Rifle corps (Soviet Union) explained

A rifle corps (Russian: стрелковый корпус|translit=strelkovyy korpus) was a Soviet corps-level military formation during the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.

Unlike army corps formed by Germany and the Western Allies, Soviet rifle corps were composed primarily of combat troops and had only a small logistical component. Because the rifle divisions themselves were also primarily made up of combat troops, the rifle corps were numerically smaller than corps of other nations. The Soviets also formed Guards rifle corps during World War II, although these were often assigned control of regular rifle divisions and sometimes controlled no Guards rifle divisions.

The Red Army as a whole had 27 rifle corps headquarters in its order of battle on 1 June 1938; this had been expanded to 62 by June 1941.[1] When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the Red Army initially had some 32 rifle corps headquarters as part of their order of battle in action against the Germans. Because Joseph Stalin's prewar purge of the Red Army had removed so many experienced leaders, the rifle corps echelon of command in Soviet forces engaged against the Germans dwindled in the face of massive Red Army losses of 1941. The stark shortage of experienced leaders forced the Red Army to have rifle army headquarters directly supervising rifle divisions without the assistance of intervening rifle corps headquarters.[2] The use of rifle corps headquarters never disappeared entirely from the Red Army during World War II, as field armies in areas not fighting the Germans (such as the Far East) maintained their use of rifle corps headquarters during the entire war.

An example of wartime rifle corps organization is that of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps in 1942:[3]

Of the 8th Rifle Corps' 1942 strength of 26,466 men, only 2,599 (less than 10 per cent) made up the corps headquarters and corps assets, the remainder being assigned to the two rifle divisions.

By November 1941, the Soviet order of battle showed only one rifle corps headquarters still active among the forces fighting the German invasion. By early 1942, however, the Soviets began to reactivate rifle corps headquarters for use as an intermediate command echelon between the rifle armies and rifle divisions. Doubtlessly, the direct command of divisions by army headquarters resulted in too-large spans of control for army commanders and the Red Army desired to reintroduce the rifle corps headquarters once enough experienced commanders and staff officers were available. By the end of 1942, 21 rifle corps headquarters were in action with Soviet forces engaging the Germans. This grew to over 100 by the end of 1943, and reached a peak of 174 either in action against the Germans or as part of the strategic reserve of the Stavka by the end of the war with Germany in May 1945.

Circa September 1945, the 11, 15, 16, 21, 22, 25, 28, 36, 42, 43, 44, 47, 51, 52, 55, 61,62, 64, 67, 68, 70, 71, 74, 77, 80, 89, 91, 93, 95, 96, 98, 100, 106, 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 133, and 135th Rifle Corps were disbanded.[4]

A limited number of Rifle Corps remained as part of the Ground Forces post 1945. They were converted to 'Army Corps' in 1955 though they still mostly consisted of Rifle and then Motor Rifle Divisions.

List of Soviet rifle corps

Formed before 22 June 1941

1–10 Corps

11–20 Corps

21–30 Corps

31–40 Corps

41–50 Corps

51–60 Corps

61–70 Corps

Named corps

World War II

Almost all Soviet Rifle Corps were disbanded in the first several months of the war and reformed as the Stavka gained experience in commanding large numbers of forces.

1–70 Corps

71–80 Corps

81–90 Corps

91–100 Corps

101–110 Corps

111–120 Corps

121–130 Corps

131–140 Corps

Guards Rifle Corps

1st–40th Guards Rifle Corps formed after June 22, 1941:

1–10 Guards Rifle Corps

11–20 Guards Rifle Corps

21–30 Guards Rifle Corps

31–41 Guards Rifle Corps

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Glantz, Colossus, p. 107
  2. Stavka Circular 01 of July 15, 1941 directed several changes to Red Army force structure, the elimination of rifle corps headquarters and subordination of rifle divisions directly to rifle army headquarters among them. Glantz and House, p. 65.
  3. Web site: historycommission.ee . 2010-02-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609224951/http://www.historycommission.ee/temp/pdf/appendixes/903-907.pdf . 2007-06-09 . dead .
  4. Feskov et al 2004, 77.
  5. V.I. Feskov et al 2004, 45
  6. http://liniastalina.narod.ru/minsk/hist1.htm Minsk Minsk fortified region – general information
  7. http://hwar1941.narod.ru/minsk.htm Battle of Minsk
  8. Feskov et al 2013, 49
  9. Leo Niehorster, Transcaucasus Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  10. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/western/army_03.html 3rd Army, Western Special Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  11. Feskov et al 2013
  12. Web site: 5th Rifle Corps. Holm. Michael. www.ww2.dk. 2016-03-21.
  13. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/odessa/_odessa.html Odessa Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  14. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 265
  15. Robert Forczyk, Where The Iron Crosses Grow, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2014, p 34, and Glantz, Stalin's Generals, Phoenix Press, 2001, p 37
  16. Marchand, Vol. 23, p.19-20. Full reference at 5th Shock Army article
  17. Holm, 9th Rifle Corps
  18. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 261
  19. Holm/Feskov 2013, 10th Rifle Corps.
  20. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 262
  21. Feskov 2013, 407.
  22. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/interior/_transbaikal.html niehorster.orbat.com
  23. http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/corps/12ak.htm
  24. [Combat composition of the Soviet Army]
  25. Feskov et al 2013, 51.
  26. Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/corps/31ak.htm
  27. Feskov 2013, 132, 407.
  28. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 264
  29. Feskov et al 2013, 132.
  30. Web site: 18th Rifle Corps.
  31. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg 263.
  32. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/baltic/army_27.html 27th Army, Baltic Special Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  33. Nigel Thomas, Germany's Eastern Front Allies (2): Baltic Forces, Osprey, 5.
  34. Book: Bleiere, Daina . Ilgvars Butulis . Antonijs Zunda . Aivars Stranga . Inesis Feldmanis. History of Latvia : the 20th century.. Jumava. Riga. 327. 2006. 9984-38-038-6. 70240317.
  35. V.I. Feskov et al 2013, 133.
  36. Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, 341.
  37. Crofoot, Avanzini, Armies of the Bear
  38. Holm, 35th Combined Arms Army, 2015.
  39. Leo Niehorster, Orel Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  40. http://www.biograph-soldat.ru/OPER/ARTICLES/029-vostkarp.htm Восточно-Карпатская наступательная операция
  41. For the January–February 1945 period, see also 'Breakthrough [of] prepared defenses [by] infantry units (according to experience of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.). Collection of articles. – Moscow: Military Publishing, 1957. – 376 p., / Military Academy named for MV Frunze, chapter 9.
  42. Web site: 33rd Army Corps . 2015-10-25 . 2017-05-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170501101637/http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/corps/33ak.htm . dead .
  43. Feskov et al 2013, 47.
  44. Web site: 25th Army, Far East Front, Red Army, 22.06.41.
  45. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/interior/_moscow.html Moscow Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  46. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg 261
  47. [Soviet General Staff]
  48. Web site: STAVKA Strategic Reserves, Red Army, 22.06.41.
  49. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 263
  50. Glatz, Stumbling Colossus, pg. 261
  51. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/stavka-reserves/army_24.html Leo Niehorster
  52. Web site: Biography of Lieutenant-General Trofim Kalinovich Kolomiets - (Трофим Калинович Коломиец) (1894 – 1971), Soviet Union. The Generals of WWII. 2019-04-06.
  53. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/interior/_central-asia.html niehorster.orbat.com
  54. Source Combat composition of the Soviet Army
  55. tashv.nm.ru
  56. Book: Crofoot, Craig. Armies of the Bear.
  57. Feskov et al 2013, 133, and Holm 2015.
  58. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/45-08-08/corps_057-rifle.htm
  59. V.I. Feskov et al 2004, 45.
  60. Niehorster, http://www.niehorster.org/012_ussr/45-08-08/land/corps_087-rifle.htm
  61. [David Glantz]
  62. Feskov et al 2013, 408.
  63. V.I. Feskov et al. 2013, p. 48.
  64. V.I. Feskov et al. 2013, p. 204
  65. V.I. Feskov et al 2013, p. 422.
  66. Sharp, p 76
  67. Glantz and others "The Battle for Lvov: The Soviet General Staff Study"
  68. Book: Glantz, David. The Battle for Leningrad 1941–1944. 2002. University of Kansas Press. Lawrence, Kansas. 0-7006-1208-4. 360. registration.
  69. Feskov et al 2013, 537.
  70. Web site: Журнал боевых действий 120 ск с приложением кратких сводок, с разбором боевых действий и схемы. pamyat-naroda.ru. 2019-04-19.
  71. "Вооруженные Силы СССР после Второй мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской (часть 1: Сухопутные войска)" by V.I. Feskov, V.I. Golikov, K.A. Kalashnikov and S.A. Slugin, Tomsk.
  72. Web site: Журнал боевых действий 128 ск. pamyat-naroda.ru. 2019-04-19.
  73. http://www.lacplesis.com/LATVIAN_UNITS_IN_THE_RED_ARMY.htm LATVIAN UNITS IN THE RED ARMY.
  74. [Scott Hegerty]
  75. Feskov et al 2013, 463.
  76. Michael Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/, 2015.
  77. Feskov et al 2004, 46.
  78. Michael Holm, 10th Guards Combined Arms Army
  79. tashv.nm.ru, Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 1 May 1945, accessed October 2011
  80. V.I. Feskov et al 2004, 46.
  81. Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: the Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005, 345.
  82. Web site: Префектура ЮВАО . 2011-12-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120424031737/http://www.uvao.ru/uvao/ru/pages/print/o_105604 . 2012-04-24 . dead .
  83. Michael Holm, 14th Guards Combined Arms Army, 2015.
  84. Web site: Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1 May 1945 . 25 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131226044339/http://tashv.nm.ru/BoevojSostavSA/1945/19450501.html . 26 December 2013 . dead . dmy-all .
  85. Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: the Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005, 345–6.
  86. Michael Holm, 49th Guards Rocket Division, and Feskov et al 2004, 46, 133.
  87. Book: Marchand, Jean-Luc. Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2 1945 March and April Berlin: The Final Battle. 2011. The Nafziger Collection. West Chester, OH. 978-1-58545-331-3. 85–86.
  88. Holm, 27th Guards Army Corps, 2015.
  89. http://www.spbumag.nw.ru/2004/01/17.shtml Журнал Санкт-Петербургский университет
  90. Andrew Duncan, article in Jane's Intelligence Review, 1998
  91. Book: Clark, Lloyd . 2012 . Kursk: The Greatest Battle: Eastern Front 1943 . London . Headline Publishing Group . 978-0-7553-3639-5 . 230, 399–402.
  92. Feskov et al 2004, 45.