Soviet infantry forces in June 1941: strong or weak?

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Soviet infantry forces in June 1941: strong or weak?

#1

Post by BIGpanzer » 17 May 2006, 00:50

I found the following info about Soviet infantry forces just before the German-Soviet war began 06.1941.

Soviet infantry forces on 22.06.1941 consisted of 62 headquarters of infantry corps, 177 infantry divisions, 19 mountain infantry divisions, 2 motorized infantry divisions, 3 infantry brigades, 4 separate infantry regiments, 3 separate mountain infantry battalions, 95 separate machine gun-artillery battalions, 11 separate machine gun companies as the parts of fortified regions, small number of local infantry battalions and companies.

Infantry corps consisted of 2-3 infantry divisions each (34th corps had 5 divisions) + 1-2 corps artillery regiments (32 corps had 2 artillery regiments: heavy with 1250 men and usual with 900 men, the rest corps had 1 artillery regiment each) + 1 separate anti-aircraft squadron (24x76mm AA guns, 6 AA MGs) + separate battalions (pioneer and communications) + air communication squadron (16 airplanes, only several corps had it) + separate medical battalion. Special corps (defended Sakhalin-Kamchatka/Pacific, Eastland/Baltic, Crimea/Black Sea) had differ strength - 2 infantry divisions + 1 brigade or 2 infantry + 1 cavalry divisions.

Infantry divisions had the following strength on 22.06.1941: 21 division had 14.000 men, 72 divisions had 12.000 men, 6 divisions had 11.000 men (almost all were located in the western part of the country), the rest divisions had 5.000-8.000 men according to peace establishment, some divisions were at the organization stage. 125 new infantry divisions were formed 09.1939-06.1941, 3 divisions were formed from brigades.
Usual infantry divisions had HQ, 3 infantry regiments + 1 light artillery regiment + 1 howitzer artillery regiment + 1 separate anti-tank squadron (18 guns) + 1 separate anti-aircraft squadron (12 guns) + 1 gun park squadron + 1 separate reconnaissance battalion + 1 separate pioneer battalion + 1 separate communications battalion + 1 separate motor transport battalion or 1 separate tank battalion (54 tanks, Far-Eastern divisions only) + 1 separate motorized rifle battalion + 1 separate chemical defense company + 1 separate medical battalion.
Wat-time organization for infantry division - 14483 men, 16 light tanks, 13 light armored cars BA-20, 657 trucks and tractors, 3039 horses, 12x152mm howitzers, 32x122mm howitzers, 34x76mm guns, 54x45mm AT guns, 12x37-76mm AA guns, 12x120mm mortars, 54x82mm mortars, 84x50mm mortars, 174 heavy/medium machine-guns, 392 light machine-guns, 1204 submachine-guns, 10240 carbines and rifles.

Mountain infantry divisions had the similar strength with the following differences: 4 mountain infantry regiments instead of 3 infantry regiments, 1 cavalry squadron instead of 1 separate reconnaissance battalion and 1 separate motor transport company instead of 1 separate tank battalion, also 1 separate anti-tank battery (6 guns) instead of 1 anti-tank squadron.
War-time organization for mountain infantry division - 8829 men, 203 trucks and tractors, 3160 horses, 12x122mm howitzers, 56x76mm guns, 8x45nn AT guns, 12x37-76mm AA guns, 12x120mm mortars, 36x82mm mortars, 54x50mm mortars, 110 heavy/medium machine-guns, 314 light machine-guns, 788 submachine-guns, 6960 carbines and rifles.

Motorized infantry divisions had 2 motorized infantry regiments + 1 tank regiment + 1 recovery battalion + 1 light engineer battalion (402 men) instead of 1 pioneer battalion + all other units as infantry divisions had except 1 light artillery regiment (so motorized units had more trucks and less horses).
War-time organization for motorized infantry division - 11534 men, 275 light tanks, 21 medium armored cars BA-10, 30 light armored cars BA-20, 1715 trucks and tractors, 159 motorcycles, 12x152mm howitzers, 16x122mm howitzers, 12x76mm guns, 12x45nn AT guns, 12x37-76mm AA guns, 96x50mm mortars, etc.

