415th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

Last updated
415th Rifle Division
Active1941–1945
CountryFlag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army flag.svg Red Army
TypeDivision
RoleInfantry
Engagements Battle of Moscow
Defense of Tula
Battles of Rzhev
Operation Kutuzov
Battle of Smolensk (1943)
Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive
Battle of Kiev (1943)
Kalinkovichi-Mozyr Offensive
Operation Bagration
Lublin–Brest Offensive
Baltic Offensive
Riga Offensive
Vistula-Oder Offensive
East Pomeranian Offensive
Battle of Berlin
Decorations Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner
Order of Suvorov 2nd class.png   Order of Suvorov
Battle honours Mozyr
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Col. Georgii Aleksandrovich Latyshev
Maj. Gen. Pyotr Andreevich Aleksandrov
Col. Vasilii Nikitovich Zatylkin
Col. Vasilii Filippovich Samoplenko
Lt. Col. Georntii Nesterovich Tzitaishvili
Col. Pavel Ivanovich Moshchalkov

The 415th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in the autumn of 1941 in the Far Eastern Front. It was considered to be a "sister" division to the 413th, and was one of the divisions of Siberians sent west to help defend Moscow during the winter of 1941-42. It spent much of the next year in the same general area, west of the capital, taking part in the mostly futile battles against the German-held salient at Rzhev during late 1942. Following the evacuation of the salient in March, 1943 the 415th was assigned to the 61st Army, where it remained for most of the rest of the war. It took part in the summer offensives through western Russia and into eastern Belarus during the fall and winter, earning a battle honor in January, 1944. During the later stages of the next summer offensive, Operation Bagration, it distinguished itself in the liberation of Pinsk and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Following this it was redeployed northward, still in 61st Army, and took part in the offensives through the Baltic states. In the spring of 1945 the division also earned the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Degree, for its part in the capture of several towns in northeastern Germany. The 415th had a distinguished career as a combat unit, ending its combat path near Berlin, but was disbanded in the summer of 1945.

Contents

Formation

The 415th Rifle Division began forming on September 8, 1941 at Vladivostok, in 25th Army on the Pacific coast. It appears to have begun forming as the "Voroshilov" Rifle Division before being assigned a divisional number. [1] Its order of battle, based on the first wartime shtat (table of organization and equipment) for rifle divisions, was as follows:

Col. Georgii Aleksandrovich Latyshev was appointed to command on the day the division began forming. It was considered to be ready for combat by the end of October, and shipped out to the west as part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command in the first days of November. It was one of six divisions transferred from Far Eastern Front to the fighting front from September to November. Contrary to the German understanding at the time, there were no wholesale transfers from the far east to the Moscow front. [3] Prior to this move Colonel Latyshev left his command on November 1. Until mid-1943 this position would see a high rate of turnover, as follows:

Battle of Moscow

The 415th was first assigned to 49th Army in Western Front, along with the 7th Guards Rifle Division, on November 10 in order to strengthen that Army's right flank. Beginning on November 14 these right-flank forces, along with the 2nd Cavalry Corps and the 112th Tank Division, fought a series of meeting engagements with German forces attempting to capture Serpukhov. The German attack was stymied at the cost of significant losses and a week later the Soviet units went over to the defensive. The division was specifically assigned to defend the sector from Sidorenki to Burinovskii station and prevent German tanks and infantry from breaking through in the direction of Burinovo and Kalugino. General Aleksandrov was ordered to prepare antitank strongpoints near Terekhun, the wooded area east of Burinovo, in the woods near Burinovskii station, Stanki station and near Kalugino; in addition a switch position was to be constructed along the northern bank of the Nara River along the sector from Dubrovka to Butyrki and a rear position along a line from Shakhlovo to Kalugino. The front-line defenses were to be completed by December 1, with the second-line positions completed by December 5. [4]

As of December 7, as the left wing of Western Front was preparing to go over to the counteroffensive, 49th Army had 5 rifle divisions (5th Guards, 415th, 60th, 194th and 238th) with 350 field and antitank guns, deployed on a 70 km-wide front. The 415th, on the Army's right (north) flank, faced the 137th Infantry Division east of Vysokinichi. The Army was to go over to a general offensive on the morning of December 16, largely with its left wing forces while the 5th Guards and 60th Divisions were to launch a supporting attack and the 415th was to tie down the German division with limited attacks to prevent reserves being transferred to the south. When the offensive began it faced resistance everywhere particularly on the right flank. 5th Guards and 60th made very little progress, while the left flank reached and crossed the Oka River by the 19th. On the same day the 415th and 5th Guards were ordered to continue their tying-down operations. During December 20–22 the division was defending with two regiments of the 60th along the line from Burinovskii station to the woods north of Ostrov. On December 24 it went over to the offensive and, operating in individual detachments, began slowly moving forward as German resistance weakened. By the morning of the 26th it reached a line from Kurkino to Troyanovo to Makarovo before again running into stubborn German resistance. On December 28 it liberated Makarovo and continued attacking to the west. [5]

The 415th encountered the heaviest resistance along the Alozha River about 1 km west of Makarovo and after forcing a crossing its offensive developed more successfully. It took the village of Chernaya Gryaz with elements of the 60th Division and by the morning of December 30 had reached a line 5 km west of that village and continued advancing. The next day by order of Western Front the division was transferred to the adjacent 43rd Army, where it would remain until July. From January 1–9, 1942 the 415th cooperated with the 194th Rifle Division of 49th Army in overcoming German minefields and other obstacles and pressing on, reaching and capturing the villages of Afonasovo and Starosele on January 4, after which the 194th was also re-subordinated to 43rd Army. These left flank units, backed by the 18th Tank Brigade, were directed on Maloyaroslavets, which had been liberated on January 2. [6]

On January 9 the 43rd Army issued orders to continue the offensive towards Medyn and Myatlevo. The objective was to "encircle and destroy the Kondrovo-Yukhnov-Medyn enemy group and develop the blow to the northwest." The Army was directed be fighting for the Medyn area by the end of January 10 and have possession of Myatlevo 24 hours later, and committed an airborne corps, four rifle divisions and two tank brigades to the effort. Given earlier losses, this amounted to about 15,000 infantry and sappers, 400 machine guns, about 100 mortars, 50 guns and up to 40 tanks. They faced the remnants of 29th Motorized and 10th Panzer Divisions covering the withdrawal of the XX Army Corps. On the first day the 415th reached Stanki where German forces resisted stubbornly. The advance continued on January 12 and during the next day the 5th Airborne encircled the garrison in Medyn, which broke out in small groups overnight towards Myatlevo with the loss of about 2,000 men and substantial equipment. As of January 15 the division was fighting unsuccessfully for the villages of Bogdanovo and Ivanishchevo along the Shanya River and the Army's drive bogged down along this line. As a result of several regroupings in an effort to surround the village by January 21 the division was the only one remaining facing Myatlovo. By this time the German forces were making more serious efforts to break out of their encirclement in the Yukhnov area. The capture of Myatlevo was vital to get into the retreating Germans' flank and rear, but the 415th was insufficient to the task. It was therefore reinforced with the 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Division from 33rd Army. A methodical attack brought the division to the approaches to the village on January 27, when the 1st Guards arrived. In the final attack plan the 415th was to demonstrate an envelopment from the left flank as a distraction, allowing the 1st Guards to mount a quick frontal blow and break in. The attack went according to plan and Myatlevo was in Soviet hands by 0400 hours on January 29. The division was left to mop up the German remnants while the 1st Guards pursued along the Warsaw highway. [7]

While the winter offensive had served to eliminate the immediate threat to Moscow, the cost to the Red Army was high. By January, the character of the 415th as a Siberian unit had changed. Due to the influx of casualty replacements the division was noted in this month as being 70 percent Georgian. [8]

