22nd Army (Red Army)

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The Soviet 22nd Army ( Russian 22-я армия ) was a major military unit of the Red Army during World War II , which was deployed on the northern section of the Eastern Front and at the end of the war in Courland .

history

1941

The 22nd Army was formed in June 1941 on the basis of the command of the Urals Military District . The Stawka had the before the outbreak German-Soviet war taken measures to strengthen the defense on the western border. On May 13, 1941, the chief of staff ordered the formation of the 21st, 22nd and 19th armies in the Urals , Volga and North Caucasus military districts and their deployment in the area between the Dnieper and the western Daugava . The concentration of these troops should be finished by July 3rd. The deployment of the 22nd Army began on June 12th, ten days before the outbreak of the Patriotic War . The headquarters of the 22nd Army came to Velikiye Luki on June 25th . At the beginning of the war, some formations in the deployment rooms were not yet fully equipped with weapons and equipment; the army only had around 100 tanks and 700 artillery pieces. The high command was Lieutenant General FA Yershakov , Major General GF Sakharov acted as Chief of Staff . The army's artillery was led by Lieutenant General PN Nitschkow; The chief of operations was Colonel Neryanin. The communications department was headed by Colonel PK Panin and Deputy Commander for Logistics was Major General AI Wostruchow . On June 25, the 22nd Army received by Marshal SM Budyonny command the defense between Suschchewo - Nowosokolniki - Newel - Vitebsk prepare. When the military situation changed quickly, the tasks were changed two days later: the army was instructed to organize the defense on the western Daugava from Kraslava via Drissa to Vitebsk. The line could not be held due to the withdrawal of the troops from the Northwest Front . At the end of June, the 112th Rifle Division entered the fighting against the German troops as the first formation. At the beginning of July, the army divisions occupied the line of defense at the seam between the fortified area of Sebezh - Vitebsk (including), positions had already been set up and obstacles laid out, and the subordinate formations included 6 rifle divisions:

51st Rifle Corps, General Markow

62nd Rifle Corps, General Karmanov

On July 4th, German troops occupied a bridgehead in the Disna area on the right (northern) bank of the western Daugava. The Germans tried to expand the bridgehead, the Soviet troops tried to remove it. On July 5, the Germans pushed into the rear of the 186th Rifle Division in the Gorodok area. In the direction of Polotsk , fierce battles were waged all night with the enemy trying to force the Daugava river. The right flank of the 22nd Army held only in the Ula area and prevented the enemy from advancing further. On the evening of July 4, two German infantry divisions reached the line of defense, the SS Totenkopf division was also drawn, and German aircraft dominated the air. The German 20th Panzer Division was able to reach Welisch by the evening of July 6th . Until July 7th there were only local skirmishes with broken German formations, then the army was in defensive battle with all divisions. The German breakthrough took place on July 8th, the commander of the 126th Rifle Division, Major General MA Kuznetsov, was fatally wounded, two regimental commanders and the division's chief of staff were seriously wounded. During the long-range battle near Smolensk , the defense of the 22nd Army in the Ula region west of Vitebsk was breached: on July 12, the LVII started. Army Corps (motorized) launched an offensive from the Daugava bridgehead on the Disna and advanced to Dretuni. After four days of fighting in the Lepel area , the 20th Panzer Division had the task of crossing the western Daugava river. It approached Ula and continued towards the Daugava near Beschenkowitschi . The 186th Rifle Division, the last parts of which had just been unloaded, did not stand on the western Daugava until evening and had blown up a bridge over the river. Three divisions of German Panzer Group 3 penetrated into Vitebsk. A Soviet counterattack in the Kljastizy area was able to restore the situation on the Daugava for a short time and hold the fortified area around Sebesch until the withdrawal of the 27th Army to the northwest opened the right flank of the 22nd Army. As a result of this operation, the 22nd Army's front was split.

Division of the 22nd Army on July 10, 1941

51st Rifle Corps (Major General AM Markow)

  • 170th Rifle Division (Major General TK Silkin)
  • 112th Rifle Division (Colonel IA Kopjak)
  • 98th Rifle Division (Major General MF Gavrilow)

62nd Rifle Corps (Major General IP Karmanov)

  • 126th Rifle Division (Colonel JW Bedin)
  • 174th Rifle Division (Colonel Alexei Ivanovich Sygin from September 3rd Major General Pavel Fedosejewitsch Ilinitsch)
  • 186th Rifle Division (Major General NI Biryukov )

29th Rifle Corps (Major General AG Samochin)

  • 214th Rifle Division (Major General AI Rozanow)
  • 48th Panzer Division (Colonel D. Ya. Jakowljew)
  • 179th Rifle Division (Colonel Alexander Josifowitsch Ustinow)
  • 50th Rifle Division (Major General Vasili Pavlovich Evdokimov from August 2, Colonel Arkady Alexsandrovich Borejko)