Infantry brigades (defended Sakhalin/Pacific, Moonsund-Hango/Baltic) had 6.100 men each - they were equipped with 2 infantry regiments (instead of 3 as infantry divisions had) and 1 artillery regiment (instead of 2 as infantry divisions had), but one infantry brigade had 1 tank battalion even. All other brigade units were similar to division units - but brigades had anti-aircraft battery (4 guns) instead of anti-aircraft squadron, didn't have anti-tank units, had separate reconnaissance company instead of reconnaissance battalion, separate pioneer company instead of pioneer battalion, separate motor transport company instead of motor transport battalion and separate medical company instead of medical battalion.

Infantry regiments had 3182 men in HQ, 3 infantry battalions, 1 anti-tank battery (6x45mm AT guns), 1 mortar battery (4x120mm mortars), 1 anti-aircraft company (9 quadriplicate AA MGs), 1 artillery battery (4x76mm guns), 1 separate pioneer company, 1 separate communications company, 1 separate medical company, 2 reconnaissance platoons.

Infantry battalions had HQ, 3 rifle companies, 1 machine-gun company, 1 mortar company, 1 anti-tank platoon - 778 men, 2x45mm AT guns, 9x82mm mortars, 6x50mm mortars, 18 medium machine-guns, 36 light machine-guns, 86 submachine-guns, 562 carbimes and rifles.

Reconnaissance battalions of infantry divisions had HQ, 1 tank company, 1 armoured car company, 1 motorized rifle company, 1 cavalry squadron, 1 pioneer-crossing squad.

Infantry companies had 178 men, 2x50mm mortars, 4 medium machine-guns, 12 light machine-guns, 24 submachine-guns, 126 carbimes and rifles.

Separate machine-gun/artillery battalions and companies (as the parts of fortified regions) were in peace establishment mainly.

There were also battalions and companies for the guard of headquarters of military districts and armies.

Local infantry units for storehouses and bases guard had low-level equipment and readiness.

Wehrmacht infantry had somewhat better professional development and organization and much more better combat experience (especially in defence as Soviets used rifle pits/foxholes instead of trenches, wiring communication devices instead of radio communications mainly). Soviet infantry units were undermanned and had shortage in armament and equipment. Nevertheless, German infantry units used horses as widely as Soviets did and were not much more motorized as usually think (but better than Soviet units).
Soviet infantry units were equipped with field artillery better than Germans, with anti-tank artillery the same poor as German units (but Germans were equipped better with light AT guns and AT rifles still), with anti-aircraft artillery much more poor than Germans, with mortars the same good, with vehicles much more poor than Germans, with heavy/medium machine-guns the same good, with light machine-guns good but Germans were equipped with them better, with submachine-guns much more poor than Germans, with carbines and rifles (especially self-loading) better than Germans, with flame throwers much more poor than German units.
Soviet infantry units had 1.100 AT rifles of Rukavishnikov-type mod.1940, 2.000 heavy 12.7mm machine-guns DShK mod. 1938, 10.345 medium 7.62mm machine-guns DS-39 mod. 1939, 81.100 submachine-guns PPD-40 mod. 1940, 37.500 submachine-guns PPSh-41 mod. 1941, 65.800 automatic rifles AVS-36 mod. 1936 and 1.031.900 self-loading rifles SVT-40 mod. 1940. More obsolete weapon - medium machine-guns "Maxim" mod. 1910/30, light machine-guns DP mod. 1927, rifles of Mosin-type mod. 1891/30, carbines of Mosine-type mod. 1907/38, pistols TT mod. 1931 and revolvers "Nagant" mod. 1895/30 were in sufficient amounts as well as rifle grenade launchers of Diakonov-type, frag (F-1, RGD-33) and anti-tank (RPG-40) grenades.
Soviet infantry weapon (pistols, rifles, submachine-guns and machine-guns) were of a little bit better quality than Germans/small Axis had because of their reliability and simplicity. Soviet infantry field guns and mortars (especially modern models) were much better than small Axis countries and even Germany had.


