30th Tank Division (Soviet Union)

The 30th Tank Division (Military Unit Number 9465) was a Division sized unit of the Red Army that existed from March 1941–July 1941.

30th Tank Division (March 1941 – July 1941)
ActiveMarch 1941–July 1941
CountrySoviet Union
BranchRed Army, Soviet Army
TypeArmoured
SizeDivision

Formed in March 1941 and stationed in western Belarus (Pruzhany), the division was destroyed in the Battle of Białystok–Minsk in June of the same year.[1]

History of division formation
A destroyed T-26 of the type used by the division
German advances. June 1941

The division began forming in February-March 1941 in the Western special military district as part of the 14th mechanized corps at the base of the 32nd tank brigade in the southern military town on the outskirts of Brest.

The corps was equipped with 235 tanks,[1] most of which were the obsolete T-26.[2] The corps had half of its authorized 375 tanks.[3]

Battle

The 30th Tank Division's 61st Tank Regiment concentrated west of Pruzhany by 0900. The division formed two columns, reinforced by artillery.

Attacking on the morning of 23 June, the 200 T-26s of the 22nd and 30th destroyed numerous German tanks but suffered heavier losses.[4]

The German forces continued their attack, inflicting heavy losses on the 22nd Tank Division and killing Puganov.

Formation

The division was formed in March 1941 and had the following structure:[5]

    • 60th Tank Regiment
    • 61st Tank Regiment
    • 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment
    • 30th Motorized Howitzer Regiment
    • 30th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 30th Motorized Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
    • 30th Motorized Pontoon Battalion

References
  1. Drig, Yevgeny (6 January 2012). "14 механизированный корпус" [14th Mechanized Corps]. mechcorps.rkka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. Forczyk 2014, p. 30.
  3. Glantz 2010, p. 36, n21.
  4. Forczyk 2014, pp. 47–48.
  5. "Tank Division, Soviet Army, 22 June 1941". niehorster.org. Retrieved 2019-02-12.

Bibliography
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