The German high command forced the conquest of Polotsk and believed it could gain decisive advantages with a push against the right flank of the western front, which was defended by the 22nd Army. For this purpose, attacks were carried out in three directions: on the right flank via Sebesch and Idriza by the armed forces of the II Army Corps , in the center via Dzisna to Borkowitschi by the LVII. Corps and on the left flank via Gorodok to Velikje Luki through parts of XXXIX. motorized corps . From July 13th, the Germans tried to build several bridgeheads on the north coast of the western Daugava. On July 15, German troops reached the Newel area , which was barely 10 km from the headquarters of the 22nd Army. With the permission of the General Staff, the order was given to withdraw the army units into a previously prepared line of defense. The headquarters of the 22nd Army was moved back to the Nazimowo train station, and almost all units of the 22nd Army were surrounded. The 51st Rifle Corps was completely surrounded, the escape routes controlled by German armed forces. Outside the encirclement was only the 214th Rifle Division, which had only arrived from the Far East on July 8th. In addition, the 179th Rifle Division, which had been in reserve, was still available. All remaining formations were absorbed into the corps command of the 29th Rifle Corps (Major General AG Samochin). The 112th and 98th Rifle Divisions tried to break out on the Newel - Pustoschka runway for three days. The 153rd Rifle Division retired from the 22nd Army on July 15. It was not until July 20 that large parts of the 22nd Army managed to break out of the encirclement. The commander FA Yershakov later became the commander of the 20th Army and died after being encircled again in German captivity. The 112th and 170th Rifle Divisions were disbanded, and the surviving personnel merged with the other formations. Parts of the 48th Panzer Division, militias and a combined detachment prepared the defense of Velikiye Luki . German troops invaded the Polotsk on July 16, and there were street battles with the 174th Rifle Division that lasted for days (July 18 and 19). On July 27, the 22nd Army holed up on the upper reaches of the Lowat River and became part of the right wing of the newly established reserve front . The 61st Rifle Corps was also able to break away from the enemy with heavy losses and force the breakout with smaller formations. It was not until August 21st that the 22nd Army with the 212th, 186th, 214th and 126th Rifle Divisions started local counterattacks again. The army thwarted attempts by the enemy to bypass the left flank of the northwest front and the right flank of the western front.

Army organization on October 1, 1941

  • 126th Rifle Division (Colonel EV Bedin)
  • 133rd Rifle Division (Major General VI Schwetzow)
  • 174th Rifle Division (Colonel PF Ilyinych)
  • 179th Rifle Division (Brigadier NI Konchitz)
  • 186th Rifle Division (Colonel AP Filipenko)
  • 256th Rifle Division (Major General SG Gorjatschow)

In September the army attempted several counter-attacks in the Toropez area ; the actions of the 256th Rifle Division were particularly successful. At the beginning of October 1941, the 22nd Army from the German VIII. And XXIII. Army corps pushed back towards Ostashkov . From October 17, she took part in the battle for Rzhev in the area southwest of Rzhev as part of the Kalinin Front . The deep breakthrough of the Germans in the direction of Rzhev forced the Stavka to give orders to the 22nd Army to tear itself away from the enemy and to build a new line of defense at Selisharovo along the Volga. When the Germans managed to cross the river in some places, the so-called Volga Dam was blown up by Beishlot. From October to December 1941 the 22nd Army was on the defensive with the 178th, 179th, 186th, 220th and 250th Rifle Divisions and, together with the 30th Army adjacent to the left, held a springboard for the future offensive of the 4th Army . Shock army . on the southern bank of the Volga.

1942

In mid-January 1942, after the successful breakthrough of the 4th Shock Army on the left wing of the German 9th Army on Welisch , the 22nd Army had to advance on Nelidowo and was reinforced by a number of new formations. The 155th, 158th, 362nd and 360th Rifle Divisions had also arrived as reinforcements. The 119th (later the 17th Guards), the 178th (soon subordinated to the 31st Army ) and the 186th Rifle Division were on the offensive . After the 22nd Army had reached the area north of Bely , they pushed the German group together with the 39th Army back in the direction of Olenino , whereby the front froze at the end of April. During Operation Mars (November / December 1942), the 22nd Army led (Lt. Gen. Yushkevich) in support of the attached at Bely main shock through the southern attacking the 41st Army attack against the left wing of the German XXIII. Army corps on the western front arc of Rzhev. The 155th, 185th, 238th and 362nd Rifle Divisions and the 114th Rifle Brigade were deployed. The 22nd Army, which started on November 25th, was supported by the 3rd Mechanized Corps (Major General Katukow ) in the attack on the Luchessa sector . By November 30, the Soviet troops had gained a head start of eight kilometers wide and 15 kilometers deep. Nevertheless, the 22nd Army failed to make an operational breakthrough on the Olenino-Bely road.

1943

At the beginning of March, after handing over the formations to the 39th Army, the headquarters were relocated to the right wing of the Kalinin Front in the Cholm area. The army occupied against the German II Army Corps (with 12th, 93rd and 218th Infantry Divisions ) and defended on the Lovat River and on the heights of Beschanizy, where local battles were almost constant.

