The 12th Rifle Corps () was an infantry

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

of the

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, afte ...

during the interwar period and

World War II 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 opposing ...

, formed four times. The corps headquarters was briefly active between late 1922 and early 1923 as part of the Separate Caucasus Army, and again between early 1923 and early 1924 in

Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia (russian: Западная Сибирь, Zapadnaya Sibir'; kk, Батыс Сібір) is a part of the larger region of Siberia that is mostly located in the Russian Federation. It lies between the Ural region an ...

. Reformed in 1930 and stationed in the

Volga Military District The Volga Military District (PriVO) was a military district of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 to 1989 and 1992 to 2001. The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at different ...

, the corps headquarters moved to the

Transbaikal Transbaikal, Trans-Baikal, Transbaikalia ( rus, Забайка́лье, r=Zabaykalye, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲjɪ), or Dauria (, ''Dauriya'') is a mountainous region to the east of or "beyond" (trans-) Lake Baikal in Far Eastern Russia. The steppe and ...

in 1939. There, it was used to form the 36th Army in July 1941. The corps was again reformed in late 1942 as part of the

Transcaucasian Front Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus Front (russian: Закавказский Фронт) was a front of the Soviet Red Army—a military formation comparable to an army group, not a geographic military front—during the Second World War. Th ...

, spending the war guarding the Soviet–Turkish border. From 1946 it was stationed in the

North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla. It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...

, and briefly became a mountain rifle corps between 1949 and 1954. The last formation of the 12th Rifle Corps became the 12th Army Corps in 1957, and was expanded into the

49th Army "Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings ...

in 1992.

Prewar formations

The corps was formed as part of the Separate Caucasus Army with headquarters at

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

by an order of 16 November 1922, and included the 3rd Caucasian and Armenian Rifle Divisions. It was disbanded by orders of the army of 15 January and 1 February 1923. The 12th Rifle Corps was again formed as part of the Western Siberian Military District by an order of 30 January 1923 with headquarters at

Novonikolayevsk Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Census, ...

. It included the 26th and 35th Rifle Divisions and fought in the suppression of the

Yakut revolt The Yakut revolt (Russian: Якутский мятеж, ''Yakutskiy myatezh'') or the Yakut expedition (Russian: Якутский поход, ''Yakutskiy pokhod'') was the last episode of the Russian Civil War. The hostilities took place betwee ...

between January and December.

Kasyan Chaykovsky Kasyan Alexandrovich Chaykovsky (; February 1893 – 23 April 1938) was a Soviet military officer and Red Army Komkor. Born in the family of a lawyer, Chaykovsky became a law student at Moscow State University. He volunteered for the First Balkan ...

commanded it between January and September. The corps was disbanded by an order of the district of 14 February 1924. The 12th Rifle Corps was formed for a third time as part of the

by an order of 28 November 1930, headquartered at Saratov at the former headquarters building of the

16th Rifle Corps The 16th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army, formed twice. It took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 and destroyed in the Baltic Operation during Operation Barbarossa. Reformed in 1942, the corps fought through the re ...

. Its formation was completed by 22 January 1931, when the corps headquarters issued its first order; the corps initially included the 31st ( Stalingrad) and

32nd 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

( Saratov) Rifle Divisions.

Georgy Sofronov Georgy Pavlovich Sofronov (russian: Георгий Павлович Софронов; 19 April 1893 – 17 March 1973) was a Soviet general. He fought for the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and fought for the Workers and Peasants Red A ...

began the formation of the corps, but was transferred to another unit in December 1930; the formation of the corps was completed by

Semyon Turovsky Semyon Abramovich Turovsky (Russian, Семён Абрамович Туровский; 1895 – July 1, 1937) was a Soviet corps commander. He was born in what is now Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast in northern Ukraine. He fought for the Bolsheviks ag ...

, who commanded it from 9 January 1931. The corps commander also oversaw the XII Corps District, formed to facilitate wartime mobilization in

Lower Volga Krai Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eig ...

