The 282nd Rifle Division () was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

division of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution 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 established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

during

World War II 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 ...

, formed twice. The division's first formation was formed in the summer of 1941 and destroyed in the

Bryansk Bryansk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), Desna River, southwest of Moscow. It has a population of 379,152 at the 2021 census. Bryans ...

pocket in the fall of that year. The 282nd was quickly reformed in December 1941 in Siberia and moved west in the spring of 1942. The division fought in the

Demyansk Pocket The Demyansk Pocket (; ) was the name given to the pocket of German troops encircled by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II's Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February to 21 April 1942. A much ...

for the next year, and during

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

advanced into the Baltic states in the summer of 1944. Due to losses the 282nd spent the last months of 1944 in reserve and after receiving reinforcements reentered combat in January 1945, fighting in the Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive, the Silesian Offensives, and the Prague Offensive before being disbanded after the end of the war in the summer of 1945.

History

First Formation

The 282nd began forming around 10 July 1941 at Yuryev-Polsky 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 ...

. Its basic order of battle included the 872nd, 874th, and 877th Rifle Regiments, and the 826th Artillery Regiment. On 15 August, the division, only partially formed, was moved west to

Starodub Starodub (, , ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, on the Babinets (river), Babinets River in the Dnieper basin, southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 (1975). History Starodub has been known ...

, where it became part of the

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 ...

. A commander was officially assigned to the division on 20 August. By 1 September, the division became part of the 3rd Army, which it remained part of for the rest of its existence. At the end of September,

Operation Typhoon The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II, between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated H ...

, the German assault on Moscow, began. The 282nd, like many Bryansk Front units, was encircled in the Bryansk pocket. On 13 October, elements of the 282nd, fighting alongside remnants of the 148th Rifle Division and the 280th Rifle Division, opened a 500-meter gap in the German encirclement west of Navlya. Although elements of the division were able to break out, the 282nd had effectively ceased to exist as a combat unit and was officially disbanded on 27 December.

Second Formation

The division's second formation began forming on 12 December 1941 at

Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...

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 ...

, with the same basic order of battle as the previous formation. Major General Pankraty Beloborodov took command of the division. The division spent two months forming at Omsk, then was shipped west by train to

Buy Buy may refer to a trade, i.e., an exchange of goods and services via bartering or a monetary purchase. The term may also refer to: Places * Buy (inhabited locality), any of several inhabited localities in Russia * Burlington-Alamance Regional A ...

, where it was reinforced with workers from

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

on 26 February 1942. Spending another two months in 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'' ...

, the division was assigned to the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-c ...

's 11th Army, fighting in the

from late April. In February 1943 it was transferred to the 34th Army in the

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist, Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over ...

area, and fought in the Staraya Russa Offensive. In April the 282nd was assigned to the

1st Shock Army The 1st Shock Army () was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. The 1st Shock Army was created in late 1941 and fought in the northern areas of Russia and the Baltic States until the surrender of Germany i ...

, remaining there until the disbandment of the Northwestern Front on 20 November. The division was then transferred to the

6th Guards Army The 6th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought against Nazi Germany during World War II under the command of General Ivan Chistyakov. The Army's chief of staff was General Valentin Antonovich Penkovskii. The 6th Guards Army was ...

's 90th Rifle Corps, part of the

2nd Baltic Front The 2nd Baltic Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. History The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic Front, it ...

. In January 1944, it was transferred to the

3rd Shock Army The 3rd Shock Army () was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The "Shock" armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and ar ...

. The division became part of the 12th Guards Rifle Corps of the 1st Shock Army before the beginning of

in June 1944. On 10 June, Beloborodov was transferred to command the

23rd Guards Rifle Division The 23rd Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in March, 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 88th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was one of ...

