Baltic Military District
Encyclopedia
The Baltic Military District was a military district
of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion
, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Initially the Baltic Military District was created by order of the USSR People's Commissar of Defence on 11 July 1940, and located in Riga. This was after the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States
but before they were forcibly legally absorbed into the Soviet Union. On August, 17th, 1940 it became the Baltic Special Military District. In 1941 the District (which became North-Western Front
on the outbreak of war) consisted of the:
3rd Mechanised Corps
was also located within the district at Vilnius
.
Postwar the District was created on 9 July 1945 at Riga
on the basis of a Group of Forces formed from the former First Baltic Front. It initially included only the Latvian
and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics. Following the disbandment on 27 February 1946 of a special military district that had been administering the Kaliningrad
region, the Kaliningrad oblast was added to the District's control, and ten years later in January 1956 the territory of the Estonian SSR was transferred from the Leningrad Military District
.
The main combat formation within the District was the 11th Guards Army
in the Kaliningrad Oblast
, following the disbandment of the 10th Guards Army in 1950. In the 1950s it comprised 1st TD (former Tank Corps) and all the remaining Guards formations - 2nd Rifle Corps, 16th Koenigsberg Red Banner Rifle Corps (the 1st and 26th RD, 29 MD) and 36th Nemanskiy Red Banner
Rifle Corps (5th and 16th RD, 30th MD). Subsequently the army's composition changed little, and for the entire postwar period it comprised the 40th Guards Tank Division (former 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, then 28th Guards MD) and the 1st Tank, and the 1st and 26th Guards MRD (former Rifle Divisions). In 1960 the 5th Guards MRD, a former Rifle Division, was disbanded.
With the transfer of the Estonian area to the Leningrad Military District
the 2nd Guards 'Tatsin' Tank Division
went with it, leaving the District with only the 1st Guards 'Insterburg' Tank Division in Kaliningrad, which had been reorganised from the 1st Guards Tank Corps in the later part of 1945. In 1969 the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division
was moved from the District to the Central Asian Military District and arrived eventually at Frunze
.
In 1979 Scott and Scott reported the HQ address of the District as PriBVO, Riga-Center, Ulitsa Merkelya, Dom 13, with the officers' club in the same location.
The 7th Guards Cherkassy Airborne Division with its headquarters at Kaunas Fortress
, and the 44th Training Airborne Division
, at Gaižiūnai
, of the Soviet Airborne Forces were also located within the district. The Soviet Air Force
's presence within the District in the 1980s consisted of the 15th Air Army, headquartered at Riga
, and the 2nd Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces.
On 1 January 1991 the 15th Air Army consisted of the:
The 15th Air Army was activated in July 1942; from Oct 1943 attached to the Bryansk Front, and later the 2nd Baltic Front; ended the war attacking the Courland pocket
. It was renamed the 30th Air Army in January 1949, but became 15th Air Army again in April 1968.
During September 1991 the District was reorganised into the North Western Group of Forces (:ru:Северо-Западная группа войск), which ended its existence on 1 September 1994 with all Soviet forces withdrawn from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Ground Forces in the Kaliningrad oblast came under the command of 11th Guards Army, which four to five years later became the Ground and Coastal Defence Forces of the Baltic Fleet.
Military district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion
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...
, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Initially the Baltic Military District was created by order of the USSR People's Commissar of Defence on 11 July 1940, and located in Riga. This was after the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States
Occupation of Baltic Republics
The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the military occupation of the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, unrecognised...
but before they were forcibly legally absorbed into the Soviet Union. On August, 17th, 1940 it became the Baltic Special Military District. In 1941 the District (which became North-Western Front
North-Western Front
The Northwestern Front was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-created on June 22, 1941, the first day of the Soviet-German War on the basis of the Baltic Special Military...
on the outbreak of war) consisted of the:
- 8th Army8th Army (Soviet Union)The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. The 8th Army was a field...
- 11th Army
- 27th Army27th Army (Soviet Union)The 27th Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, which fought in World War II. First formed in May 1941. Initial commander was H. E. Berzarin. Took part in battles in the Baltic. On 22 June 1941 it consisted of the 22nd and 24th Rifle Corps, 16th and 67th Rifle Divisions, 3rd Separate...
- 5th Airborne Corps
- and other smaller formations and units.
3rd Mechanised Corps
3rd Mechanised Corps (Soviet Union)
The 20th Motor Rifle Division is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces, originally formed within the Soviet Red Army as the 3rd Mechanised Corps....
was also located within the district at Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
.
Postwar the District was created on 9 July 1945 at Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
on the basis of a Group of Forces formed from the former First Baltic Front. It initially included only the Latvian
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics. Following the disbandment on 27 February 1946 of a special military district that had been administering the Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
region, the Kaliningrad oblast was added to the District's control, and ten years later in January 1956 the territory of the Estonian SSR was transferred from 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:...
.
