331st Rifle Division

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331st Rifle Division (August 27, 1941 – July 15, 1945)
Major General Pyotr Filippovich Berestov.jpg
Division commander Maj. Gen. P. F. Berestov, postwar
Active1941–1945
CountryFlag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army flag.svg Red Army
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
Engagements Battle of Moscow
Battles of Rzhev
Battle of Smolensk (1943)
Orsha Offensives
Operation Bagration
Vistula-Oder Offensive
Battle of Königsberg
Prague Offensive
Decorations Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner (2)
Order of Suvorov 2nd class.png   Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Battle honours Proletarian
Bryansk
Smolensk
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Maj. Gen. Fyodor Petrovich Korol
Maj. Gen. Pyotr Filippovich Berestov Hero of the Soviet Union medal.png

The 331st Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in the summer of 1941, based on a cadre of volunteer workers and reservists from the Bryansk Oblast, and so was known from the beginning as the 331st Bryansk Proletarian Rifle Division. It fought to defend Moscow during the last stages of the German invasion, and then went over to the offensive in early December. It spent much of the next twelve months in the same general area, west of the capital, taking part in the mostly futile battles against the German-held salient at Rzhev. On September 25, 1943, the division shared credit with several other units for the liberation of the city of Smolensk and was given its name as an honorific. The 331st had a highly distinguished career as a combat unit, ending its combat path in Czechoslovakia, advancing on Prague.

Contents

Formation

The formation of the 331st Rifle Division began on August 27, 1941, in the Tambov Oblast of the Oryol Military District, under the command of Maj. Gen. Fyodor Petrovich Korol. Korol led the division until February 13, 1942. It was based on the first wartime shtat (table of organization and equipment) for rifle divisions. Its order of battle was:

October Revolution Anniversary Parade, Red Square, Moscow, Nov. 7, 1941 Photo of Moscow Red Square military parade, November 7, 1941.jpg
October Revolution Anniversary Parade, Red Square, Moscow, Nov. 7, 1941

The division was moved to the Moscow Military District in October where it was assigned to the newly-forming 26th (Reserve) Army, under the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. Some elements of the division entered active service in a highly dramatic manner, by first marching through Red Square in the famous October Revolution anniversary parade on November 7, then straight on to the front lines just 10–15 km away, being assigned to the 20th Army of the Western Front. [2]

Combat service

The division played a vigorous role in the defense of Moscow. Maj. Gen. Leonid Mikhailovich Sandalov, former chief of staff of the 20th Army, inspected the 1106th Rifle Regiment on its arrival in Moscow and noted, "The warmly clothed and adequately equipped sub-units of the regiment made a good impression [on me]." As November moved into December, the 331st, fighting in the area of the Moscow-Volga canal, stopped the enemy advance at Lobnia Station, 25 km from Moscow. [3]

Moscow counteroffensive

On December 2, as one of the harbingers of the wider counter-offensive that started a few days later, the division took part in a strong counter-attack from the area of Khlebnikovo towards Krasnaia Poliana. Backed by tanks and artillery, the attack made limited gains, but on the 6th it merged with the general offensive, broke into the village with the help of 28th Rifle Brigade, secured it, [4] and took a German 210mm gun, which had been used to shell Moscow, as a trophy. In the next two days the division and the brigade advanced 4.5 km further and completely penetrated the German defenses, but the lack of skis and armor support limited the planned advance of 30 km to only about 10 – 12 km. Nevertheless, by December 20 the division had liberated the town of Volokolamsk. [5]

Following this victory, 20th Army attempted to continue its advance, but had little success until, on December 23, the Army commander was ordered to concentrate on a narrow-front breakthrough near Volokolamsk station and to cease advancing on a broad front. By noon on January 2, 1942, the 331st had captured Khvorostinin, but failed to take Birkino, even with armor support. The latter was finally liberated on the 4th, and by the next day the division was fighting on the outskirts of Posadinki with elements of German 35th Infantry Division. [6]