Battles for Rzhev

The 415th was transferred to 20th Army, still in Western Front, in July, along the eastern face of the Rzhev Salient, then to the adjoining 29th Army in November, [9] but in the last gasps of Operation Mars in December the division was ordered back to the 20th to help make one last desperate attempt to break the German positions and capture Sychyovka. On December 11 the relatively-fresh 415th made an attack on a 4km front between Bolshoe Kropotovo and Zherebtsovo alongside the 243rd, 247th and 30th Guards Rifle Divisions in the first echelon. The 415th, attacking in the Maloe Kropotovo and Podosinovka sectors, would be backed by the re-formed 6th Tank Corps with 100 tanks in two brigades to exploit once the division breached the German line. At 1100 hours the 22nd Tank Brigade, attacking in the wake of the division, penetrated west of Maloe Kropotovo but came under heavy German fire which stripped away the accompanying riflemen and knocked out about 25 tanks. The combined forces of the rifle divisions made scanty gains of 500 - 1,000 metres at significant cost, and failed to capture a single German-held fortified village. Three days later, the offensive was shut down for good. [10] In the period from November 25 to December 18 the division lost 692 men killed and 1,865 wounded, for a total of 2,557 casualties. [11]

Into Western Russia and Belarus

In March, as the Soviet forces prepared for the 1943 summer campaign, the 415th was shifted south to the 61st Army in Bryansk Front; [12] it would remain in this Army for most of the rest of the war. The Soviet offensive against the German-held salient centered on the city of Oryol began with limited, local reconnaissance thrusts on July 11 with the full assault beginning the next day, just as Hitler was deciding to shut down Operation Citadel. Following a three-hour artillery preparation three armies of Bryansk Front, including the 61st, plus the 11th Guards Army of Western Front, attacked against three sectors on the northern flank of the salient. 61st Army was still on the Bolkhov sector, now facing the German 208th Infantry Division with four rifle divisions in the first echelon. By evening the Soviet troops had managed to advance 5–6 km. 11th Guards Army made much more substantial progress in the early going and on July 18 the Soviet command committed the fresh 25th Tank Corps into that Army's sector at Ulyanovo but instead of driving into the open gap between two German army corps most of the 25th Tank was directed towards Bolkhov, which was still in German hands until it was liberated, mostly by units of 61st Army, on July 28. On the same day Gen. W. Model gave the order for his combined 2nd Panzer and 9th Armies to prepare to withdraw to the Hagen position at the base of the salient. In mid-August the forces of Bryansk Front attempted to break through to Karachev but only succeeded after the German forces withdrew further west. On August 18 their withdrawal to the Hagen line was completed. [13] Shortly after Bolkhov was taken the 415th was subordinated to the 46th Rifle Corps [14] and on August 1 Col. Pavel Ivanovich Moshchalkov took over command of the division, where he would remain for the duration of the war. [15]

Later that month the 415th was reassigned to 89th Rifle Corps, and was advancing on Bryansk in the late summer before the entire 61st Army was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command by the beginning of September. By the start of the next month it had been moved once again to Central Front [16] as the campaign moved into Belarus. In late September the Army arrived along the Dniepr River on a broad front extending from Loev to south of Liubech, but the 89th Corps was unable to gain any footholds on the west bank due to strong German resistance and well-organized artillery and mortar fire. In preparation for the Gomel - Rechitsa Offensive Central Front underwent a major regrouping from October 8–14, during which 89 Corps was redeployed into new positions south of Liubech. However, it was the other two corps of 61st Army, (29th Rifle Corps and 9th Guards Rifle Corps) which were to form the shock group when the offensive began on October 22. In heavy fighting over the next week the Soviet attackers forced elements of German 2nd Army to make a phased withdrawal to new positions in the rear and advanced as much as 20 km, but neither of the primary objectives were taken. [17]

On October 25 the 415th and its corps-mate the 336th Rifle Division were reassigned to the 28th Rifle Corps of 13th Army in 1st Ukrainian Front, [18] in which it crossed the Dniepr and took part in the battles that liberated Kiev in November. As a result of this fighting the division had to be replenished with what the Germans called "booty Ukrainians"; for example, on December 17 the 415th received 550 new riflemen of all ages from Kiev and Zhitomir, with less than two months training in the 21st Reserve Regiment stationed at Chernobyl. [19]

Kalinkovichi-Mozyr Offensive

In early January, 1944, the 415th returned to 61st Army, now in Belorussian Front. Planning was already underway for a new offensive in the direction of Kalinkovichi and Mozyr by the 61st and 65th Armies, with the 61st advancing along the swampy banks of the Pripyat River. It faced the 292nd and 102nd Infantry Divisions and Corps Detachment E of German XX Army Corps, all of which were significantly under strength from earlier losses. The 415th was deployed south of the Pripyat on the Army's left (south) flank opposite Corps Detachment E which held the extreme southern flank of Army Group Center. The division screened the regrouping of the 2nd and 7th Guards Cavalry Corps from the north; the cavalry was to advance through terrain thought to be impassable and outflank the German detachment. The 61st Army's main offensive began at dawn on January 8 after a 45-minute artillery preparation, but soon ran into stiff German resistance. Meanwhile, the 415th, in cooperation with local partisans, opened a gap on the German flank allowing the two cavalry corps and begin a raid deep into the rear in the direction of Mozyr. [20]

Over the first two days the cavalry advanced as much as 75 km and rendered Corps Detachment E's positions utterly untenable. The STAVKA perceived an opportunity to smash the entire right flank of German 2nd Army and ordered the operation accelerated. As a result, the Front commander, Army Gen. K. K. Rokossovsky, took direct command of the two cavalry corps and ordered:

"While cooperating with 415th Rifle Division, continue pursuing the withdrawing enemy, encircle his rear service units with two divisions, and capture Mozyr, its railroad station, and the highway bridge over the Pripyat River."

However increasing German resistance brought the advance to a halt on January 11 and it became clear that Mozyr would not be taken by cavalry alone. On January 13 the 415th arrived to mount a joint assault with 7th Guards Cavalry but this "struck thin air" because Corps Detachment E had already begun its withdrawal, with just rearguards remain to delay the Soviet troops. On the evening of the next day the division along with the Mozyr Partisan Brigade, 15th Guards Cavalry and 55th Rifle Divisions cleared the town after a short street battle. [21] and received its name as an honorific:

"MOZYR" - 415th Rifle Division (Colonel Moshchalkov, Pavel Ivanovich)... The troops who participated in the liberation of Mozyr and Kalinkovichi, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 14 January 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns. [22]

In Belorussian Front's next operation, the Ozarichi-Ptich Offensive, the division played very little part, relieving the 2nd Guards Cavalry on January 18, freeing it up for active operations. [23]

Operation Bagration

In February the 61st Army was moved to the 2nd Belorussian Front (1st formation) and the division made a brief return to 89th Rifle Corps, but a month later was reassigned to the 9th Guards Rifle Corps, [24] where it would remain for most of the rest of the war. However, at the start of Operation Bagration the Army was in 1st Belorussian Front and the 415th was a separate division in that Army. 61st Army was part of the Front's western group of armies, still facing the German 2nd Army along the southern fringes of the Pripyat Marshes, and did not play an active role in the first phase of the offensive, acting as a follow-on force as the Germans retreated. [25]