The main combat formation within the District was the 11th Guards Army
11th Guards Army
The 11th Guards Army was a Soviet field army active from 1943 to 1997, which traces its origins to the formation of the Soviet 16th Army in June-July 1940.-History:...
in the Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
, following the disbandment of the 10th Guards Army in 1950. In the 1950s it comprised 1st TD (former Tank Corps) and all the remaining Guards formations - 2nd Rifle Corps, 16th Koenigsberg Red Banner Rifle Corps (the 1st and 26th RD, 29 MD) and 36th Nemanskiy Red Banner
Red Banner
Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state flag.Military units, institutions and organizations awarded with the Order of the Red Banner are referred to with the honorific title "of the Red Banner" Red Banner was a symbol of the USSR associated with the Soviet state...
Rifle Corps (5th and 16th RD, 30th MD). Subsequently the army's composition changed little, and for the entire postwar period it comprised the 40th Guards Tank Division (former 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, then 28th Guards MD) and the 1st Tank, and the 1st and 26th Guards MRD (former Rifle Divisions). In 1960 the 5th Guards MRD, a former Rifle Division, was disbanded.
With the transfer of the Estonian area to 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:...
the 2nd Guards 'Tatsin' Tank Division
2nd Guards Tank Corps
The 2nd Tatsinskaya Guards Tank Corps was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. After the war it continued to serve with Soviet occupation forces in Central Europe. It was originally the 24th Tank Corps...
went with it, leaving the District with only the 1st Guards 'Insterburg' Tank Division in Kaliningrad, which had been reorganised from the 1st Guards Tank Corps in the later part of 1945. In 1969 the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division
8th Guards Rifle Division
The 8th Guards Panfilov Division originally the 316th Rifle Division, is a motorized infantry division of the Military of Kyrgyzstan,...
was moved from the District to the Central Asian Military District and arrived eventually at Frunze
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
.
In 1979 Scott and Scott reported the HQ address of the District as PriBVO, Riga-Center, Ulitsa Merkelya, Dom 13, with the officers' club in the same location.
Commanders of the Baltic Military District
- 1940 General Colonel Aleksandr LoktionovAleksandr LoktionovAleksandr Dmitrievich Loktionov was a Soviet general.In July 1940, after the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States Loktionov was appointed commander of Special Baltic Military District...
- 1940–1941 General Colonel Fyodor KuznetsovFyodor KuznetsovFyodor Isidorovich Kuznetsov , Colonel General, was a military commander of the Soviet Union.-Biography:Born to a peasant family in present-day Mogilev Oblast of Belarus, Kuznetsov served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and continued his service in the Bolsheviks' Red Army...
- 1945–1954: General of the Army Hovhannes BagramyanHovhannes BagramyanIvan Khristoforovich Bagramyan , also known as Hovhannes Khachaturi BaghramyanPronunciation: Bagramyan's name is most commonly written in English as Bagramyan "bahg-rahm-yahn" or Bagramian...
- 1954–1958: General of the Army Aleksandr GorbatovAlexander GorbatovAlexander Vasilyevich Gorbatov was a Russian and Soviet officer who served as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War and as a Colonel-General in the Red Army during the Second World War...
- 1958–1959: General of the Army Pavel BatovPavel BatovPavel Ivanovich Batov was a senior Red Army general during the Second World War and afterwards....
- 1959-63: General of the Army Iosif Gusakovsky
- 1963-71: General of the Army Georgy Khetagurov
- 1971-72: General Colonel Vladimir Govorov
- 1972-80: General Colonel Aleksandr MayorovAleksandr MayorovAlexander Mayorov is a former Soviet Nordic combined skier who competed in the early 1980s. He finished sixth in the individual event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid...
- 1980–1984: General Colonel Stanisla Postnikov
- 1984–1987: General Colonel А. V. Bekhtenin
- 1987: General Colonel Viktor GrishinViktor GrishinViktor Vasilyevich Grishin was a Soviet politician. He was a Candidate and Full Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.Grishin was born in Serpukhov, Moscow Oblast. He served in the Red Army from 1938 until 1940...
- 1987-91: General Lieutenant Fyodor Kuzmin
- 1991: General Lieutenant Valery Mironov
Forces at the end of the 1980s
Toward the end of the 1980s the District's forces consisted of:- 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division3rd Guards Motor Rifle DivisionThe 3rd Volnovaskyi Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Army from 1957 to around 1992. It traced its history from the highly decorated 3rd Guards Rifle Division of World War II...
, KlaipėdaKlaipedaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
(which transferred to the Baltic FleetBaltic FleetThe Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
as a coastal defence division in 1989) - 16th Guards Motor Rifle Division, TauragėTaurageTauragė is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2011, its population was 26,444. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, and not far from the Baltic Sea coast....
