19th Army (Soviet Union)
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| 19th Army | |
|---|---|
| 19-я армия | |
| Active | 1941 – 1945 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Combined arms |
| Size | Field Army Two or more Rifle corps |
| Part of | Reserve of the Supreme High Command, Western Front, 2nd Belorussian Front |
| Engagements | Operation Barbarossa, others |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | General Ivan Koniev |
The 19th Army (Russian: 19-я армия) was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, formed in 1941 and active during the Second World War. The army was formed three times, although only two of its formations saw combat.
Its third formation was disbanded in June 1945 and its troops used to reinforce the Northern Group of Forces.
The army was first formed in June 1941 in the North Caucasus Military District under the command of General Lieutenant Ivan Konev. Division Commissar I.P. Sheklanov became member of the Army's Military Soviet. Initially the army consisted of
- 25th Rifle Corps (127th Rifle Division, 134th Rifle Division, and 162nd Rifle Division)
- 34th Rifle Corps (129th Rifle Division, 158th Rifle Division, and 171st Rifle Division)
- 38th Rifle Division
- 442nd Corps Artillery Regiment
- 471st Corps Artillery Regiment
- and other units.[1]
Sources disagree as to whether a Mechanized Corps, either the 25th or the 26th, was directly subordinate to the Army as well. Three weeks before the outbreak of war the 19th Army was sent by rail to Ukraine in the Cherkassy region. The army received orders from the People's Commissar for Defence, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, to defend the Kiev Fortified Region.[2]
From 25 June 1941, the Army was included in the Group of Reserve Armies of the Highest Command (Stavka). The 19th Army was transferred by rail to Vitebsk, Rudnia, Smolensk. On 2 July, army was included into Western Front. The transfer by rail took more time than was expected. On 9 July the first units to arrive received orders to deny Vitebsk to the enemy and attack in the western direction and reach the western bank of Dvina.[3][4] On the contrary, to the 11 July enemy brushed away Soviet forces from Vitebsk. On 11 July, the 19th Army was strengthened by 7th Mechanized Corps and on the next day attacked Vitebsk anew. At that time the enemy had the initiative. To the 16 July, German forces struck through Yartsevo to Smolensk. Three Soviet armies (16th, 20th and 19th) found themselves in the operational encirclement. On 14 July, 19th Army Headquarters received orders to transfer its troops to the 16th Army and to move to the Kardumovo region, and then Yartsevo. 19th Army Staff with great effort broke out of the encirclement near Wadino and received new divisions under its command. Those new forces took defensive positions on the river Vol.
During August–September 1941, 19th Army took part in the Battle of Smolensk and tried to destroy the enemy Dukhowszczina group. In the middle of August, the army was strengthened with rifle, cavalry, and tank divisions, two gun artillery regiments, three artillery divisions and two batteries of rocket artillery (Katyusha) along with air support from the 43rd Mixed Aviation Division.[5][6] Despite these reinforcements the army was not able to perform its task. A new attack on 1 September on Smolensk was also unsuccessful. On 10 September, the army took defensive positions. On 12 September, Konev became the commander of Western Front and General Lieutenant M.F. Lukin became the new commander of 19th Army.
In October 1941, forces of the 19th Army fought in the Vyazma Defensive Operation (2–13 October). The army was surrounded by enemy forces southwest of Jelnya. In the middle of October part of the army fought its way out of the encirclement to the Mozhaisk defence line. The Army commander M.F. Lukin and Chief of Staff General Major Vasily Malyshkin became prisoners of war. The member of the Military Soviet of the Army Divisional Commissar I.P. Sheklanov died in action. General Lieutenant Ivan Boldin then took command, but soon afterwards the army was disbanded, on 20 October 1941.
The army's chief of staff was General Major P.N. Rubtsov, from June to July 1941, and then Colonel W.F. Malyschkin, who was promoted to General Major from October 1941.[7]
Army Commanders
- Lieutenant General Ivan Konev (маy — September 1941),
- Lieutenant General Michael Lukin (September — October 1941),
- Lieutenant General Ivan Boldin (20 october — 24 November 1941).
19th Army 2nd formation
The army was formed on the basis of a STAVKA Directive from 20 November 1941 in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. By STAVKA order from 23 November 1941, army was reformed into 1st Shock Army under direct command of STAVKA.
Army Commander
Lieutenant General Vasily Kuznetsov
Army's chief of staff
Major General Nikanor Zakhvatayev[8]
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