THE FIFTH GUARDS CAVALRY CORPS IN STRUGGLE FOR THE LIBERATION OF STAVROPOL AT THE END OF NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1942

Abstract

The article based on logs of military operations of military units, formations and associations, as well as other archival materials from the Central archive of the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation, recreates a complete picture of the fighting units of the Fidth Guards Don Cossack Cavalry corps. The territorial scope is restricted to the Kursky district of Ordzhonikidze (now Stavropol) region, the time interval covers the events since the formation of the corps and the beginning of the fighting in this area to its discharge from the forward positions ahead of the general offensive that formed the second phase of the battle for the Caucasus. The article shows the attempts of the troops to go on the offensive in order to surround the enemy group in the area of the city of Mozdok a month before the liberation of the region from the Nazi troops. Cavalry fought bravely, even when the German tanks and infantry broke into defensive positions. Conclusions are drawn that the main reasons for the failure of the combat mission of the corps were the persistent desire of the German command to keep a certain part of the front at all costs, as well as the discrepancy of forces and means at the disposal of the corps, the tasks of the fight against the leading defense tanks.