Czechoslovaks in the Second world war-USSR

Czechoslovaks in the Second world war-USSR

                                                                          

The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps was a military formation of the Czechoslovak Army in exile fighting on the Eastern Front alongside the Soviet Red Army in World War II.

The corps was the largest of the Czechoslovak units that fought on the Soviet side on the Eastern Front.

The First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion, which was formed in Buzuluk, in the Urals, was the first Allied unit fighting alongside the Red Army in Soviet territory. It was formed from former members of the Czechoslovak Legion, Czechoslovak citizens (mostly refugees) living in the Soviet Union, Slovak prisoners-of-war and defectors, and VolhynianCzechs (Soviet citizens of Czech origin). Lieutenant colonel Ludvík Svoboda was made the commander of the unit on 15 July 1942.

In May 1943, the remnants of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion and the 1st Czechoslovak Reserve Regiment were reorganized into 1st Czechoslovakian Independent Brigade. The reinforcements were largely Rusyn and Ukrainian [4] prisoners released from the gulags. The brigade played a key role in the 1943 battle of Kiev, and its troops were some of the first to reach the center of the Ukrainian capital city. The brigade suffered only low losses: 33 dead and missing, 82 wounded. At the time the brigade had a strength of 3,348 personnel.

Organization of the corps

· 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (original unit, formed prior the Corps, in May 1943)
2nd Czechoslovak Parachute Brigade (formed in January 1944)
3rd Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (formed in June 1944)
4th Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (formed in February 1945)
1st Czechoslovak Independent Tank Brigade (formed in August 1944)
1st Czechoslovak Independent Engineering Battalion

Commanders:
Ludvík Svoboda: he was president of Czechoslovakia (1968–75) who achieved great popularity by resisting the Soviet Union’s demands during and after its invasion of August 1968. He was also a national hero of two world wars.

Jan Kratochvíl: The Corps's initial commander was Brigade General Jan Kratochvíl, who was replaced by Brigade General Ludvík Svoboda during the initial phase of Battle of Dukla Pass.  
Bohumil Boček:He was a Czechoslovak general and a legionary, member of antinazi  resistence one of the casualty of communistic terror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Corps_(Czechoslovakia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovak_Legion#mediaviewer/File:Czech_Troops.jpg