Jump to content

6th Combined Arms Army: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(35 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Soviet and Russian field army}}
{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name = 6th Army
| unit_name = 6th Combined Arms Army
|image = Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army.svg
| native_name = 6-я общевойсковая армия
|caption = Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army
| image = Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army.svg
| alt = Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army
|country = {{flag|Soviet Union}}<br />{{flag|Russia}}
|type =
| caption = Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army
|branch = {{flagicon image|Red Army flag.svg}} [[Red Army]]<br />{{flagicon image|Red Army flag.svg}} [[Soviet Army]]<br />{{army|Russia}}
| country = {{flag|Soviet Union}}<br />{{flag|Russia}}
| type = [[Combined Arms]]
⚫
|dates=1939–1945<br />1960–1998<br />2010–present
| branch = {{flagicon image|Red Army flag.svg}} [[Red Army]]<br />{{flagicon image|Red Army flag.svg}} [[Soviet Army]]<br />{{army|Russia}}
|command_structure = [[Leningrad Military District]] (1960–1998) [[Western Military District]] (2010– )
⚫
| dates = 1939–1945<br />1960–1998<br />2010–present
|size=several [[Rifle corps (Soviet)|corps]] or divisions
| command_structure = [[Northern Military District (Soviet Union)|Northern Military District]] (1951-1960)<br>[[Leningrad Military District]] (1960–1998)<br>[[Western Military District]] (2010–2024)<br>[[Leningrad Military District]] (2024–present)
⚫
|garrison = [[Agalatovo]], [[Leningrad Oblast]]
|battles = *WWII: [[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)]], [[Operation Barbarossa]], [[Second Battle of Kharkov]], others<br />
| size = Several [[Rifle corps (Soviet)|corps]] or divisions
⚫
| garrison = [[Agalatovo]], [[Leningrad Oblast]]
*[[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
| battles = *WWII
|current_commander = Lieutenant General Vladislav Nikolayevich Yershov (dismissed)
**[[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)]]
⚫
|notable_commanders =
**[[Operation Barbarossa]]

**[[Second Battle of Kharkov]]
⚫
| identification_symbol = {{Mil Map Symbol
*[[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
**[[Battle of Kharkiv (2022)|Kharkiv offensive]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iswresearch.org/2022/06/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment_6.html | title=Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 6 }}</ref>
**[[Battle of the Svatove-Kreminna line]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-23-2023 | title=RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 23, 2023 }}</ref>
**[[2024 Kursk offensive]]
| decorations = {{OrderRedBanner}}
| current_commander = [[Lieutenant General]] {{ill|Alexander Vasilyevich Peryazev|ru|Перязев, Александр Васильевич}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISW: Ukraine bolsters defenses in response to potential Russian offensive on Kharkiv |url=http://odessa-journal.com/isw-ukraine-bolsters-defenses-in-response-to-potential-russian-offensive-on-kharkiv |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=odessa-journal.com |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
| notable_commanders =
⚫
| identification_symbol = {{Mil Map Symbol
| UNIT SHORT NAME = 6
| UNIT SHORT NAME = 6
| PARENT SHORT NAME = ОА
| PARENT SHORT NAME = ОА
Line 22: Line 31:
| ICON SIZE = 100
| ICON SIZE = 100
}}
}}
| identification_symbol_label = [[NATO Joint Military Symbology|NATO Map Symbol]]
| identification_symbol_label = [[NATO Joint Military Symbology|NATO Map Symbol]]
}}
}}


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]] until 1998. It appears to have been reformed in 2010.
The '''6th Red Banner Combined Arms Army''' ({{Langx|ru|6-я общевойсковая армия}}) is a [[field army]] of the [[Red Army]] and the [[Soviet Army]] that was active with the [[Russian Ground Forces]] until 1998 and has been active since 2010 as the '''6th Combined Arms Army'''. Military Unit number в/ч 31807.


It was first formed in August, 1939 in the [[Kiev Special Military District]] from the Volochiskaya Army Group (a corps-sized formation).<ref>6th Army- б. Восточная (первоначально - Винницкая, затем - Волочиская армейская группа КОВО) (0000 Там же, а также "Другая война. 1939-1945". М., 1996, с.248.) КОВО. Lenskii 2001.</ref>
It was first formed in August 1939 in the [[Kiev Special Military District]] from the Volochiskaya Army Group (a corps-sized formation).<ref>6th Army- б. Восточная (первоначально - Винницкая, затем - Волочиская армейская группа КОВО) (0000 Там же, а также "Другая война. 1939-1945". М., 1996, с.248.) КОВО. Lenskii 2001.</ref>


