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1st Czechoslovak independent brigade (1943-1944)

From-To:	10.05.1943 - 10.04.1944
Commander:	12.06. - colonel [1] Svoboda Ludvík
Number:	30.09.1943 - 3517 persons (including 82 women)
National composition:	Czechs 563 (16%), Slovaks 343 (9,7%), Rusyns 2210 (62,8%), Jews 204 (5,8%), Russians 6, Poles 5, Latvians 2, Germans 2, Hungarians 13 and Soviets 169 (4,8%)
Composition:	114 officers (including 21 officers of the Red Army), 25 technical-sergeants, 3378 soldiers (including 148 specialists from Red Army for technical positions, which could not have been filled by own specialists)
Under command:	1st Ukrainian front [2] 23.10. - Soviet 38th army [3], 51st rifle corps [4] 15.11. - Soviet 40th army [5], 51th and 50th [6] rifle corpses 03/1944 - Soviet 13th army 04/1944 - Soviet 18th army 21.04. - Soviet 3rd guards army
Movement:	Novohopersk (09.05.-30.09.) - rw Voronezh - rw Kursk - rw Lgov (13.10.) - rw Vorozhba - rw Konotop - rw Bahmach - rw Nezhin - rw Priluki (17.10.) - Petrovka tb - Novy Bykov tb - Kazackoe - Kalita tb - Ljutezh (23.10.) - Jablonka (04.11.) - Kiev - Borshchagovka (06.11.) - Vasilkov (08.11.) [7] - Kiev (15.12.) - Fastov (23.12.) - Stavische (29.12.) - Krasnolesy - Ruda (30.12.) - Biela Cerkov - Trushki (03.01.) - Nenadikha - Budenivka (05.01.) - Buzovka (17.01.) - Sabarovka (26.01.) - Zhashkov - Tetiev - rwtb Denikhovka - rw Kazatin - rw Berdichev - rw Polonnoe - rw Slavuta - rw Zdolbunov - rw Rovno - Lutsk - Starokonstantinov - Kamenec Podolsky - rw Chernivtsi
Main combats:	battle of Kiev (03.-06.11.1943) combats around Vasilkov (09.-11.11.1943) battle of Ruda (30.12.1943) battle of Biela Cerkov (31.12.1943-02.01.1944) combats around Zhashkov (17.-26.01.1944)
Unit awards:	Order of Suvorov (2nd grade) - battle of Kiev Cs. medal "For gallantry in the face of the enemy" - battle of Kiev Cs. war cross from 1939 - battle of Kiev Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (1st grade) - battle of Biela Cerkov
Total losses:	brigade during its mission lost at minimum 384 soldiers

Armaments & accouterments

	01.10. [8]
Radio station	26
Automatic rifle [Tokariev SVT 40]	2133
Sniper rifle	25
Machine rifle [PPS]	467
Light machine gun	86
Heavy machine gun	24
Anti-tank gun	43
Anti-tank cannon 45 mm	10
Heavy anti-aircraft machine gun	7
Anti-aircraft cannon 37 mm	4
Cannon 76 mm	12
Howitzer 122 mm	6
Mortar 50 mm	18
Mortar 82 mm	12
Horses	410
Motorcycle	27
Passenger vehicle [Dodge WC-51, Willys]	18
Truck [US-6 Studebaker, Chevrolet, GAZ]	195
Armor vehicle [BA-64B]	10
Light tank [T-70M]	10
Mean tank [T-34/76] [9]	10

During combats Czechoslovaks captured and used some enemy armaments and accouterments.

Structure of the 1st Czechoslovak independent brigade

subaltern units

[1] - from 16.12.1943 general.
[2] - Voronez's front was renamed (20.10.) to the 1st Ukrainian front under command general Vatunin N.F.
[3] - commander colonel general Chibisov N.E., who was changed by colonel general Moskalenko K.S. (former commander of Soviet 40th army) before Kiev operation (28.10.). At that time Soviet 38th army consisted of 21st, 23rd, 50th, 51st rifle coprs, 7th invasive artillery corps, 5th guards tank corps and 1st Czechoslovak independent brigade.
[4] - commander major general Avdeenko P.P.
[5] - commander colonel general Zhmachenko F.F.
[6] - commander major general Martirosjan S.S.
[7] - during combat activities around Vasilkov area one group charged village Chernahov (09.11.), and second group fought in Komunna Chajka and Petrivka (11.11.).
[8] - statistics from 31.10.1943 [Goncharov V. - Battle for Dnepr 1943] comfirm number of minomets, cannons and tanks and show other numbers for persons (3281) and howitzers 122 mm (5).
[9] - 8x T-34/76 type 1943 and probably 2x T-34/76 type 1942/1943; [30.09.43] - by special order (No 91) particular tanks were named: "Jan Žižka", "Jánošík", "Podkarpatský partyzán", "Sokolovo", "Lidice", "Ležáky", "Kapitán Jaroš", "Bachmač", "Zborov", "Praha".

abreviations:
rw = railway, tb = tank battalion, rwtb = railway only tank battalion, iu = infantry units