Reserve front
The Reserve Front ( Russian Резервный фронт ) was a major unit of the Red Army during the Second World War .
First formation
On July 30, 1941, by order of the Soviet High Command of July 29, 1941, a reserve front was formed for the first time to direct the defense operations of the reserve armies in the Rzhev - Vyazma area . The 24th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 34th Armies were part of the front line. Subsequently, the 43rd and 49th Armies, as well as the fortified areas of Rzhev-Vyazma and Spas-Demensk, were placed under the command of the front.
From August 30 to September 8, 1941, the 24th Army led in cooperation with the front air force the Yelnya Offensive by, as a result succeeded in a large group (up to 10 divisions) of the German Army Group Center inflict a defeat and Jelnjaer Straighten the front arch.
On September 12th, Colonel General IS Konev had taken command of the Western Front (22nd, 29th, 30th, 19th, 16th and 20th Army). To the left of it existed the reserve front (Marshal SM Budjonny) with the 24th and 43rd Army along the Desna . The bulk of the reserve front with the 31st, 49th, 32nd and 33rd Army was 35 km behind the front in the Vyazma area, where a second line of defense was formed. From October 2 to 10, the Reserve Front and the Western Front took part in the Vyazma operation , where both fronts suffered heavy losses. On October 10, 1941, the Reserve Front was united with the Western Front .
Second formation
On March 12, 1943, on the orders of the Soviet High Command from the previous day, the Brjansk Front was renamed Reserve Front. It was briefly referred to as the Kursker (March 23-27) and the Oreler Front (March 27-28) before it was renamed back to the Brjansker Front on March 28, 1943.
Third formation
On April 6, 1943, a new reserve front was formed from the headquarters of the 41st Army and troops of the reserve of the Supreme Command, which was converted into the steppe military district on April 16, 1943, from which the steppe front finally emerged on July 9, 1943 .
Front command
1. Formation
- Army General Georgi Konstantinowitsch Zhukov (July - September 1941)
- Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Mikhailovich Budjonny (September - October 1941)
- State Security Commissioner 3rd Rank Sergei Nikiforowitsch Kruglow ( Member of the Military Council , July - October 1941)
- Major General PI Lyapin (Chief of Staff, July - August 1941)
- Major General AF Anisow (Chief of Staff, August - October 1941)
2. Formation
- Colonel General MA Reiter (March 1943)
- Lieutenant General of IS Sussaikov Armored Forces (member of the Military Council, March 1943)
- Lieutenant General LM Sandalow (Chief of Staff, March 1943)
3. Formation
- Lieutenant General Markian Michailowitsch Popow
- Lieutenant General Lev Sakharovich Mechlis (Member of the Military Council)
- Lieutenant General Matwei Wassiljewitsch Sakharov (Chief of Staff)