The 14th Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

. Formed in Moscow in 1922, the division spent most of the interwar period at Vladimir. After moving to the

Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...

during the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

, the division fought on that front during the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

. After the end of the Continuation War it became the 101st Guards Rifle Division.

History

Origins and pre-1941 service

The 14th Rifle Division traced its lineage back to the formation of guard battalions in Moscow in early 1919, which exclusively served on guard duty. The guard battalions were reorganized into the Separate Guard Regiment in 1920, and a 10 November order combined the 3rd Separate Rifle Brigade of the Internal Service Troops (VNUS) and guard units in Moscow and

Moscow Governorate The Moscow Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, and the Russian Empire. It was bordered by Tver Governorate to the north, Vladimir Governorate to the northeast, Ryazan Governorate to the southeast, Tula Gove ...

into the 1st Rifle Division of the Internal Service Troops (VNUS), commanded by former commandant of Moscow Nikolay Yakovlev. The 1st Rifle Division of the Internal Service Troops was redesignated as the 36th Rifle Division of the Field Troops by a 4 March 1921 order. The division was part of the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

and was disbanded by an order of 8 October 1921 with its troops used to form the 35th Separate Rifle Brigade. In June 1922, the 35th Separate Rifle Brigade was reorganized as the 14th Moscow Rifle Division of the Moscow Military District. The division included the 103rd Podolsk, 104th Kolomna, and 105th Serpukhov Rifle Regiments from the brigade, and a Separate Training and Education Regiment. The artillery of the division was formed from different artillery units: the 1st Battalion from the Separate Consolidated Training Battery of the 48th Rifle Division, the 2nd Battalion from the 1st Light Training Mechanized Artillery Battalion of the Western Front, and the 3rd Battalion from the 3rd Light Training Battalion of the 35th Brigade. On 3 June the Separate Training and Education Regiment was reorganized as the 40th Rifle Regiment. The 104th Rifle Regiment was redesignated as the 41st Rifle Regiment, and the 103rd and 105th Rifle Regiments combined to form the 42nd Rifle Regiment. The 14th Rifle Division completed its formation on 1 July. The division became a territorial unit in September 1924, and as a result the 40th and 41st Rifle Regiments and division headquarters relocated to Vladimir. By 1935, the 41st Rifle Regiment was based at

Murom Murom (, ) is a historical types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the west bank of the Oka River. It borders Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and is situated from the administrative center Vladimir, ...

and the 42nd Rifle Regiment at Kovrov. The division relocated to

Vologda Vologda (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as ...

in the Leningrad Military District in October 1938. Its regiments were based in Vologda,

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...

and Cherepovets. In September 1939, the regiments were each expanded to division strength, resulting in the formation of the new 88th and 168th Rifle Divisions. On 11 September 1939, after mobilization, the division was moved to the

Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...

area with its headquarters in that city, with two rifle regiments defending the coast of the

Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; , ; ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.World Wildlife Fund, 2008. It was known earlier among Russi ...

. During the

, it covered the Soviet border on the northern and northeastern coast of the

as part of the Murmansk Group of the 14th Army. Companies from the division's 95th Rifle Regiment were operationally detached to the 104th Rifle Division and fought with that unit in battles in north Finland. The division continued to serve with the 14th Army after the end of the Winter War.

Continuation War

From the beginning of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

on 22 June 1941, the division fought in defensive battles in the Murmansk sector. When the war began, the division was responsible for a 300 kilometer section of the front along the coast of the Kola Peninsula from Cape Svyatoy Nos to

Kildin Island Kildin (also Kilduin; , North Sami: Gieldasuolu) is a small Russian island in the Barents Sea, off the Russian shore and about 120 km from Norway. Administratively, Kildin belongs to the Murmansk Oblast of the Russian Federation. Kildin ...

. On the night of 22 June two regiments of the division and the reconnaissance battalion were moved forward to the border with Finland and took positions in a sector from the