Before dawn on June 29 the Dniepr Flotilla's 2nd Brigade of river cutters landed forces of the 55th Rifle Division across the Pripyat River. Its bridgehead was broadened by the 23rd Rifle Division in subsequent landings. On July 3 the 415th, 397th and 212th Rifle Divisions attacked in support, but were unsuccessful. The Army's offensive on the Pinsk axis resumed on July 4 supported by several partisan detachments, fortified regions and the 55th Guards Rifle Division of 28th Army and began rolling up the German defenses along the northern bank of the Pripyat, Goryn and Styr rivers. In danger of encirclement, the German grouping was falling back to the west before the Army's right flank and center but was otherwise stubbornly defending the approaches to Luninets and Pinsk. By the end of July 9 the Army had advanced 85 km in five days and had reached the approaches to Luninets. [26]

The Flotilla landed the main force of the 397th Division across the river on the night of July 10, and then delivered one battalion, as well as a regiment of the 415th, to the eastern outskirts of Pinsk on July 12/13. The city had been well fortified with full trenches, pillboxes and engineering obstacles. The outer line was held by the 216th Divisional Group and three worker battalions while the city itself was occupied by remnants of the 35th Infantry Division and the 17th Special Designation Brigade. On the night of July 13/14 the Army made a turning maneuver to attack the city from the north, south and east, with the help of the Dniepr Flotilla, and crushed German resistance, clearing the center by 0600 hours. By the end of July 16 it reached the line Khomsk to Ogdemer to Zhuravok, resulting in an advance of another 60 km over four days. [27] For its role in the liberation of Pinsk the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on July 23, [28] while the 1323rd (Maj. Georgii Andreevich Molchanov) and 1326th (Maj. Nikolai Pavlovich Kleshchin) Rifle Regiments were both granted its name as a battle honor. [29] On July 28 the 1321st Regiment (Lt. Col. Ivan Yakovlevich Oleynik) was similarly honored for its role in the liberation of Brest. [30] Shortly after these victories the entire 61st Army was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command, where the division was again assigned to the 9th Guards Rifle Corps. [31]

Baltic Campaign

61st Army returned to the front in September, now in the 3rd Baltic Front. As of the middle of the month the division was in the area of Aluksne in Latvia. By the beginning of October it had advanced westward past Valmiera in the direction of Riga. [32] When 3rd Baltic was disbanded shortly after Riga was taken the Army was reassigned to 1st Baltic Front until nearly the end of November. [33] On November 29 the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front received the following:

"By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the following are being transferred to you by railroad:... b) 61st Army, consisting of:... 9th Guards Rifle Corps (12th and 75th Guards Rifle and 415th Rifle Divisions)... along with reinforcements, service establishments and rear organs. The army will arrive approximately between 9 December and 1 January at the Lukow station."

A further directive on December 7 ordered that the personnel strength of the Army's nine rifle divisions be reinforced to 6,500 men each, as well as 900 horses. [34]

Into Poland and Germany

The Army would remain in this Front for the duration. At the outset of the Vistula-Oder offensive, the 61st was deployed along the Vistula south of Warsaw. Once the breakthrough of the German lines had been accomplished, elements of the 415th, mounted on trucks or riding on the armored vehicles of 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (IS-2 tanks) and 312nd Guards SU Regiment (SU-100s), exploited into the enemy's rear as the Army's forward detachment. This detachment was recognized for its part in the liberation of Sochaczew on January 18, 1945. [35] In this fashion it drove through almost to the Oder River in West Pomerania by the end of the operation. [36]

In February the division was shifted to the 80th Rifle Corps, but returned to 9th Guards Corps in March. [37] In the buildup to the offensive on Berlin in April the 61st Army was deployed on the east bank of the Oder from Nipperwiese to Alt Rudnitz. The Army was to launch its main attack with its left flank, forcing the river along a 2.5 km sector from Hohenwutzow to Neuglitzen. The 415th was one of six divisions, including the rest of 9th Guards and the 89th Rifle Corps, grouped along the axis of the main attack. Within its Corps, the division was in the second echelon while the 75th and 12th Guards were in first echelon. Although the main offensive began on April 16, 61st Army did not attack until the next day, when it won a bridgehead 3 km wide and up to 1,000m deep. By the 22nd the Army had cleared the Oder and Alte Oder and had turned its front completely to the north; three days later it had reached points 55 km west of the Oder. On April 29 it forced the Havel River in the area of Zehdenick against minimal resistance. Finally, on May 2, having advanced 60 km during the day against no resistance, it reached the Elbe River in the area of Havelberg, and the next day met up with elements of the U.S. 84th Infantry Division near Gnefsdorf. [38]

