The 3rd Shock Army () was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The "Shock" armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and artillery assets than other combined arms armies. Where necessary the Shock armies were reinforced with mechanised, tank, and cavalry units. During the Second World War, some Shock armies included armoured trains and air–sled equipped units.p.762, Military Encyclopaedic dictionary, Editor in chief C.F. Akhromeyev, Moscow, Voyenizdat, 1986
Campaign history
The Army was created from the headquarters of 60th Army (1st formation), which had been formed in the Moscow Military District in November 1941.David M. Glantz, Colossus Reborn, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, p. 18 Initially, the 60th Army comprised the 334th, 336th, 358th, and 360th Rifle Divisions and the 11th Cavalry Division, and was tasked with fortifying the left bank of the Volga River from Unza to Kosmodemiansk. The rifle divisions were reallocated to the 4th Shock Army, which was forming up at the same time nearby.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 78
The headquarters of 60th Army was converted into the headquarters of 3rd Shock Army on 25 December 1941, under the command of General Lieutenant Maksim Purkayev. On 1 January 1942, the Army was composed of the 23rd, 33rd and 257th Rifle Divisions, 20th, 27th, 31st, 42nd, 45th and 54th Separate Rifle Brigades, and a number of artillery and other units. The Shock Army was also singled out by having its own aviation units attached because of its intended use. These units included the 163rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (Yak–1), 728th Fighter Aviation Regiment (Polikarpov I–16), 128th Short–range Bombing Regiment (Pe–2), 621st Aviation Regiment (R–5) and 663rd Aviation Regiment (Po–2). However, by the beginning of April, this was reduced to one light–bombing regiment (12 Po–2 aircraft) and three fighter regiments with 12 Polikarpov I–16s in total.
It was initially a part of the Moscow Defense Zone in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK). However, 3rd Shock was soon allocated to join the North–Western Front on 27 December 1941 as part of the Moscow counteroffensive. Matters were not improved by the lack of supplies, aggravated by horrible communications; the assault troops did not get a full meal before the offensive due to food shortages.John Erickson (historian), The Road to Stalingrad, 2003 Cassel Military Paperbacks edition, p.280, 304
However, after a few days the offensive – the Toropets–Kholm operation – began to roll forward, with 3rd Shock approaching Kholm, but it was getting dangerously separated from its neighbour, 4th Shock Army. By mid January, 3rd Shock had surrounded Kholm and its forward units had cut the road between Kholm and Toropets. Kholm itself was surrounded on 22 January, though it was never taken and was relieved on 5 May. With some success in view, Stalin widened the operation's goals, and with a Stavka directive on 19 January directed 3rd Shock, as part of the wider operation, to head for Velikie Luki, and then to Vitebsk, Orsha, and Smolensk.Erickson, 2003, p.306-7 Two days later, 3rd Shock was shifted from the North–Western Front to the Kalinin Front. However, the forces available were becoming dangerously thin for the enormous tasks that Stalin was setting them. The Army got no further than Velikie Luki, and was unable to take the town in the face of stiffening German resistance and shortages of food, fuel, and ammunition. Velikie Luki was finally taken by the Kalinin Front on 17 January 1943.
The Army's next major effort was as part of the Nevel–Gorodok offensive operation in October–November 1943. Nevel was taken at the start of the offensive on 6 October 1943. The Kalinin Front had been renamed Baltic Front on 13 October 1943,Baltic Front was very quickly renamed 2nd Baltic Front and under Yeremenko, used two armies on the left flank, the 43rd and 49th, to distract the Germans' attention from his main blow, from the 3rd and 4th Shock Armies against Third Panzer Army in the Nevel area.Erickson, Road to Berlin, 1983, 133–4 This would see the Soviets astride the routes leading to the rear of Army Group North and cut vital rail links.
Following the Starorussa–Novorzhev offensive operation (February 1944), the Army's next attack was as part of 2nd Baltic Front's July 1944 offensive: the Rezhitsa–Dvina offensive operation. Beginning on 10 July, 3rd Shock Army had reached the Velikaya River by 12 July, captured the bridges despite the demolition charges laid on them, and moved on to surround Idritsa, which was captured that same day. Five days later the Army liberated Sebezh after a deep outflanking movement. Rezhitsa (now Rēzekne, Latvia) was taken on 26 July 1944, with the help of the 10th Guards Army. The 2nd Baltic Front was now facing central Latvia, and on 2 August 1944 the armies were on the march again, with 3rd Shock tasked to move south of Lake Lubań and on to the south of Madon, but after the Soviet forces seized Krustpils, some heavy fighting followed with only limited success. 3rd Shock forced a passage over a tributary of the Dvina River, the Oger, on 19 August, but then had to fend off a strong German attack mounted by three divisions with air support. The Soviets slowly moved toward Riga, but the emphasis was shifted south, and the 2nd Baltic Front found itself playing a supporting role from early October as Bagramyan's First Baltic Front raced for the Baltic coastline itself to sever the remaining connection between the German forces in East Prussia and those in Latvia and Estonia. Riga fell on 13 October and the remaining German forces in the area were bottled up in the Courland area.Erickson, Road to Berlin, 1983, p.313, 319–21, 414, 418, 420–1
3rd Shock then took part in the blockade of the Courland pocket, and the first Soviet attacks started on 16 October. However, by the end of October, it was seen that despite some advances, there was little hope for full success, and the Army was shifted south. 3rd Shock became part of the 1st Belorussian Front from 31 December 1944. The Army was placed in the second echelon for the Warsaw–Poznań strategic offensive operation, attacking in the direction of Poznań under Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front. It then took part in the Vistula–Oder Offensive between 12.1.1945 – 3.2.1945.
As the Army moved quickly across Poland in March 1945 during the Eastern–Pomeranian strategic offensive operation, it liberated a number of cities, including Vangerin and Labes on 3 March, and Frayenvalde and Regenvalde on 4 March 1945. The same day, in conjunction with the Polish 1st Army and the 1st Guards Tank Army, 3rd Shock entered Dramburg. A day later, 3rd Shock entered Gyultsov, and on 6 March the unit entered Kammin. On 7 March, 3rd Shock entered Shtepenitts, and liberated Gollnov together with troops of the 2nd Guards Tank Army.
The Army was in the second echelon of the 1st Belorussian Front in the Battle of Berlin.
In April 1945, the 3rd Shock Army (HQ Stendal) as part of the 1st Belorussian Front had the following major component formations and units: 7th Rifle Corps (146th, 265th, 364th Rifle Divisions) 9th Tank Corps (23rd, 95th, and 108th Tank Brigades and 8th Motor Rifle Brigade) (attached from front headquarters) 12th Guards Rifle Corps (23rd Guards, 52nd Guards, 33rd Rifle Divisions) 79th Rifle Corps (150th, 171st, 207th Rifle Divisions) 1203rd, 1728th and 1729th Separate self–propelled assault artillery regiments 136th Gun–Artillery Brigade 45th Antitank Brigade 25th Sapper Brigade 5th and 13th Pontoon Bridging Brigades
The Army took Pankow, a suburb of Berlin, on 23 April 1945. A week later, two regiments of the 150th Rifle Division, 79th Rifle Corps were responsible for erecting flags over the Reichstag on 30 April 1945, one of which was known as the Victory Banner. A future commander of the Army, V.I. Varennikov, would also command the honour guard of the Victory Banner. The Army's active service ended when fighting ceased in Berlin on 8 May 1945.
