228th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
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The 228th 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 ...
, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the ''shtat'' (
table of organization and equipment A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of Military unit, military units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of ...
) of September 13, 1939. After being formed in the
Kiev Special Military District Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
it soon took part in the fighting in northern Ukraine where it joined the 5th Army north of Kyiv. The presence of this Army in the fastnesses of the eastern
Pripyat Pripyat, also known as Prypiat, is an abandoned industrial city in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, located near the border with Belarus. Named after the nearby river, Pripyat (river), Pripyat, it was founded on 4 February 1970 as the ninth ''atomgrad'' ...
area influenced German strategy as it appeared to threaten both the left flank of Army Group South and the right flank of Army Group Center. In September the latter Group was turned south to encircle the Soviet forces defending Kyiv and in the process the 228th was cut off and destroyed. A new 228th formed in the
Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...
in December 1941 based on the 451st Rifle Division. It was soon assigned to 24th Army in Southern Front which was intended as a backstop to the front line armies facing the German summer offensive of 1942, but it was driven back, encircled and destroyed in a matter of weeks. The third 228th, based on the ''shtat'' of December 10, 1942, was created in June 1943 from the cadre of a rifle brigade. It took part in the liberation of eastern Ukraine as part of 1st Guards Army before being moved to 37th Army of
2nd Ukrainian Front The 2nd Ukrainian Front () 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. In mid-May 1944 Malinovsky took over the 2nd Ukrainian Front. During t ...
during the fighting along the Dniepr. During the advance into western Ukraine in the spring of 1944 it won a battle honor but this advance was halted in April after the German defense crystallised along the west bank of the Dniestr River near Bender. During the next few months the 228th moved to the northwest as a reserve unit but was assigned to
53rd Army The 53rd Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army which was formed in August 1941, disbanded in December 1941, and reformed in May 1942. It fought throughout World War II before again being disbanded after the war in October 1945. Th ...
shortly after the start of the offensive that drove Romania out of the Axis in August. As part of this Army it advanced into Hungary and Czechoslovakia and would be decorated for its part in the liberation of
Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...
. It was disbanded in July 1945.


