Operational history
The Southwestern Front was on the main axis of attack by the German Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa. At the outbreak of war with Germany, the Front was commanded by Mikhail Kirponos and contained the Soviet 5th, 6th, 26th, and 12th Armies along the frontier. 16th and 19th Armies were in reserve behind the forward forces. These forces took part in the tank battles in western Ukraine and were surrounded and destroyed at the Battle of Uman and the Battle of Kiev (1941) in August and September 1941. Kirponos himself was killed during the Battle of Kiev.
The Front was immediately re-established with new forces. During the period of the Battle of Moscow it was under the command of Marshal Timoshenko, and included from north to south the 40th, 21st, 38th and 6th Armies. It was formally disbanded on July 12, 1942 and the forces transferred to the Stalingrad Front and Southern Front.
The Front was reformed from reserve armies on October 22, 1942. It was renamed the 3rd Ukrainian Front on October 20, 1943. 3rd Ukrainian Front's first operations were the Battle of the Dnieper and the Battle of Kiev (1943).
Southwestern Front on 22 June 1941
Composition Subordinate Front units directly under Commander of the Front: [1]
- 193rd Rifle Division
- 195th Rifle Division
- 200th Rifle Division
- 140th Rifle Division
- 146th Rifle Division
- 228th Rifle Division
- 190th Rifle Division
- 197th Rifle Division
- 199th Rifle Division
- 130th Rifle Division
- 169th Rifle Division
- 189th Rifle Division
- 1st Airborne Infantry Brigade
- 204th Airborne Infantry Brigade
- 211th Airborne Infantry Brigade
- 1st Kiev
- 3rd Latichov
- 5th Khorosten
- 7th Novogrudok–Volynsk
- 13th Shepetovka
- 15th Ostropol
- 17th Izaslav
- 5th Anti-Tank Brigade
- 205th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 207th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 368th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 457th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 458th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 507th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 543rd Corps Artillery Regiment
- 646th Corps Artillery Regiment
- 305th Cannon Artillery Regiment (RGK)
- 355th Cannon Artillery Regiment (RGK)
- 4th High Power Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 168th High Power Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 324th High Power Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 330th High Power Howitzer Regiment (RGk)
- 526th High Power Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 331st Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 376th Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 529th Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 538th Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 589th Howitzer Regiment (RGK)
- 34th Independent Special Artillery Division
- 245th Independent Special Artillery Division
- 315th Independent Special Artillery Division
- 316th Independent Special Artillery Division
- 263rd Independent Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division
- 3rd Air Defense Division
- 4th Air Defense Division
- 11th Air Defense Brigade
- Air Defense Brigade Regions:
- Stanislavov
- Rovno
- Zhitomir
- Tarnopol
- Vinnitsa
- Front Tank/Mechanized Troops
- 19th Mechanized Corps:
- 40th Tank Division
- 43rd Tank Division
- 213th Mechanized Division
- 21st Motorcycle Regiment
- 24th Mechanized Corps:
- 45th Tank Division
- 49th Tank Division
- 216th Mechanized Division
- 17th Motorcycle Regiment
- 1st Independent Armoured Car Division
- 44th Fighter Aviation Division
- 64th Fighter Aviation Division
- 19th Bomber Aviation Division
- 62nd Bomber Aviation Division
- 14th Mixed Aviation Division
- 15th Mixed Aviation Division
- 16th Mixed Aviation Division
- 17th Mixed Aviation Division
- 63rd Mixed Aviation Division
- 36th Fighter Aviation Division (PVO)
- 315th Air Reconnaissance Regiment
- 316th Air Reconnaissance Regiment
- 45th Engineer Regiment
- 1st Pontoon Bridge Regiment
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