Image Image

Sources of the photos: http://www.nrs.com/aimages and http://battle.volgadmin.ru/front_foto
Last edited by BIGpanzer on 13 Jun 2006, 18:25, edited 17 times in total.

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#2

Post by Kunikov » 17 May 2006, 02:13

Where is this coming from? Source?


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#3

Post by BIGpanzer » 17 May 2006, 10:28

Different combination of sources (including forum pages), the main was the translation of "Red Army in June 1941, statistical book" by Kalashnikov, Fes'kov, Chmyhalo, Golikov (Novosibirsk, 2003).

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#4

Post by Kunikov » 17 May 2006, 16:49

Is there a list of which 21 divisions had 14,000 men? And what question are you asking here? If you want to understand if the Red Army was strong or weak I'd read Glantz's "Stumbling Colossus."

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#5

Post by BIGpanzer » 17 May 2006, 19:18

Hi, Kunikov!
Yes, I will post the list of Soviet infantry divisions with 14.000 men tonight as I have this info.
As for the question - this is just the interesting info about the organization of Soviet infantry forces before the war. Why I couldn't post it for everybody's pleasure and possible discussions? :wink: Any knowledgable comments, notes and comparisons with Axis forces are very welcome.

I know "Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of World War" by David M. Glantz - a very interesting book with some ambigious data nevertheless.

Regards, BP

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#6

Post by Kunikov » 17 May 2006, 20:01

BIGpanzer wrote:Hi, Kunikov!
Yes, I will post the list of Soviet infantry divisions with 14.000 men tonight as I have this info.
As for the question - this is just the interesting info about the organization of Soviet infantry forces before the war. Why I couldn't post it for everybody's pleasure and possible discussions? :wink: Any knowledgable comments, notes and comparisons with Axis forces are very welcome.

I know "Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of World War" by David M. Glantz - a very interesting book with some ambigious data nevertheless.

Regards, BP
Thank you in advance, and the name of the thread: "Soviet infantry forces in June 1941: strong or weak?" Made me think you were asking a question not just posting it 'for everbody's pleasure.'

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#7

Post by BIGpanzer » 18 May 2006, 13:17

Sorry, Kunikov, I couldn't find at the moment my info on hard drive about exact numbers of Soviet infantry divisions with war time organization (organization No. 04/400-416 from 05.04.1941 - 14483 men or No. 04/101 from 10.06.1940 - 17166 men): but there were really fully equipped 21 infantry divisions on 22.06.1941 - mainly in Leningrad special military district and Far-East special military district.

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#8

Post by BIGpanzer » 21 May 2006, 01:49

Distribution of Soviet main infantry units among military districts on 22.06.1941:

LVO (Leningrad) - 3 infantry corps, 15 infantry divisions, 1 infantry brigade.
POVO (Baltic) - 7 infantry corps, 19 infantry divisions, 1 infantry brigade.
ZOVO (West) - 8 infantry corps, 24 infantry divisions.
KOVO (Kiev) - 11 infantry corps, 26 infantry divisions, 6 mountain divisions.
ODVO (Odessa) - 5 infantry corps, 12 infantry divisions, 1 mountain division.
AVO (Arkhangelsk) - 2 infantry divisions.
MVO (Moscow) - 5 infantry corps, 10 infantry divisions.
ORVO (Orel) - 1 infantry corps, 5 infantry divisions.
KhVO (Kharkov) - 3 infantry corps, 10 infantry divisions.
PVVO (Volga) - 2 infantry corps, 8 infantry divisions.
UVO (Ural) - 2 infantry corps, 6 infantry divisions.
SKVO (North Caucasus) - 2 infantry corps, 6 infantry divisions, 1 mountain division.
ZKVO (Transcaucasian) - 3 infantry corps, 3 infantry divisions, 7 mountain divisions.
SAVO (Central Asia) - 1 infantry corps, 1 infantry division, 3 mountain divisions.
SBVO (Siberia) - 2 infantry corps, 7 infantry divisions.
ZBVO (Transbaikalia) - 2 infantry corps, 7 infantry divisions, 2 motorized rifle divisions, 1 infantry brigade.
DVF (Far-East) - 5 infantry corps, 16 infantry divisions, 1 mountain division, 1 infantry brigade.

