2nd Red Banner Army
2nd Red Banner Army | |
---|---|
Active | July 1938 – December 1945 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Size | |
Part of | Far Eastern Front |
Engagements | Invasion of Manchuria |
Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Ivan Konev |
The 2nd Red Banner Army (Russian: 2-я Краснознамённая армия, romanized: 2-ya Krasnoznamennaya armiya) was a Soviet field army of World War II that served as part of the Far Eastern Front.
The army was formed at
. The army was disbanded after the war in late 1945.History
Before 1941
Owing to increased tensions with Japan, the 2nd Army was created in July 1938 on the Far Eastern frontiers of the
Elements of the army fought in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, a series of border clashes between the Soviet Union and Japan, in mid-1939 under the control of other formations. On 4 October 1939, the Northern Army Group was established at Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, controlling troops in the fortified regions of Nikolayevsk-on-Amur and De-Kastri, Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Subordinated to the 2nd OKA, the group operationally controlled the Northern Pacific Flotilla. By an order dated 21 June 1940, the Far Eastern Front was recreated and the headquarters of the 2nd Independent Red Banner Army was abolished and used to form the headquarters of the 2nd and 15th Armies. The 2nd (Blagoveshchensk) Red Banner Army (2nd KA) was headquartered at Kuibyshevka.[4] It included the 3rd and 12th Rifle Divisions and the 69th Motorized Division (the former 69th Rifle Division, stationed in the Blagoveshchensk area).[7] The 34th, 35th, and 78th Rifle Divisions became part of the 15th Army. Lieutenant General Vsevolod Sergeyev became army commander on 22 June. On 27 August, the 31st Mixed Aviation Division (SmAD) was formed from its 26th Mixed Aviation Brigade.[8] In March 1941, the 59th Tank Division was formed in the Khabarovsk area as part of the army.[9][5] Lieutenant General Makar Teryokhin replaced Sergeyev on 11 March.[10] By 22 June the army also included the 101st Blagoveshchensk and the Ust-Bureysk Fortified Regions.[11]
World War II
Garrison duty in the Far East
During World War II, the army covered the border around Blagoveshchensk and sent reinforcements to the active forces fighting on the Eastern Front.[13] Following the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June 1941, a directive dated 25 June transferred the 59th Tank and 69th Motorized Divisions by rail to the Eastern Front.[9][7] On 28 June the 31st SmAD departed for the Eastern Front, and remaining units, including the 3rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, were made directly subordinate to the Air Force (VVS) of the 2nd KA.[8] In August the 95th Mixed Aviation Division was formed in the VVS of the 2nd KA; it became the 95th Fighter Aviation Division (IAD) by 1 September.[14]
By 1 September, the army included the
The Ust-Bureysk Fortified Region was likely disbanded in December, as it does not appear in the order of battle for 1 January 1942.
In April 1943, the 1st and 2nd Amur Tank Brigades were formed in the army, growing out of what were separate tank
Soviet invasion of Manchuria
In preparation for the
An operational group consisting of the 3rd and 12th Rifle Divisions, and the 73rd and 74th Tank Brigades, was positioned in the army's center and on its left flank. It was to attack south across the Amur from Konstantinovka to capture Sunwu and its fortifications, then advance south through
The main offensive began on 9 August, but the army remained in its positions until 11 August. During this time, it conducted reconnaissance and harassing attacks across the Amur, capturing several of the river's islands. The main bodies of the operational groups were placed in concentration areas, located 12–17 miles (19–27 km) in the army's rear. Due to the rapid advance of the other Soviet forces, Purkayev ordered the army late on 10 August to begin its attack early on the following morning. Aihun, Sunwu, and Hsunho were scheduled to be captured by the end of 11 August. That night, the operational groups moved forward to their attack starting positions.[37] The attack began early in the morning under the cover of an artillery bombardment, as reconnaissance and assault detachments from the first echelons of the operational groups crossed the Amur, capturing bridgeheads near Sakhalian, Aihun, and Holomoching, coming into contact with Japanese outposts and covering forces. The 3rd and 12th Rifle Divisions commenced crossing the river shortly afterwards, less one regiment, east and west of Konstantinovka; the 396th Division and 368th Regiment near Blagoveshchensk and the 101st Fortified Region crossed south of Blagoveshchensk.[38]
