34th Army (Soviet Union)

34th Army (1941–1944)
Active	16 July 1941 – 15 January 1944
Disbanded	15 January 1944
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Size	Army
Part of	Moscow Military District Reserve Front Northwestern Front
Engagements	Leningrad Strategic Defensive Staraya-Russa Offensive Demyansk Defensive Demyansk Offensive (1942) Demyansk Offensive Staraya-Russa Offensive (1943)
Commanders
Notable commanders	See List

The 34th Army was part of the Red Army during the Second World War. The army was formed on 16 July 1941 in the Moscow Military District.

Combat history

1941

On 18 July the army was assigned to the Moscow line of defense occupying positions west of Maloyaroslavets where it was assigned troops. On 25 July the army became part of the reserve commanded by Lieutenant General Ivan Bogdanov, which on 30 July was designated as the Reserve Front the army headquarters located in Lüübnitsa, Russia (now Estonia). On 6 August the army was reassigned to the Northwestern Front.

Composition on 1 August 1941:^[1]

245th Rifle Division

257th Rifle Division

259th Rifle Division

262nd Rifle Division

25th Cavalry Division

54th Cavalry Division

171st Antitank Artillery Regiment

759th Antitank Artillery Regiment

16th Armored Train

59th Armored Train

The army was tasked to defend the eastern bank of the Lovat River from Kholm to Kulakovo south of the German-held city of Staraya Russa. STAVKA Directive 00824 tasked the army to strike the left wing of the German forces defeating the forces in the area between Soltsy and Staraya Russa. If successful, the operation could cut off the entire right flank of the Army Group North. According to the order the army was by 15 August to advance more the 25 miles to the line of Snezhka-Chudinovo-Rechnye Kottsy, and by 18 August was to reach the line of Volot-Dolzhino.

By 11 August the army had reached the Polist River along a 24-mile front from Vzglyady to Gojko and launched their offensive. The German X Corps only had small outposts on its flank with the 30th and 129th Infantry Divisions east of Staraya Russa arrayed against the Soviet 11th Army and the 290th Infantry Division on the south side of Staraya Russa guarding the Germ right flank. After the start of the Soviet Offensive the German forces were moved west of Staraya Russa.

Main article: Staraya-Russa Offensive

The first echelon, consisting of the 245th, 257th, 262nd Rifle and the 25th Cavalry Divisions, advanced quickly reaching there 18 August goals by 14 August and cutting the railroad between Dno and Staraya Russa.

By the end of September the army's line had stabilized to the north and northeast of Demyansk from Lake Vella to Lychkovo and remained in these positions through the end of the year.

1942

1943

The year began as it did in 1942 with preparations for participation in the Demyansk Offensive.

Main article: Demyansk Offensive

Composition on 1 February 1943:^[2]

171st Rifle Division

182nd Rifle Division

200th Rifle Division

245th Rifle Division

144th Rifle Brigade

146th Rifle Brigade

161st Rifle Brigade

91st Fortified Region

458th Light Artillery Regiment (75th Light Artillery Brigade)

698th Light Artillery Regiment (78th Light Artillery Brigade)

387th Gun Artillery Regiment (76th Gun Artillery Brigade)

575th High-Power Howitzer Artillery Regiment

1200th High-Power Howitzer Artillery Regiment

482nd Mortar Regiment

9th Guards Mortar Brigade

95th Guards Mortar Regiment

83rd Tank Brigade

29th Armored Train Battalion

238th Engineer Battalion

1391st Engineer Regiment

597th Bomber Aviation Regiment

Prior to the start of the offensive the German successfully withdrew their forces from the Demyansk Pocket and the 34th Army was limited to pursuing rear guard forces. By 28 February the army had arrived at the Lovat River. By the elimination of the pocket the front line had been significantly decreased, and the units of the 34th Army were reassigned to the 11th and 52nd Armies and the headquarters airlifted to the area northeast of Staraya Russa where it took command of some of the forces assigned to the 27th Army.

Main article: Staraya-Russa Offensive (1943)

On 18 March the army, with forces recently reassigned from the 27th attempted to storm Staraya Russa. The army encountered five German divisions along the line of villages Dinner Medvedno, Bryashnaya Gore Sobolev Derevkovo to Porus, the attack was repulsed, restarted on 20 March when it was able to liberate a few small villages moving a little closer to Staraya Russa but unable to liberate the city. The army remained outside Staraya Russa until November 1943 holding the defensive line and attempting to storm the city. On 17–20 August another massive attack was attempted and repulsed again.

Composition on 1 April 1943:[3] 12th Guards Rifle Corps 127th Rifle Brigade 144th Rifle Brigade 151st Rifle Brigade 161st Rifle Brigade 26th Rifle Division 245th Rifle Division 254th Rifle Division 282nd Rifle Division 370th Rifle Division 27th Ski Brigade 26th Artillery Division 75th Light Artillery Brigade 72nd Gun Artillery Brigade 77th Howitzer Artillery Brigade 24th Mortar Brigade 11th Guards Army Artillery Regiment 191st High-Power Howitzer Artillery Regiment 515th High-Power Howitzer Artillery Regiment 402nd High-Power Artillery Regiment 482nd Mortar Regiment 8th Guards Mortar Brigade 22nd Guards Mortar Regiment 26th Guards Mortar Regiment 39th Guards Mortar Regiment 95th Guards Mortar Regiment 708th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment (44th Antiaircraft Artillery Division) 3rd Separate Guards Tank Regiment 239th Separate Tank Regiment 11th Aerosleigh Battalion 18th Aerosleigh Battalion 35th Aerosleigh Battalion 29th Armored Train Battalion 35th Armored Train Battalion 238th Engineer Battalion 1391st Engineer Battalion 86th Pontoon-Bridge Battalion

Composition on 1 November 1943:[4] 96th Rifle Corps 37th Rifle Division 150th Rifle Division 370th Rifle Division 26th Rifle Division 182nd Rifle Division 37th Rifle Brigade 27th Artillery Division 78th Light Artillery Brigade 76th Gun Artillery Brigade 74th Howitzer Artillery Brigade 151st Gun Artillery Regiment 989th Howitzer Artillery Regiment 641st Tank Destroyer Regiment 32nd Mortar Brigade 482nd Mortar Regiment 21st Guards Mortar Brigade 26th Guards Mortar Regiment 27th Guards Mortar Regiment 70th Guards Mortar Regiment 47th Antiaircraft Artillery Division 1585th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment 1586th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment 1591st Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment 1592nd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment 582nd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment 63rd Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion 64th Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion 65th Separate Tank Regiment 239th Separate Tank Regiment 249th Separate Tank Regiment 29th Armored Train Battalion 35th Armored Train Battalion 1391st Engineer Battalion 54th Pontoon-Bridge Battalion 58th Pontoon-Bridge Battalion 86th Pontoon-Bridge Battalion

Disbanding

On 20 November 1943 the forces assigned to the army were transferred to 1st Shock Army and the headquarters placed in STAVKA reserve. On 15 January 1944 the headquarters was redesignated 4th Army (III formation).

Commanders

• Brigade Commander Nikolai Nilovich Pronin- (18 July – 3 August 1941)
• Major General Kuzma Kachanov (ru) - (3 August – 12 September 1941) - executed
• Major General Petr Alferev - (12 September – 25 December 1941)
• Major General Nikolai Berzarin - (25 December 1941 – 14 October 1942)
• Lieutenant General Anton Lopatin - (14 October 1942 – 10 March 1943)
• Lieutenant General Pavel Kurochkin - (10 March – 22 June 1943)
• Lieutenant General Ivan Sovetnikov - (22 June 1943 – 13 January 1944)

References

Notes

1. Marchand, Vol 1, pg 57.
2. Marchand, vol IX , pp. 78–9
3. Marchand, vol X , pp. 79–80
4. Marchand, vol XIV , pg 8

Sources

• Ammentorp, Steen. "The Generals". Retrieved 30 July 2013.
• Marchand, Jean-Luc. Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2. The Nafziger Collection, 24 Volumes