43rd Army (Soviet Union)

43rd Army
Active1941–1946
Country Soviet Union
Branch Red Army
TypeCombined arms
Size11 divisions
Part ofWestern Front
Reserve Front
2nd Belorussian Front
3rd Belorussian Front
Kalinin Front
EngagementsBattle of Moscow
Battle of Smolensk
Operation Bagration
Baltic Offensive
East Prussian Offensive
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Ivan Zakharkin

Pavel Kurochkin
Konstantin Golubev

Afanasy Beloborodov

The 43rd Army was a Red Army field army of World War II that served on the Eastern Front. Formed in late July 1941, the army fought in the Battle of Smolensk (1941). It was forced to retreat after German troops broke through in October 1941 and subsequently fought in the Battle of Moscow. The army then fought in the Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive. After the end of the offensive, the army held its positions and transferred to the Demidov area in late 1942. It fought in the Battle of Smolensk (1943). During the summer of 1944, the army fought in Operation Bagration. In the fall the army advanced into the Baltic region and fought in the Riga Offensive (1944) and the Battle of Memel. In 1945 the army fought in the East Prussian Offensive before being placed in reserve near the end of April. The 43rd Army was disbanded postwar in July 1946.