7th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)

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7th Mechanized Corps
Emblem of the 7th Mechanized Corps 1944-1945
ActiveI Formation: 1934–1938

II Formation: 1940–1941

III Formation: 1943–1945
Country
Mechanized corps
EngagementsWorld War II
DecorationsOrder of Lenin Order of Lenin (3rd formation)

Order of the Red Banner Order of the Red Banner (3rd formation)

Order of Suvorov (3rd formation)
Battle honoursNovoukrainka (3rd formation)
Khingan (3rd formation)
Commanders
Notable
commanders

The 7th Mechanized Corps was a

Prague Offensive, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria
. Postwar, the corps' third formation became a division and was disbanded in 1957.

History

First Formation

The corps (

T-27 tankettes, and three T-18 tanks. Komdiv Mikhail Bukshtynovich led the corps from August 1935 or the end of 1936 until his arrest in 1938. Komdiv Prokofy Romanenko took command of the corps in January 1938, by 1938, the corps headquarters was at Luga. In May 1938 the corps became the 10th Tank Corps and its mechanized brigades became tank brigades.[1]

Second Formation

The corps (Military Unit Number 6850) began forming on 8 July 1940 in the Moscow Military District from the 39th and 55th Light Tank Brigades, and the 1st Motorized Division. The corps headquarters was formed from that of the 57th Rifle Corps. The 14th Tank Division was formed from the 55th Light Tank Brigade and the 18th Tank Division from the 39th Light Tank Brigade. The final prewar locations of the units were: Corps headquarters at Moscow, 14th Tank Division at Naro-Fominsk (Summer camp at Kubinka), 18th Tank Division at Kaluga, the 1st Motorized Division at Moscow (Summer camp at Alabino). The corps was commanded by Major General Vasily Vinogradov.[2]

On 22 June, the German invasion of the Soviet Union,

KV tanks (from the Kirov plant) and 29 T-34 tanks (from the Kharkov Tank School).[4] Most of its tanks were older types, such as 269 T-26 tanks and 196 BT tanks.[5]

Burning T-34 tank of the type used by the corps

By the time it went into battle, the strength of the corps had been reduced to 428 tanks due to breakdowns. The corps attacked without air support, and with a shortage of fuel, ammunition, and anti-aircraft guns. The 5th Mechanized Corps stopped its advance due to fuel shortages.

20th Motorized Division. After a failed attack on the 17th Panzer Division, the 14th Tank Division began a retreat. Digging in along the Vitebsk-Smolensk road, the 14th Tank Division repulsed attacks by the 12th Panzer Division. The corps withdrew east across the Dnieper to the Orsha region, where it received replacement tanks and new attack orders for 11 July.[6]

The corps was subordinated to the

Liozno.[9] The corps was encircled in the pocket between Smolensk and Orsha by 15 July.[10] Corps headquarters and two tank battalions broke out and joined Rokossovsky's group.[11] On 21 July, the corps was ordered withdrawn to the Sukhinichi area as part of the 4th Army and reformed as a tank division.[12] Instead, the corps became part of Rokossovsky's Group Yartsevo, and participated in a counterattack toward Dukhovshchina on 28 July.[13] During the counterattack, the corps captured Svishchevo, south of Yartsevo.[14] The corps headquarters became part of the Group Yartsevo headquarters.[2]

Third Formation

The corps was reformed between 1 August and 30 September 1943 near

5th Guards Tank Army.[18] The corps helped capture Kirovograd on 8 January,[17] for which it was thanked by Stavka for its actions. On 15 January the corps was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its actions.[15]

During March and April 1944, the corps fought in the

Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive. The corps supported the main attack of the 3rd Ukrainian Front on the west bank of the Dniester.[19]

During the offensive it crossed the Prut. On 22 August it was thanked by Stavka for breaking through heavily fortified defenses south of Bender and capturing Căușeni, Cimișlia, and Tarutyne. In early September, the corps fought in the capture of Romania and Bulgaria. On 9 September the corps received the Order of Suvorov 2nd class for breaking through defenses south of Bender and helping to capture Chișinău. On the same day the corps was thanked by Stavka for occupying Shumen. From 6 to 28 October, the corps fought in the Battle of Debrecen.[16] The corps became part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front for the operation.[20] On 12 October, it captured Oradea, for which it received thanks from Stavka. On 20 October it helped capture Debrecen,[17] for which it received thanks from Stavka.[15]

Soviet tanks in Brno
Soviet truck of the 7th Mechanized Corps in front of the Parliament building in Czechoslovakia, May 1945.

From 29 October, the corps fought in the

Prague Offensive.[16] On 28 May the corps was awarded the Order of Lenin for its actions in the capture of Brno.[15]

Between 9 and 23 July 1945, the corps was relocated to Mongolia with the

Port Arthur.[16] The corps became the 7th Mechanized Division in late 1945 with the 39th Army. Its brigades were converted into regiments.[30] It was stationed at Port Arthur until 1955, when it withdrew to Voroshilov. The division was disbanded on 12 April 1957.[31]

Notes

  1. ^ Drig, Yevgeny. "7 механизированный корпус 10 танковый корпус" [7th Mechanized Corps 10th Tank Corps]. mechcorps.rkka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Drig, Yevgeny (6 January 2012). "7 механизированный корпус" [7th Mechanized Corps]. mechcorps.rkka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  3. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 49.
  4. ^ a b Forczyk 2014, pp. 79–82.
  5. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 72.
  6. ^ Glantz 2010, pp. 71–75.
  7. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 97.
  8. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 79.
  9. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 87n88.
  10. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 121.
  11. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 169.
  12. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 200.
  13. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 233.
  14. ^ Glantz 2010, p. 243.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "7-й механизированный корпус" [7th Mechanized Corps]. www.tankfront.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  16. ^ a b c d "Боевой путь" [Combat path]. 7mehkorpus.odessa.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Освобождение городов" [Liberated cities]. 7mehkorpus.odessa.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  18. ^ Glantz 2005, p. 307.
  19. ^ Glantz 2005, p. 413.
  20. ^ Glantz 2005, p. 443.
  21. ^ Ungvary 2006, p. 38.
  22. ^ Dunn 2009, p. 159.
  23. ^ Ungvary 2006, p. 198.
  24. ^ Glantz 2003, p. 20.
  25. ^ Glantz 2003, p. 164.
  26. ^ Glantz 2003, p. 165.
  27. ^ "36-я Забайкальская мотострелковая дивизия" [36th Transbaikal Motor Rifle Division]. rkka.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  28. ^ Glantz 2003, p. 206.
  29. ^ Glantz 2003, p. 207.
  30. ^ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 211–212, 219.
  31. ^ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 204–205.

References

Further reading
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