World War II service
Campaigns and operations participation Winter Campaign of 1941–42 (Russian: Зимняя кампания 1941/42 г.) (5 December 1941 – 30 April 1942) Toropets–Kholm Offensive (9 January 1942 – 6 February 1942)for Wehrmacht known as Sychevka and Vyazma battles, not to be confused with the Soviet Sychevka-Vyazma Offensive Operation (8 January 1942 – 28 February 1942) Summer–Autumn Campaign (Russian: Летне–осенняя кампания 1942 г.) (1 May – 18 November 1942) Winter Campaign of 1942–43 (Russian: Зимняя кампания 1942–1943 гг.) (19 November 1942 – 3 March 1943) Velikie Luki offensive (November 1942 – January 1943) Summer–Autumn Campaign of 1943 (Russian: Летне–осенняя кампания 1943 г.) (1 July – 31 December 1943) Nevel'–Gorodok offensive operation (October– November 1943) Winter–Spring Campaign (Russian: Зимне–весенняя кампания 1944 г.) (1 January – 31 May 1944) Staraya Russa–Novorzhev Offensive (February 1944)See also http://lenbat.narod.ru/eng/kont.htm Summer–Autumn Campaign of 1944 (Russian: Летне–осенняя кампания 1944 г.) (1 June – 31 December 1944) Rezhitsa–Dvinsk Offensive (10 July 1944 – 27 July 1944) Madona Offensive (1 August 1944 – 28 August 1944) Riga Offensive (1944) (14 September 1944 – 24 October 1944) Courland peninsula blockade (from October 1944 – 31 December 1944) Vistula–Oder Offensive (12 January – 2 February 1945) Berlin Offensive (16 April – 8 May 1945) Campaign in Europe during 1945 (Russian: Кампания в Европе 1945 г.) (1 January – 9 May 1945)
Notable service personnel Mikhail Budenkov: 3rd highest ranking sniper, Guards senior sergeant, sniper of 59th Guards Rifle Regiment (21st Guards Rifle Division, 3rd Shock Army, 2nd Baltic Front) (437 confirmed). Abukhadzhi Idrisov: 11th highest ranking sniper, senior sergeant, 1232nd Rifle Regiment (370th Rifle Division, 3rd Shock Army, 2nd Baltic Front) (349 confirmed).
Command staff
Commanders General Lieutenant M.A. Purkaev (December 1941 – August 1942) General Lieutenant Kuzma Galitsky (September 1942 – November 1943) General Colonel N.E. Chibisov (November 1943 – April 1944) General Lieutenant V.A. Yushkevich (April – August 1944) General Lieutenant M.N. Gerasimov (August – October 1944) General Lieutenant Nikolai Simoniak (October 1944 – March 1945) General Colonel V.I. Kuznetsov (March 1945 – end of the war)
Leaders of the Military Council Brigade Commissioner A.P. Riazanov (December 1941 – February 1943) General Lieutenant P.K. Ponomarenko (February – March 1943) General Major A.I. Litvinov (March 1943 – end of the war)
Chiefs of staff General Major A.P. Pokrovskiy (December 1941 – February 1942) General Major Mikhail Sharokhin (February – August 1942) General Major I.O. Yudintsev (August 1942 – March 1943) General Major M.M. Busarov (March May 1943) General Major F.A. Zuev (May October 1943) General Major Veniamin Beylin (October 1943 – August 1944) General Major from July 1945. General Lieutenant M.F. Bukshtynovich (August 1944 – end of the war).
Service in Germany The 3rd Shock Army stayed in Germany after the end of the war, becoming part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Army's divisions were equipped with T–62 and T–55 tanks.
The army kept the descriptive title "shock" until 1954, when it became the 3rd "Red Banner" Combined Arms Army ().Michael Holm, 3 Red Banner Combined Arms Army, February 2015. Army headquarters was located in Magdeburg from January 1946.Feskov et al., Советская Армия в годы «холодной войны» (1945–1991), p. 40, Tomsk: Tomsk University Press, 2004, and Holm.
There was an army reorganisation in June 1964 and a number of divisions were switched into and out of the army. It was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1974.