40th Army (Soviet Union)
Encyclopedia
The 40th Army of the Soviet Union
's Red Army
was an army
-level command
active from 1941 to 1945 and then again from 1979 to circa 1990.
It was first formed, after Operation Barbarossa
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, had commenced, from elements of the 26th and 37th Armies under the command of Major General Kuzma Petrovich Podlas
in August 1941 at the boundary of the Bryansk Front
and the Soviet Southwestern Front
. By 25 August 1941 the 135th and 293rd Rifle Division
s, 2nd Parachute Corps, 10th Tank Division, and 5th Anti-Tank Brigade had been assembled to form the force. It then took part in the Battle of Kiev (1941)
, where the Army was badly shattered, and General-Major Semenchenko's 10th Tank Division was reduced to twenty tanks. The remnants of the Army joined Soviet Southwestern Front
under Marshal Timoshenko. In June 1942, Operation Blau saw Hoth's Fourth Panzer Army thrust in full force against 40th Army, which had its headquarters overrun by 24th Panzer Division on 29-30 June. The 40th Army fell back from the Kastornoye area back to Voronezh
, alongside the 4th, 17th, and 24th Tank Corps. In response, the STAVKA hastened to establish the new Voronezh Front
.
During the Battle of Kursk
, where the Army fought as part of Voronezh Front
, it transferred a number of reinforcements to 6th Guards Army to help 6th Guards hold back the 48th Panzer Corps, including the 29th Tank Destroyer Brigade and the 1244th and 869th Tank Destroyer Regiments, a total of over 100 antitank guns. 40th Army also transferred a tank brigade to 38th Army at the same time. After the battle, it was involved in the crossing of the Dnepr
in September 1943 in conjunction with airborne
operations. The Army was later involved in the Battle of Kiev (1943)
and in 1944, as part of 2nd Ukrainian Front, actions around the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
, Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket
, and the Uman-Botoshany, Iassy-Kishinev, Bratislava-Brno, and Prague
offensives. It also fought in the Battle of Debrecen
, at which, due to its low priority, it only had five divisions assigned. 40th Army was disbanded in July 1945.
The Army was re-created during May 1979 in the Turkestan Military District
to cover the boundary with unstable Afghanistan
with three motor rifle divisions (the 5th Guards
, 108th
and 68th), and entered Afghanistan (as part of the beginning of the Soviet war in Afghanistan
) in December 1979 without the last division, but had the 201st MRD
added to its composition during January 1980. Also with the force that entered Afghanistan were the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, 860th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment, the 56th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, and the 36th Mixed Air Corps. Later on the 201st and 58th Motor Rifle Divisions also entered the country, along with other smaller units. The Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan was formed on the basis of the Army HQ. General Igor Rodionov
, later Russian Minister of Defence, commanded the Army in 1985-6.
The 108th Motor Rifle Division
served as the rearguard for the army's withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989.
After the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, 40th Army was reduced to 59th Army Corps, but again reformed on June 4, 1991, at Semipalatinsk from HQ 32nd Army. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union
the Army became part of the Military of Kazakhstan
and was redesignated the 1st Army Corps.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
was an army
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
-level command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
active from 1941 to 1945 and then again from 1979 to circa 1990.
It was first formed, after Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, had commenced, from elements of the 26th and 37th Armies under the command of Major General Kuzma Petrovich Podlas
Kuzma Podlas
Kuzma Petrovich Podlas was a Soviet Lieutenant-General who was killed in action in World War II.In Russian Civil War, Podlas was a kombrig ) in the Red Army...
in August 1941 at the boundary of the Bryansk Front
Bryansk Front
The Bryansk Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three...
and the Soviet Southwestern Front
Soviet Southwestern Front
The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several...
. By 25 August 1941 the 135th and 293rd Rifle Division
66th Guards Rifle Division
The 66th Guards Rifle Division was a formation of the Red Army and later of Ukrainian Ground Forces.After October 1999, full name of the Division became 66th Guards Mechanized Bukovyna, Poltava Red Banner Division of the 38th Army Corps of the Western Operational Command of the Armed Forces of...
s, 2nd Parachute Corps, 10th Tank Division, and 5th Anti-Tank Brigade had been assembled to form the force. It then took part in the Battle of Kiev (1941)
Battle of Kiev (1941)
The Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It is considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. The operation ran from 23 August – 26 September 1941 as part of Operation...
, where the Army was badly shattered, and General-Major Semenchenko's 10th Tank Division was reduced to twenty tanks. The remnants of the Army joined Soviet Southwestern Front
Soviet Southwestern Front
The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several...
under Marshal Timoshenko. In June 1942, Operation Blau saw Hoth's Fourth Panzer Army thrust in full force against 40th Army, which had its headquarters overrun by 24th Panzer Division on 29-30 June. The 40th Army fell back from the Kastornoye area back to Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
, alongside the 4th, 17th, and 24th Tank Corps. In response, the STAVKA hastened to establish the new Voronezh Front
Voronezh Front
The Voronezh Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the town of Voronezh on the Don River....
.
During the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
, where the Army fought as part of Voronezh Front
Voronezh Front
The Voronezh Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the town of Voronezh on the Don River....
