10th Tank Division (Soviet Union)

10th Tank Division (1940–1941)
Active	1940–1941
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Soviet Ground Forces
Role	Armored warfare
Size	Division, Tank Corps
Engagements	World War II

10th Panzer Division (10 TD) - military formation in Red Army Armed Forces USSR in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 of the Soviet people against the invaders of Hitlerite Germany and its allies.

History[]

1940

In June, organizational measures to form mechanized corps began in the Kiev Special Military District (KOVO). According to the plan for the deployment of new type of armored formations, the basis for the future 10th Panzer Division 4th Mechanized Corps (1st Formation) were the units that were part of 5th Light Tank Brigade (from October 1939 it was stationed in Proskurov).

On June 4, Major General Sergei Yakovlevich Ogurtsov was appointed the commander of the newly formed division. Earlier in April - July 1940 he was acting commander of the 58th Rifle Division KOVO.

However, on June 9, the Military Councils of KOVO and ODVO, on the basis of the directives of the People's Commissar of Defense OU / 583 and OU / 584, respectively, began to prepare a military operation to bring Soviet troops into the territory of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina for the purpose of their subsequent annexation to the USSR. For this reason, as well as in connection with the fact that the states of the new formations had not yet been approved, all the organizational measures begun in KOVO were suspended.

July 6 by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 1193-464 ss the organization of a mechanized corps was approved, in which there were two tank divisions. Tank division of the mechanized corps: two tank regiments, one heavy tank battalion, two medium tank battalions and one flamethrower battalion in each regiment; one motorized regiment consisting of three rifle battalions and one regimental artillery battery (6 guns); one artillery regiment with one battalion of 122 mm howitzers and one battalion of 152 mm howitzers; anti-aircraft battalion, reconnaissance battalion, bridge battalion and rear service units. The armament of a tank division: heavy tanks - 105, medium tanks - 227, flamethrower tanks - 54, total tanks - 386; armored vehicles - 108, 152-mm howitzers - 12, 122-mm howitzers - 12, 76-mm anti-tank artillery guns - 6, 37-mm anti-aircraft guns - 12, 82-mm mortars - 18, 50-mm mortars - 54, large-caliber machine guns - 6, machine guns - ..., hand machine guns - 122, submachine guns - 390, self-loading rifles - 1528.

July 7. The deadline for the completion of the formation of the 4th Mechanized Corps by the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR was postponed to August 9.

On July 19, the 10th TD was formed in the city of Zlochev (Zolochev Lviv region). In addition to parts of the 5th brigade, the 57th and 62nd separate tank battalions, the 222nd reconnaissance company, the 77th communications company, the 312th motor transport company 10th heavy tank brigade, the 257th rifle regiment of the 7th rifle division and the 280th light artillery regiment of the 146th division of the KOVO division.

Until July 19, at 5 Ltbr, Major Mikhail Andreevich Semenyuk was the chief of the operational part of the headquarters - he was appointed chief of the operational department of the 10th TD, the head of the communications section of the headquarters - Major Nikolai Semyonovich Bondarenko - was appointed head of the communications department of the 10th TD, the chief of the combat unit of the headquarters - Captain Lev Lukyanovich Yuzefovich - appointed head of the combat department of the 10th TD, the chief of the rear of the headquarters - Captain Aleksey Sergeevich Mukhin - was appointed head of the rear department of the 10th TD, the chief of the chemical service of the headquarters - Major Anatoly Vladimirovich Malkov - was appointed chief of the chemical service of the 10th TD.

Major V.V. Korotkov, chief of the operational unit of the 24th brigade, was appointed Chief of Staff of the 19 TP. Major V. G. Bibik was appointed chief of staff of the 20 TP.

July 20. Until July 20, the commander of the 5th LTBR was Colonel Mikhail Efimovich Katukov, ME Katukov was appointed commander of the 38th LTBR, assistant to the brigade commander for combat units, Major Fedor Vasilyevich Sukhoruchkin - appointed deputy commander of the 10th TD. Major Vasily Ivanovich Balakin, from the 5th brigade, was appointed as the chief of supply for the 10th TD.

125 high-speed light tanks BT, 1 medium armored car BA-10, 3 light armored vehicles BA-20, which as of March 1, 1940 had 5 ltbr, entered service with 10 td. Medium tanks T-28 were transferred from 10 tank destroyers.

August. The formation of the 4th mechanized corps, located in an important operational direction, was given special importance by the command of the Red Army. Increased attention was paid to staffing the corps with new military equipment and combat training of personnel.

In August, the first command post exercise of the corps commanders took place on the topic: "Entering the mechanized corps into the breakthrough," under the leadership of the commander of the Kiev Special Military District, Army General G. K. Zhukov. The issues of interaction of 4 microns with other branches of the military were being worked out.

In August, the first military exercise of the corps was held with the involvement of aviation on the topic: "Entering a mechanized corps into a breakthrough."

