362nd Rifle Division

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362nd Rifle Division (10 August 1941 – May 1945)
Active1941–1945
CountryFlag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army flag.svg Red Army
TypeDivision
RoleInfantry
Engagements Battles of Rzhev
Operation Mars
Operation Kutuzov
Battle of the Dniepr
Operation Bagration
Vistula-Oder Offensive
Battle of Berlin
Decorations Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner

Order of Suvorov 2nd class.png   Order of Suvorov

Order Kutuzov 2.png   Order of Kutuzov
Battle honours Upper Dniepr
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Col. Ivan Poluektovich Arkhipov
Col. Sergei Yakovlevich Senchillo
Maj. Gen. Vasilii Nikitich Dalmatov
Maj. Gen Mikhail Yenshin

The 362nd Rifle Division began forming on 10 August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Omsk. It did not 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.

Contents

Formation

The division began forming on 10 August 1941, at Omsk in the Siberian Military District. [1] It shared much of its early history with the 364th Rifle Division. Its partial order of battle was as follows:

The division's first commander, Col. Ivan Poluektovich Arkhipov, was assigned on 10 October. [2] By that date it had 9,951 officers and men under command. The division took a remarkably long time to reach the front; it was first assigned to the 58th (Reserve) Army, which was also forming in the Siberian District, in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. On 22 February 1942, it was finally assigned to the 22nd Army in Kalinin Front, but spent some time in transit. On 7 March, Colonel Arkhipov was replaced in command by Kombrig Nikolai Ivanovich Konchits, but this officer was in turn replaced by Col. Sergei Yakovlevich Senchillo on 28 March. The 362nd would remain in 22nd Army until March 1943, generally holding positions along the northwestern sector of the Rzhev salient. [3]

Operation Mars

On 30 October 1942, Colonel Senchillo turned the division over to the command of Maj. Gen. Vasilii Nikitich Dalmatov. In the planning for the Second Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive, the Army commander, Maj. Gen. V. A. Yushkevich, gave Dalmatov a diversionary assignment. His division was to attack with the 1208th and 1210th Rifle Regiments against a small German-held salient south of the road from Nelidovo to Olenino. In the event the salient was taken and held, making it one of the few permanent gains by the Red Army in Operation Mars, although casualties in the division were high. [4]

In the aftermath of the battle on 4 January 1943, the chief of staff of Kalinin Front reported on shortcomings in the combat units, including the 362nd:

"...5. Weapons, as a consequence of the lack of care in the combat units, are rusty, filthy, rifles lack foresights; many of the automatic weapons no longer fire automatically because of defects, and heavy machine guns are not operable (185th, 362nd, 238th Rifle Divisions and others). [5]

As the German 9th Army prepared to evacuate the salient its artillery units began firing off excess ammunition, and on 24 February the combat positions of the division were struck by up to 1,000 shells and mortar rounds. [6] When that Army began Operation Büffel on 1 March the 362nd was part of 25th Rifle Corps and briefly took part in the pursuit before being ordered, with its Corps, on 11 March into the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding at Plavsk. It remained there with its Corps for about a month before being assigned to Bryansk Front. [7]

Western Russia and Belorussia

As of 1 August, during Operation Kutuzov, the 362nd was directly under command of the 3rd Army in Bryansk Front. [8] On 22 September the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in recognition of its general meritorious service during the summer offensive. [9] By 1 October, 3rd Army had been transferred to Central Front and the 362nd was part of 80th Rifle Corps. [10]

At the start of the Novyi Bykhov - Propoisk Offensive on 22 November, the division was on the right flank of 3rd Army with the 1206th Rifle Regiment and the divisional training company holding along the line of the Sozh River nearly to the boundary with 50th Army, with the rest of the division in or near the Army's bridgehead over the river near Rudnia. The 1208th and 1210th were to break out of the bridgehead to the north, and advance along the west bank of the Sozh to make a combined attack from both sides of the river on Propoisk, even though that city was in the sector of 50th Army:

"While reporting to the army commander about his attack, Major General V. N. Dalmatov... declared that the division's units could capture the city. However, the soldiers and officers asked that the army commander not petition for the award of the tiresome honorific name "Propoisk" to the division and regiments... Having been assured that such a petition would not be made, 362nd Rifle Division's units attacked and liberated the city and, soon after, occupied Rzhavka. [11]

By 26 November most of the division had reached positions about 20 km west of the Sozh, while one regiment had liberated the town of Khachniki, on the road to Bykhov. [12]

On 10 December General Dalmatov left command of the division to take the position of deputy commander of 80th Corps. He was replaced by Col. Nikolai Fomich Pukhovskii. At the end of the month, 80th Corps began preparing an offensive operation to destroy the German 267th Infantry Division and advance to the Dniepr. This action began on 4 January 1944, preceded by a deep raid by a ski detachment of about 200 men overnight on 3/4 January against the headquarters of the German division in the village of Pribor, based on intelligence from German prisoners and local inhabitants. The raid was successful in utterly disrupting the command and control of the 267th. At dawn of the 4th, 80th Corps, supported by the 36th Tank Regiment, attacked on a 7 km-wide sector from Palki on the Bobrovka River northward to Uzniki. In total, the disrupted 267th was faced with an attack by elements of six Soviet rifle divisions. In the early going the attackers advanced 4 – 5 km, and the 362nd and 283rd Rifle Divisions quickly encircled and destroyed the German garrison at Palki before driving on northwest towards Nikonovichi. By late on 5 January, 80th Corps was closing up to a new defensive line along the Ukhliast River, the so-called Winterstand line, which had been prepared in advance. The offensive was called off on 8 January, but 80th Corps by that time had severely damaged the 267th Infantry and captured most of the Germans' Bykhov salient. [13] On 13 January General Dalmatov returned to command of the division.

Operation Bagration

In February the division was transferred to the 19th Rifle Corps of 50th Army in the renamed 1st Belorussian Front. On 6 March, Senior Sergeant Stepan Lavrentevich Ushakov, commander of the 1210th Rifle Regiment's reconnaissance platoon, became the division's first Hero of the Soviet Union for his exploits on scouting missions and for his score of 400 kills as a sniper. (Medal No. 3965) [14] In April, 19th Corps and 50th Army were reassigned to 2nd Belorussian Front. In the planning for the summer offensive, 2nd Belorussian Front would take a secondary role holding the German 4th Army in place while it was encircled from the north and south. When the main offensive began on the morning of 23 June, 50th Army was spread over a sector 75 km wide. On the next morning the 19th Corps penetrated the defenses of the 267th Infantry at Ludchitsa, but by 1100 hrs. the attack had been contained. [15] On the 25th General Dalmatov handed his command over to Maj. Gen. Mikhail Yenshin, who would remain in command for the duration; at the same time Dalmatov took over Yenshin's former command, the 307th Rifle Division.

During these days the pace of the offensive picked up and elements of 50th Army reached and forced the Dniepr, in recognition of which the personnel of the 362nd were given a battle honor apparently more to their liking:

"SHKLOV... By order of the Supreme High Command, units that distinguished themselves during the crossing of the Dniepr and the capture of the cities of Mogilev, Shklov and Bykhov are given the names of Upper Dniepr and Mogilev... 362nd Rifle Division (Major General Yenshin, Mikhail Aleksandrovich)... By order of the Supreme High Command of June 28, 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, the troops who took part in the battles for the crossing of the Dniepr and for the liberation of Shklov and other cities are given a salute of 20 artillery volleys from 224 guns. [16]

On the following day, elements of the 362nd and 380th Rifle Divisions, along with three anti-tank artillery regiments, two Guards Mortar regiments, a mortar regiment, two sapper battalions and two truck battalions, were formed into the forward detachments of 50th Army with orders to seize a bridgehead over the Berezina River. [17] On 1 July, 19th Corps crossed the Berezina north of Brodets in the wake of these advance troops; following this, 50th Army cut off the escape of the broken German 4th Army between Berezino and Chervin, and then headed for Minsk. [18]

