5th Separate Rifle Corps
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 5th Rifle Corps was a 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 ...
's
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 ...
, formed twice. Formed in 1922, the corps was based at
Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 2 ...
in Belarus for most of the
interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
. It fought in the
Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
in September 1939, with elements participating in the Battle of Grodno before linking up with German troops. As a result, the corps was stationed on the border when the
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began on 22 June 1941. The corps was destroyed in the first week of the war in the
Battle of Białystok–Minsk The Battle of Białystok–Minsk was a German strategic operation conducted by the Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock during the penetration of the Soviet border region in the opening stage of Operation Barbarossa, ...
and officially disbanded in early July. The corps was formed for a second time in mid-1942 in the
Soviet Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
, and spent most of
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 opposin ...
guarding the border around
Bikin Bikin (russian: Бики́н) is a town in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located on the river Bikin (a tributary of the Ussuri) southwest of Khabarovsk. Population: 19,000 (1967). History It was founded in 1885 as Bikinskaya and was granted town s ...
, sending several formations to the Eastern Front while undergoing several reorganizations. In August 1945, the corps fought in the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian strategic offensive operation (russian: Манчжурская стратегическая наступательная операция, Manchzhurskaya Strategicheskaya Nastu ...
as a separate unit directly controlled by the 2nd Far Eastern Front, capturing the Japanese fortified region adjacent to its sector of the border against light resistance, and advancing into Manchuria. The corps was disbanded after the war in late 1945.


First formation


Interwar period

The 5th Rifle Corps was first formed at
Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
in June 1922 in accordance with an order of the Western Front of 27 May and an order of the Minsk Military Region of 13 June. In July of that year, the corps headquarters was relocated to
Mogilev Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...
before moving to
Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 2 ...
in October 1923. It was part of the Western Front until April 1924, when the front became the
Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, ...
(later the Belorussian Military District). Markian Germanovich commanded the corps from June 1924, and was replaced by
Ivan Smolin Ivan Ivanovich Smolin (; 5 July 1895 – 20 September 1937) was a Soviet army commander. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army in World War I and in the Soviet Red Army in the Russian Civil War. He was a recipient of the Order of the Red Banner ( ...
in March 1926; the latter commanded the corps until May 1927.
Alexander Todorsky Alexander Ivanovich Todorsky (8 September 1894 – 27 August 1965) was a Soviet general and komkor (corps commander). He fought for the Imperial Russian Army in World War I before going over to the Bolsheviks in the subsequent Civil War. Biogra ...
commanded the corps from July of that year until November 1928, when he was replaced by Sergey Gribov (promoted to ''
Komkor (russian: комкор) is the abbreviation for Corps commander (russian: командир корпуса, komandir korpusa; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the d ...
'' in 1935); the latter commanded the corps until December 1935. In February 1936, ''
Komdiv (russian: комдив) is the abbreviation to Commanding officer of the Division (russian: командир дивизии, komandir divizii; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It ...
''
Yevgeny Kazansky Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgenii or Yevgeniy (russian: Евгений), also transliterated as Evgeni, Evgeny, Evgenii or Evgeniy, is the Russian form of the masculine given name Eugene. People with the name include: :''Note: Occasionally, a person may b ...
became the corps commander and commissar. In April 1937, he was placed at the disposal of the
People's Commissariat of Defense The People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union () was the highest military department of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. History In the 1920–1930s, the highest military authority of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic ...
before being arrested in the
Great Purge The Great Purge or the Great Terror (russian: Большой террор), also known as the Year of '37 (russian: 37-й год, translit=Tridtsat sedmoi god, label=none) and the Yezhovshchina ('period of Nikolay Yezhov, Yezhov'), was General ...
. Kazansky was succeeded in May by ''Komdiv''
Leonid Petrovsky Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky (11 June 1897 – 17 August 1941) was a Soviet lieutenant general. He was the oldest son of Grigory Petrovsky. He was born in what is now Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine. He was promoted to Komkor from Komdiv in 1937. While ...
, who commanded the corps until his transfer to lead the
Central Asian Military District The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 ...
in November of that year. Under Petrovsky's command, the corps participated in the Belorussian maneuvers of 1937, cooperating with airborne troops in an advance east across the
Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
. Petrovsky was replaced by ''Komdiv'' Filipp Yershakov, who transferred to the
Kharkov Military District The Kharkov Military District () was a military district of the Russian Empire, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the Soviet Union. Throughout its history, the district headquarters was located in the city of Kharkov in northeast ...
in January 1938. In April, ''Komdiv''
Vasily Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (russian: link=no, Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в; ;  – 18 March 1982) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is best known for commanding the 62nd Army which saw h ...
took command of the corps. On 26 June 1938, the district became the Western Special Military District, while the corps headquarters was used to form the headquarters of the Bobruisk Army Group under Chuikov's command, whose troops were stationed on the territory of
Mogilev Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...
,
Gomel Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census). Etymology There are at least six narratives of the o ...
, and Polesskoy Oblasts. A new corps headquarters was formed as a replacement. On 10 February 1939, ''
Komdiv (russian: комдив) is the abbreviation to Commanding officer of the Division (russian: командир дивизии, komandir divizii; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It ...
'' (promoted to
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
5 June 1940) Alexander Garnov took command of the corps.


Soviet invasion of Poland

The corps fought in the
Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
in September, advancing into what was annexed by the Soviet Union as western Belarus. On 17 September, at the beginning of the invasion, it was part of the
Dzerzhinsky Cavalry-Mechanized Group Dzerzhinsky (masculine), Dzerzhinskaya (feminine), or Dzerzhinskoye (neuter) may refer to: People *Felix Dzerzhinsky (1877–1926), Communist revolutionary, founder of the Cheka *Ivan Dzerzhinsky Ivan Ivanovich Dzerzhinsky (9 April 1909 – 18 ...
of the Belorussian Front and included the 4th and 13th Rifle Divisions. At 05:00 on that day it crossed the border into Poland, overrunning the overstretched Polish border guards. The corps captured 29 border guards while suffering losses of six killed and two wounded. It reached the
Stolbtsy Stowbtsy ( be, Стоўбцы, ''Stoŭbcy'', ) or Stolbtsy ( rus, Столбцы, , stɐlˈptsɨ; pl, Stołpce; yi, סטויבץ ''Steibtz'', lt, Stolpcai) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus, the administrative center of the Stowbtsy District. ...
Baranovichi Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is not ...
railway line by 18:00 and the
Usza River Usza is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ruja, within Legnica County __NOTOC__ Legnica County ( pl, powiat legnicki) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-wes ...
by 23:00, with mobile detachments advancing to the Servach River during the day. At 8:00 on 19 September, a motorcycle group from the 4th Division's 101st Rifle Regiment entered Slonim, receiving 6,000 prisoners of war from units of the 15th Tank Corps, advancing ahead of the 5th. At 4:00 on 20 September, the motorcycle group of the 13th Division's 119th Rifle Regiment entered
Volkovysk Vawkavysk ( be, Ваўкавы́ск, ; russian: Волковы́ск; pl, Wołkowysk; lt, Valkaviskas; yi, וואלקאוויסק; names in other languages) is one of the oldest towns in southwestern Belarus and the capital of the Vawkavysk ...
, where it was operationally subordinated to the 15th Tank Corps. The group encountered two squadrons of Polish cavalry west of the city, capturing 150 with the loss of one killed. At 18:00 on 20 September, the 119th Regiment supported the tank corps' 27th Light Tank Brigade in the capture of the southern part of
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
. That night, it managed to gain a foothold on the right bank of the
Neman The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
and reach the eastern approaches to the city. Meanwhile, the corps was transferred to the 10th Army. On 21 September, the main forces of the corps had reached
Zelva , image_skyline = Зэльва. Касцёл Святой Тройцы (01).jpg , image_caption = , imagesize = 250px , image_flag = Zelva flag.svg , image_seal = Zelva coat.svg , subdivision_type = Country Su ...
, with the 101st and 119th Regiments moving on Grodno to fight in the battle for the city. By the morning of 21 September, the 119th Regiment had arrived in Grodno, crossing to the right bank north of the 101st Regiment. Beginning at 6:00, the two regiments, reinforced with four guns and two tanks, attacked into the city, reaching the railway line by 12:00 despite Polish counterattacks and the city center at 14:00. The main forces of the 4th and 13th Divisions attacked from the east, but withdrew back to the city outskirts after reaching the railway line. After the Polish troops withdrew from the city on 22 September, the corps moved west and southwest from Volkovysk behind the 6th Cavalry Corps' 11th Cavalry Division. On 24 September, the corps reached the
Svislach Svislach or Śvislač ( be, Свiслач, ; russian: Сви́слочь, Svisloch; pl, Świsłocz; yi, סיסלעוויטש or ''Sislevitch''; lt, Svisločius) is a town in the South-West of Grodno Region, Belarus, an administrative center o ...
Porazava Porazava ( be, Поразава, russian: По́розово, pl, Porozów, yi, פּאָרוזעווע ''Porozeve'', lt, Porozovas) is a town in the Svislach District of Grodno Region, Belarus near the town of Svislach.Vitaut Kipel, Zora Kipel ' ...
line, and its advance detachments took control of Bielsk Podlaski and
Brańsk Brańsk ( be, Бранск, lt, Branskas) is a town in eastern Poland. It is situated within Podlaskie Voivodeship (province). Etymology The name of the town comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River. Geography Lo ...
at 13:00 on 25 September. On the next day, in the Gaynovichi area, the corps captured 120 Polish soldiers and discovered an ammunition depot. On the same day, in the
Czyżew Czyżew is a town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The wor ...
area, a German rearguard detachment was fired upon by Polish troops, losing one killed and four wounded before moving to
Ciechanowiec Ciechanowiec (; yi, טשעכֿאַנאָװיץ, german: Rudelstadt) is a small town in Gmina Ciechanowiec, Wysokie Mazowieckie County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, eastern Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 4,511. History In the ...
, where Soviet troops provided medical assistance to them. On 27 September, the corps' forward detachments reached Nur and Czyżew, discovering another Polish ammunition depot near Gaynuki and digging up buried weapons in the forests. That night, a Polish detachment of 50 cavalrymen attacked departing German units at Nur, who moved west covered by the 13th Division's reconnaissance battalion. The battalion scattered the Polish detachment in the area of the village of Moderka. By 19:00 on 29 September, the corps' units occupied
Małkinia Górna Małkinia Górna is a large village in Ostrów Mazowiecka County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with about 6,000 inhabitants (2005). It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Małkinia Górna. Małkinia is a railway junction. T ...
and Kosów Lacki. The
121st Rifle Division The 121st Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. Formed in September 1939 in Belarus, the division participated in the Soviet invasion of Poland later that month and in the June 1940 occupation of Lithuani ...
joined the corps by 2 October.


Operation Barbarossa

In November 1940, the corps headquarters was relocated to the new border at Bielsk Podlaski. It included the 13th, 86th (transferred to the corps in August 1940), and 113th Rifle Divisions and was headquartered at
Zambrów Zambrów is a town in northeastern Poland with 21,166 inhabitants (2020). It is the capital of Zambrów County. Situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Łomża Voivodeship (1975–1998). History The name of the town ...
by 22 June 1941, when
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began. The 113th Division was temporarily subordinated to the corps commander, while the 5th Separate Corps Aviation Squadron provided liaison, fire correction, and reconnaissance capabilities to the corps. The 156th and 315th Corps Artillery Regiments provided artillery support to the corps, but were stationed at the artillery summer camp in preparation for the summer training season southeast of
Łomża Łomża (), in English known as Lomza, is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship si ...
in the Chervony Bor area on 22 June. On the morning of 22 June, the corps headquarters was bombed by German aircraft. Having suffered heavy losses to German bombing and artillery fire, the 113th Division assembled in a relatively orderly fashion and moved northwest to cover the border in accordance with pre-war planning. A few hours later, on the march, it was struck in the flank by troops of the IX Army Corps and routed. The division ceased to exist as a unit, although individual groups continued to fight on the southern edge of the
Białowieża Forest Białowieża Forest; lt, Baltvyžių giria; pl, Puszcza Białowieska  ; russian: Беловежская пуща, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a forest on the border between Belarus and Poland. It is one of the last and largest remaining pa ...
for several days. The 86th Rifle Division defended positions to the northwest of the German breakthrough. To the west of Zambrów, two battalions from its 169th Rifle Regiment defended positions of the 64th Fortified Region. Their positions were somewhat strengthened by the fire of four battalions of the 124th Howitzer Artillery Regiment in the second half of the day, which inflicted losses on the German troops. The 330th Rifle Regiment defended the border railway station of
Czyżew Czyżew is a town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The wor ...
; it had been marching from the Zambrów area, where it had drilled the day before the war began, to summer camp at Ciechanów. Its 3rd Battalion was sent to the unfinished 64th Fortified Region positions at Zaręby Kościelne, which had been captured by German troops. The battalion suffered heavy losses in trying to retake the pillboxes at 8:00, but temporarily halted the German advance in the sector. The Western Front issued an order at 22:00 on 23 June that subordinated the 124th and 375th Howitzer Artillery Regiments and the 311th Gun Artillery Regiment to the corps commander. Due to its position, the corps was destroyed in the first days of Operation Barbarossa. It was disbanded in early July.


Second formation


Garrison duty in the Far East

In June 1942, the 5th Rifle Corps was reformed as part of the
Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front ( Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front ...
's 1st Red Banner Army, under the command of
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Alexey Khvostov from 27 June. It included the 246th and the 248th Rifle Brigades, and was stationed in the
Soviet Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
, guarding the border with the Japanese-controlled
Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
. The 248th Brigade was transferred to the front in the west and was replaced by the 12th Rifle Brigade in July. The 95th Rifle Brigade joined the corps in August. In November, the 12th Rifle Brigade was transferred to the army's
59th Rifle Corps The 59th Quartermaster Company is a bulk petroleum company designed to provide semi-portable storage for of fuel and to provide distribution of fuel to military units within a specified geographic area while deployed overseas. Its secondary missi ...
, and the newly formed 187th Rifle Division joined the corps in February 1943. On 26 June, Major General
Ivan Pashkov Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
took command of the corps; he would lead it for the rest of its existence. In July, it was transferred to the 35th Army, taking control of all of the army's infantry units – the 35th, 66th, and (newly formed) 264th Rifle Divisions, the 30th Rifle Brigade, and the 1408th Separate Rifle Regiment. The 95th and 246th Brigades transferred with the corps, while the 187th Division remained with the 1st Army. The corps' structure remained constant until December 1944, when all of its units except for the 66th Rifle Division were directly subordinated to the army headquarters. In April 1945, the corps was directly subordinated to the front headquarters, including the 35th and 390th Rifle Divisions in its structure; the 66th Division remained with the 35th Army. Due to its transfer, the corps became known as the 5th Separate Rifle Corps.


Soviet invasion of Manchuria

In preparation for the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian strategic offensive operation (russian: Манчжурская стратегическая наступательная операция, Manchzhurskaya Strategicheskaya Nastu ...
, the corps became part of the 2nd Far Eastern Front after the Far Eastern Front was split on 5 August. For the invasion, the 172nd Tank Brigade, two self-propelled gun battalions, an anti-tank brigade, an anti-aircraft regiment, and two anti-aircraft battalions were attached to the corps. These fielded 164 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,433 guns and mortars, and eighteen multiple rocket launchers. Front commander
Army General Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the General officer#French (Revolutionary) system, French Revolutionary System.  In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of genera ...
Maxim Purkayev tasked the corps, on the front's left flank, with conducting a supporting attack to the left of the 15th Army in cooperation with the 3rd Brigade of the
Amur Flotilla The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeastern China (Inner Manchuria). The Amur proper is long, ...
and troops of the
Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China ...
Border Guard District. The 5th Corps was to cross the
Ussuri River The Ussuri or Wusuli (russian: Уссури; ) is a river that runs through Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais, Russia and the southeast region of Northeast China. It rises in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, flowing north and forming part of the ...
from the
Bikin Bikin (russian: Бики́н) is a town in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located on the river Bikin (a tributary of the Ussuri) southwest of Khabarovsk. Population: 19,000 (1967). History It was founded in 1885 as Bikinskaya and was granted town s ...
area north of Iman, destroy or cut off the Japanese forces stationed in the Jaoho
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 ...
, and capture Jaoho. It was then to advance west to Chiamussu and capture the towns of Paoching and Poli after crossing the Lesser Khingan Mountains, linking up with the 1st Far Eastern Front's 35th Army at Poli. The corps was also to cooperate with the 15th Army to destroy the Japanese forces on the
Sungari The Songhua or Sunghwa River (also Haixi or Xingal, russian: Сунгари ''Sungari'') is one of the primary rivers of China, and the longest tributary of the Amur. It flows about from the Changbai Mountains on the China–North Korea bor ...
, although 80 kilometers of swampy marshlands separated it from the latter. The front's offensive operations were later known in Soviet historiography as the
Sungari Offensive The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian strategic offensive operation (russian: Манчжурская стратегическая наступательная операция, Manchzhurskaya Strategicheskaya Nastu ...
. To support their operations, the corps and the 15th Army achieved a maximum artillery density of between 100 and 150 guns and mortars per kilometer (161 to 241 guns per mile) in their primary attack sectors. The corps' attack was preceded by a 30-minute artillery preparation, and its assault crossing was supported by a 50-minute artillery bombardment. In the crossing phase, the corps' artillery fired five minutes of heavy fire on predetermined targets to support the assault crossings of the forward detachments, before moving forward into the Japanese rear. Pashkov placed the 390th Division and the 172nd Tank Brigade in the first echelon, spearheading the Ussuri crossing, followed by the 35th Division in the second echelon. On the first day of the invasion, 9 August, the corps' assault units and reconnaissance detachments crossed the Ussuri at 01:00, aboard rafts, barges, steamship ferries, and boats of the 3rd Brigade of the Amur Flotilla. The opposite bank and Jaoho fortifications were defended by only one infantry company from the Japanese 135th Infantry Division, supported by two battalions of Manchurian auxiliaries. After the artillery preparation, the 390th Division's advanced battalions crossed the river and captured a bridgehead north of Jaoho in the morning, subsequently followed by main force units. It took fifteen hours to ferry the tanks of the 172nd Tank Brigade across the Ussuri, although a shortage of roads forced the brigade to leave its rear units behind. The 390th Division captured the Jaoho Fortified Region and the town of Jaoho by the end of 10 August, beginning the advance southwest towards Paoching on the next day. The troops traveled in march columns led by tanks from the 172nd Brigade. The march was lengthened by poor road conditions, while the Japanese offered little resistance due to the Japanese Fifth Army having withdrawn the 135th Division west to join the main Japanese force. Paoching was captured by the 172nd Brigade and the lead units of the 390th Division on 14 August after they pushed out its garrison. The 172nd and the 390th then continued towards Poli, followed by the main forces of the corps. On 19 August, the lead elements of the corps linked up with the 35th Army's 66th Rifle Division at Poli after crossing southward through the mountains from Paoching, having faced "virtually no Japanese resistance". During the invasion, the 5th Corps reported the capture of 2,786 Japanese and Manchukuoan soldiers and officers. Its role in the campaign ended after reaching Poli.


Postwar

By 3 September, the corps had been transferred to the 15th Army, and included the 34th, 35th, 361st, and 388th Rifle Divisions. It was disbanded by the end of October 1945, headquartered at Bikin as part of the
Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...
. The 34th Division was transferred to the Transbaikal-Amur Military District, while the 35th was also disbanded.


Commanders

The following officers are known to have commanded the corps' first formation: * Markian Germanovich (June 1924–March 1926) *
Ivan Smolin Ivan Ivanovich Smolin (; 5 July 1895 – 20 September 1937) was a Soviet army commander. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army in World War I and in the Soviet Red Army in the Russian Civil War. He was a recipient of the Order of the Red Banner ( ...
(March 1926–May 1927) *
Alexander Todorsky Alexander Ivanovich Todorsky (8 September 1894 – 27 August 1965) was a Soviet general and komkor (corps commander). He fought for the Imperial Russian Army in World War I before going over to the Bolsheviks in the subsequent Civil War. Biogra ...
(July 1927–November 1928) * Sergey Gribov (promoted to ''Komkor'' 1935, November 1928–December 1935) * ''Komdiv''
Yevgeny Kazansky Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgenii or Yevgeniy (russian: Евгений), also transliterated as Evgeni, Evgeny, Evgenii or Evgeniy, is the Russian form of the masculine given name Eugene. People with the name include: :''Note: Occasionally, a person may b ...
(February 1936–April 1937) * ''Komdiv''
Leonid Petrovsky Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky (11 June 1897 – 17 August 1941) was a Soviet lieutenant general. He was the oldest son of Grigory Petrovsky. He was born in what is now Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine. He was promoted to Komkor from Komdiv in 1937. While ...
(May–November 1937) * ''Komdiv'' Filipp Yershakov (November 1937–January 1938) * ''Komdiv''
Vasily Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (russian: link=no, Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в; ;  – 18 March 1982) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is best known for commanding the 62nd Army which saw h ...
(April–June 1938) * ''Komdiv'' (promoted to Major General 5 June 1940) Alexander Garnov (10 February 1939–after 22 June 1941) The following officers commanded the corps' second formation: * Colonel Alexey Khvostov (27 June 1942–25 June 1943) * Major General
Ivan Pashkov Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
(26 June 1943–after 3 September 1945)


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Soviet Union corps Rifle corps of the Soviet Union Military units and formations established in 1922 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations of the Soviet invasion of Poland