Bryansk Front

The Bryansk Front was a Front (i.e. a military formation of roughly Army Group size) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.

Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three cavalry divisions, and one tank division but many of these formations were badly whittled down by battle losses'. Two other armies from Soviet Central Front, 21st and 3rd, that had avoided encirclement, were promised but also badly worn down.

In late August along with the Western and Reserve Fronts it launched a large but failed counteroffensive in the Smolensk, El'nia, and Roslavl regions to halt Army Group Centre's advance on Moscow. Despite some success by Reserve Front at El'nia, the efforts by Bryansk Front were a failure.

On its second formation in mid-late 1941 under Cherevichenko, it was only active for about six months, being redesignated Voronezh Front on 7 July 1942. By the time of Operation Blau, the German summer offensive of 1942, the Front comprised the 3rd, 13th, 40th, 48th Armies, the 5th Tank Army, and the 2nd Air Army. Reformed; disbanded 11/12 March 1943 and HQ became HQ Kursk Front after a short time expecting to be HQ and basis of new Reserve Front. Reformed from Orel Front 28 March 1943.

It was later reformed, and by the time of the Battle of Kursk the Front consisted of the 11th, 3rd, 4th Tank, 61st, and 63rd Armies. Colonel General Markian Popov led it to liberate its namesake town in August and September 1943. On 10 October 1943 the STAVKA incorporated most of the Front's forces into the 1st Belorussian Front (former Central) and used Bryansk Front's HQ to form HQ Baltic Front, which then became 2nd Baltic Front.

Commanders

First Formation

• lieutenant general Yeremenko Andrey Ivanovich (with 16.8.41 on 13.10.41 yr.),
• Major General Zakharov Georgiy Fedorovich (with 14.10.41 on 10.11.41 yr.).

Second Formation

• Colonel General Yakov Cherevichenko (24.12.1941 to 2.4.1942),
• lieutenant General Filipp Golikov (2.4.1942 to 7.7.1942),
• Lieutenant General Chibsov Nikanor yevlampiyevich (7.7.42 to 13.7.1942), (Чибисов Никанор Евлампиевич)
• Lieutenant General Konstantin Rokossovsky (from 14.7.42 to 27.9.1942),
• Colonel General Max Andreevich Reuter (with 28.9.42 to 12.3.1943).

References and Sources

• John Erickson, The Road to Stalingrad, London, 1975
• David Glantz, Colossus Reborn: The Red Army at War 1941-43, University Press of Kansas, 2005