1st Formation

The division began forming on March 14, 1941, at
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( ; see #Names, below for other names) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Zhytomyr Oblast (Oblast, province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding ...
in the Kiev Special Military District. When completed it had the following order of battle: * 767th Rifle Regiment * 795th Rifle Regiment * 799th Rifle Regiment * 669th Light Artillery Regiment * 366th Howitzer Artillery Regiment * 10th Antitank Battalion * 9th Antiaircraft Battalion * 304th Reconnaissance Battalion * 383rd Sapper Battalion * 605th Signal Battalion * 378th Medical/Sanitation Battalion * 324th Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Platoon * 701st Motor Transport Battalion * 485th Field Bakery * 659th Field Postal Station * 531st Field Office of the State Bank Col. Aleksandr Mikhailovich Ilyin was appointed to command on the day the division began forming. On June 22 it was in the 36th Rifle Corps in the reserves of Southwestern Front, and was located at
Shepetivka Shepetivka (, ; ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city located on the Huska River in Khmelnytskyi Oblast (Oblast, province) in western Ukraine. Shepetivka is the Capital (political), administrative center of Shepetivka Raion (Raion, district). ...
. By the first of July it had left 36th Corps and had been assigned to 5th Army under direct Army command. At this time it was positioned south of
Hoshcha Hoshcha (; ) is a Populated places in Ukraine#Rural settlements, rural settlement in Rivne Oblast (oblast, province) in western Ukraine. Until the Decentralization in Ukraine, 2020 administrative reform it served as the administrative center of ...
fighting against the advancing
13th In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the Musical note, note thirteen scale degrees from the root (chord), root of a chord (music), chord and also the interval (music), interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is m ...
and 14th Panzer Divisions of III Motorized Corps in cooperation with 19th Mechanized Corps. As the panzers pushed toward Kyiv on July 7 the 228th attempted to hold at
Novohrad-Volynskyi Zviahel (, ; ) is a city in Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. The city serves as the administrative center of Zviahel Raion (district). According to a 2025 estimate, its population was approximately 54,3 thousand inhabitants. The city is loca ...
but was soon forced to fall back to the southeast. By July 10 it had been returned to 36th Corps which was now in 6th Army of the same Front, but later in the month the division was again assigned to 5th Army. By July 23 it was fighting southwest of
Malyn Malyn (, ) is a city in Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of Ukraine located about northwest of Kyiv. It served as the administrative center of Malyn Raion until the administrative reform in 2020, when it was merged into Korosten Raion. Population: ...
and as of August 11 it was located east of that city near the confluence of the
Teteriv The Teteriv () is a right tributary of the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It has a length of and a drainage basin of . The Teteriv flows generally in northeastern direction through geographic regions of Podolian Upland, Dnieper Upland, and Polesia. T ...
and Irsha Rivers. On August 1 Colonel Ilyin was removed from command and replaced by Col. Viktor Georgievich Chernov. Ilyin would take command of the
215th Motorized Division In music, a fifteenth or double octave, abbreviated ''15ma'', is the interval between one musical note and another with one-quarter the wavelength or quadruple the frequency. It has also been referred to as the bisdiapason. The fourth harmonic, ...
in mid-September and escaped the Kyiv encirclement to later lead the 261st Rifle Division and the
61st Rifle Corps The 61st Rifle Corps (Russian: 61-й стрелковый корпус '' '') was a Red Army infantry corps during World War II, formed twice. The 61st Rifle Corps was formed firmed in Tula during September 1939. After Operation Barbarossa, it was ...
before being killed in action in May 1944. Chernov had previously served as deputy commanding officer of the
62nd Rifle Division The 62nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army, formed four times and active during World War II and the postwar period. The division was formed in 1936 and fought in the Winter War and Soviet occupation of Bessara ...
.


Battle of Kiev

The presence of 5th Army in the area north of Kyiv had been affecting German strategy for some time as noted in ''Führer'' directive No. 33 of July 19: The directive set the task, among others, "to destroy the Soviet 5th Army by means of a closely coordinated offensive by the forces on Army Group Center's southern flank and Army Group South's northern flank." By August 14 strength returns showed that there were only 2,429 personnel remaining in the 228th, and 11 days later, on August 25 the number had decreased to under 2,000. By the end of the month the 669th Light Artillery Regiment had been detached to 26th Army as a support unit while the remainder of the division was transferred to 37th Army. Meanwhile, the
2nd Panzer Group The 2nd Panzer Army () was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941. Organisation Panzer Group Guderian () was formed on 5 June 1940 and named after its commander, general Heinz Gude ...
and 2nd Army of Army Group Center began their drives southward. At this time the remnants of the division were attempting to hold positions west of
Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
from elements of the XXIII Army Corps outflanking it to the east. By September 10 the remnants of 5th and 37th Armies were grouped north of
Kozelets Kozelets (, ) is a rural settlement in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast, northern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Kozelets settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Kozelets is located on the Oster River, a tributary of the Dn ...
but on September 16 the 2nd Panzers linked up with the
1st Panzer Group The 1st Panzer Army () was a German tank army that was a large armoured formation of the Wehrmacht during World War II. When originally formed on 1 March 1940, the predecessor of the 1st Panzer Army was named Panzer Group Kleist (''Panzergruppe ...
of Army Group South well to the east and the Army was deeply encircled. While the division was noted as effectively destroyed by October 1, it was not officially removed from the Red Army order of battle until December 27. Colonel Chernov took command of 47th Mountain Rifle Division on October 2 and would go on to lead the 90th Guards and 60th Rifle Divisions and be promoted to the rank of major general before being killed in action on March 17, 1945. On April 6 he was posthumously made a
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
.


