37th Army (Soviet Union)
 | This articlemay be a roughtranslationfrom Russian.It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency.(August 2022) |
| 37th Army (1941–1946) 10th Mechanized Army (1946–1947) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 10 August – 15 November 1941 25 September 1941 – 1947 |
| Disbanded | 1947 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Size | Army |
| Engagements | Battle of Kiev (1941) Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Offensive North Caucasian Strategic Offensive Odessa Offensive Jassy–Kishinev Offensive (August 1944) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Andrey Vlasov |
The37th Armywas an Army-level formation of the Soviet Union during theSecond World War.The army was formed twice during the war. The army was part of theSouthern Group of ForcesinRomaniaandBulgaria.
First formation
[edit]The 37th Army first formed on 10 August 1941 in theSouthwestern Frontwith the command group from theKiev Fortified Regionand other reserves in front reserves.
Upon formation, the army took up defensive positions to the west ofKievand on the left bank of theDnieper River.During thedefense of Kievthe army suffered severe losses against superior German forces. The army was surrounded in the city of Kiev and was ordered to break out on 19 September. Individual units of the army were able to break out and join forces with the front. Many of the other units of the army were destroyed. The army was disbanded on 25 September 1941.
Composition
[edit]The army had the following units assigned when formed:
- 147th Rifle Division
- 171st Rifle Division
- 175th Rifle Division
- 206th Rifle Division
- 284th Rifle Division
- 295th Rifle Division
- Artillery and other units.
Second Formation
[edit]The army was reformed on 15 November 1941 in theSouthern Frontfor a counterattack in theRostovarea against the German1st Panzer Army.These actions facilitated the9thand56th Armiesliberation ofRostov-on-Don.The army took part in theBarvenkovo-Lozovaya Offensivefrom 18–31 January 1942 with the goal of destroying the German Army in southern Ukraine.
The army conducted defensive operations during the summer and fall of 1942 in reaction toGerman operations in the Southern Soviet Union.The army was transferred from the Southern Front to the Don Group of theNorth Caucasian Front(I Formation) in late July and then theTranscaucasian Frontin August 1942.
As part of theNorth Caucasian Strategic Offensivein January 1943 the army liberated the towns ofKislovodsk,Pyatigorsk,EssentukiandCherkessk.The army was transferred to theNorth Caucasian Front(II Formation) on 24 January to participate in theKrasnodar Offensive.In July the army forces were reassigned to the 9th and 56th Armies and the 37th Army was placed underSTAVKAcontrol.
On 7 September 1943, the army was assigned to theSteppe Front.The army took part in the liberation of theLeft-bank Ukraineeast ofKremenchug.In late September, it crossed the Dnieper River west ofKeleberdaand northwest ofMishurin Rog.The army was involved in offensive operations in theKrivoy Rogarea from October to December.
Assigned to the3rd Ukrainian Fronton 15 January 1944. Participated in theOdessa Offensivein conjunction with the46th Army.From 8 August, the army participated in theJassy–Kishinev Offensiveand in September the occupation of Bulgaria. By the end of September, its troops reached the area ofKazanlak,Yambol,andBurgas,where the army's combat history ended. The army remained in Bulgaria as a garrison for the rest of the war, and was redesignated the 37th Separate Army on 15 December.[1]
Composition
[edit]The army had the following units assigned when formed:
- 51st Rifle Division
- 96th Rifle Division
- 99th Rifle Division
- 216th Rifle Division
- 253rd Rifle Division
- 295th Rifle Division
Forces assigned on 7 September 1943 upon attachment to the Steppe Front:
Forces assigned at the end of the war.[2]
- 34th Rifle Corps
- 66th Rifle Corps
- 82nd Rifle Corps
- 255th Naval Rifle Brigade
- 35th Antiaircraft Artillery Division
- Artillery, tank and engineer units.
Post-war
[edit]The army was stationed in Bulgaria with its headquarters atSofiaas part of theSouthern Group of Forcesfrom 10 June 1945. It was redesignated as the 10th Mechanized Army on 10 June 1946. It included four divisions: the2nd Guards,4th Guards,19th,and21st Mechanized Divisions.The 2nd Guards Mechanized Division atCraiovawas the former 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps, the 4th Guards Mechanized Division at Sofia was the former 4th Guards Mechanized Corps, the 19th Mechanized Division atPlovdivwas the former 244th Rifle Division. The 21st Mechanized Division at Burgas was the former223rd Rifle Division.The 21st Mechanized was withdrawn to the Soviet Union in July, leaving the army with only three divisions. The army was disbanded on 15 June 1947, along with its 19th Mechanized Division, after signing the peace treaties with Romania and Bulgaria.[3]
Commanders
[edit]The army's first formation was commanded by the following officer:[1]
- Major GeneralAndrey Vlasov(July–September 1941)
The army's second formation was commanded by the following officers:[1]
- Major General (Promoted to Lieutenant General March 1942)Anton Lopatin(October 1941 – June 1942)
- Major GeneralPyotr Kozlov(June 1942 – May 1943)
- Lieutenant GeneralKonstantin Koroteev(May – July 1943)
- Major GeneralAlexander Filatov(July – August 1943)
- Major GeneralAlexander Ryzhov(August 1943)
- Lieutenant GeneralMikhail Sharokhin(August 1943 – October 1944)
- Colonel GeneralSergey Biryuzov(October 1944 – May 1946)
The 10th Mechanized Army was commanded by the following officers.[3]
- Lieutenant GeneralIvan Korchagin(12 June – 5 August 1946)
- Colonel General Sergey Biryuzov (August 1946 – 15 June 1947)
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^abc"37-я армия"[37th Army] (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2012.Retrieved5 May2017.
- ^Merchand, Vol. XXIII pg.50
- ^abFeskov et al 2013,p. 423.
Bibliography
[edit]- Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, Valery; Kalashnikov, Konstantin; Slugin, Sergei (2013).Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской[The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing.ISBN9785895035306.
- Marchand, Jean-Luc (2011).Order of Battle Soviet Army World War, 24 Volumes.West Chester, OH: The Nafziger Collection, Inc.
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