The 2nd Guards Tatsinskaya 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 Soviet Union's

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

that saw service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

on the Eastern Front of Europe. The unit's most notable moment was in the raid on Tatsinskaya during Operation Little Saturn in

. After the war, it continued to serve with the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

occupation forces in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. It was originally the 24th Tank Corps. The formation had approximately the same size and combat power as a

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

Panzer Division A Panzer division was one of the Division (military)#Armored division, armored (tank) divisions in the German Army (1935–1945), army of Nazi Germany during World War II. Panzer divisions were the key element of German success in the Blitzkrieg, ...

, and less than a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Armoured Division A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. Histor ...

had during World War II. After the war the Corps became the 2nd Guards Tank Division in 1945. During the 21st century, the division was reformed into the

5th Guards Tank Brigade The 5th Separate Guards Tatsin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Tank Brigade () is a military formation of the Russian Ground Forces. It is subordinate to the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District and is garrisoned in Ulan-Ude, Re ...

, as part of the

36th Combined Arms Army The 36th Combined Arms Army is a combined arms ( field) army of the Russian Ground Forces, part of the Eastern Military District ( 05776). History The army was formed in 1997 from the 55th Army Corps at Borzya in the Siberian Military Dist ...

World War II

The 24th Tank Corps was formed in 1942 during re-establishment of the

as a formation. It was equipped with a mix of

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank from World War II. When introduced, its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was more powerful than many of its contemporaries, and its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, ...

medium,

T-60 The T-60 scout tank was a light tank produced by the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1942. During this period, 6,292 units were built. The tank was designed to replace the obsolete T-38 amphibious scout tank and saw action during World War II. The K ...

light,

KV-1 The Kliment Voroshilov (KV; ) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour ...

heavy, and U.S.

Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft) * 28 naval vessels: ** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign) * ...

M3 Stuart The M3 Stuart/light tank M3, was a US light tank of World War II, first entered service in the British Army in early 1941 and saw action in the North African campaign in July 1941. Later an improved version of the tank entered service as the ...

light tanks. General Major of Tank Forces Vasilii M. Badanov was placed in command. It was assigned to the 6th Army and participated in the Stalingrad Defensive Operation on the

Don River The Don () is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its basin is betwee ...

in July 1942, where it lost approximately two-thirds of its tanks. Its 24th Motorized Brigade conducted offensive operations along the Don together with

25th Guards Rifle Division The 25th Guards Rifle Division 'Chapayevskaya' was a division of the Soviet Red Army. The division was reorganised and reformed several times until the History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991), collapse of the Soviet Union, when it entered service ...

. After re-building, the corps was assigned to the

3rd Guards Army The 3rd Guards Army () was a field army of the Soviet Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The army fought in the Battle of Berlin, during which it mopped up German resistance around Cottbus. 1942 to 1945 It was formed o ...

under the command of General

Dmitri Danilovich Lelyushenko Dmitry Danilovich Lelyushenko (; ( – 20 July 1987) was a Soviet military officer and a commander in the Red Army during World War II. He rose to prominence during the first months of the Eastern Front of the Second World War, where he became a ...

, to participate in encircling German

Army Group A Army Group A () was the name of three distinct army groups of the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'', the ground forces of the ''Wehrmacht'', during World War II. The first Army Group A, previously known as "Army Group South", was active from Oct ...

Operation Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The suc ...

during the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

. The 24th Tank Corps consisted of the 4th Guards Tank Brigade (Colonel G.I. Kolypov); 54th Tank Brigade (Colonel V.M. Polyakov); the 130th Tank Brigade (Colonel S.K. Nesterov); and the 24th Motor Rifle Brigade (Colonel V.S. Savchenko). Support units included the 13th Mining Engineer Company; the 158th Mobile Repair Base; and the Corps Train. The Corps undertook the raid on Tatsinskaya during

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...