- 18th Guards Motor Rifle Division (arrived from Czechoslovakia 1990-91)
- 24th Tank Training Division, RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
(which became 54th District Training Centre, and then was reorganised as the 25th Motor Rifle Brigade and moved to Vladimirsky LagerVladimirsky LagerVladimirsky Lager is a rural locality in Strugo-Krasnensky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia.Administratively, it is subordinated to the urban-type settlement of Strugi Krasnye. Municipally, it is a part of Strugi Krasnye Urban Settlement....
in Pskov OblastPskov OblastPskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²...
) - 107th Motor Rifle Division, VilniusVilniusVilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
- 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division, TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(the former 29th Guards Rifle Division32nd Rifle DivisionThe 32nd Rifle Division was first raised in 1934 at Vladivostok and organized as a Siberian Rifle Division. The division initially served Far Eastern Military District as part of the 39th Rifle Corps. It took part in a number of border skirmishes on the Manchurian border near Lake Khasan...
) - 11th Guards Army11th Guards ArmyThe 11th Guards Army was a Soviet field army active from 1943 to 1997, which traces its origins to the formation of the Soviet 16th Army in June-July 1940.-History:...
- 1st Guards Tank Division, Kaliningrad
- 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division, Kaliningrad
- 40th Guards Tank Division, SovetskSovetskSovetsk may refer to:*Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: formerly named Tilsit*Sovetsk, Kirov Oblast, a town in Kirov Oblast, Russia*Sovetsk, Tula Oblast, a town in Tula Oblast, Russia...
The 7th Guards Cherkassy Airborne Division with its headquarters at Kaunas Fortress
Kaunas Fortress
Kaunas Fortress is the remains of a fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was constructed and renovated between 1882 and 1915 to protect the Russian Empire's western borders, and was designated a "first-class" fortress in 1887...
, and the 44th Training Airborne Division
242nd Training Centre
The 242nd Training Centre of the Airborne Forces is a brigade-sized training formation of the Russian Airborne Troops.To prepare sergeants and junior specialists for airborne units in accordance with a directive of the Commander Soviet Ground Forces, the 4th Training Airborne Division was formed...
, at Gaižiūnai
Gaižiūnai
Gaižiūnai is a village in Jonava district municipality, Lithuania. It is situated on the Taurosta River, tributary of Neris, about southeast of Jonava and northeast of Kaunas. The railroad from Šiauliai forks into Kaunas and Vilnius near the village...
, of the Soviet Airborne Forces were also located within the district. The Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
's presence within the District in the 1980s consisted of the 15th Air Army, headquartered at Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, and the 2nd Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces.
On 1 January 1991 the 15th Air Army consisted of the:
- 79th Independent Communications Regiment (Riga)
- 249th OSAE (Riga) with 7 Mi-8, 1 Mi-6 and a few transport aircraft
- 285th OVEREB (Jelgava, Riga area) with 19 Mi-8
- 886th Order of the Red BannerOrder of the Red BannerThe Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
"Stalingrad" ORAP (JēkabpilsJekabpils (air base)Jēkabpils , also known as Krustpils, is an air base located northeast of Jēkabpils, a town in Latvia.During the Soviet era it was home to the 886 ORAP flying Su-17 and Su-24MR aircraft...
, Latvian SSR) with 12 Su-24 and 14 Su-17M4 [known as the 16th ORAP in WW2]
- 39th ADIB (Liyelvalde, Riga area) [activated after WW2]
- 53rd Guards "Stalingrad" APIB (ShaulyayŠiauliai International AirportŠiauliai International Airport is located 7 km southeast of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. It covers an area of 471 hectares.- History :...
, Lithuanian SSR) with 35 MiG-27 and 11 MiG-23 - 327th APIB (DaugavpilsDaugavpils International AirportThe Daugavpils International Airport is located in village of Lociki, Naujene parish, Daugavpils District, Latgale region, Latvia. It is also located 12 km northeast of Daugavpils....
, Latvian SSR) with 49 MiG-27 and 12 MiG-23 - 899th APIB (Liyelvarde, Riga area) with 47 MiG-27 and 11 MiG-23
- 53rd Guards "Stalingrad" APIB (Shaulyay
The 15th Air Army was activated in July 1942; from Oct 1943 attached to the Bryansk Front, and later the 2nd Baltic Front; ended the war attacking the Courland pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
. It was renamed the 30th Air Army in January 1949, but became 15th Air Army again in April 1968.
During September 1991 the District was reorganised into the North Western Group of Forces (:ru:Северо-Западная группа войск), which ended its existence on 1 September 1994 with all Soviet forces withdrawn from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Ground Forces in the Kaliningrad oblast came under the command of 11th Guards Army, which four to five years later became the Ground and Coastal Defence Forces of the Baltic Fleet.
Sources
- http://www8.brinkster.com/vad777/sssr-89-91/districts/pribvo.htm (inc district commanders 1972-)
- Andrew Duncan, Russian Forces in Decline - Part 2, Jane's Intelligence Review, October 1996
Further reading
- Petersen, P. and Petersen, S. (1993) "The Kaliningrad garrison state", Jane's Intelligence Review, 5:2, 1993