The first armored vehicles appeared in the Red Army during the Civil War. Subsequently, the development of this direction continued and led to the emergence of full-fledged mechanized troops. In order to increase the combat capability of the army in general and the armored forces in particular, the improvement of both the material part and the organizational and staff structure was carried out.
The first steps
At the very end of 1917, the Central Council for the Management of Armored Units of the RSFSR (Tsentrobron) was formed, which was to manage the armored forces of the Red Army. Several automobile armored detachments equipped with affordable equipment were transferred to the subordination of the council. The organization was also responsible for the formation of new units and armored trains.
By the end of 1920, 7 armored trains, 4 auto-armored and 4 autotank detachments served under the control of Tsentrobroni. Armor forces remained small, only 0.4% of the total number of Red Army soldiers served in them. After the end of the Civil War, the composition of the armored forces was revised, and peacetime states were introduced. In addition, the development of a new structure of armored parts began.
In September 1923, the armored detachments were reduced to a squadron of tanks, divided into two flotillas. One of them included heavy equipment, the other - light. Already in 1925, the states of separate tank battalions, heavy and light, were introduced. Each such unit was supposed to have 30 tanks of one type or another.
Significant changes began later, in 1929. Then the Department of Mechanization and Motorization (UMM) was formed. The first experienced mechanized regiment also appeared in the Red Army. During this period, the armored forces were renamed mechanized troops.
In May 1930, the experienced regiment was expanded to a mechanized brigade. The latter included a tank and motorized regiment, an artillery and reconnaissance division, etc. The brigade was armed with 60 tanks, 32 tankettes and 17 armored cars.
Large tank program
On August 1, 1931, the Labor and Defense Council decided to start the so-called. A "large tank program" aimed at developing mechanized troops and increasing their combat effectiveness. The program provided for the development of new types of weapons and equipment, as well as a radical change in the structure and number of troops.
In the fall of 1932, the 11th Infantry Division of the Leningrad Military District was transformed into the 11th Mechanized Corps - the first in the history of the Red Army. Similarly, the 45th Mechanized Corps was formed in the Ukrainian Military District. At the same time, 5 separate mechanized brigades, 2 tank regiments, 12 mechanized regiments, as well as mech divisions as part of rifle and cavalry divisions were created.
In the early thirties, the industry mastered the serial production of light tanks and tankettes of several types, due to which it was possible to ensure the re-equipment of all new parts. The enterprises showed outstanding production rates. If in 1929 the first experimental mechanized regiment had only a few dozen tanks, then in 1932 one mechanized corps operated more than 500. At the same time, the corps's fleet of equipment was not limited only to tanks. Armored cars, artillery, auxiliary vehicles, etc. were produced.
Due to the formation of new units and formations, both the number of personnel and its share in the total indicators of the Red Army increased sharply. At the beginning of 1933 g.9% of the Red Army men and commanders served in the mechanized troops.
Quantitative and qualitative development
By the time the mechanized troops were formed, only the MC-1 / T-18 light tank and a number of early-design armored cars were in serial production. Already in the early thirties, the situation changed dramatically. The production of new equipment, own developments and licensed samples has started.
For several years, the entire range of necessary equipment was sent to production. Light tanks and tankettes were produced, the development of medium and heavy vehicles was completed. In addition, work was already underway on more advanced projects that remained relevant until the early forties. The rate of production of equipment grew, and by 1935-36. annually, at least 3 thousand tanks of all types were sent to the Red Army.
As a result of this development, in just a few years, mechanized troops have increased in size and increased combat potential. By the beginning of 1936, they already included 4 mechanized corps and 6 separate mechanized brigades, 6 separate tank regiments with rifle divisions and 15 mechanized regiments of cavalry divisions.
In 1936, mechanized troops were transformed into armored vehicles. The new name of the branch of the military reflected the features of its materiel, goals and objectives. At the same time, the UMM of the Red Army was transformed into the Armored Directorate. The armored forces remained until the end of 1942.
New reforms
The formation of new connections continued for several years. By the end of 1937, there were already 28 separate tank brigades in the armored forces - 24 light and 4 heavy, differing in the composition of the equipment. In the following year, 1938, armored units of the Red Army took part in battles with the Japanese army for the first time. During the same period, Soviet specialists were in Spain, incl. studying the experience of the ongoing war.
Based on the experience of service and exercises, as well as taking into account the peculiarities of the recent conflicts in November 1939, it was decided to abandon the tank corps. On their basis, four separate motorized divisions were formed, with 275 tanks in each. Such formations were supposed to work both independently and in cooperation with the cavalry, solving the problems of developing success in the combined arms army.
The military scientific work also resulted in recommendations for the creation of fundamentally new tanks that meet modern requirements. During this period, several new projects were launched, some of which played a decisive role in the subsequent rearmament and had a significant impact on the course of a future war.
Already in July 1940, the People's Commissariat of Defense adopted a plan for the restoration of mechanized corps. Work of this kind was completed by the beginning of December. According to their results, 9 mechanized corps, including 18 tank and 9 motorized divisions, as well as 2 separate tank divisions, appeared in the auto-armored forces of the Red Army. Also 45 tank brigades appeared.
The next stage of strengthening the armored forces began in February 1941. In connection with the deterioration of the military-political situation, it was decided to create another 21 mechanized corps. Their formation was completed in the spring, a few months before the start of the war.
On the eve of the war
After the formation of new operational-tactical formations by the summer of 1941, the Red Army had 30 mechanized corps with numbers from 1 to 30. Most of them were concentrated in the western regions; in other regions, only 6 corps served.
According to the states from 1940, the mechanized corps included two tank divisions - each with two tank, one motorized and one artillery regiment. The tank division was supposed to have 413 KV, T-34, BT-7 and T-26 tanks, as well as other equipment. The motorized division of the corps used light tanks BT-7 and amphibious T-37. She also had armored cars and artillery.
In this form, the Soviet mechanized corps met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Due to the peculiarities of their deployment, almost all of them entered the battle in the first days and weeks of the war.
Construction results
By June 22, 1941, more than 20 mechanized corps were concentrated in the western regions of the USSR. There were more than 12 thousand tanks in the border military districts alone, incl. less than 1.5 thousand newest T-34 and KV. Such a grouping of armored forces met the enemy. By the fall of 1941, a new decision was made and implemented to abandon mechanized corps in favor of smaller formations. Subsequently, the structure of the armored forces changed several times.
Thus, from the late twenties to the early forties, the Red Army and industry carried out a lot of work to create, develop and improve full-fledged and powerful armored forces. Various decisions were made, incl. affecting the organizational and staff structure. The result of all the work was the appearance of armored troops - numerous and developed, although not devoid of shortcomings. Already the first months of the Great Patriotic War showed the importance of such construction, and later on it became the foundation for future victory.