On January 7, 20th Army was ordered to regroup to carry on the offensive against gradually increasing resistance; by this time General Korol was in command of an ad hoc group which included his own division, along with 40th Rifle Brigade, 31st Tank Brigade, two artillery regiments and the 15th Guards Mortar Battalion. This group was ordered to "destroy the enemy in the area Zubovo - 137-km Station and by the end of the day reach the area Kuryanovo - Vysokovo." The attack was to be supported by a one-hour artillery preparation by a long-range artillery group. The regrouping was completed by January 9, although the 331st was still fighting for Posadinki over these two days. The new offensive began at 1030 hours. on January 10. The forward edge of the German defense was crushed fairly quickly, but only after persistent attacks. Beginning at 1400 the division, backed by 64th Rifle Brigade, waged an unsuccessful fight against two enemy battalions in a wooded stronghold east of Aksenovo. Over the next two days the Germans continued to hold out, while the 331st suffered significant losses until it finally took Aksenovo in the 13th. The next day German forces along the attack sector began falling back towards a defensive line near Gzhatsk. This withdrawal continued over the next ten days, with tired Soviet forces in slow pursuit. The division, "which disposed of an insignificant number of troops", was held back along the line of the Ruza River. [7] Gzhatsk would not be liberated until March, 1943.

The 331st would remain in Western Front until the Front was disbanded. In early 1942 it was briefly transferred to the 5th Army, before returning to the 20th Army, where it remained until March, 1943. General Korol was briefly succeeded by Col. Gavriil Antonovich Kutalev in February, and then by Col. Aleksandr Emelyanovich Kletz in March. On April 10, Col. (later Major General) Pyotr Filippovich Berestov took command and he would hold it for the duration of the war. [8]

Operation Mars

In the planning for Operation Mars in November, the division was given a leading role in the 20th Army's assault. Alongside the 247th Rifle Division, and supported by the 80th and 240th Tank Brigades, the 331st was tasked to cross the mostly-frozen Vazuza River between Trostino and Pechora, to take German strong points at Zevalovka and Prudy. On the second day, the second German defensive position would be taken. Following this the division would cross the railroad between Rzhev and Sychyovka, and reduce the German strong point at Khlepen. In the event, on November 25, the division successfully forced the river line and took Prudy, but was halted by heavy fire from Khlepen. The 247th had made greater progress and the rest of the 331st reinforced that bridgehead. Overnight, the front commander, General I.S. Konev, decided to try to pass a mobile reserve force through this scant lodgement to complete the breakthrough. The following day the two rifle divisions continued to struggle to expand the bridgehead, but with little success. The tanks and cavalry of the reserve managed to tear a hole in the defenses and get into the enemy rear, but the infantry found it impossible to follow. The gains made by the 331st over the following days were negligible. For most of the remainder of the operation the division held the left flank of its army, recovering from its losses. [9] In the period from November 25 to December 18 the division lost 597 men killed, 1,445 wounded, and 106 missing-in-action, for a total of 2,148 casualties. [10]

Smolensk and Orsha Offensives

In April 1943, the 331st was transferred to the 45th Rifle Corps in the 31st Army; it would remain in this army for the duration of the war. On June 19 the division was awarded its first Order of the Red Banner, remarkably early in the war for a regular rifle division. [11] Colonel Berestov was promoted to Major General on September 1. During the third phase of Operation Suvorov at 2200 hours on September 24 the 31st Army, led by the 331st, 215th and 133rd Rifle Divisions, began an unusual night assault to break into Smolensk just as it was being evacuated by the bulk of the German forces, which blew up all three bridges across the Dniepr in the process. By 0600 hours on September 25 large parts of the city had been liberated. An advance guard, consisting of the 2nd Battalion of 1106th Rifle Regiment, commanded by Cpt. Prokofii Fyodorovich Klepach, crossed to the south bank of the river and hoisted the Red Banner from the roof of the Smolensk Hotel, one of the few major buildings that avoided German demolitions. [12] Later that day the division was granted the following battle honor: [13]

