11th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)
| 11th Mechanized Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | I Formation: 1932–1938 II Formation: 1941 |
| Country | Mechanized corps |
| Engagements | World War II |
German invasion of the Soviet Union, the understrength corps was destroyed in the Battle of Białystok–Minsk .
HistoryFirst FormationThe 11th Mechanized Corps was formed from March to September 1932 from the BT-2. Each brigade had a total of 220 tanks. On 1 January 1933 the 83rd Aviation Group was attached the corps, and was later reformed into the Motor-Mechanized Squadron. By March of that year the brigades were based in Tsarskoye Selo, Slutsk, and Stary Peterhof, while the corps headquarters and rear units were still in Leningrad. In December, the 32nd Brigade's 1st Tank Battalion was transferred to the 6th Mechanized Brigade in the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army. On 16 January 1934 the corps received the honorific "Leningrad", the 31st Brigade received the honorific "named for Uritsky", the 32nd Brigade the honorific "named for Volodarsky", and the 33rd Brigade the honorific "named for Voskov".[2]
On 4 May 1934, the separate anti-aircraft battalion was removed from the corps. As a replacement, an anti-aircraft machine gun battalion was formed. On 1 August, the 33rd Rifle and Machine Gun Brigade was transferred to the newly formed 7th Mechanized Corps. In September, the Motor-Mechanized Squadron was removed from the corps. In 1934, the corps headquarters and the 32nd Brigade redeployed to Borzya. The 31st Brigade stayed in the Leningrad Military District and became part of the 7th Mechanized Corps. On 21 October the T-26 equipped 6th Mechanized Brigade became part of the corps at Chita. The corps headquarters and the 32nd Brigade were deployed to Crossing 76 and the 6th Brigade was at Crossing 77. In February 1935, the reconnaissance, chemical, and anti-aircraft machine gun battalions were disbanded. The mechanized brigades were reequipped with BT tanks. In May 1935 the corps became part of the Transbaikal Military District. In February 1936, Chaykovsky was replaced by district deputy commander Komdiv Yakov Davidovsky. After the signing of a Soviet-Mongolian mutual assistance treaty, units of the corps were deployed to Mongolia in March. On 8 June 1937 Davidovsky was arrested. On 19 August 1937 the 32nd Brigade became part of the 57th Special Rifle Corps as the Special Mechanized Brigade. By 11 September, the 5th Mechanized Corps' 13th Mechanized Brigade became part of the corps at Crossing 76. On 19 March 1938 Komdiv Boris Sheremetov became corps commander. The corps was shortly afterwards converted into the 20th Tank Corps.[2] Second FormationThe corps ( German invasion of the Soviet Union began, the corps had 241 tanks, including three KV tanks, 28 T-34s, 44 BT tanks, and 141 T-26 tanks.[1] The corps had less than half of its authorized strength.[3]
 The corps was ordered to counterattack German troops from the 6th Mechanized Corps due to a lack of radio communications. During these attacks, the 11th Mechanized Corps lost a large number of its remaining tanks to air attacks and fuel shortages.[4] On the next day, the 6th and 11th Corps were ordered to retreat east towards Slonim to prevent German forces from cutting the Minsk-Warsaw Highway. The retreat became a rout, which resulted in the loss of substantial numbers of equipment.[5]
Mostovenko was able to restore order and organized the corps into several combat groups by gathering remaining fuel and vehicles. The corps retreated east near Vawkavysk through the forest, running into the German Korelichi, and Mir.[1] Mostovenko and 33rd Tank Division commander Mikhail Panov also escaped.[6] Starostin and Makarov were both captured and executed, the former in late 1941 and the latter in October 1943.[7]
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