4th Airborne Corps ( Soviet Union ) 4th Airborne Corps was an airborne military formation of the Red Army in World War II . Fighting history . Formed in the spring of 1941 in the Western Special Military District based on the personnel of the 214th Airborne Brigade . On 22 June 1941 in the second echelon of the Western Front , stationed in Pukhovichi , Minsk region . In late June 1941 , 214th Airborne Brigade body was redeployed using trucks to the area Glusha , Stariye Dorogi , Glusk for advancing into the rear of the Bobruisk German group ( which then operated separately ) . The main forces of the body ( 7th and 8th Airborne Brigade ) went into action at the beginning of July 1941 at the bend of the Berezina River in the Berezina and Svisloch , then retreated to the East in the area of Mahilyow and on July 10 taken out of the line for refitting in the rear . At the new offensive of the enemy forced the 4th Airborne Corps ( 7th and 8th Airborne Brigades ) to gain engage in combat at Krichev on 16 July 1941 . On July 17 the enemy captured Krichev , and on the night of July 18 secured it completely , crossed the Sozh River and seized a bridgehead . On the 19 July 1941 the 4th Airborne Corps tried to restore the situation in the Krichev , and on July 29 , its operational detachment burst into the city , but the next day was destroyed , and the enemy reoccupied the city . In August 1941 , as a result of a new attack of the enemy the corps was surrounded , and attempted to break out in the region of Unecha , Pogar , Starodub , and some personnel also made their way out of the encirclement in the area Trubchevsk . In September 1941 , the corps was sent to be reformed beyond the Volga River in Povolzhye . In December 1941 , after training , it was relocated to the Kaluga area , now composed of the 8th , 9th and 214th airborne brigades . On 15 December 1941 , to the west of the city Klin one battalion of the 214th Airborne Brigade ( 415 personnel ) was paradropped to straddle and cut the only road at Teryaevo Sloboda and prevent enemy departure to Volokolamsk . 15 January 1942 , it was decided to air - drop the corps in the Ozerechnya village 35 km south - west of Vyazma . The 8th Airborne Brigade was airlifted , however , due to the overall change in the situation , it was not considered unnecessary to carry out dropping the whole corps , and the rest of the corps was withdrawn to the original position at the Lyubertsy . During the Rzhev - Vyazma operation in 1942 , from 18 to 23 February 1942 , the corps was dropped behind the enemy lines in the Yukhnov direction 25 kilometers south of Vyazma , with release of 7 , 373 parachutists and 1 , 524 bales with ammunition and equipment . In March 1942 , the Corps occupied area Kluchy , Tynovka , Yurkino , Petrishchevo , Novaya , and station Verterhovo . On the 18 March 1942 , in heavy defensive fighting the corps was practically split in two . On 11 April 1942 the corps was subordinated to the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps . The corps operated behind enemy lines in total isolation from the main forces until June 1942 , when ordered to break out of the encirclement , achieved on the 28 June 1942 . Actions by the corps in the winter - spring of 1942 went down in history as the Vyazma airborne operation . In August 1942 , the corps was re - formed as the 38th Guards Rifle Division . In the second half of 1942 , the corps was formed again , but was not involved in the fighting , and in December 1942 on its basis was created the 1st Guards Airborne Division .