"SMOLENSK" - 331st Rifle Division (Major General Berestov, Pyotr Filippovich)... The troops who participated in the battles of Smolensk and Roslavl, by the order of the Supreme High Command of September 25, 1943, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns. [14]

Captain Klepach would further distinguish himself in the fighting for Borisov during Operation Bagration and would be made a Hero of the Soviet Union on March 24, 1945. [15] Through the last years of the war the 331st was designated as an assault division, and eventually earned the moniker of being "the best in the 31st Army". [16]

Following the victory at Smolensk, Western Front was ordered to continue the advance into Belarus with the immediate objective of Orsha. In the event, this goal would only be obtained after nine months of costly fighting. As of October 1 the 331st was serving in 71st Rifle Corps, and it would remain in this Corps for the duration of the war. 31st Army began its attack on October 3. The Army commander, Lt. Gen. V. A. Gluzdovskii, deployed his 71st Corps astride the Smolensk - Orsha highway and the railroad north of the Dniepr River, advancing against the defenses of 197th Infantry Division. 71st Corps had its three rifle divisions side-by-side in first echelon, and was supported by the 42nd Guards Tank Brigade. During three days of heavy fighting the Corps' assault stalled in front of strong defenses which had been reinforced by the 18th Panzer Grenadier Division. However, 36th Rifle Corps managed to unhinge the German defenses north of the highway, and by October 9 the 197th Infantry began falling back, reaching a line from Shcheki on the Verkhita River southward to Novaia on the Dniepr by the 11th. While the advance had been limited, at this point the right wing of Western Front had reached positions roughly 20 km east of Orsha. [17]

A second offensive on Orsha began on October 12. 71st Corps had been regrouped between the highway and the Dniepr, with 42nd Guards Tanks still in support. The assault went in after an 85-minute artillery preparation, but over two days of fighting the 331st, along with the rest of its Army, was stalled without making any significant gains, while suffering serious losses. A third attempt began on October 21, with all three Corps of 31st Army conducting a frontal assault with massed infantry backed by scattered tanks, following an intense artillery preparation; in this effort the 331st was in the second echelon. While again suffering heavy casualties, the Soviet forces smashed the defenses of 197th Infantry Division, and by early evening had penetrated 4 km deep on a front 1 km wide towards the village of Kireevo on the rail line to Orsha, and to Ivanovshchina on the Dniepr. A further attempt to exploit with armor was halted by German artillery. The offensive stalled again the next day. [18]

Another offensive began on November 14. The 331st, with the rest of 71st Corps, was located south of the highway, facing the 35th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of 25th Panzer Grenadier Division. This assault, which continued until the 19th, is mentioned in the 31st Army's history as follows:

"The 31st and 10th Guards Armies undertook yet another attempt to penetrate the enemy's defenses along this axis on 14 November, but unsuccessfully."

Further efforts were shut down until March 1944. General Gluzdovskii received orders to prepare a new offensive on February 27, which was to commence on March 1. Much of his Army was already in action at Babinavichy, so the only forces immediately available on the Orsha axis were the 331st and 88th Rifle Divisions; this left him little choice but to redeploy his 251st and 220th Rifle Divisions south to the rear of the 331st. Since this was the period of the rasputitsa this movement went slowly, and the attack did not begin until March 5. In the end the plan concentrated eight rifle divisions, one tank brigade and two tank regiments against the German 78th Assault Division, backed by roughly 35 tanks (including Tigers) and assault guns. After an artillery preparation of 50 minutes, the 331st, backed by the reinforcing 247th Rifle Division, managed to advance about 1 km and take a strongpoint at Lazyrshchiki, but that was the extent of the gains and the offensive collapsed by March 9, with losses of 1,898 men killed and 5,639 men wounded. [19] During April the STAVKA launched an investigation into the operations, including all six Orsha offensives, of Western Front from October 12, 1943 to April 1, 1944, which reported on April 12. Among other findings it was noted that:

"In 331st and 251st Rifle Divisions, the scouts were repeatedly blown up by their own minefields because they were not shown where they were located."

