ČSR Army Order of Battle - September 30, 1938 (Fall Grün)
From Alternative History
This article details the order of battle of the Czechoslovak army on September 30, 1938.
By September 30, 1938, the Czechoslovak army had at disposal in total 46 divisions: 21 infantry divisions and 4 fast (rychlé) divisions, as well as several border protection areas. One of the regular infantry divisions was motorized (lorry-borne), another was in the process of being motorised. The mobile divisions, like the French divisions légères de cavalerie of that period, were composed basically of a tank brigade and a cavalry brigade.
The 25 field divisions were divided into four armies: the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th.
The Czechs had also four division-sized formations of low-quality infantry (skupiny), manning the extensive border fortifications. In addition, there were 138 battalions of uniformed men (border guards, customs officials, railway guards, etc.), also manning fortifications.
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[edit] I. armáda ”Havlíček”
CO: General of the Army Sergěj Vojcechovský[1]
Chief of Staff: Staff Col. Ludvík Kašpárek
HQ: Kutná Hora
The First Army's main task was to defend the northern front, and delay the advancing German troops for as long time as possible, and then withdraw southwards and defend the capital, Prague. It consisted of 5 infantry divisions and 4 border defence areas under Arm. Gen. Sergěj Vojcechovský.
| Unit | Commander | Chief of Staff | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. sbor “Smetana” | Div. Gen. Jan Šípek | Staff Col. Č. Kudláček | Votice |
| Hraniční oblast 32 “Miluláš” | Brig. Gen. Ing. RTDr. Jan Kloud | Staff Lt.Col. J. Suchánek | Plzeň |
| 2. divize ”Mácha” | Brig. Gen. Valentin Pozdíšek | Staff Lt.Col. J. Uher | Plzeň-Doubravka |
| 5. divize ”Bezruč” | Brig. Gen. Alois Benda | Staff Maj. E. Bečvář | Písek |
| Skupina 4 VLK | Brig. Gen. Václav Kuneš | Post not occupied | Votice |
| Hraniční pásmo XI ”Dalibor” | Div. Gen. Emil Linhart | Staff Col. A. Hochman | Praha |
| Skupina 1 ”Vlastimil” | Brig. Gen. Václav Petřík | Staff Lt.Col. F. Kočí | Rakovník |
| VOP Přemysl | Brig. Gen. Cyril Langer | Staff Lt.Col. R. Feistmantl | Praha-Břevnov |
| II. sbor “Dvořána” | Div. Gen. Josef Váňa | Staff Col. J. Krist | Mladá Boleslav |
| Hraniční oblast 33 ”Dominik” | Brig. Gen. František Melichar | Staff Lt.Col. E. Šindler | Český Dub |
| 3. divize ”Holeček” | Brig. Gen. František Jelínek | Staff Lt.Col. A. Mrázek | Mšeno |
| 17. divize ”Blodek” | Brig. Gen. Václav Šidlík | Staff Lt.Col. V. Dvořák | Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou |
| Hraniční pásmo XII “Otakar“ | Div. Gen. Bedřich Ruml | Staff Col. J. Cingroš | Hradec Králové |
| Hraniční oblast 34 ”Bořivoj” | Brig. Gen. Antonín Pavlík | Staff Lt.Col. V. Vojtěchovský | Jaroměř |
| Hraniční oblast 35 ”Vítežslav” | Brig. Gen. Karel Kutlvašr | Staff Lt.Col. J. Chleboun | Vamberk |
| Reserves | |||
| 18. divize ”Erben” | Brig. Gen. Milosav Fassati | Staff Maj. L. Marek | Buštěhrad |
[edit] II. armáda ”Jirásek”
CO: General of the Army Vojtěch Boris Luža
Chief of Staff: Staff Col. F. Vejmelka
HQ: Olomouc
The Second Army's main task was to defend the northern part of Moravia, and delay the advancing German troops for as long time as possible, and then withdraw southwards and defend Olomouc. It consisted of two infantry divisions and two border defence areas under Arm. Gen. Vojtěch Boris Luža.
| Unit | Commander | Chief of Staff | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV. sbor “Myslbek” | Div. Gen. Josef Janáček | Staff Col. J. Lisý | Litovel |
| Hraniční oblast 36 ”Prokop” | Brig. Gen. Otakar Líčka | Staff Lt.Col. J. Ejem | Šumperk |
| 7. divize ”Aleš” | Brig. Gen. Karel Klubal | Staff Lt.Col. O. Schreiber | Zábřeh |
| Hraniční pásmo XIII “Rostislav“ | Div. Gen. Emil Fiala | Staff Col. J. Procházka | Hranice |
| Hraniční oblast 37 ”Florián” | Brig. Gen. Jindřich Jiři Birula | Staff Lt.Col. F. Čatloš | Šternberk |
| Reserves | |||
| 8. divize ”Mánes” | Brig. Gen. Otakar Zahálka | Staff Lt.Col. F. Janda | Moravský Beroun |
[edit] III. armáda ”Štefánik”
CO: General of the Army Josef Votruba
Chief of Staff: Staff Col. B. Kratochvíl
HQ: Kremnica
The Third Army's main task was to defend Slovakia and delay the advancing Hungarian troops for as long time as possible. The secondary task was to secure Eastern Slovakia and Carpatho-Ruthenia long enough for the Soviet reinforcement to arrive by train coming either through Poland or Romania. It consisted of two infantry divisions, one fast division and four border defence areas under Arm. Gen. Josef Votruba.
