The 58th Guards Rifle Division () was an elite
Guards
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
infantry division of the
Red Army during
World War II.
It was formed in June 1942 as the 1st Rifle Division (1st formation) and was converted into the 58th Guards Rifle Division at the end of the year for its actions in
Operation Little Saturn. Advancing into Ukraine, the division participated in the
Third Battle of Kharkov
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by Army Group South of Nazi Germany against the Soviet Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Known ...
in early 1943. From midyear it fought in the
Belgorod–Kharkov Offensive, the
Battle of the Dnieper
The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 in Ukraine on the Eastern Front of World War II. One of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost 4,000,000 troops at a time stretched on a front.
Over four ...
, and the
Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, receiving the honorific
Krasnograd
Krasnohrad or KrasnogradAlso known as ''Krasnograd'' fortress (Красноград) (1731-1784), ''Konstantinograd'' fortress (Константиноград) (1784-1922), city of Konstantinograd (1922-1943). ( uk, Красногра́д, ) is a ...
for its capture of that city and the
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 th ...
. After capturing the
Sandomierz bridgehead
Sandomierz bridgehead, also known as Sandomierz-Baranów bridgehead ( pl, przyczółek baranowsko-sandomierski, russian: Сандомирский плацдарм) was a pocket of resistance created by Red Army's 1st Ukrainian Front in late July ...
at the end of the
Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive, the division fought in the
Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive in January 1945, receiving the
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, 1942 ...
for its crossing of the
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows th ...
. It was the first to meet American forces on the
Elbe during the
Berlin Offensive
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
After the Vistula– ...
on 25 April 1945, receiving the
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...
. For its actions in the
Prague Offensive
The Prague offensive (russian: Пражская стратегическая наступательная операция, Prazhskaya strategicheskaya nastupatel'naya operatsiya, lit=Prague strategic offensive) was the last major military ...
at the end of the war, the division was awarded the name of
Prague as an honorific. It was disbanded a little more than a year after the end of the war.
Formation and Stalingrad
The 1st Rifle Division (1st formation) was formed between 3 March and 22 June 1942 in the city of
Melekess
Dimitrovgrad (russian: Димитровград; ), formerly Melekess () until 1972, is a city in Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia. It is the administrative center of Melekessky District, although it is not within the district and is an independent ci ...
,
Kuybyshev Oblast
Samara Oblast ( rus, Сама́рская о́бласть, r=Samarskaya oblast, p=sɐˈmarskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Samara. From 1935 to 1991, it was known as Kuyb ...
, part of the
Volga Military District
The Volga Military District (PriVO) was a military district of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 to 1989 and 1992 to 2001.
The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at different ...
. The division was formed in accordance with ''shtat'' (
table of organization and equipment
A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the un ...
) 04/200 from personnel of the disbanded
9th Sapper Army
A Sapper Army (russian: сапёрная армия) was a multi- brigade military construction engineer formation of the Engineer Troops (Soviet Union) of the Soviet Red Army during World War II. Formed to construct large-scale defensive works, ...
, conscripts from Kuybyshev Oblast, convalescents from hospitals, and freed prisoners from
forced labor camps
''Forced'' is a single-player and co-op action role-playing game developed by BetaDwarf, released in October 2013 for Windows, OS X and Linux through the Steam platform as well as Wii U. It is about gladiators fighting for their freedom in a fa ...
. It included the 408th, 412th, and 415th Rifle Regiments, the 1026th Artillery Regiment, and smaller units. The 1st was quickly assigned to the 5th Reserve Army (which became the
63rd Army on 10 July and the
1st Guards Army (Second formation) in November) on 9 June at the village of
Aleksikovo, where it was reorganized in accordance with ''shtat'' 04/300 due to being understrength in equipment and transport.
The division took up defensive positions on the left bank of the
Don River
The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire.
Its ...
along the line of Novaya Kalitva,
Verkhny Mamon, and Sukhoy Donets on 27 June, covering the left flank of the
Stalingrad Front. It first saw combat on 3 July and defended its positions until the beginning of the first Soviet counteroffensive near Stalingrad. During
Operation Little Saturn, with the 1st Guards Army, the division went on the offensive on 16 December. Crossing the Don near Solontsy, Olkhovy, and Grushevo, it broke through fortified Axis defenses and developed the offensive to capture
Boguchar
Boguchar (russian: Богуча́р) is a town and the administrative center of Bogucharsky District in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the Boguchar River (a tributary of the Don), south of Voronezh, the administrative center of the oblas ...
on 19 December in cooperation with the
44th Guards Rifle Division.
