251st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

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251st Rifle Division (June 26, 1941 – March, 1947)
Soviet Major General Aleksandr Alexeevich Volkhin.jpg
Postwar photo of Major General A.A. Volkhin
Active1941–1947
CountryFlag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army flag.svg Red Army
TypeDivision
RoleInfantry
Engagements Battle of Smolensk (1941)
Operation Typhoon
Battle of Moscow
Battles of Rzhev
Battle of Smolensk (1943)
Operation Bagration
East Prussian Offensive
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Col. V. F. Stenin
Col. B. B. Gorodovikov
Maj. Gen. A. A. Volkhin

The 251st Rifle Division was raised in 1941, within days of the German invasion, as a standard Red Army rifle division, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. Its men escaped encirclement in October and returned to Soviet lines in good enough shape to avoid disbandment. In the following two and a half years the division slogged through the difficult and costly battles around Rzhev and Smolensk before distinguishing itself by assisting in the liberation of the city of Vitebsk in June, 1944.

Contents

Formation

The division began organizing on June 26, 1941, at Kolomna in the Moscow Military District. It was one of a series of rifle divisions numbered in the 240 - 260 range that were built on cadres taken from the NKVD. Its order of battle was as follows:

Col. Vladimir Filippovich Stenin was named divisional commander, and the division was assigned to 30th Army of Western Front by July 13, less than three weeks after beginning to be formed. On its arrival at the front the unit did not make a favorable impression on the Army commander, Maj. Gen. V.A. Khomenko, who reported on August 5:

... the division is without equipment... no formed [anti-]chemical company... artillery didn't arrive until early August on three trains... 400 NKVD cadre, lots of Party members and Komsomols, but so few and weak horses that the artillery regiment had to move in relays... very little combat power. [2]

30th Army had tried to remedy these faults by assigning a battalion of 21 tanks from the 110th Tank Division to the 251st, but by the date of the above report only one of these tanks remained, and the division had also lost 3,898 officers and men killed, wounded or missing; the 919th and 923rd Rifle Regiments were down to just 247 and 379 men, respectively, due to the heavy fighting around Smolensk. [3]

Beginning on August 25, Western Front began a series of counterattacks known as the Dukhovshchina Offensive against the overstretched forces of German Army Group Center. Along with the rest of its Army, the 251st drove against elements of German Ninth Army, in particular 35th Infantry Division, in and near the village of Gorodno, and while making some minor gains and inflicting losses on the invaders, these attacks were very costly and were shut down by September 10 along the whole front. [4]

On October 2 the Germans launched their Operation Typhoon in an attempt to drive for Moscow. 30th Army was north of the main German effort, but in spite of this three of its divisions, the 251st, the 162nd and the 242nd Rifles, found themselves encircled south of Rzhev by October 12. Ninth Army could only cordon off the pocket with small detachments, due to being once again overstretched. After holding out for 15 days, the three divisions staged a successful breakout to the north on October 27, and reached the lines of 29th Army before the end of the month, covering some 75 km and causing damage and confusion in the German rear. While the other two divisions were disbanded for replacements, the 251st was not, although at the end of the year its strength was no more than 2,000 men. It was rebuilt over the following months. [5]

Battles of Rzhev

The 251st Rifle Division remained in Western Front (and its successor, 3rd Belorussian Front) until August, 1944. During this period it participated in the Second Rzhev–Sychevka Offensive Operation (Operation Mars) in November, 1942. Now in 20th Army, and under the command of Col. B.B. Gorodovikov, the division launched an attack on the Vazuza River sector, supported by 83rd Tank Brigade, on November 25, towards the German-held village of Grediakino. The German forces were very well dug-in and, due to poor visibility, the preparatory artillery bombardment had been relatively ineffective; the attack was repulsed with heavy losses. While the Germans were eventually forced to abandon the village on November 30, the offensive was stalled and the 251st would have to be rebuilt once again; [6] in the period from November 25 to December 18 the division lost 765 men killed, 1,911 wounded, and 328 missing-in-action, for a total of 3,004 casualties. [7]

On August 12, 1943, Lt. Col. A.A. Volkhin was appointed to command the division. Volkhin had an unusual background. He was a pre-war Major General and was appointed to command the 147th Rifle Division in May, 1942. While leading this division in Stalingrad Front in July, defending the Don River near Surovikino, his troops were partially encircled and suffered heavy losses. Volkhin was arrested and condemned to death for having lost control of his unit, but this was commuted in December to 10 years imprisonment to be served after the war. In February, 1943 he was released and returned to the front with the rank of Major, to take up the position of deputy commander of 927th Rifle Regiment. Within a week he was in command of the same regiment, and in March his sentence was annulled. On January 17, 1944, he was restored to the rank of Major General, and he remained in command of the 251st until July 11, when he was moved to command the 45th Rifle Corps. [8]