==First Formation==
==First Formation==
In September 1939 it participated in the [[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)|Soviet invasion of Poland]]. At the beginning of war the Army ([[6th Rifle Corps]], [[37th Rifle Corps]] (which included the [[80th Rifle Division|80th]], [[139th Rifle Division|139th]], and [[141st Rifle Division]]s), [[4th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)|4th]] and [[15th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)|15th Mechanized Corps]], [[5th Cavalry Corps (Soviet Union)|5th Cavalry Corps]], 4th [[Fortified Region]], and [[6th Fortified Region]] ([[Rava-Ruska]]), and a number of artillery and other units)<ref>Leo Niehorster, [http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/kiev/army_06.html Order of Battle, 22 June 1941]</ref> 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 (Soviet Union)|12th Army]].
In September 1939 it participated in the [[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)|Soviet invasion of Poland]]. At the beginning of war the Army ([[6th Rifle Corps]], [[37th Rifle Corps]] (which included the [[80th Rifle Division|80th]], [[139th Rifle Division|139th]], and [[141st Rifle Division]]s), [[4th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)|4th]] and [[15th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)|15th Mechanized Corps]], [[5th Cavalry Corps (Soviet Union)|5th Cavalry Corps]], 4th [[Fortified Region]], and [[6th Fortified Region]] ([[Rava-Ruska]]), and a number of artillery and other units)<ref>Leo Niehorster, [http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/kiev/army_06.html Order of Battle, 22 June 1941]</ref> was deployed on the Lviv direction. It started the [[Great Patriotic War]] as part of the [[Southwestern Front (Soviet Union)|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 (Soviet Union)|12th Army]].


==Second Formation==
==Second Formation==
It was immediately reformed within the [[Southern Front (Soviet Union)|Southern Front]] on the basis of [[48th Rifle Corps]] and other units, and defended the west bank of the [[Dnepr River]] northwest of [[Dnipropetrovsk]].<ref>Bonn/Glantz, Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, p.311</ref> On 1 September 1941 it consisted of [[169th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|169th]], [[226th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|226th]], [[230th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|230th]], [[255th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|255th]], [[273rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|273rd]], and [[275th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|275th Rifle Divisions]], [[26th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union)|26th]] and [[28th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union)|28th Cavalry Divisions]], 47th Rifle Regiment (15th [[NKVD]] Rifle Division), 269th, 274th, and 394th Corps Artillery Regiments, 522nd High-power Howitzer Artillery Regiment гап б/м, 671st Artillery Regiment of the [[Reserve of the Supreme High Command]] (ап РВГК), 14th, 27th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Divisions, and [[8th Tank Division]].<ref>tashv.nm.ru, [Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 1 September 1941], accessed October 2011</ref> It was then transferred to the [[Soviet Southwestern Front]] and took part in defensive actions in the Donbas, the [[Barvenkovo–Lozovaya Offensive|Barvenkovo-Lozovaia operation]], and the [[Second Battle of Kharkov]], but along with the [[57th Army (Soviet Union)|57th Army]], was surrounded in the [[Izium pocket]] with the loss of 200,000 plus men in casualties alone, and afterwards formally disbanded.
It was immediately reformed within the [[Southern Front (Soviet Union)|Southern Front]] on the basis of the [[48th Rifle Corps]] and other units, and defended the west bank of the [[Dnepr River]] northwest of [[Dnipropetrovsk]].<ref>Bonn/Glantz, Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, p.311</ref> On 1 September 1941 it consisted of [[169th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|169th]], [[226th Rifle Division|226th]], [[230th Rifle Division|230th]], [[255th Rifle Division|255th]], [[273rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|273rd]], and [[275th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|275th Rifle Divisions]], [[26th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union)|26th]] and [[28th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union)|28th Cavalry Divisions]], 47th Rifle Regiment (15th [[NKVD]] Rifle Division), 269th, 274th, and 394th Corps Artillery Regiments, 522nd High-power Howitzer Artillery Regiment гап б/м, 671st Artillery Regiment of the [[Reserve of the Supreme High Command]] (ап РВГК), 14th, 27th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Divisions, and [[8th Tank Division]].<ref>tashv.nm.ru, [Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 1 September 1941], accessed October 2011</ref> It was then transferred to the [[Soviet Southwestern Front]] and took part in defensive actions in the Donbas, the [[Barvenkovo–Lozovaya Offensive|Barvenkovo-Lozovaia operation]], and the [[Second Battle of Kharkov]], but along with the [[57th Army (Soviet Union)|57th Army]], was surrounded in the [[Izium pocket]] with the loss of 200,000 plus men in casualties alone, and afterwards formally disbanded.


