Central Front

Central Front
Active	July 24 – August 25, 1941 February 15 – October 20, 1943
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Army Group Command
Size	SeveralArmies
Engagements	World War II First Battle of Smolensk Third Battle of Kharkov Battle of Kursk Operation Kutuzov Battle of the Dnieper
Commanders
Notable commanders	Fyodor Kuznetsov Mikhail Yefremov Konstantin Rokossovsky

TheCentral Frontwas amajor formationof theRed Armyduring theSecond World Warformed on July 24, 1941.

The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first entity existed for just a month during the German invasion of 1941, before it was annihilated. A year and a half later, the name was revived for the second creation, which existed for about eight months in 1943, until it was incorporated into the Belorussian group of Fronts and renamed accordingly.

First formation

The first version was created on July 24, 1941, from the right wing of the forces in theWestern Front,including a new designation of the3rd Armyand the headquarters of the (disbanded)4th Army,whose former HQ formed the Front headquarters.Colonel General Fyodor I. Kuznetsovtook command.

The Front was a combination of the 13th and21stArmies.

• The13th Army(Konstantin Golubev) had under command
  • in the area ofMogilev,the
    • 61st Rifle Corps,
    • 20th Mechanised Corps,
  • in the area ofKrichevsky,the
    • 45th Rifle corps,
    • 20th Rifle Corps.
• The21st Army,under Lieutenant GeneralMikhail Yefremov,was the other initial component of the Front:
  • 25th Mechanised Corps,
  • 66th Rifle Corps,
  • 63rd Rifle Corps,
  • 21st Rifle Corps,
  • 67th Rifle Corps.

The new Front's air component was 136 aircraft (75 patched and repaired) under the command of Major General (Aviation)Grigory Vorozheikin.The Central Front thus became the first new Front formed after the German invasion.

At the time the Front was created its boundary with the Western front was along theBryansk-Roslavl-Shklov-Minskline (all inclusive for the Western front), and the main operational direction of the front was along theGomel–Bobruisk–Volkovyskaxis. On August 1,3rd Armyjoined the Front, and on August 7 Kuznetsov was recalled to Moscow to be given a new assignment. The command was transferred toGeneral Mikhail Yefremov.

On August 8, Heinz Guderian'sPanzergruppe 2began its attack along the 13th Army sector. Four days later the GermanSecond Armyjoined the attack. On August 17, the 63rd Rifle Corps was routed at the village of Skepnya (20 km to the east ofZhlobin), and two days later elements of the Second Army occupiedGomel.On August 22, the3rd Armyfell back fromMozyr.Under these blows the Front was eventually encircled and destroyed nearChernigov,and was formally disbanded on August 25, 1941. The surviving forces transferred to the first version of theBryansk Front.

Second formation

The second version of this Front was created on February 15, 1943, from theDon Front.Then Colonel GeneralKonstantin K. Rokossovskytook command, and was promoted to full General in April 1943. Lieutenant GeneralMikhail Malininwas named as Front Chief of Staff, while Major General K.F.Telegin was made the member of the Front's Military Council.

The Front incorporated the headquarters and forces of theDon Front,plus additional armies were made part of the Front:

• 2nd Tank Army-Alexey Rodin,
• 21st Army-Ivan Chistyakov,
• 65th Army-Pavel Batov,
• 70th Army(originally formed fromNKVDforces) -German Tarasov
• 16th Air Army- General LieutenantSergei Rudenko.

The Front's headquarters was established around 10 km to the east ofYelets.

As part of Stavka's general move to integrate and rationalise its Army Groups, the Front was renamed the1st Belorussian Fronton October 20, 1943.