63rd Army (Soviet Union)

The 63rd Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was formed on 10 July 1942, by the order of Headquarters Red Army Supreme Command № 994110, by renaming Stavka's 5th Reserve Army.

Since 12 July 1942 the army was incorporated into the newly created Stalingrad Front for defensive battles on approaches to Stalingrad. On 30 September 1942 Stalingrad Front was renamed as Don Front for the battle within the city. On 29 October 1942 the army subordinated to the reconstructed Southwestern Front for the Operation Uranus counter-offensive. On 4 November 1942 the 63rd Army was reflagged as the 1st Guards Army, which was named the 3rd Guards Army since 5 December.

27 April 1943 the Army was formed for the second time on the basis of the 2nd Reserve Army. Originally it consisted of the 129, 235, 250, 348, 380 and 397 infantry divisions, artillery, engineering, and other parts. 29 April 1943 the army was incorporated into the Bryansk Front. Initially it conducted defensive operations along the Zusha and Neruch Rivers and the region south of Mtsensk. It participated in Operation Kutuzov at Orel, and the Briansk and Gomel-Rechitsa Offensives. With Markian Popov's Bryansk Front at the Battle of Kursk it comprised the 5th, 41st, 129th, 250th, 287th, 348th and 397th Rifle Divisions. On 8 October 1943 the army was assigned to the Central Front(renamed as Belorussian Front on 20 October 1943). It was disbanded on 18 February 1944. Its troops were transferred to the 3rd and 48th armies.

Officers

• Lieutenant General Vasily Kuznetzov (Army commander)
• Member of the military council - Corps commissar Zheltov
• Chief of Army headquarters - General-major Krypenikov

Structure on 1 August 1942

• Army headquarters
• 14th Guards Rifle Division - General-major Grayznov (17 July to 31 December 1942)
• 1st Rifle Division- General-major Semenov (17 July to 31 December 1942)
• 127th Rifle Division - Colonel Zaitzev (17 July to 22 September 1942)
• 153rd Rifle Division - Colonel Nikitin (17 July December to 31 1942); Colonel Karnov (from 11 October 1942)
• 197th Rifle Division - General-major Zaporozhchenko (17 July to 31 December 1942)
• 203rd Rifle Division - Colonel Kashlayev (17 July to 31 December 1942) ; Colonel Zdanovich (from 3 September 1942)
• 36th Tank Brigade
• 134th Tank Brigade
• 193rd Tank Brigade
• 646th Tank Battalion
• 647th Tank Battalion
• 1110th Artillery Regiment
• 1180th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 1249th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 1250th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 51st Guards Mortar Regiment
• 58th Guards Mortar Regiment
• 79th Guards Mortar Regiment
• 1413rd Sapper Battalion
• 1486th Sapper Battalion

Structure on 1 October 1942

• Army headquarters
• 14th Guards Rifle Division
• 1st Rifle Division
• 153rd Rifle Division
• 197th Rifle Division
• 203rd Rifle Division
• 6th Guards Cavalry Division- Colonel Belogorodskyi (26 July - 31 December 1942)
• 1110th Artillery Regiment
• 1180th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 1249th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 1250th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
• 1257th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 26th Machine-gun Battalion
• 28th Machine-gun Battalion
• 350th Independent Engineer Brigade
• 1486th Sapper Battalion

Sources and further reading

• Filippov H.C., Don Shield of Stalingrad, Volgograd, 1969
• http://samsv.narod.ru/Arm/a63/arm.html - Further Reading