Later in July the 19th Corps was transferred to 33rd Army in 3rd Belorussian Front; the division would remain in this Army for the duration of the war. In August it was shifted to the 62nd Rifle Corps, where it would also remain for the duration. [19]

Into Germany

During much of September, the 33rd Army was in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command before being reassigned to 1st Belorussian Front in October, where it would remain for the duration. [3] On 5 April 1945, the 362nd was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree, for penetrating the border of Brandenburg state, [20] and on the following day General Yenshin was recognized as a Hero of the Soviet Union (Medal No. 6443). [21] At the start of the Berlin offensive in the same month 33rd Army was deployed along the east bank of the Oder River from a bridgehead south of Frankfurt-on-Oder and along the east bank of the Neisse River; in all, a 64 km front with nearly all its forces concentrated on a 3 km sector from Zsetznow to Lossow and another 3.5 km sector between Brieskow and Wisenau. The 362nd was in the first echelon of 62nd Corps. 33rd Army began its attack at 0615 hrs., following a 30-minute artillery preparation. During the course of the day it advanced 4–6 km through wooded and swampy terrain and broke through all of the first and most of the second German defense lines. By the end of the day the 62nd Corps had reached a line from 1.5 km west of Brieskow to Unter Lindow to Rautenkrantz. On 18 April the offensive was resumed at 1050 hrs, after an artillery preparation of 20 minutes, and the Corps advanced another 2 km, capturing height 71.0 and the eastern slopes of height 74.8. By the end of 21 April, 62nd Corps had reached the Oder-Spree Canal. [22]

Postwar

When the war ended, the division held the official name of 362nd Rifle, Upper Dniepr, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov, Order of Kutuzov Division (in Russian: 362-я стрелковая Верхнеднепровская Краснознамённая орденов Суворова и Кутузова дивизия). According to STAVKA Order No. 11095 of 29 May 1945, part 6, the 362nd is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place". [23] It was disbanded in Germany in accordance with the directive during the summer of 1945. [24]

Related Research Articles

The 324th Rifle Division was a standard Soviet infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed as part of the massive mobilization of August 1941, and first saw action in early December in the counteroffensive west of Moscow. During 1942 and into 1943 it saw limited action on a relatively quiet sector of the front north of Bryansk, before joining a limited offensive in February. During the general offensives of that summer, the division fought in the drive past Smolensk, and made a forced crossing of the upper Dniepr River. The 324th played a limited role in Operation Bagration, but distinguished itself in the fighting in East Prussia in 1945, sufficiently to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner. During the course of the war the men and women of the division served under no fewer than nine commanding officers.

The 220th Rifle Division was briefly a Red Army motorized infantry division that was re-organised shortly after the German invasion as a standard rifle division. It managed to avoid destruction during Operation Typhoon, but only its 653rd Rifle Regiment remained battleworthy through the winter. Once rebuilt it took part in the fighting around Rzhev in 1942 and then in the follow-up to the German evacuation of the salient in the spring of 1943. When the summer offensive toward Smolensk began in August it was part of Western Front's 31st Army and it remained in this Army almost continuously for the duration of the war. During the following autumn and winter it took part in the front's increasingly futile offensives on Orsha, but in the first stages of the Destruction of Army Group Center it assisted in the liberation of that town and was awarded its name as an honorific; its rifle regiments soon also gained honors for the liberation of Minsk. Less than two weeks later it also shared credit for the liberation of the city of Grodno and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner while several of its subunits were recognized for successfully crossing the Neman River nearby. After the abortive offensive into East Prussia in October it contributed to the capture of that province in early 1945 before being moved to 1st Ukrainian Front in April, and it ended the war in Czechoslovakia. Despite its solid combat record it was disbanded during the summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">303rd Rifle Division</span> Military unit

