Summer '42, Reserve Armies

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per70
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Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#1

Post by per70 » 13 May 2015, 22:56

On July 1, 1942 the Red Army had 10 reserve armies in their strategic reserve.

I was wondering when these armies and their subordinate units joined the operational force.
From what I can gather, this appears to be the case (with a few gaps):

1st Reserve Army: to (soon to be) Stalingrad Front on 11.July as 64A
2nd Reserve Army: to various Fronts on ? July
3rd Reserve Army: to Voronezh Front on 4.July as 60A
4th Reserve Army: to Western Front on ? July
5th Reserve Army: to Voronezh (later Stalingrad Front) on 4.July as 63A
6th Reserve Army: to Voronezh Front on 4.July as 6A
7th Reserve Army: to (soon to be) Stalingrad Front on 11.July as 62A
8th Reserve Army: to Stalingrad Front on ? August
9th Reserve Army: to various fronts on ? August
10th Reserve Army: to various fronts on ? August

Looking at this listing, the 8th, 9th and 10th Reserve Armies weren't commited until (late) August.
Is this because they weren't ready for action in July, or was it because the Soviets didn't want to commit their entire strategic reserve all at once?

GregSingh
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#2

Post by GregSingh » 14 May 2015, 13:58

2nd Reserve Army was converted into 1GA (I) in Aug '42.
Last edited by GregSingh on 14 May 2015, 14:06, edited 1 time in total.


GregSingh
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#3

Post by GregSingh » 14 May 2015, 14:04

4th Reserve Army was converted into 1GA (III) in Dec '42

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#4

Post by GregSingh » 14 May 2015, 14:10

9th Reserve Army was converted into 24A (IV) in Sep '42.

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#5

Post by GregSingh » 14 May 2015, 14:12

8th Reserve Army was converted into 66A in Aug '42.

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#6

Post by GregSingh » 14 May 2015, 14:15

10th Reserve Army was converted into 5th Shock A in Oct '42.

Dann Falk
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#7

Post by Dann Falk » 15 May 2015, 17:39

Greetings,

To answer your question, you should pick up the old but still good book called The Secret of Stalingrad by Walter Kerr. Get the hard back because it has many useful maps and much data about armies and divisions...$9.00 on Ebay.

At the start of 1942, Stavka had 12 armies in reserve, reserve infantry armies #1-10 plus the 3rd and 5th Tank Armies.

Stalin was very protective of his secret strategic reserve, so he used them sparingly. All the reserve infantry armies were in essence still in training and being equipped when they were committed to battle.

The 4th Reserve Army became the 38 Army
The 10th Reserve Army became the 5 Shock Army

Hope this helps

Dann

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#8

Post by Art » 15 May 2015, 20:42

GregSingh wrote:10th Reserve Army was converted into 5th Shock A in Oct '42.
In December. 10 Reserve Army HQ became HQ of the 5 Shock Army/Stalingrad Front with troops drawn from elsewhere AFAIR. One should distinguish between commitment of the entire army and commitment of the army HQ.
4th Reserve Army was converted into 1GA (III) in Dec '42
That was actually the second formation of the 4 RA. 1, 2, 3, and 4 Reserve Armies were recreated in the autumn of 1942. 4 Reserve Army (I) HQ became HQ of the 38 Army in August 1942.

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#9

Post by Art » 15 May 2015, 20:43

Dann Falk wrote: At the start of 1942, Stavka had 12 armies in reserve, reserve infantry armies #1-10 plus the 3rd and 5th Tank Armies.
At the start of "Blau" probably?

per70
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#10

Post by per70 » 15 May 2015, 23:30

Thanks for the input so far.

My primary interest was in trying to get an overview of how the Soviets utilized their strategic reserve from July onwards.

I looked at Glantz 'To the gates of Stalingrad' today, and found that the divisons of 8th Reserve Army were ordered to move to Stalingrad on 24.August along with half of 10th Reserve Army (207th, 292nd and 299th RD).

