The 3rd Guards Volnovakha Red Banner Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division (

Military Unit Number A Military Unit Number (Russian: Войсковая часть) is a numeric alternate designation for military units in the armed forces and internal troops of post-Soviet states, originally used by those of the Soviet Union The Soviet ...

61415) was a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

from 1957 to around 1992. It traced its history from the highly decorated 3rd Guards Rifle Division of World War II. 3rd Guards Rifle Division was formed from the

153rd Rifle Division The 153rd Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed in the Ural Military District. On 22 June 1941 when the German Operation Barbarossa began, it was serving under command of Nikolai Gagen wi ...

Division history

Combat history from 22 June to 20 September 1941

In August 1940, by an Order of the People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR, the 153rd Rifle Division was formed in the city of Sverdlovsk. The division was later renamed the 3rd Guard Rifle Volnovakha Red Banner Suvorov Division. From August 1940 through June 1941, the division was engaged in combat training in the Kamyshlovsky camps of the

Ural Military District The Red Banner Ural Military DistrictHistory of the Ural Military District / Edited by Alexander Egorovsky, Ivan Tutarinov – 1 – Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, 1970 – 352 Pages – 11,500 ...

. In the first half of June 1941, by the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the

, as a part of the Second Strategic Echelon, was transferred to

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...

. By 22 June—the day of the German attack on the Soviet Union—the first three echelons (troop trains?) had already arrived to

. The full complement of the division arrived to Vitebsk on 27 June. Upon arriving to Vitebsk, the division was manned to peacetime standards (6,000 soldiers and officers). Due to the declaration of war, the division was urgently staffed with personnel and supplied with additional weapons and materiel over the period of 22–27 June. The mobilized personnel arriving to the division's camps were often under-supplied, but over the course of the week the division became fairly battle-ready. While the staffing of the division was still in progress, on 26 June, parts of it assumed a defensive position on a broad front along the Gnezdilovichi– Kholm–

sovkhoz A sovkhoz ( rus, совхо́з, p=sɐfˈxos, a=ru-sovkhoz.ogg, abbreviated from ''советское хозяйство'', "sovetskoye khozyaystvo (sovkhoz)"; ) was a form of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union. It is usually contrasted wit ...

Khodtsy– Moshkany– Burdeli–station of Krynki line. At the same time, the division's advance detachments reached the area of Ulla-2 (435th Rifle Regiment), Beshankovichy (Reconnaissance Battalion), Verkhovye (666th Rifle Regiment), and Syanno (505th Rifle Regiment). On 5 July, the advance units along these lines clashed with large mechanized forces of the enemy which were breaking through to Vitebsk. On 7 July, the battle reached the main division lines in the areas of Gnezdilovichi, Shchikotovshchina,

Pavlovichi Pavlovichi (russian: Павловичи) is a rural locality (a selo) in Suzemsky District, Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast (russian: Бря́нская о́бласть, ''Bryanskaya oblast''), also known as Bryanshchina (russian: Брянщи� ...

, and sovkhoz Khodtsy. Large German motorized and tank forces, expanding their offensive, attempted to break through to the city of Vitebsk along the Beshenkovichi-Vitebsk highway, and on 7 July, reached the defence division line. After the day of fierce fighting, the division stopped the enemy's advance to the city along the highway and inflicted heavy losses. The German units, waging battles with the defending divisional forces, launched another offensive towards

both along the

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

–Vitebsk and the Syanno—Bogushevsk highways, thus bypassing the division from north and south. On 8 July, due to the emerging threat of the entrapment by the enemy, the division partially re-grouped its forces, and took up defensive positions at the Gnezdilovichi–Kholm–sovkhoz Khodtsy–Moshkany– Shchemilovka line. The battles were extremely fierce. The Germans repeatedly tried to break through the division's defensive line, but after having achieved no success and sustaining heavy losses in men and materiel, ceased their attempts at the head-on attack. After breaking through the defences on the right and left, a large force of infantry and tanks began to bypass the division from the north and south. Continuing the offensive north and south of the defending division, by the end of 10 July, the German forces broke through the Gorodok–Vitebsk and Polotsk–Vitebsk highways and captured the western part of Vitebsk, thus reaching the western coast of the Zapadnaya Dvina River. The German mechanized troops pushed past the division's flanks and launched an offensive towards