Guards conversion to the end of the war
In recognition of its courage in the initial stages of
Operation Little Saturn, the 1st Rifle Division was converted into the 58th Guards Rifle Division, an elite
Guards unit, on 31 December 1942. The 408th, 412th, and 415th Rifle Regiments became the 173rd, 175th, and 178th Guards Rifle Regiments, respectively, while the 1026th Artillery Regiment became the 130th Guards Artillery Regiment on 27 February 1943. Continuing the attack, the 58th Guards captured
Millerovo alongside the
38th Guards Rifle Division on 17 January 1943. During February, it reached the
Seversky Donets
The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Do ...
near
Voroshilovgrad
Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). ...
, contributing to the capture of the latter on 14 February. During the second half of February and early March, initially with the
1st Guards, then the
6th Army, and the
3rd Tank Army from mid-March, of the
Southwestern Front, the division participated in the repulse of the German
counteroffensive
In the study of military tactics, a counter-offensive is a large-scale strategic offensive military operation, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions.
The counter-offensive i ...
south of
Kharkov.
In early August the division joined the
57th Army of the
Steppe Front
The Steppe Front (russian: Степной фронт) was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War which existed from July to October 1943.
History
On 9 July 1943, Stavka designated a new Reserve Front in the Voronezh region, that ...
and fought in the
Belgorod–Kharkov Offensive, then in the
Battle of the Dnieper
The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 in Ukraine on the Eastern Front of World War II. One of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost 4,000,000 troops at a time stretched on a front.
Over four ...
. For its courage in the battles for
Krasnograd
Krasnohrad or KrasnogradAlso known as ''Krasnograd'' fortress (Красноград) (1731-1784), ''Konstantinograd'' fortress (Константиноград) (1784-1922), city of Konstantinograd (1922-1943). ( uk, Красногра́д, ) is a ...
, the division received the name of the city as an honorific on 19 September. Division chief of staff Colonel
Vladimir Rusakov
Vladimir Vasilyevich Rusakov (; 30 December 1909 – 12 October 1951) was a Soviet Army major general.
After joining the Red Army at the end of the 1920s, Rusakov became a junior officer and served in the Soviet Far East before graduating from th ...
succeeded to command of the 58th Guards on 24 September. The division began crossing the Dnieper north of
Verkhnodniprovsk
Verkhnodniprovsk (or Verkhnyodniprovsk, uk, Верхньодніпровськ, ; russian: Верхнеднепровск) is a city in Kamianske Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. The city is located at confluence of the Samot ...
on 26 September, with the machine gun crew of ''
Yefreytor
Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted. Duden ...
''
Grigory Shtonda of the 175th Guards Rifle Regiment being among the first across. For repulsing German counterattacks and ensuring the crossing of the vanguard of the regiment, Shtonda was made a
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
. Between October and December the division fought in attacks toward
Krivoy Rog
Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. Kr ...
with the 57th Army of the Steppe Front (the
2nd Ukrainian Front
The 2nd Ukrainian Front (2-й Украинский фронт), was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
History
On October 20, 1943 the Steppe Front was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
During the Second Jassy–Kishinev Off ...
from 20 October).
In early 1944, the division was transferred to the
37th Army of the
3rd Ukrainian Front
The 3rd Ukrainian Front ( Russian: Третий Украинский фронт) was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.
It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern ...
and fought in the
Nikopol–Krivoy Rog Offensive, the
Bereznegovatoye–Snigirevka Offensive, and the
Odessa Offensive
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
. Rusakov was wounded on 13 March and evacuated; he would return to the division in July and remained in command for the rest of its existence. For distinguishing itself in the capture of
Voznesensk
Voznesensk ( uk, Вознесенськ, ; russian: Вознесенск) is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast (region) of Ukraine and the administrative center of Voznesensk Raion (district). It hosts the administration of the Voznesensk urban hromad ...
on 24 March the 58th Guards received the
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 th ...
on 29 March. In mid-July 1944 , the division was transferred to the
5th Guards Army
The 5th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought in many critical actions during World War II under the command of General Aleksey Semenovich Zhadov. The 5th Guards Army was formed in spring 1943 from the 66th Army in recognition ...
of the
1st Ukrainian Front
The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front (Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a ...
, with which it served for the rest of the war. During the
Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive, it entered the battle with the army and defeated the German forces counter-attacking from
Mielec
Mielec ( yi, מעליץ-Melitz) is the largest city and seat of Mielec County. Mielec is located in south-eastern Poland (Lesser Poland), in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Województwo Podkarpackie). The population of Mielec in December 2021 was ...
, then fought in the battles for the retention and the expansion of the
Sandomierz bridgehead
Sandomierz bridgehead, also known as Sandomierz-Baranów bridgehead ( pl, przyczółek baranowsko-sandomierski, russian: Сандомирский плацдарм) was a pocket of resistance created by Red Army's 1st Ukrainian Front in late July ...
.