==Third Formation==
==Third Formation==
The Army was reformed in July 1942 for the third time from the [[6th Reserve Army]], comprising the [[45th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|45th]], [[99th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|99th]], [[141st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|141st]], [[160th Rifle Division (1940 formation)|160th]], [[20th Guards Rifle Division|174th]], [[212th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|212th]], [[219th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|219th]], and [[309th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|309th Rifle Division]]s plus the 141st Rifle Brigade. It was assigned in sequence to the [[Voronezh Front|Voronezh]], [[Soviet Southwestern Front|Southwestern]], and [[3rd Ukrainian Front]]s. In January 1943, the 6th Army smashed through the defensive lines of the [[Alpini]] divisions of the [[Eighth Army (Italy)|Italian 8th Army]] as part of [[Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943#November 1942-February 1943, Operation Little Saturn|Operation Little Saturn]].
The Army was reformed in July 1942 for the third time from the [[6th Reserve Army]], comprising the [[45th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|45th]], [[99th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|99th]], [[141st Rifle Division|141st]], [[160th Rifle Division (1940 formation)|160th]], [[20th Guards Rifle Division|174th]], [[212th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|212th]], [[219th Rifle Division|219th]], and [[309th Rifle Division]]s plus the 141st Rifle Brigade. It was assigned in sequence to the [[Voronezh Front|Voronezh]], [[Soviet Southwestern Front|Southwestern]], and [[3rd Ukrainian Front]]s. In January 1943, the 6th Army smashed through the defensive lines of the [[Alpini]] divisions of the [[Eighth Army (Italy)|Italian 8th Army]] as part of [[Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943#November 1942-February 1943, Operation Little Saturn|Operation Little Saturn]].


In September 1943 it consisted of the [[4th Guards Rifle Corps]] ([[38th Guards Rifle Division|38th Guards]], [[263rd Rifle Division|263rd]], [[267th Rifle Division]]s), [[26th Guards Rifle Corps]] ([[25th Guards Rifle Division|25th Guards]], [[35th Guards Rifle Division|35th]] and [[47th Guards Rifle Division]]s), and the [[33rd Rifle Corps]] ([[50th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|50th]], [[78th Rifle Division|78th]], [[243rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|243rd Rifle Divisions]]).<ref>BSSA via tashv.nm.ru</ref>
In September 1943 it consisted of the [[4th Guards Rifle Corps]] ([[38th Guards Rifle Division|38th Guards]], [[263rd Rifle Division|263rd]], [[267th Rifle Division]]s), [[26th Guards Rifle Corps]] ([[25th Guards Rifle Division|25th Guards]], [[35th Guards Rifle Division|35th]] and [[47th Guards Rifle Division]]s), and the [[33rd Rifle Corps]] ([[50th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|50th]], [[78th Rifle Division|78th]], [[243rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|243rd Rifle Divisions]]).<ref>BSSA via tashv.nm.ru</ref>


In 1944 it took part in the [[Nikopol–Krivoi Rog Offensive|Nikopol-Kryvyi Rih]], Bereznogova-Snigorovka, and [[Odessa Offensive|Odessa offensives]]. Disbanded in June 1944.
In 1944 it took part in the [[Nikopol–Krivoi Rog Offensive|Nikopol-Kryvyi Rih]], Bereznogova-Snigorovka, and [[Odessa Offensive|Odessa offensives]]. It was disbanded in June 1944.


==Fourth Formation==
==Fourth Formation==
Reformed in December 1944 with troops from [[3rd Guards Army (Soviet Union)|3rd Guards]] and [[13th Army (Soviet Union)|13th]] Armies. On 1 January 1945 the Army consisted of the [[22nd Rifle Corps]] ([[218th Rifle Division|218th]] and [[273rd Rifle Division]]s), the [[74th Rifle Corps]] ([[181st Rifle Division|181st]] and [[309th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|309th Rifle Division]]s), the [[359th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|359th Rifle Division]], the 77th Fortified Region, and other support units.<ref>[http://www.tashv.nm.ru/BoevojSostavSA/1945/19450101.html Combat Composition of the Soviet Army] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612232722/http://tashv.nm.ru/BoevojSostavSA/1945/19450101.html |date=2010-06-12 }}, 1 January 1945</ref>
The 6th Army was reformed in December 1944 with troops from [[3rd Guards Army (Soviet Union)|3rd Guards]] and [[13th Army (Soviet Union)|13th]] Armies. On 1 January 1945 the Army consisted of the [[22nd Rifle Corps]] ([[218th Rifle Division|218th]] and [[273rd Rifle Division]]s), the [[74th Rifle Corps]] ([[181st Rifle Division|181st]] and [[309th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|309th Rifle Division]]s), the [[359th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|359th Rifle Division]], the 77th [[Fortified district|Fortified Region]], and other support units.<ref>[http://www.tashv.nm.ru/BoevojSostavSA/1945/19450101.html Combat Composition of the Soviet Army] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612232722/http://tashv.nm.ru/BoevojSostavSA/1945/19450101.html |date=2010-06-12 }}, 1 January 1945</ref>


