41st Combined Arms Army


The 41st Combined Arms Army is a field army of the Russian Ground Forces, currently part of the Central Military District. Originally, it was formed in 1942 as part of the Soviet Red Army, during World War II. It was reformed in 1998, when the Transbaikal Military District and Siberian Military District were amalgamated.

War service

The 41st army was created in May 1942, on the base of Nikolai Berzarin and German Tarasov's operational groups. Its structure also included the 134th, 135th, 179th and 234th Rifle Divisions, the 17th Guards Rifle Division, the 21st Tank Brigade, two separate Guards mortar battalions, and several other separate elements.
From May to November 1942, the army was focused on defending the South-Western approach to the city of Bely. In late November, the army joined the Rzhev offensive operation. During that time, the army was engaged with the Wehrmacht XLI Panzer Corps. The army's offensive failed, and they were surrounded by the German XXX Army Corps. By December 8, the surrounded forced were destroyed.
In March 1943, the newly reinforced 41st Army joined the Rzhev-Vyazma operation. The offensive was a success and German forces in the Rzhev-Vyazma area were annihilated. Following the operation, the forces of the army were transferred to the 39th Army and the 43rd Army, while the 41st Army itself was sent to the STAVKA reserves. On April 9, 1943, the army was disbanded and its remaining forces would form the Reserve Front.

Russian Ground Forces

The 41st Army was reformed on 1 December 1998 from the former headquarters of the Siberian Military District at Novosibirsk, part of the Siberian Military District. In 2002, the 122nd Guards Motor Rifle Division was relocated to Aleysk and became part of the army. During the Russian military reform in 2009, the division was converted into the 35th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. On 1 September 2010, the army was transferred to the Central Military District after the Siberian Military District was disbanded.
A dedicated electronic warfare battalion is scheduled to be formed within the 31st Combined Arms Army by the end of 2019.

Structure

June 1, 1942:
September 1, 1942:
December 1, 1942:
March 1, 1943: