![]() Rather, the Soviets proposed successive operations would be needed to gain strategic objectives necessary for success in modern war. One of the Soviets' fundamental reasons for the creation of an operational art was the contention that resilient modern armies, backed by industrialized economies, were difficult to completely destroy. The result of their combined experiences and analysis of emerging trends and technologies in warfare was that the Soviets saw the need to delineate a level of war that linked strategy and tactics. The Soviets were fortunate, for the experiences of the First World War, the Russian Civil War, and the war with Poland all created an officer corps with a great deal of combat experience, that went on to create what was probably the most theoretically advanced doctrine of all the great powers of World War Two. Force structure must have its origins in military doctrine, and for an organization to function properly, the doctrine must be sound. To understand the Red Army of the Second World War, it is first necessary to understand the intellectual origins of its wartime doctrine, formed in the 1920s and 1930s by a host of prominent Soviet military thinkers. As these capabilities increased, the Red Army's battlefield performance improved within the framework provided by the new, more effective organization. The changes in Soviet force structure during World War II created a more flexible, balanced, and combat worthy Red Army and were the result of Stavka studies based on prewar doctrine, wartime experiences, and the technical and tactical capabilities of the Red Army. ![]() The Red Army's tank and mechanized force structure of 1944 was the result of fierce battles and bloody failures against a skilled opponent, and it represented the best organization of Soviet resources and expertise that the Supreme High Command (Stavka) could manage. Such a transition came neither cheaply nor easily. The Soviets combined wartime experiences with prewar theoretical background and completely reorganized their mechanized forces, tailoring them specifically for the conduct of successive operations across a wide range of situations, demonstrating remarkable flexibility and coordination at the highest levels of command. ![]() During this time the Soviets made great strides in perfecting their prewar theories on operational maneuver and the employment of mechanized forces on the contemporary battlefield. In 47 months of bloody conflict on the Eastern Front in the Second World War, the Red Army evolved from a mostly beaten, collapsed entity to a fully functioning, flexible instrument of war. Such a development must have required organization and planning of the highest order." - Major General F.W. In the fiery furnace of war the tank crews of the Red Army were elevated far above their original level. "The extraordinary development of the Russian tank arm deserves the very careful attention of students of war. Title: Through the Furnace of War: The Evolution of Soviet Tank and Mechanized Forces in the Second World War This article by Scott Boston from the now defunct Red Army Studies website maybe helpful in understanding the evolution of the Red Army's armoured forces: If you want to dig deeper, volumes 1, 2, and 3 of Charles Sharp's OB series at is probably the best English-language source. The TO&E evolved over the years, so the answer depends on what period you're talking about. If you go to Google and search for "soviet tank corps" you should find your answer. In 1942 they created a division-sized organization but called it a Tank Corps. A couple remained in the Far East, but that's the only exception I can think of without digging into some books. Large tank units of division size were eliminated from the Soviet order of battle on the German-Soviet front in 1941. Unless you can tell where a website that will tell me more about the subject. I am not hasving any luck finding anything on the internet. By the end of the war there were ast least 10 entire Tank Armies in the Soviet arsenal. WHAT? The Tank Division did not cease to exist in 1941. Tank Divisions per se ceased to exist on the German-Soviet front sometime in 1941. What exactly do you mean by "tactical order?" TO&E? What was the tactical order of a Red Army Tank Division throughout the war? Profile | register | preferences | faq | search Red Army Tank Division - The Dupuy Institute Forum
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