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| 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps První československý armádní sbor Prvý československý armádny zbor | |
|---|---|
.png) Banner of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps | |
| Active | 5 May 1944 (1944-05-05)–15 May 1945 (1945-05-15) |
| Country |  Czechoslovakia Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Czechoslovak government-in-exile |
| Branch | Red Army[citation needed] |
| Type | Corps |
| Size | 16,171 (September 1944)[1] |
| Part of | 1st Ukrainian Front, later4th Ukrainian Front |
| Mottos | "Věrni zůstaneme" Loyal We Will Remain |
| Engagements | |
| Commander | Jan Kratochvíl (1944) Ludvík Svoboda (1944–1945) Karel Klapálek (1945) |
The1st Czechoslovak Army Corps (Czech:První československý armádní sbor,Slovak:Prvý československý armádny zbor), also known asSvoboda's Army[2] (Czech:Svobodova armáda, after its commanderLudvík Svoboda), was a military formation of the Czechoslovak Army in exile fighting on theEastern Front alongside the SovietRed Army in World War II.[3]
The corps was the largest of theCzechoslovak units that fought on the Soviet side on the Eastern Front.
The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion, formed inBuzuluk in theUrals, was the first foreign unit fighting alongside theRed Army inSoviet Union. It was formed from former members of theCzechoslovak Legion,Czechoslovak citizens (mostly refugees) living in the Soviet Union, Slovakprisoners-of-war and defectors, andVolhynian Czechs (Soviet citizens of Czech origin).Lieutenant-colonel Ludvík Svoboda was appointed to become the commander of the unit on 15 July 1942.
Despite the plans of theCzechoslovak government-in-exile in theUnited Kingdom, who intended to keep the unit intact to help with the future liberation of the Czechoslovakia, the officers of the battalion tried to bring the unit into the fight as soon as possible. After sending a personal letter toJoseph Stalin, they eventually succeeded and the battalion was sent into action. Notably, it took part in the defensivebattle of Sokolovo, a part of the largerThird Battle of Kharkov, in March 1943. At the time, it was one of the most well armed infantry battalions on theEast Front – fully equipped withautomatic guns andsemiautomatic infantry weapons. However, the battalion lacked heavieranti-tank weapons andartillery, which was to be provided by supporting Soviet units. Because of this, during the battle, when facing parts of theGerman armored division, the battalion suffered heavy losses and was later withdrawn from the front line.[4]
In May 1943, the remnants of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion and the 1st Czechoslovak Reserve Regiment were reorganized into 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade. The reinforcements were largelyRusyn andUkrainian[5] prisoners released from theGulagcamps. The brigade played a key role in the1943 battle of Kiev, and its troops were some of the first to reach the center of theUkrainian capital city. The brigade suffered only low losses: 33 dead and missing, 82 wounded. At the time the brigade had a strength of 3,348 personnel.[6]
Large parts of theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had been liberated by 1943 and 1944, allowing the Czechoslovak units to recruitVolhynian Czechs who were technically Soviet citizens. Around 12,000 enlisted, becoming the core of the post-war Czechoslovak Army.[7] At the same time, thousands ofSlovak prisoners of war, captured or deserted fromSlovak Army, were regrouped and trained as the new parachute unit. This enabled to build thearmy corps.
The corps was created on April 10, 1944, atChernivtsi and hisheadquarters moved toSadagura. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps consisted of three (later four) infantry brigades and of tank, artillery, engineer and other support units. Some of these units were later reorganized into higher independent units, such as Tank Brigade andMixed Air Division. While most of the Czechoslovak units served as part of the Corps, some may have been detached for operations with Red Army formations and units as required.[8]
In late autumn 1944, when parts of Czechoslovakia (Ruthenia and eastern Slovakia) were already liberated, a new infantry brigade was formed and the support units transformed into higher units.
By the time that the Soviet offensive entered Czechoslovakia, it had grown to corps size. In the autumn of 1944, 13,000 members of the corps participated in theBattle of Dukla Pass, and after fierce fighting they finally set foot on their native soil once more. Czechoslovak troops were also involved in thePrague Offensive, the last major World War II battle in Europe.
The Corps initially served within the1st Ukrainian Front's38th Army.
From September 4, 1944, as the part of 38th Army the Corps participated in theEast Carpathian Strategic Offensive Operation (8–28 September 1944). During this operation, from 14,900 personnel the Corps suffered a loss of 1,630 dead and 4,069 wounded.[9] While majority of the Corps fought in theDukla Pass, the 2nd Parachute Brigade and the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Fighter Air Regiment were relocated behind the enemy lines as the direct support to theSlovak National Uprising. After the Uprising was suppressed, the Fighter Regiment was withdrawn, while the soldiers of 2nd Parachute Brigade continued inpartisan warfare in Slovak mountains until the battlefront came to central Slovakia.
In November 1944 Corps was reassigned to4th Ukrainian Front's,1st Guards Army, only the artillery units saw the action within the 1st Ukrainian Front's in the Soviet offensive nearJasło. As part of 4th Ukrainian Front,18th Army the Corps took part in the secondary battles until the end of the war and participated in the liberation of central Slovakia and eastMoravia. However the 1st Tank Brigade, 1st Czechoslovak Mixed Air Division and some infantry units were reassigned again to the 1st Ukrainian Front's38th Army and fought in the hardest fights in theMoravian-Ostrava Operation. At the end of the war the remnants of the Tank Brigade formed so called Fast Group in thePrague Strategic Offensive Operation (6–11 May 1945) during which the Corps suffered 112 killed, and 421 wounded from a total of 48,400 personnel.
The First Czechoslovak Army Corps ceased to exist shortly after the victorious end of the war. On 25 May 1945, the provisional organization of the Czechoslovak armed forces was approved, according to which there was a reorganization of the Czechoslovak army in peacetime. Since the end of the May 1945 the Corps was reorganized into the 1st Czechoslovak Army and its brigades were reorganized into respective divisions.[citation needed]
The Corps's initial commander was Brigade General Jan Kratochvíl, who was replaced by Brigade GeneralLudvík Svoboda during the initial phase ofBattle of Dukla Pass. The decision was made by Soviet authorities (Marshal Konev) but was subsequently confirmed by Czechoslovak government in London. Towards the end of the war Svoboda became Minister of Defence in the new government appointed inKošice and was replaced by Brigade GeneralKarel Klapálek who however was recovering from injuries at the time and was therefore substituted by general Boček.
The Corps composition on formation was:
Air units operationally attached to the Corps were:
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