NQM Soviet Tank Corps

Corps scale orbats in Red

Tank Corps HQ

Comd mounted in Gaz Jeep (C3), Signals Staff Car (C3), 0-1 AA Truck (S3)

Recce Battalion

0-1 Lt Tank (R1), 0-1 A/C (R1), Motorcycle (R1)

0-1 Lt Tank or 0-1 A/C or Motorcycle (R1)

Tank Brigade

(Comd T-34 (C3), 0-1 T-34 (F3) 1942) or 1 KV-1 (F2) 1941

(Comd T-34 (F3), 0-1 (T-34 (F3) 1942 or 1 KV-1 (F2) 1941)

T-34 (F3) 1942) or 1 KV-1 (F2) 1941

Tank Brigade

1 Comd T-34 (C3), 0-1 T-34(F3) 1941-45

T-34(F3) 1941-45

Tank Brigade

1 Comd T-34 (C3) 1942 or comd T-70 (C4) 1941-2, 0-1 T-34 (F3) 1942-45

(1 Comd T-34 (C3) 1942 or comd T-70 (C4) 1941-2), 0-1 T-34 (F3) 1942-45)

T-34 or (T-70 1941-2) (F3)

Motor Rifle Brigade

Comd + MMG + Gaz Truck (CS3), 2-3 Rifle or SMG tank riders + Gaz Truck (F2-3)

Rifle or SMG tank riders + Gaz Truck (F3)

This battalion can be portrayed a number of ways to suit your models, with the battalion being 5-6 strength points in total. It does not matter if the commander is grouped with the support or fighting stand.

Anti- Tank Brigade

0-1 76mm Gun (S3)+ Limber (L3)

Self Propelled Artillery Regiment

0-1 SU-76 or SU-85 or SU-152 (Sp2-3) attached from army level

0-1 SU-76 or SU-85 or SU-152 (S3) attached from army level

Mortar Regiment

82mm/120mm Mortar (Sp3) 1943 + limber Gaz Truck/Komsolets tractor (L3)

82mm/120mm Mortar (S3) 1943 + limber Gaz Truck/Komsolets tractor (L3)

Pioneer Battalion

2 Pioneer Stands + 1 Gaz Truck (E3)

Note that the Soviets Tank Corps had no Forward Observation Officers (FOO) early in the war, so can only pre-plan indirect artillery fire, or use direct artillery fire.

Despite calling it a corps, This was really a divisional sized unit. After the chaos of the first months of the war, the Soviets doggedly rebuilt their tank forces and authorised a new corps structure. There were a number of ups and downs before the ability of the factories to supply tanks caught up with the rate that the Soviets were losing them to the enemy.

In 1943 a tank army orbat was also raised, containing a rifle division and two tank corps, although as with every other orbat, it varied.

For more detail see Zaloga and Ness (1998) Red Army Handbook 1939-1945, which is an excellent one-stop source for wargamers.

The picture of the Tank Corps above is on pre-war Tables of Organisation and Equipment (TO&Es) despite the models being T-34 76s and 85s : There is no Engineer Battalion. The Mortar regiment has substituted a captured Raupenschlepper Ost for a Gaz truck, and is joined by two more regiments for an offensive. The Self Propelled Artillery Regiment 1 Su85 and an SU-76. The Anti-tank Brigade has a Regimental 76mm gun instead of the later divisional 76mm gun. The Command Stand in the Motor Rifle Brigade has no transport; it will oblige a Rifle Company to ride on the back of a Tank Company, as the Command Stand takes its place in a Gaz truck. The T-34s are a pretty mixed bag, and two of them look suspiciously like KV-1 conversions. The divisional headquarters has managed to scrounge some anti-aircraft cover.

1943 onwards, 1944 onwards, 1945 onwards.

Tank corps HQ.

Command car (C3), Signal Van (C3), T-34 (F3).

Tank brigade x 3.

3 T-70 (F2) + 3 T-34 (F3) or 0 T-70, 6 T-34 (F3). This is a total for all 3 brigades and a vast improvement on the state of the tank corps in April 1942 shown below.

A Zvezda 15mm T-26 and KV-1 with a Plastic Soldier Company T-34 make the tank element of a 1942 Soviet tank corps

Motor rifle brigade HQ.

Comd + 82mm mortar (CS2), 120mm mortar (CS2).

Infantry Battalion x 3

Comd + 2-3 Rifle + 0-1 SMG + 0-1 Truck forming a (C) and (F) stand with total strength of (3-5)

Artillery Regiment.

76mm gun (S2)(S1)(S3) + Limber (L1-3), Su76/85 (S3)(S4), SU-152 (S2),

[Katushas, SU-152, are shown at army, or artillery division level. As I understand it, SU-152s were gradually replaced by SU-85s as these became available]

It should be stressed once more that these were authorised strengths, not necessarily achieved strengths. The Soviets might have flattered themselves that this was a corps, but it looked divisional-sized to the Wehrmacht.

Summary for printing out:

Tank Corps HQ

Comd mounted in Gaz Jeep (C3), Signals Staff Car (C3), 0-1 AA Truck (S3)

Recce Battalion

0-1 Lt Tank (R1), 0-1 A/C (R1), Motorcycle (R1)

Tank Brigade

(Comd T-34 (C3), 0-1 T-34 (F3) 1942) or 1 KV-1 (F2) 1941

Tank Brigade

1 Comd T-34 (C3), 0-1 T-34(F3) 1941-45

Tank Brigade

1 Comd T-34 (C3) 1942 or comd T-70 (C4) 1941-2, 0-1 T-34 (F3) 1942-45

Motor Rifle Brigade

Comd + MMG + Gaz Truck (CS3), 2-3 Rifle or SMG tank riders + Gaz Truck (F2-3)

Anti- Tank Brigade

0-1 76mm Gun (S3)+ Limber (L3)

Self Propelled Artillery Regiment

0-1 SU-76 or SU-85 or SU-152 (Sp2-3) attached from army level

Mortar Regiment

82mm/120mm Mortar (Sp3) 1943 + limber Gaz Truck/Komsolets tractor (L3)

Pioneer Battalion

2 Pioneer Stands (@E1), 1 Gaz Truck (L3) with optional Bridging Trailer (L3)

ToE Summary:

Comd mounted in Gaz Jeep. Signals Staff Car or Truck Gaz or Zil. 0-1 AA Truck Gaz or Zil. 0-1 BT-10. Motorcycle. 3-6 T-34. 0-1 T-60 or T-70. 0-1 KV-1. Maximum of 6 tanks.