2nd Formation

The 451st Rifle Division began forming at
Kansk Kansk () is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on both banks of the Kan River. Population: History and economy Founded in 1628 as a Russian fort, it was transferred to its current location in 1636 and granted town status in 1782. Th ...
in the Siberian Military District in November 1941. Later that month it was redesignated as the 2nd formation of the 228th. Its order of battle was similar to that of the 1st formation: * 767th Rifle Regiment * 795th Rifle Regiment * 799th Rifle Regiment * 669th Artillery Regiment * 10th Antitank Battalion * 129th Antiaircraft Battery * 120th Mortar Battalion * 236th Reconnaissance Company * 383rd Sapper Battalion * 605th Signal Battalion * 378th Medical/Sanitation Battalion * 522nd Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company * 585th Motor Transport Company * 438th Field Bakery * 903rd Divisional Veterinary Hospital * 1698th Field Postal Station * 1068th Field Office of the State Bank Col. Nikolai Ivanovich Dementev took command on February 18, 1942, and would lead the division until it was disbanded. It arrived at the active front on April 28 where it was placed at the disposal of Southern Front.


Operation Blue

When 1st Panzer and 17th Army launched the German summer offensive on their sectors on July 7, the 228th was still in Southern Front, but now in 24th Army. This newly formed Army, with just four rifle divisions, two of which ( 335th and 341st) had been badly damaged in the
Second Battle of Kharkov The Second Battle of Kharkov or Operation Fredericus was an Axis powers, Axis counter-offensive in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted 12–28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front (World War II), Easter ...
, was attempting to provide a second echelon for the Front behind the
12th Twelfth can mean: *The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution *The Twelfth, a Protestant celebration originating in Ireland In mathematics: * 12th, an ordinal number; as in the item in an order twelve places from the beginning, follo ...
and 18th Armies. On July 10 the Front was ordered to form those divisions into a task force along with a special tank group to move northeastward to block the
XXXX Panzer Corps XXXX Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II. History The XXXX. Armeekorps was formed on 26 January 1940 in Lubeck in the Wehrkreis X. It took part in the invasions of France and Greece before being sent to the Easter ...
in the Chertkovo area. This move availed very little, and the Southern Front commander, Lt. Gen. R. Ya. Malinovsky, soon reported that 24th Army was being driven back to the
Millerovo Millerovo () is the name of several inhabited localities in Rostov Oblast, Russia. ;Urban localities *Millerovo, Millerovsky District, Rostov Oblast Millerovo (, Ukrainian: Міллерово) is a town and the administrative center of Millero ...
RogalikVishniaki line "under great pressure." By dawn on July 15 the 3rd Panzer Division of
4th Panzer Army The 4th Panzer Army (), operating as Panzer Group 4 () from its formation on 15 February 1941 to 1 January 1942, was a German panzer formation during World War II. As a key armoured component of the Wehrmacht, the army took part in the crucial ...
had linked up with 14th Panzer of 1st Panzer Army 40 km south of Millerovo. By this time the 228th had been reduced to under 2,500 personnel and although the encirclement was never really closed too few of these men managed to escape for the division to be rebuilt. By the beginning of August the 24th Army had been effectively disbanded and the 228th was no longer in the Red Army order of battle as of July 29 although its headquarters was not officially disbanded until September 1. Colonel Dementev escaped the debacle and on September 6 took over command of the
337th Rifle Division The 337th Rifle Division was first formed in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Astrakhan. Like the 335th Rifle Division, this formation was assigned to the southern sector of the Soviet-German front during the winter counterof ...
. He was promoted to the rank of major general in January 1943 before being wounded in February and hospitalized for several months; he did not see any further front line service.


3rd Formation

Another new 228th was formed on June 25, 1943, in 6th Army of Southwestern Front, based on the 106th Rifle Brigade.