, from 16 to 28 December 1942. It had to pull out of threatened encirclement under cover of darkness. Much of the matériel and many men were lost during the break-out, but the damage to the Germans had been done. German forces engaged in the relief of Stalingrad had to be withdrawn to deal with the raiders, and many irreplaceable transport planes of the Luftwaffe had been destroyed, with their crews and ground personnel mostly killed. The 24th Tank Corps claimed the destruction of 84 tanks, 106 guns, the killing of 12,000 Axis soldiers and the capture of almost 5,000 more in this operation. In the midst of the successful raid it was renamed the 2nd Guards Tank Corps and given the honorific 'Tatsinskaya.' It was also among the first recipients of the newly created

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet Union, Soviet award established on ...

for this operation. After the raid Badanov was promoted to General-Lieutenant. During the year at some points the corps was assigned to the 1st Guards Army.

2nd Guards Tank Corps

The 2nd Guards Tank Corps initially was based on the same units as the 24th Tank Corps. Its individual combat units were also renamed and renumbered as Guards units. With changing organization and equipment during the war, additional units were added. Depending on the specific tasks assigned to the Corps, units from 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 () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...

(

Stavka The ''Stavka'' ( Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка, ) is a name of the high command of the armed forces used formerly in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine. In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrat ...

Reserve) could be added to help it achieve its mission. At the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...

, the following Order of Battle (OOB) applied: Main Combat Units (totaling 187 tanks at Prokohorovka): * 25th Guards Tank Brigade * 26th Guards Tank Brigade * 4th Guards Tank Brigade * 4th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade * 47th Guards Breakthrough Tank Regiment * 1500th SU-regiment (Self-propelled Artillery) * 1695th AA-regiment * 273rd Mortar regiment * 755th Antitank battalion Support Units (unconfirmed) * Aviation Liaison Section (F.A.C.) * 51st Sapper Battalion * Corps Train In the remainder of 1943 the Corps fought during the

Third Battle Of Kharkov The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by Nazi Germany's Army Group South against the Soviet Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February ...

; during the

Battle of Prokhorovka The Battle of Prokhorovka was fought on 12 July 1943 near Prokhorovka, Belgorod Oblast, Prokhorovka, southeast of Kursk, in the Soviet Union, during the Second World War. Taking place on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front, the e ...

at Kursk where it was heavily damaged; in

Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

; and at the Battle of Smolensk. On 31 August 1943 Badanov handed over to Major General of Tank Forces Alexei S. Burdeinei; Badanov was then appointed commander of the 4th Tank Army. In 1944 the Corps fought at during

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

, during which, in the

Minsk Offensive The Minsk offensive () was part of the second phase of the Belorussian strategic offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. The Red Army encircled the German 4th Army (Wehrmacht), Fourth Army in the city of ...

, the 4th Guards Tank Brigade was the first Soviet unit to enter Minsk. On 11 February 1944 corps commander Burdeinei was promoted to General-Lieutenant. Guards Sergeant Mariya Oktyabrskaya was awarded the

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

posthumously in 1945 for her actions in the fighting around

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...

in March 1944. The Corps then took part in the Baltic Offensive. For the successful operations during the liberation of the capital of Belarus, the city of Minsk, the corps headquarters, as well as the 4th, 25th, 26th Guards Tank and 4th Guards Motor Rifle Brigades, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 23 July 1944, were awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

. The 4th Guards Tank Brigade was awarded the honorary title "Minsk." Members of the corps committed the notorious

Nemmersdorf massacre The Nemmersdorf massacre was a civilian massacre perpetrated by Red Army soldiers in the late stages of World War II. Nemmersdorf (present-day Mayakovskoye, Kaliningrad Oblast) was one of the first prewar ethnic German settlements to fall to th ...

during the

Gumbinnen Operation The Gumbinnen Operation,Glantz, ''Failures of Historiography'' also known as the Goldap Operation (or Goldap-Gumbinnen Operation, ), was a Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front late in 1944, in which forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front attempt ...