, and the 23rd's commander, Colonel Andrei Kartavenko, became the 282nd's commander. Between 28 June and 2 July, Colonel

Ivan Echepatov Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the Bul ...

led the division, and was replaced by Colonel Andrei Shiryayev on 3 July. Holding positions in the Strezhnevsky bridgehead on the

Velikaya River The Velikaya () is a river in Novosokolnichesky, Pustoshkinsky, Sebezhsky, Opochetsky, Pushkinogorsky, Ostrovsky, Palkinsky, and Pskovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast, as well as in the city of Pskov in Russia. It is the largest tributary o ...

, the division fought in the Pskov-Ostrov Offensive from 12 July, during which it advanced through the Pskov region and into Latvia and Estonia. On 9 August, it became part of the 118th Rifle Corps, which was soon transferred to the 67th Army. Fighting in the Tartu Offensive in August, the division captured the key Kärevere bridge on the

Emajõgi The Emajõgi (; meaning 'mother river') is a river in Estonia which flows from Võrtsjärv, Lake Võrtsjärv through Tartu County into Lake Peipus, crossing the city of Tartu for . It has a length of . The Emajõgi is sometimes called the Suur E ...

river on 23 August after bypassing German defenses held by the 45th SS Grenadier Regiment (1st Estonian). Colonel Alexander Karavchenko took command on 31 August. The division participated in the capture of

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

, for which it was awarded the honorific "Tartu" on 7 September. Major General Grigory Sholev became the division commander on the previous day. On 10 September the 118th Corps was transferred to the

2nd Shock Army The 2nd Shock Army (), sometimes translated to English as 2nd Assault Army, was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to ''o ...

, but on 21 September the 282nd and the rest of the corps were withdrawn to the

. During the fighting in the summer, the division had suffered such heavy losses that it was down to only 1,668 personnel. Between 24 and 25 September, the division received 2,975 replacements and began their training. On 22 October the division was loaded into trains to begin its journey from Estonia to

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 ...

. After arriving at Arkhangelsk by 12 November, the division moved to the Lakhtinsky camp, 12 kilometers from city, and began a six-week training period for its personnel. Between 7 and 29 December, the 282nd moved by rail from Arkhangelsk to

Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...

. On 2 January 1945, the division became part of the 21st Army, still in the 118th Rifle Corps. In preparation for the Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive of the Vistula–Oder Offensive, the 282nd marched 280 kilometers to the front from 13 to 23 January. The 282nd was still understrength, even after nearly three months in the reserve, and the 826th Artillery Regiment had less batteries than normal. On 11 February, Colonel Nikolai Lysenko became the division commander. During the offensive, the division captured Hindenburg, a sub-camp of

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

. On 19 February, the 874th Rifle Regiment was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

for its actions in the recapture of Hindenburg. The division subsequently fought in the Lower Silesian Offensive during February and the Upper Silesian Offensive in March. On 26 April, the 874th Regiment was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class, for its actions in the capture of

Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.

, and the 872nd Regiment received 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 ...

for defeating German troops southwest of Oppeln. On 6 May, the division was transferred to the 117th Rifle Corps, still part of the 21st Army, in preparation for the Prague Offensive. The 282nd launched the attack towards Schweidnitz on the next day, capturing the city and advancing into Czechoslovakia. The division captured Braunau on 9 May, and began the advance towards Prague itself, reaching Melavice, 40 kilometers from the city, a day later. At Melavice the division received orders to link up with troops of the

4th Ukrainian Front The 4th Ukrainian Front () 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, by renaming the Southern Front and was involved in the Lower ...

, and on 11 May it met troops of the 167th Rifle Division at

Nový Bydžov Nový Bydžov (; ) is a town in Hradec Králové District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,200 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Mon ...

. On the next day the 282nd transferred back to the 118th Rifle Corps, and began the march from Nehavitse to Waldenburg, where it was to be begin the demobilization process with the end of the war. The division set up a camp near the city on 14 May and remained there for the next few weeks. Personnel who were not demobilized transferred to the 103rd Guards Rifle Division. In mid-June, personnel who were to be demobilized marched to

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

by 18 July. The division was disbanded soon after 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 ...

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

282nd Rifle Division 1st formation website
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945 Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union in World War II Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945