6th Rifle Corps

The 6th Rifle Corps was a rifle corps of the Soviet Red Army.

The 6th Rifle Corps HQ was formed in Kiev in May 1922. The Corps was formed on the orders of the Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Crimea number 627/162 from May 23, 1922, in Kiev, part of Kiev and Kharkov Military District. On July 26, 1938, the Kiev Military District was converted to the Kiev Special Military District (KOVO), and army groups were formed. The headquarters of the Odessa Army Group (ODAGA) was formed on the basis of HQ 6th RC in Odessa. A new headquarters was formed for 6th RC in Odessa. On September 16 the Corps of ODAGA joined the Ukrainian Front.

The corps consisted of 41st, 97th, and 159th Rifle Divisions, part of 6th Army, Kiev Special Military District on 22 June 1941.[1] The corps was part of the 'operational army' from 22.06.1941 to 25.09.1941. On 22.06.1941, Corps Headquarters was at Yavorov. The divisions were located : 97th Rifle Division northwest Yavorov several deep northeast Yavorov 159th Infantry Division, and further still northeast Yavorov 41st Rifle Division.

Fighting started on 22.06.1941. 41st Rifle Division maintained the defence in the 6th Fortified Region (Rava-Ruska) and kept the defence there, where they managed to 23.06.1941 year to halt the German offensive. Moreover, part of the 41st Rifle Division not only held the area, but also entered the territory occupied by Germany, more than three kilometers away, at the end of the day were at the turn Zhychki, Teniatiska ( 2 km south of Lyubycha Królewska ) Brusno Nova, 97th Rifle Division - at the turn Mloduv, Hotynets . 159th Rifle Division on 22.06.1941 had to be moved from the area in the district Nemirov Mageruv. On 23/06/1941 enemy concentrated on wedging between 159th and 97th, endangering the army. By the evening of 24 July the gap between divisions reached 40 kilometers, which penetrated the enemy troops and by the evening of the same day took Nemirov.

On 25.06.1941, the 41st Rifle Division and the 159th Rifle Division held defense positions, the 97th Rifle Division, in conjunction with the 3rd Cavalry Division and parts of the 4th Mechanized Corps was tasked to restore the position on the flank of the German units, advancing along the highway and reach the line Drogomysl, Swidnica, Morantse .

Although the divisions was held fortified area, the morale of the troops left much to be desired. From 22 to 25/6/1941, there were about 5,000 deserters, 100 people were shot.

The 97th Division was unsuccessful, and although 6/26/1941, 41st Rifle Division and the 159th Rifle Division defended the area, they were forced to leave the position and start a planned withdrawal. The disorganized and battered 97th Rifle Division was concentrated in the area of the Stazhiska highway and the forest to the south.

On 07/08/1941 the corps supported by the 186th Anti-Tank Regiment, the 109th and 229th corps artillery regiments and 30 tanks of the 12th Tank Division went on the offensive, providing the right flank of 26th Army's assault group, advanced a few tens of kilometers. However the troops were forced to turn to the north, in the direction of Kiev, on the flank of the enemy troops. After the onset of the corps, as a combat unit ceased to exist, that is, the body is left alone control, and body connection were directly subordinated to the army.

The corps headquarters was officially disbanded on 25 September 1941, probably after being destroyed during the initial phase of Operation Barbarossa.

Second formation was formed in summer 1942 and became 19th Guards Rifle Corps on 19 April 1943. Third formation was established in May 1943, and fought through the rest of the war. On Jan. 1, 1944, the corps was in 59th Army and was under command of Mjr. Gen. S.P. Mikil'sky, and consisted of 65th, 239th and 310th Rifle Divisions.[2]

The corps headquarters was moved from Latvia to the North Caucasus, and established at Stalingrad in August 1945.[3] In October 1945 the corps comprised the 10th Rifle Division, 109th Rifle Division and 327th Rifle Division, the first two in the vicinity of what was then still Stalingrad and the third possibly at Kamyshin. On 4 February 1946 it came under the control of the North Caucasus Military District and at the same time all three divisions became independent rifle brigades: the 15th, 18th, and 46th. But the 15th Ind Rifle Brigade disbanded in 1947. On 22 August 1949 the corps came again under the command of the reformed Don Military District with its two brigades located at Stalingrad (18th) and Uryupinsk (46th). In October 1953 the brigades were expanded into divisions and became the 68th Mechanised Division at Stalingrad and the 372nd Rifle Division at Uryupinsk. The 372nd Rifle Division was redesignated as the 68th Rifle Division in June 1955.

On 10 June 1957 both the divisions and the corps headquarters was redesignated, the corps becoming the 6th Army Corps:

The corps was disbanded in 1960.

References

  1. ↑ 6th Army, Kiev Special Military District, Red Army, 22.06.41
  2. ↑ David M. Glantz, The Battle for Leningrad, 1941 - 1944, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2002, p 521
  3. ↑ Michael Holm 6th Army Corps, 2015, and V.I. Feskov et al 2013.

Further reading

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