, which controlled the local

military commissariat A military commissariat is an institution that is part of military service or law enforcement mechanisms in some European countries. As part of the British Army in the 19th century, military commissariats were used for organisational, accounti ...

s. The corps began forming the 53rd (

Pugachyov Pugachyov ( rus, Пугачёв, p=pʊgɐˈtɕɵf) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the Bolshoy Irgiz River (Volga River, Volga's tributary), northeast of Saratov, the administrative center o ...

) and 61st ( Balashov) Territorial Rifle Divisions during September 1931, along with the Saratov-based 12th Artillery Regiment, 12th Separate Communications Battalion, and 12th Separate Sapper Battalion, and the corps artillery range at Tatishchevo. These units comprised locals residing closest to their bases, and were fully formed by 31 December. Turovsky transferred on 11 February 1932, being replaced by Ivan Tkachev. The corps training center opened in May, ultimately graduating four classes of reserve officers and holding five territorial training camps. During 1933, the 53rd and 61st Divisions were reorganized as experimental territorial brigades, but in September of that year pilot exercises with the latter revealed that they were inadequate for speedy mobilization, and the brigades became divisions again. The 32nd Division was transferred to the

Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army The Special Far Eastern Army, later the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army ( rus, links=no, Осо́бая Краснознамённая Дальневосто́чная а́рмия (ОКДВА), Osóbaya Krasnoznamonnaya Dal'nevostóchnaya árm ...

during March 1934, leaving the corps with three divisions. The Saratov-based 22nd Aviation Detachment joined the corps on 1 October of that year. Corps units repaired track and restored telegraph communications damaged by a November 1935 landslide at a station of the Ryazan-Ural Railway. During the mid-1930s, Tkachev was succeeded in command by Mikhail Yefremov,

Stepan Kalinin Stepan Andrianovich Kalinin (russian: Степа́н Андриа́нович Кали́нин; 28 December 1890 – 11 September 1975) was a Soviet army commander. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going over to th ...

, and Vladimir Kolpakchi. By 1935, it included the 31st (Stalingrad) and 53rd (

Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
''

Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District (russian: Забайкальский военный округ) was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on May 17, 1935 and included the ...

in September 1939 due to rising tensions with Japan and located at

Borzya Borzya ( rus, Борзя, p=ˈborzʲə; bua, Бооржо, ''Boorjo''; mn, Боорж, ''Boorj'') is a town and the administrative center of Borzinsky District in Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, located southeast of Chita, the administrative center ...

. Among its units was the 109th Rifle Division, which became a motorized division in early 1940 and transferred to the 5th Mechanized Corps in midyear. It was commanded by Major General Daniil Petrov from 18 January 1941. By 22 June it included the 65th and 94th Rifle Divisions and was directly controlled by the district headquarters. During a reorganization of the forces stationed in the Transbaikal Military District, the corps was disbanded on 27 July. The units of the corps were used to form the 36th Army.

Second wartime formation and postwar

The corps headquarters was formed by an order of 13 October 1942, and by 1 November was assigned the 77th, 261st, 349th, and 351st Rifle Divisions, directly controlled by the headquarters of the

. In November the 406th Rifle Division joined the corps while the 77th transferred to the 58th Army. Major General Georgy Kuparadze, who led it for the rest of the war, took command on 6 December. The corps guarded the Soviet–Turkish border for the remainder of the war. Corps support units included the 132nd Separate Communications Battalion, 126th Field Office of the State Bank, and the 2329th Field Postal Station. The corps joined the 45th Army in December with the 392nd and 406th Rifle Divisions. The 261st and 349th Rifle Divisions transferred to the corps from direct army subordination during January. From April, the corps was directly subordinated to the headquarters of the

, where it would remain for the rest of the war, with the 392nd and 406th Rifle Divisions, leaving the 261st and 349th with the 45th Army. By April, the corps was headquartered at Kutaisi with the 392nd at

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of t ...

and the 406th at Akhalkalaki. The 51st (Batumi) and 151st (Akhalkalaki)

Fortified Region A fortified district or fortified region (russian: Укреплённый район, Укрепрайон, ukreplyonny raion, ukrepraion) in the military terminology of the Soviet Union, is a territory within which a complex system of defense fo ...

s were operationally subordinated to the corps. (

Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence The Central Archives of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Центральный архив Министерства обороны Российской Федерации (ЦАМО РФ); TsAMO RF) are located in Podols ...

, fond 47, opus 1063, file 602) It was 83%

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

, 9% Russian, 4% Ukrainian, and 4% other nationalities by September. (

, fond 47, opus 1063, file 6) The 296th Rifle Division at Kutaisi (operationally subordinated to the corps from its formation in July 1943) (

, fond 47, opus 1063, file 603) transferred to the corps from the

13th Rifle Corps The 13th Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army, first formed in 1922. On October 12, 1922, the Corps began forming in the Turkestan Front. Alexander Todorsky became the corps commander. The corps participated in the suppression of the ...

during January 1944, and remained with the corps for the rest of the war. The 392nd transferred to the 13th Rifle Corps during August, leaving the corps with the 296th and 406th Rifle Divisions for the rest of the war. In 1946, its headquarters was transferred to Ordzhonikidze in the

, where it included the 3rd Guards and 11th Separate Rifle Brigades. Between 28 July 1949 and September 1954, it was a mountain rifle corps with the 24th Guards and 19th Mountain Rifle Divisions, formed from the 3rd Guards and 11th Brigades, respectively. When it reverted to the 12th Rifle Corps, the two divisions became rifle divisions again. The corps became the 12th Army Corps on 25 June 1957, with the 24th Guards becoming the

42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division The 42nd Guards "Evpatoriyskaya Red Banner" Motor Rifle Division (Military Unit Number 27777, until 1987 MUN 29410; until 2009 MUN 28320)Michael Holm42nd Guards Training Motor Rifle Division accessed February 2015. is a Russian military unit. The ...

and the 19th the 92nd Motor Rifle Division. During the early 1960s, the 42nd Guards became a training unit and was subordinated to the North Caucasus Military District, and by the end of the decade the corps headquarters relocated to

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southe ...

, replacing that of the 29th Army Corps. At Krasnodar, the corps controlled the

9th Motor Rifle Division 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

Maykop Maykop (russian: Майкоп, p=mɐjˈkop mɐj'kop); ady, Мыекъуапэ, Mıéquapə ) is the capital city of the Republic of Adygea in Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River (a tributary of the Kuban River). It borders Ma ...

and two mobilization motor rifle divisions – the 62nd (co–located with the 9th) and the 156th at Novorossiysk. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the corps became part of the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

and was expanded into the

in May 1992.

Commanders

The following officers are known to have commanded the second wartime formation of the 12th Rifle Corps and the 12th Army Corps: * Major General Georgy Kuparadze (December 1942 – June 1946) * Lieutenant General Ivan Fedyunkin (30 December 1948 – 28 July 1949) * Lieutenant General Mikhail Panchenko (28 July 1949 – 15 December 1950) * Major General Alexander Shchagin (11 January 1951 – 18 May 1953) * Lieutenant General Sergey Vladimirovich Sokolov (18 May 1953 – 16 May 1954) * Major General Viktor Glebov (17 June 1954 – 11 June 1956) * Lieutenant General Nikolay Lyashchenko (12 June 1956 – February 1958) * Major General

Gennady Obaturov Gennady Ivanovich Obaturov (russian: Геннадий Иванович Обатуров; – 29 April 1996) was a Soviet Army General. Childhood and youth Born in a peasant family in the village of Maloe Zarecheno, then part of the Marakuli ...

(February 1958 – June 1960) * Lieutenant General Fyodor Rykalov (27 June 1966 – 3 February 1970) * Lieutenant General Ivan Kravchenko (4 February 1970 – 15 May 1973) * Major General Lev Zaytsev (1979 – 1982) * Lieutenant General

Igor Puzanov Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling * ...

(1990 – May 1992)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Soviet Union corps Rifle corps of the Soviet Union Military units and formations established in 1922