1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the Soviet Union

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1st Czechoslovak Army Corps První československý armádní sbor Prvý československý armádny zbor
Banner of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps
Active	5 May 1944 (1944-05-05)–15 May 1945 (1945-05-15)
Country	Czechoslovakia  Soviet Union
Allegiance	Czechoslovak government-in-exile
Branch	Red Army[citation needed]
Type	Corps
Size	16,171 (September 1944)[1]
Part of	1st Ukrainian Front, later 4th Ukrainian Front
Motto(s)	"Věrni zůstaneme" Loyal We Will Remain
Engagements	Eastern Front (World War II) Battle of Kiev Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive Battle of the Dukla Pass Western Carpathian offensive Moravia–Ostrava offensive Prague Offensive
Commander	Jan Kratochvíl (1944) Ludvík Svoboda (1944-1945) Karel Klapálek (1945)

The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps (Czech: První československý armádní sbor, Slovak: Prvý československý armádny zbor), also known as Svoboda's Army^[2] (Czech: Svobodova armáda, after its commander Ludvík Svoboda), was a military formation of the Czechoslovak Army in exile fighting on the Eastern Front alongside the Soviet Red Army in World War II.^[3]

The corps was the largest of the Czechoslovak units that fought on the Soviet side on the Eastern Front.

History of Czechoslovak military in the USSR

The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion, formed in

In late autumn 1944, when parts of Czechoslovakia (Ruthenia and eastern Slovakia) were already liberated, a new infantry brigade was formed and the support units transformed into higher units.

Combat history

By the time that the Soviet offensive entered Czechoslovakia, it had grown to corps size. In the autumn of 1944, 13,000 members of the corps participated in the

The Corps initially served within the 1st Ukrainian Front's 38th Army.

From September 4, 1944, as the part of 38th Army the Corps participated in the

In November 1944 Corps was reassigned to

The First Czechoslovak Army Corps ceased to exist shortly after the victorious end of the war. On 25 May 1945, the provisional organization of the Czechoslovak armed forces was approved, according to which there was a reorganization of the Czechoslovak army in peacetime. Since the end of the May 1945 the Corps was reorganized into the 1st Czechoslovak Army and its brigades were reorganized into respective divisions.^{[citation needed]}

Commanders

• Jan Kratochvíl (18. 5. 1944 – 10. 9. 1944)
• Ludvík Svoboda (10. 9. 1944 – 3. 4. 1945)
• Bohumil Boček – acting commander (08.03.-06.04.1945)
• Karel Klapálek (4. 4. 1945 – 15. 5. 1945)

The Corps's initial commander was Brigade General Jan Kratochvíl, who was replaced by Brigade General

• 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (original unit, formed prior the Corps, in May 1943), commander in 1945: brigadegeneral Jan Satorie, later brigadegeneral Oldřich Španiel^[10]
  • 1st Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: staff captain Ľudovít Takáč, later captain Evžen Surovčík
  • 2nd Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: staff captain Václav Čeřenský, later lieutenant colonel František Voves
  • 3rd Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: lieutenant colonel Štefan Želinský, later captain Jaroslav Svoboda
  • 1st Battalion of
    Submachine Gunners
    , commander in 1945: staff cpt. J. Novák, later cpt. F. Felcman
  • 1st Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: staff cpt. Ľ. Stein, later major L. Štalmášek
  • 2nd Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: staff cpt. Vilém Štajner
• 2nd Czechoslovak Parachute Brigade (formed in January 1944), commander: brigadegeneral Vladimír Přikryl^[10]
  • 10th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: 1st Lt. V. Vavrinčík
  • 11th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: major O. Záhora
  • 12th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: cpt. J. Syrovátka
  • 4th Battalion of Submachine gunners, commander in 1945: 1st Lt. K. Vítek, later staff cpt. J. Čambalík
  • 8th Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: staff cpt. J. Pazderka
  • 9th Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: cpt. J. Foršt, mjr. K. Šíma
• 3rd Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (formed in June 1944), commander: lieutenant colonel Jaroslav Selner^[10]
  • 4th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: captain Ladislav Svátek
  • 5th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: major A. Hak, later mjr L. Peroutka
  • 6th Infantry Battalion, commander in 1945: major František Moravec
  • 2nd Battalion of Submachine gunners, commander in 1945: cpt. O. Šacher
  • 3rd Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: staff cpt. V. Formánek
  • 4th Artillery Regiment, commander in 1945: staff cpt. B. Hlavatý
• 4th Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (formed in February 1945), commander: colonel Pavol Kuna^[10]
  • 7th Infantry Battalion, commander: cpt. P. Kováč, later staff cpt. T. Galba
  • 8th Infantry Battalion, commander: cpt. J. Lipový, later staff cpt. Š. Margitan
  • 9th Infantry Battalion, commander: major V. Střelka
  • 3rd Battalion of Submachine gunners, commander: cpt. M. Čordáš
  • 7th Artillery Regiment, commander: lieutenant colonel J. Svoboda
• 1st Czechoslovak Independent Tank Brigade (formed in August 1944), commander in 1945: major Vladimír Janko^[11]
  • 1st Tank Battalion, commander in 1945: 1st Lt. Imrich Gaš
  • 2nd Tank Battalion, commander in 1945: cpt. Josef Buršík
  • 3rd Tank Battalion, commander in 1945: cpt. Emanuel Šrámek
  • Motorized Battalion of Submachine Gunners, commander in 1945: 1st Lt. Sergej Petras
• 1st Czechoslovak Independent Engineering Battalion

Air units operationally attached to the Corps were:

• 1st Czechoslovak Mixed Air Division

See also

• Marie Ljalková
• Otakar Jaroš
• Vasil Timkovič
• Polish Armed Forces in the East
• Anders' Army - a Polish formation

References