1st Guards Tank Division

Last updated
26th Tank Corps
(Apr. – 8 Dec, 1942)
1st Guards Tank Corps
(8 Dec 1942 – 12 Jul 1945)
1st Guards Tank Division
(12 Jul 1945 – Feb 1947)
Active1942–1947
CountryFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army / Soviet Army
TypeArmored
Garrison/HQ Neuruppin (1945–1947)
Engagements
Decorations
Battle honours Don
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Alexey Rodin
Mikhail Panov

The 1st Guards Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Army from 1945 to 1947, stationed in Neuruppin. [1] It was formed in the spring of 1942 as the 26th Tank Corps. The corps fought in Operation Uranus and became the 1st Guards Tank Corps, being redesignated as a reward for its actions in December 1942. It fought in Operation Gallop, the Third Battle of Kharkov, Operation Kutuzov, Operation Bagration, the East Prussian Offensive, the East Pomeranian Offensive and the Berlin Offensive. During the East Prussian Offensive, the division captured Mława, Działdowo and Płońsk and was awarded the Order of Lenin for its actions. The division had been awarded the honorific "Don" for its actions in Operation Gallop. It also was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov 2nd class. [2]

Contents

History

World War II

The 26th Tank Corps was formed between 24 June and 10 August 1942 in Kosteryovo. It was commanded by Major General Alexey Rodin. [3] The corps included the 19th, 157th and 216th Tank Brigades and the 14th Motor Rifle Brigade. From 10 August to 9 September, the corps was transferred to Plavsk. On 3 September, it was subordinated to the 5th Tank Army. [4]

In October, the army was transferred to the Southwestern Front and began to prepare for the counteroffensive at Stalingrad, Operation Uranus. On 19 November, the 26th Tank Corps began its advance in the second echelon of the 5th Tank Army. It broke through Romanian lines in the area of Blinovsky and Korotovsky, advancing south towards Perelazovsky and Kalach. [5] The corps overran the Romanian 1st Armored Division's rear area [6] and captured the headquarters of the Romanian 5th Army Corps. [7] [8]

Soviet tanks and infantry, probably from the 26th Tank Corps during the advance on Kalach Kalac Novembre 1942.jpg
Soviet tanks and infantry, probably from the 26th Tank Corps during the advance on Kalach

Forward detachments of the corps forced German commander Friedrich Paulus to move his headquarters on 21 November. On the night of 22–23 November, Rodin ordered the corps' vanguard units, led by Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Filippov to reconnoitre the last bridge over the Don at Kalach. Filippov advanced at high speed with headlights on, reportedly causing the German troops guarding the bridge to believe captured Soviet armor was being driven to the nearby gunnery range. Filippov and his tanks crossed the bridge and defeated the German troops guarding it. [5] The corps helped occupy Kalach on the next day. [9] [10] [11]

On 8 December, the 26th Tank Corps became the 1st Guards Tank Corps for its actions at Stalingrad. The 216th Tank Brigade became the 15th Guards, the 19th became the 16th Guards, the 157th became the 17th Guards and the 14th Motor Rifle Brigade became the 1st Guards. [2]

On 27 January 1943, the corps was awarded the honorific "Don" for its actions. Rodin was promoted to Lieutenant general and became commander of the 2nd Tank Army in early February. [12] 6th Army Tank Troops commander Major General Alexander Kukushkin took command. [13] During February and March, the corps fought in the Third Battle of Kharkov. It defended positions north of Pavlohrad and fled to escape an encirclement on 24 February. [14] On 25 April, Kukushkin was killed during an enemy air raid. [13] 2nd Guards Army Tank Troops commander Major General Mikhail Panov took command. [15] During the summer it fought in Operation Kutuzov. From October 1943, it fought in Belarus during the Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive. The corps captured Rechytsa in November and cut off the German line of retreat west of Gomel. For its actions, the corps was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 18 November. [16]