Due to bridging equipment shortages, the army was not fully across the river until 16 August, forcing the piecemeal commitment of forces. Forward units continued to engage Japanese advanced positions south of Holomoching and north of Aihun on 12 August, as reinforcements landed. Sufficient troops to intensify the attack had arrived on the other bank of the Amur by 13 August, allowing the 3rd Rifle Division and 74th Tank Brigade to penetrate the Japanese defenses held by the 123rd Infantry Division's 269th Infantry Regiment on the heights northeast of Sunwu. A regiment from the 12th Division crossed the Amur east of Sunwu and advanced west along the Sunwu road, attacking the Japanese left flank. The 396th Division, 258th Tank Brigade and 368th Regiment pushed the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade back towards the main fortified region at Aihun, while small Japanese forces were destroyed by troops crossing the river father north at Huma and Santaoka.[38]
Fierce fighting took place on 14 and 15 August for the main fortified regions east and north of Sunwu. Supported by the 73rd Tank Brigade, the 3rd and 12th Divisions broke through Japanese defenses at Shenwutan, scattering a detachment from the 269th Regiment, and driving another back towards Nanyang Hill, just east of Sunwu, and attacking the 123rd Division's main forces in the Sunwu Fortified Region. Meanwhile, the 74th Tank Brigade, reinforced by a rifle company, artillery battalion, and an antitank regiment, moved south and bypassed Sunwu, advancing to cut the Sunwu–Peian road. Taking advantage of the tank attack, the 396th Division and 368th Regiment advanced on Sunwu from the north, surrounding most of the 135th Brigade in the Aihun Fortified Region. A forward detachment was formed around the 74th Brigade to pursue the Japanese remnants southwest along the Nencheng road.[38]
The 369th Rifle Division's second echelon 614th Rifle Regiment and the 101st Fortified Region were tasked with reducing the Aihun and Sunwu fortified regions, as the operational groups marched in two routes towards Nencheng and Peian, more than 93 miles (150 kilometers) apart. The advance was slowed by bad weather and muddy and rutted roads, and two engineer sapper battalions were attached to the lead detachments of the operational groups to speed up the advance. For the next several days, the bypassed Japanese troops continued to defend the Sakhalian, Aihun and Sunwu fortified regions, launching frequent attacks against the Soviet troops. After further heavy artillery and bombing from the Soviet 18th Mixed Aviation Corps of the 10th Air Army, Japanese resistance slackened on 17 and 18 August, and many defenders surrendered or were destroyed. Around Sunwu, a total of 17,061 Japanese military personnel were captured, while 4,520 soldiers at Aihun did not surrender until 20 August.[38]
The
Postwar
The
Commanders
The army was commanded by the following officers during its existence:
- Komkor (promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank March 1939) Ivan Konev (July 1938 – June 1940)[3]
- Lieutenant General Vsevolod Sergeyev (22 June 1940 – 11 March 1941)[10]
- Lieutenant General Makar Teryokhin (11 March 1941[10] – December 1945)[46]
References
- ^ a b Mozhayev 1945, pp. 106–110.
- ^ a b c Glantz 2003, p. 106.
- ^ a b Kuzelenkov 2005, p. 159.
- ^ a b Dvoinykh, Kariaeva, Stegantsev, eds. 1991, pp. 394–395.
- ^ a b Dvoinykh, Kariaeva, Stegantsev, eds. 1993, pp. 446–447.
- ^ Dvoinykh, Kariaeva, Stegantsev, eds. 1993, pp. 353, 357, 364, 372.
- ^ a b Drig 2012.
- ^ a b Bykov 2014, pp. 874–875.
- ^ a b Drig 2007.
- ^ a b c Kuzelenkov 2005, p. 100.
- ^ Gurkin & Malanin 1963, p. 13.
- ^ Niehorster, Leo (22 October 2015). "2nd Army, Far East Front, Red Army 22 June 1941". In cooperation with Craig Crofoot and Marek Suplat. Dr. Leo Niehorster. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ a b c "2-я Краснознаменная армия" [2nd Red Banner Army] (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Bykov 2014, p. 543.
- ^ Gurkin & Malanin 1963, p. 48.
- ^ Gurkin & Malanin 1963, p. 58.
