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The 369th Rifle Division began forming on August 1, 1941, as a standard
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 ...
rifle division, in the
Chelyabinsk Oblast Chelyabinsk Oblast; , is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia in the Ural Mountains region, on the border of Europe and Asia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Chel ...
. After forming, it was assigned to the 39th Army which soon became part of
Kalinin Front The Kalinin Front was a major formation of the Red Army active in the Eastern Front of 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 ...
, and it participated in the near-encirclement of the German 9th Army around
Rzhev Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population: Hist ...
in the winter counteroffensive of 1941–42. In late January, 1942, it was transferred to the 29th Army of the same Front, which was very soon after encircled by German forces near Sychevka, and while it was written off by German intelligence in February, enough of the division escaped that it was not officially disbanded. By August it returned to battle, now in 30th Army of Western Front, still fighting near Rzhev. After the salient was finally evacuated in the spring of 1943 the division was moved to
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 ...
, first in 11th Army and then in 50th Army, under which it served for most of the war. In the summer counteroffensive the 369th was awarded the battle honor "
Karachev Karachev () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Karachevsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population: History First chronicled in 1146, it was the capital of one of the Upper Oka Principal ...
" for its part in the liberation of that city. At the start of Operation Bagration the division was in
2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (, ''Vtoroi Belorusskiy front'', also romanized "Byelorussian SSR, Byelorussian"), was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. I ...
and its commander, Maj. Gen. I. S. Lazarenko, was killed a few days later; despite this loss it 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 successful crossing of the
Dniepr River The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
and the liberation of
Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...
. The division continued to advance through Belarus and into Poland and eastern Germany over the following months, but despite a fine record of service was disbanded soon after the German surrender.


Formation

The division began forming on August 1, 1941, at
Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus (burial mound) constructed over a grave, often characterized by containing a single human body along with grave vessels, weapons, and horses. Originally in use on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, kurgans spread into mu ...
in the
Urals Military District The Ural Mountains ( ),; , ; , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range in Eurasia that runs north–south mostly through Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the river Ural (river), Ural and northwestern Kazakhstan.
in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. Its basic order of battle was as follows: * 1223rd Rifle Regiment * 1225th Rifle Regiment * 1227th Rifle Regiment * 929th Artillery Regiment Lt. Col. Emelyan Ivanovich Vasilenko was assigned to command of the division on the day it began forming, but he was replaced in mid-September by Lt. Col. Gavrill Ivanovich Fisenko; this officer would be promoted to full colonel on November 28. In that month it was still in the Urals when it was assigned to 39th Army and began moving towards the front. By late December 39th Army had been assigned to Kalinin Front. By this time, after nearly a month of counteroffensive against German Army Group Center, the rifle divisions of Kalinin Front averaged less than 3,700 men, so the 369th was a welcome reinforcement. Beginning on January 8, 1942, 39th Army took part in the
Sychevka Sychyovka () or Sychevka () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Sychyovka, Sychyovsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Sychyovsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incorporated as Sychyovskoye U ...
- Vyasma Offensive Operation, which was planned "to encircle, and then capture or destroy the enemy's entire
Mozhaisk MozhayskAlternative transliterations include ''Mozhaisk'', ''Mozhajsk'', ''Mozhaĭsk'', and ''Možajsk''. (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Mozhaysky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to the west of Moscow, on the histori ...
-
Gzhatsk Gagarin (), known until 1968 as Gzhatsk (), is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative centre of Gagarinsky District, Smolensk Oblast, Gagarinsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Gzhat River, n ...
- Vyasma grouping", that is, what later became known as the
Rzhev Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population: Hist ...
salient. At the end of January the 369th was transferred to the 29th Army, still in Kalinin Front, attacking towards
Sychevka Sychyovka () or Sychevka () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Sychyovka, Sychyovsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Sychyovsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incorporated as Sychyovskoye U ...
. Within days forces of the German 9th Army encircled 29th Army. Over the next six weeks the Army struggled behind enemy lines, attempting to reestablish communications or at least to break out. Although the 369th was counted as destroyed by German intelligence in February, enough men escaped that it was not officially disbanded, but it would spend months recovering from the ordeal. Colonel Fisenko was replaced in command by Lt. Col. Aleksei Pavlovich Golovko at the end of February, who was in turn replaced by Col. Mikhail Zurabovich Kazishvili on May 9, while the division was rebuilding.