During 1945 the Army took part in the [[Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive|Sandomierz–Silesia]], and the [[Lower Silesian Offensive Operation|Lower Silesia]] offensives. During the Lower Silesia offensive in February 1945, 6th Army, commanded by Marshal [[Ivan Koniev]], besieged Fortress Breslau (''Festung Breslau'') in the [[Battle of Breslau (1945)|Battle of Breslau]]. The army besieged the city on February 13, 1945, and the encirclement of Breslau was completed the following day. The 1st Ukrainian Front forces besieged the city with the 22nd and 74th Rifle Corps, and the 77th Fortified Region, as well as other smaller units. Even approximate estimates vary greatly concerning the number of German troops trapped in Breslau. Some sources claim that there were as many as 150,000 defenders, some 80,000 and some 50,000. The Siege of Breslau consisted of destructive house-to-house street fighting. The city was bombarded to ruin by artillery of the 6th Army, as well as the [[2nd Air Army]] and the [[18th Air Army]]. During the siege, both sides resorted to setting entire districts of the city on fire.
During 1945 the Army took part in the [[Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive|Sandomierz–Silesia]], and the [[Lower Silesian Offensive Operation|Lower Silesia]] offensives. During the Lower Silesia offensive in February 1945, 6th Army, commanded by Marshal [[Ivan Koniev]], besieged Fortress Breslau (''Festung Breslau'') in the [[Battle of Breslau (1945)|Battle of Breslau]]. The army besieged the city on February 13, 1945, and the encirclement of Breslau was completed the following day. The 1st Ukrainian Front forces besieged the city with the 22nd and 74th Rifle Corps, and the 77th Fortified Region, as well as other smaller units. Even approximate estimates vary greatly concerning the number of German troops trapped in Breslau. Some sources claim that there were as many as 150,000 defenders, some 80,000 and some 50,000. The Siege of Breslau consisted of destructive house-to-house street fighting. The city was bombarded to ruin by artillery of the 6th Army, as well as the [[2nd Air Army]] and the [[18th Air Army]]. During the siege, both sides resorted to setting entire districts of the city on fire.
Line 50: Line 59:


==Fifth Formation==
==Fifth Formation==
Its fifth formation was (re)formed from [[31st Rifle Corps]] on 2 April 1952 in Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = 6th Combined Arms Army|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/armies/6oa.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref> That year it comprised the [[45th Rifle Division]] (Pechenga, Murmansk Oblast); the [[67th Rifle Division]] (Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast); the [[341st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|341st Rifle Division]] (Alakurtti, Murmansk Oblast); and the [[367th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|367th Rifle Division]] (Sortavala, Karelian ASSR). The army was disbanded at Murmansk in early 1960.<ref name=":0" />
The 6th Army was (re)formed from the [[31st Rifle Corps]] on 2 April 1952 in [[Murmansk]], [[Murmansk Oblast]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = 6th Combined Arms Army|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/armies/6oa.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref> That year it comprised the [[45th Rifle Division]] ([[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]], Murmansk Oblast); the [[67th Rifle Division]] (Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast); the [[341st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|341st Rifle Division]] ([[Alakurtti (rural locality)|Alakurtti]], Murmansk Oblast); and the [[367th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|367th Rifle Division]] ([[Sortavala]], [[Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Karelian ASSR]]). The army was disbanded at Murmansk in early 1960.<ref name=":0" />


The army was reformed again from Headquarters [[Northern Military District (Soviet Union)|Northern Military District]] in May–June 1960 with headquarters at [[Petrozavodsk]].<ref>[[Valentin Varennikov]] "Unique," Book 2, page 73.</ref> On 15 January 1974, it was awarded the [[Order of the Red Banner]].<ref name=":0" />
The army was reformed again from Headquarters [[Northern Military District (Soviet Union)|Northern Military District]] in May–June 1960 with headquarters at [[Petrozavodsk]].<ref>[[Valentin Varennikov]] "Unique," Book 2, page 73.</ref> On 15 January 1974, it was awarded the [[Order of the Red Banner]].<ref name=":0" />


In 1977 the 88th Independent Helicopter Squadron was moved from [[Nurmalitsy]] to [[Apatity]].
⚫
In 1988 it consisted of:

