1st Airborne Corps (Soviet Union)

The 1st Airborne Corps was formed in April 1941 from the 1st, 204th and 211th Airborne Brigades in the Kiev Special Military District,{{Cite book|title = The History of Soviet Airborne Forces|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0erZZt-EGDQC&q=1st%2520airborne%2520corps&pg=PA63|publisher = Taylor & Francis|date = 1994-01-01|isbn = 9780714641201|language = en|first = David M.|last = Glantz|page = 45}} commanded by Major General Matvei Usenko.{{Cite web|title = 1-й воздушно-десантный корпус|url = http://samsv.narod.ru/Korp/Vdk/vdk01/default.html|website = samsv.narod.ru|access-date = 2015-12-09|language = ru|trans-title = 1st Airborne Corps}} It was temporarily moved to Odessa Military District in preparation for a possible invasion of Romania but moved back to Kiev within a short period.{{Cite book|title = Войска спецназначения во второй мировой войне|last = Nenakhov|first = Yuri|publisher = AST|year = 2000|location = Moscow|pages = 342|url = http://militera.lib.ru/h/nenahov1/03.html|language = ru|trans-title = Special Forces in World War II}} After Operation Barbarossa, the corps fought to defend Kiev from the advancing Army Group South, along with the 5th Army and the 6th Army. After being reinforced by the 2nd and 3rd Airborne Corps, the corps fought in the Battle of Kiev.{{Cite web|title = Воздушно-десантные|url = http://myfront.in.ua/krasnaya-armiya/korpusa/vozdushno-desantnye.html|website = myfront.in.ua|access-date = 2015-12-09|language = ru|trans-title = Airborne|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151210212144/http://myfront.in.ua/krasnaya-armiya/korpusa/vozdushno-desantnye.html|archive-date = 2015-12-10|url-status = dead}} It was almost surrounded during the German encirclement of Kiev and was disbanded afterwards on 6 August.

The corps was reformed in early September and conducted training around Saratov.Glantz 1994, p. 58 On 24 November, it was subordinated to Western Front High Command. On the next day, the corps left Saratov for new bases near Moscow in the vicinity of the Lyubertsy airfield. Glantz 1994, p. 59 In December, it participated in airborne operations to disrupt German troops around Moscow.Glantz 1994, p. 76 Between 16-17 February 1942, the 204th Airborne Brigade's 4th Battalion was airdropped in the Rzhev operation. During late February and early March, the corps fought around Demyansk.Glantz 1994, p. 63{{Cite book|title = Inside the Blue Berets: A Combat History of Soviet and Russian Airborne Forces, 1930-1995|url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780891413998|url-access = registration|publisher = Presidio|date = 1995-01-01|isbn = 9780891413998|language = en|first = Steve|last = Zaloga}} During the Demyansk fighting, the corps was sent behind German lines in an unsuccessful operation to capture airfields supplying the Demyansk Pocket, but suffered heavy losses with only 900 out of 8,500 men in the corps returning to Soviet lines.{{Cite book|title = Demyansk 1942-43: The Frozen Fortress|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gzSkAwAAQBAJ|publisher = Osprey Publishing|date = 2012-01-01|isbn = 9781849085526|language = en|first = Robert|last = Forczyk}} In August, the corps was converted into the 37th Guards Rifle Division and fought at Stalingrad.Glantz 1994, p. 64

The corps was reformed in fall 1942. On 8 December, its units were used to form two new guards airborne divisions.Glantz 1994, p. 65 Its 1st, 204th, and 211th Airborne Brigades were used to form the 9th Guards Airborne Division.{{Sfn|Ivanov|2002|p=496}} Its headquarters became a part of the 4th Guards Airborne Division.{{Cite web|title = Гвардейские воздушно-десантные|url = http://myfront.in.ua/krasnaya-armiya/divizii/gvardejskie-vozdushno-desantnye.html|website = myfront.in.ua|access-date = 2015-12-09|language = ru|trans-title = Guards Airborne|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151022010422/http://myfront.in.ua/krasnaya-armiya/divizii/gvardejskie-vozdushno-desantnye.html|archive-date = 2015-10-22|url-status = dead}}

• {{Cite encyclopedia|title=Полтавская Воздушно-Десантная Дивизия|encyclopedia=Военная энциклопедия в 8 томах [Military Encyclopedia in 8 volumes]|publisher=Voenizdat|location=Moscow|date=2002|editor-last=Ivanov|editor-first=Sergei|volume=6|pages=496–497|language=ru|isbn=5-203-01873-1|trans-title=Poltava Airborne Division}}

{{Soviet Union corps}}

Category:Corps of the Soviet Airborne Forces

Category:Military units and formations established in 1941

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942