For its actions in the capture of the north German towns of Stargard, Naugard, and Polzin the division received its final decoration, the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree, on April 26. On the same date the 1321st and 1326th Rifle Regiments were awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky for their parts in the battles for Gollnow, Stepenitz and Massow. [39] Thus, the division ended the war with the full title of 415th Rifle Mozyr, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Division. (Russian: 415-я стрелковая Мозырьская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия).

Postwar

According to STAVKA Order No. 11095 of May 29, 1945, part 6, the 415th is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place". [40] It was disbanded in Germany in accordance with the directive during summer 1945. [41]

Related Research Articles

The 75th Guards Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division during World War II and afterwards, which later became the 75th Guards Tank Division and was finally disbanded in the 1990s.

The 70th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in February, 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 138th Rifle Division in recognition of that division's actions during the battle, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

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 55th Rifle Division that served as a Red Army rifle division during the Great Patriotic War formed for the first time in September 1925 as a territorial division headquartered at Kursk. When the German invasion began the unit was as Slutsk, but soon came under attack from their armored spearheads and lost most of its strength within days, and was eventually encircled and destroyed at Kiev. A new division was formed along the Volga in December, and was soon sent north to join in the fighting around Demyansk until early 1943. In many respects the 55th was a hard-luck unit; after being destroyed once, it drew assignments to mostly secondary fronts in areas where, due to the terrain and other circumstances, no unit could distinguish itself. By early 1944, the division was reduced to minimal strength for an active formation, and after making some key gains in the pursuit phase of Operation Bagration it was transferred north to the Baltic States and then disbanded to provide replacements for the other units in 61st Army. Elements of the disbanded division were repurposed to other roles in coastal defense and as a naval base garrison, continuing in service until 1956.

<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.

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 391st 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 was finally assigned to the 3rd Shock Army in Kalinin Front and took part in the battle for the Kholm Pocket. Following this the division was moved to 1st Shock Army and took part in the dismal fighting for the Demyansk salient until it was finally evacuated by the German forces in March, 1943. The division moved on into the gradual advance across the Baltic states through 1943 and 1944, winning a battle honor along the way, until February, 1945, when it was transferred with its 93rd Rifle Corps to 1st Ukrainian Front as part of 59th Army. In the last weeks of the war the 391st was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its service in Upper Silesia, and ended the war advancing on Prague, but 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 12th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 258th Rifle Division and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was in 50th Army when it was redesignated but was soon assigned to the 49th Army, then to the 10th Army and finally to the 16th Army near the end of that month. In June it was assigned to the 9th Guards Rifle Corps of 61st Army where it remained almost continually for the duration of the war, serving under several Front commands but always on the central sector of the front. During the summer offensive in 1943 it fought through western Russia and into Belarus during the winter campaigns there. Along with the rest of 61st Army it took part in the second stage of Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944, advancing into the Pripyat marshes region, winning a battle honor and shortly thereafter the Order of the Red Banner. After a short time in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command it was moved to the 3rd Baltic and later the 1st Baltic Front driving into Latvia and Lithuania, being decorated with the Order of Suvorov for its part in the liberation of Riga. In December it was returned to the 1st Belorussian Front and took part in the offensives that propelled the Red Army into Poland and eastern Germany. After the fall of Berlin the division advanced to the Elbe River where it linked up with the US 84th Infantry Division. Following the German surrender it was disbanded in July, 1946.

