50th Rocket Army

Remaining wall of the rocket base barracks near Vepriai, Lithuania. Construction date visible

The 50th Red Banner Rocket Army (Military Unit Number 55135) was an army of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces. It was created in 1960. Its first commander was General Lieutenant Feodor Dobish (ru:Добыш, Фёдор Иванович). Its headquarters was located in Smolensk.

It was formed in September 1960, in accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces based on the 50th Air Army Long Range Aviation.[1]

History

Successive titles

From November 1951 to July 1957 the army included the 144th Fighter Aviation Division with its headquarters at Mogilev, Mogilev Region, Byelorussian SSR. The division's 439th Fighter Aviation Regiment was flying MiG-15s and MiG-17s during that period from Zyabrovka, Gomel Oblast.[3]

In the mid-1950s the Army included two Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Corps, the 51st, including Tupolev Tu-4s, and the 79th, each with two divisions, and the 144th Fighter Aviation Division.[4]

By September 1, 1960, the 50th Rocket Army had 46 medium-range rocket launchers on combat duty, and a year later their number had reached 144. By January 1, 1963, there were 296 launchers, by January 1, 1964, 330 (26 of them were mines), and by February 3, 1965, the program for the deployment of the north-western missile grouping was completed, which began to make up 351 launchers.[5]

Operation Anadyr

In 1962, elements of the 50th RA were sent to Cuba to participate in Operation Anadyr, among them:

  • 79th Guards Rocket Regiment with R-12 missiles (regiment commander Lieutenant Colonel I. S. Sidorov, deputy commander Lieutenant Colonel F. Z. Khachaturov);
  • 1018th RTB (Chief of RTB, Lieutenant Colonel I. V. Shishchenko, Chief Engineer Major E. M. Orlov);
  • The 1st Rocket Divizion of the 428th Rocket Regiment with R-14 missiles (division commander Lieutenant Colonel V. T. Polishchuk);
  • 1st Assembly Brigade (chief lieutenant colonel Bazanov from rtb colonel Balin).

The first missile regiment to arrive, in record time, on October 20, 1962, took up combat duty 79th Guards Rocket Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel I.S. Sidorov. And on October 28, all 36 launchers were prepared for launch.

Divisions

Võru was a deployment base for the 305th Regiment of the 23rd Rocket Division (from 1982 40th Division) of the 50th Army.[6]

The 29th Guards Rocket Division was part of the 50th Rocket Army from 1960 to 1986, and included the Plokštinė missile base, operated by the 79th Guards Missile Regiment.[7]

Composition 1988

In 1988 the 50th Rocket Army comprised:[8]

Moved to Karmėlava on 30 June 1964, disbanded 8.1990.

The army was disbanded on 30 June 1990.

References

  1. ^ 50th Red Banner Missile Army.
  2. ^ Stavka Directive dated October 17, 1941.
  3. ^ Holm, Michael. "439th Fighter Aviation Regiment". Soviet Armed Forces 1945-1991 Organisation and order of battle. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  4. ^ "50th Air Army DA". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  5. ^ © RVSN in Belarus.
  6. ^ See http://ruzhany.all-up.com/forum-f8/tema-t2.htm.
  7. ^ Michael Holm, 29th Guards Missile Division, accessed January 2013.
  8. ^ Michael Holm, 50th Missile Army
  9. ^ Previously 92 BON, then given the combined-arms designation of 22nd RVGK special-purpose brigade, then 72nd RVGK Engineer Brigade, and in 1960 the 24th Guards Division of the RVSN was formed on its basis. http://www.ww2.dk/new/rvsn/24gvmd.htm
  10. ^ Michael Holm
  • Смирнов Г. И., Ясаков А. И. История 50-й ракетной армии. Тома 1–4. — Смоленск, 2002–2008.
  • И. Д. Сергеев; В. Н. Яковлев; Н. Е. Соловцов, eds. (1999). Большая Российская энциклопедия (Военный энциклопедический словарь ракетных войск стратегического назначения). Moscow: Министерство обороны РФ. p. 632. ISBN 5-85270-315-X.