What I'm still wondering about is (1) when the rifle divisons of 4th Reserve Army and 52nd and 111th RD of 2nd Reserve Army were assigned to the operational force. From http://teatrskazka.com/Raznoe/BoevojSos ... 20801.html I see they had been transfered by the start of August, but does anyone know if this happened at the start of or at the end of July? I'm assuming late July in order to participate in the Rzhev attack.

Furthermore, once again from Glantz's book, he states that 3rd Tank Army wasn't ready for operational duty in July (but that it still was moved forward in case of emergency). And thus it wasn't commited into battle until late August.
And that made me wonder (2) if that also was the case for the divisons under control of the 8th, 9th and 10th Reserve Army - that is they weren't ready for operational duty when the Germans launched Blau. Which might explains why they weren't commited to the battle in the Don bend in late July/early August.

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#11

Post by steverodgers801 » 16 May 2015, 20:44

Stalin decide what units would be assigned from reserve, he gave Stalingrad enough units to keep it from fully being over run. His main concern was to build up enough of a force to be able to achieve the goals set. Stalin learned his lesson from the winter attack of 1941 where he tried to do too much with too little.

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#12

Post by Art » 16 May 2015, 23:36

per70 wrote: What I'm still wondering about is (1) when the rifle divisons of 4th Reserve Army and 52nd and 111th RD of 2nd Reserve Army were assigned to the operational force.
1. Directive of the Soviet General Staff to the 2 Reserve Army, 15 July 1942:
Army HQ is transferred to a new location by railroad. Embarkation at Vologda beginning from 16 July. 52 Rifle Division (Danilov) and 111 Rifle Division (Bezhetsk) are to be handed over to the Moscow Military District by 18 July.

2. Directive of the GS to the 4 Reserve Army, 17 July 1942
139 (Kalinin), 274 (Klin) and 78 (Vysniy Volochek) Rifle Divisions are to be handed over to the Kalinin Front, 118 Rifle Division (Volokolamsk) to the West Front by 18 July.Army HQ is transferred to a new location, embarkation at Kalinin beginning from 19 July.

3. GS directive to the Moscow Military District and Kalinin Front, 17 July 1942
52 and 111 Rifle Divisions are transferred to Staritsa at the disposal of the Kalinin Front commander. Movement by rail beginning from 18-19 July

The last two orders seem to be connected with the preparation of the Rzhev-Sychevka operation.
Furthermore, once again from Glantz's book, he states that 3rd Tank Army wasn't ready for operational duty in July (but that it still was moved forward in case of emergency). And thus it wasn't commited into battle until late August.
From the 3 TA history describing events in early July:
"....Stavka didn't exclude the possibility of offensive toward Moscow launched by the enemy Orel group and to counter it ordered 3 Tank Army to concentrate at Yefremov..." Which seems to be a reasonable explanation. I've got a similar impression: some men in the Sov.Command were worried about possible German advance to Moscow from the south-west and wanted to have a strong reserve to meet it.
And that made me wonder (2) if that also was the case for the divisons under control of the 8th, 9th and 10th Reserve Army - that is they weren't ready for operational duty when the Germans launched Blau
Never seen any works describing unit status in reserve armies by that date. Just from a pure common sense it must be difficult to find personnel, weapons and equipment to for several dozens of divisions.

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John Hilly
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#13

Post by John Hilly » 17 May 2015, 12:27

@Art
Wasn't it usually so that it was waste of transport resources to move infantry divisions with Army HQ if it was possible to submit RDs from Military districts / other Armies nearer to the planned operational location of the Army?

With best, J-P :milwink:
"Die Blechtrommel trommelt noch!"

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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#14

Post by Art » 18 May 2015, 17:56

IMO they did what was considered most expedient in each particular case.

steverodgers801
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Re: Summer '42, Reserve Armies

#15

Post by steverodgers801 » 19 May 2015, 00:06

John, it depends on what the status of the HQ was. Was it in combat, reserve, forming or recovering. The same is true for the unit.

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