⚫
In 1988 the army consisted of:
*16th Motor Rifle Division ([[Petrozavodsk]]) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 16th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/16msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*16th Motor Rifle Division ([[Petrozavodsk]]) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 16th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/16msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*109th Motor Rifle Division (Alakurtti) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 109th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/109msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*109th Motor Rifle Division (Alakurtti) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 109th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/109msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*116th Motor Rifle Division (Nagorniy/Нагорный) ([[Murmansk]]) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 116th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/116msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04}}</ref>
*116th Motor Rifle Division (Nagorniy/Нагорный) ([[Murmansk]]) (mobilisation)<ref>{{Cite web|title = 116th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/116msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04}}</ref>
*[[54th Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Alakurtti (rural locality)|Alakurtti]]) Established on 4 June 1957 in Alakurtti from the 54th Rifle Division.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 54th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/54msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04}}</ref> Composed of 338th Guards Tank Regiment, 221st Guards и 251 (Кандалакша), 281st Motor Rifle Regiments, 441st Artillery Regiment, 454 зрап. In 1987 the 338th Guards Tank Regiment was reduced and renamed 82nd independent Tank Battalion.
*[[54th Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Alakurtti (rural locality)|Alakurtti]]) Established on 4 June 1957 in Alakurtti from the 54th Rifle Division.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 54th Motorised Rifle Division|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/54msd.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-04}}</ref> Composed of 338th Guards Tank Regiment, 221st Guards и 251 (Кандалакша), 281st Motor Rifle Regiments, 441st Artillery Regiment, 454 зрап. In 1987 the 338th Guards Tank Regiment was reduced and renamed 82nd independent Tank Battalion.
*[[111th Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Sortavala]]), 379th Tank Regiment (Lakhdenpokhya, Karelian ASSR) 182* и 185 (Лахденпохья), 184 109 ап, 1037 зрап. In 1987 the tank regiment was reduced to a battalion.
*[[111th Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Sortavala]]), 379th Tank Regiment ([[Lakhdenpokhya]], Karelian ASSR) 182* и 185 (Лахденпохья), 184 109 ап, 1037 зрап. In 1987 the tank regiment was reduced to a battalion.
*[[131st Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]])
*[[131st Motor Rifle Division]] ([[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]])
*88th Independent Helicopter Squadron ([[Apatity]], [[Murmansk Oblast]], from 1977) Disbanded 1991 or 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/squadrons/ove/88ove.htm|title = 88th independent Helicopter Squadron|access-date = 4 February 2016|website = ww2.dk|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref> ([[Kirovsk-Apatity Airport]])
*88th Independent Helicopter Squadron ([[Apatity]], [[Murmansk Oblast]], from 1977) Disbanded 1991 or 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/squadrons/ove/88ove.htm|title = 88th independent Helicopter Squadron|access-date = 4 February 2016|website = ww2.dk|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref> ([[Kirovsk-Apatity Airport]])
*840th Independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion
*840th Independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion
*[[6th Missile Brigade]] (Pinozero)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title = 6th Missile Brigade|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/rbr/6rbr.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-16|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*[[6th Missile Brigade]] ([[Pinozero]], Murmansk Oblast), equipped with [[R-11 Zemlya|R-11]] and [[R-17 Elbrus|R-17]] [[Short-range ballistic missile|SRBMs]] until 1991, and then [[OTR-21 Tochka]] SRBMs until its disbandment in 1998<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title = 6th Missile Brigade|url = http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/rbr/6rbr.htm|website = www.ww2.dk|access-date = 2016-02-16|last = Holm|first = Michael}}</ref>
*and several other independent brigades, regiments, and battalions
*and several other independent brigades, regiments, and battalions

One of the other listed brigades was the 6th Rocket Brigade at [[Pinozero]] in Murmansk Oblast. Up until 1991 it had been equipped with the Scud. From 1991 it was reequipped with the Tochka. It was disbanded in 1998.<ref name=":1" />