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#9

Post by BIGpanzer » 21 May 2006, 13:33

It should be noted that among 62 Soviet infantry corps (on 22.06.1941) 14 were defeated and 24 were disbanded during WWII, 15 were reformed into armies and 3 into task forces. Among 177 infantry divisions (on 22.06.1941) 71 were defeated and 25 were disbanded during WWII. Among 19 mountain divisions (on 22.06.1941) 8 were defeated and 1 was disbanded during WWII, 7 were reformed into infantry divisions. 2 motorized rifle divisions (on 22.06.1941) served during the whole WWII. Among 3 infantry brigades 1 was defeated and 1 was reformed into infantry division during WWII.

After beginning of the war:
Infantry corps were disbanded because of lack of experienced command staff, only 6 infantry corps (from 62) remained in December 1941. But the amount of all-arms armies increased from 27 to 58. Armies usually contained 5-6 infantry divisions only for operational mobility.
Some of reserve infantry divisions engaged in first combats, not finishing their organization, as planned mobilization was disrupted; several reserve divisions were lost soon (223th, 266th and others). Some infantry divisions included old units from defeated divisions and new units (2nd Moscow infantry division was formed from the remains of 242th, for example), also formed anew 129th, 27th and 37th infantry divisions and many others. 124 infantry divisions were disbanded because of high losses in June-December 1941, but 308 infantry divisions were formed anew. Second artillery regiments were removed from new divisions (so called light infantry divisions of war time, July organization); anti-aircraft squadrons, reconnaissance battalions and motor transport battalions of infantry divisions were reformed into corresponding companies; mortar squadrons were added to some infantry divisions, but anti-tank squadrons of divisions were not formed usually because of AT guns shortage. Such divisions should have 10.000 men, but usually they had 5-6.000 men - so their personnel strength decreased on 30%, the amount of guns and mortars decresed on 52%, the amount of cars and trucks decreased on 64%. In December 1941 the new table of organization and equipment for infantry divisions appeared - the amount of submachine-guns increased 3.5 times, mortars - 2 times, also 89 AT-rifles and additional AT guns were included.
The part of new infantry divisions was formed from volunteers according to initiative of communist party organizations - so called infantry divisions of citizens-in-arms (17 such divisions were formed in Moscow: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th Moscow divisions, 1st, 2nd, 4-9th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 21st divisions); in the end of 1941 they were reformed into usual infantry divisions. In polar region the 1st Polar infantry division of citizens-in-arms was formed (future 186th infantry division), in Leningrad - 10 infantry divisions (1-3rd of working class guard, 1-7th) - they became usual infantry divisions later also; in Crimea 4 infantry divisions of citizen-in-arms were formed (1-4th). Nevertheless, the majority of new divisions were formed as usual infantry divisions but from residents of certain city or region (339th Rostov, 274th Kremenchug, 411th Kharkov, 421st Odessa, etc.). Infantry divisions of citizens-of-arms had extemporary structures, were armed with differ equipment which was possible to find, but usually displayed high combativity.
Second artillery regiments were removed from new divisions; anti-aircraft squadrons, reconnaissance battalions and motor transport battalions of infantry divisions were reformed into corresponding companies; mortar squadrons were added to some infantry divisions, but anti-tank squadrons of divisions were not formed usually because of AT guns shortage. Such divisions should have 10.000 men, but usually they had 5-6.000 men.
A lot of infantry brigades (85 till the end of 1941) were formed in autumn 1941 as there was no time to organize infantry divisions. Those infantry brigades were strengthen infantry regiments in reality, but later they were reformed into infantry divisions, including guard infantry divisions, or into brigades of marines.
Also ski, snowmobile and even deer-ski brigades and battalions were formed in autumn 1941 for winter combats.
The amount of reserve infantry regiments and brigades (as the basis of new infantry divisions) increased a lot since the autumn 1941.
Last edited by BIGpanzer on 09 Jun 2006, 23:52, edited 1 time in total.

