| 38th Guards Airborne Corps (1946–1955) 38th Guards Rifle Corps 38th Guards Airborne Corps (1944–1945) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1944–1955 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | |
| Type | airborne, infantry |
| Size | Corps |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Battle honours | Vienna |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
The38th Guards Airborne Corps was anairborne corps of theSoviet airborne. It was activated duringWorld War II in August 1944 and became a rifle corps in December of that year. The corps fought in theVienna Offensive and thePrague Offensive during the spring of 1945. After the end of the war, it was converted back into an airborne corps. The corps served atTula until its 1955 disbandment when theSoviet airborne was reorganized.
The 38th Guards Airborne Corps was formed around 9 August 1944 under the command ofAlexander Kapitokhin, part of the Separate Airborne Army. The corps included the 11th, 12th, and 16th Guards Airborne Divisions.[1] On 8 December, the corps became a rifle corps and its divisions were soon converted into infantry divisions. At the same time, the Separate Airborne Army became the9th Guards Army.[2]
In January 1945, the corps transferred toHungary with the rest of the 9th Guards Army. The corps first fought in combat on 21 February. On 26 March, Kapitokhin was replaced byAlexander Utvenko in command.[3][4] It fought during theVienna Offensive, where its104th Guards Rifle Division capturedSankt Pölten.[5] Its105th Guards Rifle Division blocked theVienna-Linz road.[6] For its actions in theVienna Offensive, the corps was awarded the honorary title "Vienna".[2] Advancing on the right flank of the37th Guards Rifle Corps, the corps enteredCzechoslovakia and fought in thePrague Offensive, where the106th Guards Rifle Division capturedZnojmo.[2][7]
The corps briefly became part of theCentral Group of Forces before it was relocated toIvanovo in theMoscow Military District in the summer of 1945.[8] The 104th Division was based atKostroma, and the 105th and 106th were atTeykovo.[9] On 10 June, the corps was converted back into an airborne corps along with the rest of the corps of the 9th Guards Army, which became the headquarters of the Soviet airborne. Its divisions also became airborne divisions. The 689th Separate Communications Battalion was directly subordinated to corps headquarters around this time. The 104th Guards were transferred to the15th Guards Airborne Corps in Estonia, and the 105th and 106th Divisions moved to Kostroma and Tula, respectively. The corps headquarters was moved to Tula. In July, Lieutenant GeneralStepan Povetkin became commander of the corps. Lieutenant GeneralErofey Dobrovolsky took command in August. He would command the corps for the rest of its existence.[3] On 15 October 1948, the11th Guards Airborne Division was activated from a regiment of the 106th Guards Airborne Division atRyazan to form a third division in the corps. On 25 April 1955, as part of the reorganization of the Soviet airborne, the corps and its 11th Guards Airborne Division were disbanded.[10] The 105th and 106th Divisions were directly subordinated to the headquarters of the Soviet airborne.[11]
The corps was commanded by the following officers.[4]
The corps was composed of the following units in January 1945.[7]
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| Airborne |
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| Mechanised |
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| Rifle |
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| Rocket |
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| Tank |
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| Army corps (1957–1991) |
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