The corps fought in the Kalinkovichi-Mozyr Offensive in January 1944. The corps captured Kalinkavichy on 14 January after outflanking defending German troops. On 15 January, the corps was awarded the Order of Suvorov 2nd class for its actions. From June, the corps fought in Operation Bagration. On 24 June, the corps advanced through the gap made by the advance of the 65th Army. By 27 June, the corps linked up with elements of the 9th Tank Corps, completing the encirclement of five German 9th Army divisions in the Bobruysk Offensive. The corps continued to advanced towards Pukhavichy and Osipovichi. On 3 July, the corps was on the southeastern outskirts of Minsk and helped complete the encirclement of the German 4th Army around Minsk. After the capture of Minsk, the corps advanced toward Baranovichi and Brest. The corps helped capture Slonim. [16]

A column of T-34-85 tanks of the corps on a road in East Prussia, 13 January 1945 Kolonna sovetskikh tankov T-34-85 s desantom na doroge v Vostochnoi Prussii 2.jpg
A column of T-34-85 tanks of the corps on a road in East Prussia, 13 January 1945

From mid-November 1944, the corps was part of the 2nd Belorussian Front. From January 1945, the corps fought in the East Prussian Offensive. During the offensive, the corps helped capture Płońsk and Tuchola. On 19 February, the corps was awarded the Order of Lenin for its capture of Plonsk. At the end of March, the corps fought in the capture of Gdańsk during the East Pomeranian Offensive. From April, the division fought in the Berlin Offensive. It reached the Baltic coast near Rostock and Ribnitz at the end of the war. [16]

Postwar

On 12 July 1945, the corps was converted into the 1st Guards Tank Division at Neuruppin. The division's brigades were converted into tank regiments. It was disbanded in February 1947. The division's 15th Guards Tank Regiment was transferred to the 39th Guards Rifle Division. The 16th Guards Tank Regiment moved to the 207th Rifle Division and the 17th Guards Tank Regiment transferred to the 57th Guards Rifle Division. The 74th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment transferred to the 26th Guards Rifle Division. [1]

Composition

In 1947, the division included the following units: [1]

Related Research Articles

The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army was an army of the Soviet Army, as a successor to the 62nd Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, which was formed during World War II and was disbanded in 1998 after being downsized into a corps.

The 4th Mechanized Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Guards Tank Corps</span> Tank corps of the Soviet military

The 2nd Guards Tatsinskaya Tank Corps was a tank corps of the Soviet Union's Red Army that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front of Europe. The unit's most notable moment was in the raid on Tatsinskaya during Operation Little Saturn in World War II. After the war, it continued to serve with the Soviet occupation forces in Central Europe. It was originally the 24th Tank Corps. The formation had approximately the same size and combat power as a Wehrmacht Panzer Division, and less than a British Armoured Division had during World War II.

The 63rd Army was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II.

The 95th Rifle Division was a Red Army Rifle Division during World War II, formed three times. The division was first formed in November 1923 with the 6th Rifle Corps. It fought in the Winter War and the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. After Operation Barbarossa, the division fought in the retreat from Moldova and fought in the siege of Odessa and the siege of Sevastopol. It was destroyed during the siege of Sevastopol and was disbanded in late July 1942. The division was reformed in August 1942 from the 13th Motor Rifle Division NKVD and fought at the Battle of Stalingrad. For its actions during the battle, the division became the 75th Guards Rifle Division in March 1943. In April 1943, the division was formed a third time at Kaluga from the 121st Rifle Brigade. It fought in Operation Bagration.

The 37th Guards Rechitsa, twice Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov, and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army which fought during World War II.