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#10

Post by BIGpanzer » 01 Jun 2006, 23:51

As I've mentioned above USSR had 62 infantry corps in the beginning of war.
Here is the list of Soviet infantry corps, which were defeated in the first defensive combats (June-September 1941):

1st of Leningrad military district (commander major-general F. Rubtsov) - lost 26.06.1941 (West special military district, 10th army, Vizna)
4th of West front (commander major-general E. Egorov, captured) - lost 30.06.1941 (West special military district, 3rd army, Grodno)
5th of West front (commander major-general A. Garnov, missed) - lost 26.06.1941 (West special military district, 10th army, Zambruv)
8th of Ukrainian military district (commander major-general M. Snegov, captured) - lost 05.08.1941 (Kiev special military district, 26th army, Dobromil')
13th of Turkestan front (commander major-general N. Kirillov, captured) - lost 06.08.1941 (Kiev special military district, 12th army, Dolina)
15th of North-Caucasian military district (commander colonel I. Fedyuninskij) - lost 18.09.1941 (Kiev special military district, 5th army, Kovel')
31st of Far East front (commander major-general A. Lopatin) - lost 18.09.1941 (Kiev special military district, Korosten')
36th of Kiev special military district (commander major-general P. Sysoev, captured) - lost 05.08.1941 (Kiev special military district, Shepetovka)
37th of Kiev special military district (commander brigade commander S. Zybin) - lost 05.08.1941 (Kiev special military district, Zolochev)
49th of Kiev special military district (commander major-general I. Kornilov, captured) - lost 05.08.1941 (Kiev special military district, Vinnitsa)

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#11

Post by BIGpanzer » 09 Jun 2006, 01:23

The full list of Soviet infantry divisions, which were defeated during the first months of the war.
This shows the real tragedy of RKKA, when the whole divisions (including many famous and glorified) were lost in hard defensive combats.

Infantry divisions:

2nd Byelorussian, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, named for M.V. Frunze (10th army, 1st infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Bialystok. Commander – colonel M. Grishin

8th Minsk, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Labor Red Banner, named for F.E. Dzerzhinsky (10th army, 1st infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Bialystok. Commander – colonel N. Fomin

13th Dagestan (10th army, 5th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Bialystok. Commander – major-general A. Naumov

16th Ulyanovsk, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, named for V.I. Kikvidze (27th army, 65th infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Tallinn. Commander – major-general I. Lyubovtsev

17th Gorki, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, named for Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (13th army, 21st infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Bobruisk. Commander – major-general T. Batsanov

24th Samara-Ulyanovsk, Iron, decorated two times with the Order of the Red Banner (21st army, 21st infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Chernigov. Commander – major-general K. Galitsky

27th Omsk, decorated two times with the Order of the Red Banner, named for Italian Proletariat (3rd army, 4th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Grodno. Commander – major-general A. Stepanov

37th Novocherkassk, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner (13th army, 21st infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Lida. Commander – colonel A. Chekharin

38th Morozovo-Donetsk, named for Mikoyan (16th army) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – colonel M. Kirillov

41st (26th army, 6th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Poltava. Commander – major-general G. Mikushev

42nd (13th army, 28th infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Gomel. Commander – major-general I. Lazarenko