In 1989 the 16th Motor Rifle Division (mobilisation) became the 5186th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (БХВТ) (30th мотострелковая бригада), and the 37th similarly became a weapons and equipment storage base (VKhVT). In 1994-95 the 111th Motor Rifle Division ([[Sortavala]]) became the 20th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade and shifted into the [[30th Guards Army Corps]].
In 1989 the 16th Motor Rifle Division (mobilisation) became the 5186th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (БХВТ) (30th мотострелковая бригада), and the 37th similarly became a weapons and equipment storage base (VKhVT). In 1994-95 the 111th Motor Rifle Division ([[Sortavala]]) became the 20th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade and shifted into the [[30th Guards Army Corps]].
Line 78: Line 87:
* 95th Command Brigade in [[Gorelovo (air base)|Gorelovo, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 95th Command Brigade in [[Gorelovo (air base)|Gorelovo, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 132nd Signals Brigade in [[Agalatovo|Agalatovo, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 132nd Signals Brigade in [[Agalatovo|Agalatovo, Leningrad Oblast]]
* [[25th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade]] in [[Vladimirsky Lager]], [[Pskov Oblast]]
* [[25th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade]] ( в/ч 29760) [[Vladimirsky Lager]], [[Pskov Oblast]]<ref name="und10">{{cite web |title=RUSSIAN REGULAR GROUND FORCES ORDER OF BATTLE |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/October%2012%2C%202023%20Russian%20Orbat_Final.pdf |date=October 2023}}</ref>
* [[138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade]] in [[Kamenka, Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast|Kamenka, Leningrad Oblast]]
* [[138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade]] (в/ч 02511) [[Kamenka, Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast|Kamenka, Leningrad Oblast]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 16, 2023 |url=https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-16-2023 |date=16 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="und10"/>
* 9th Guards Artillery Brigade in [[Luga, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 9th Guards Artillery Brigade (в/ч 54006) [[Luga, Leningrad Oblast]]<ref name="und10"/>
* [[5th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade|5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade]] in [[Lomonosov, Leningrad Oblast]]
* [[5th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade]] (в/ч 74429) [[Lomonosov, Leningrad Oblast]]<ref name="und10"/>
* 26th Missile Brigade, [[Luga, Leningrad Oblast]]
* [[26th Rocket Brigade]], [[Luga, Leningrad Oblast]] (surface-to-surface missiles)
* 30th Engineering Regiment, Kerro, [[Leningrad Oblast]]
* 30th Engineering Regiment, Kerro, [[Leningrad Oblast]]
* 6th Counter Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Regiment in [[Sapyornoye|Sapyornoye, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 6th [[CBRN defense|Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear]] Regiment in [[Sapyornoye|Sapyornoye, Leningrad Oblast]] (MUN 12086)
* 51st Logistics Brigade in [[Saint Petersburg|Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast]]
* 51st Logistics Brigade in [[Saint Petersburg|Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast]]


The army took part in the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. Its units fought during the [[Northeastern Ukraine offensive]] around [[Kharkiv]], but could not capture the city so far (April 8, 2022).<ref>https://www.uawardata.com/ {{Bare URL inline|date=May 2022}}</ref> Reportedly, the commander Lieutenant General Yershov was dismissed and placed under house arrest at the end of March.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://babel.ua/ru/news/77445-the-general-staff-of-the-ukrainian-army-named-the-russian-generals-who-lost-their-jobs-or-lives-due-to-the-war-in-ukraine | title=The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army named the Russian generals who lost their jobs or lives due to the war in Ukraine }}</ref>
The army took part in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its units fought during the Northeastern Ukraine offensive around [[Kharkiv]], but failed to capture the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uawardata.com/|title=UAWarData|website=www.uawardata.com}}</ref> Reportedly, the army's commander, Lieutenant General Yershov, was dismissed and placed under house arrest at the end of March.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://babel.ua/ru/news/77445-the-general-staff-of-the-ukrainian-army-named-the-russian-generals-who-lost-their-jobs-or-lives-due-to-the-war-in-ukraine | title=The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army named the Russian generals who lost their jobs or lives due to the war in Ukraine }}</ref> As of April 2023, the army is conducting operations along the Svatove-Kreminna line in [[Luhansk Oblast]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=http://dev-isw.bivings.com/ |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}</ref>


== Commanders ==
== Commanders ==
Line 93: Line 102:
* Lieutenant-General [[Ivan Muzychenko]] (07.26.1940 – 08/10/1941) (captured)
* Lieutenant-General [[Ivan Muzychenko]] (07.26.1940 – 08/10/1941) (captured)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General [[Rodion Malinovsky]] (08/25/1941 – 12/24/1941)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General [[Rodion Malinovsky]] (08/25/1941 – 12/24/1941)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General Auxentios Gorodnyansky (01/25/1942 – 05/27/1942) (died 05/27/1942)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General Avksenty Gorodnyansky (01/25/1942 – 05/27/1942) (KIA 05/27/1942)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General [[Fyodor Kharitonov]] (07/08/1942 – 05/20/1943) (died 05/28/1943)
* Major General, Lieutenant-General [[Fyodor Kharitonov]] (07/08/1942 – 05/20/1943) (died 05/28/1943)
* Lieutenant-General [[Ivan Shlemin]] (05/21/1943 – 05/28/1944)
* Lieutenant-General [[Ivan Shlemin]] (05/21/1943 – 05/28/1944)
Line 100: Line 109:
* Lieutenant-General [[Vladimir Gluzdovsky]] (12/07/1944 – 05/09/1945)
* Lieutenant-General [[Vladimir Gluzdovsky]] (12/07/1944 – 05/09/1945)
* ...
* ...
* Lieutenant General Evgeniy Alekseyevich (January 2011 – April 2013)
* Lieutenant General Yevgeny Alekseyevich (January 2011 – April 2013)
* Lieutenant General Sergei Vasilyevich Kuralenko (May 2013 – December 2015)
* Lieutenant General Sergei Vasilyevich Kuralenko (May 2013 – December 2015)
* Lieutenant General Andrei Vladimirovich Kuzmenko (February 2016 – February 2019)
* Lieutenant General [[Andrey Kuzmenko (general)|Andrei Vladimirovich Kuzmenko]] (February 2016 – February 2019)
* Lieutenant General Vladislav Nikolaevich Yershov (February 2019 – March 2022 [dismissed])
* Lieutenant General Vladislav Nikolaevich Yershov (February 2019 – March 2022 [dismissed])
* Lieutenant General Andrey Peryazev (August 2023 – present)