Viktor Grigoryevich Zholudev was a Red Army major general and posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. Zholudev fought in the 1929 Sino-Soviet conflict, the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 and the 1939 Battles of Khalkhin Gol, as well as World War II. Zholudev commanded the 37th Guards Rifle Division during its defense of the Stalingrad tractor factory during the Battle of Stalingrad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">72nd Guards Joint Training Centre</span> Belarusian Armed Forces unit

The 72nd Guards Joint Training Centre is a training centre of the Belarus Armed Forces. It trains warrant officers and junior specialists for the Belarus Armed Forces and is based in Borisov. The 72nd Guards Joint Training Centre traces its history back to the Soviet 120th Rifle Division. For its actions during the Yelnya Offensive, the division became the 6th Guards Rifle Division in September 1941. In November 1945, the division became the 15th Guards Mechanized Division. On 15 May 1957, it became the 47th Guards Tank Division. The division became a training unit in 1960 and was renamed the 45th Guards Tank Training Division in 1965. In 1987, it became the 72nd Guards District Training Centre. In 1992, it was taken over by Belarus and became the 72nd Guards Joint Training Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexey Rodin</span> Soviet Army colonel general

Alexey Grigoryevich Rodin was a Soviet Army colonel general and Hero of the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgy Rodin</span> Red army lieutenant general

Georgy Semyonovich Rodin was a Red Army lieutenant general. Rodin fought in World War I as a non-commissioned officer of the Imperial Russian Army. He joined the Red Army in 1918 and became an officer, fighting in the Russian Civil War. In 1938, he was transferred to the reserve but returned to active duty in 1939 and led a tank battalion in the Soviet invasion of Poland. Rodin led a tank regiment in the Winter War and became commander of a brigade in December 1940. The brigade became the 47th Tank Division in March 1941.

The 399th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army. Partially raised in 1941, this formation was abandoned until a second formation began in February 1942, this time in the far east of Siberia. The formation lasted until July, after which it was moved west to join the Stalingrad Front in the great bend of the Don River. Badly mauled in its first actions, it was rebuilt west of the Don in late July, and went on to contest the German advance right into the center of the city. The remnants of the division were pulled out and sent north to Bryansk Front, and the once-again rebuilt division went on to serve in the winter offensive against the German forces in the salient around Oryol. It was present on the right flank of the Kursk salient during the German offensive in July 1943 but saw little action until the Soviet forces went on the counterattack later that month. During the advance into western Russia it earned a battle honor. Through the winter of 1943-44 it helped to make incremental gains against the forces of Army Group Center, setting the stage for the summer offensive, during which the division would win its first decoration. Later that year it advanced into Poland and in early 1945 it took part in the battles for East Prussia, and won the Order of the Red Banner for its efforts. The division was disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 16th Guards Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Army and later the Russian Ground Forces.

The 4th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division was an anti-aircraft artillery division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II and the Soviet Army in the early postwar years.

The 36th Guards Rifle Division was a Guards infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed from the 9th Airborne Corps in August 1942 as a result of the Soviet need for troops to fight in the Battle of Stalingrad. The division was awarded the honorific Verkhnedneprovsk for its crossing of the Dnieper in September 1943 near that town, later receiving the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class, for its actions in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive in March 1944. It fought in the siege of Budapest during late 1944 and early 1945, receiving the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class, for its actions. In late 1945, it was converted into the 24th Guards Mechanized Division. Stationed in Romania, it was disbanded in early 1947.

