31st Army (Soviet Union)
| 31st Army (1941-1945) | |
|---|---|
| Active | July 15, 1941 - September 1945 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Size | Army |
| Part of |
Moscow Military District Reserve Front Western Front Kalinin Front 3rd Belorussian Front 1st Ukrainian Front |
| Engagements |
Battle of Moscow Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive Rzhev-Sychevka Strategic Offensive Smolensk Strategic Offensive Vitebsk Offensive Operation Bagration Gumbinnen Operation East Prussian Offensive Prague Operation |
| Disbanded | September 1945 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
See List |
The 31st Army was a field army of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The army was formed on July 15, 1941 in the Moscow Military District. The army was ordered to create a line of defense along the line of Ostashkov - Selizharovo - Rzhev. The army was stationed between the 27th Army to the north and the 49th Army to the south.
The army was formed with the following units:
and by 1 August was assigned to the Reserve Front and had added the following units:
The army was assigned to the Reserve Front on July 30, 1941, and its defensive sector altered to the line Ostashkov - Yeltsy - Tishina River. The fighting reached the army on October 2, 1941. At that time, the army was composed of:
The army engaged the Germans on October 2, 1941, when the Operation Typhoon kicked off towards Rzhev. On October 6, the army formed a task force under the command of Major General Polenov and assisted by a task force from 19th Army under the command of Lieutenant General I. Boldin, whose mission was to break the enemy advance on Volokolamsk and Rzhev. On October 7 the first snow fell, turning the roads into mud and forcing a halt to the 3rd Panzer Group's advance. The snow allowed the army to set up defensive positions along the Zhuralyovo − Large Yakovtsevo − Ivashkova and create a corridor for retreating Soviet troops. This began the Kalinin Defensive phase of the Moscow Strategic Defensive operations.
On October 10 the 110th Tank Division was detached and ordered to Rzhev.
On October 19 the army was reduced to:
From October 19 to 22, the army fought against German forces which had broken into the district of Mednoye and received reinforcements from the 113th and 252nd Rifle Divisions. On October 22, the army was ordered to take the offensive in conjunction with the 29th and 30th Armies to liberate the city of Kalinin. While unable to retake the city, the attack was able to draw off a number of German forces from the attack on Moscow.
...
Wikipedia