69th Army (Soviet Union)
| 69th Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union
|
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Field army |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
|
The 69th Army (Russian: 69-я армия) was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War.
The army was formed in February 1943 with the Voronezh Front from the 18th Rifle Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General Mikhail Kazakov. It originally included the 161st, 180th and 270th Rifle Divisions, the 1st Destroyer Division (an anti-tank unit), the 37th Rifle and 173rd Tank Brigades, as well as artillery and other units. By the time it was sent into combat, the army had been reinforced with two more rifle divisions and a tank regiment, and had a strength of around 40,000 men and 50 tanks. Without finishing its formation, the army was sent into battle in Operation Star, an offensive which aimed to recapture Kharkov. The offensive began on 4 February and the army experienced initial success, defeating opposing German units southwest of Novy Oskol and recapturing Volchansk alongside the 38th Army on 9 February. Developing the offensive, its troops crossed the Donets, and operating in conjunction with the 3rd Tank Army and the 40th Army, recaptured Kharkov on 16 February. When the offensive was stopped by the German counterattack that began the Third Battle of Kharkov in early March, the 69th had reached the area southeast of Oposhnya and southwest of Valka and Sharovka.
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