Soviet Third Guards Army
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army
that fought on the Eastern Front
in World War II
, notably in 1945.
It was created in December 1942, as part of the Southwestern Front (as a result of renaming 1st Guards Army of 2nd formation), according to the order of the Supreme High Command on formation of the 3rd Guards Army (5.12.1942). General Lieutenant Dmitri Lelyushenko was appointed to command the formation, and held the reins until March 1943 (and subsequently from August 1943 to February 1944). General Major I.Khetagurov held command from March to August 1943. Up to the middle of December the army comprised the 14th Rifle Corps, 50th Guards, 197th, 203rd and 278th Rifle Divisions, 90th and 94th Separate Rifle Brigades, the Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
, the 22nd Motor-Rifle Brigade and other units.
3rd Guards Army was assigned in succession to the Soviet Southwestern Front
, 3rd, 4th and since March 1944 the First Ukrainian Front led by Marshal
Ivan Koniev. After a brief stint under the command of General-Lieutenant D.I. Ryabyshev
in February and March 1944, from April 1944 to the end of the war in Europe General Colonel N. Gordov was in command. The Army participated in the Middle Don and Voroshilovgrad offensive operations, the defensive battles on the northern Donets River, in the Donbass and Zaporozhye offensive operations, in the liquidation of the Germans' Nikopol bridgehead, in the Nikopol - Krivoi Rog and Proskurov - Chernovits operations, the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
, Sandomir-Silesia, and then took part in the attack on Berlin.
and the Brandenburg
area, the 3rd Guards Army attacked north of Cottbus
into the Spree River. Part of it also attacked Cottbus
and captured it. However, the 3rd Guards Army did not head north into the southern suburbs of Berlin
. Koniev had angled the 5th Guards Army left towards Spremberg
and the 3rd Guards Army to the right to force the German
troops back into Cottbus
. A few days after the great Soviet offensive of April 16, the 3rd Guards Army kept the pressure on the Germans
around Cottbus
.
Koniev was warned of the mass of German troops in the Spreewald
. He expedited the 28th Army's advance that was intended to seal the gap between the 3rd Guards Army, effectively finishing off the Germans in the Cottbus
area, and the 3rd Guards Tank Army
. On April 25, when the First Belorussian Front was fighting the Battle of Berlin
, the 3rd Guards Army was rushed into positions close to the Berlin
-Dresden
autobahn "to block all the forest roads leading from east to west." Gordov's troops chopped down tall pine trees to form tank barriers. However, the 3rd Guards Army did not manage to occupy the southern part of its sector, which meant that there was a gap between it and the 28th Army. However, that did not matter that much since German resistance in eastern Germany
was now very limited, as the Ninth
and Twelfth Armies
were retreating towards the Elbe River, and resistance was limited to small pockets of concentration.
After the Berlin operation, the Army formed part of the Soviet force for the Prague Offensive
. 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.
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...
that fought on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
in 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...
, notably in 1945.
It was created in December 1942, as part of the Southwestern Front (as a result of renaming 1st Guards Army of 2nd formation), according to the order of the Supreme High Command on formation of the 3rd Guards Army (5.12.1942). General Lieutenant Dmitri Lelyushenko was appointed to command the formation, and held the reins until March 1943 (and subsequently from August 1943 to February 1944). General Major I.Khetagurov held command from March to August 1943. Up to the middle of December the army comprised the 14th Rifle Corps, 50th Guards, 197th, 203rd and 278th Rifle Divisions, 90th and 94th Separate Rifle Brigades, the Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
The 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...
, the 22nd Motor-Rifle Brigade and other units.
3rd Guards Army was assigned in succession to the 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...
, 3rd, 4th and since March 1944 the First Ukrainian Front led by Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
Ivan Koniev. After a brief stint under the command of General-Lieutenant D.I. 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...
in February and March 1944, from April 1944 to the end of the war in Europe General Colonel N. Gordov was in command. The Army participated in the Middle Don and Voroshilovgrad offensive operations, the defensive battles on the northern Donets River, in the Donbass and Zaporozhye offensive operations, in the liquidation of the Germans' Nikopol bridgehead, in the Nikopol - Krivoi Rog and Proskurov - Chernovits operations, the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
The Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive or the L'vov-Sandomierz Strategic Offensive Operation was a major Red Army operation to force the German troops from Ukraine and Eastern Poland...
, Sandomir-Silesia, and then took part in the attack on Berlin.
Berlin
In the First Ukrainian Front's attack from the Neisse River into SaxonySaxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and the Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
area, the 3rd Guards Army attacked north of Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
into the Spree River. Part of it also attacked Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
and captured it. However, the 3rd Guards Army did not head north into the southern suburbs of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Koniev had angled the 5th Guards Army left towards Spremberg
Spremberg
Spremberg is a village near to the city of Hoyerswerda in the Spree-Neiße district of Brandenburg, Germany. The village was first mentioned in 1956. The village alone has only 9,588 Inhabitants, the hole region has 21,361 Inhabitants-Geography:...
and the 3rd Guards Army to the right to force 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...
troops back into Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
. A few days after the great Soviet offensive of April 16, the 3rd Guards Army kept the pressure on the Germans
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...
around Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
.
Koniev was warned of the mass of German troops in the Spreewald
Spreewald
The Spreewald is situated about 100 km south-east of Berlin. It was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991. It is known for its traditional irrigation system which consists of more than 200 small channels within the area. The landscape was shaped during the ice-age...
. He expedited the 28th Army's advance that was intended to seal the gap between the 3rd Guards Army, effectively finishing off the Germans in the Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
area, and the 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 April 25, when the First Belorussian Front was fighting 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 3rd Guards Army was rushed into positions close to the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
autobahn "to block all the forest roads leading from east to west." Gordov's troops chopped down tall pine trees to form tank barriers. However, the 3rd Guards Army did not manage to occupy the southern part of its sector, which meant that there was a gap between it and the 28th Army. However, that did not matter that much since German resistance in eastern Germany
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...
was now very limited, as the Ninth
German Ninth Army
The 9th Army was a World War II field army.The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command.-1940:The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line when it was involved in the invasion of France...
and Twelfth Armies
German Twelfth Army
- History :The 12th Army was activated on October 13, 1939 with General Wilhelm List in command. First seeing defensive action along the Siegfried Line, the army was involved in the invasion and occupation of France...
were retreating towards the Elbe River, and resistance was limited to small pockets of concentration.
After the Berlin operation, the Army formed part of the Soviet force for the 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...
. 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.