This was just one of a long list of failures which led to General Gluzdovskii being relieved of command of 31st Army, and Army General V. D. Sokolovskii being removed from command of Western Front, which was then divided into two more manageably-sized Fronts. [20] [21]

Operation Bagration

In April, the 31st Army became part of the 3rd Belorussian Front when Western Front was split up. As part of the regrouping prior to the summer offensive, 36th Rifle Corps was moved to the south bank of the Dniepr, and the 331st was redeployed to that Corps' former sector on the north bank. [22] In the initial stages of Operation Bagration, the Front's immediate objective was, once again, the city of Orsha. The 331st had the direct support of the 959th SU Regiment (SU-76s) for its initial assault; this regiment had been assigned to support of 71st Corps since the beginning of June. [23] In recognition of the 331st's role in the liberation of Orsha on June 27, it was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class, on July 2. [24] The division went on to assist in the liberation of Borisov. While two divisions of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps of the 11th Guards Army attacked from the west and north, the 331st drove into the south of the city and it was cleared of German forces by 0300 hrs. on July 1. In the following days it took part in the liberation of Minsk, before joining the general advance to the 1941 Soviet-German frontier. [25] The division was awarded its second Order of the Red Banner on July 23 for the liberation of the Belorussian capital, [26] while on July 3 the 1104th Rifle, 1106th Rifle, and 896th Artillery Regiments were all given the name of the city as a battle honor. [27] In recognition of his successful command of the division in this operation, Major General Berestov would be awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union on June 27, 1945. [28]

Into Germany

In August, the division received a team of 23 women snipers from the Higher Sniper's School in Moscow. The survivors of this team continued to serve in the division until it was disbanded, although some members were detached to other divisions as conditions warranted. [29]

In the Vistula-Oder Offensive in January 1945, the 3rd Belorussian Front was tasked with driving into East Prussia from the east. The 31st Army was not on an assault sector, and in the first stages it was ordered to hold its positions stubbornly. By January 23–24, the 331st had joined in pursuit of the retreating German forces, and along with its corps helped capture the important road junction of Blenkheim, and the strongpoint of Treuburg on the approaches to Lötzen. However, in the first week of February, the German command had regrouped their 129th Infantry and 558th Grenadier Divisions as well as units of the 24th Panzer Division, which counterattacked in an attempt to encircle units of the 71st Rifle Corps; after several days fighting the attacks were beaten back and the advance resumed towards Kanditten. [30]

Following this, the 31st Army drove towards the Baltic coast. The 331st captured the rail junction of Landsberg from the march, and Berestov ordered the division northward, unaware that it was coming into the path of a powerful German counterstrike to hold open a land link to the rest of Germany. Under pressure, the 331st fell back to the outskirts of Landsberg, and savage fighting ensued. Meanwhile, the German columns led by Waffen SS troops bypassed the town to the south and north, leaving the fighting elements of the division encircled for two days until they were relieved from outside. Meanwhile, the southern German column had rampaged through the mostly-defenseless rear elements of the division, destroying the medical-sanitation battalion, the motor pool, and other units; in total more than 300 men and women were killed and more wounded. [31]

On April 5 the 1106th Rifle Regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its role in the fighting around Friedland, and the 1104th Rifle and 896th Artillery Regiments received the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd degree, for the same action. [32] Beginning at noon the next day, following a powerful artillery preparation, the 3rd Belorussian Front, including the 331st, began its assault on the fortifications of Königsberg. By the end of the first day, the outer line of defenses had been penetrated, and 102 city blocks had been cleared, and on April 12, the garrison surrendered. Meanwhile, during all the fighting in East Prussia, the division had not been receiving any replacements, so by this time was operating with a far fewer troops than officially authorized, with "regiments" of about 400 infantry, backed by mortars, the artillery regiment, and air support. Upon finally reaching the Baltic several days later, thousands of German soldiers surrendered to just dozens of men of the 331st. [33]

In late April, the division loaded onto troop trains for a trip to the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia along with the rest of the 31st Army, which was transferring to the 1st Ukrainian Front for the final push to Prague. It disembarked in Saxony on the night of May 6. The army's role was as a flank guard on the left of the 1st Ukrainian Front, protecting the northern prong of the attack on the Czech capital. Advancing against little organized resistance, the 331st was on the outskirts of the town of Schlewitz when it got word of the German surrender. [34]

When the shooting stopped, the men and women of the division had earned the title of the 331st Rifle, Proletarian, Bryansk-Smolensk, twice Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Division. (Russian: 331-я стрелковая Пролетарская Брянско-Смоленская дважды Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия). [35]

Postwar

According to STAVKA Order No. 11096 of May 29, 1945, part 8, the 331st is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place". [36] [37] It was disbanded at Friedeberg, Silesia, in accordance with the directive between July 10–15, 1945. [38]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">251st Rifle Division</span> Military unit

The 251st Rifle Division was the seventh of a group of 10 regular rifle divisions formed from cadres of NKVD border and internal troops as standard Red Army rifle divisions, very shortly after the German invasion, in the Moscow Military District. It was largely based on what would become the shtat of July 29, 1941, with several variations. It served under command of 30th Army in an effort to recover Smolensk in late July and in the Dukhovshchina offensives in August and September, and was quickly reduced to a much-weakened state. It was largely encircled in the initial stages of Operation Typhoon but sufficient men and equipment escaped that it was spared being disbanded. In the following two and a half years the division slogged through the difficult and costly battles around Rzhev and Smolensk as part of 20th Army, and later 31st Army, of Western Front, including several abortive offensives toward Orsha and Vitebsk in late 1943 and early 1944. At the start of Operation Bagration in June the 251st was serving in the 39th Army of 1st Baltic Front and it won a battle honor for its part in the liberation of Vitebsk. Following this victory it advanced into the "Baltic Gap" that had formed between Army Groups North and Center, entering Lithuania and winning the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the fighting for Kaunas. The division was transferred to 43rd Army and then 4th Shock Army as the Front advanced on Riga, and two of its rifle regiments received decorations for the battles for the Latvian capital. In the first days of 1945 the 251st was reassigned yet again, to the 2nd Guards Army of 3rd Belorussian Front, and served under this Army for the duration of the war. It, and several of its subunits, received awards during the East Prussian campaign, and ended the war in East Prussia. After the war the 251st was moved into the Caucasus region, and was finally disbanded in early 1947.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">352nd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)</span> Military unit

The 352nd Rifle Division started forming in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Bugulma in Tatarstan. When it entered the fighting it was assigned to the Western Front before Moscow, and it would remain in that Front for most of the war; when Western Front was dissolved the division went to one of its successor Fronts and served there until the last few weeks. It took part in the first Soviet winter counteroffensive, then played peripheral roles in the battles around the Rhzev salient, before advancing in the offensive that liberated Smolensk in the summer of 1943. After a series of frustrating attempts during the autumn and winter of 1943-44, the city of Orsha was finally liberated in the opening days of Operation Bagration, and the 352nd was recognized for its role in the battle. Soon after it was further decorated for its part in the liberation of Grodno. In the winter of 1945 the 352nd took part in the invasion of East Prussia and the capture of Königsberg, but in April it finally was swung off its very straightforward combat path when it and its 31st Army were transferred to 1st Ukrainian Front advancing into Czechoslovakia. Soon after the German surrender the division was slated as one of those to be disbanded in place in central Europe.

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 22nd Guards Rifle Division was unique in being the only Guards rifle division formed twice during the Great Patriotic War. It was first formed from the 363rd Rifle Division in March 1942. Soon after forming it provided a command cadre for the second formation of the 53rd Army in Kalinin Front. Later, in the fall of that year, the division provided most of its personnel and equipment to form the new 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps, and was then disbanded. In April 1943, a new 22nd Guards was formed from the second formation of the 150th Rifle Division in the Moscow Military District, and went on to serve for the duration in 10th Guards Army. This formation first saw service in Operation Suvorov, the summer offensive of Western Front that liberated Smolensk in late September, and then fought through the autumn and winter in grinding battles towards the city of Orsha. During the summer offensive of 1944 it helped break the Panther Line in western Russia and then advanced into Latvia, winning a battle honor for its part in the liberation of Riga, before ending the war in Lithuania, helping to contain the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket. It was disbanded shortly after the war.