During the
Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive of early 1945, the 58th Guards advanced more than in eleven days, crossing the
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows th ...
on 23 January north of
Oppeln. It captured and held a bridgehead in the area of Oderwerder. For their actions in the crossing of the Oder, thirteen soldiers of the division were made Heroes of the Soviet Union. The division fought in the
Lower Silesian Offensive and the
Upper Silesian Offensive
The Upper Silesian offensive was a strategically significant Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II in 1945. It was aimed at capturing the considerable industrial and natural resources located in Upper Silesia and involved forces ...
in February and March. For the "exemplary performance of combat missions" in the breakthrough of German defenses and the defeat of German troops southwest of Oppeln, the 58th Guards received the
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, 1942 ...
, 2nd class, on 26 April.
The division broke through German defenses on the
Neisse
The Lusatian Neisse (german: Lausitzer Neiße; pl, Nysa Łużycka; cs, Lužická Nisa; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.[Berlin Offensive
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
After the Vistula– ...]
and on 25 April made contact with the American
69th Infantry Division at
Torgau
Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.
Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces fi ...
on the
Elbe River
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
on 25 April 1945, splitting Germany into two separate parts, an event that became known as
Elbe Day
Elbe Day, April 25, 1945, is the day Soviet and American troops met at the Elbe River, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe. This contact between the Soviets, advancing from the east, and th ...
. The first contact was made between patrols near
Strehla
Strehla ( hsb, Strjela) is a small town in the district of Meißen, Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, north of Riesa. This place name means ''arrow'' in Sorbian. Strehla includes the following subdivisions:
*Forberge
*Görzig/ ...
, when U.S.
First Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue crossed the River Elbe in a boat with three men of an intelligence and reconnaissance platoon. On the east bank, they met forward elements of the 175th Guards Rifle Regiment of the division, under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Gardiev. For breaking through to the Neisse, the division was awarded the
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...
on 28 May. The units of the division rapidly advanced during the
Prague Offensive
The Prague offensive (russian: Пражская стратегическая наступательная операция, Prazhskaya strategicheskaya nastupatel'naya operatsiya, lit=Prague strategic offensive) was the last major military ...
, participating in the capture of
Dresden on 8 May and on the next day reaching the vicinity of
Beřkovice, northwest of
Prague. For distinguishing itself in the advance on Prague, the division received the name of the city as an honorific on 11 June. For their actions during the war, roughly 11,000 soldiers of the division were decorated, and 28 received the title
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
.
Postwar
The division marched to
České Budějovice between 30 May and 3 July, where it was brought up to strength with the personnel of the disbanded
253rd Rifle Division of the
3rd Guards Army
The 3rd Guards Army () was a field army of the Soviet Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.
The army fought in the Battle of Berlin, during which it mopped up German resistance around Cottbus.
1942 to 1945
It was formed ...
and served on the demarcation line between the Allied and Soviet forces. During this period the division conducted combat training and was rated excellent at inspections for the summer training period. Relocated to
Amstetten on 11 November 1945, the division served the demarcation line with American troops, responsible for a sector. The division again received a rating of excellent in inspections carried out in May 1946 for the winter training period. The 58th Guards handed over their sector of the demarcation line to the
95th Guards Rifle Division
The 95th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 226th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It ended t ...
on 17 May and transferred enlisted men not scheduled for demobilization to the 95th and
4th Guards Rifle Division
The 4th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division on September 18, 1941, from the 1st formation of the 161st Rifle Division as one of the original Guards formations of the Red Army, in recognition of that division's partici ...
s. Most officers were sent to
Tata to be transferred to the reserve, while some went to other units for further service. The remainder of the division moved to
Pöchlarn
Pöchlarn ( bar, Böchlarn) is a town in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The painter and writer Oskar Kokoschka was born here in 1886.
Population
Personalities
* Rüdiger von Bechelaren
* Oskar Kokoschka, pa ...
on 22 May, where the transfer of all personnel and equipment was completed in June, finishing the disbandment process. The rest of the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps was also disbanded at the same time, still with the
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
.
Commanders
The following officers commanded the division:
* Major General Alexey Semyonov (June 1942 – January 1943)
* Colonel Dmitry Zherebin (promoted to major general 29 January 1943; January to April 1943)
* Colonel Gavriil Sorokin (April–June 1943)
* Colonel Pyotr Kasatkin (June–September 1943)
* Colonel Vladimir Rusakov (September 1943–April 1944)
* Colonel Vasily Katsurin (April–June 1944)
* Colonel Vladimir Rusakov (promoted to major general 13 September 1944; June 1944–June 1946)
Notes and citations
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
Military documents
* – Located in fond 1178, opus 1, file 3 of the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence
Further reading
*
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945
G058
Military units and formations established in 1942
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner