| 2nd Shock Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1946 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | Regular Army |
| Type | Shock troops |
| Size | Varied throughout the years |
| Part of | Military District |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Andrei Vlasov Ivan Fedyuninsky |
The2nd Shock Army (Russian:2-я Ударная армия), sometimes translated to English as2nd Assault Army, was afield army of theSoviet Union during theSecond World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies toovercome difficult defensive dispositions in order to create a tactical penetration of sufficient breadth and depth to permit the commitment of mobile formations for deeper exploitation.[1] However, as the war went on, Shock Armies lost this specific role and reverted, in general, to ordinary frontline formations.
The 2nd Shock Army was formed from theVolkhov Front's 26th Army in December 1941 and initially consisted of the327th Rifle Division and eight separate rifle brigades. In January 1942 the Volkhov Front commander, Meretskov, had to request that the Army’s commander, General Lieutenant Sokolov, a former NKVD commissar, be relieved, as he was absolutely incompetent. Command was handed over to the former commander of 52nd Army, General Lieutenant Klykov.[2] Later that same month the 2nd Shock Army was launched againstLyuban, but its offensive saw the Army isolated, under a new commander, General LieutenantA. A. Vlasov.
On 7 January 1942, Vlasov's army had spearheaded theLyuban offensive operation to break theLeningrad encirclement. Planned as a combined operation between the Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts on a 30 km (19 mi) frontage, other armies of theLeningrad Front (including the 54th) were supposed to participate at scheduled intervals in this operation. Crossing theVolkhov River, Vlasov's army was successful in breaking through theGerman 18th Army's lines and penetrated 70–74 km deep inside the German rear area.[3] The other armies (Volkhov Front's 4th, 52nd, and 59th Armies, 13th Cavalry Corps, and 4th and 6th Guards Rifle Corps), however, failed to provide the required support, and Vlasov's army became stranded. Permission to retreat was refused. With the counter-offensive in May 1942, the Second Shock Army was finally allowed to retreat, but by now, too weakened, it was virtually annihilated during the final breakout at Myasnoi Bor.[4]Vlasov was taken prisoner by the Wehrmacht troops on 6 July 1942.[5] He later raised alegion of Russians who fought alongside the German forces.
2nd Shock Army again suffered severe losses during theSinyavino operation from 19 August – 20 October 1942.[6] Again, the remnants were returned to the Front reserves for rebuilding.
In January 1943 it took part in the offensive which aimed to raise thesiege of Leningrad,Operation Iskra. The Stavka then intervened in Leningrad Front offensive planning during September 1943, changing the plan so that 2nd Shock Army would attack from the Oranienbaum bridgehead. The offensive, under a newly appointed commander, GeneralI.I. Fedyuninskii, begun on 14 January, took part in breaking the almost 900-day siege of Leningrad, andpushed west to the outskirts ofNarva, resulting in theBattle of Narva. During its participation in theBattle of Narva, the 2nd Shock Army consisted of five rifle divisions (11th,43rd Rifle Division,90th Rifle Division,131st, and 196th) along with 600 artillery pieces, a tank brigade, another tank regiment, two SPG regiments, and masses of ammunition and supplies.[7]
The 2nd Shock Army struggled to take Narva and German positions further west of the city until September 1944, when deep exploitation by Soviet forces in theBaltic States forced a German retreat through Estonia. As a result of the strategic Soviet victory in this region, the 2nd Shock Army was moved south and assigned to the2nd Belorussian Front. As part of the 2nd Belorussian Front, the 2nd Shock Army fought across Poland and northeastern Germany, with its route of march taking it north ofWarsaw andStettin. In late March, the army helped captureDanzig.[8] On 1 May 1945, the 2nd Shock Army tookStralsund on the Baltic Coast, ending the war there and on the island ofRügen.
After the end of the war, the 2nd Shock Army remained in eastern Germany. In June the army was headquartered inGoldberg,East Germany, and in August moved toSchwerin. The 2nd Shock Army returned to the Soviet Union in January 1946, and its headquarters was reorganized as theArkhangelsk Military District. It was composed of three rifle corps by this time (9 divisions). After the 2nd Shock Army was re-designated HQ Arkhangelsk MD's116th Rifle Corps, its component units were spread among other districts. The109th Rifle Corps (101st Guards,46th and372nd rifle divisions) went to theNorth Caucasus Military District, and the134th Rifle Corps (102nd Guards,90th and272nd rifle divisions) went to theVoronezh Region.[9]
| Armies |
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| Guards | |
| Tank/Mechanized | |
| Guards Tank/Mechanized | |
| Shock | |
| Cavalry | |
| Sapper |
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| Reserve Army |
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