2nd Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)
military unit
The 2nd Mechanised Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.
First formation (June 1940 – Aug 1941)
Initially formed in June 1940 in response the German victories of 1940 it was attached to the Odessa Military District, & attached to the 9th Army in the Odessa Fortified Region in Soviet Union It was under the command of Lieutenant General Yury Novoselsky when the German Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941. It initially comprised the 11th and 16th Tank Divisions, & the 15th Mechanized Division.
On 22 June 1941 2nd Mechanized Corps comprised 32,396 men, 517 tanks, 186 armoured cars, 162 artillery pieces, 189 mortars, 3794 vehicles, 266 Tractors & 375 Motorcycles including lighter models T-26, Bt 7, & T-28's & 60 of the newer T-34 & KV-1 models. On 22 July 1941 2nd Mechanized Corps consisted of 11th Tank Division 181 (81 Operational) tanks, 1070 vehicles & 71 tractors. 16th Tank Division with 99 tanks, 870 vehicles & 16 tractors & 15th Mechanized Division with 188 (102 operational) tanks, no vehicles & 122 tractors.
After the invasion began the Odessa Military District was renamed Southern Front, Commanded by Colonel General Ivan Tyulenev. The front fielded the 9th and 18th Armies. The 2nd Mechanized Corps was heavily involved in the first battles of Operation Barbarossa, helping to defend Soviet occupied Bessarabia with Colonel General Yakov Cherevichenko's 9th Army against Generaloberst Schobert's 11th Army, which had penetrated Soviet defenses, captured Iassy & reached the Prut River on the first day of action in Operation München.
However, after initially withdrawing to behind the Dniester River on Tiulenev's orders Stavka ordered 6th Army & 2nd Mechanized Corps to recapture the Prut River line.
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