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

. From 11 July, the division was surrounded near the villages of Popovka, Karpovichi, and

Krynki Krynki ( be, Крынкі, translit=Krynki) is a town in northeastern Poland, located in Podlaskie Voivodeship along the border with Belarus. It lies approximately south-east of Sokółka and about east of the regional capital Białystok. H ...

, located respectively 8, 14, and 22 km south-east of Vitebsk. By the morning of 17 July, the division's main forces reached the area of Sleptsy, Loguny, and Karoli, located respectively 17, 14 and 18 km south-west of a major inhabited locality of Liozno (

Vitebsk Oblast Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...

). Until the end of 5 August, the 153rd Infantry Division was trying to break out of the encirclement. By August, of its original complement of 6,000 only about 1,000 soldiers and officers remained. From 6 to 22 August the division conducted combat operations on the east bank of the

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...

, as well as attempted to expand its foothold on the west coast in the area of Ratchino, Lyakhovo, and Golovino. From 22 August to 6 September, the division conducted warfare in the area of Height 249.9 on the east bank of the Dnieper, and then on the west coast. From 6 to 20 September, the division was in the 20th Army reserve and then in the Stavka Supreme Main Command reserve while it was staffed to standard in Kalinin. On 18 September, by the Order #308 of the People's Commissar of Defence, the 153rd Rifle Division was renamed the 3rd Guards Rifle Division.

Fighting divisions from 20 September 1941 to the summer of 1943

From 20 September to 9 November, the division led military operations as a part of the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front in the area of Mga and Sinyavino. From 10 to 14 November, the division relocated to the left flank of the army, south of the city of

Volkhov Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population: It was previously known as ''Zvan ...

. From 15 November to 28 December the division conducted combat operations near Volkhov and then pursued the enemy to the station of Pogostye. In summer 1942, the division added staff, and then was made a part of the Stavka reserve. At the end of August - September 1942, the division took part in the

Sinyavino Offensive The Sinyavino offensives were a serie of Soviet offensives in 1941–1943 during World War II around the Sinyavino Heights, east of Leningrad, to lift the Siege of Leningrad. The area was only fully liberated during the Leningrad–Novgorod offe ...

of the

Volkhov Front The Volkhov Front (russian: Волховский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the first period of the Second World War. It was formed as an expediency of an early attempt to halt the advance of the Wehrmacht Army Group ...

. In early December 1942, the division was withdrawn from the Stavka reserve and transferred under the

2nd Guards Army The 2nd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that fought in World War II, most notably at Stalingrad. History The 2nd Guards Army was formed according to the order of the Staff of the Supreme High Command (Stavka) from Oc ...

of the Stalingrad Front. During winter 1942, the division completed a difficult forced march, passing 200 to 280 km from the discharge point to the assembly areas. From 15 to 31 December 1942, the division engaged in active combat operations near Stalingrad. During the Stalingrad strategic offensive, on the threshold of the Myshkova River, the division, as a part of the 2nd Guards Army, played a decisive role in repelling the enemy's Kotelnikovo group attack, and on 24 December it started the offensive itself and forced the enemy to withdraw to the south. Continuing the offensive toward Rostov, the troops of the 2nd Guards Army liberated

Novocherkassk Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known ...

on 13 February 1943, and three days later reached the

Mius River The Mius (, ) is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Миус

, where the enemy's resistance forced them to take defensive positions.

