The 56th Army (Russian: 56-я армия) was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that was created in 1941, and then disbanded to create the second formation of the Separate Coastal Army in 1943. The 56th Army was employed by the Soviets in the struggle against Germany during World War II.
History The 56th Army was formed in October 1941 and subordinated to the North Caucasus Military District.Glantz, p. 58 Subordinated to the Southern Front (Soviet Union) in December 1941, the 56th Army was made up of the following units, as well as five regiments of artillery and a rocket-launcher regiment:
31st Rifle Division
106th Rifle Division 343rd Rifle Division 347th Rifle Division 353rd Rifle Division 11th Rifle Brigade 13th Rifle Brigade 16th Rifle Brigade 78th Rifle Brigade 33rd NKVD Motorized Rifle Regiment 62nd Cavalry Division 64th Cavalry Division 70th Cavalry Division "NO" Cavalry Division 54th Tank Brigade 8th Tank Battalion
In January 1942 the army comprised the 31st, 106th, 343rd, and 347th Rifle Divisions, the 13th and 16th Rifle Brigades, the Rostov Separate Rifle Regiment of the People's Militia, and the 62nd, 64th, 70th Cavalry Divisions.General Staff, Combat composition of the Soviet Army, via Soldat.ru, January 1942.
Among prominent actions, the 56th Army successfully fought during the Battle of Rostov in late 1941 and spearheaded the amphibious landings in Crimea in late 1943. The 56th Army was disbanded in November 1943 to create the second formation of the Separate Coastal Army.Glantz, p. 58
Commanders Lieutenant General Fyodor Remezov (October 1941December 1941) Major General Viktor Tsyganov (December 1941July 1942) Major General Alexander Ryzhov (July 1942January 1943) Major General (promoted to Lieutenant General April 1943) Andrei Grechko (JanuaryOctober 1943) Lieutenant General Kondrat Melnik (OctoberNovember 1943)
Notes
References David Glantz, Companion to Colossus Reborn, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2005
Further reading Keith Bonn, Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005 V.I. Feskov et al., The Soviet Army in the Period of the Cold War, Tomsk University Press, 2004 Jean-Luc Marchand, Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2, 24 volumes, The Nafziger Collection Samuel J. Newland and Clayton K. S. Chun, , U.S. Army War College SSI, Carlisle, PA, 2011