29th Army (Soviet Union)

29th Army
Active	1941-1943; 1968-1988; 2010-present
Country	Soviet Union (to 1988) Russia (2010-present)
Branch	Soviet Army (to 1988) Russian Ground Forces (2010-present)
Type	Field army
Part of	Eastern Military District
Garrison/HQ	Chita
Engagements	World War II Battle of Smolensk Battle of Moscow Battle of Rzhev
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ivan Maslennikov

The Soviet Red Army's 29th Army was a field army of the Red Army and later the Russian Ground Forces.

History

It was first formed in July 1941 in the Moscow Military District on the basis of 30th Rifle Corps. The 245th, 252nd, 254th and 256th Rifle Divisions, and a number of smaller units made up the Army. It joined the Front of reserve armies and conducted defensive works at Staraya Russa, Demyansk, Ostashkov, Selizharovo. It was reassigned on July 21, 1941 to the Soviet Western Front, and with Western Front it took part in the Battle of Smolensk, conducted defensive fights in area to the south of the city of Toropets and on left I protect Volga on a site Rzhev, Staritsa. As part of the Soviet Western Front, since October 17 of the Kalinin Front it participated in the defense of Kalinin, and the Kalinin, Rzhev–Vyazma 1942, and Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive operations (the Battles of Rzhev). From the end of August 1942 the army defended occupied boundaries on the left bank of the Volga River. In the beginning of February, 1943 the Army's units were transferred to 5th and 20th Armies, and the headquarters was reorganised as headquarters 1st Tank Army.

Commanders

The commanders of the 29th Army were:

• General-lieutenant I. I. Maslennikov (July 4, 1941 – December 11, 1941)
• General-major V. I. Shvetsov (December 12, 1941 – September 1942)
• General-major Zhuravlyov (September 1942 – January 1943)

Reformation

In Arkhangelsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, the 44th Special Rifle Corps was activated on 22 June 1956 from HQ Arkhangelsk Military District. In June 1957 it was renamed 44th Special Army Corps. Three years later it comprised the 69th and 77th Motor Rifle Divisions. In August 1961 it was renamed the 44th Army Corps. In the late 1960s the Chinese threat to the Soviet Union appeared to be increasing, and as part of the response, the corps was moved eastward. In 1967 it was moved to the Transbaikal Military District, and established its headquarters at Ulan Ude. On 12 May 1970 the 44th Army Corps was renamed the 29th Combined Arms Army.

In 1970 the 91st Motor Rifle Division was formed at Chistye Kluychi (Shelekhovo), and moved to Mongolia in 1979. The 12th Motor Rifle Division also moved to Mongolia, and the 198th Motor Rifle Division was formed in its place, coming under the control of 29th Army. In 1987 the 91st MRD was withdrawn to Nizhneudinsk, and came under the control of 29th Army.

On 1.12.1987 the 52nd and 91st Motor Rifle Divisions were redesignated the 978th and 497th Territorial Training Centres.

In 1988 the armycomprised the :

• 198th Motor Rifle Division (Divizionnaya, Buryatskaya ASSR)
• 245th Motor Rifle Division (Gusinoozersk, Buryatskaya ASSR)
• 497th Territorial Training Center (Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk Oblast)(ex 91 MRD)
• 978th Territorial Training Center (Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk Oblast)
• 12th Fortified Area (Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast)

The 29th Army was disbanded by being redesignated 57th Army Corps on 28 February 1988. The corps was disbanded in 1993.

29th Army was then reformed from 57th Army Corps at Ulan-Ude in 2004, and was active in the Siberian Military District until 2007, when it was apparently again disbanded. Its units in July 2003 included 5th Guards Tank Division, the recently reformed 245th Motor Rifle Division at Gusinoozyorsk, and the 11th Air Assault Brigade.

29th Army was reformed once again in 2010-2011, with confirmation coming with a Kremlin decree of 9 January 2011 naming the army's commander. General-Major Aleksandr Vladimirovich Romanchuk, named Commander, 29th Army, was relieved of duty as Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander, 41st Army.

The headquarters address (of the former staff of the Siberian Military District): Lermontov Street, house number 13, Chita, 672000. Phone number : +7 (8) (63022) 32-39-77 .

References

• http://samsv.narod.ru/Arm/a29/arm.html
• http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/9059/RussianArmedForces.html (Archived 2009-10-23) for current units