46th Dnepropetrovsk (16th army, 32nd infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Smolensk. Commander – major-general A. Filatov

49th, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner (4th army) – lost 07.1941, Mozyr. Commander – colonel K. Vasiliev

55th Kursk (13th army, 47th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Gomel. Commander – colonel D. Ivanyuk

56th Moscow (3rd army, 4th infantry corps) – 06.1941, Grodno. Commander – major-general S. Sakhnov

61st (21st army, 63rd infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Mozyr. Commander – colonel N. Prishchepa

62nd Turkestan (5th army, 15th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Nezhin. Commander – colonel M. Timoshenko

67th (27th army, 65th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Libava. Commander – major-general N. Dedaev

73rd (20th army, 69th infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – colonel A. Akimov

75th (21st army) – lost 09.1941, Chernigov. Commander – major-general S. Nedvigin

80th, decorated with the Order of Lenin, named for Proletariat of Donbass (6th army, 37th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general V. Prokhorov

85th, decorated with the Order of Lenin (3rd army, 4th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Grodno. Commander – major-general A. Bondovsky

86th Kazan, named for Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR (10th army, 5th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Bialystok. Commander – major-general M. Zashibaev

87th (5th army, 27th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Chernigov. Commander – major-general F. Alyabushev

89th (19th army, 30th infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – colonel T. Kolesnikov

91st (19th army, 52nd infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – major-general N. Lebedenko

97th (26th army, 6th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Poltava. Commander – colonel P. Zakharov

98th (22nd army, 51st infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Vitebsk. Commander – major-general M. Gavrilov

102nd (21st army, 67th infantry corps) – lost o9.1941, Gomel. Commander – colonel P. Gudz

110th (3rd army, 61st infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Gomel. Commander – colonel V. Khlebtsev

112th (22nd army, 51st infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Smolensk. Commander – brigade commander Ya. Adamson

113th (10th army, 5th infantry corps) – lost 06.1941, Bialystok. Commander – major-general Kh. Alaverdov

116th (26th army) – lost 09.1941, Cherkassy. Commander – colonel Ya. Eremenko

117th (21st army, 66th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Chernigov. Commander – colonel S. Chernyugov

124th (38th army, 27th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Kiev. Commander – major-general F. Sushchy

130th (18th army, 55th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Dnepropetrovsk. Commander – major-general V. Vizzhilin

134th (West front, 25th infantry corps ) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – brigade commander V. Bazarov

135th (40th army, 27th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Konotop. Commander – major-general F. Smekhotvorov

139th (6th army, 37th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – colonel N. Loginov

140th (5th army, 36th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Korosten. Commander – colonel L. Basanets

141st (6th army, 37th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general Ya. Tonkonogov

146th (5th army, 36th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Korosten. Commander – major-general I. Gerasimov

147th (37th army, 7th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Kiev. Commander – colonel I. Mironov

149th (43rd army, 30th infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – major-general F. Zakharov

151st (21st army, 67th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Gomel. Commander – major-general V. Neretin

152nd (20th army, 32nd infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – colonel P. Chernyshev

158th (19th army, 34th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Smolensk. Commander – colonel V. Novozhilov

159th (26th army, 6th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Poltava. Commander – colonel I. Mashchenko

165th (26th army, 64th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Poltava. Commander – colonel I. Zakharevich

166th (19th army, 53rd infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – colonel A. Kholzinev

167th (21st army, 63rd infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Bryansk. Commander – brigade commander V. Rakovsky

170th (24th army, 51st infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – major-general N. Silkin

171st (37th army, 34th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Kiev. Commander – major-general A. Budykho

172nd (13th army, 61st infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Mogilev. Commander – major-general M. Romanov

173rd (26th army, 8th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general S. Verzin

175th (37th army, 64th infantry corps) – lost 09,1941, Kiev. Commander – colonel S. Glovatsky

187th (13th army, 45th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Chernigov. Commander – colonel I. Ivanov

