The Great Patriotic War forced the Soviet Union to increase the number of divisions to fight the enemy. Since July 1941, Soviet troops defended themselves, but to no avail, surrendering more and more positions every day. Each division or battalion has a tragic story.
History of the 20th Army
In the first months of the Second World War, German troops actively advanced on the territory of the Soviet Union and received regular reinforcements. Soviet troops were not ready for war. The lack of combat experience, the illiteracy of the commanders did not allow to repulse the Nazis.
The 20th Army was created at the very beginning of the war on the basis of the Voronezh Military District. At that time, it included a mechanized corps, rifle corps, and a tank division.
In July 1941, the army was subordinated to the Western Front, which defended the territory of Belarus.
During the first year of the war, the army was planned to expand and assemble all its units and formations in the vicinity of the city of Khimki. But in connection with the German attack on the capital in 1941, fighters of the 20th Army participated in the battles, without waiting for reinforcements.
The army of the second formation was created in December 1941, its disbandment occurred in April 1944.
Battles during the Great Patriotic War
In January 1942, the 20th Army joined the Ukrainian Front. The story goes that she participated in the battle of Smolensk. From July 6 to 10, 1941, the army was defeated at Lepel. The offensive of the German invaders came as a surprise to her command, tank divisions were sent against the Soviet troops. Victory in this battle allowed the Nazis to reach Smolensk in a week. During the battle, he headed the 20th Army Lukin M.F. with the rank of lieutenant general.
Soldiers of this army also took part in the battle for Moscow. This time, Lieutenant General F. Ershakov headed the military formations. During the Vyazemsky operation, the 20th Army was encircled. In total, 688 thousand soldiers were captured by the Nazis during this operation; only 85 thousand managed to get out of the encirclement.
During the Battle of Moscow, the 20th Army played an important role. 1941 was remembered by her fighters for lost battles. However, already on December 2, it was possible to repel the enemy attack, and on December 3 and 5, 1941 the army dealt a crushing blow to the invaders and began to push it away from the capital.
In the course of the battle for Moscow, it was possible to stop the enemy offensive and maintain the main forces. This allowed the Soviet troops to launch a counterattack.
Army commanders
The command of the 20th Army during the battle for Moscow changed regularly. Ten generals succeeded each other.
Lieutenant General M.F. Lukin was captured and was seriously injured. After being released from captivity, he was returned to the post of commander, which was not characteristic of that time.
Another general, A. A. Vlasov, commanding the 20th Army, was also captured, where he began to collaborate with the Nazis. Both officers met in captivity, and Vlasov invited Lukin to go over to the side of the Nazis, but he refused.
What prompted Vlasov to become a traitor, historians still do not know. Perhaps this was an offer to become famous and rich, to receive benefits after the war, or perhaps it was his unfulfilled ambitions in the USSR.
Another general, N.E. Berzarin, was distinguished by decisiveness and recklessness, sometimes exposing the soldier to unnecessary risk. The general also did not escape the wound; he was found on the battlefield, bloodied and without signs of life. An urgent blood transfusion was required, one of the fighters volunteered to save the life of the commander. N. E. Berzarina was replaced by A. N. Ermakov.
After the war
Having participated in many battles during World War II, the 20th Army received the Order of the Red Banner. After the war ended, it was transferred to Germany, and after the withdrawal of Soviet troops it was renamed the 20th Guards Combined Arms.
From 1991 to 2007, the location of the 20th Army was in Voronezh. Later, she was transferred to the Novgorod region, but in 2015, the troops returned to the Voronezh region.