The 303rd Rifle Division began service as a standard Red Army rifle division shortly after the German invasion, and in its first formation fought in the central part of the Soviet-German front for a few months, taking part in the first offensive success of the Red Army at Yelnya, before being encircled and annihilated in the fighting around Vyasma. A second 303rd was raised a few months later and fought on, mainly in the central sector of Ukraine. The men and women of the division first distinguished themselves during the summer offensive of 1943, making an assault crossing of the Dniepr River at Verkhnodniprovsk and gaining a battle honor for it. A second such honor was won in the spring of 1944 for the division's role in the liberation of the city of Beltsy in Moldova. It ended the war at Prague, after advancing through Romania, Hungary and Austria. The division was disbanded in 1946.

The 307th 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. The division distinguished itself in the intense defensive fighting around the village of Ponyri during the Battle of Kursk. It was credited with the liberation of the town of Novozybkov on September 25, 1943. After battling its way through eastern Belarus during the autumn and winter of 1943–44, and then helping complete its liberation during Operation Bagration, it was moved to East Prussia, where it took part in the Battle of Königsberg in the spring of 1945, ending the war on the Baltic coast near the Zemland Peninsula. In the course of these campaigns the 307th compiled a battle record to rival a Guards unit but was nevertheless disbanded on the second-last day of 1945.

The 399th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army. Partially raised in 1941, this formation was abandoned until a second formation began in February 1942, this time in the far east of Siberia. The formation lasted until July, after which it was moved west to join the Stalingrad Front in the great bend of the Don River. Badly mauled in its first actions, it was rebuilt west of the Don in late July, and went on to contest the German advance right into the center of the city. The remnants of the division were pulled out and sent north to Bryansk Front, and the once-again rebuilt division went on to serve in the winter offensive against the German forces in the salient around Oryol. It was present on the right flank of the Kursk salient during the German offensive in July 1943 but saw little action until the Soviet forces went on the counterattack later that month. During the advance into western Russia it earned a battle honor. Through the winter of 1943-44 it helped to make incremental gains against the forces of Army Group Center, setting the stage for the summer offensive, during which the division would win its first decoration. Later that year it advanced into Poland and in early 1945 it took part in the battles for East Prussia, and won the Order of the Red Banner for its efforts. The division was disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 169th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army beginning in late August 1939, as part of the pre-war Soviet military build-up. It saw service in the occupation force in western Ukraine in September. The German invasion found it still in Ukraine, fighting back to the Dniepr until it was nearly destroyed. The partly-rebuilt division fought again at Kharkov, then was pulled back into reserve and sent deep into the Caucasus where it fought south of Stalingrad throughout that battle. Following another major redeployment the division helped in the liberation of Oryol, and the following race to the Dniepr. In 1944 and 1945 it was in 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts, participating successfully in the offensives that liberated Belarus, Poland, and conquered eastern Germany. It ended the war on the Elbe River.

The 413th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in the summer of 1941 in the Far Eastern Front. It was considered to be a "sister" division to the 415th, and was one of the divisions of Siberians sent west to help defend Moscow during the winter of 1941–42. It was assigned to the 50th Army and originally saw action in the defense of the city of Tula before going over to the counteroffensive in December, suffering massive casualties in the process. It spent much of the next year along the lines it gained over the winter, southwest of the capital, before beginning to push westward as part of Western Front's 1943 summer offensive. During the winter of 1943-44 it was in Belorussian Front gradually gaining ground towards the Dniepr River to the east of Rogachev. At the start of Operation Bagration the 413th was in the 3rd Army but was soon reassigned to the 65th Army where it remained for most of the rest of the war. The division was awarded a battle honor for its role in the liberation of Brest in July and in 1945 received both the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov as it advanced into Poland and Germany with 2nd Belorussian Front. The 413th had a distinguished career as a combat unit, ending its combat path north of Berlin. It was disbanded in the summer of 1946.

