The 11th Cavalry Corps of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

was a cavalry corps active during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It was created on 12 January 1942 at

Kalinin Oblast Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. It was named after Mikhai ...

. General Grigory Timofejev took command.Bonn, Keith E. ''Slaughterhouse: Handbook of the Eastern Front''. Bedford, PA: Aberjona Press, 2005, p. 347

Second World War

On January 12, 1942, the 11th Cavalry Corps passed the breakthrough sector of 39th Army, raided the far rear of the German

Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army fo ...

alongside the west of the

Rzhev Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa (town), Tver Oblast, Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It ...

Sychevka Sychyovka (russian: Сычёвка) or Sychevka () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Sychyovka, Sychyovsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Sychyovsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incor ...

Vyazma Vyazma (russian: Вя́зьма) is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast, and Mozhaysk. Throu ...

traffic line. On January 26, 1942, the Cavalry Corps cut the

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...

road on the west of Vyazma, kept contact with the 33rd Army, the pioneering of Western Front, on the south-west of Vyazma, completed its campaign mission to envelop the Vyazma City. From February to June 1942, the Cavalry Corps with 39th Army insisted defending the salient in the vicinity between Bely and Kholm-Zhirkovsky, which is nearly encircled by German troops, only a narrow corridor between Bely and

Olenino Olenino (russian: Оленино) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Urban localities *Olenino, Tver Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Oleninsky District of Tver Oblast Rural localities * Olenino, Ilyinsky District, Ivanovo ...

to the main forces of

Kalinin Front The Kalinin Front was a major formation of the Red Army active in the Eastern Front of World War II, named for the city of Kalinin. It was formally established by Stavka directive on 17 October 1941 and allocated three armies: 22nd, 29th Army a ...

remained. On July 2, 1942, the 9th Army of Germany launched the

Operation Seydlitz The Battles of Rzhev (russian: Ржевская битва, Rzhevskaya bitva) were a series of Red Army offensives against the Wehrmacht between January 8, 1942, and March 31, 1943, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battles took place ...

, which is called Holme-Zhirkovskaya defensive operation by the Soviet Union, to eliminate the salient in the vicinity between Bely and Kholm-Zhirkovsky and annihilate the 39th Army and 11th Cavalry Corps. Intense fighting carried on to July 17, and the last resistance extinguished on July 23. After that, the unit designation of 11th Cavalry Corps was annulled in August 1942.

Campaign history

January–July 1942 :

Sychyovka-Vyazma Offensive The Battles of Rzhev (russian: Ржевская битва, Rzhevskaya bitva) were a series of Red Army offensives against the Wehrmacht between January 8, 1942, and March 31, 1943, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battles took place ...

as a mobile group of Kalinin Front in 1942 : Holme-Zhirkovskaya defensive operation July 2–23, 1942

Orders of Battle

18th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union) The 18th Mountain Cavalry Division was formed in 1936 by renaming the 7th ''Tadzhik'' Mountain Cavalry Division in the Central Asia Military District. Wartime Service 1941 At the beginning of war the division was one of the three Mountain Cavalry ...

(1934–1942) * 24th Cavalry Division (Soviet Union) (1935–1943) *

82nd Cavalry Division (Soviet Union) The 82nd Cavalry Division was formed from August to 18 October 1941 in the Sverdlovsk Oblast in the Urals Military District. Wartime service Formed as part of the mass of reservists in the Urals and Siberian Military Districts and used in the win ...

(1941–1942)

Commanders of the 11th Cavalry Corps

:General Grigory Timofejev (January–May 1942) :Colonel, from July 1942, Major General

Sergei Vladimirovich Sokolov Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honor of Saint Sergius, or in Russia, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and h ...

(May–August 1942).

References

Sources

* Glants, D.M. (1), ''Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War'', Frank Cass, London, 1989 * Glantz, D.M. (2), ''Companion to Colossus Reborn: key documents and statistics'', University of Kansas2005 * ''Perecheni No.4, Command of Corps which were a part of the active Army during the years of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45'', Supplement to the direction of the General Staff for year 1956 No.168780, Moscow, 1956 {{Soviet Union corps 011 Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 1942 establishments in the Soviet Union