13th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union)

[1] The 13th Mechanized Corps was formed in March 1941 in Bielsk Podlaski as part of the 10th Army in the Western Special Military District.

Major General Pyotr Akhlyustin commanded the corps, Major General Vasily Ivanov was its deputy commander for combat troops, and Colonel Ivan Grizunov was its chief of staff.

At 0200 in the morning corps headquarters moved into the forest 15 kilometers southwest of Bielsk Podlaski.

On the morning of 22 June, the motorized infantry of the 6th and 13th Mechanized Corps began to prepare positions on the Narew from Żółtki to Suraz and onwards to Topczewo, Brańsk, and Gmina Boćki.

Regimental commander Captain Alexey Gromov took about a hundred motorcycles and three tanks to Brańsk, but only the vanguard reached the city.

Its 3rd Battalion was sent to rescue infantry units but became stuck in a bog, losing many tanks to artillery fire.

The corps fought in battles around Men, the northern outskirts of Brańsk, Gmina Boćki, and Diduli.

By the end of 24 June, the German troops had broken through the lines of the corps on the Orlanka at Bielsk, Narew, and Zabłudów.

The corps lost all of its tanks in the fighting and with a small number of armored vehicles fought delaying actions.

The 31st Tank Division was divided into two groups, led by Colonels Kalikhovich and Lebedev, and moved deeper into the Białowieża Forest.

The group led by Kalikhovich evaded the pursuit and went deep into the forest, where he met remnants of the 49th and 113th Rifle Divisions.

The German defenses solidified and the Soviet troops were subjected to massive aerial and artillery bombardment.

The group led by Kalikhovich and Shapovalov came through the encirclement and eventually reached Soviet lines.

On 28 July, after moving through 500 kilometers of German-held territory, Akhlyustin was killed crossing the Sozh River[4] at the positions of the 132nd Rifle Division.