Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army
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| 1st Tank Army/1st Guards Tank Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942-1945 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Armoured Forces |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Breakthrough and Exploitation in Deep Operations |
| Size | 500-800 Tanks |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Kursk Battle of Berlin |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Kirill Moskalenko Mikhail Katukov |
The Soviet First Guards Tank Army was a Soviet armoured formation that fought as part of the Red Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. The army was commanded throughout most of the war by Mikhail Katukov. It fought in the early defense during the Battle of Stalingrad, and Operation Uranus.
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[edit] Formation
[edit] 1st Tank Army
1st Tank Army was formed by Stalingrad Front from 38th Army in July 1942, but disbanded in August 1942. It was commanded by General K.S. Moskalenko.
[edit] 1st Guards Tank Army
In April 1943 1st Guards Tank Army was formed by North-Western Front under the command of famous tank unit commander Mikhail Katukov, and it was quickly transferred to Voronezh Front for the defense of the Kursk salient's southern shoulder. It participated in the Battle of Kursk, the Lvov-Sandomierz Operation, the Vistula-Oder Operation, and the Battle of Berlin.
[edit] Post-War
The 1st Guards Tank Army was awarded the Order of the Red Banner postwar, and became part of the Soviet occupation force in Germany, known as Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, with its headquarters in Dresden. In the late 1980s the Army included the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division and 9th and 11th Tank Divisions. The headquarters was withdrawn to Smolensk, in the Moscow Military District in the early 1990s, and lost the 'Tank' from its title in 1995. It was disbanded in 1998. In its last period within the Russian Army it comprised the 4th Guards 'Kantemir' Tank Division and the 144th Motor Rifle Division (which had been withdrawn from Talinn in Estonia).
[edit] References
- Bonn, K.E. 'Slaughterhouse - The Handbook of the Eastern Front', Aberjona Press
- Duncan, Andrew 'Russian Forces in Decline - Part 3', Jane's Intelligence Review, November 1996.
- Feskov et al, 'The Soviet Army in the period of the Cold War', Tomsk University Publishing House, 2004
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