The Soviet 117th Rifle Division was a rifle division that served during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Originally formed in 1939 destroyed and reformed during the war.
History
First Formation
Formed on 23 August 1939 in the
Volga Military District, under the command of Colonel
Spiridon Chernyugov. On 22 June 1941 the division was still located in the district. The division was assigned to the
21st Army moving from the Volga Military District to
Gomel
Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...
in the
Western Special Military District when the war started. The army was to attack north from Gomel area into the flank and rear of the German advance. On 5–6 July 1941 the division attacked across the
Dnepr River at
Zhlobin as part of the
63rd Rifle Corps and 21st Army. Of the 12,000 men assigned to the division and despite the support of the
546th Corps Artillery Regiment the division lost almost 20% of its strength in the space of two days. By 12 July the division was retreating back behind the Dnepr River. By early September when the German
2nd Panzer Group struck south the division, along with most of the
Central and
Southwestern Fronts in the
Kiev Pocket and annihilated. The division headquarters was disbanded on 20 September 1941.
Subordinate Units
*240th Rifle Regiment
*269th Rifle Regiment
*275th Rifle Regiment
*322nd Light Artillery Regiment
*707th Howitzer Regiment
*222nd Antitank Battalion
*321st Anti-aircraft Battalion
*Tank Battalion (with 54
BT and
T-26 tanks)
Second Formation
The second formation was formed on 7 January by redesignating the
308th Rifle Division at
Ivanovo
Ivanovo (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Russia and the administrative center and largest city of Ivanovo Oblast, located northeast of Moscow and approximately from Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir and Kostroma. ...
in the
Moscow Military District. In late February the division left the Moscow Military District and moved to the
Kalinin Front reserves. In March the Front assigned the division to the
3rd Shock Army and it remained in that army until February 1943. In February the division went back into Kalinin Front reserves as part of the
2nd Guards Rifle Corps and as part of this corps was assigned to the
22nd Army. In April 1943 the 22nd Army was transferred from the Kalinin to the
Northwestern Front. In September 1943 the division was moved to the
4th Shock Army, which became part of the
1st Baltic Front after 20 October 1943. In February 1944 the division briefly served in the 1st Baltic Front's
43rd Army and then went into STAVKA reserves and moved south. In late April 1944 the division was assigned to the
91st Rifle Corps in the
69th Army of the
1st Belorussian Front. The division spent the rest of war under this command structure.
Subordinate Units
*240th Rifle Regiment
*269th Rifle Regiment
*275th Rifle Regiment
*322nd Artillery Regiment
*222nd Antitank Battalion
See also
*
List of infantry divisions of the Soviet Union 1917–1957
References
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945
Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1939
1939 establishments in the Soviet Union