World War II The 26th Tank Corps was formed between 24 June and 10 August 1942 in
Kosteryovo. It was commanded by Major General
Alexey Rodin. The corps included the 19th, 157th and 216th Tank Brigades and the 14th Motor Rifle Brigade. From 10 August to 9 September, the corps was transferred to
Plavsk. On 3 September, it was subordinated to the
5th Tank Army. In October, the army was transferred to the
Southwestern Front and began to prepare for the counteroffensive at Stalingrad, Operation Uranus. On 19 November, the 26th Tank Corps began its advance in the second echelon of the 5th Tank Army. It broke through Romanian lines in the area of
Blinovsky and
Korotovsky, advancing south towards
Perelazovsky and
Kalach. and captured the headquarters of the Romanian
5th Army Corps. Forward detachments of the corps forced German commander
Friedrich Paulus to move his headquarters on 21 November. On the night of 22–23 November, Rodin ordered the corps' vanguard units, led by Lieutenant Colonel
Georgy Filippov to reconnoitre the last bridge over the Don at Kalach. Filippov advanced at high speed with headlights on, reportedly causing the German troops guarding the bridge to believe captured Soviet armor was being driven to the nearby gunnery range. Filippov and his tanks crossed the bridge and defeated the German troops guarding it. The corps helped occupy Kalach on the next day. On 8 December, the 26th Tank Corps became the 1st Guards Tank Corps for its actions at Stalingrad. The 216th Tank Brigade became the 15th Guards, the 19th became the 16th Guards, the 157th became the 17th Guards and the 14th Motor Rifle Brigade became the 1st Guards.
6th Army Tank Troops commander Major General Alexander Kukushkin took command. During February and March, the corps fought in the
Third Battle of Kharkov. It defended positions north of
Pavlohrad and fled to escape an encirclement on 24 February. On 25 April, Kukushkin was killed during an enemy air raid. During the summer it fought in
Operation Kutuzov. From October 1943, it fought in Belarus during the
Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive. The corps captured
Rechytsa in November and cut off the German line of retreat west of
Gomel. For its actions, the corps was awarded the
Order of the Red Banner on 18 November. The corps fought in the
Kalinkovichi-Mozyr Offensive in January 1944. The corps captured
Kalinkavichy on 14 January after outflanking defending German troops. On 15 January, the corps was awarded the
Order of Suvorov 2nd class for its actions. From June, the corps fought in
Operation Bagration. On 24 June, the corps advanced through the gap made by the advance of the
65th Army. By 27 June, the corps linked up with elements of the
9th Tank Corps, completing the encirclement of five German
9th Army divisions in the
Bobruysk Offensive. The corps continued to advanced towards
Pukhavichy and
Osipovichi. On 3 July, the corps was on the southeastern outskirts of
Minsk and helped complete the encirclement of the German
4th Army around Minsk. After the capture of Minsk, the corps advanced toward Baranovichi and
Brest. The corps helped capture
Slonim. From mid-November 1944, the corps was part of the
2nd Belorussian Front. From January 1945, the corps fought in the
East Prussian Offensive. During the offensive, the corps helped capture
Płońsk and
Tuchola. On 19 February, the corps was awarded the
Order of Lenin for its capture of Plonsk. At the end of March, the corps fought in the capture of
Gdańsk during the
East Pomeranian Offensive. From April, the division fought in the
Berlin Offensive. It reached the Baltic coast near
Rostock and
Ribnitz at the end of the war.
Postwar On 12 July 1945, the corps was converted into the 1st Guards Tank Division at Neuruppin. The division's brigades were converted into tank regiments. It was disbanded in February 1947. The division's 15th Guards Tank Regiment was transferred to the
39th Guards Rifle Division. The 16th Guards Tank Regiment moved to the
207th Rifle Division and the 17th Guards Tank Regiment transferred to the
57th Guards Rifle Division. The 74th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment transferred to the
26th Guards Rifle Division. == Composition ==