336th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

Last updated
336th Rifle Division (August, 1941 – July, 1945)
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)
Battle of the Dniepr
Battle of Kiev (1943)
Zhitomir–Berdichev Offensive
Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
Vistula-Oder Offensive
Prague Offensive
Decorations Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner
Order of Suvorov 2nd class.png   Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Battle honours Zhitomir
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Col. Grigorii Mikhailovich Shapovalov
Col. Nikolai Nikolaievich Solovev
Maj. Gen. Vladimir Stepanovich Kuznetsov
Col. Maksim Arsentevich Ignachev
Col. Lazar Vasilevich Grinvald-Mukho
Maj. Gen. Mikhail Fyodorovich Borisov

The 336th Rifle Division was formed in August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division in the Volga Military District. After additional training and equipping in the Moscow Military District it was assigned to 5th Army and went directly into the winter counteroffensive in mid-December. It fought in the battles around Rzhev in the summer and winter of 1942, taking heavy casualties for little gain. In spring of 1943 the division began shifting southwards, campaigning in southeastern Belorussia in the autumn and then moving into the northern Ukraine. On the last day of 1943 the 336th was recognized for its role in the second liberation of Zhitomir and was awarded that city's name as an honorific. During 1944 it continued to advance from western Ukraine into Poland, and in the last month of the war joined 4th Ukrainian Front's advance into Czechoslovakia, gaining additional honors along the way. The division continued to serve briefly into the postwar period.

Contents

Formation

The division began forming at Melekess in the Volga Military District in August, 1941. [1] Its order of battle was as follows:

Col. Grigorii Mikhailovich Shapovalov took command of the division on September 13, a position he would hold until his suicide in December. As with the 334th Rifle Division, the 336th moved to Gorkii, in 60th Reserve Army, to complete its training and equipping, as best as could be done under the circumstances.

Battle of Moscow

On December 9 the division arrived just west of Moscow to join 5th Army in Western Front, and went right into the offensive against Army Group Center. [3] This introduction to battle did not go well, and Shapovalov lost control of his men, leading to a disorderly retreat. Overwhelmed by his responsibility, Shapovalov took his own life on December 15. The division came under command of Col. Nikolai Nikolaievich Solovev until March 29, 1942, during which time the command stabilized.

5th Army issued orders on the same day for the division to form a shock group with the 19th and 329th Rifle Divisions to attack from the line Terekhovo - Velkino - Gorbovo - Lyzlovo westward in the direction of Ruza. On December 20 the 336th, backed by the 20th Tank Brigade and 136th Independent Tank Battalion, broke into Ruza and became involved in street fighting with the enemy. However, heavy counterattacks followed the next day, throwing the division and its armor support out of the town. 5th Army renewed its offensive on the night of January 5–6, 1942, but the 336th was limited to a diversionary role while 32nd Rifle Division led the attack. This produced a breakthrough by January 9. Dorokhovo was taken on the morning of January 14, and 19th Rifle Division was left facing Ruza while the 329th and 336th advanced to outflank the town from the left. Facing the threat of encirclement, the German forces fell back westward, and Ruza was finally liberated on January 17. [4]

As a result of this fighting the division was gutted, and on the same day received reinforcements from the 43rd Rifle Brigade and was withdrawn into the reserves of Western Front for rebuilding. In February it was back at the front, in 50th Army of Western Front, where it remained until June. [5] Colonel Solovev was briefly succeeded in command by Maj. A. G. Dobrinskii until April 15, when Maj. Gen. Vladimir Stepanovich Kuznetsov took command of the division, a post he would hold until July 1, 1943, when he moved on to command of 40th Rifle Corps.

Battles of Rzhev

From June, 1942 until March, 1943, the division was assigned and reassigned among several armies within Western Front. From August to December it saw action in both the First and the Second Rzhev-Sychyovka Offensive Operations while serving in 31st Army. [6] While 31st Army gained some successes in the summer offensive, the story was quite different come November. The plan for Operation Mars called for the divisions on the left flank of the Army to support the main thrust of 20th Army towards Sychyovka by attacking through the valleys of the Vazuza and Osuga Rivers. The 88th, 336th and 239th Rifle Divisions (north to south) would be supported by the 32nd and 145th Tank Brigades. But when the attack opened on November 24 it was a costly failure. In spite of an apparently effective artillery preparation the defenses of the German 102nd Infantry Division remained largely intact, and inflicted infantry casualties of as much as 50 percent on the attackers, while also decimating the tank brigades, and effectively ended 31st Army's participation in the offensive. [7] In one day of combat, the 336th lost 749 men killed and 2,297 wounded, for a total of 2,946, among the highest casualties in Operation Mars in such a short period of time. [8]

Into Ukraine

In early 1943 the 336th was assigned to 20th Army while rebuilding from its Rzhev debacle. In March it was reassigned to 61st Army in Bryansk Front, the start of a southwards trend of the division's combat path. General Kuszetsov was succeeded by Col. Maksim Arsentevich Ignachev on July 2. After fighting through the summer in the offensive to liberate Smolensk, 61st Army went into the Reserve of the Supreme High Command in late August, and then into Central Front. [9]

By September 30 the 336th had been assigned to the 89th Rifle Corps, along with the 356th and 415th Rifle Divisions. On that date, as Central Front continued its drive to the Dniepr, 89th Corps reached the river south of Radul, but was unable to gain a bridgehead on the west bank due to strong German resistance and well-organized artillery and mortar fire. Between October 8 and 14 the Front carried out a major regrouping to prepare for further crossing operations, and the division was ordered, with its Corps, into new positions south of Liubech. Prior to the start of Belorussian (former Central) Front's Gomel–Rechitsa Offensive in early November, the 336th and the 415th, along with their Liubech sector, were transferred out of 89th Corps and into 13th Army of 1st Ukrainian Front. [10] A further move later that month took the division to the 15th Rifle Corps in 60th Army. It would remain under those two commands for the duration, and in 1st Ukrainian Front until the last month of the war. In December, while fighting against the German counterattack west of Kiev, each rifle regiment of the division organized a "tank fighter" group made up of three sappers, and two sections of 3 - 5 men each armed with Molotov cocktails and anti-tank mines for last-ditch close combat antitank work. In late December, despite this heavy fighting, the division had about 7,000 officers and men in the ranks, with an average of 100 men per rifle company, a very respectable strength for a rifle division at that stage of the war. [11]

On December 31, the division was recognized for its role in the second liberation of Zhitomir as follows:

"ZHITOMIR" - 336 Rifle Division (Colonel Ignachev, Maxim Arsentevich)... the troops who participated in the liberation of Zhitomir, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 1 January 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvos from 224 guns. [12]

In the following months the 336th continued with its Army in clearing western Ukraine, helping to liberate Rovno and Lutsk and other towns and cities, in the process of which, by March, 1944, the rifle companies were down to about 80 men each, 30 of which formed a submachine gun platoon in each company. [13] For most of August the division was in the hands of Col. I. I. Petukhov until he was succeeded by Col. Lazar Vasilevich Grinvald-Mukho, who would remain in command until the last month of the war. On February 19, 1945, the division was recognized for its role in the capture of towns of Gleiwitz and Czekanów with the award of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class. [14]

Into Postwar

On April 4, Maj. Gen. Mikhail Fyodorovich Borisov took command of the division, which he would hold for the duration. At about the same time the division, along with the rest of 60th Army, was transferred to 4th Ukrainian Front. [15] The soldiers of the division were in western Czechoslovakia when news came of the German surrender. Based on their record of service they carried the full title of 336th Rifle, Zhitomir, Order of Suvorov Division (Russian: 336-я стрелковая Житомирская ордена Суворова дивизия), and eight non-commissioned officers had been named Cavaliers of the Order of Glory. On May 28 it was further honored with the award of the Order of the Red Banner. [16] The division was disbanded in the summer of 1945 with the Northern Group of Forces. [17]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">346th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)</span> Military unit