, it transferred a number of reinforcements to 6th Guards Army to help 6th Guards hold back the 48th Panzer Corps, including the 29th Tank Destroyer Brigade and the 1244th and 869th Tank Destroyer Regiments, a total of over 100 antitank guns. 40th Army also transferred a tank brigade to 38th Army at the same time. After the battle, it was involved in the crossing of the Dnepr
Battle of the Dnieper
The Lower Dnieper Offensive took place in 1943 during the Second World War. It was one of the largest Second World War operations, involving almost 4,000,000 troops on both sides and stretching on a 1400 kilometer long front...
in September 1943 in conjunction with airborne
VDV
The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV is a military branch of service of the Russian Military, on par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Russian Space Forces...
operations. The Army was later involved in the Battle of Kiev (1943)
Battle of Kiev (1943)
The 1943 Battle of Kiev describes three strategic operations by the Soviet Red Army, and one operational counterattack by the Wehrmacht which took place in the wake of the failed German offensive at Kursk during World War II...
and in 1944, as part of 2nd Ukrainian Front, actions around the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket
The Korsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive led to the Battle of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket which took place from 24 January to 16 February 1944. The offensive was part of the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive...
, Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket
Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket
The Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hube's Pocket, was a Wehrmacht attempt on the Eastern Front of World War II to evade encirclement by the Red Army....
, and the Uman-Botoshany, Iassy-Kishinev, Bratislava-Brno, and Prague
Prague Offensive
The Prague Offensive was the last major Soviet operation of World War II in Europe. The offensive, and the battle for Prague, was fought on the Eastern Front from 6 May to 11 May 1945. This battle for the city is particularly noteworthy in that it ended after the Third Reich capitulated on 8 May...
offensives. It also fought in the Battle of Debrecen
Battle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
, at which, due to its low priority, it only had five divisions assigned. 40th Army was disbanded in July 1945.
The Army was re-created during May 1979 in the Turkestan Military District
Turkestan Military District
The Turkestan Military District was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 Russian military reform when by order of Minister D.A. Milyutinym the territory of Russia was...
to cover the boundary with unstable Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
with three motor rifle divisions (the 5th Guards
5th Guards Motor Rifle Division
The 5th Guards Zimovnikovskaya order Kutuzov II degree Motor Rifle Division , named on the 60th anniversary of the USSR, was a military formation of the Soviet Ground Forces. It traces back to the 6th Mechanised Corps created in 1940, and destroyed in 1941 in the beginning of Operation Barbarossa...
, 108th
108th Motor Rifle Division
The 108th Nevelskaya Twice Red Banner Motor Rifle Division was a military formation of the Soviet Ground Forces. During the Great Patriotic War, the 360th Rifle Division Nevelskaya Order of the Red Banner, the predecessor to the 108th MRD, was created...
and 68th), and entered Afghanistan (as part of the beginning of the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
) in December 1979 without the last division, but had the 201st MRD
Russian 201st Motor Rifle Division
The 201st Gatchina Twice Red Banner Motor Rifle Division was originally raised twice in World War II as part of the Soviet Union's Red Army and is now part of the Russian Ground Forces.-201st Rifle Division :...
added to its composition during January 1980. Also with the force that entered Afghanistan were the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, 860th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment, the 56th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, and the 36th Mixed Air Corps. Later on the 201st and 58th Motor Rifle Divisions also entered the country, along with other smaller units. The Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan was formed on the basis of the Army HQ. General Igor Rodionov
Igor Rodionov
Igor Nikolayevich Rodionov is a Russian general and Duma deputy. He is best known as a hardline politician, and for his service heading the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation....
, later Russian Minister of Defence, commanded the Army in 1985-6.
The 108th Motor Rifle Division
108th Motor Rifle Division
The 108th Nevelskaya Twice Red Banner Motor Rifle Division was a military formation of the Soviet Ground Forces. During the Great Patriotic War, the 360th Rifle Division Nevelskaya Order of the Red Banner, the predecessor to the 108th MRD, was created...
served as the rearguard for the army's withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989.
After the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, 40th Army was reduced to 59th Army Corps, but again reformed on June 4, 1991, at Semipalatinsk from HQ 32nd Army. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
the Army became part of the Military of Kazakhstan
Military of Kazakhstan
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan , is the name of the unified armed forces of Kazakhstan...
and was redesignated the 1st Army Corps.
Commanders of 40th Army 1980-1989
- General-Lieutenant Yuri Tukharinov (Тухаринов Юрий Владимирович) Ввод ОКСВ в ДРА - 23.9.1980 г.
- General Lieutenant Boris Tkach (Ткач Борис Иванович) 23.9.1980 - 7.5.1982
- General-Lieutenant Viktor Ermakov (Ермаков Виктор Федорович) 7.5.1982 - 4.11.1983
- General-Lieutenant Leonid Evstafievich (Генерал-лейтенант Генералов Леонид Евстафьевич) 4.11.1983 г. - 19.4.1985 г.
- General-Lieutenant Igor RodionovIgor RodionovIgor Nikolayevich Rodionov is a Russian general and Duma deputy. He is best known as a hardline politician, and for his service heading the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation....
19.4.1985 г. - 30.4.1986 - General-Lieutenant Dubnin Viktor Petrovich Дубынин Виктор Петрович 30.4.1986 - 1.6.1987
- General-Lieutenant Boris GromovBoris GromovBoris Vsevolodovich Gromov is a prominent Russian military and political figure. Since 2000, he has been the Governor of Moscow Oblast.-Biography:...
1.6.1987 - 15.2.1989