55th Army (Soviet Union)
| 55th Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1943 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union
|
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Combined arms |
| Part of | Leningrad Front |
| Engagements | |
The 55th Army was a field army of the Red Army during World War II. It was part of the Leningrad Front and was formed on 1 September 1941. The army fought in the Sinyavino Offensive, Lyuban Offensive Operation and the Battle of Krasny Bor. On 25 December 1943, it was combined with the 67th Army.
The 55th Army was formed on 1 September 1941 as part of the Leningrad Front. It was formed from the Task Force of Major General I.G. Lazarev and the 19th Rifle Corps headquarters. The army fought in the Leningrad Strategic Defensive Operation. At the time, it was the largest of the four armies defending Leningrad, with up to half of the active formations.Using the defenses of the Slutsk-Kolpino Fortified Area, the army defended Leningrad's southern approaches in the area of Kolpino, Krasnogvardeysk, Zaborje, Vyritsa, the Izhora River and the Tosna River. Its units stopped the German advance at Putrolovo, Bolshoye Kuzmino, Novaya and Verkhneye Kuzmino. From October 1941 to December 1942, the army carried out local offensives to improve its positions. In November, Vladimir Sviridov replaced Lazarev. On 20 December the army began an attack at Mga, later joined by the 54th Army, to distract from the upcoming Lyuban Offensive Operation but was unsuccessful. On 23 July 1942 a rifle division and a tank brigade of the army attacked the SS Polizei Division south of Kolpino. The attack made some gains.On 26 September elements of two of the army's rifle divisions were sent across the Neva to reinforce the encircled 8th Army. After losing two of three bridgeheads, the 55th Army units withdrew across the Neva.
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