The 14th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 96th Rifle Division, which was officially a mountain unit at the time, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was in Southern Front when it was redesignated and was soon assigned to the 57th Army. It was encircled during the German counterattack in the Second Battle of Kharkov in May and its first commander was made a prisoner of war, later dying in German captivity. A cadre of the division managed to escape and was sent to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding. In July it joined the 63rd Army and took part in the attacks against the Italian 8th Army that created the bridgehead south of the Don River near Serafimovich during August. In October, now in 21st Army of Don Front, it was active in two probing attacks against the Romanian forces now containing the bridgehead which inflicted severe casualties in advance of the Soviet winter counteroffensive. At the start of that offensive the division was in 5th Tank Army, but was soon transferred to 1st Guards Army and then to the 3rd Guards Army when that was formed. It was under this Army as it advanced into the Donbas in late winter before returning to 57th Army during most of 1943, fighting through east Ukraine and across the lower Dniepr by the end of the year. After being briefly assigned to 53rd Army in December it was moved to 5th Guards Army in February, 1944 where it remained for the duration, mostly in the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps. It saw action in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive and won its first decoration, the Order of the Red Banner, as it advanced, before being involved in the frustrating battles along the Dniestr River on the Romanian border. In late spring, 1944 the division was redeployed north becoming part of 1st Ukrainian Front and taking part in the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive into Poland. The 14th Guards made a spectacular advance across Poland during the Vistula-Oder Offensive and was awarded the Order of Lenin for its part in the liberation of Sandomierz. On January 22, 1945, its commander suffered mortal wounds in the fighting for a bridgehead over the Oder River. In the drive on Berlin in April the division and its regiments won further honors and decorations but despite these distinctions it was disbanded in August, 1946.

The 48th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in October 1942, based on the 2nd formation of the 264th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was in the 3rd Tank Army when it formed but this force was badly damaged in Army Group South's counteroffensive south of Kharkov in March 1943 and the division had to be withdrawn for a substantial rebuilding in 57th Army of Southwestern Front during the spring. It remained in the south of Ukraine into early 1944, mostly in either that or the 37th Army, and won a battle honor in the process. It was then removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for another rebuilding before returning to the front in May 1944 and joining the 28th Army, where it remained for the duration of the war. Taking part in the summer offensive in Belarus the 48th Guards was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and several of its subunits also received decorations or distinctions. In January 1945 the division fought into East Prussia and assisted in the fighting southwest of the city/fortress of Königsberg before 28th Army was redeployed westward to take part in the Berlin operation. By now it was part of 1st Ukrainian Front and spent the last days of the war advancing on Prague. During the summer it was reassigned to the Belorussian Military District. The division was converted to the 38th Guards Rifle Brigade in 1946, but reformed as a new 48th Guards Rifle Division in 1949.

The 50th Guards Rifle Division was an elite infantry division of the Red Army during World War II that continued as part of the Soviet Army during the early period of the Cold War. Converted into the 50th Guards Motor Rifle Division in the late 1950s, the division was based in Brest, Belarus. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the division became part of the Belarusian Ground Forces and was reduced to a brigade and then a storage base before being disbanded in 2006.

The 61st Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 159th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

The 71st Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in March 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 23rd Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

The 96th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 258th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It would become one of the more highly decorated rifle divisions of the Red Army.

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 214th 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 moved to the fighting front to join 22nd Army in late June and took part in the fighting between Vitebsk and Nevel in early July, escaping from encirclement in the process, and then played a significant role in the liberation of Velikiye Luki, the first Soviet city to be retaken from the invading armies. In October it was again encircled near Vyasma during Operation Typhoon and was soon destroyed.