, torturing and killing tens of German civilians in October 1944. The corps was withdrawn to the 3rd Belorussian Front reserve on 2 December 1944. It fought in the Insterburg-Königsberg Offensive, part of the East Prussian Strategic Offensive Operation. The corps was tasked with developing the offensive beginning on the morning of the second day of the Insterburg-Königsberg Offensive, without being bogged down in protracted combat with the German defenders and swiftly bypassing strongpoints, in order to capture the large highway junctions of Groß Skaisgirren and Mehlawischken highways by the end of the fourth day of the operation. The breakthrough of the corps was planned to be exploited by the 5th Army. Before the beginning of the East Prussian offensive, the corps had a strength of 187 T-34, 21 SU-76, and 21 SU-85 at 1900 on 12 January 1945. After suffering heavy losses during the offensive, the corps was withdrawn to the front reserve on 3 February, and did not return to combat again.

Wartime assignments

In 1943 the corps was assigned to the 3rd Tank Army and 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 ...

, and in 1944 to the

11th Guards Army The 11th Guards Army () was a field army of the Red Army, the Soviet Ground Forces, and the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1943 to 1997. History World War II For its prowess in battle, the second formation of the 16th Army was redesignat ...

and the

Postwar

2nd Guards Tank Division

On 24 July 1945, the corps became the 2nd Guards Tank Division in

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

, part of the

Leningrad Military District The Order of Lenin Leningrad Military District () is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010, it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern ...

. In 1947, the division moved to

Võru Võru (; ; ) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish. History Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, at the request of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the o ...

. On 23 May 1953, the 4th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment became the 122nd Guards Mechanized Regiment. The 873rd Artillery Regiment was activated from the 273rd Mortar Regiment and the separate howitzer artillery battalion. The 79th Separate Motorcycle Battalion was converted into a reconnaissance battalion. The 338th Separate Chemical Defence Company was activated on the same day. In 1953, the 1695th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment was downsized into the 14th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. The division also moved to

Luga, Leningrad Oblast Luga (; Finnish: ''Ylä-Laukaa'' or ''Laukaa''; ; ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Luzhsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Luga River south of Saint Petersburg, St.&nbs ...

that year. In April 1955, the battalion became the 1108th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. The division underwent major reorganization in June 1957. The 25th Guards Tank Regiment was disbanded and the 26th Guards Tank Regiment became the 268th Guards Tank Regiment. The 90th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment dropped the designation "Self-Propelled". The 122nd Guards Mechanized Regiment became the 272nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment. In 1960, the division's tank training battalion was disbanded. In 1962, the 90th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment became a regular tank regiment. On 19 February 1962, the 139th Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated along with the 201st Separate Missile Battalion. The division was transferred to Choibalsan in Mongolia in April 1968 and became part of the 39th Army. Before the move, the 79th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion was replaced by the 86th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion. After the division arrived at Choibalsan, the 272nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment was replaced by the 456th Motor Rifle Regiment. The 51st Separate Guards Sapper Battalion became an engineer-sapper battalion. In 1980, the motor transport battalion became the 1084th Separate Material Supply Battalion. During the mid-1980s, the division replaced its

T-62 The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank that was first introduced in 1961. As a further development of the T-55 series, the T-62 retained many similar design elements of its predecessor including low profile and thick turret armour. In contra ...

tanks with newer

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet Union, Soviet main battle tanks that entered production in 1973. The T-72 was a development based on the T-64 using thought and design of the previous Object 167M. About 25,000 T-72 tanks have been built, and refu ...

tanks. Units of the division in 1988 before being reduced, included: * Division Headquarters, Choibalsan * 1st Independent Guards Communications Battalion * 86th Independent Reconnaissance Battalion * 4th Guards Tank Regiment * 90th Guards Tank Regiment * 268th Guards Tank Regiment * 456th Motor Rifle Regiment * 873rd Artillery Regiment * 201st Independent Missile Battalion * 1108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment * 51st Independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion * 1084th Independent Material Supply Battalion * 139th Independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion * 159th Independent Medical Battalion * 338th Chemical Defence Company

1990s and twenty-first century

In May 1990, the division was withdrawn to

Bezrechnaya Bezrechnaya-2 (also given variously as Bezrechnaya, Bezrechnoy, Khodabulak, Khada Bulak North, or Mirnaya) was an interceptor aircraft base in Chita Oblast, Russia. It featured a linear ramp. It was located north of Borzya and east of Mirnaya ...