Continued Service

The 369th returned to the front in August, now in 30th Army of Kalinin Front, where it took part in the latter stages of the First Rzhev–Sychyovka Offensive Operation to the north and east of Rzhev itself: While this offensive did gain some ground east of the city, Rzhev never fell, and the August fighting cost 30th Army more than 80,000 casualties. By the beginning of September the Army was reassigned to Western Front. The division served on an inactive sector during
Operation Mars Operation Mars (Russian: Операция «Марс»), also known as the Second Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive Operation (Russian: Вторая Ржевско-Сычёвская наступательная операция), was the codename f ...
and saw little action. In the run-up to the German evacuation of the salient, which was to begin on March 1, 1943, the 369th and 220th Rifle Divisions struck the defenses of German 9th Army's 251st and 87th Infantry Divisions along the Volga River west of Rzhev on February 25 and managed to seize a bridgehead on the southern bank, leading to speculation that the Soviet forces were expecting the German move. In the event, Western and Kalinin Fronts mostly followed up the evacuation over the coming month. On March 9, Colonel Kazishvili handed his command to Maj. Gen. Ivan Vasilevich Khazov. In April the division was moved 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'' ...
for a further rebuilding, assigned to 11th Army. It returned to the front in July with that Army as part 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 ...
, in
53rd Rifle Corps The 53rd Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the 24th Army. It took part in the Great Patriotic War. After a brief period on occupation duty in Germany after the war ended, the 17th Rifle Division (III Formation) was ...
. During
Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German ''Ger ...
in August the division was reassigned briefly to 46th Rifle Corps, and while serving in this unit took part in the liberation of
Karachev Karachev () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Karachevsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population: History First chronicled in 1146, it was the capital of one of the Upper Oka Principal ...
on August 15, for which it was awarded the name of that city as an honorific. In September the division was again reassigned, this time to 50th Army, where it would remain for most of the rest of the war.


Into Belarus

As of October 1 the 369th had returned to 46th Rifle Corps, and 50th Army had been moved to
Central Front The Central Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War formed on July 24, 1941. The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first entity existed for just a month during the ...
, which became Belorussian Front later that month. On November 16, General Khazov was replaced in command by Col.
Ivan Sidorovich Lazarenko Ivan Sidorovich Lazarenko (; 8 October 1895 – 26 June 1944) was a Red Army major general and a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. From 1940 to 1941 he was the commander of the 42nd Rifle Division. After his division was destroyed near Brest ...
, who had been serving as deputy commander of the 413th Rifle Division for nearly a year. In the last week of that month, the 3rd and 50th Armies, and part of the 10th, began the Novyi Bykhov - Propoisk Offensive across the
Sozh River The Sozh (, ; ; ) is a river flowing in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. It is a left bank tributary of the Dnieper. The Sozh passes through Gomel, the second largest city in Belarus. The river is crossed by the Sozh Floating Bridge at Karma, Kar ...
. The 369th was on its Army's right flank, linking with 10th Army just south of Petukhovka. The joint attack began on the 25th, across the Pronya River on this sector, and the division penetrated German defenses, turned the left flank of the 260th Infantry Division, and liberated the villages of Kuzminichi and Khomenki, deep in the German rear area. This advance, combined with the successes of 3rd Army and the rest of 50th Army to the south, left the German forces with no alternative to a retreat westwards. By late on November 30, 50th Army had closed up to a new defense line from
Chavusy Chavusy or Chausy (; ; ; Yiddish: טשאָוס) is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Chavusy District. In 2009, its population was 10,692. As of 2024, it has a population of 9,817. Jewish history It ...
diagonally to the
Dniepr River The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
at Novyi Bykhov. On January 4, 1944, a new offensive aimed at
Bykhov Bykhaw or Bykhov (, ; ; ; ; ) is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It is located south of Mogilev, and serves as the administrative center of Bykhaw District. In 2009, its population was 17,031. As of 2024, it has a population of 16,349. Histo ...
and Chavusy was launched by elements of 3rd, 50th and 10th Armies. Under the plan for this offensive, 46th Corps was to be on call to exploit if it proved successful. While important gains were made, there was no breakthrough, in part due to the rifle divisions of all three armies numbering roughly 3,500 men each, and the 369th saw little action before the attack was suspended on January 8. In late March the commander of what was now designated 1st Belorussian Front, Army Gen. K. K. Rokossovsky, produced a plan to eliminate the German bridgehead over the Dniepr, based on
Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...
. 50th Army formed a shock group based on 46th and
121st Rifle Corps 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, but the 369th was assigned a flank support role. In the event the attack, which began on March 25, collapsed after minimal gains and was called off on March 31. During this battle the division was shifted to the
42nd Rifle Corps The 42nd Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the 14th Army. It took part in the Great Patriotic War. Its initial commander was Major General Roman Ivanovich Panin. The corps was disbanded on 14 October 1941. The Cor ...
, and when 50th Army was moved to
2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (, ''Vtoroi Belorusskiy front'', also romanized "Byelorussian SSR, Byelorussian"), was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. I ...
in April the division joined 121st Rifle Corps.