The 346th Rifle Division began forming in late August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, in the Volga Military District. It was assigned to the 61st Army while both it and its Army continued to form up before moving to the front lines in December to take part in the winter counteroffensive south of Moscow. In September, 1942, it became part of the 5th Tank Army, and joined the offensive that encircled German Sixth Army at Stalingrad during Operation Uranus. During 1943 and early 1944 it continued to serve in the southern part of the front, taking part in the liberation of Crimea, before being transferred to the Baltic States region, serving in Latvia and Lithuania until February, 1945, when it was once again reassigned, this time to be part of the follow-on forces in the conquest of eastern Germany. The division ended the war with a distinguished service record, but was disbanded shortly after the German surrender.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">369th Rifle Division</span> Military unit

The 369th Rifle Division began forming on 1 August 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 373rd 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 Urals Military District. It was moved to the front northwest of Moscow while still trying to complete its training and went straight into action in mid-December during the winter counteroffensive. Until May 1943, it was involved in the bloody fighting around the Rzhev salient. After a period in reserve for rebuilding, the division's combat path shifted southward when it was assigned to 52nd Army, where it remained for the duration of the war. It won a battle honor in eastern Ukraine, then fought across the Dniepr River late that year, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its successes. Following this it advanced through western Ukraine in the spring of 1944, then into Romania in the summer, where it played a major role in the second encirclement and destruction of the German 6th Army. After again moving to the reserves the division shifted northwards with its Army to join 1st Ukrainian Front, fighting through Poland, eastern Germany and into Czechoslovakia. By then the 373rd had compiled an enviable record, and went on to serve briefly into the postwar era.

The 375th 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 Urals Military District. It reached the fighting front in December, coming under command of the 29th Army in the vicinity of the Rzhev salient and it took part in the bloody and tragic battles for this heavily-fortified position until March, 1943, mostly as part of 30th Army. Following the German evacuation of the salient the 375th got a brief spell in reserve before being reassigned to Voronezh Front in the buildup to the Battle of Kursk. When the offensive began it held a crucial sector on the extreme left flank of 6th Guards Army where the II SS Panzer Corps attempted to break through south of the salient. Following the German defeat the division joined in the counteroffensive towards Kharkov in August and won its first battle honor. It continued to advance through Ukraine and into Romania over the next eight months, being brought to a halt east of Iași in the spring of 1944. In late August the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts crushed the defending German and Romanian forces, and on the last day of the month the 375th played a leading role in the capture of the Romanian capital, Bucharest; it won its second battle honor and two of its rifle regiments were awarded decorations. For the duration of the war the division fought its way through Romania and Hungary, finally advancing into Austria with 7th Guards Army. Its record of admirable service was capped with the award of the Order of the Red Banner soon following the German surrender, but it was nevertheless disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 118th Rifle Division was thrice formed as an infantry division of the Red Army, first as part of the prewar buildup of forces. The first formation was based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. It was based at Kostroma through its early existence. After the German invasion in June 1941 it was rushed to the front as part of the 41st Rifle Corps and arrived at the Pskov Fortified Area between July 2–4. Under pressure from the 4th Panzer Group the division commander, Maj. Gen. Nikolai Mikhailovich Glovatsky, requested permission on July 8 to retreat east across the Velikaya River. There is some question if he received written orders and in any case the retreat fell into chaos due to a prematurely-blown bridge. Glovatskii was arrested on July 19, sentenced to death a week later and shot on August 3. The battered division had by then moved north to Gdov and came under command of 8th Army but could not be rebuilt due to a lack of replacements and on September 27 it was disbanded.

The 129th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in October 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 176th Rifle Division. It was the highest-numbered Guards division designated by the Red Army, although not the last to be formed.

References

Citations

  1. Walter S. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006, p. 79
  2. Charles C. Sharp, "Red Tide", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed From June to December 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. IX, Nafziger, 1996, p. 81
  3. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 81
  4. Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow, ed. & trans. R.W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2015, Kindle ed., part IV, ch. 3 and part V, ch. 4
  5. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 81
  6. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 81
  7. David M. Glantz, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1999, pp. 50, 82-83
  8. Glantz, After Stalingrad, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2009, p. 90
  9. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 81
  10. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2016, pp. 28, 99, 106, 181
  11. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 81-82
  12. "Освобождение городов". www.soldat.ru. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  13. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 82
  14. Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967, p. 334.
  15. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 82
  16. Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967, p. 311.
  17. Feskov et al 2013, p. 408.

Bibliography