The 250th Rifle Division was the sixth 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 and, in fact, it was partly rebuilt by incorporating remnants of other disbanded divisions. In October it played a relatively minor role in the defensive operations around Kalinin as part of 22nd Army in Kalinin Front. Early in 1942 the 250th was transferred to the 53rd Army of Northwestern Front, and spent most of the year rebuilding while also containing the German forces in the Demyansk Pocket. After this position was evacuated at the end of February, 1943 the division was transferred to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and shipped south, joining the 2nd Reserve Army in Steppe Military District. This soon became the 63rd Army in Bryansk Front and the 250th was assigned to the 35th Rifle Corps, where it remained for the duration of the war. During the summer offensive against the German-held salient around Oryol the division helped lead the drive to liberate that city in August, and then advanced through western Russia and into Belarus, now in Central Front. In the initial phase of Operation Bagration the division, now in 3rd Army, was given special recognition for its role in the liberation of the city of Babruysk, and shortly thereafter also received the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov. During 1945 it moved, with its Corps and Army, from 2nd Belorussian to 3rd Belorussian Front before returning to 1st Belorussian, seeing combat in Poland, East Prussia and central Germany; its subunits were awarded additional honors and decorations during this period. The 250th had a distinguished career as a combat unit, ending its combat path along the Elbe River. It was disbanded in Belarus in July 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">330th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)</span> Military unit

The 330th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army late in the summer of 1941, as part of the massive buildup of new Soviet fighting formations at that time. It took part in the defense of Tula in 10th Army soon after reaching the front, and remained in that army for a remarkably long time, until April 1944. It fought in the offensive push into German-occupied western Russia through 1943, then in the destruction of Army Group Center in the summer of 1944, distinguishing itself in the liberation of Mogilyov in June. In 1945 the men and women of the 330th took part in the Vistula-Oder Offensive through Poland and into Pomerania, and then finally in the fighting north of Berlin, ending the war with high distinction, but being disbanded soon after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">348th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)</span> Military unit

The 348th Rifle Division was first formed in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Kuibyshev. It was assigned to 60th Reserve Army shortly after forming and took part in the winter counteroffensive in front of Moscow. Until the end of 1942 it was involved in the dismal and costly battles around the Rzhev Salient, until it was shifted to take part in the equally difficult fighting around the Demyansk Salient. Both of these German positions were evacuated in March 1943, and, after rebuilding, the division returned to the front to take part in the summer offensive along the Smolensk axis. During Operation Bagration the 348th distinguished itself in the liberation of Bobruisk, and received the name of that city as an honorific. Not long after it was also decorated for its role in the liberation of Bialystok. In 1945 it helped to liberate northern Poland during the Vistula-Oder Offensive, before being reassigned to 3rd Belorussian Front in East Prussia. In the last weeks of the war it formed part of the reserves of 1st Belorussian Front during the Berlin Operation.

The 356th Rifle Division formed in August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, in the Kuibyshev Oblast. After reaching the front it played a minor role in the defense of Moscow and the winter counteroffensive and remained in the line north and east of the Oryol salient through 1942 and into 1943. It then took part in the offensive to reduce this salient, Operation Kutuzov, after which it advanced towards the Dniepr River through the summer and autumn before becoming involved in the complex fighting in eastern Belarus in the winter of 1943/44, during which it won a battle honor. In the early stages of Operation Bagration the 356th was instrumental in the liberation of Bobruisk, for which it received the Order of the Red Banner. Later during this offensive the division advanced into the Baltic states before being reassigned to 1st Belorussian Front for the final offensive on Germany. Remarkably, the division was assigned to the 61st Army for nearly its entire wartime path. It ended the war north of Berlin, along the Elbe River, but in spite of a fine record of service 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.

