9th Tank Division (Soviet Union)
| 9th Tank Division (1940-1941) 9th Tank Corps (1942-1945) 9th Tank Division (1945-57) 13th Heavy Tank Division (1957-1965) 9th Tank Division (1965-1991) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1940 - 1941 1942 - 1991 |
| Country | Russia |
| Branch | Soviet Ground Forces, Russian Ground Forces |
| Type | Tank 
|
| Role | Armored warfare |
| Size | Division, Tank Corps |
| Nickname(s) | Arrow |
| Engagements |
World War II Cold War |
The 9th Tank Division was the designation of two separate formations of the Soviet Army. The original 9th Tank Division was formed in 1940 and later reorganized into a different division. During World War II, the Soviet Army formed the 9th Tank Corps, which was renamed the 9th Tank Division after the defeat of Germany in 1945. This second instance of the 9th Tank Division served with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany from 1945 until about 1991, when it was disbanded.
The 9th Tank Division was a formation of the Red Army that saw action briefly in 1941. It was formed in Mary, Turkmenistan, Central Asian Military District in the summer of 1940. In April 1941 the division joined the newly formed 27th Mechanised Corps. However, on 28 June 1941 the division was separated from its parent corps and re-designated the 104th Tank Division (). The 104th Tank Division underwent its own organizational evolution, becoming first the 145th Tank Brigade and later the 43rd Guards Tank Brigade (which was later designated a "heavy tank brigade" in 1945).
Glantz writes in Stumbling Colossus that the 145th Tank Brigade was destroyed at Vyazma in October 1941.
The 9th Tank Corps was formed on 12 May 1942 in the Moscow Military District. It fought in Russia, Poland, and Germany until 1945. In 1945 the 9th Tank Corps was redesignated the 9th Tank Division.
Initial Composition:
The 9th Tank Corps participated in the offensive of the left wing of the Western Front in the summer of 1942. On 7 June the corps was stationed in the area of Voymirovo, Barankovo (Kaluga Oblast), Kochukovo and Sukhoy Sot (east of Kirov). On the orders of the commander of the 16th Army, the corps had the task, by 6 July 1942, to enter into the breach 'Black' to exploit the advantageous situation in the direction of Oslinka, Zhizdra, and Orlya. The corps entered combat only on the evening of 7 July. Due to poor reconnaissance and the movement of the first echelons, the corps became mired in a swamp. The corps suffered heavy losses, such that one of the brigades lost 50% of its tanks. The entire night of 7–8 July was consumed by the recovery of mired vehicles. In general, commitment of the corps did not influence the battle, and on 14 July, the corps went on the defence.
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