Division, 27 Motorcycle Regiment. North Caucasus Military District.
- 27th Mechanised Corps - included 9th Tank Division9th Tank DivisionThe 9th Tank Division was a division of the Red Army that saw action briefly in 1941. It was formed in the Central Asian Military District in the summer of 1940. In April 1941 the Division joined the newly formed 27th Mechanised Corps...
. 53 Tank Division, 221 Motorised Division under General Major I.E. Petrov. Central Asian Military District - 28th Mechanised Corps - General Major V.V. Novikov, 6 Tank Division, 54 Tank Division, 236 Mechanised Division, Transcaucasus Military District.
- 29th Mechanised Corps - formed March 1941, disbanded 7 May 1941
- 30th Mechanised Corps - active March- June 1941 in the Far East Military District LTG V.S.Golubovskiy. 58 Tank Division, 60 Tank Division, 239 Mechanised Division.
- Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized CorpsSoviet 1st Guards Mechanized CorpsThe 1st Guards Mechanized Corps was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. After the war it continued to serve with Soviet occupation forces in Central Europe. It was originally the 1st Guards Rifle Division...
- formed June 1942 - 2nd Guards Mechanised Corps - formed Nov 1942 in Tambov region. Assigned in sequence to the Stalingrad, Southern, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts. 1945 took part in the Budapest, Bratislava-Brno, Prague, and Vienna operations. Became 2nd Guards Mechanised Division after the war, and then circa 1957 became 19th Guards Tank Division in Southern Group of ForcesSouthern Group of ForcesThe 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....
. - 3rd Guards Mechanised Corps
- 4th Guards Mechanised Corps - formed from 13th Tank Corps. Circa 1946 4th Guards Mechanised Division; 1957 4th Guards MRD, Turkestan Military DistrictTurkestan Military DistrictThe 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...
- 5th Guards Mechanised Corps - see 6th Mechanised Corps
- 6th Guards Mechanised Corps - 1957: 6th Guards MRD, 1980s: 90th Guards Tank Division90th Guards Tank DivisionThe 90th Guards Tank Division was a division of the Soviet Army, and then of the Russian Ground Forces. It was first activated in 1932 as the 82nd Rifle Division. In 1939 it was renamed the 82nd Motorized Rifle Division, and the same year took part in the Battle of Khalkin Gol. It was renamed the...
- 7th Guards Mechanised Corps - 7th Guards Mechanised Division, 1957 11th Guards Motor Rifle Division.
- 8th Guards Mechanised Corps - Formed from 3rd Mechanised Corps Oct 1943, after having taken part in the Battle of KurskBattle of KurskThe 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,...
. From its formation to the end of the war, the Corps served with 1st Guards Tank Army. In 1944, took part in the Battles of Zhitomir-Berdichev, Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, Proskurov-Chernovits, and Lvov-Sandomir. In Apr 1944 awarded 'Carpathian' honorific. In 1945 took part in Warsaw-Poznan, East Pomeranian OffensiveEast Pomeranian OffensiveThe 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 BerlinBattle of BerlinThe 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....
. Circa 1949, 8th Guards Mechanised Division, 1957: 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, served with Soviet 1st Guards Tank ArmySoviet 1st Guards Tank ArmyThe 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...
in Group of Soviet Forces in GermanyGroup of Soviet Forces in GermanyThe 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....
postwar. In 1959, it was transferred to the 18th Guards Army, which had been up to 1957 the 3rd Guards Mechanised Army. In 1968, it took part in the invasion of Czechoslovakia assigned to the 1st Guards Tank Army, when it returned to the GDR, it reverted back to the 18th GA control. When the 18th Guards Army was disbanded in 1979, the 20th GMRD was transferred to the 1st Guards Tank Army, where it remained since. Although it withdrew from Germany in 1991, it was one of the few Divisions from eastern Europe not to be either disbanded or reorganized. It currently is garrisoned in Volgograd, although elements probably have taken part in the invasions of Chechnya. - 9th Guards Mechanised Corps - became 9th Guards Mechanised Division, then 9th Guards Motor Rifle Division. Disbanded 1960 while serving with 6th Guards Mechanised Army in the Transbaikal Military DistrictTransbaikal Military DistrictThe 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...
. (Feskov 2004 71)
Further reading
- Glantz, David, The Initial Period of War on the Eastern Front, 22 June–August 1941, p. 19
- Page, J. and Bean, Tim, Russian Tanks of World War II, Zenith Press
- Sharp, Charles, Soviet Armor Tactics in World War II: Red Army Armor Tactics from Individual Vehicle to Company from the Combat Regulations of 1944
- Sharp, Charles, Soviet Order of Battle in World War II Vol 1: The Deadly Beginning: Soviet Tank, Mechanized, Motorized Divisions and Tank Brigades of 1940-1942
- Zaloga, Steven & Ness, Leland The Red Army Handbook
- Axis History Forum discussion on Mech Corps
External links
- "Through the Furnace of War" - Article on the development of Red Army armoured formations
- Dupuy Institute Forum Discussion on Tank/Mech Corps
- Article on the History of Red Army Mechanized Forces
- Tank equipment of 1940-1941 Mech Corps