The 14th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 96th Rifle Division, which was officially a mountain unit at the time, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was on Southern Front when it was redesignated and was soon assigned to the 57th Army. It was encircled during the May German counterattack in the Second Battle of Kharkov. Its first commander was made a prisoner of war, later dying in German captivity. A cadre of the division managed to escape and was sent to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding. In July it joined the 63rd Army and took part in the attacks against the Italian 8th Army that created the bridgehead south of the Don River near Serafimovich during August. In October, now in the 21st Army of Don Front, it was active in two probing attacks against the Romanian forces now containing the bridgehead which inflicted severe casualties in advance of the Soviet winter counteroffensive. At the start of that offensive the division was in 5th Tank Army, but was soon transferred to 1st Guards Army and then to the 3rd Guards Army when that was formed. It was under this Army as it advanced into the Donbas in late winter before returning to 57th Army during most of 1943, fighting through east Ukraine and across the lower Dniepr by the end of the year. After being briefly assigned to 53rd Army in December it was moved to 5th Guards Army in February, 1944 where it remained for the duration, mostly in the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps. It saw action in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive and won its first decoration, the Order of the Red Banner, as it advanced, before being involved in the frustrating battles along the Dniestr River on the Romanian border. In late spring, 1944 the division was redeployed north becoming part of 1st Ukrainian Front and taking part in the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive into Poland. The 14th Guards made a spectacular advance across Poland during the Vistula-Oder Offensive and was awarded the Order of Lenin for its part in the liberation of Sandomierz. On January 22, 1945, its commander suffered mortal wounds in the fighting for a bridgehead over the Oder River. In the drive on Berlin in April the division and its regiments won further honors and decorations but despite these distinctions it was disbanded in August, 1946.

The 33rd Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1942, based on the 2nd formation of the 3rd Airborne Corps, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was the second of a series of ten Guards rifle divisions formed from airborne corps during the spring and summer of 1942. It was briefly assigned to the 47th Army in the North Caucasus Front but was soon moved to the Volga Military District and saw its first action as part of 62nd Army in the fighting on the approaches to Stalingrad. It was withdrawn east of the Volga in September, but returned to the front with the 2nd Guards Army in December, and it remained in this Army until early 1945. After helping to defeat Army Group Don's attempt to relieve the trapped 6th Army at Stalingrad the 33rd Guards joined in the pursuit across the southern Caucasus steppe until reaching the Mius River in early 1943. Through the rest of that year it fought through the southern sector of eastern Ukraine as part of Southern Front and in the spring of 1944 assisted in the liberation of the Crimea, earning a battle honor in the process. The Crimea was a strategic dead-end, so 2nd Guards Army was moved north to take part in the summer offensive through the Baltic states and to the border with Germany as part of 1st Baltic Front. During the offensive into East Prussia the division and its 13th Guards Rifle Corps was reassigned to 39th and the 43rd Armies before returning to 2nd Guards Army in April. For its part in the capture of the city-fortress of Königsberg the 33rd Guards would receive the Order of Suvorov. In mid-1946 it was converted to the 8th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade.

The 41st Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in August 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 10th Airborne Corps, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was the last of a series of ten Guards rifle divisions formed from airborne corps during the spring and summer of 1942. It was briefly assigned to the 1st Guards Army in Stalingrad Front, then to the 24th Army in Don Front, and suffered heavy casualties north of Stalingrad before being withdrawn to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for a substantial rebuilding. Returning to 1st Guards Army in Southwestern Front in November it took part in Operation Little Saturn as part of 4th Guards Rifle Corps and then advanced into the Donbas where it was caught up in the German counteroffensive in the spring of 1943. During the summer and fall the division fought its way through eastern Ukraine as part of the 6th, and later the 57th Army under several corps commands. It would remain in the southern part of the front for the duration of the war. By February 1944 it was in the 7th Guards Army and took part in the battle for the Korsun Pocket, winning its first battle honor in the process. Shortly after it was transferred to the 4th Guards Army, where it would remain for the duration, still moving through several corps headquarters. The 41st Guards saw limited service in the first Jassy-Kishinev offensive in the spring, but considerably more in August's second offensive and several of its subunits received battle honors or decorations. The division itself won a second honorific during the offensive into Hungary in January 1945 and was later decorated for its role in the capture of Budapest. After the fall of Vienna in April it did garrison duty in the city for a short time before being directed west into lower Austria where it linked up with U.S. forces in the last days of the war. In October, while still in Austria, it was converted to the 18th Guards Mechanized Division.