Chita Oblast Chita Oblast ( rus, Чити́нская о́бласть, r=Čitínskaja óblastj, p=tɕɪˈtʲinskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) was a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in southeast Siberia, Russia. Its administrative center was the city of Chita. ...

, and became part of the 55th Army Corps,

Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...

. It was assigned the new

Military Unit Number A Military Unit Number (Russian: войсковая часть, в/ ч; Ukrainian: військова частина, в/ ч) is a numeric alternate designation for military units in the armed forces and internal troops of post-Soviet ...

49539. It was then downsized into the 3742nd Guards Central Tank Reserve Base in March 2001. In 2005, the base was disbanded. On 1 December 2001 the 245th Motor Rifle Division inherited the tradition, honors and awards from the 2nd Guards Tank Division, and was renamed 245th Guards Motorised Rifle Division. The 245th Guards MRD was disbanded on 1 December 2005. The 245th Guards MRD was then reactivated on 1 February 2006 as the 6th Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base (Mechanised Troops) in the city of Gusinoozersk of the

Republic of Buryatia Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia located in the Russian Far East. Formerly part of the Siberian Federal District, it has been administered as part of the Far Eastern Federal District sin ...

As the 5th Guards Tank Brigade

Following the beginning of the

2008 Russian military reform The 2008 Russian military reform (), often referred to as the Serdyukov reform () after its originator, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, was a major structural reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces that began in 2009. Significant refo ...

, in June 2009 the "Tatinskaya" honorific was assigned again to an active organisation. The 6th Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base was disbanded, and the divisional battle banner, honorary name, and awards bestowed on the newly formed 5th Separate Guards Tank Brigade at Divizionnaya,

Ulan Ude Ulan-Ude (; , ; , ) is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga. According to the 2021 Census, 437,565 people lived in Ulan-Ude; up from 404,426 recorded ...

. Tank units and elements of the

5th Guards Tank Division The 5th Guards Tank Division was an armored division of the Soviet Ground Forces and Russian Ground Forces, active from 1945 to 2009, in two different formations. First Formation The 5th Guards "Stalingradsko-Kievskaya Order of Lenin Red Banne ...

were also used to form the new brigade. The brigade has been involved in Russian interference in Ukraine since 2015 at least. It took part in fierce fighting, engaging Ukrainian tanks to encircle

Debaltseve Debaltseve (, ) or Debaltsevo (), is a city in Horlivka Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, currently occupied by Russia as part of the Donetsk People's Republic. The city is situated on the eastern edge of Donetsk Oblast, and borders Luhansk Oblas ...

in January–February 2015.; A tank gunner in the Brigade suffered horrific burns after his tank was knocked out near the village of Logvinovo. On February 16, 2016, the brigade commander, Colonel Ruslan Galitsky, was decorated on the anniversary of the Debaltsevo fighting, but then he was killed in December 2016 in

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. The brigade then played a leading role in the Selenga-2016 military exercises held in August and September 2016 with the

Mongolian Armed Forces The Mongolian Armed Forces () is the collective name for the Mongolian military and the joint forces that comprise it. It is tasked with protecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Mongolia. Defined as the peacetime co ...

. The brigade was involved in the Kyiv offensive of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, losing some vehicles in the

Battle of Ivankiv A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, northwest of Kyiv.

Notes

References

* * * * * Porfiryev, ‘Raid to Tatsinskaya’, VIZH 11/1987 *

External links

Battlefield.ru

Eastern Front.co.uk
{{Soviet Union corps G02 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 2001