3rd Guards Tank Army
| 3rd Guards Tank Army 3rd Guards Mechanised Army (1946–1957) 18th Guards Army (1957–1964) |
|
|---|---|
 |
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| Active | 1942–1969 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union
|
| Branch |
 Red Army
|
| Type | Armoured |
| Role | Breakthrough and Exploitation in Deep Operations |
| Size | 500–800 tanks |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
General Colonel Pavel Rybalko |
The 3rd Guards Tank Army (Russian: 3-я гвардейская танковая армия) was a tank army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. The 3rd Tank Army was created in 1942 and fought in the southern areas of the Soviet Union and Poland, then in Germany and Czechoslovakia until the defeat of Germany in 1945. Postwar, the army served as occupation troops in East Germany, went through several name changes, and was finally deactivated in 1969.
The 3rd Tank Army was formed as part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK, Stavka reserve) on the basis of the 58th Army in the Moscow Military District in May 1942. It was placed under the command of Lieutenant General Prokofy Romanenko. Its initial composition was 12th and 15th Tank Corps, one motor rifle division, and two rifle divisions. As part of the Soviet Western Front, the 3rd Tank Army successfully counter-attacked the German Second Panzer Army in August 1942. Soon afterwards, in September 1942, Romanenko handed over to Colonel General Pavel Rybalko, who held command of the Army for the remainder of the war.
Committed to the fighting for Kharkov in March 1943 as part of the Voronezh Front, the 3rd Tank Army was subsequently encircled and virtually destroyed by German forces. The Army's remnants were reorganised as the 57th Army.
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