The 68th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in February 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 96th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It originally served in the Stalingrad Group of Forces, mopping up in the ruins of that city after the Axis surrender there before eventually being assigned to the 4th Guards Army and moving north to the Kursk area in the Steppe Military District. It entered combat with its Army during the Belgorod-Kharkov Offensive in August and continued fighting toward the Dniepr River and Kiev during the autumn and early winter. From late September until early November it was involved in the fighting around the Bukrin bridgeheads which ultimately ended in a stalemate. The 68th Guards was part of 1st Ukrainian Front until September, 1944 but was subordinated to numerous army and corps commands during this period and won an honorific in western Ukraine during March; subsequently it was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the liberation of Lvov. After being removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for much-needed rebuilding its combat path shifted into the Balkans. While rebuilding its antitank battalion had its towed pieces replaced with self-propelled guns and at the beginning of November the entire division was temporarily motorized to take part in an unsuccessful attempt to seize the city of Budapest via a mechanized thrust. The 68th Guards spent the remainder of the war fighting in Hungary and Austria; its regiments would all receive recognition for their roles in the battles for Budapest. The division was finally assigned to the 30th Rifle Corps of 26th Army in January, 1945 and remained under these headquarters for the duration of the war. Despite a solid record of service the 68th Guards was disbanded within two years.

The 129th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in October 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 176th Rifle Division. It was the highest-numbered Guards division designated by the Red Army, although not the last to be formed.

The 205th Rifle Division was twice formed as an infantry division of the Red Army after a motorized division of that same number was destroyed in the first days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The first formation was based on the shtat of July 29, 1941 and it then remained for nine months in the far east of Siberia training and organizing before it was finally sent by rail to the Stalingrad region in July 1942. It was assigned to the 4th Tank Army which was attempting to hold a bridgehead west of the Don River based on Kremenskaya and Sirotinskaya. This soon came under attack by elements of German 6th Army as a preliminary to its advance on Stalingrad itself and during August the division was encircled and destroyed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holm, Michael. "1st Guards Tank Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  2. 1 2 "1-й гвардейский танковый корпус" [1st Guards Tank Corps]. tankfront.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  3. "Biography of Colonel-General of Tank Troops Aleksei Grigorevich Rodin – (Алексей Григорьевич Родин) (1902–1955), Soviet Union". generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  4. "26-й танковый корпус" [26th Tank Corps]. tankfront.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  5. 1 2 "Танковые 16–31" [Tank 16–31]. myfront.in.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  6. Zaloga, Steven (2013-04-23). Tanks of Hitler's Eastern Allies 1941–45. Osprey Publishing. p. 27. ISBN   9781780960203.
  7. Zhukov, Georgi K.; Salisbury, Harrison Evans; Glantz, David M. (2002-01-01). Marshal Zhukov's Greatest Battles. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 175. ISBN   9780815410980.
  8. Isaev, Alexei (2008). Сталинград. За Волгой для нас земли нет [Stalingrad: There is No Land Beyond the Volga] (in Russian). Moscow: Yauza. pp. 304–305. ISBN   9785699262366.
  9. "Описание Сталинградской битвы" [Battle of Stalingrad]. battle.volgadmin.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  10. Walsh, Stephen (2000-01-01). Stalingrad: The Infernal Cauldron, 1942–1943. Macmillan. p. 117. ISBN   9780312269432.
  11. Isaev 2008, pp. 314–316.
  12. "Biography of Colonel-General of Tank Troops Aleksei Grigorevich Rodin – (Алексей Григорьевич Родин) (1902–1955), Soviet Union". generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  13. 1 2 "Кукушкин Александр Васильевич" [Kukushkin Alexander Vasilyevich]. tankfront.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  14. Glantz, David M. (2014-02-04). From the Don to the Dnepr: Soviet Offensive Operations, December 1942 – August 1943. Routledge. ISBN   9781135181376.
  15. "Biography of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Mikhail Fedorovich Panov – (Михаил Федорович Панов) (1901–1979), Soviet Union". generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  16. 1 2 3 "Гвардейские танковые" [Guards Tank]. myfront.in.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2016-03-02.