Fighting from the summer of 1943 to May 1945

In August–September 1943, the 3rd Guards Division took part in the Donbas strategic offensive operation. The division liberated the inhabited localities of Bolshoy Tokmak (on 20 September 1943) and Volnovakha (on 10 September 1943). By the order of VGK, the 3rd Guards Rifle Division (as well as 11th Guards Cavalry Division, 5th Motor Rifle Division, and

12th Motor Rifle Division The 12th Motor Rifle Division was a motorized infantry division of the Soviet Army, formed twice. It was formed in 1957 from the 12th Rifle Division and disbanded in 1958. The division was reformed in 1960 and moved to Baganuur in Mongolia in 197 ...

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

and 12th Guards Motorized Brigades,

and 6th Guards Motorized Brigades, and 65th Tank Brigade) was named "Volnovakha". In late September, during the Melitopol Offensive, the divisional forces reached the lower course of the

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and ...

and liberated

Kakhovka Kakhovka ( uk, Кахо́вка, ) is a port city on the Dnieper River in Kakhovka Raion, Kherson Oblast, of southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of the Kakhovka urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of It ...

on the coast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

(on 2 November 1943). In December, as a part of the

4th Ukrainian Front The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, ...

, the divisional forces eliminated the enemy's foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper (in the area of Kherson) after a stubborn battle. In February 1944, the army was transferred to the area of

Perekop Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. ...

isthmus, and in April–May it took part in the Crimean strategic operation, resulting in the liberation of

Yevpatoriya Yevpatoria ( uk, Євпаторія, Yevpatoriia; russian: Евпатория, Yevpatoriya; crh, , , gr, Ευπατορία) is a city of regional significance in Western Crimea, north of Kalamita Bay. Yevpatoria serves as the administrativ ...

on 13 April 1944, and, together with other forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet,

Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

on 9 May. In May–June, the

was relocated to the area of cities of

Dorogobuzh Dorogobuzh (russian: Дорогобуж) is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River and located east of Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. ...

and

Yelnya Yelnya (russian: Ельня) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incorporated as Yelninskoye Ur ...

. From 20 May, it was in the Stavka reserve, and on July 8 it was included in the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. I ...

. In July, during the Šiauliai Offensive, the division countered the enemy's strikes to the west and northwest of

Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different la ...

. In October, it participated in the Memel Offensive. On 20 December, it was reassigned to the

3rd Belorussian Front The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War. The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fr ...

. In January–April 1945, during the East Prussian Offensive, it broke the long-term defences and eliminated, in conjunction with other troops, encircled German forces southwest of Koenigsberg and the

Sambia Sambia (russian: Самбийский полуостров, lit=Sambian Peninsula, translit=Sambiysky poluostrov) or Samland (russian: Земландский полуостров, lit=Zemlandic Peninsula, translit=Zemlandsky poluostrov) or Kalini ...

group.

Postwar

The 3rd Guards Rifle Division was in the

Voronezh Military District The Voronezh Military District was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1945–1946 and 1949–1960, respectively. District headquarters was in Voronezh. The District was formed on July 9, 1945, and incorporated the Voronezh Ob ...

with

11th Guards Rifle Corps 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

in 1945-6, and later in 1955 and 1957. Feskov 2014/Holm say the division became 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division on 25 June 1957 at

Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...

.Feskov et al. 2013, p.150, and Michael Holm
3rd Guards Motorised Rifle Division
2015. In the 1980s, the division became the 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division for Coastal Defence on 12 October 1989 and transferred to the Baltic Fleet. Prior to that time it had been subordinated to the

Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District () was a military district of the Soviet armed forces in the Baltic states, formed briefly before the German invasion during the World War II. After end of the war the Kaliningrad Oblast was added to the District's con ...

. On 1 September 1993 the division was disbanded.

Assignments

Western Special Military District Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

, 22nd Army, 62nd Rifle Corps (from mid-June to July 1941) * Western Front, 20th Army (July - early August 1941) * Western Front,

16th Army (Soviet Union) The 16th Army was a Soviet field army active from 1940 to 1945. First Formation, 16th Army The 16th Army Headquarters was formed in July 1940 in the Transbaikal Military District to command Soviet forces deployed in the Dauriya area. On 25 May 1 ...

