The 26th Army (Russian: 26-я армия 26-ya armiya) was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, active from 1941.
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26th Army was a part of the Southwestern Front (Soviet Union) and defended the Soviet-German border between Przemyśl and Carpathian Mountains in June 1941. The Army was located on the eastern bank of San river manning the 8th Fortified District. The 26th Army commander was Lt.Gen. F.Ya. Kostenko who was a Ukrainian. Its opponent was the German Seventeenth Army under command of General von Stülpnagel.
The Germans attacked the junction between 6th Army and 26th Army. On 23 June General Kirponos ordered 26th Army armour troops (8th Mechanized Corps) to move to Brody out of the command of Kostenko.[1] Meanwhile German assault created a twenty-mile breach on 24 June.[2] During the night from 26th to 27 June, 6th and 26th retreated from frontier fortifications.[3] The 26th Army and 12th Army now held a line from Ostropol to Bar.[4] On 10 July Kostenko's Army together with 6th Army and 12th Army became threatened by south eastern swing of Kleist's 1st Panzer Group,[5] which could cut them off from Dnieper river.[6] On 20 July two Rifle Corps of 26th Army attacked in northern direction towards the Dnieper.[7] Only small part of the 26th Army with its commander reached the Dnieper. Most of its units were destroyed or captured by Germans. The 6th Army and 26th Army were split apart.
The 26th Army was quickly rebuilt by subsequent reinforcments and now defended the Dnieper river at Kaniev and Rzhishchev south-west of Kiev. 6th and 12th Army ended up in Uman Pocket. 26th Army tried to relieve those armies and attacked in the Boguslav-Zwenigorodka direction. It didn't work.[8] In September 26 Army itself became surrounded in the Kiev Pocket. The Soviets tried to break out, 26th Army was supposed to attack on Lubny.[9] General Kostenko escaped from the encirclement with quite a large group of his soldiers.[10]
26th Army was later reformed in October 1941, including elements of 1st Guards Special Rifle Corps and other formations, only to be destroyed in battle again. Remnants went to 50th Army of the Bryansk Front and the command staff was disbanded. The army was reformed for a third time in November 1941 in the Volga Military District. It was only active for less than two months before being reorganised as 2nd Shock Army. The army was reformed for the fourth time within the Karelian Front in March–April 1942. (Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, p. 318) Its commander in 1943-1945 was major-general (later lietenant-general) Lev Skvirsky.
Commander: Lieutenant General F.Ya. Kostenko
Headquarters: Borislav
Subordinate Units:
Infantry:
8th Rifle Corps:
173rd Rifle Division
72nd Mountain Rifle Division
8th Fortified District
Artillery:
2nd Anti-Tank Brigade
233rd Corps Artillery Regiment
236th Corps Artillery Regiment
28th Independent Anti-Aircraft Squadron
Armour Troops:
12th Tank Division
34th Tank Division
Engineer Troops:
17 Pontoon-Bridge Regiment
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