With increasing production of tanks in the late 20's - early 30's
s there was a question about their organized
structure and combat application. 17 July 1929 the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR passed
Resolution on the establishment of an experimental mechanized parts. AT 1930 year
Moscow Experimental Mechanized Brigade was formed Military District,
which in 1931 year was named to the. B. Kalinowski - one of the active
builders of armored and mechanized troops.
To determine the most appropriate
organizational forms tank and mechanized parts and connections 4 Martha
1932 the Revolutionary Military Council created a special commission under the chairmanship of M. n.
Tukhachevsky. At the suggestion of the Revolutionary Military Council approved the organizational committee
structure, which included the presence of armored units in the composition
special tank units Reserve Command and individual
mechanized brigades and corps for independent action in the operational depth
the enemy. AT 1932 for the first time in the history of the Leningrad Military District
based Infantry Division Mechanized Corps created. It was soon
formed three mechanized corps.
T-37
It should be noted, In many military historical publications, including in the Soviet Military Encyclopedia is approved, that the first mechanized corps was housing, created in the Moscow Military District. This statement is historically inaccurate, as evidenced by a number of archival documents.
Organizational each mechanized corps consisted of
two mechanized brigades, Rifle Brigade, Intelligence, sapper,
flamethrower battalion, anti-aircraft artillery battalion, parts and
support units. According to state housing included 490 combat vehicles, of them -
175 BT tanks, 192 - T-26 and 123 - T-37. December 1935 year from the body
withdrew tanks T-26 and replaced them with more high-speed BT tanks. Just housing
It was 463 tanka.
In subsequent years, the total number of
mechanized corps did not change, although in 1939 It was supposed to
have nine buildings. The main cause of formation of suspension
mechanized corps, apparently, it is necessary to consider the, that senior military
management was not a vision for the use of buildings in combat.
The T-26 on parade 1 May 1934
AT 1938 by mechanized preexisting housing without significant changes in their organizational structure it was renamed the tank body. Panzer Corps consisted of two brigades legkotankovyh, motorized infantry machine gun team and a number of individual parts. According to the state it was envisaged to have 560 tanks. In this regular organization tank corps existed before 1939 of the year.
To achieve the most regular implementation of recommendations
tank corps based on experience in the use of armored forces in Spain
the decision of the Chief Military Council in June 1939 year established a special
Commission chaired by the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense G.I.Kulika. The commission is composed of E. A.
Shtadenko, Budyonny, B. M.Shaposhnikov, SK. Tymoshenko and other military leaders.
When discussing the place and role of the large tank
connections in front and army chief of offensive operations
Armored Directorate of the Red Army Corps Commander D. D. Pavlov on the basis of personal experience
fighting in Spain submitted a proposal to disband the tank corps. He was supported
D. AND. Kulik.
Commander 1st rank Semyon Timoshenko and Deputy People's Commissar of Defensecommander
1-rank Grigory Kulik, 1 April 1940
During discussion of this issue it has already received the experience of using the 15th Panzer Corps in the composition of the Belorussian Front and the 25th Panzer Corps in the composition of Ukrainian Front during the liberation campaign in the western regions of Belarus and Ukraine. Here front commanders, not having sufficient experience in the management of such large tank formations, We were not able to fully exploit the potential combat capabilities of the tank corps. Their pace of advancement were low, in some cases, tank corps lagged behind the cavalry corps.
Taking this into account, Supreme Military Council made erroneous conclusions in November 1939 , declared it necessary to disband the tank corps, and instead create a motorized divisions, in which the state was supposed to be on 275 tanks. This grandiose breaking organizational forms of BT and MV were the biggest mistake of the military and political leadership. Assessing the decision, we must bear in mind, that in the same 1939 by Nazi Germany embarked on the creation of the mechanized corps.
Gabriel Tsobehiya