(August - early September 1941) * Western Front, reserve of 20 Army (from 6 to 20 September 1941) * Stavka Reserve (20 September - early October 1941) * Leningrad Front, 54th Army (c (no later) 1 October 1941 to (no earlier than that date) July 1, 1942). Since February 1942 in the 4th Guards Rifle Corps. *

, 6th Guards Rifle Corps (August - 1 October 1942) *

Don Front The Don Front was a front of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War, which existed between September 1942 and February 1943, and was commanded during its entire existence by Konstantin Rokossovsky. The name refers to Don River, Russia. Fo ...

- 15 December 1942. * Stalingrad Front

- from 15 to 31 December 1942. * Southern Front,

13th Guards Rifle Corps - from 1 January to 20 October 1943. *

13th Guards Rifle Corps - 20 October 1943 *

13th Guards Rifle Corps – on 8 July 1944. *

13th Guards Rifle Corps – 8 July to 20 December 1944. *

13th Guards Rifle Corps – from 20 December 1944 *

, Samland Group of Forces,

– on 1 April 1945

Division units

On 5 July 1941

* 435th Rifle Regiment * 505th Rifle Regiment * 666th Rifle Regiment * 122nd Separate Artillery Battalion *565th Light Artillery Regiment * 581st Howitzer Artillery Regiment * 150th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion * 460th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion * 238th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion * 208th Separate Sapper Battalion * 297th Separate Communications Battalion * 362nd Separate Medical-Sanitary Battalion * 7th Separate Chemical Defense Company * 193rd Auto Transport Company * Field bakery and the divisional veterinary hospital.

In December 1942

* 5th Guards Rifle Regiment * 9th Guards Rifle Regiment * 13th Guards Rifle Regiment (see :ru:13-й гвардейский стрелковый полк) * 22nd Guards Artillery Regiment * 11th Guards Mortar Battalion * 15th Guards Mortar Battalion * 10th Guards Sapper Battalion * 3rd Guards Battalion

Commanders

The following officers commanded the first formation of the 153rd Rifle Division and the 3rd Guards Rifle Division: *Colonel Nikolai Gagen (16 July 1940 – 18 December 1941; promoted to major general on 9 November 1941) *Colonel Anatoly Krasnov (19 December 1941 – 8 March 1942) *Major General Nikolay Martynchuk (9 March – 17 October 1942) *Colonel Kantemir Tsalikov (18 October 1942 – 20 May 1944; promoted to major general 27 November 1942) *Colonel Leonty Karida (21 May – 28 June 1944) *Colonel Grigory Polishchuk (29 June 1944 – after 9 May 1945; promoted to major general 5 May 1945)

Awards

*18 September 1941 - the 153rd Rifle Division received the name:3rd Guards Rifle Division'' '. *10 September 1943 - The division given the name'' 'Volnovakha. *? ? 194? year - the division was awarded

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of t ...

*? ? 194? year - the division was awarded

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet award established on July 29, 19 ...

Notes

References

* General Staff. Military-scientific management. Collection of military documents of the German-Soviet War. Issue 32. - Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957. * Station, Benedict Timofeevich, "Divo-Division". - Ekaterinburg, Argo, 1995. 126 p. * Stadnyuk, Ivan Fotievich, War: Roman. - Moscow: Military Publishing, 1987. - "Library Series"

External links

Library Mikhail Grachev

Genealogy Forum

Oksana Korneva. Historian - Genealogy.

Annex to the site
MO "60 years of the Great Victory"
Vladimir Martov. Belarusian Chronicle, 1941

OI Nuzhdin. Ural State University. Nevelsk defensive operations of 22nd Army

{{Soviet Union divisions 003 Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations disestablished in 1993 Wikipedia articles needing cleanup after translation from Russian 1957 establishments in the Soviet Union 1993 disestablishments in Russia