First Formation The corps (
Military Unit Number 4862) was formed in June 1934 as part of the
Leningrad Military District, under the command of
Komdiv Mikhail Bakshi. The corps consisted of the
31st Mechanized Brigade and the
33rd Rifle and Machine Gun Brigade, left behind after the transfer of the
11th Mechanized Corps to the
Transbaikal Military District, and the new
19th Mechanized Brigade. On 1 January 1936 the corps was equipped with a total of 563 tanks, including 40
BT-2s, 186
BT-5s, 64
BT-7s, 169
T-26 tanks and variants, 68
T-37 amphibious tanks, 33
T-27 tankettes, and three
T-18 tanks. Komdiv
Mikhail Bukshtynovich led the corps from August 1935 or the end of 1936 until his arrest in 1938. Komdiv
Prokofy Romanenko took command of the corps in January 1938, by 1938, the corps headquarters was at
Luga. In May 1938 the corps became the
10th Tank Corps and its mechanized brigades became tank brigades.
Second Formation The corps (Military Unit Number 6850) began forming on 8 July 1940 in the
Moscow Military District from the 39th and 55th Light Tank Brigades, and the
1st Motorized Division. The corps headquarters was formed from that of the
57th Rifle Corps. The
14th Tank Division was formed from the 55th Light Tank Brigade and the
18th Tank Division from the 39th Light Tank Brigade. The final prewar locations of the units were: Corps headquarters at Moscow, 14th Tank Division at
Naro-Fominsk (Summer camp at
Kubinka), 18th Tank Division at
Kaluga, the 1st Motorized Division at Moscow (Summer camp at
Alabino). The corps was commanded by
Major General Vasily Vinogradov. On 22 June, the German invasion of the Soviet Union,
Operation Barbarossa, began. At the time, the corps had a strength of 959 tanks. The corps was put on alert for movement to the front and on 24 June was ordered to join the
Reserve of the Supreme High Command in the
Gzhatsk District. The corps headquarters, the tanks, and the 12th Tank and 13th Artillery Regiments of the 1st Motorized Division were transported by rail. The remainder of the corps moved by road, led by the remainder of the 1st Motorized Division. While passing through
Gzhatsk, the corps received new orders to concentrate at
Vyazma. While moving to Vyazma, the corps received new order, directing it to move to
Yartsevo and then
Smolensk. The final destination of the corps was to be
Orsha. On the night of 26 June corps headquarters arrived at Smolensk, but could go no further due to congestion. The 1st Motorized Division took positions west of Orsha. The corps became part of the
20th Army, and without the 1st Motorized Division (which operated separately for the rest of the battle), was ordered to counterattack in conjunction with the
5th Mechanized Corps and advance to
Beshankovichy,
Lepel, and
Senno. On 4 October, the corps was loaded onto trains and ten days later arrived at
Kharkov. The corps crossed the
Dnieper and on 16 October began an attack in the
Piatykhatky area, which it helped capture on 19 October. On 6 November, Dubovoy was wounded and replaced by Major General
Fyodor Katkov. From 24 December, the corps fought in the
Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive and the
Kirovograd Offensive. The corps formed part of the northern shock group during the attack on
Kirovograd with the
5th Guards Army. On 5 January the 7th Mechanized Corps and 5th Guards Army broke through the German defenses north of the city. Joined by the
8th Mechanized Corps, the northern shock ground encircled Kirovograd, linking up with the
5th Guards Tank Army. The corps helped capture Kirovograd on 8 January, After its capture of
Tuchuan, the corps had an extreme shortage of fuel due to its rapid advance. On 14 August the corps' advance detachment defeated a
Manchukuo infantry division and captured 1,320 Japanese soldiers, capturing
Taonan. On 23 August the corps received the honorific "Khingan" for its actions. On 2 September the corps ended the war in
Port Arthur. The corps became the 7th Mechanized Division in late 1945 with the
39th Army. Its brigades were converted into regiments. It was stationed at Port Arthur until 1955, when it withdrew to
Voroshilov. The division was disbanded on 12 April 1957. == Notes ==