North Caucasian Front

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The North Caucasian Front or North Caucasus Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.

The North Caucasus Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first version was created on May 20, 1942. It incorporated forces from the (disbanded) Crimean Front and received additional forces from the (disbanded) Southern Front on July 28, 1942. On September 1, 1942 the Front was reorganized as the Black Sea Group of Forces and assigned to the Transcaucasian Front during the German occupation of the Krasnodar Krai.

The second version of this Front was created on January 24, 1943 from the Northern Group of Forces in the Transcaucasian Front, and reintegrated the Black Sea Group of Forces on February 5, 1943. The Front was reorganized into the Separate Coastal Army on November 20, 1943 and designated as a reserve force. The Front included the 58th Army from February 1943 to September 1943.

[edit] Commanders

• Marshal Semyon M. Budenny (May 1942-August 1942)
• Lieutenant General Ivan I. Maslennikov [promoted to Colonel General in January 1943] (January 1943-May 1943)
• Lieutenant General Ivan E. Petrov (Петров Иван Ефремович) [promoted to Colonel General in August 1943] (May 1943-November 1943)