17th Army (Soviet Union)

17th Army
Active	1940-1946
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Combined arms
Size	Field army
Garrison/HQ	Ulaan Bataar
Engagements	World War II Soviet invasion of Manchuria
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Pavel Kurochkin

The 17th Army of the Red Army was a Soviet field army. It was formed from the 1st Army Group of the Transbaikal Military District on 21 July 1940.^[1] From 1941 to 1945, the army assumed a general defensive posture, including within Mongolia. On 22 June 1941 it included the 57th and 61st Tank Divisions, and 36th Motor Rifle, 57th and 82nd Rifle Divisions.^[2]

During the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the army was assigned to the Transbaikal Front. On the night of 9 August 1945, without artillery and air 17th Army began the attack and went on the offensive. By the end of the day the main forces of the army had advanced 50 kilometers, and the best part of the passing of the day, about 70 miles, reached the area of the lake herd-Noor. On the third day of the Khingano-Mukden Operation in cooperation with the Soviet-Mongolian Cavalry mechanized group, the 17th Army approached the south-western spurs of the Greater Khingan Mountains. In the later days of the operation the army successfully overcame Japanese opposition, and repulsed counterattacks in the area of Linsi. By the end of 14 August 1945, the 17th Army captured abroad Dabanshan Tszinpen. On 16 August Udanchen was captured. In late August 1945 in conjunction with the mechanized cavalry group of the front's main forces the 17th Army reached the area of Linyuan, and one of the divisions of the army was on the coast of Liaodong Bay near the town of Shanhaiguan. In the same area on 31 August 1945 the 17th Army ended combat operations.^[3]

During the invasion of Manchuria, the 17th Army included the 209th, 278th and 284th Rifle Divisions, the 70th and 82nd Separate Tank Battalions, the 56th Tank Destroyer Artillery Brigade, the 185th Gun Artillery Regiment, the 413th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, the 1910th Tank Destroyer Regiment,the 178th Mortar Regiment, the 39th Guards Mortar Regiment,the 1916th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, the 66th Separate Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, the 282nd Separate Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion and the 67th Mortar Brigade.^[4]

It ended was disbanded four months after the end of the war with Japan, in (July–August) 1946(?)).

Commanders^[3][5]

Commanders

• 21 June 1940-January 1941 — Lieutenant General Pavel Kurochkin
• 14 January 1941 – 15 May 1942 — Lieutenant General Prokofy Romanenko
• 15 May 1942 – 18 November 1943 — Major General Anton Gastilovich
• 18 November 1943 – 2 September 1945 — Lieutenant General Alexei Danilov

Members of the Military Soviet

• 1940-28 November 1943 — divisional commissar, 20 December 1942 Major General Stepan Novikov
• 28 November 1943- 6 August 1946 — Major General, from 8 September 1945 Lieutenant General Vasily Emelyanov

Chiefs of Staff

• 1940 to 15 May 1942 — Major General Anton Gastilovich
• 15 May 1942 – 9 November 1942 — Colonel Semyon Protas
• 9 November 1942 – 15 August 1946 — Colonel, from December 1942 Major General Alexey Spirov

References

1. Lenskii 2001
2. http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/interior/_transbaikal_17.html
3. По данным Министерства обороны России
4. David Glantz, . Accessed 2009-06-16. Archived 2009-06-19.
5. По данным базы данных «Командный состав РККА и РКВМФ в 1941—1945 годах»