37th Army (Soviet Union)

The 37th Army was an Army-level formation of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The army was formed twice during the war. The army was part of the Southern Group of Forces in Romania and Bulgaria.

First Formation
The first formation was created on 10 August 1941 in the Southwestern Front with the command group from the Kiev Fortified Region and other reserves in front reserves.

Upon formation the army took up defensive positions to the west of Kiev and on the left bank of the Dnieper River. During the defense of Kiev the army suffered serious losses against superior German forces. The army was surrounded in the city of Kiev and was ordered to breakout on 19 September. Individual units of the army were able to breakout and joined forces with the front. Many of the other units of the army were destroyed. The army was disbanded on 25 September 1941.

Composition
The army had the following units assigned when formed:
 * 147th Rifle Division
 * 171st Rifle Division
 * 175th Rifle Division
 * 206th Rifle Division
 * 284th Rifle Division
 * 295th Rifle Division
 * Artillery and other units.

Second Formation
The army was reformed on 15 November 1941 in the Southern Front for a counterattack in the Rostov area against the German 1st Panzer Army. These actions facilitated the 9th and 56th Armies liberation of Rostov-on-Don. The army took part in the Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Offensive from 18-31 January 1942 with the goal of destroying the German Army in southern Ukraine.

The army conducted defensive operations during the summer and fall of 1942 in reaction to German operations in the Southern Soviet Union. The army was transferred from the Southern Front to the Don Group of the North Caucasian Front (I Formation) in late July and then the Transcaucasian Front in August 1942.

As part of the North Caucasian Strategic Offensive in January 1943 the army liberated the towns of Kisovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki and Cherkessk. The army was transferred to the North Caucasian Front(II Formation) on 24 January to participate in the Krasnodar Offensive. In July the army forces were reassigned to the 9th and 56th Armies and the 37th Army was placed under STAVKA control.

On 7 September 1943 the army was assigned to the Steppe Front. The army took part in the liberation of the Left-bank Ukraine east of Kremenchug. In late September it crossed the Dnieper River west of Keleberda and northwest of Mishurin Horn. From October to December the army was involved in offensive operations in the Krivoy Rog area.

Assigned to the 3rd Ukrainian Front on 15 January 1944. Participated in the Odessa Offensive in conjunction with the 46th Army. In August participated in the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive and the liberation of Bulgaria.

Composition
The army had the following units assigned when formed:
 * 51st Rifle Division
 * 96th Rifle Division
 * 99th Rifle Division
 * 216th Rifle Division
 * 253rd Rifle Division
 * 295th Rifle Division

Forces assigned on 7 September 1943 upon attachment to the Steppe Front:
 * 57th Rifle Corps
 * 82nd Rifle Corps
 * 53rd Rifle Division

Forces assigned at the end of the war.
 * 34th Rifle Corps
 * 259th Rifle Division
 * 353rd Rifle Division
 * 394th Rifle Division
 * 66th Rifle Corps
 * 195th Rifle Division
 * 244th Rifle Division
 * 333rd Rifle Division
 * 82nd Rifle Corps
 * 28th Guards Rifle Division
 * 92nd Guards Rifle Division
 * 188th Rifle Division
 * 255th Naval Rifle Brigade
 * 35th Antiaircraft Artillery Division
 * Artillery, tank and engineer units.

Post War
The army was stationed in Bulgaria as part of the Southern Group of Forces. It was redesignated as the 10th Mechanized Army in 1946 and disbanded in 1947.

Commanders
First Formation
 * Major General Andrey Vlasov - July-September 1941

Second Formation
 * Major General (Lieutenant General, March 1942) Anton Lopatin - October 1941 - June 1942
 * Major General Peter M. Kozlov - June 1942 - May 1943
 * Lieutenant General Konstantin Koroteev - May - July 1943
 * Major General Alexander Filatov - July - August 1943
 * Major General A. Ryzhov - August 1943
 * Lieutenant General Michael N. Sharokhin - August 1943 - October 1944
 * Colonel-General Sergey Biryuzov - October 1944 - May 1946