Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Soviet 18th Tank Corps

By Phil Gardocki

From the wreckage of the tank battles of 1941, a new philosophy of organization was born for the Soviet armored forces. The complexity of the pre-war units was not sustainable, so simpler units were evolved. At the start of the “Great Patriotic War” the Red Army was organized  like the German Army, with Tank Divisions and Mechanized Divisions. The first months of combat demonstrated that a simpler organization was required. Beginning in August 1941, Tank brigades were formed. Below is an example of the evolution of the 18th Tank Corps from its formation in 1942 through the war until its last action in Hungary in 1945. We start with the 110th Tank Brigade to show the main combat arm of the corps.

Table of Organization & Equipment for the 110th Tank Brigade


The tank brigades were about the size of a German Battalion with an official Table of Organization (TOE) of 1,300 men, 52 tanks, and a small collection of support guns and mortars. They were all teeth, and no depth which showed when the brigades came in close contact with the German Army forces. Often the tank brigades were thrown together whenever fresh equipment and men were available. This left them with less than their full complement of men,were under equipped, and with little training. It was expected that these formations would simply disappear on contact with the enemy. Almost no logistical support was provided to the tank brigades. The theory was brutal and simple that if the brigade was relieved by other friendly forces then supply would be available.

StrengthType
1,265Men
10
KV-1a tanks
22T-34a tanks
20T-60 tanks
88.2cm Mortars
36Machineguns
3Cars
56Trucks

Table of Organization & Equipment June 1942


To address this issue, the Tank Corps was developed. Simply put, the new Soviet Corps was a brigade bucket of about 9,000 men. While it was larger, it had almost no more depth and attrited in combat quickly. The 18th was typical of this organization.
The 18th Corps was formed from 3 independent tank brigades. The 110th, the 180th, and the 181st, all formed by the Volga Military District in March, 1942. In June, they were all then sent to Moscow Military District, and reformed as the 18th Tank Corps. In July, the 18th, was assigned to the Bryansk Front, and from there, sent the Voronezh Front. The unit suffered badly during the German drive on Stalingrad and was withdrawn to the Volga Military District in October where it was rebuilt.
StrengthType
8,794Men
30KV-1a tanks
66T-34a tanks
60T-60 tanks
8BM-8-36 rockets
95cm Mortars
123.7cm Anti-Aircraft
167.62cm Cannons
698.2cm Mortars
276Machineguns
2Cars
10BA-10 Armored Cars
64Wagons
609Trucks

October 1942


The 180th Tank Brigade was substituted by the 170th. The KV companies were replaced by T-34 companies in the original tank brigades, but the 170th kept their KVs. In November the 18th was assigned to the 57th Army, Southwestern Front. By December, it was assigned to the 1st Guards Tank Army and participated in the Stalingrad operations. By February 1943, with almost no remaining assets, the Corps was sent into STAVKA, and was completely rebuilt.
StrengthType
8,869Men
10KV-1a tanks
84T-34a tanks
62T-60 tanks
8BM-8-36 rockets
95cm Mortars
123.7cm Anti-Aircraft
167.62cm Cannons
698.2cm Mortars
276Machineguns
3Cars
10BA-10 Armored Cars
680Trucks

July 1943


In July 1943, the 18th was assigned to the 5th Guards Tank Army and participated in the Kursk battles. The 18th Tank Corps went on to liberate Kharkov during that same month. It was in steady combat throughout out the year, with the 110th and the 181st brigades receiving the group honorific, ‘Znamenskikh’.
After a summer of heavy fighting, the Corps had a serious upgrade in equipment, replacing all the light T-70s with T-34s, replacing the depleted 36th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment with the 1543rd Heavy SU Regiment. Most, if not all, of the infantry companies were converted to Sub-Machine Gun companies.
StrengthType
12,328Men
21KV-1s tanks
129T-34c tanks
60T-70 tanks
8BM-8-36 rockets
185cm Mortars
3612cm Mortars
363.7cm Anti-Aircraft
367.62cm Cannons
638.2cm Mortars
258Machineguns
2Cars
32BA-64 Armored Cars
715Trucks

1944


The unit remained in heavy combat throughout the winter with the brigades piling up casualties and honors, with the 110th and the 181st, earning the Order of the Red Banner, and 170th, ‘Kirovogradskikh’.
StrengthType
10,775Men
270T-34c & T-34/85 tanks
20ISU-152 tank destroyers
8BM-8-48 rockets
188.2cm Mortars
3612cm Mortars
363.7cm Anti-Aircraft
365.7cm ZIS-2s
48Machineguns
2Cars
32BA-64 Armored Cars
800Trucks

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