106th Rifle Brigade

This brigade had formed from December 1941 until April 1942 in 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 ...
. By May 1 it was considered ready for front line service and first went to the
Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...
before being assigned to
61st Army The 61st Army was a field army of the Red Army and the Soviet Ground Forces. It was created in 1941 and disbanded in 1945. It took part in Operation Bagration and the Riga Offensive of 1944. Structure during the Battle of Kursk During the Battl ...
in Western Front by month's end. It consisted of: * 4 rifle battalions * 1 artillery battalion (12 76mm cannon) * 1 mortar battalion ( 82mm mortars) * 1 antitank rifle company (48 antitank rifles) * 1
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
company * 1 reconnaissance company * 1 sapper company In June it was moved to the reserves of
Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it fi ...
and in July joined Operational Grou
Chibisov
on the southern flank of the Front, fighting in direct support of 16th Tank Corps. The 106th took heavy losses during the early stages of Case Blue and returned to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and then Moscow Military District in September for rebuilding. Late in October it returned to the front as part of
13th Army Thirteenth Army or 13th Army may refer to: * Thirteenth Army (Japan) * Japanese Thirteenth Area Army * 13th Army (Russian Empire), unit in World War I *13th Army (RSFSR), a unit in the Russian Civil War *13th Army (Soviet Union) The 13th Army (, ...
in Bryansk Front. Near the end of the year it was moved to 6th Army in Southwestern Front but after advancing in the wake of the German defeat at Stalingrad it was caught up in the German counteroffensive at Kharkiv. Once the front stabilized in March the brigade was assigned to the
4th Guards Rifle Corps Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...
of 6th Army and was again rebuilt, at least in terms of infantry, but remained short of heavy weapons until it was converted to the new 228th. Once formed the division's order of battle was again very similar to that of the first two formations: * 767th Rifle Regiment * 795th Rifle Regiment * 799th Rifle Regiment * 669th Artillery Regiment * 10th Antitank Battalion * 236th Reconnaissance Company * 383rd Sapper Battalion * 605th Signal Battalion (later 1457th Signal Company) * 378th Medical/Sanitation Battalion * 522nd Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company * 585th Motor Transport Company * 562nd Field Bakery * 908th Divisional Veterinary Hospital (later 903rd) * 1751st Field Postal Station * 1831st Field Office of the State Bank Col. Pavel Grigorevich Kulikov took command on June 29. The new division remained in 4th Guards Corps for several weeks but by the beginning of August it had come under direct Army command.


Into Ukraine

In July the 6th Army was near the right flank of Southwestern Front, along the
Donets River 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 ...
southeast of Kharkiv, but was not directly involved in the first Donbas strategic offensive. The Front launched a new effort in the Donbas on August 13 in cooperation with the Soviet forces attacking toward Kharkiv from the north in
Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
. At about this time the 228th was transferred to
34th Rifle Corps The 34th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet 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 esta ...
of 1st Guards Army, just to the south. The defending German 6th Army and 1st Panzer Army resisted as best they could but on August 31, under immense pressure, were authorized to withdraw to the line of the
Kalmius River The Kalmius (, ) is a river flowing through Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Its source is near the Ukrainian city of Yasynuvata, and its mouth is in Mariupol. The Kalmius is one of two rivers flowing through Mariupol. The other is the Kalchyk, which f ...
. The retreat did not end there and through September and into October the 228th remained in 34th Corps of 1st Guards Army advancing toward
Dnepropetrovsk Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...
. Later in October, after the Dniepr had been crossed in several places, the division was shifted again, now to 68th Rifle Corps in 37th Army of 2nd Ukrainian Front, although in November it would come under direct Army command. This Front was under command of Army Gen. I. S. Konev and on October 15 he launched an offensive with elements of four armies, including the 37th, from a bridgehead roughly halfway between Dnepropetrovsk and
Kremenchuk Kremenchuk (; , , also spelt Kremenchug, ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. The city serves as the administrative center of Kremenchuk Raion and Kremenchuk urban hromada within ...
in the direction of
Kryvyi Rih Kryvyi Rih ( ; , ), also known as Krivoy Rog ( ), is a city in central Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Kryvyi Rih Raion and its subordinate Kryvyi Rih urban hromada in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The city is part of the Kryvyi Rih Metropo ...
.
Piatykhatky Piatykhatky () can refer to one of several inhabited localities in Ukraine: * Piatykhatky, a city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast * Piatykhatky, a historic neighborhood in Kharkiv * Piatykhatky, a village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast {{SIA, populated pl ...
was liberated on October 18 and by the 25th the advance had reached the outskirts of Kryvyi Rih. A counterattack by XXXX Panzer Corps from October 27–30 drove Konev's forces back up to 30 km and badly damaged nine rifle divisions.


Nikopol-Krivoi Rog Offensive

During December the 228th became part of 57th Rifle Corps, still in 37th Army. In January 1944 the Army came under command of 3rd Ukrainian Front. The Front's first effort to renew the drive on Kryvyi Rih began on January 10, led mainly by
46th Army The 46th Army was a Soviet Red Army field army during World War II. The army was formed in August 1941 and guarded the Turkish border. During the summer of 1942, it fought in the Battle of the Caucasus. During the spring of 1943, the army helped c ...
, but made only modest gains at considerable cost and was halted on the 16th. The offensive was renewed on January 30 after a powerful artillery preparation against the positions of the German XXX Army Corps on the same sector of the line, but this was met with a counter-barrage that disrupted the attack. A new effort the next day, backed by even heavier artillery and air support, made progress but still did not penetrate the German line. On February 1 the XXX Corps line was pierced in several places and by nightfall the Soviet forces had torn a 9 km-wide gap in the line west of the Bazavluk River. During the next two days German 6th Army tried to avoid encirclement by slogging through the mud to the Kamianka River line, which was already compromised by the Soviet advance. Forward detachments of
8th Guards Army The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th GCAA) was an army of the Soviet Army, as a successor to the 62nd Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, which was formed during World War II and was disbanded in 1998 after being do ...
reached
Apostolove Apostolove (, ; ) is a city in Kryvyi Rih Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Apostolove urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: In 2001, the population was 16,439. Until the raion was abol ...
on the 4th and over the next few days 46th Army began to attempt a sweep westward to envelop Kryvyi Rih from the south. The dispersion of the Front's forces, combined with German reserves produced by the evacuation of the Nikopol bridgehead east of the Dniepr and indecision on the part of the German high command, produced "a peculiar sort of semiparalysis" on this part of the front during the second half of the month. Finally, on February 21 elements of the 46th and 37th Armies broke into the outer defenses of Kryvyi Rih. To avoid costly street fighting 6th Army was withdrawn west of the city, which was liberated the next day.


