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| 34th Army (1941–1944) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 16 July 1941 – 15 January 1944 |
| Disbanded | 15 January 1944 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Size | Army |
| Part of | Moscow Military District Reserve Front Northwestern Front |
| Engagements | Leningrad Strategic Defensive Staraya-Russa Offensive Demyansk Defensive Demyansk Offensive (1942) Demyansk Offensive Staraya-Russa Offensive (1943) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | See List |
The34th Army was part of theRed Army during the Second World War. The army was formed on 16 July 1941 in theMoscow Military District.
On 18 July the army was assigned to the Moscow line of defense occupying positions west ofMaloyaroslavets where it was assigned troops. On 25 July the army became part of the reserve commanded by Lieutenant GeneralIvan Bogdanov, which on 30 July was designated as theReserve Front the army headquarters located inLüübnitsa, Russia (now Estonia). On 6 August the army was reassigned to theNorthwestern Front.
Composition on 1 August 1941:[1]
The army was tasked to defend the eastern bank of theLovat River fromKholm toKulakovo south of the German-held city ofStaraya Russa. STAVKA Directive 00824 tasked the army to strike the left wing of the German forces defeating the forces in the area betweenSoltsy and Staraya Russa. If successful, the operation could cut off the entire right flank of theArmy Group North. According to the order the army was by 15 August to advance more the 25 miles to the line of Snezhka-Chudinovo-Rechnye Kottsy, and by 18 August was to reach the line ofVolot-Dolzhino.
By 11 August the army had reached thePolist River along a 24-mile front from Vzglyady to Gojko and launched their offensive. TheGerman X Corps only had small outposts on its flank with the30th and129th Infantry Divisions east of Staraya Russa arrayed against theSoviet 11th Army and the290th Infantry Division on the south side of Staraya Russa guarding the Germ right flank. After the start of the Soviet Offensive the German forces were moved west of Staraya Russa.
The first echelon, consisting of the 245th, 257th, 262nd Rifle and the 25th Cavalry Divisions, advanced quickly reaching there 18 August goals by 14 August and cutting the railroad betweenDno and Staraya Russa.
By the end of September the army's line had stabilized to the north and northeast ofDemyansk fromLake Vella toLychkovo and remained in these positions through the end of the year.
The year began as it did in 1942 with preparations for participation in theDemyansk Offensive.
Composition on 1 February 1943:[2]
Prior to the start of the offensive the German successfully withdrew their forces from theDemyansk Pocket and the 34th Army was limited to pursuing rear guard forces. By 28 February the army had arrived at theLovat River. By the elimination of the pocket the front line had been significantly decreased, and the units of the 34th Army were reassigned to the11th and52nd Armies and the headquarters airlifted to the area northeast ofStaraya Russa where it took command of some of the forces assigned to the27th Army.
On 18 March the army, with forces recently reassigned from the 27th attempted to storm Staraya Russa. The army encountered five German divisions along the line of villages Dinner Medvedno, Bryashnaya Gore Sobolev Derevkovo to Porus, the attack was repulsed, restarted on 20 March when it was able to liberate a few small villages moving a little closer to Staraya Russa but unable to liberate the city. The army remained outside Staraya Russa until November 1943 holding the defensive line and attempting to storm the city. On 17–20 August another massive attack was attempted and repulsed again.
Composition on 1 April 1943:[3]
| Composition on 1 November 1943:[4]
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On 20 November 1943 the forces assigned to the army were transferred to1st Shock Army and the headquarters placed inSTAVKA reserve. On 15 January 1944 the headquarters was redesignated4th Army (III formation).
| Armies |
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| Guards | |
| Tank/Mechanized | |
| Guards Tank/Mechanized | |
| Shock | |
| Cavalry | |
| Sapper |
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| Reserve Army |
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