The 10th Tank Corps was a

tank corps An armoured corps (also mechanized corps or tank corps) is a specialized military organization whose role is to conduct armoured warfare. The units belonging to an armoured corps include military staff, and are equipped with tanks and other armou ...

of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

, formed twice.

First Formation

In May–June 1938, the 7th Mechanized Corps headquarters was relocated from Novy Petergof to Luga and converted into the 10th Tank Corps when the Red Army mechanized forces transitioned from a mechanized corps structure to a tank corps structure. On 4 August 1938, the 107th Separate Air Liaison Flight was formed as part of the corps at Luga. On 27 September 1939, the corps was relocated to the

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...

area on the Estonian border, to back up threats of force against that country. On 2 October it was moved to the Latvian border to threaten Latvia as well. Both of these movements were made to force the two Baltic states into signing the

Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty The Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty, also known as the Bases Treaty was a bilateral treaty between the Soviet Union and Estonia, signed in Moscow on 28 September 1939. The treaty obliged both parties to respect each other's sovereignty ...

and the

Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty The Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty (russian: Пакт о взаимопомощи между СССР и Латвийской Республикой, lv, Savstarpējās palīdzības pakts starp Latviju un PSRS) was a bilateral treaty ...

, respectively, which established Soviet military bases on the territory of both countries. On 10 October, the 18th Light Tank Brigade was transferred to another unit and replaced by the 1st Light Tank Brigade. The corps' other brigades were the

13th Light Tank Brigade The 13th Light Tank Brigade () was an armored brigade of the Red Army that fought in the Winter War. It was formed as the 31st Uritsky Mechanized Brigade in 1932 at Stary Petergof near Leningrad, assigned to the 11th Mechanized Corps, one of th ...

and the 15th Motor Rifle and Machine Gun Brigade. On 13 October the corps was transferred back to the

Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District. Hi ...

from the 8th Army and returned to Luga. By 30 November, in preparation for the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

, the Soviet attack on Finland, the 10th was relocated to the Finnish border as part of the 7th Army. On 30 November, the corps crossed the border at the beginning of the invasion, with its headquarters in the Korkiamyaki area, then at Rautu and Liipua. Between 13 and 16 December the 10th Tank Corps was transferred to advance towards

Vyborg Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus ne ...

, concentrating in the Baboshino area. Its units were pulled out of combat and moved to Baboshin, with the headquarters at Tomilla by 20 December. The Red Army command considered the performance of the large tank corps to be unsatisfactory and ordered all of them, including the 10th, disbanded in January 1940 by an order dated 17 January. The corps headquarters was moved to

Kingisepp Kingisepp (russian: Ки́нгисепп or ), formerly Yamburg (), Yam (), and Yama (; Votic language, Votic: Jaama), is an ancient types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kingiseppsky District of Lening ...

to be used to form an army group under the command of Dmitry Pavlov.

Second Formation

The corps was reformed in April 1942 and was part of

Steppe Front The Steppe Front (russian: Степной фронт) was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War which existed from July to October 1943. History On 9 July 1943, Stavka designated a new Reserve Front in the Voronezh region, that had ...

for the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

Fatyh Zaripovich Sharipov Fatyh Zaripovich Sharipov ( tt-Latn, Fatyjh Zarif uly Shəripov; 20 January 1921 – 4 June 1996) was a participant of the Second World War, the starshiy Leytenant, the Hero of Soviet Union. Biography Sharipov was born in a country family of T ...

appears to have won the

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

while operating with the corps. 10th Tank Corps was subsequently assigned to the

5th Guards Tank Army The 5th Guards Tank Army (Russian: 5-я гварде́йская та́нковая а́рмия) was a Soviet Guards armored formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II. The army was formed in February 1943. Until the aft ...

, but by April 1945 during the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula– ...

, the 10th Tank Corps was part of the

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK ( ru , РВГК)) comprises reserve military formations and units; the Sta ...

(RVGK). It comprised the 178th, 183rd, and 186th Tank Brigades, and the 11th Motor Rifle Brigade. It should not be confused with 30th Tank Corps, which became

10th Guards Tank Corps 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

. Postwar it became the 10th Tank Division. On 30 April 1957, it became the 34th Heavy Tank Division. In March 1965, it became the

34th Tank Division The 34th Tank Division was a formation of the Red Army and Soviet Ground Forces that was formed twice. First formation The first formation was with 8th Mechanized Corps in 1941. The formation began to be formed on June 4, 1940; it was under ...

. On 20 March 1992, it was taken over by Belarus. The division became the 34th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base, part of

North Western Operational Command The Northwestern Operational Command (SZOK) is a command of the Belarus Ground Forces. It is headquartered at Borisov and is commanded by Major General Alexander Volfovich. The command includes a mechanized brigade and a mixed artillery brigade ...

References

{{Soviet Union corps Tank corps of the Soviet Union Military units and formations established in 1938 1942 establishments in the Soviet Union Military units and formations disestablished in 1940 Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945