Operation Bagration

In the buildup to the summer offensive the 369th was moved to the much-expanded
49th Army The 49th Combined Arms Army () is a combined arms ( field) army (CAA) of the Russian Ground Forces, formed in 2010 and headquartered in Stavropol. Military Unit в/ч 35181. Part of the Southern Military District, the army traces its heritage b ...
, in the same Front, and when the offensive began it was in the
62nd Rifle Corps The 62nd Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. A component of the 22nd Army (Soviet Union), 22nd Army, it took part in the Great Patriotic War. Organization * 170th Rifle Division (Soviet Union), 170th Rifle Division * 174th Rifle Div ...
. In the initial phase the main objective of 49th Army was Mogilev. In the evening of June 25 units of the German 12th Infantry Division were strenuously resisting the division's advance with heavy fire from prepared defenses. At 0200 hrs. on June 26 the division forced a crossing of the Vasya River under heavy fire, and advanced to the east bank of the
Resta River Resta is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anthony J. Resta, Canadian record producer and musician *Dario Resta Dario Raoul Resta (17 August 1882 – 3 September 1924), was a British racing driver. He is best remembered for ...
by the end of the day. During heavy fighting near the village of Kholm, Lazarenko, who had been promoted to major general earlier in the year, was killed in action. He was replaced the next day by Col. Pyotr Semyonovich Galaiko. On July 21 Lazarenko 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 ...
. The battle continued on June 27, during which 2nd Belorussian Front cleared the entire east bank of the Dniepr, while 49th Army crossed the river both north and south of Mogilev. A gap opened between the German 110th Infantry Division and the city's defenders, allowing the Army's engineers to build a 16-tonne and 30-tonne bridge across the Dniepr. The 369th and 290th Rifle Divisions, along with 50th Army's 121st Corps, followed the 23rd Guards Tank Brigade and the 1434th Self-Propelled Gun Regiment (
SU-85 The SU-85 ('' Samokhodnaya ustanovka'' 85) was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, ...
s) across the river and struck Mogilev from the northwest, which led to street fighting during the night. By evening this bridgehead was deep, halfway to the
Drut River The Drut or Druts (, ; , ) is a river in Belarus, a right tributary of Dnieper. It originates in the Orsha Upland in the Belarusian Ridge and flows through the Vitebsk, Mogilev and Gomel regions of Belarus. It is long, and has a drainage ba ...
. Mogilev was liberated on June 28, and at about this time the 369th left 62nd Corps to become a separate division in 49th Army. Over the following week it joined the pursuit of the remnants of German 4th Army, which were soon encircled east of
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
. On July 9, 49th Army was tasked with the elimination of this pocket. The 369th, along with 38th Rifle Corps and four other separate rifle divisions, plus three
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
border regiments, were to methodically comb through the forested areas east of the city with light air support. This operation ended on July 13 and while it was going on, on July 10 the division 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 role in the forcing of the Pronya and Dniepr and the liberation of the cities of Mogilev,
Shklov Shklow is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus, located north of Mogilev on the Dnieper River. It serves as the administrative center of Shklow District. It has a railway station on the line between Orsha and Mogilev. In 2009, its population was ...
and Bykhov earlier in the campaign. On September 1 the 1227th Rifle Regiment was decorated with the Order of Aleksandr Nevsky for its part in the Osovets Offensive.


