57th Army (Soviet Union)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
57th Army
ActiveOctober 1941 – February 1943
April 1943 – 1947
Country
Vienna Offensive

The 57th Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that was created in 1941, and then disbanded and created a second time in 1943. The 57th Army was employed by the Soviets in the fight against Germany during World War II.

History

First formation

The 57th Army was formed in October 1941 and subordinated to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK).[1] Still under RVGK control in December 1941, the 57th Army was made up the 333rd, 335th, 337th, 341st, 349th and 351st Rifle Divisions, as well as the 60th and 70th Cavalry Divisions.

Starting on 1 January 1942, the 57th Army participated in the offensive by

III Panzer Corps, in the west by XI Corps, and in the north by Gruppe Dostler and by LI Army Corps.[2]

During the May 1942 Battle of Kharkov, the army was surrounded and practically destroyed.[3] Attempting to break out, General Podlas, the army commander, was killed in action. Slowly rebuilt, by December 1942, the army was part of the Stalingrad Front. The 57th Army was disbanded in February 1943 to form the headquarters of the 68th Army.[4]

Second formation

The 57th Army was formed a second time in April 1943 and subordinated to the

303rd Rifle Divisions
. The army subsequently fought in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Hungary until the end of the war. During the final months of the war, the army occupied the southernmost position of the Soviet front line; to the south of 57th Army on the eastern front were Bulgarian (including the
Bulgarian First Army) and Yugoslavian forces. At war's end, the 57th Army was subordinated to the 3rd Ukrainian Front
, and commanded the following forces.

The 57th Army became part of the

24th Guards Mechanized Division, and the 6th Guards Rifle Corps. In December the 6th Guards Rifle Corps was disbanded, along with two of its divisions. In early 1947 the 19th Tank Division was moved back to the Soviet Union, where it was disbanded. On 15 July 1947 the army itself was disbanded, along with the 24th Guards and 20th Mechanized Divisions.[5]

Commanders

Notes

  1. ^ Glantz, p. 58
  2. ISBN 9781780961583
    .
  3. ^ Newland and Chun, p. 77
  4. ^ Glantz, p. 58
  5. ^ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 421-423

References

External links

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