| 6th Tank Corps (1942-1943) 11th Guards Tank Corps (1943-1945) 11th Guards Tank Division (1945-1992) 11th Guards Mechanized Brigade (1990s-Present) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942 - Present |
| Country | Soviet Union, Belarus |
| Branch | Ground Forces |
| Type | Tank and Mechanized Infantry |
| Role | Armored warfare |
| Size | Division, Tank Corps, Brigade |
| Engagements |
World War II Cold War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | A. Kh. Babadzhanian |
The 11th Guards Mechanized Brigade is a unit of the Armed Forces of Belarus based in Slonim. The 11th Guards Brigade traces its history back to the 1942 formation of the 6th Tank Corps of the Soviet Army during World War II.
Formed in the Kalinin area on 19 April 1942, the 6th Tank Corps was under the command of Major General A. L. Getman and subordinated to the Western Front until March 1943, at which time the corps was subordinated to the 1st Tank Army, remaining under the command of this formation until 1992. The corps fought at Rzhev in 1942 and Kursk in 1943.[1] The 6th Tank Corps commanded the 22nd, 100th, and 200th Tank Brigades, as well as the 6th Motor Rifle Brigade.[2]
On 23 October 1943, the 6th Tank Corps was officially recognized as a skilled combat formation and 'ranged among the Guards' as the 11th Guards Tank Corps.[3] The 11th Guards Tank Corps was in combat near Kharkov in 1943, the offensive to drive the Germans from Belorussia in 1944 (Operation Bagration), and the offensive across central Poland in January 1945.
In April 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, the 11th Guards Tank Corps was part of the 1st Guards Tank Army.[4] It commanded the 40th, 44th, and 45th Guards Tank Brigades, as well as the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade.[5]
The 11th Guards Tank Corps, like all Soviet tank corps, was reorganized as a division in mid-late 1945, and was renamed the 11th Guards Tank Division. The 11th Guards Tank Division was part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, subordinated to 1st Guards Tank Army (known as the 1st Guards Mechanized Army from 1946 to 1957) at Glauchau.[6] The 11th Guards Tank Division remained in the German Democratic Republic until 1992,[7] when, with the end of the Cold War, the division was relocated to Slonim and became part of the Armed Forces of Belarus. The division's 44th Guards Tank Regiment went to Vladimir in the Russian Federation.
At some point following relocation, the division was reorganized and renamed the 11th Guards Mechanized Brigade.
An 11th Tank Corps also existed but was a different unit.
Commanders of the 6th Tank Corps and the 11th Guards Tank Corps[]
- Apr 1942 - Aug 1944: A. L. Getman[8]
- Aug 1944 - May 1945: A. Kh. Babadzhanian
Notes[]
References[]
- V.I. Feskov et al., The Soviet Army in the period of the Cold War, Tomsk University Publishing House, 2004.
- Glantz, David, Companion to Colussus Reborn, University Press of Kansas, 2005.
- Poirier, Robert G., and Conner, Albert Z., The Red Army Order of Battle in the Great Patriotic War, Novato: Presidio Press, 1985.
- Niehorster OB for 11th Guards Tank Corps in 1945
The original article can be found at 11th Guards Mechanized Brigade and the edit history here.