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 385th 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 Central Asian Military District. It was first assigned to Southwestern Front but on its arrival it was seen to be far from combat-ready and so was moved north to the Moscow area for further training. It served in the later stages of the counteroffensive west of the capital in Western Front and remained in that Front until early 1944. It was on a relatively quiet sector through most of 1942 and early 1943 before joining the summer offensive towards Smolensk. It then spent the autumn and winter in the costly and difficult struggles on the approaches to the upper Dniepr River and in eastern Belarus, during which it won a battle honor. From this point on it shared a very similar combat path with the 380th Rifle Division. The division took part in Operation Bagration and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its successes. Following this it helped to eliminate the German forces trapped east of Minsk, for which it received a second unit decoration, before joining the advance into Poland. During the Vistula-Oder Offensive the 385th was part of 2nd Belorussian Front's 49th Army, and ended the war advancing north of Berlin towards the Baltic coast. Despite its distinguished record it was selected as one of the many divisions to be disbanded during the summer of 1945.

The 88th Rifle Division was twice formed as an infantry division of the Red Army, first as part of the prewar buildup of forces. In its first formation in the far north it had an unusual shtat probably to facilitate its movement in the roadless tundra and forests of that region. During the Winter War against Finland it saw action in the fighting around Salla. Its organization again proved beneficial in the spring of 1942 during the first stages of the Great Patriotic War. It played a large role in holding and then pushing back the Finnish III Army Corps during Operation Silver Fox and for this success was redesignated as the 23rd Guards Rifle Division.

The 26th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in April, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 93rd Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It would soon after provide the headquarters cadre for the 8th Guards Rifle Corps. It was soon assigned, with its Corps, to 20th Army of Western Front and saw extensive fighting, while also suffering extensive casualties, in two campaigns against the German 9th Army in the Rzhev salient through the rest of 1942. The division, again with 8th Guards Corps, joined the 11th Guards Army when it was formed in April, 1943 and, apart from a brief reassignment in early 1944, remained under those commands for the duration of the war. During that summer the division took part in the liberation of Bryansk. By December, after fighting through western Russia north of Smolensk it was in 1st Baltic Front, attacking south towards Gorodok and won the name of that city as a battle honor. By the start of the offensive against Army Group Center in the summer of 1944 the 26th Guards had been redeployed with its Army to the south of Vitebsk as part of 3rd Belorussian Front, where it would remain for the duration. Driving westward during Operation Bagration the division advanced north of Orsha and then helped to seize a crossing over the Berezina River for which it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. It continued to advance through Lithuania to the border with East Prussia later that year. As part of the East Prussian Offensive the 26th Guards entered that heavily fortified region in the winter of 1945 and helped gradually break the German resistance there, particularly at Insterburg and Königsberg, winning the Order of Suvorov for its part in the battle for the former place. The division ended the war at Pillau. The 26th Guards remained in the Kaliningrad Oblast well after the war, becoming the 26th Guards Motorized Rifle Division in 1957 and not finally disbanded until 1989.

The 30th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 238th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It would soon after help provide the headquarters cadre for the 7th Guards Rifle Corps along with its "sister" 29th Guards Rifle Division. However, it was not assigned as a unit to the Corps until August when it joined 33rd Army of Western Front and saw extensive fighting, while also suffering extensive casualties, in the summer campaign against the German 3rd Panzer Army in the southern sector of the Rzhev salient. After leaving 7th Guards Corps the division was reassigned to several other armies in the Front until April, 1943 when it joined the 15th Guards Rifle Corps in 30th Army, which became 10th Guards Army the next month; it would remain under these commands for the duration of the war. The division took part in Operation Suvorov, Western Front's summer offensive towards Smolensk, and after the liberation of that city was involved in several unsuccessful drives on the Belarusian city of Orsha. By December the 30th Guards had been redeployed to 2nd Baltic Front and during the summer and fall of 1944 it took part in the offensives through the Baltic states, winning a battle honor for its part in the liberation of Riga. For the rest of the war the division remained in Latvia helping to contain the German forces trapped in the Courland Peninsula, eventually coming under command of Leningrad Front. In mid-1946 it was converted to the 30th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade.