190th (6th army, 49th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – colonel G. Zverev

193rd (5th army, 31st infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Priluki. Commander – colonel A. Berestov

195th (5th army, 31st infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Priluki. Commander – major-general V. Nesmelov

196th Dnepropetrovsk (26th army, 7th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Cherkassy. Commander – major-general K. Kulikov

197th Kiev (6th army, 49th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – colonel S. Gubin

200th (5th army, 31st infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Priluki. Commander – colonel I. Lyudnikov

206th (37th army, 7th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Kiev. Commander – colonel S. Gorshkov

214th (16th army) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – major-general A. Rozanov

228th (5th army, 36th infantry corps) – lost 09.1941, Nezhin. Commander – colonel A. Ilyuin

229th (19th army, 69th infantry corps) – lost 10.1941, Vyazma. Commander – major-general M. Kozlov

232nd (3rd army, 66th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Mogilev. Commander - unknown

233rd (20th army, 69th infantry corps) – lost 07.1941, Orsha. Commander – colonel G. Kotov

235th (11th army, 41st infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Pskov. Commander – major-general T. Lebedev

Mountain infantry divisions:

28th Mountaineers, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Labor Red Banner, named for V.M. Azin (37th army) – lost 09.1941, Kiev. Commander – major-general K. Novik

44th Kiev, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, named for N.A. Shchors (12th army) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general S. Tkachenko

58th (12th army) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general N. Proshkin

60th, decorated with the Order of the Red Banner (12th army) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general N. Salikhov

72nd Turkmenian (6th army, 8th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – major-general P. Abramidze

192nd (12th army, 13th infantry corps) – lost 08.1941, Uman. Commander – colonel A. Zakharchenko.

Infantry brigades:

3rd (27th army, Moonzund archipelago) – lost 08.1941, Saaremaa island. Commander – major P. Gavrilov
Last edited by BIGpanzer on 09 Jun 2006, 19:07, edited 3 times in total.

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#12

Post by Kunikov » 09 Jun 2006, 02:45

What's the source for all of these divisions being lost?

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#13

Post by BIGpanzer » 09 Jun 2006, 09:03

Also different sources, but all info was checked with the help of "Red Army in June 1941, statistical book" by Kalashnikov, Fes'kov, Chmyhalo, Golikov, I've mentioned above.

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#14

Post by Kunikov » 09 Jun 2006, 09:21

BIGpanzer wrote:Also different sources, but all info was checked with the help of "Red Army in June 1941, statistical book" by Kalashnikov, Fes'kov, Chmyhalo, Golikov, I've mentioned above.
Gotcha, was just wondering because this is very interesting information.

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#15

Post by BIGpanzer » 09 Jun 2006, 10:41

Interesting, just imagine that 10 from 62 infantry corps, 70 from 177 infantry divisions, 6 from 19 mountain infantry divisions and 1 from 3 infantry brigades were completely lost during the first 4 months of the war (only motorized infantry units preserved, but there were only 2 motorized infantry divisions on 22.06.1941)! The main reason was strategic mistakes of Soviet general staff, of course. Surrounded by German armies, lost almost all of field and anti-tank artillery equipment during the chaos, bombed by Ju87 during retreats, in peacetime establishment mainly, Soviet infantry divisions could inflict very hard enemy casualties also, many small units continued to fight in forests as guerillas. Another heroic page of Soviet defense was the combats of Siberian and Far-Eastern infantry divisions near Vyazma in October 1941 during the Battle for Moscow.

See also the following links (on 22.06.1941) with the photos of Soviet corps & division commanders:

http://www.rkka.ru/22/corps.htm

http://www.rkka.ru/22/sd1-50.htm
http://www.rkka.ru/22/sd51-100.htm
http://www.rkka.ru/22/sd101-150.htm
http://www.rkka.ru/22/sd151-200.htm
http://www.rkka.ru/22/sd201-240.htm

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