Into Germany

After the mopping-up operation the 369th returned to 50th Army, initially in
69th Rifle Corps The 69th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the 20th Army. It took part in the Great Patriotic War. Organization * 73rd Rifle Division * 229th Rifle Division * 233rd Rifle Division Commanders * Major General Y ...
. Through the remainder of 1944, as it advanced through Belarus and into Poland, it was moved from this Corps to 81st Rifle Corps and back again. The 1227th Rifle Regiment was awarded the Order of Aleksandr Nevsky on September 1 for its role in the fighting for Osowiec and its fortifications. On October 13 Colonel Galaiko handed his command to Col. Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Fedotov. Prior to the Vistula-Oder Offensive, on December 29, 50th Army was ordered to move the division to 2nd Belorussian Front reserves at
Zambrów Zambrów is a town in northeastern Poland with 21,166 inhabitants (2020). It is the capital of Zambrów County. Situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Łomża Voivodeship (1975–1998). History The name of the town co ...
; however, later orders kept the division in Army reserves. The offensive began on January 14, 1945, but 50th Army remained holding its previous line for the first few days. On January 20, 50th Army was again ordered to transfer the 369th into Front reserve, to be concentrated by the morning of the 22nd at
Maków Mazowiecki Maków Mazowiecki () is a town in Poland, in the Masovian Voivodship. It is the powiat capital of Maków County (or Powiat of Maków). Its population is 10,850. History The town obtained its town charter in 1421. It was a Polish royal town, ad ...
. As of February 1 the division remained in Front reserve. Near the end of January the 70th Army and other elements of the Front had encircled the fortress of
Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
on the
Vistula River The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra ...
with the
136th Rifle Division The 136th Rifle Division was a division in the Red Army during World War II. It was formed three times. 1st Formation 1939 – February 1942: On 22 June 1941 it was part of the 23rd Rifle Corps of the Transcaucasian Military District. Redesign ...
and a regiment of the 71st Rifle Division. This was considered sufficient as the garrison was believed to be 3,000 - 4,000 men. In fact, there were ten times that number, and on the night of January 30/31 they began to break out to the northwest, soon breaking through by sheer weight of numbers in the direction of the 70th Army headquarters at Unisław. The headquarters was forced to displace, which disrupted communications in the Army. Meanwhile, the 369th and 330th, the two Front reserve divisions, were directed towards Unisław where they came under 70th Army command on February 3. By the end of February 8 nearly all of the escaping German forces had been mopped up. The 369th would remain in 70th Army, in the 96th Rifle Corps, for the duration of the war. After a brief halt and a regrouping 70th Army was ordered to resume the offensive on February 22 in the direction of
Konarzyny Konarzyny () is a village in Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Konarzyny. It lies approximately north-west of Chojnice Chojnice (; or ; or ) is a ...
, Reinwasser and Bartin. On March 3, Colonel Fedotov was removed from command due to excessive casualties suffered by the division in the February fighting, including the liberation of
Tuchola Tuchola (; ) is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland. The Pomeranian town, which is the seat of Tuchola County, had a population of 13,418 . Geographical location Tuchola lies about north of Bydgoszcz, close to th ...
on February 15; he was replaced by Col. Ivan Andreevich Golubev, who would remain in command for the duration. Later in the month the main objective of 2nd Belorussian Front was the group of German forces in
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
and
Gdynia Gdynia is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With an estimated population of 257,000, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the Pomeranian Voivodeship after Gdańsk ...
. On March 23, 70th Army, with the help of flanking forces of other armies, broke through the German defenses and captured the town of
Sopot Sopot (; or ) is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomerania Province and has the City with powiat ri ...
and reached the shore of
Gdańsk Bay Gdańsk Bay or the Gulf of Gdańsk is a southeastern bay of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the adjacent port city of Gdańsk in Poland. Geography The western part of Gulf of Gdańsk is formed by the shallow waters of the Bay of Puck. The so ...
. 96th Corps was then directed northwards, towards Kolibken, south of Gdynia. In the course of the next five days the 369th and its Corps assisted 19th Army in the liberation of this city.