to the south along the border. On 25 June 1941 the division was reinforced by two regiments of the 52nd Rifle Division. Elements of the German Mountain Corps Norway, after an artillery preparation and bombing raids, launched an attack in the sector of the division on 29 June. The main forces struck the 95th Rifle Regiment, which suffered heavy losses and was unable to contain the German advance. The regiment retreated in disorder to the settlement of Titovka, carrying the approaching 325th Rifle Regiment of the division with it in the retreat. Division commander Aleksandr Zhurba was killed in an air raid during the day but was recorded as missing due to the capture of the only witness, his adjutant. In the first half of July elements of the division and the 23rd Fortified Region, in addition to the approaching 52nd Rifle Division, supported by ships of the Northern Fleet, managed to stop the German advance on the line of the Zapadnaya Litsa river in what became known as the Valley of Glory. The 325th Rifle Regiment conducted an amphibious landing from Northern Fleet ships on 14 July during the landing operation on the northwest coast of the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa bay, where it fought until 2 August. On that day the regiment was evacuated from the bridgehead and transported by ships to the main forces of the division in the southern part of the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa Bay. The 135th Rifle Regiment, which fought in isolation from the main forces of the division on the Rybachy and Sredny Peninsulas, was reorganized as the 254th Separate Naval Rifle Brigade on 31 July 1942. In its sector German troops were unable to cross the Soviet border. Mountain Corps Norway went on the offensive again against the 52nd and 14th Rifle Divisions on 7 September. In the sector of the 14th Rifle Division the German troops crossed the Zapadnaya Litsa, flanking the division on the left. By 14 September the German advance cut the sole supply road from Murmansk to the Zapadnaya Litsa. Between 15 and 22 September the units of the 14th and 186th Rifle Divisions repulsed repeated German attempts to encircle them. The 95th Rifle Regiment and 1st Battalion of the 325th Rifle Regiment launched a counterattack against the German troops on 23 September, together with the 186th. After three days of fighting the units managed to push the German forces across the Zapadnaya Litsa on 25 September, fully restoring the sector of the 14th Rifle Division to its previous positions. By October 1941, the frontline stabilized on the line of the

Zapadnaya Litsa River The Zapadnaya Litsa (; ; ) is a river in the north of the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . The Zapadnaya Litsa River originates on the Kuchintundra and flows into the Barents Sea. Its biggest ...

. The German troops went on the defensive on 22 October. In the sector of the division the German troops were only able to advance between 30 and 60 kilometers. Until October 1944 the frontline remained unchanged. The division fought in small-scale actions. During late April and early May 1942 it participated in the unsuccessful Murmansk Offensive with the units of the 14th Army. From 7 October 1944 the division took part in the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation, advancing on the main line of attack northwest of Murmansk, participating in the liberation of the towns of Pechenga, Tarnet, and

Kirkenes (Norwegian language, Norwegian; ), (Northern Sami language, Northern Sami; , or is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsu ...

. The division advanced into northern Norway before the operation ended on 9 November. It was awarded the Pechenga honorific on 29 October in recognition of its performance. After the operation the division was put in reserve. On 1 November it was part of 131st Rifle Corps (with 45th and 368th Rifle Divisions) as part of 14th Army, Karelian Front. The 95th and 155th Rifle Regiments received the Kirkenes honorific and the 325th Rifle Regiment was awarded the

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

on 14 November in recognition of their combat performance. During the war in the Arctic, the division suffered losses of 5,918 killed, 1,187 missing, 135 frozen to death, 217 frostbitten, and 16,351 wounded. On 30 December, the 14th Rifle Division was reorganized as an elite Guards unit, designated the 101st Guards Rifle Division, as a reward for its performance in the Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive.

Composition

The division included the following units. * 95th Rifle Regiment * 325th Rifle Regiment (excluding one battalion moved to the Northern Fleet on 25 August 1942 and renamed the 357th Separate Marine Battalion 3 September 1942) * 135th Rifle Regiment (until 31 July 1942; converted to the 254th Separate Marine Rifle Brigade) * 155th Rifle Regiment (from 30 July 1942) * 143rd Light Artillery Regiment * 241st Howitzer Artillery Regiment * 149th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion (from 10 June 1943) * 364th Separate Mortar Battalion (from 7 November 1941 to 15 November 1942) * 35th Reconnaissance Company * 14th Sapper Battalion * 112th Separate Communications Battalion (later 766th Separate Communications Company) * 75th Medical Battalion * 139th Motor Company (later 425th Motor Transport Company, 82nd Motor Transport Battalion) * 39th Separate Chemical Defense Company * 285th (later 46th) Field Bakery * 203rd (later 81st) Divisional Veterinary Hospital * 669th Field Post Office * 185th Field Cash Office of the State Bank

Commanders

* Yury Aplok (20 October 1924–1 May 1930) * Kirill Meretskov (13 May 1930–1 February 1931) * Zhan Laur (February 1931–July 1937, ''

komdiv () is the syllabic abbreviation to commanding officer of the division (; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command ...

'' 1935) * Kombrig Filipp Gorelenko (15 June 1937–19 August 1939) * Colonel Filipp Alyabushev (August–December 1939) * Major General Aleksandr Zhurba (15 August 1940–29 June 1941) * Major General Nikolay Nikishin (11 July–13 September 1941) * Lieutenant Colonel Toivo Tommola (14 September 1941–15 March 1942, colonel 20 February 1942) * Lieutenant Colonel Khariton Khudalov (16 March–16 July 1942, colonel 27 June 1942) * Colonel Fyodor Korotkov (16 July 1942–18 October 1944, major general 1 September 1943) * Colonel Fyodor Grebyonkin (19 October–30 December 1944)

References

Citations

Bibliography

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