On August 9, the corps completed its formation.

In mid-August, a second military exercise was held, in which 10 TD took part, on the topic: "The action of the mechanized corps in the depths of the enemy's operational defense." The units studied the issues of the pace of movement, bypassing and seizing strong points, conducting oncoming battles with the enemy's reserves and breaking through his rear defensive lines.

By August 25, the corps had received 797 tanks.

On September 26–28, during the audit of the annual check of combat training, the final exercise of the 6th Army took place on the topic: "The offensive of the army and the introduction of the mechanized corps into the breakthrough", which was attended by the leaders of the Red Army: People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union S. K. Timoshenko, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR K. A. Meretskov, the commander of the KOVO troops, General of the Army GK Zhukov and others.

On October 1, the corps had 856 tanks.

Dislocation 4 microns:

Office of the building in Lvov
8th Panzer Division in the suburbs of Lviv
10th Panzer Division in the suburbs of Lvov
81st motorized division in the area of Yanov

1941

On February 20, 10th TD was transferred to the new 15th Mechanized Corps KOVO.

On June 22, at 5.45 am, the division headquarters received a notification of the treacherous attack of the German fascists on the Soviet homeland, the division began to mobilize.

By the time the combat order was received, the division, according to the availability of personnel, was fully prepared for the combat mission. 15 MK and 10 TD respectively became part of the 6th Army Southwestern Front.

From 22 to 29 June, the division fought incessant offensive and defensive battles in the area of Kholoyuv, Radzekhuv (Radekhov), Lopatin. At 21.00 on June 22, the advanced detachment of the division, consisting of 3 TB 20 TP and 2 TB 10 MRP, collided with the enemy's forward units, and then with his main forces. Fulfilling the task of capturing and holding Radziechów, the detachment took an unequal battle with forces about four times superior to its forces, acting with great activity and inflicting great damage on the enemy. On June 25, 26 and 28, attacks were launched on heavily fortified anti-tank areas in the following directions: Cape Holoyuv, Radzekhuv, Lopatin.

On the remaining days at this stage, the division defended the line Toporuv (Toporov), Cape Kholoyuv, often going over to counterattacks (especially in the area of Cape Kholoyuv), and did not allow the enemy to break through in the direction of Busk, Krasnoe, Zolochev, and thus did not give the enemy the opportunity to encircle the Lvov grouping of the 6th Army KOVO.

On June 29, the division commander received the task of the division to enter the SWF reserve in the area of Cape Byaly Kamen.

On June 30, Soviet troops left Lvov.

From June 30 to July 3, the division fought rearguard battles with the enemy pursuing the retreating units of the 15th mechanized corps and the 6th army. The situation did not allow entering the front reserve in the area of Cape Byaly Kamen, but forced the division command to take over the cover of the retreating units from the pursuing enemy units by the method of mobile defense, eliminating the threat of encirclement of the retreating units and seizing their rear services. The division consistently fought defensive battles in the areas: Byaly Kamen ', Pochapi metro stations; Zofyuvka, Kalinka; Mortars (12 km east of Tarnonol) and west of Podvolochisk. Only in the area of Cape Volochisk did the division reach the rear of the forward units of the Southwestern Front and was sent to the reserve for replenishment.

From 8 to 15 July, the division fought for the city of Berdichev with the forces of the Division's Consolidated Detachment, formed from the remaining personnel of the combat subunits of the division's units. The offensive and defensive battles of the detachment during this period took place with a clear advantage in the enemy's forces, and only stubbornness in defense in the Khazhin and Zhezhelev area made it possible to restrain the enemy, and during the transition to the offensive, the Consolidated Detachment could capture the southern outskirts of Berdichev.

From July 15 to August 1, the division is in the front-line reserve, awaiting replenishment from the Piryatin area.

In September 1941, the formation of the 131st and 133rd tank brigades was directed.^[1]

Later 133rd Tank Brigade → 11th Guards Tank Korsun-Berlin Red Banner Orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Brigade

Full name[]

10th Panzer Division

Submission[]

06/3/1940 - 02/20/1941: 4th mechanized corps, 6th army, Kiev Special Military District
02/20/1941 - 06/22/1941: 15th Mechanized Corps, 6th Army, Kiev Special Military District
22.06-… 1941: 15th Mechanized Corps, 6th Army, Southwestern Front

Command[]

The division commander, Major General Sergei Yakovlevich Ogurtsov, (June 4, 1940 – 1941) was captured in August 1941
Deputy division commander for political affairs, regimental commissar Nikolai Feofilovich Greznev.
Deputy Division Commander for Combat Unit Major, Lieutenant Colonel Fedor Vasilyevich Sukhoruchkin
Chief of Staff of the Division Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Sergeevich Porodenko

Other commanders[]

Chief of the operational department of the headquarters Major Mikhail Andreevich Semenyuk
Head of the communications department of the headquarters, Major Nikolai Semyonovich Bondarenko
Chief of the front line of the headquarters captain Lev Lukyanovich Yuzefovich
Head of the logistics department of the headquarters captain Alexey Sergeevich Mukhin
Chief of artillery division Colonel Losev
Chief of Staff of Artillery Major Pyotr Vasilyevich Stetsenko
Head of the Division's Engineering Service, Captain Alexander Ivanovich Savelyev
Chief of the chemical service of the division, Major Anatoly Vladimirovich Malkov
Chief of supply of the division, Major Vasily Ivanovich Balakin
Deputy head of the division's political propaganda department, regimental commissar Israel Aronovich Pogrebizhsky.
The commander of the 19 TP, Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Alekseevich Proleev.

Chief of Staff of the 19 TP Major, Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Vasilyevich Korotkov (from 07.19.40, at 12.40 already NO-1 of the 8th Tank Division), Major Anatoly Savvich Sterpul.

* Korotkov Viktor Vasilievich. Major, lieutenant colonel. Born on March 31, 1901 in the village. Strelchilovo, Lopasnyansky District, Moscow Region In the Red Army since 1920. Member of the Civil War in Russia in 1918-1921. Until 07/19/1940 chief of the operational unit of the 24th light tank brigade. From 19.07.1940 chief of staff of the 19th tank regiment of the 10th tank division of the 4th mechanized corps of the Kiev Special Military District. Chief of the operations department of the 8th Panzer Division (until the spring of 1941) of the 4th Mechanized Corps of the Kiev Special Military District.

Commander of the 1st tank battalion 19 TP Captain Zakhar Karpovich Slyusarenko
Commander 2 tank battalion 19 TP Captain Viktorov
Commander of the 20 TP Colonel Ivan Vladimirovich Terlyansky.
Deputy commander of the 20 TP for political affairs, battalion commissar Ivan Matveyevich Dagilis.
Chief of Staff of the 20 TP, Major Vyacheslav Geronimovich Bibik (07.19.40-11.40) (from 5 ltbr), Major Ivan Filippovich Govor (disappeared 25.06.41).
Commander of the 10th mechanized infantry regiment, Colonel Vladimir Alexandrovich Pshenitsyn.
Deputy commander of the 10th mechanized infantry division for political affairs, battalion commissar Tikhonov.
Commander of the motor transport battalion of the 10th mechanized infantry division, Major, Lieutenant Colonel Azi Agadovich Aslanov.

* Aslanov Azi Agadovich. Colonel from 1943, from 03/13/1944 - major general of tank forces. Hero of the Soviet Union (12/22/1942). Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he participated in battles as part of 10 td. Commander of a motor transport battalion, 10th mechanized infantry regiment. Since August 1941, the deputy commander of the 20th TP for technical parts of the 10th TP. In December 1941 he was appointed deputy commander of the 55th Tank Brigade. Since 1942, the commander of the 55th tank regiment, formed from the surviving personnel and the whole military equipment of the 55th tank brigade. At the end of 1942, the commander of a tank group of the surviving tanks of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps. Commander of the 35th Guards Tank Brigade (1.11.42—24.01.45). Died January 24, 1945.

Commander of the 10th Gap Major Mikhail Ivanovich Skornyakov, Major Bokovnev (disappeared 06/28/41)
Assistant Commander of 10th Guards for Supply Captain Prokofy Vasilievich Knizhnik
Chief of Staff of 10 Gap Captain Matvey Ivanovich Davidyuk
Commander of the 10th reconnaissance battalion of the division, senior lieutenant Samuil Moiseevich Toporovsky
Commander of the 10th motor transport battalion of the division, Captain Fyodor Ivanovich Bystrik
Commander of the 10th separate communications battalion of the division, Captain Daniil Pavlovich Sirotenko
Commander of the 10th pontoon-bridge battalion of the division, Captain Afanasy Petrovich Yablokov

Composition[]

For July 1940:

control divisions
19th tank regiment
20th tank regiment
10th motorized rifle regiment
10th Howitzer Artillery Regiment

Divisional units:

10th reconnaissance battalion
10th motor transport battalion
10th pontoon bridge battalion
10th separate communications battalion
10th separate anti-aircraft artillery division
10th medical and sanitary battalion
10th repair and restoration battalion
10th Regulatory Company
10th field bakery
302nd Field Post Station
301st field cash desk of the State Bank

Literature[]

The Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. P. 21
Zhukov GK Memories and reflections. In three volumes. The tenth edition, supplemented by the author's manuscript. Novosti publishing house. Moscow, 1990.
Red Banner Kiev. Essays on the history of the Red Banner Kiev Military District (1919-1979). Second edition, revised and enlarged. Kiev, publishing house of political literature of Ukraine. 1979.
TsKhSD, f. 89, per. 74, doc. 1940 mechanized corps staff
RGVA. F. 37977. Op. 1.D. 684.L. 219,232; D. 687. L. 125. Southern Front 1940