The Berlin Operation

70th Army was one of the three combined-arms armies in 2nd Belorussian Front that helped form its shock group at the start of the assault on Berlin. At this time the division had somewhere between 3,600 and 4,800 men. The Army was deployed along a front, but the breakthrough sector was wide along the
West Oder River West Oder () is the western arm of the lower Oder near Szczecin, Poland along the border with Germany. It flows into the Szczecin Lagoon. The river flows through the Lower Oder Valley forming, along with the Eastern Oder (), an area called Międ ...
in the area of
Mescherin Mescherin is a municipality in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, in north-eastern Germany. It is located on the western shore of the Oder river and the German-Polish border. Overview A road bridge links Mescherin with the Polish-Pomeranian ...
. The 369th was in the first echelon of 96th Corps with 165th Rifle Division. 3rd Guards Tank Corps was subordinated to 70th Army for the operation. During April 18–19 the Front launched intensive reconnaissance efforts in preparation for the crossings, including the elimination of German advance parties in the lowlands between the East and West Oder. The division designated a reinforced rifle regiment to this task. Over these two days the Army's first echelon took up positions on the east bank of the West Oder, and at one location had managed to create a small bridgehead on the west bank. The front's full offensive began on April 20. 70th Army continued fighting to cross the West Oder into the night of April 21–22. At 1100 hrs. on the 22nd it resumed its attack, having beaten off 16 counterattacks, and advanced as much as . By the end of the day 96th Corps had reached the
Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...
- Harz highway. By the end of the next day the Corps had advanced as far as Geesow and Hohenreinkendorf, from the riverbank. The advance continued on the 24th, gaining as much as , and 96th Corps reached Luckow and Petershagen. On the following day 70th Army beat off eight German attacks, captured
Penkun Penkun () is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, and one of the smallest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in north-eastern Germany. It is situated east of Prenzlau, and southwest of Szczecin. Penkun is known for its Renaissance cast ...
, and advanced , completing the breakthrough of the Oder defensive line, while 96th Corps reached the northern outskirts of Blumberg and Kasekow. 70th Army resumed its offensive on the morning of April 26 and forced a crossing of the Randow River, the German second defensive zone, along its entire front. It then advanced farther. On the following day, with the backing of 3rd Guards Tank Corps, the army advanced flat-out to the west, covering as much as , and 96th Corps ended the day in the defile between the Sternhagener See and Grosser Potzlowsee. Through the period from April 28 to May 5 the further advance was only opposed by small covering detachments seeking in any way to slow down the offensive. On May 3 contact was made with British Second Army east of
Wismar Wismar (; ), officially the Hanseatic City of Wismar () is, with around 43,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the fourth-largest city of Mecklenburg after Rostock, Schwerin and ...
and the next day reached the Baltic in the Warnemunde sector, where the 369th ended the war.


Postwar

Following the German surrender, the men and women of the division shared the full title of ''369th Rifle, Karachev, Order of the Red Banner Division'' (Russian: 369-я стрелковая Карачевская Краснознамённая дивизия). On June 29, Col. Savelii Alekseevich Sviderskii, commander of the 1225th Rifle Regiment, and Lt. Col. Vasilii Fyodorovich Morozov, commander of the 1227th Rifle Regiment, were both made Heroes of the Soviet Union. According to ''STAVKA'' Order No. 11096 of May 29, 1945, part 8, the 369th is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place".Feskov et al. 2013, pp. 413414 It was disbanded in accordance with the directive in July 1945.


References


Citations


Bibliography

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External links


Emelyan Ivanovich VasilenkoHSU Ivan Sidorovich LazarenkoHSU Savelii Alekseevich SviderskiiHSU Vasilii Fyodorovich Morozov
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945
369 __NOTOC__ Year 369 ( CCCLXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Galates and Victor (or, less frequently, year 1122 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...
Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner