This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(August 2011) |
30th Rifle Division | |
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Active | I Formation: October 1918 – 18 December 1942 II Formation: 1943–1945 III Formation: 1955–1957 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Engagements | Russian Civil War World War II |
Decorations | Order of Lenin (1st formation) Order of the Red Banner (2nd, and 3rd formations) (2; 1st formation) Contents
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Battle honours | Irkutsk (1st formation) Kiev (2nd formation) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Vasily Blyukher |
The 30th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union, formed three times. The final full name of its first formation was the 30th Rifle Irkutsk Order of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Banner of Labour Division of the name of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. After being redesignated the 55th Guards Rifle Division in December 1942, the Second Formation of the division was recreated at Rossosh in April 1943. The division was formed a third time in 1955.
Formed in October 1918 by the merger of the 3rd and 4th infantry divisions of the Ural as the 4th Ural Infantry Division, in November 1918 the division was renamed the 30th Rifle Division. Two senior Soviet military leaders served with the division in its early years; Vasily Konstantinovich Blucher, later famous for his commands in the Far East, commanded the division from 22 September 1918 to 15 January 1919, and Konstantin Rokossovsky, later Marshal of the Soviet Union, commanded one of the division's regiments in 1919–1920. In 1939, based on 30th Rifle Division units, the 132nd Rifle Division and 176th Rifle Division were created. Subsequently, the division was reformed as the 30th Mountain Rifle Division and began World War II under this name. The division was renamed the 30th Rifle Division on 25 August 1941.
The division was part of the 'operational army' from 22 June 1941 to 18 December 1942.
On 22 June 1941, the division was stationed at the Soviet-Romanian border on the river Prut at Sculeni (Calarasi, Frontier District Number 5). The division was part of the 35th Rifle Corps of the 9th Army. On 24 June 1941 the division had entered the battle and was forced to retreat on 30 June 1941. The division held the line of Vnishora, German, and Petreshtipri. During the disorganized retreat the division lost much equipment and personnel. On 5 July the division held positions at the front from Popovka to Lipovanka. On 7 July 1941 the division was in reserve. Up to 11 July, the division numbered no more than one regiment.
On 6 August 1941, the division was transferred to the Separate Coastal Army, which was entrusted with the defense of Odessa, but before managing to link up with the Separate Coastal Army, the division was cut off, without linking up with the main forces of the army, and was forced to withdraw to the Southern Bug River. Then the division was involved in defensive and offensive battles on the Rostov axis, holding the line on the river Mius. In January 1942 the division crossed the Mius and in March 1942 participated in the attack on Taganrog. From the second half of July 1942 the division conducted a fighting retreat in the Caucasus. On 25 July, after covering the crossing of the Don in the Azov area for three days, the division defended positions in the area of Krasnodar. On 12 August the division was forced to retreat from Krasnodar. In August, the division defended near Goryachy Klyuch.
The division fought in the Tuapse Defensive Operation. By 20 August 1942 the division covered the road through the Pyatigorsk and Khrebtovy passes, After a lull in the fighting, which lasted until 23 September 1942, the division was again involved in heavy fighting. By the end of October the 30th Rifle Division held the line in the Kaverze River valley, covering the Khrebtovy Pass. On 12 December 1942 the division was transformed into the 55th Guards Rifle Division as a reward for its actions.
The Second Formation of the 30th Rifle Division was recreated at Rossosh in April 1943. It fought at Rostov, Kiev, Zhitomir, and in the Carpathian Mountains. It was with 38th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front in May 1945. [1] The division was disbanded with the Northern Group of Forces in the summer of 1945. [2]
In 1955 the division was reformed by redesignation of the 203rd Rifle Division at Karaganda, but then the division was disbanded by being redesignated as the 102nd Motor Rifle Division in 1957. [3]
30th Mountain Division
30th Rifle Division
In March 1942, the 13th Rifle Brigade temporarily became part of the division.
The 2nd Rifle Division was a rifle division of the Red Army that served from the Russian Civil War to the Second World War. Originally formed in 1919 from the 1st Ryazansk Rifle Division, the division was twice destroyed and reformed during the war. The division contained two or three rifle regiments.
The 1st Red Banner Army was a Red Army field army of World War II that served in the Soviet Far East.
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The 101st Rifle Division was a unit of the Soviet Red Army initially formed as a mountain rifle division on 28 August 1938 within the 2nd Separate Red Banner Army in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city.
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The 266th Rifle Division was a rifle division of the Soviet Red Army during World War II. The 266th was formed three times during the war.
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The 18th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Russian Civil War, Polish–Soviet War, Winter War and World War II. The division was formed a total of five times during this period.
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The 341st Rifle Division was first formed in September 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Stalingrad. It was a "sister" unit to the 335th Rifle Division, which was formed at about the same time and place and shared a very similar combat path in its first formation. It was assigned to the southern sector of the Soviet-German front during the winter counteroffensive, but was effectively destroyed during the German spring offensive that formed the Izium Pocket, and was soon disbanded. The division was formed again almost exactly two years later, this time in the Karelian Front, facing Finland, and saw only limited action in the Continuation War before being assigned to coastal defense duties during 1945. The 341st Rifle Division continued to serve well into the Cold War, eventually being re-designated and becoming a motorized rifle division.
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The 363rd Rifle Division formed in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, in the Sverdlovsk Oblast. It may be considered a "sister" division to the 361st Rifle Division. After forming, it was assigned to the 30th Army, and played a role in the near-encirclement of the German 9th Army around Rzhev in the winter counteroffensive of 1941-42. In recognition of its tactical successes it was reorganized as the 22nd Guards Rifle Division in March 1942. A new 363rd was formed in November 1944, in the far east of the USSR. It saw very limited action during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945, primarily in a pursuit and exploitation role.
The 367th 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 Chelyabinsk Oblast. After forming, it was initially assigned to the 28th (Reserve) Army, but was soon reassigned to Karelian Front, where it remained until nearly the end of 1944. The division had mostly a relatively quiet war on this defensive front, but later saw action against the German forces trying to hold northern Finland, being awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its services. The division ended the war in 14th Separate Army on garrison duties in the far north.