==References==
==References==
Line 109: Line 119:


==References==
==References==
*http://samsv.narod.ru/Arm/a06/arm.html
*[http://samsv.narod.ru/Arm/a06/arm.html 6-я армия - страница клуба "Память" Воронежского госуниверситета]
*Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005
*Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005


Latest revision as of 16:00, 1 November 2024

6th Combined Arms Army
6-я общевойсковая армия
Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army
Great emblem of the 6th Combined Arms Army
Active1939–1945
1960–1998
2010–present
Country Soviet Union
 Russia
Branch Red Army
Soviet Army
 Russian Ground Forces
TypeCombined Arms
SizeSeveral corps or divisions
Part ofNorthern Military District (1951-1960)
Leningrad Military District (1960–1998)
Western Military District (2010–2024)
Leningrad Military District (2024–present)
Garrison/HQAgalatovo, Leningrad Oblast
Engagements
DecorationsOrder of the Red Banner Order of the Red Banner
Commanders
Current
commander		Lieutenant General Alexander Vasilyevich Peryazev [ru][3]
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol
6
ОА

The 6th Red Banner Combined Arms Army (Russian: 6-я общевойсковая армия) is a field army of the Red Army and the Soviet Army that was active with the Russian Ground Forces until 1998 and has been active since 2010 as the 6th Combined Arms Army. Military Unit number в/ч 31807.

It was first formed in August 1939 in the Kiev Special Military District from the Volochiskaya Army Group (a corps-sized formation).[4]

First Formation

[edit]

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 Fortified Region, and 6th Fortified Region (Rava-Ruska), and a number of artillery and other units)[5] was deployed on the Lviv direction. It started the Great Patriotic War as part of the 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.

Second Formation

[edit]

It was immediately reformed within the Southern Front on the basis of the 48th Rifle Corps and other units, and defended the west bank of the Dnepr River northwest of Dnipropetrovsk.[6] On 1 September 1941 it consisted of 169th, 226th, 230th, 255th, 273rd, and 275th Rifle Divisions, 26th and 28th Cavalry Divisions, 47th Rifle Regiment (15th NKVD Rifle Division), 269th, 274th, and 394th Corps Artillery Regiments, 522nd High-power Howitzer Artillery Regiment гап б/м, 671st Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (ап РВГК), 14th, 27th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Divisions, and 8th Tank Division.[7] 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.

Third Formation

[edit]

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 September 1943 it consisted of the 4th Guards Rifle Corps (38th Guards, 263rd, 267th Rifle Divisions), 26th Guards Rifle Corps (25th Guards, 35th and 47th Guards Rifle Divisions), and the 33rd Rifle Corps (50th, 78th, 243rd Rifle Divisions).[8]

In 1944 it took part in the Nikopol-Kryvyi Rih, Bereznogova-Snigorovka, and Odessa offensives. It was disbanded in June 1944.

Fourth Formation

[edit]

The 6th Army was reformed in December 1944 with troops 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.[9]

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, commanded by Marshal Ivan Koniev, besieged Fortress Breslau (Festung Breslau) in the Battle of Breslau. The army besieged the city on February 13, 1945, and the encirclement of Breslau was completed the following day. The 1st Ukrainian Front forces besieged the city with the 22nd and 74th Rifle Corps, and the 77th Fortified Region, as well as other smaller units. Even approximate estimates vary greatly concerning the number of German troops trapped in Breslau. Some sources claim that there were as many as 150,000 defenders, some 80,000 and some 50,000. The Siege of Breslau consisted of destructive house-to-house street fighting. The city was bombarded to ruin by artillery of the 6th Army, as well as the 2nd Air Army and the 18th Air Army. During the siege, both sides resorted to setting entire districts of the city on fire.

After the end of the Second World War, the 6th Army was withdrawn from Germany and stationed briefly in the Orel Military District before being disbanded in the Voronezh Military District late in 1945.