Operation Bagration

By June, 1944 the 251st was serving in 5th Guards Rifle Corps of 39th Army. As part of Operation Bagration, this Army was drive westwards to help pinch off the German-held salient at Vitebsk. Starting on June 23, the Corps, with the 251st in second echelon, smashed through the lines of the German VI Corps, crossing the Dvina River and linking up with 43rd Army the following day and trapping the Third Panzer Army in a pocket. On June 27 the two Soviet armies launched their final assault on Vitebsk, leading to the surrender of most of the German forces. A group of 5,000 Germans attempted to break out, but were soon surrounded and defeated by three rifle divisions, including the 251st. [9] For its achievements in this battle, the division was given the name of the city as an honorific: [10]

"VITEBSK" - ...251st Rifle Division (Major General Volkhin, Aleksandr Alekseevich)... The troops who participated in the liberation of Vitebsk, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 26 June 1944 and a commendation in Moscow are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns. [11]

Advance into Germany

In August, the 251st was transferred to 43rd Army of 1st Baltic Front, where it served until the end of the year, during the offensive into Lithuania. It then went back to 3rd Belorussian Front, now as part of 2nd Guards Army, where it remained for the duration. In the spring of 1945 it took part in the fighting around Königsberg, ending the war facing the German Samland Group on the Baltic coast of East Prussia. [12] The division ended the war as the 251st Rifle Vitebsk, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Division (Russian: 251-я стрелковая Витебская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия). [13]

Postwar

The division became part of the Don Military District with the 60th Rifle Corps and was located in Shchelkovskaya. [14] It moved to Elista, where it became the 29th Rifle Brigade and was disbanded in March, 1947. [15]

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The 312th Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division formed for the first time on July 10, 1941 in Kazakhstan before being sent to the vicinity of Leningrad, where it fought briefly before being redeployed to the front southwest of Moscow in late October, where it suffered huge losses in the wake of Operation Typhoon, and was disbanded not long after. A new 312th began forming in December in Siberia, and this second formation served again in front of Moscow, in the fighting in the area of Rzhev and Sychevka during 1942 and into 1943. In the latter year, the division distinguished itself in the liberation of Smolensk and received that city's name as an honorific. As the war concluded, the men and women of the 312th gained additional honors, and ended the war fighting near Berlin. The division was disbanded shortly after the end of the conflict.

332nd Rifle Division (Soviet Union) Military unit

The 332nd Rifle Division was formed in August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, based on a militia division that had started forming about two weeks earlier; as a result it was known throughout the war as a "volunteer" division and carried the name "Ivanovo" after its place of formation. It served in the Battle of Moscow and during the winter counteroffensive was assigned to 4th Shock Army, where it would remain, apart from one brief reassignment, until the beginning of 1945, a remarkably long time under a single army's command. During this offensive it helped carve out Toropets Salient, where it would remain until late in 1943 when it made a limited breakthrough to the west, with its army, in the area of Nevel. Throughout this period it shared a similar combat path with 334th Rifle Division. Near the start of the 1944 summer offensive 332nd was given credit for its role in the liberation of Polotsk and got its name as an honorific. The unit continued to give very creditable service for the duration of the war, distinguishing itself in the fighting through the Baltic states, and completing its combat path there. It continued to serve briefly into the postwar period.

334th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) Military unit

The 334th Rifle Division was formed in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division in the Volga Military District. For most of the war it followed a very similar combat path to that of the 332nd Rifle Division, sometimes serving on adjacent sectors. It fought in the Battle of Moscow and during the winter counteroffensive was assigned to 4th Shock Army, where it would remain until November 1943. During this offensive it helped carve out the Toropets Salient, where it would remain until the autumn of 1943 when it helped to liberate Velizh and began advancing westward again. In the first days of the 1944 summer offensive the 334th shared credit with several other units in the liberation of Vitebsk and was awarded that name as an honorific. The unit advanced into East Prussia in January 1945, distinguishing itself in the siege of the heavily-fortified city of Königsberg and the clearing of the Baltic coast. It continued to serve briefly into the postwar period.

The 338th Rifle Division was first formed in September 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Penza. This formation took part in the early stages of the winter counteroffensive and made gains in the direction of Vyazma before being cut off behind German lines in February and largely destroyed by May. The division was formed again in June, once again in the Western Front, and proved itself a stolid and reliable unit in the often frustrating battles east and west of Smolensk and into the Baltic states over the next two and a half years. After taking part in the conquest of East Prussia in 1945, the 338th, along with the rest of its 39th Army, was railed all the way to the far east to join in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August.

The 355th Rifle Division was a standard Red Army rifle division of World War II, formed twice.

The 359th Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as a standard Red Army rifle division, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It took part in the costly battles around the German salient near Rzhev through 1942 and into 1943. Following this it served in the summer offensive towards Smolensk, also at considerable cost, but it won a battle honor for its role in the liberation of Yartsevo. After a brief rebuilding in the reserves, the division was moved south to the 1st Ukrainian Front, taking part in the liberation of Ukraine through 1944. Following the Vistula-Oder Offensive, the 359th gathered high honors during the fighting around Breslau in 1945, but along with many other distinguished Soviet formations it was disbanded with the coming of peace.

The 361st Rifle Division formed in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Ufa. It may be considered a "sister" division to the 363rd Rifle Division. After forming, it was assigned to the 39th Army, and played a major role in the near-encirclement of the German 9th Army around Rzhev in the winter counteroffensive of 1941-42. In recognition of its successes it was reorganized as the 21st Guards Rifle Division in March 1942. A new 361st was formed in November 1944, in the far east of the USSR. It saw action during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945, staging several crossing operations of the Amur and Songhua Rivers during the first days of the offensive, in recognition of which one regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

The 21st Guards Rifle Division was an elite infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed from the 361st Rifle Division on March 17, 1942, in recognition of that division's successes in the attempt to encircle the German 9th Army in the Rzhev area during the Soviet winter counteroffensive of 1941-42. After being partially encircled itself in the spring of 1942, the division was withdrawn for rebuilding, and then played a major role in the Battle of Velikiye Luki in 1942-43. It distinguished itself in the battle for Nevel in October, 1943, for which it was awarded a battle honor. The division went on to complete a combat path through northwestern Russia and into the Baltic States, ending its war containing the German forces trapped in the Courland Peninsula.

The 362nd Rifle Division began forming on August 10, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Omsk. It didn't reach the front until March, 1942, assigned to the 22nd Army in Kalinin Front. It served under these commands for the next year, then was pulled out of the line for rebuilding before being moved south to 3rd Army of Bryansk Front, and later Belorussian Front, for the 1943 summer offensive, during which it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. It served in 50th Army during Operation Bagration, and earned a battle honor during the crossings of the upper Dniepr River near Shklov, but was soon reassigned to 33rd Army, where it remained for the duration of the war. The 362nd ended the war deep into Germany with 1st Belorussian Front, but in spite of an exemplary record of service, including three unit decorations, it was disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 19th Guards Rifle Division was formed from the first formation of the 366th Rifle Division on March 17, 1942. At this time it was in the 52nd Army of Volkhov Front, taking part in the Lyuban Offensive Operation, which was planned to encircle and defeat the enemy forces laying siege to Leningrad. However, just at that time the German 18th Army was in the process of cutting off the Soviet Lyuban grouping in a pocket, and over the following months the division was nearly destroyed. Enough survivors emerged from the swamps in June and July to rebuild the unit, and it fought in the Second Sinyavino Offensive before it was shifted south into Kalinin Front to take part in the battle and siege of Velikiye Luki in December. In the summer of 1943 the 19th Guards fought in the battles for Smolensk, and won its first battle honor, "Rudnya". in September. During the offensive in the summer of 1944 it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its successes in the fighting around Vitebsk. It was further honored in February, 1945, with the Order of Lenin for its role in the victories in East Prussia. In the summer the division was moved by rail with its 39th Army to the Far East and saw action in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August, winning its second battle honor, "Khingan", for its services. The division continued to see service well into the postwar era.

369th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) Military unit

The 369th Rifle Division began forming on August 1, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. After forming, it was assigned to the 39th Army which soon became part of Kalinin Front, and it participated in the near-encirclement of the German 9th Army around Rzhev in the winter counteroffensive of 1941-42. In late January, 1942, it was transferred to the 29th Army of the same Front, which was very soon after encircled by German forces near Sychevka, and while it was written off by German intelligence in February, enough of the division escaped that it was not officially disbanded. By August it returned to battle, now in 30th Army of Western Front, still fighting near Rzhev. After the salient was finally evacuated in the spring of 1943 the division was moved to Bryansk Front, first in 11th Army and then in 50th Army, under which it served for most of the war. In the summer counteroffensive the 369th was awarded the battle honor "Karachev" for its part in the liberation of that city. At the start of Operation Bagration the division was in 2nd Belorussian Front and its commander, Maj. Gen. I. S. Lazarenko, was killed a few days later; despite this loss it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its successful crossing of the Dniepr River and the liberation of Mogilev. The division continued to advance through Belarus and into Poland and eastern Germany over the following months, but despite a fine record of service was disbanded soon after the German surrender.

The 371st Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as a standard Red Army rifle division, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It began forming in August 1941 in the Urals Military District. It was soon moved to the front lines near Moscow, and took part in the counteroffensive that began on December 5. It spent all of 1942 and the first months of 1943 in the fighting around the Rzhev salient, and after a short break served in the offensive that liberated Smolensk. After a winter of brutal combat on the approaches to Orsha and Vitebsk it was reassigned to 5th Army in 3rd Belorussian Front and took part in Operation Bagration, during which it was recognized for its role in the liberation of the latter city with a battle honor. The division was further distinguished in late July with the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the liberation of Vilnius. In January 1945, it fought its way into East Prussia, and as that campaign was winding down it was moved across Asia, along with the rest of 5th Army, to take part in the campaign against the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria.

The 374th Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It began forming in August, 1941 in the Siberian Military District. It joined the fighting front in December with the new 59th Army along the Volkhov River and it continued to serve in the fighting near Leningrad until early 1944. The dismal fighting on this front gave little opportunity for a unit to distinguish itself, and the division did not finally earn a battle honor until late January, 1944, during the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive. It continued to serve in the summer and autumn offensive through the Baltic States, becoming so reduced in strength that its remaining infantry was consolidated into a single understrength regiment which nevertheless won a battle honor in the liberation of Riga. The 374th ended the war in Latvia, helping to contain and reduce the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket, and was disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 417th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in the spring of 1942 and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Although it was formed in the Transcaucasus, unlike the 414th and 416th Rifle Divisions formed in about the same place at the same time it was never designated as a National division. After its formation it remained in service in the Caucasus under direct command of the Transcaucasus Front until the summer of 1942, when it was redeployed first to the Northern Group of Forces in that Front and then to the 9th Army. As German Army Group A retreated from the Caucasus in January, 1943 the division was reassigned to the 58th Army and a few months later to 37th Army in North Caucasus Front. In July it redeployed northward to join Southern Front, where it was assigned to the 63rd Rifle Corps in 44th Army in mid-September as the Front fought through south Ukraine, eventually reaching the land routes to the Crimea. It took part in the offensive that liberated that region in April and May, 1944, fighting in the 51st Army and winning both a battle honor and the Order of the Red Banner in the process. After the Crimea was cleared the 51st Army was moved far to the north, joining 1st Baltic Front. During operations in the Baltic states the 417th was further distinguished with the award of the Order of Suvorov. In March, 1945 it joined the Courland Group of Forces on the Baltic coast containing the German forces encircled in northwest Latvia. It ended the war there and was soon moved to the Ural Military District before being downsized to a rifle brigade. This brigade was briefly brought back to divisional strength during the Cold War.

The 215th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II that continued to serve in the Soviet Army during the early years of the Cold War.

References

  1. ↑ Jack Radey and Charles Sharp, The Defense of Moscow 1941 - The Northern Flank, Pen & Sword Books Ltd., Barnsley, UK, 2012, p. 222
  2. ↑ Charles C. Sharp, "Red Tide", Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. IX, Nafziger, 1996, p. 46
  3. ↑ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 46
  4. ↑ David M. Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 2, Helion and Company, Solihull, UK, 2012, pp. 162 - 300
  5. ↑ Radey and Sharp, p. 163
  6. ↑ David M. Glantz, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1999, pp. 83, 92, 182-86
  7. ↑ Glantz, After Stalingrad, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2009, p. 89
  8. ↑ "Biography of Major-General Aleksandr Alekseevich Volkhin - (Александр Алексеевич Вольхин) (1897 – 1974), Soviet Union".
  9. ↑ Walter S. Dunn, Jr., Soviet Blitzkrieg, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2008, pp. 124, 129, 131
  10. ↑ Radey and Sharp, p. 222
  11. ↑ "Освобождение городов". Soldat.ru. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  12. ↑ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 46
  13. ↑ Radey and Sharp, p. 222
  14. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, p. 517
  15. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, p. 149
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