- ^ Gurkin & Malanin 1963, p. 70.
- ^ Gurkin & Malanin 1963, p. 82.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 22.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 40.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 59.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 77.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 117.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 161.
- ^ Gurkin, Shchitov-Izotov & Volkov 1966, p. 184.
- ^ a b Gurkin et al. 1990, p. 146.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1972, p. 127.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1972, p. 181.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1972, p. 210.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1988, p. 366.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1990, p. 38.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1990, pp. 194, 196.
- ^ "2-й Дальневосточный фронт" [2nd Far Eastern Front] (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Glantz 2003, p. 168.
- ^ Glantz 2003, pp. 164–165.
- ^ Glantz 2003, pp. 262–263.
- ^ a b Glantz 2003, pp. 270–272.
- ^ a b c d e Glantz 2003, pp. 275–278.
- ^ Glantz 2003, p. 216.
- ^ Glantz 2003, p. 381.
- ^ Mozhayev 1945, p. 97.
- ^ Gurkin et al. 1990, pp. 203, 208.
- ^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 130.
- ^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 579.
- ^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 566.
- ^ "Терёхин Макар Фомич" [Teryokhin Makar Fomich]. warheroes.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 6 October 2017."Makar Teryokhin". Герои страны ("Heroes of the Country") (in Russian). Retrieved 6 October 2017.
Sources
- Bykov, Mikhail; Anokhin, Vladimir (2014). Все истребительные авиаполки Сталина. Первая полная энциклопедия [All Fighter Aviation Regiments of Stalin. The First Complete Encyclopedia] (in Russian). Moscow: Yauza-Eksmo. ISBN 9785457567276.
- Drig, Yevgeny (12 March 2007). "59 танковая дивизия" [59th Tank Division]. mechcorps.rkka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2017. – mechcorps.rkka.ru was the website of Russian historian Yevgeny Drig (Russian: Евгений Дриг)
- Drig, Yevgeny (6 January 2012). "69 моторизованная дивизия" [69th Motorized Division]. mechcorps.rkka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- Dvoinykh, L.V.; Kariaeva, T.F.; Stegantsev, M.V., eds. (1991). Центральный государственный архив Советской армии [Central State Archive of the Soviet Army] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Minneapolis: Eastview Publications. ISBN 1-879944-02-2.
- Dvoinykh, L.V.; Kariaeva, T.F.; Stegantsev, M.V., eds. (1993). Центральный государственный архив Советской армии [Central State Archive of the Soviet Army] (in Russian). Vol. 2. Minneapolis: Eastview Publications. ISBN 1-879944-03-0.
- Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.
- ISBN 0-7146-5279-2.
- Gurkin, V.V.; Malanin, K.A. (1963). Боевой состав Советской армии: Часть I (июнь-декабрь 1941 года) [Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, Part I (June–December 1941)] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow: Military Historical Department of the Military Scientific Directorate of the General Staff.
- Gurkin, V.V.; et al. (1966). Боевой состав Советской армии: Часть II (Январь-декабрь 1942 года) [Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, Part II (January–December 1942)] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat.
- Gurkin, V.V.; et al. (1972). Боевой состав Советской армии: Часть III (Январь – декабрь 1943 г.) [Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, Part III (January–December 1943)] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat.
- Gurkin, V.V.; et al. (1988). Боевой состав Советской армии: Часть IV (Январь – декабрь 1944 г.) [Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, Part IV (January–December 1944)] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat.
- Gurkin, V.V.; et al. (1990). Боевой состав Советской армии: Часть V (Январь–сентябрь 1945 г.) [Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, Part V (January–September 1945)] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat.
- Kuzelenkov, V.N., ed. (2005). Командный и начальствующий состав Красной Армии в 1940–1941 гг [Commanders and Command Staff of the Red Army 1940–1941] (in Russian). Moscow/St. Petersburg: Letny sad. ISBN 5-94381-137-0.
- Mozhayev, Major General Semyon (1945). "Журнал боевых действий 2 А против Японо-Маньчжурских войск в период 9–20.8.45 г." [Combat Journal of the 2nd Army against the Japanese-Manchurian troops in the period 9–20 August 1945]. Pamyat Naroda (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. (Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence, fond 304, opus 7008, file 76)
Further reading
- Glantz, David M. (1998). Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of World War. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0879-6.