Fifth Formation

[edit]

The 6th Army was (re)formed from the 31st Rifle Corps on 2 April 1952 in Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast.[10] That year it comprised the 45th Rifle Division (Pechenga, Murmansk Oblast); the 67th Rifle Division (Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast); the 341st Rifle Division (Alakurtti, Murmansk Oblast); and the 367th Rifle Division (Sortavala, Karelian ASSR). The army was disbanded at Murmansk in early 1960.[10]

The army was reformed again from Headquarters Northern Military District in May–June 1960 with headquarters at Petrozavodsk.[11] On 15 January 1974, it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.[10]

In 1977 the 88th Independent Helicopter Squadron was moved from Nurmalitsy to Apatity.

In 1988 the army consisted of:

In 1989 the 16th Motor Rifle Division (mobilisation) became the 5186th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (БХВТ) (30th мотострелковая бригада), and the 37th similarly became a weapons and equipment storage base (VKhVT). In 1994-95 the 111th Motor Rifle Division (Sortavala) became the 20th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade and shifted into the 30th Guards Army Corps.

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), and the 131st Motor Rifle Division (Pechenga).[18] It finally disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1997–98.

Sixth Formation

[edit]

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:[19]

The army took part in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its units fought during the Northeastern Ukraine offensive around Kharkiv, but failed to capture the city.[22] Reportedly, the army's commander, Lieutenant General Yershov, was dismissed and placed under house arrest at the end of March.[23] As of April 2023, the army is conducting operations along the Svatove-Kreminna line in Luhansk Oblast.[24]

Commanders

[edit]
  • Lieutenant-General Filipp Golikov (09/28/1939 – July 1940)
  • Lieutenant-General Ivan Muzychenko (07.26.1940 – 08/10/1941) (captured)
  • Major General, Lieutenant-General Rodion Malinovsky (08/25/1941 – 12/24/1941)
  • Major General, Lieutenant-General Avksenty Gorodnyansky (01/25/1942 – 05/27/1942) (KIA 05/27/1942)
  • Major General, Lieutenant-General Fyodor Kharitonov (07/08/1942 – 05/20/1943) (died 05/28/1943)
  • Lieutenant-General Ivan Shlemin (05/21/1943 – 05/28/1944)
  • Colonel General Vyacheslav Tsvetayev (September 12, 1944 – September 28, 1944)
  • Major General Fyodor Kulishev (09/29/1944 – 12/06/1944)
  • Lieutenant-General Vladimir Gluzdovsky (12/07/1944 – 05/09/1945)
  • ...
  • Lieutenant General Yevgeny Alekseyevich (January 2011 – April 2013)
  • Lieutenant General Sergei Vasilyevich Kuralenko (May 2013 – December 2015)
  • Lieutenant General Andrei Vladimirovich Kuzmenko (February 2016 – February 2019)
  • Lieutenant General Vladislav Nikolaevich Yershov (February 2019 – March 2022 [dismissed])
  • Lieutenant General Andrey Peryazev (August 2023 – present)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 6".
  2. ^ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 23, 2023".
  3. ^ "ISW: Ukraine bolsters defenses in response to potential Russian offensive on Kharkiv". odessa-journal.com. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  4. ^ 6th Army- б. Восточная (первоначально - Винницкая, затем - Волочиская армейская группа КОВО) (0000 Там же, а также "Другая война. 1939-1945". М., 1996, с.248.) КОВО. Lenskii 2001.
  5. ^ Leo Niehorster, Order of Battle, 22 June 1941
  6. ^ Bonn/Glantz, Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, p.311
  7. ^ tashv.nm.ru, [Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 1 September 1941], accessed October 2011
  8. ^ BSSA via tashv.nm.ru
  9. ^ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army Archived 2010-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, 1 January 1945
  10. ^ a b c Holm, Michael. "6th Combined Arms Army". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  11. ^ Valentin Varennikov "Unique," Book 2, page 73.
  12. ^ Holm, Michael. "16th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  13. ^ Holm, Michael. "109th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  14. ^ "116th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  15. ^ "54th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  16. ^ Holm, Michael. "88th independent Helicopter Squadron". ww2.dk. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  17. ^ Holm, Michael. "6th Missile Brigade". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  18. ^ Andrew Duncan, 'Russian forces in decline - Part 2,' Jane's Intelligence Review, October 1996, p.444
  19. ^ Institute for the Study of War, Russia's Military Posture: Ground Forces Order of Battle, March 2018. Washington D.C.
  20. ^ a b c d "RUSSIAN REGULAR GROUND FORCES ORDER OF BATTLE" (PDF). October 2023.
  21. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 16, 2023". 16 February 2023.
  22. ^ "UAWarData". www.uawardata.com.
  23. ^ "The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army named the Russian generals who lost their jobs or lives due to the war in Ukraine".
  24. ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2023-09-04.

References

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=6th_Combined_Arms_Army&oldid=1254768206"