<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 380th 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 on 10 August 1941, one of a series of divisions formed in accordance to an order of that date in the Siberian Military District. The pace of moving newly formed units to the fighting front was beginning to ease and the division arrived there in late February 1942. Until the end of that year it was involved in the bloody fighting around the Rzhev salient. After a brief move to Northwestern Front and then a period in reserve for rebuilding, the division's combat path shifted southward when it was assigned to Bryansk Front. It won a battle honor for its part in the liberation of Oryol in the summer offensive, then spent the autumn and winter in the costly and difficult struggles on the approaches to the upper Dniepr River and in eastern Belarus. It then 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 380th was part of 2nd Belorussian Front's 49th Army, winning its third decoration along the way before ending 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 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 397th Rifle Division was partially raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army but this formation was disbanded after about five weeks. A new formation began on January 14, 1942 in the Volga Military District and it remained in that role through the rest of the Great Patriotic War. It first went to the front in March, briefly assigned to the 3rd Shock Army before it was moved to the 1st Shock Army in Northwestern Front. It spent nearly a year in the dismal fighting around the Demyansk salient; during January, 1943 two of its rifle regiments were encircled and nearly destroyed during an unsuccessful offensive before escaping. During the last stages of the Demyansk battles it was in the 53rd Army. After rebuilding it moved to Bryansk Front in the new 63rd Army and took part in the summer offensive that liberated Smolensk. Late in the year it was briefly assigned to the Belorussian Front and then to the 1st Ukrainian Front; while serving under this command it won a battle honor. In late February, 1944 it became part of the 47th Army in 2nd Belorussian Front. Prior to the summer offensive it was moved again, now to the 61st Army, where it would remain for the duration. During the later stages of Operation Bagration it was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner and in the fall during the campaign in the Baltic states it would also receive the Order of Kutuzov. By the end of the year the 61st Army was assigned to 1st Belorussian Front and the 397th fought through Poland and eastern Germany during the winter and spring of 1945, eventually taking part in the offensive on Berlin. Its soldiers had by then compiled a distinguished record of service, but despite this the division was disbanded in July.

The 60th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 278th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

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 238th 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 the highest-numbered rifle division to be formed prior to the war. After forming in Kazakhstan it did not begin moving west until later September and arrived in 49th Army southwest of Moscow just after the first phase of Operation Typhoon. During October and November it took part in the defense of Tula before going over to the counteroffensive in early December. The division assisted in the liberation of Aleksin before pushing on toward Kaluga. After the latter place was taken on December 30 it was committed to the attempted encirclement of a large portion of Army Group Center by Western and Kalinin Fronts, and while this ultimately failed the 238th distinguished itself sufficiently to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner and to be redesignated as the 30th Guards Rifle Division in May 1942.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Walter S. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006, p. 79
  2. ↑ A typo in Commanders of Corps and Divisions (Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1964) gives his assignment date as 10 January 1941.
  3. 1 2 Sharp 1996, p. 94.
  4. ↑ Glantz 1999, pp. 62–63, 210, 288.
  5. ↑ Gerasimova 2013, p. 221.
  6. ↑ Gerasimova 2013, p. 132.
  7. ↑ Glantz 2011, p. 433.
  8. ↑ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1943, p. 189
  9. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, p. 204.
  10. ↑ Glantz 2016, p. 27.
  11. ↑ Gen. A.V. Gorbatov, quoted in Glantz 2016, p. 202.
  12. ↑ Glantz 2016, pp. 200–202.
  13. ↑ Glantz 2016, pp. 405–416.
  14. ↑ "Ушаков Степан Лаврентьевич". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  15. ↑ Dunn 2008, pp. 163–165, 168.
  16. ↑ "Освобождение городов" [Liberation of cities] (in Russian). Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  17. ↑ Soviet General Staff, Operation Bagration, ed. & trans. R.W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, Kindle ed., vol. 2, pt. 1, ch. 4
  18. ↑ Dunn 2008, p. 176.
  19. ↑ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1944, pp. 220, 252
  20. ↑ Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967b, p. 64.
  21. ↑ "Еншин Михаил Александрович". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  22. ↑ Soviet General Staff, The Berlin Operation, 1945, ed. and trans. by R.W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, Kindle ed., ch. 11, 12. Note this source at one point mis-numbers the 362nd as the 363rd.
  23. ↑ Stavka Order No. 11095
  24. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 380–381.

Bibliography

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