6th Army (Soviet Union)
Encyclopedia
The 6th Army was a field army
of the Soviet Red Army
formed four times during World War II and active with the Russian Ground Forces
up until 1998. It appears to have been reformed in 2010.
It was first formed in August, 1939 in the Kiev Special Military District from the Volochiskaya Army Group (a corps-sized formation).
In September 1939 it participated in the Soviet invasion of Poland
. At the beginning of war the Army (6th Rifle Corps, 37th Rifle Corps (which included the 80th
, 139th
, and 141st Rifle Divisions), 4th and 15th Mechanized Corps, 5th Cavalry Corps, 4th and 6th Fortified Regions, and a number of artillery and other units) was deployed on the Lviv direction. It started the Second World War as part of the Soviet Southwestern Front
. The army's headquarters was disbanded 10 August 1941 after the Battle of Uman
. In this battle, the 6th Army was caught in a huge encirclement south of Kiev along with the 12th Army
.
It was immediately reformed within the Southern Front
on the basis of 48th Rifle Corps and other units, and defended the west bank of the Dnepr River northwest of Dnipropetrovsk
. On 1 September 1941 it consisted of 169th, 226th, 230th, 255th, 273rd, and 275th Rifle Divisions, 26th and 28th Cavalry Divisions, 47 сп (15th NKVD
Rifle Division), 269th, 274th, and 394th Corps Artillery Regiments, 522 гап б/м, 671st Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (ап РВГК), 14, 27 озад, and 8th Tank Division. It was then transferred to the Soviet Southwestern Front
and took part in defensive actions in the Donbas, the Barvenkovo-Lozovaia operation, and the Second Battle of Kharkov
, but along with the 57th Army, was surrounded in the Izium pocket with the loss of 200,000 plus men in casualties alone, and afterwards formally disbanded.
The Army was reformed in July 1942 for the third time from the 6th Reserve Army, comprising the 45th
, 99th
, 141st, 160th, 174th
, 212th, 219th, and 309th Rifle Divisions plus the 141st Rifle Brigade. It was assigned in sequence to the Voronezh
, Southwestern
, and 3rd Ukrainian
Fronts. In January 1943, the 6th Army smashed through the defensive lines of the Alpini
divisions of the Italian 8th Army as part of Operation Little Saturn. In 1944 it took part in the Nikopol-Kryvyi Rih, Bereznogova-Snigorovka, and Odessa offensives. However in June 1944 it was broken up again, and only reformed in December 1944 with troops posted in from 3rd Guards and 13th
Armies. On 1 January 1945 the Army consisted of the 22nd Rifle Corps (218th and 273rd Rifle Divisions), the 74th Rifle Corps (181st and 309th Rifle Divisions), the 359th Rifle Division, the 77th Fortified Region, and other support units.
During 1945 the Army took part in the Sandomierz
-Silesia, and the Lower Silesia
offensives. During the Lower Silesia offensive in February 1945, 6th Army besieged Fortress Breslau (Festung Breslau) in the Battle of Breslau
. It then fought in the Bresla offensive.
After the end of World War II, the 6th Army was withdrawn from Germany and stationed briefly in the Orlovskiy Military District before being disbanded in the Voronezh Military District late in 1945. Its second formation was (re)formed in the Leningrad Military District
in 1960 with headquarters at Petrozavodsk
. In January 1996 it consisted of the 161st Artillery Brigade, the 182nd MRL Regiment, the 485th Separate Helicopter Regiment, the 54th Motor Rifle Division (Allakurtti), the 111th Motor Rifle Division (Sortavala
), and the 131st Motor Rifle Division (Pechenga). It finally disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1997-98.
In 2010, as part of the creation of the Western Military District / Western Operational-Strategic Command with headquarters at St. Petersburg, the army was reformed. The new 6th Army may include:
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....
of the Soviet 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...
formed four times during World War II and active with the Russian Ground Forces
Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
up until 1998. It appears to have been reformed in 2010.
It was first formed in August, 1939 in the Kiev Special Military District from the Volochiskaya Army Group (a corps-sized formation).
In September 1939 it participated in the Soviet invasion of Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)
The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a Soviet military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939, during the early stages of World War II. Sixteen days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west, the Soviet Union did so from the east...
. At the beginning of war the Army (6th Rifle Corps, 37th Rifle Corps (which included the 80th
80th Rifle Division
The 80th Lubanskaya Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Rifle Division was a rifle division of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War and the German-Soviet War.-1st formation:...
, 139th
139th Rifle Division
The 139th Rifle Division was a infantry division of the Red Army, formed three times during World War II, in 1939 and twice in 1941.Its First Formation was established at Kozelsk in September 1939, on the basis of a regiment of the 81st Rifle Division. It fought in the Winter War with Finland. It...
, and 141st Rifle Divisions), 4th and 15th Mechanized Corps, 5th Cavalry Corps, 4th and 6th Fortified Regions, and a number of artillery and other units) was deployed on the Lviv direction. It started the Second World War as part of 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...
. The army's headquarters was disbanded 10 August 1941 after the Battle of Uman
Battle of Uman
The Battle of Uman was the German and allied encirclement of the 6th and 12th The Battle of Uman (15 July–8 August 1941) was the German and allied encirclement of the 6th (General Lieutenant I.N. Muzyrchenko) and 12th The Battle of Uman (15 July–8 August 1941) was the German and allied...
. In this battle, the 6th Army was caught in a huge encirclement south of Kiev along with the 12th Army
12th Army (Soviet Union)
The Soviet Union's 12th Army was a field army formed multiple times during the Russian Civil War and World War II.-Civil War & Polish-Soviet War:...
.
It was immediately reformed within the Southern Front
Southern Front
The Southern Front is a geographical area where armies are engaged in conflict* The Soviet Southern Front was one of the Soviet Fronts in WWII*Southern Front...
on the basis of 48th Rifle Corps and other units, and defended the west bank of the Dnepr River northwest of Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...
. On 1 September 1941 it consisted of 169th, 226th, 230th, 255th, 273rd, and 275th Rifle Divisions, 26th and 28th Cavalry Divisions, 47 сп (15th NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
Rifle Division), 269th, 274th, and 394th Corps Artillery Regiments, 522 гап б/м, 671st Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (ап РВГК), 14, 27 озад, and 8th Tank Division. It was then transferred to 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...
and took part in defensive actions in the Donbas, the Barvenkovo-Lozovaia operation, and the Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
, but along with the 57th Army, was surrounded in the Izium pocket with the loss of 200,000 plus men in casualties alone, and afterwards formally disbanded.
The Army was reformed in July 1942 for the third time from the 6th Reserve Army, comprising the 45th
45th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
The 45th Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division formed originally during the Russian Civil War that fought in World War II and then served through the Cold War in the Leningrad Military District....
, 99th
99th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
The 99th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army which fought in World War II...
, 141st, 160th, 174th
17th Armored Brigade (Ukraine)
The 17th Guards Armored Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Full name of the Brigade is 17th Separate Guards Kryvyi Rih orders of Red Banner and Suvorov Brigade. It was formally known as 17th Guards Tank Division....
, 212th, 219th, and 309th Rifle Divisions plus the 141st Rifle Brigade. It was assigned in sequence to the Voronezh
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....
, Southwestern
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...
, and 3rd Ukrainian
3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
Fronts. In January 1943, the 6th Army smashed through the defensive lines of the Alpini
Alpini
The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
divisions of the Italian 8th Army as part of Operation Little Saturn. In 1944 it took part in the Nikopol-Kryvyi Rih, Bereznogova-Snigorovka, and Odessa offensives. However in June 1944 it was broken up again, and only reformed in December 1944 with troops posted in from 3rd Guards and 13th
13th Army (Soviet Union)
The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War...
Armies. On 1 January 1945 the Army consisted of the 22nd Rifle Corps (218th and 273rd Rifle Divisions), the 74th Rifle Corps (181st and 309th Rifle Divisions), the 359th Rifle Division, the 77th Fortified Region, and other support units.
During 1945 the Army took part in the Sandomierz
Sandomierz
Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
-Silesia, and the Lower Silesia
Lower Silesian Offensive Operation
The Lower Silesian Offensive was a Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II in 1945, involving forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front under Marshal Ivan Konev...
offensives. During the Lower Silesia offensive in February 1945, 6th Army besieged Fortress Breslau (Festung Breslau) in the Battle of Breslau
Battle of Breslau (1945)
The Battle of Breslau, also known as the Siege of Breslau, was a three month long siege of the city of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany , lasting to the end of World War II in Europe. From 13 February-6 May 1945, German troops in Breslau were besieged by the Soviet forces which encircled the city...
. It then fought in the Bresla offensive.
After the end of World War II, the 6th Army was withdrawn from Germany and stationed briefly in the Orlovskiy Military District before being disbanded in the Voronezh Military District late in 1945. Its second formation was (re)formed in the Leningrad Military District
Leningrad Military District
The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
in 1960 with headquarters at Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
. In January 1996 it consisted of the 161st Artillery Brigade, the 182nd MRL Regiment, the 485th Separate Helicopter Regiment, the 54th Motor Rifle Division (Allakurtti), the 111th Motor Rifle Division (Sortavala
Sortavala
Sortavala is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: It is an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad.-History:...
), and the 131st Motor Rifle Division (Pechenga). It finally disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1997-98.
In 2010, as part of the creation of the Western Military District / Western Operational-Strategic Command with headquarters at St. Petersburg, the army was reformed. The new 6th Army may include:
- 138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade138th Guards Motor Rifle BrigadeThe 138th Guards Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces. It is stationed in the Leningrad Military District, in the village of Kamenka, Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast. It is Military unit No. 02511...
- 25th mechanized brigade
- 9th guards artillery brigade
- 380th guards MLRS regiment
- 268th guards artillery brigade
- indigenous engineering brigade
- SAM brigade