38th Guards Airborne Corps
| 38th Guards Airborne Corps 38th Guards Rifle Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1944-1955 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | airborne, infantry |
| Size | Corps |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Battle honours | Vienna |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Alexander Kapitokhin Alexander Utvenko |
The 38th Guards Airborne Corps was a Red Army airborne corps. It was activated in August 1944 and became a rifle corps in January 1945. In June 1946, it became an airborne corps again before being disbanded in April 1955.[1]
History
The 38th Guards Airborne Corps was formed on 9 August 1944 under the command of Alexander Kapitokhin. In January 1945, the corps was converted to infantry and transferred to Hungary as part of the 9th Guards Army. The corps first fought in combat on 21 February. On 25 March, Kapitokhin was replaced by Alexander Utvenko in command.[1] It fought during the Vienna Offensive, where its 104th Guards Rifle Division captured Sankt Pölten.[2] Its 105th Guards Rifle Division blocked the Vienna-Linz road.[3] For its actions in the Vienna Offensive, the corps was awarded the honorary title "Vienna".[4] Advancing on the right flank of the 37th Guards Rifle Corps, the corps entered Czechoslovakia and fought in the Prague Offensive, where the 106th Guards Rifle Division captured Znojmo.[4][5][6]
In 1946, the corps was transferred to Tula.[7] The 104th Guards Airborne Division was transferred out of the corps on 7 June.[8] On 10 June, it became airborne again. On 10 January 1948, the 11th Guards Airborne Division was activated to form a third division in the corps. On 25 April 1955, the corps was disbanded.[1]
Commanders
The corps was commanded by the following officers.[1]
- Lieutenant general Alexander Kapitokhin (9 August 1944-25 March 1945)
- Lieutenant general Alexander Utvenko (26 March 1945-July 1946)
- Lieutenant general Stepan Povetkin (July-August 1946)
- Lieutenant general Erofey Dobrovolskiy (August 1946-25 April 1955)
Composition
The corps was composed of the following units in January 1945.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d Holm, Michael. "38th Guards Airborne Corps". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ^ "31-я отдельная гвардейская десантно-штурмовая Ордена Кутузова 2-й степени бригада : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации". structure.mil.ru. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ "Все о ВДВ, клубы десантников, фильмы о ВДВ, десантура, воздушно-десантные войска". sdrvdv.ru. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ a b "106-я гвардейская Краснознамённая ордена Кутузова 2-й степени воздушно-десантная дивизия : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации". structure.mil.ru. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ^ Kharazia, Hassan (1984). Дорогами мужества [Roads of Courage]. Moscow: Voenizdat.
- ^ a b Feskov, Vitaly (2004). Красная Армия в победах и поражениях 1941-1945 гг [The Red Army in the Years of the Great Patriotic War] (PDF). Tomsk: Tomsk University Press. p. 98.
- ^ Feskov, Vitaly (2004). Советская Армия в годы 'холодной войны' (1945-1991) [The Red Army in the years of the Cold War, 1945-1991]. Tomsk: Tomsk University Press. p. 47.
- ^ "104th Guards Airborne Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
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