Second World War
It was concentrated north-west of Stalingrad and included the 21st mountain (14th Guard) cavalry division, 55th (I formation; renamed 73rd cavalry division with retention of subunits; II formation renamed 15th Guards) cavalry division, and 112th (renamed 16th Guards) cavalry division, 13th Separate Signals Battalion, and 23rd signals air-flight. The Corps was assigned to the Southwestern Front’s in the area of the 5th Tank Army (2nd formation) (Serafimovich) north of Stalingrad where it cooperated with the 1st Tank Corps (General V. V. Butkov) during Operation Uranus. in which they had the task of cutting the rail road in the region of the stations Bolshaya Osipovka, Surovikino, and Oblivskaya.
During 1943, on January 30 from the area of the Seversky Donets river the Corps went over to the offensive in the direction of Voroshilovgrad (now Lugansk) as part of the 3rd Guards Army under the command of lieutenant general Dmitry Lelyushenko, where it was engaged in furious fighting on the approaches to the city. At dawn on February 14 began the assault, as a result of which the first provincial city in central Ukraine was liberated. Although the main role in this operation was played by the 59th, 243rd, 279th Guard rifle divisions, 2nd Guard and 2nd Tank Corps, active assistance in the liberation of Lugansk was rendered by the 8th Cavalry Corps now under the command of General Major M.D. Borisov.
The Corps was assigned by the Soviet Southwestern Front to break through German lines at Debaltsevo near the city and cut German communications. On the night of February 8, 1943, the Corps accomplished this and by February 14 the raid had been so successful that the whole corps was raised to Guards status. The Corps became 7th Guards Cavalry Corps, and its three divisions, the 21, 35, and 112 became the 14th, 15th and 16th Guards Cavalry Divisions. During the raid the corps also included the 148th Mortar Regiment, the 263d Separate Cavalry Artillery Battalion, and the 8th Separate Antitank Artillery Battalion. It completed this most difficult raid on the rear areas of enemy, distracting significant forces of enemy from reinforcing the frontline units. The Corps sustained very heavy losses breaking out of the encirclement, but the enemy also sustained losses in manpower and material which were essential for reinforcement of the forward units.
During 1943 and 1944 7th Guards Cavalry Corps helped liberate Left-bank Ukraine and eastern Belorussia, and participated in the Lublin-Brest operation. In 1945 the Corps took part in the Warsaw-Poznan, East Pomeranian, and Berlin offensives. In April 1945 it was given the honour title 'Brandenburg'.
Read more about this topic: 8th Cavalry Corps (Soviet Union)
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