The 234th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed out-of-sequence in the Moscow Military District in October-November 1941. Due to having a large cadre of members of the Communist Party it was commonly referred to as the Yaroslavl Communist Division. After forming and briefly taking part in the rear defenses of Moscow in early 1942 it was assigned to 4th Shock Army in Kalinin Front. It became involved in the fighting near Velizh and remained in that region until nearly the end of the year. In March 1943 the division played a minor role in the follow-up to Army Group Center's evacuation of the Rzhev salient, and at the beginning of August liberated several strategic villages northeast of Smolensk, soon being rewarded with a battle honor. During the following autumn and winter it took part in the grinding battles around Vitebsk until it was removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding and reorganization. When it returned to the front it was assigned to 47th Army in 1st Belorussian Front and took part in the later stages of Operation Bagration, advancing to the Vistula River near Warsaw. In September it received a second honorific for its part in the liberation of Praga. The 234th fought across Poland and into Pomerania early in 1945, winning two decorations in the process before being transferred to the 61st Army for the final offensive into northeast Germany. It was disbanded shortly thereafter.

The 235th 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 the 41st Rifle Corps it was soon sent to Northwestern Front to defend the distant approaches to Leningrad. Along with its Corps the division became part of the Luga Operational Group. After Novgorod was captured the Luga Group was largely encircled and had to fight its way north toward the city, suffering considerable losses in the process. The losses to the 235th were greater than those of some others and after officially carrying on in the reserves of Leningrad Front for some time the division was officially disbanded in late December.

References

Citations

  1. Walter S. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007, p. 82
  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. 114
  3. Dunn, Jr., Stalin's Keys to Victory, pp. 82-83
  4. Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow 1941-1942, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2015, Kindle ed., part III, ch. 5
  5. Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part IV, ch. 4
  6. Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part V, ch. 5
  7. Soviet General Staff, The Battle of Moscow, Kindle ed., part V, ch. 9
  8. David M. Glantz, Colossus Reborn, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2005, p. 594
  9. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1942, pp. 144, 236
  10. Glantz, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1999, pp. 253, 256, 263-64
  11. Glantz, After Stalingrad, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2009, p. 90
  12. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1943, p. 85
  13. Roman Töppel, Kursk 1943: The Greatest Battle of the Second World War, Helion & Co., Ltd., Warwick, UK, 2018, Kindle ed., ch. 2, sect. Operation Kutuzov
  14. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1943, p. 190
  15. Commanders of Corps and Divisions in the Great Patriotic War, p. 295; see Bibliography
  16. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1943, pp. 235, 249
  17. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2016, pp. 28, 99, 106, 116-17
  18. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1943, p. 278
  19. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 115
  20. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, pp. 418-19, 421-22, 426, 438, 440
  21. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, pp. 441-43 447-49
  22. http://www.soldat.ru/spravka/freedom/1-ssr-4.html. In Russian. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  23. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, p. 458
  24. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1944, pp. 72, 103
  25. Dunn, Jr., Soviet Blitzkrieg, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2008, pp. 209-10
  26. Soviet General Staff, Operation Bagration, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrision, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, Kindle ed., vol. 2, pt. 1, ch. 5, 10
  27. Soviet General Staff, Operation Bagration, Kindle ed., vol. 2, pt. 1, ch. 10
  28. Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, pp. 391–392.
  29. http://www.soldat.ru/spravka/freedom/1-ssr-5.html. In Russian. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  30. http://www.soldat.ru/spravka/freedom/1-ssr-1.html. In Russian. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  31. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1944, p. 238
  32. The Gamers, Inc., Baltic Gap, Multi-Man Publishing Inc., Millersville, MD, 2009, pp. 29, 36
  33. Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 115
  34. Soviet General Staff, Prelude to Berlin, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, pp. 550, 555
  35. "Освобождение городов". www.soldat.ru. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  36. 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. 27
  37. Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1945, pp. 85, 120
  38. Soviet General Staff, The Berlin Operation, 1945, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, Kindle ed., ch. 11, 12, 15, 20, 22
  39. Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967b, pp. 129, 131, 132–33.
  40. Stavka Order No. 11095
  41. Feskov et al 2013, pp. 380381

Bibliography