Transcaucasian Front
Encyclopedia
Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus Front was a Front (military subdivision)
of the Soviet Army
during the Second World War
. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front
which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.
The Transcaucasus Front describes two distinct organizations during the war. The first version was created on August 23, 1941 from the Transcaucasus Military District, which was apparently originally formed in 1922. The boundary of the Front extended along the border with Turkey
and along the Black Sea
coast from Batumi
to Tuapse
. It was commanded by Lieutenant-General Dmitri T. Kozlov (Козлов Дмитрий Тимофеевич) from August 1941 to December 1941.
On June 22, 1941, when the German invasion started, the TCMD included the 3rd, 24th, and 40th Rifle Corps
, the 28th Mechanised Corps, two cavalry divisions (the 17th Mountain and the 24th) and three separate rifle divisions (the 63rd, 76th
, and 77th. Also part of the District were three fortified regions and District troops, which included artillery and NKVD frontier units.
The initial Front organization incorporated the four Soviet armies
stationed in the district in June 1941: the 45th and 46th on the border with Turkey
and the 44th and 47th on the border with Iran
. On August 25, 1941 troops from the Front entered Iran
according to the Soviet-Iran Treaty of February 21, 1921, which eliminated the direct threat to the Baku
oil field
s.
44th Army (Major General A.A. Khaldejev)
47th Army
(Major General V.V. Novikov)
53rd Army (invaded Iran from Turkmenistan on the 27th of August)
In November 1941 the 51st Army
joined the front after being evacuated from the Crimea. The Transcaucasus Front was briefly renamed the Caucasus Front
on December 30, 1941. The second version of this front was again created from the Transcaucasus Military District on May 15, 1942 and continued in existence until its reorganization as the Tbilisi Military District on August 25, 1945 after the end of the war. It was commanded by General Ivan V. Tyulenev
, and included the 4th and 58th Armies at various periods.
Front (Soviet Army)
A front was a major military organization in the Soviet Army during many wars. It was roughly equivalent to an army group in the militaries of most other countries except Germany...
of the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.
The Transcaucasus Front describes two distinct organizations during the war. The first version was created on August 23, 1941 from the Transcaucasus Military District, which was apparently originally formed in 1922. The boundary of the Front extended along the border with Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and along the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast from Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
to Tuapse
Tuapse
Tuapse is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. It serves as the administrative center of Tuapsinsky District, although administratively it is separate from it...
. It was commanded by Lieutenant-General Dmitri T. Kozlov (Козлов Дмитрий Тимофеевич) from August 1941 to December 1941.
On June 22, 1941, when the German invasion started, the TCMD included the 3rd, 24th, and 40th Rifle Corps
Rifle corps (Soviet)
A rifle corps was a Soviet military organization of the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.Unlike army corps formed by Germany...
, the 28th Mechanised Corps, two cavalry divisions (the 17th Mountain and the 24th) and three separate rifle divisions (the 63rd, 76th
76th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
The Soviet 76th "K. E. Voroshilov" Division known also as the 76th Armenian Mountain Division, was a Soviet infantry fighting unit of the Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. The 76th was made up primarily of Armenians from the newly established Soviet Socialist...
, and 77th. Also part of the District were three fortified regions and District troops, which included artillery and NKVD frontier units.
The initial Front organization incorporated the four Soviet armies
Army (Soviet Army)
An army, besides the generalized meanings of ‘a country's armed forces’ or its ‘land forces’, is a type of formation in militaries of various countries, including the Soviet Union. This article serves a central point of reference for Soviet armies without individual articles, and explains some of...
stationed in the district in June 1941: the 45th and 46th on the border with Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the 44th and 47th on the border with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. On August 25, 1941 troops from the Front entered Iran
Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran was the Allied invasion of the Imperial State of Iran during World War II, by British, Commonwealth, and Soviet armed forces. The invasion from August 25 to September 17, 1941, was codenamed Operation Countenance...
according to the Soviet-Iran Treaty of February 21, 1921, which eliminated the direct threat to the Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
s.
Order of Battle, Invasion of Iran, 1941
Here is the Soviet OOB for the 25th of August 1941:44th Army (Major General A.A. Khaldejev)
- 20th Mountain Rifle Division
- 77th Mountain Rifle Division
- 17th Cavalry Division
- 24th Tank Regiment
47th Army
47th Army
The 47th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1946.The 47th Army was formed in late July 1941 in the Transcaucasian Military District as part of the Soviet Union's border defenses with Iran...
(Major General V.V. Novikov)
- 63rd Mountain Rifle Division
- 76th Mountain Rifle Division76th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The Soviet 76th "K. E. Voroshilov" Division known also as the 76th Armenian Mountain Division, was a Soviet infantry fighting unit of the Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. The 76th was made up primarily of Armenians from the newly established Soviet Socialist...
- 236th Rifle Division
- 6th Tank Division
- 54th Tank Division
- 13th Motorcycle Regiment
53rd Army (invaded Iran from Turkmenistan on the 27th of August)
- 58th Rifle Corps
- 83rd Mountain Rifle Division128th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)The 128th Guards Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.Full name of the Brigade is 128th Separate Guards Mechanized Turkestan-Zakarpattia twice Order of Red Banner Brigade, .-History:...
- 4th Cavalry Corps
In November 1941 the 51st Army
51st Army (Soviet Union)
The 51st Army was a field army of the Red Army that saw action against the Germans in World War II on both the southern and northern sectors of the front. In particular, it was involved in the Crimean debacle of May 1942, and the final cutting-off of German forces in the Courland area next to the...
joined the front after being evacuated from the Crimea. The Transcaucasus Front was briefly renamed the Caucasus Front
Soviet Caucasian Front
The Caucasian Front or Caucasus Front was a military subdivision of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated...
on December 30, 1941. The second version of this front was again created from the Transcaucasus Military District on May 15, 1942 and continued in existence until its reorganization as the Tbilisi Military District on August 25, 1945 after the end of the war. It was commanded by General Ivan V. Tyulenev
Ivan Tyulenev
Ivan Vladimirovich Tyulenev was a Soviet military commander, one of the first to be promoted Soviet General of the Army in 1940.- Biography :...
, and included the 4th and 58th Armies at various periods.