The 56th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in June 1943, based on the 2nd formations of the 74th and 91st Rifle Brigades, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Along with its "sister", the 65th Guards Rifle Division, the 56th was formed "out of sequence", that is, many Guards rifle divisions were higher numbered and formed earlier than the 56th. The division was immediately assigned to the 19th Guards Rifle Corps of the 10th Guards Army and remained under those headquarters for the duration of the war. It first saw action in Western Front's summer offensive, Operation Suvorov. On September 8 the 254th Guards Rifle Regiment was given the honorific title "in the name of Aleksandr Matrosov" and on September 25 the division as a whole was awarded the honorific "Smolensk" for its role in the liberation of that city. During the winter of 1943-44 it took part in the stubborn fighting north and east of Vitebsk, first in Western and later in 2nd Baltic Front. During the following summer offensives it helped break through the defenses of the German Panther Line and advanced into the Baltic states, eventually being decorated with the Order of the Red Banner after the liberation of Riga. For the rest of the war it was part of the forces blockading the remnants of German Army Group North in the Courland Pocket in Latvia, eventually in Leningrad Front. After the war the 56th Guards was moved to the town of Elva in Estonia where it was disbanded in 1947, although the successor formations of the 254th Guards Regiment exist into the present day.

The 65th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May, 1943, based on the 2nd formations of the 75th and 78th Rifle Brigades, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Along with its "sister", the 56th Guards Rifle Division, the 65th was formed "out of sequence", that is, many Guards rifle divisions were higher numbered and formed earlier than the 65th. The division was immediately assigned to the 19th Guards Rifle Corps of the 10th Guards Army and remained under those headquarters for the duration of the war. It first saw action in Western Front's summer offensive, Operation Suvorov. During the winter of 1943-44 it took part in the stubborn fighting north and east of Vitebsk, first in Western and later in 2nd Baltic Front. During the following summer offensives it helped break through the defenses of the German Panther Line and advanced into the Baltic states, eventually receiving a battle honor for its part in the liberation of Riga. For the rest of the war it was part of the forces blockading the remnants of German Army Group North in the Courland Pocket in Latvia, eventually in Leningrad Front. After the war the 65th Guards was moved to Estonia where it was disbanded in 1947.

The 85th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in April 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 118th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Late during the conflict it became known as one of the "Latvian Guards" rifle divisions due to its role in the liberation of that state.

The 91st Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in April 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 257th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It ended the war in the far east of Asia following the Soviet invasion of Manchuria with a highly distinguished record.

The 212th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army after a motorized division of that same number was badly damaged and then redesignated about five weeks after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

The 222nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. It was formed at Starodub and was considered a "sister" to the 217th Rifle Division. It first saw action in July 1941 as part of 28th Army in the fighting between Smolensk and Roslavl and the division took heavy casualties when it was partly encircled and forced to abandon the latter city in early August. It was again encircled during Operation Typhoon but managed to escape complete destruction and soon came under command of 33rd Army, where it remained for almost the entire length of the war.

The 229th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. As part of 20th Army it was moved from the Moscow Military District to the front west of Orsha by July 2. Serving under the Western Front the 20th was soon pocketed in the Smolensk region but the 229th was able to escape at the cost of significant losses. It was partially rebuilt before the start of the final German offensive on Moscow, when it was completely encircled and destroyed.

The 233rd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. As part of 20th Army it was moved from the Moscow Military District to the front west of Orsha by July 2. Serving under Western Front the 20th was soon pocketed in the Smolensk region and although remnants of the 233rd were able to escape the division was no longer combat-effective and was broken up for replacements in early August.

