ELEVENTH GUARDS ARMY

Eˈleventh Guards ˈArmy

It was formed on April 16, 1943, through the reorganisation of the 16th Army during the Great Patriotic War. Initially, it consisted of two rifle corps and a division. It was part of the Western Front, from July 30, Bryansk one, from October 10, Baltic one, from October 20, 1943, 2nd and 1st Baltic ones. In April — May 1944, it was part of the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. From May 24, 1944 to August 15, 1945, the army was part of the 3rd Belarusian Front (only in February 1945, it was part of the 1st Baltic Front for 2 weeks).

With the 8th, 16th, 35th Guards Rifle corps, 5th Tank Corps and 108th Rifle Division, it participated in the Operation Kutuzov of 1943 and the Bryansk offensive of 1943. For participation in the Garadok offensive of 1943, four rifle divisions of the army were awarded the Garadok honorary title. In the summer of 1944, the army, consisting of the 8th, 16th and 35th Rifle corps, 2nd Tatsin Tank Corps, the 120th Tank Brigade, four tank and three self-propelled artillery regiments, participated in the Belarusian Operation of 1944 (Operation Bagration of 1944). It broke through the enemy’s defenсe in depth in the Orsha direction and, in cooperation with other armies, participated in the liberation of the cities of Orsha, Barysaw, Minsk, and Alytus, also Maladziechna town (see Viciebsk-Orsha offensive of 1944, Minsk offensive of 1944, Vilnius offensive of 1944) and other communities of the Belarusian SSR and Lithuanian SSR. A number of army units and formations that distinguished themselves in battles during the liberation of the BSSR towns and cities were awarded honorary titles and orders.

Army subunits that had distinguished themselves in the course of the forced crossing over the Nioman River in Lithuania, captured and held a bridgehead on the left bank of the river. Subsequently, the army fought in East Prussia where it took part in the Gumbinnen, East Prussian, and Zemland operations. At the end of the war, it was subordinate to the Zemland Group of the front forces.

During the war, the army liberated 14 major cities and participated in 21 offensives and defensives.

97 army soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of soldiers were awarded orders and medals of the USSR.

Commanders were lieutenant general, from August 27, 1943, colonel general I. Kh. Bagramian (April — November 1943); major general A. S. Ksenofontov (November 1943); lieutenant general, from June 28, 1944 colonel general K. N. Galitskij (November 1943 — until the end of the war).