First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive

The Uman–Botoșani Offensive began on March 5 and as 37th Army advanced toward the Dniestr River the division was one of only two units granted a battle honor for the liberation of
Voznesensk Voznesensk (, ) is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Voznesensk Raion within the oblast. It hosts the administration of the . The city has a population of History This city was founded in 1795 o ...
on March 24. Three days later Colonel Kulikov left the division and was replaced by Col. Ivan Yesin. This officer had previously commanded the 38th and 88th Guards Rifle Divisions and had been serving as deputy commander of
35th Guards Rifle Division The 35th Guards Rifle Division () was a division of the Soviet Red Army in World War II. Formed from an airborne corps in the summer of 1942, the division fought in the Battle of Stalingrad with the 62nd Army (Soviet Union), 62nd Army, then serv ...
. He would be promoted to the rank of major general on November 2 and would lead the 228th for the duration of the war. As 37th Army closed on the Dniestr the 57th Rifle Corps was commanded by Maj. Gen. F. A. Ostashenko and consisted of the 58th and 92nd Guards and the 228th Rifle Divisions. Early on April 11 the bulk of 3rd Ukrainian Front's forces began pursuing disorganized German forces toward the river with 37th Army advancing toward
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
. The Army's assignment was to force the Dniestr from north of Parcani to as far south as
Slobozia Slobozia () is the capital city of Ialomița County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 41,550 in 2021. Etymology Its name is from the Romanian "slobozie", which meant a recently colonized village which was free of taxation. The word its ...
, seize a bridgehead roughly 25 km wide and 12 km deep, and to prepare for a further pursuit in the direction of
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...
. Much of this area consisted of a large, irregular bend of lowlands that were nearly indefensible, but retaining possession depended on capturing high ground to the west that dominated the lower terrain. The Army advanced with 57th Corps on the right (north) wing,
82nd Rifle Corps The 82nd Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army and later the Soviet Army. Formed in mid-1943, the corps served with the 37th Army during most of World War II. It fought in the advance southwest from the Dnieper and into Romania and Bul ...
on the left, and
6th Guards Rifle Corps The 6th Guards Danube Rifle Corps was a rifle corps of the Red Army during World War II. During the war, it formed part of the 8th, 2nd Shock, 1st Guards, 46th, 37th, and 57th Armies. History The corps headquarters was formed on 16 March 1 ...
in second echelon but mostly following the 82nd. The 57th proceeded through Blijnii Hutor toward Parcani with the mission of capturing Tiraspol with an assault from the north, then crossing the river at Parcani before taking the town of Bender (Tighina) on the west bank and its adjacent strip of high ground. General Ostashenko deployed the 228th in the center with 58th Guards to the north and 92nd Guards to the south; the 188th Rifle Division of 82nd Corps supported the flank of the 92nd. The 58th Guards and the 228th cleared Tiraspol overnight on April 11/12 before pushing on to the river south of Parcani. The 92nd Guards also reached the east bank north of the town but ran into effective resistance from the 257th Infantry Division which prevented any crossings. The 58th Guards managed to secure a small bridgehead near Varnița while the 228th was able to get over near
Tîrnauca Tîrnauca ( mo-Cyrl, Тырнаука; , ''Ternivka'', , ''Ternovka'') is a commune and village in the Slobozia District of the Left Bank of the Dniester, Moldova, situated on the east bank of the river Dniester, between Tighina and Tiraspol ...
. Colonel Yesin was fortunate to escape the fate of his fellow division commanders, both of whom were wounded in the day's fighting and required evacuation. The 6th Guards Corps had more success in its crossing operations but German reinforcements were already reaching the high ground. Late on April 12 the Front commander, Army Gen. Malinovsky, ordered the Army to "capture the fortress of Bendery by day's end on 14 April". 57th Corps was to capture Novye Lipkani (a suburb of Bender) to the south of the town and Varnița to the north as part of an encircling move but the artillery preparation, which began at 0700 hours on April 13, proved utterly ineffective and this effort ended in total failure. Fighting continued over the following days and by April 17 the Army's bridgehead south of Tiraspol was roughly 15 km wide and 15 km deep, but Bender was still in German hands, as was the high ground where they had managed to establish continuous defenses. Overnight on April 18/19 the 57th and 82nd Corps, reinforced by the
15th Guards Rifle Division The 15th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in February, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 136th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The di ...
, were to make a second effort to seize German positions near Bender, led by the 58th Guards and the 228th. In the event the offensive was postponed until April 20 and in heavy fighting over the next five days the Army made no progress whatsoever. Operations on this sector were effectively shut down until August.


Into the Balkans

In June the 57th Corps was moved to the reserves of 2nd Ukrainian Front and remained there through July. At the start of the Second Jassy-Kishinev Offensive the Corps (now containing the 228th, 203rd and 243rd Rifle Divisions) was still in reserve on the right flank of the Front backing the
52nd 52 may refer to: * 52 (number) * one of the years 52 BC, AD 52, 1952, 2052 * 52-hertz whale an individual male whale, also known as the loneliest whale, calling at the unusual 52 hertz range * ''52'' (comics), a 2006–07 American weekly comic boo ...
and 27th Armies, which formed the Front's shock group. The Corps was to be ready to operate in the zone of either of these as needed. When the offensive began on August 20 the 57th Corps was initially involved in the artillery preparation only. During the first three days the shock group completed the breakthrough of the Axis front and the Front reserves (53rd Army, 57th and
27th Guards Rifle Corps Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season epi ...
) were ordered to move to the area south of the
Podu Iloaiei Podu Iloaiei is a town in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It has 8,992 inhabitants as of 2021, and was declared a town in 2005. Four villages are administered by the town: Budăi, Cosițeni, Holm, and Scobâlțeni. Geography The town lies ...
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
road during the night of August 22/23. Over the remainder of the operation the Corps advanced southward to cut off and reduce the retreating German and Romanian forces. By the beginning of September the Corps had been officially assigned to 53rd Army, and the 228th would remain in this Army until after the German surrender.


Hungarian Campaign

Following its advance through Romania, on October 28 the left flank forces of 2nd Ukrainian Front, including 53rd Army, began an operation to defeat the German-Hungarian forces in and around Budapest. The main drive was carried out by 7th Guards and 46th Armies while the 53rd provided flank security. On October 29 the Army advanced up to 13 km and reached the outskirts of Polgár. By the morning of November 4 the 27th Army relieved the 53rd along the front from Polgár to
Tiszafüred Tiszafüred is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 11,260 people (2015).Gazetteer of Hungary, 1st January 2015'. Hungarian Central ...
while it regrouped to force the
Tisza River The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...
three days later. On November 11 the Army's right flank corps began fighting for the southern outskirts of
Füzesabony Füzesabony is a town in Heves (county), Heves County, Hungary. References External links

* in Hungarian Populated places in Heves County {{Heves-geo-stub ...
; the town did not finally fall until the 15th after which the Army commander, Lt. Gen. I. M. Managarov, was ordered to develop the offensive in the direction of
Verpelét Verpelét is a town in Heves County, Hungary, under the Mátra mountain range, beside of the Tarna River. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 3738 (see Demographics). The town located 17.3 km from Eger, the capital of the county and beside ...
. By November 20 the 53rd reached the southeastern slopes of the
Mátra Mountains The Mátra () is a mountain range in northern Hungary, between the towns Gyöngyös and Eger. The country's highest peak, Kékestető (1014 m), belongs to this mountain range. Formation Pre-volcanic formations The formation of the Mátra ...
between
Gyöngyös Gyöngyös is a town in Heves County, Hungary, beside of the Gyöngyös creek, under the Mátra mountain ranges. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 27,957 (see Demographics). The town is located 8.4 km from the M3 motorway and 80.8 km ...
and
Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...
where the Axis forces were able to organize a powerful defense which brought the advance to a halt until November 26.


Advance into Slovakia and Postwar

A new phase of the offensive began on December 5. 53rd Army occupied a line from Eger to
Lőrinci Lőrinci is a town in Heves County, Hungary, beside of the Zagyva river. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 5352 (see Demographics). The town is located beside the (Nr. 81) Hatvan–Fiľakovo railway line and the Main road 21 (Hungary), ...
facing units of the German 6th Army and the Hungarian 3rd Army. The assault began at 1015 hours following a brief but powerful artillery preparation and the Army was able to advance 2–4 km on the first day despite facing defenses in mountainous terrain and the fighting continued through the night. In the days following the Army was only able to advance with its left-flank units and by December 9 was stalled along a line from Eger to Gyöngyös. The next phase involved completing the encirclement of Budapest and began on December 10 but again the 53rd Army advanced very little until Pliyev's Cavalry-Mechanized Group rolled up the German/Hungarian defense from the
Šahy Šahy (, rarely ) is a town in southern Slovakia, The town has an ethnic Hungarian majority and its population is 7,238 people (2018), with an average age of 42.5. Geography It is located at the eastern reaches of the Danubian Lowland on the riv ...
area in the general direction of Szoldiny. On December 14 Plyiev was ordered to attack in the direction of Kisterenye in conjunction with 53rd Army advancing toward
Pásztó Pásztó is a town in Nógrád County, Hungary, beside of the Zagyva river and the Kövicses creek, between the Mátra and Cserhát mountain ranges. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 8664 (see Demographics). The town located beside of ...
. This made only modest progress and on December 18 General Managarov was directed to relieve Plyiev's Group to enable it to regroup for a new assignment. The next day the Army was tasked with reaching a line from
Veľký Krtíš Veľký Krtíš (before 1927 ''Veľký Krtýš'', ) is a town in middle Slovakia, situated in the historical Nógrád County (former), Novohrad region. The town's most important economic sectors are mining and agriculture. Etymology The name is o ...
to Nemce to
Želiezovce Želiezovce (, until 1895: ; ) is a town in Slovakia in the Nitra Region in the Levice District, near the Hron river. Districts * Jarok (Želiezovce), Jarok () * Karolína (Želiezovce), Karolína * Mikula (Želiezovce), Mikula (1967 establis ...
. The left-flank forces of 2nd Ukrainian Front attacked at 1000 hours on December 20 but on the first day the 53rd Army made only local advances. By December 29 it had reached a front from Kutas to
Szécsény Szécsény is a town in Nógrád county, Hungary. Etymology The name comes from the Slavic ''sečь'': cutting (''Sečany''). 1219/1550 ''Scecen''. History The valley of the Ipoly and especially the area of that around Szécsény was inhabite ...
to
Balassagyarmat Balassagyarmat (Hungarian: ; formerly ''Balassa-Gyarmath''; ; or ) is a town in northern Hungary. It was the seat of the Nógrád County, Nógrád Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus. Balassagyarmat is the capital city of Palóc country as ...
. The encirclement of Budapest had been completed on December 26, but under this command the division played little direct role in the siege of that city. The 53rd pushed on toward
Lučenec Lučenec (; ; ; ; Lelkes György (1992), Magyar helységnév-azonosító szótár, Balassi Kiadó, Budapest, 508 p.) is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital ...
before going over to the defense in late February. Units of the Army liberated
Banská Štiavnica Banská Štiavnica (; ; , ) is a town in central Slovakia, in the middle of an immense caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. For its size, the caldera is known as the Štiavnica Mountains. Banská Štiavnica has a population of ...
on March 7. The Bratislava–Brno Offensive began on March 25 with 53rd Army roughly in the center of the Front; by this time the division had been reassigned to
49th Rifle Corps 49 (forty-nine) is the natural number following 48 and preceding 50. In mathematics Forty-nine is the square of the prime number seven and hence the fourth non-unitary square prime of the form ''p''2. Both of its digits are square numbers, 4 be ...
, still in 53rd Army, and it remained in this Corps for the duration. The city of Brno was cleared on April 26 and following the German surrender, on May 28, the 228th would be awarded 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 Union, Soviet award established on ...
, 2nd Degree, for its role in this victory. By now 53rd Army was in the process of being sent to the far east in preparation for the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation or simply the Manchurian Operation () and sometimes Operation August Storm, began on 9 August 1945 with the Soviet Union, Soviet invasion of the Emp ...
but the division was considered excess to these requirements and was therefore briefly assigned to 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 ...
. According to ''STAVKA'' Order No. 11096 of May 29, part 8, the division was listed to be disbanded in place.Stavka Order No. 11096
/ref> In accordance to this directive the division was disbanded in July. General Yesin would go on to command the 303rd and
55th Guards Rifle Division The 55th Guards Rifle Division was a Red Army military unit, engaged in the Second World War. Its full name was the 55th Guards Rifle Irkutsk-Pinsk Order of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, three Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 2nd degree divi ...
s before his retirement in January 1956.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * p. 105 * p. 216


External links


Aleksandr Mikhailovich IlyinHSU Viktor Georgievich Chernov
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945, state=collapsed
228 Year 228 ( CCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Modestus and Maecius (or, less frequently, year 981 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 228 for this ...
Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1941 establishments in the Soviet Union 1945 disestablishments in the Soviet Union