The 199th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed as part of the prewar buildup of forces, based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. After being formed in the far east of the USSR just months before the German invasion but was very soon moved to the Kiev Special Military District, where it was soon assigned to the 49th Rifle Corps in the reserves of Southwestern Front. In fighting west of Kyiv it was separated from its Corps and suffered heavy casualties in early July. Later in the month it was subordinated to 26th Army as it retreated toward the Dniepr River, but after crossing south of Kyiv it was reassigned to 38th Army. It remained in this Army for the rest of its existence, retreating past Kharkiv during October and November. During the spring of 1942 it remained on the defense during the offensive near that city, but was forced to retreat in front of the German summer offensive. In early July it was encircled near Chertkovo and destroyed, although it remained on the books until mid-August.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Charles C. Sharp, "Red Tide", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed from June to December 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Nafziger, 1996, p. 79
  2. ↑ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 79. Dunn states this assignment was not made until December; Walter S. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007, p. 82
  3. ↑ Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow, ed. & trans. R.W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2017, Kindle ed., part III, ch. 2
  4. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part IV, ch. 2
  5. ↑ Aleksander A. Maslov, Fallen Soviet Generals, ed. and trans. D. M. Glantz, Frank Cass Publishing, London, UK, 1998, pp. 63, 65
  6. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part V, ch. 3
  7. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part V, ch. 6
  8. ↑ "Biography of Major-General Petr Filippovich Berestov - (Петр Филиппович Берестов) (1896 – 1961), Soviet Union". Generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
  9. ↑ David M. Glantz, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1999, pp. 52, 84–88, 94
  10. ↑ Glantz, After Stalingrad, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2009, p. 90
  11. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, p. 163.
  12. ↑ Robert Forczyk, Smolensk 1943: The Red Army's Relentless Advance, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2019, Kindle ed.
  13. ↑ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 79
  14. ↑ "Освобождение городов". Soldat.ru. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  15. ↑ http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=7420. In Russian; English translation available. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  16. ↑ Boris Gorbachevsky, Through the Maelstrom, ed. and trans. S. Britton, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2008, p. 333
  17. ↑ Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2016, pp. 26, 62-66, 70
  18. ↑ Glantz, Belorussia, pp. 71-77, 85-86
  19. ↑ Glantz, Belorussia, pp. 156–58, 381-87
  20. ↑ Glantz, Belorussia, pp. 545–46, 554
  21. ↑ "Biography of Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseevich Gluzdovskii - (Владимир Алексеевич Глуздовский) (1903 – 1967), Soviet Union".
  22. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Operation Bagration, ed. & trans. R.W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, Kindle ed., vol. 1, part II, ch. 12
  23. ↑ Sharp, "Red Hammers", Soviet Self-Propelled Artillery and Lend Lease Armor 1941–1945, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, vol. XII, Nafziger, 1998, p. 51
  24. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, p. 373.
  25. ↑ Dunn, Jr., Soviet Blitzkrieg, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2008, pp. 140–41, 156
  26. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, p. 395.
  27. ↑ "Освобождение городов". www.soldat.ru. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  28. ↑ Gorbachevsky, p. 335
  29. ↑ Gorbachevsky, pp. 336–44, 368
  30. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Prelude to Berlin, ed. and trans. Richard W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, pp. 124, 227, 233
  31. ↑ Gorbachevsky, pp. 365–69. Note that Gorbachevsky states this Landsberg is the present-day Gorzów Wielkopolski, but that city is a good deal farther west, on the Warta River.
  32. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967b, pp. 51–52.
  33. ↑ Gorbachevsky, pp. 377–78, 381–85
  34. ↑ Gorbachevsky, pp. 386–89
  35. ↑ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 79
  36. ↑ Stavka Order No. 11096
  37. ↑ Feskov et al. 2013, pp. 413–414
  38. ↑ Gorbachevsky, pp. 423–24

Bibliography

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