20th Guards Army
| 4th Tank Army (1942–45) 4th Guards Tank Army (1945–46) 4th Guards Mechanised Army (1946–60) 20th Guards Army (1960–present) |
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| Active | 1942–present |
| Country |
 Soviet Union (1942–91) Russia (1991–present) |
| Branch |
 Red Army (1942–91) Russian Ground Forces (1991–present) |
| Type | Armoured |
| Size | currently 2 tank divisions, 2 artillery/missile brigades + several other auxiliary regiments |
| Part of | Moscow Military District |
| Garrison/HQ | Voronezh |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Major General Yevgeny Nikiforov |
The 20th Guards Army (originally designated as the 4th Tank Army, 4th Guards Tank Army in 1945, 4th Guards Mechanised Army in 1946, and the 20th Guards Army in 1960 within the Soviet Red Army) is a field army. In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the army became part of the Russian Ground Forces.
The army was first formed by order of the STAVKA within Stalingrad Front on July 22, 1942, based on the remaining elements of the headquarters of the former 28th Army, which had been largely destroyed in recent fighting. Mjr. Gen. V.D. Kryuchenkin, commander of the former 28th Army, was given command of 4th Tank Army. The new formation incorporated the 22nd Tank Corps, under Mjr. Gen. Shamshin, and Mjr. Gen. Khashin's 23rd Tank Corps, plus three rifle divisions transferred from the Far Eastern Front, two anti-tank regiments and two anti-aircraft regiments. 8th Separate Fighter Air Brigade provided support.
It was committed to battle without being fully formed, as German forces had broken through. The Army attempted to stop the German 6th Army, but was not successful and lost a large number of tanks. On 1 August 1942 official Soviet records show the Army as comprising the 22nd Tank Corps (133rd, 173rd, 176th, and 182nd Tank Brigades plus the 22nd Motor Rifle Brigade), the 18th and 205th Rifle Divisions, an independent brigade, and two artillery regiments. In August 1942 it fought on the southern approaches to Stalingrad, having conducted some successful counterattacks against units of the German 48th Panzer Corps.
4th Tank Army later came under command of Gen. K.K. Rokossovsky's Don Front. On 22 October Kryuchenkin was replaced by Gen. P.I. Batov. The much diminished army was re-designated the 65th Army on 27 October, and served for the duration under Batov's command.
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Wikipedia