The Special Mechanized Army () was a mechanized army of the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

. It was formed from the

Southern Group of Forces Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

in 1947 in Romania. Elements of the army fought in Operation Whirlwind, the suppression of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

. In 1957, it became the 1st Separate Army, which later became the 1st Guards Army.

History

The Special Mechanized Army was formed on 20 December 1947 from the first formation of the Southern Group of Forces. Its headquarters was located in Bucharest. The army's first commander was

Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

Vyacheslav Tsvetayev Vyacheslav Dmitrievich Tsvetaev (russian: Цветаев, Вячеслав Дмитриевич, 17 January 1893 – 11 August 1950) was a Soviet general and Hero of the Soviet Union. Biography He was born into a family of railway workers in ...

. The army included the 2nd Guards Mechanized Division at

Craiova Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...

, the 4th Guards Mechanized Division at

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

, and the 25th Guards Mechanized Division at

Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...

. On 30 January 1948

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Vladimir Sviridov Vladimir Sergeyevich Sviridov (russian: Владимир Сергеевич Свиридов; born 10 May 1990) is a Russian para-athlete competing mainly in category F36 long jump and shot put. In 2013 he took the gold in the shot put at the I ...

took command. In the spring of 1948 the 4th Guards Mechanized Division was withdrawn to the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

. On 20 April 1949 Colonel General

Nikolai Gusev Nikolai Ivanovich Gusev (russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Гу́сев; – 16 May 1962) was a Soviet Army colonel general. Drafted into the Imperial Russian Army during World War I, Gusev did not see action and was drafted into th ...

replaced Sviridov. In August the 2nd Guards Mechanized Division was relocated to Hungary, reducing the army to one division. In September 1949 the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division arrived in

Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...

from the Odessa Military District. On 3 September 1950, Colonel General Filipp Golikov became the army's commander. In late 1953 the 81st Guards Rifle Division was relocated from the Kiev Military District to Arad. The army also included the 86th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division at Constanța and the 66th Fighter and

67th Mixed Aviation Division 67 may refer to: * 67 (number) * one of the years 67 BC, AD 67, 1967, 2067 * ''67'', a 1992 song by Love Battery from the album ''Between the Eyes'' * 67 (rap group), a drill music group from London See also * 67th Regiment (disambiguation) * 67th ...

s at Ploiești and Timișoara, respectively. On 17 January 1956 Colonel General

Andrei Getman Andrei Lavrentyevich Getman (; uk, Андрі́й Лавре́нтійович Ге́тьман, Andriy Lavretiyovych Hetman; 5 October (22 September OS) 1903 – 8 April 1987) was a Soviet military commander, Army General (13 April 1964) and Hero ...

became the army's commander. The 81st Guards Rifle Division's 233rd Guards Rifle Regiment was attached to the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division in 1956. The 33rd Guards Mechanized Division was detached to the Special Corps and fought in Operation Whirlwind, the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. On 6 April 1957, the army was redesignated the 1st Separate Army.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Armies of the Soviet Army Field armies of the Soviet Union Military units and formations established in 1947 Military units and formations disestablished in 1957