| Unit | Commander | Chief of Staff | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. sbor “Hurban” | Div. Gen. Josef Mánek | Staff Col. J. Vrzáček | Vráble |
| Hraniční oblast 39 ”Rafael” | Brig. Gen. Miloš Žák | Staff Lt.Col. V. M. Koblitz | Vráble |
| Hraniční pásmo XV ”Adam” | Div. Gen. Bedřich Homola | Staff Col. F. Slezák | Banská Bystrica |
| Hraniční oblast 40 ”Medard” | Brig. Gen. Bohumil Rytíř | Staff Lt.Col. Š. Andreas | Banská Bystrica |
| Hraniční pásmo XVI ”Ferdinand” | Div. Gen. Ondřej Mézl | Staff Col. J. Křepel | Košice |
| Hraniční oblast 41 ”Alfons” | Brig. Gen. Ondřej Moravec | Staff Lt.Col. J. Pacholík | Košice |
| Hraniční oblast 42 ”Karol” | Brig. Gen. Oleg Svátek | Staff Lt.Col. T. Lang | Užhorod |
| Reserves | |||
| 10. divize “Tomašík” [2] | Brig. Gen. Rudolf Hošek | Staff Lt.Col. K. Hoffmann | Krupina |
| 11. divize “Dobrovský” [2] | Brig. Gen. František Kukačka | Staff Lt.Col. L. Hübelbauer | Lovinobaňa |
| 3. rychlá divize “David” | Brig. Gen. Jaroslav Eminger | Staff Lt.Col. K. Veit | Levice |
[edit] IV. armáda ”Neruda”
CO: General of the Army Lev Prchala
Chief of Staff: Staff Col. A. Páral
HQ: Brno
The Fourth Army's main task was to defend Moravia and delay the advancing German troops for as long time as possible. It consisted of 4 infantry divisions, 2 fast divisions and 3 border defence areas under Arm. Gen. Lev Prchala.
| Unit | Commander | Chief of Staff | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| VI. sbor “Rázus” | Div. Gen. Rudolf Viest | Staff Col. J. Heřman | Soběslav |
| Hraniční oblast 31 ”Blažej” | Brig. Gen. Bedřich Neumann | Staff Lt.Col. gšt. F. Bürger | Veselí-Mezimostí |
| 4. rychlá divize “Vojtěch” | Brig. Gen. Josef Dvořák | Staff Lt.Col. gšt. F. Monzer | Soběslav |
| III. sbor “Hálek” | Div. Gen. Sergěj Ingr | Staff Col. F. Pohunek | Jihlava |
| Skupina 2 ”Jaromír” | Brig. Gen. František Slunečko | Staff Lt.Col. K. Viktorin | Želetava |
| 14. divize “Fibich” [3] | Brig. Gen. Josef Zmek | Staff Lt.Col. J. Pavlíček | Třešť |
| 19. divize “Arbes” | Brig. Gen. František Hněvkovský | Staff Lt.Col. S. Suledr | Třebíč |
| Hraniční pásmo XIV “Svatopluk” | Div. Gen. Antonín Hasal | Staff Col. K. Nesweda | Brno |
| Hraniční oblast 38 “Cyril” | Brig. Gen. Miloš Kudrna | Staff Lt.Col. J. Valenta | Brno |
| Reserves | |||
| 10. divize “Tomašík” | Brig. Gen. Rudolf Hošek | Staff Lt.Col. K. Hoffmann | Krupina |
| V. sbor “Kolár” [4] | Div. Gen. Alois Eliáš | Staff Col. J. Sýkora | Klobouky |
| 6. divize “Kalvoda” | Brig. Gen. František Tallavania | Staff Lt.Col. R. Pilfousek | Pohořelice |
| 20. divize “Bernolák” | Brig. Gen. František Kravák | Staff Lt.Col. F. Houdek | Mutěnice |
[edit] Reserves of the Main Headquarters
The reserves of the Czechoslovak Army Main Headquarters were under direct command of the Army High Command under the Chief of Army, General of the Army Ludvík Krejčí.
| Unit | Commander | Chief of Staff | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. divize ”Heyduk” | Brig. Gen. František Bláha | Staff Lt.Col. V. Ondrášek | Hradec Králové |
| 12. divize ”Fajnor” [2] | Staff Col. Josef Buben | Staff Maj. K. Eminger | Vsetín |
| 13. divize ”Úprka” [2] | Brig. Gen. Alois Machačík | Staff Lt.Col. T. Kaisler | Humpolec |
| 16. divize ”Jablonský” | Brig. Gen. František Marvan | Staff Lt.Col. P. Duda | Ružomberok |
| 22. divize ”Hviezdoslav” [2] | Brig. Gen. Josef Beránek | Staff Lt.Col. A. Pospíšil | Žilina |
| 1. rychlá divize “Kazimír” [2] | Brig. Gen. Julius Fišera | Staff Lt.Col. A. Šilhavý | Pacov |
| VIII. sbor “Tajovský” | Div. Gen. Jiři Hudeček | Staff Col. J. Vedral | Uherské Hradiště |
| 9. divize ”Hodža” | Brig. Gen. Jan Beneš | Staff Lt.Col. J. Pošíbal | Nové Mesto nad Váhom |
| 15. divize “Jánošík” | Brig. Gen. Bohuslav Všetička | Staff Lt.Col. J. Werner | Senica |
| 21. divize “Šafařík” | Brig. Gen. Jaroslav Čihák | Staff Lt.Col. J. Šanda | Veselí nad Moravou |
| Velitelství "ČV" | Brig. Gen. Bohuslav Všetička | Div. Gen. v. v. Robert Rychtrmoc | Bystřice nad Pernštejnem |
| Velitelství "M" | Arm. Gen. v. v. Josef Bílý | Staff Col. L. Kotík | Vizovice |