  • The 22nd Army comprised the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps (45th Ski Brigade, 8th Guards Rifle Division, 33rd and 117th Rifle Divisions) and the 6th Rifle Corps, consisting of brigades: 54th Guards Rifle corps with the 74th, 91st, 78th, 75th, 46th and 150th Divisions. In March 1943, attempts were made to break through the enemy defense in the direction of Nasva, but this was unsuccessful.

From April 21, the 22nd Army became part of the Northwest Front , then from October 13, 1943, the Baltic Front (renamed the 2nd Baltic Front from October 20). Aggressive battles followed on the Chernushka section and, until autumn 1943, renewed trench warfare . As a result of the Newel-Gorodok operation (October 6 - December 31, 1943), the 22nd Army was able to occupy Novosokolniki on January 29, 1944 .

1944

From January to February 1944, the 22nd Army took part in the Leningrad-Novgorod Operation as part of the 2nd Baltic Front in the advance towards Ostrov . Then the army carried out an offensive operation with new divisions, such as the 43rd Guards Rifle Division, the 26th and 115th Rifle Divisions, to take the so-called Heights of Beschanizy. From February 18 to March 1, 1944, the 2nd Baltic Front carried out the Staraya Russa-Novorschewer operation , and on February 21, Kholm was liberated. The 22nd Army was then given the task of creating a bridgehead over the Velikaya River north of the Pushkin Mountains near Michailowski and Trigorski and cutting off the German withdrawal routes. The bridgehead was secured with forces from the 115th, 33rd, 26th Rifle Divisions and the 8th Guard Divisions. The front command transferred the continuation of the fighting north of the Pushkin Mountains to the 10th Guard Army and a few days later to the 1st Shock Army , whereby the divisions of the 10th Guard Army located in the bridgehead were transferred.

In April 1944, Lieutenant General GP Korotkow was appointed commander of the 22nd Army, which has now been transferred to the area west of Newel to cover the northern flank of the 1st Baltic Front in Operation Bagration, which was planned for the end of June . As part of the 2nd Baltic Front, the 22nd Army went on the offensive in the direction of Luzda and Rēzekne during the Reshiza-Dvinsk operation on July 11, and on July 18 they bridged the Velikaya and then cut opposing forces in the forests to the north from Kljastizi. The 98th Rifle Division fought in the direction of Rossoni-Kljastizi-Osweja, where Belarusian partisans had already brought the region under their control. The 22nd Army advanced further into the Jakobstadt area on the left bank of the Daugava. The city of Krustpils was an important strategic point, the liberation of which the 22nd Army reached on August 8 with the help of the 5th Panzer Corps (Major General MG Sachno ). Among the first to invade Latvia were the soldiers of the 130th Rifle Corps under General DK Brantkaln , which was temporarily part of the 22nd Army. In the Riga operation , which ended with the liberation of the Latvian capital, the 22nd Army operated from the south from the Mitau area . Parts of the Latvian 130th Rifle Corps took part in this operation and were among the first to invade the eastern part of the city of Riga on October 14th with the 10th Guard Army.

1945

From October 1944 to April 1945, the 22nd Army, together with other front-line forces of the 2nd Baltic Front, carried out the blockade of Army Group North on the Abava sector in the Kandau area (from January 26, 1945 Army Group Courland ). The German 16th and 18th armies were blocked so tightly that it was impossible to withdraw larger units from Courland by sea . At the beginning of April 1945, after the defense sector had been handed over to other units, the 22nd Army was withdrawn to the Leningrad Front , and then transferred to the reserve of the High Command. In mid-April 1945 the 22nd Army was transferred to the Bucharest region in Romania. In August 1945, the army headquarters moved to the Crimea after surrendering its formations to the Odessa Military District . In June 1945, in connection with the demobilization, the 22nd Army was also disbanded and the headquarters were used to administer the Tauris military district .

guide

Commander
  • Lieutenant General FA Yershakov (June - August 1941)
  • Major General WA Yushkevich (August - October 19, 1941)
  • Major General WI Wostruchow (October 20, 1941 - March 1942)
  • Lieutenant General WA Yushkevich (April - December 12, 1942)
  • Major General DM Seleznew (December 12, 1942 - March 1943)
  • Lieutenant General WA Yushkewitsch (March 1943 - April 1944)
  • Lieutenant General GP Korotkow (April 1944 - September 1945)
Chiefs of staff
  • Major General Georgi Fyodorowitsch Sakharov (1941)
  • Major General Boris Alexejewitsch Pigarjewitsch (1941)
  • Major General Michail Alexejewitsch Schalin (1941–1943)
  • Major General Nikolai Sergejewitsch Dronow (1943–1945)
Members of the Military Council
  • Corps Commissioner DS Leonow (1941)
  • Brigadier Commissioner Ivan Petrovich Shevchenko (1941)
  • Major General Anatoly Michailowitsch Katkow (1941–1945)

literature

  • М.И. Дергачева, Л.Н. Сухотина: 22-я армия - от первых до победных дней Великой Отечественной войны. Воспоминания участников боевых действий, Екатеринбург 2016, ISBN 978-5-7996-1797-4

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