The 9th Bobruisk-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Tank Division was the designation of two separate formations of the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

. The original 9th Tank Division was formed in 1940 and later reorganized into a different division. 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 ...

, the Soviet Army formed the 9th Tank Corps, which was renamed the 9th Tank Division after the defeat of Germany in 1945. This second instance of the 9th Tank Division served with the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF), previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG) and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupation ...

from 1945 until about 1991, when it was disbanded.

9th Tank Division (1940) and follow on units

The ''9th Tank Division'' was a formation 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 ...

that saw action briefly in 1941. It was formed in

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

Turkmen SSR The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Turkmenistan, the Turkmen SSR, TuSSR, Turkmenistan, or Turkmenia, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union located in Soviet Central Asia, ...

Central Asian Military District The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 ...

in the summer of 1940. In April 1941 the division joined the newly formed 27th Mechanised Corps. However, on 28 June 1941 the division was separated from its parent corps and re-designated the 104th Tank Division ( :ru:104-я танковая дивизия (СССР)). The 104th Tank Division underwent its own organizational evolution, becoming first the 145th Tank Brigade and later the 43rd Guards Tank Brigade (which was later designated a "heavy tank brigade" in 1945). The 145th Tank Brigade was destroyed at

Vyazma Vyazma () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District, Smolensk Oblast, Vyazemsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk, the ...

in October 1941.

9th Tank Corps

The ''9th Tank Corps'' was formed on 12 May 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 ...

. It fought in Russia, Poland, and Germany until 1945. In 1945 the 9th Tank Corps was redesignated the 9th Tank Division.

1942

Initial Composition:Sharp Charles C., Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Volume II *23rd Tank Brigade (T34-76) *95th Tank Brigade (T34-76) *187th Tank Brigade(T34-76) *10th Motorized Rifle Brigade The 9th Tank Corps participated in the offensive of the left wing of the Western Front in the summer of 1942. On 7 June the corps was stationed in the area of Voymirovo, Barankovo (

Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Kaluga. The Russian Census (2021), 2021 Russian Census found a population o ...

), Kochukovo and Sukhoy Sot (east of Kirov). On the orders of the commander of the 16th Army, the corps had the task, by 6 July 1942, to enter into the breach 'Black' to exploit the advantageous situation in the direction of Oslinka, Zhizdra, and Orlya. The corps entered combat only on the evening of 7 July. Due to poor reconnaissance and the movement of the first echelons, the corps became mired in a swamp. The corps suffered heavy losses, such that one of the brigades lost 50% of its tanks. The entire night of 7–8 July was consumed by the recovery of mired vehicles. In general, commitment of the corps did not influence the battle, and on 14 July, the corps went on the defence. In August 1942, the corps took part in a counterattack against the enemy in the area of

Sukhinichi Sukhinichi () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Sukhinichsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, a large railway junction on the Moscow – Kyiv line, situated on the Bryn River southwest of Kalu ...

and Kozel'sk. In September 1942 the 10th Motorized Brigade was removed to form a mechanized unit. The brigade was finally replaced in November 1942 with the assignment of the 8th Motorized Brigade from the 8th Tank Corps. The corps remained in reserve until February 1943. During this time the 187th Tank Brigade left the corps and was replaced by the 108th Tank Brigade.

1943

In March 1943 the corps was transferred to the Central Front, on the northern edge of the Kursk Salient in the area of Arseniyevsky, Trubitsyn, and Sergeevskie. On 7 May 1943 the corps was reinforced with more T34-76 Tanks. It was sent to the front line on 7 July 1943 reinforced with the 1454th (SU-122) and 1455th (SU-76) Assault Gun Regiments. On the afternoon of 8 July, the corps entered combat. On 15 July, the leading elements fought their way into Buzuluk, not far from Maloarkhangelsk. On the same day, the corps broke into Maloarhangelsk. On 1 August, the corps led the offensive 14 kilometers south of

Kromy Kromy () is the name of several types of inhabited localities in Russia, inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Kromy, Oryol Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Kromskoy District of Oryol Oblast ;Rural localities *Kromy, Ivanovo Oblas ...

in the settlements of Gostoml' (15 kilometers south of Kromy) and Shosse. On 2 August the corps reached the area of Parnyy, nine kilometers south of Kromy. By the end of 3 August, the fighting was at the Kolki-Sharikino road bend. On 4 August the corps crossed the Kroma River and was fighting to expand a bridgehead near Glinki-Leshnya 11 kilometers southwest of Kromy. The corps was temporarily reinforced by the 1540th (SU-152) Heavy SU Regiment during August. During the Chernigov-Pripyat Offensive the corps was introduced into battle in a surprise attack on 27 August south of

Sevsk Sevsk () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Sevsk, Bryansk Oblast, a town in Sevsky District of Bryansk Oblast; ;Rural localities * Sevsk, Kemerovo Oblast, a settlement in Burlakovskaya Rural Territory of Pr ...

. On 30 August the 9th Tank Corps took part in the liberation of

Hlukhiv Hlukhiv (, ; ) is a small historic List of cities in Ukraine, city on the Esman River. It belongs to Shostka Raion of Sumy Oblast of Ukraine. Population: It is known for being a capital of the Cossack Hetmanate after the deposition of Ivan M ...

, then continued the offensive in a south-westerly direction until 7 September, with the corps located on the Desna River. 9th Tank Corps was finally withdrawn for rest, reequipping, and reorganization in November 1943.

1944

The corps remained in STAVKA Reserves until April 1944 when it returned to action with the following organization: *23rd Tank Brigade (T-34/85) (COL S.V. Kuznetsov) *95th Tank Brigade (T-34/85) (LTC N.M. Sekunda) *108th Tank Brigade (T-34/85) (COL V.N. Baranyuk) *8th Motorized Rifle Brigade *1455th SU Regiment (SU-76M) *1508th SU Regiment (SU-76M) *218th Guards Mortar Regiment (36 × 120 mm mortar) *216th Antiaircraft Regiment (24 × 37 mm guns) *90th Motorcycle Battalion *286th Guards Mortar Battalion (8 BM-13) *109th Engineer Battalion *696th Signal Battalion *8th Aviation Signal Company *U/I Aviation Signal Company *76th Chemical Company *34th Maintenance Company *79th Field Tank Repair Base *102nd Field Motor Vehicle Repair Base *31st Field Bakery Section *925th Field Post *1935th Field Office of the State Bank On 24 June 1944 the corps began to take part in the Belorussian Offensive, stepping on the direction of Bobruisk district

Rogachev Rahachow or Rogachev (, ; ; ; , ) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Rahachow District. Rahachow is located between the Drut and Dnieper rivers. As of 2025, it has a population of 31,490. History The ...

Zhlobin Zhlobin (; ; ; ) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper River, and serves as the administrative center of Zhlobin District. It is situated from Gomel. As of 2025, it has a population of 76,304. The town is notable fo ...

. On 26 June, the hull broke forward and went to the

Bobruisk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk o ...

in the east, went on the east bank of the Berezina river near Titovka, and by the next morning, he grabbed all the roads and crossing the north-east of the city. On 1 July is on the march from the vicinity of Osipovichi (8th Motorized Brigade in the area of settlement Shishchiny, The 95th Tank Brigade near the village of Lev, 23rd Tank Brigade - at the crossing in the village Zhitniy). On 4 July, the corps was included in the Cavalry-Mechanised Group of General

Issa Pliyev Issa Alexandrovich Pliyev (also spelled as ''Pliev''; ; ; — 6 February 1979) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military commander. Pliyev rose to become the premier cavalry general of the Soviet Army. He became Army General (1962), twice Hero of the ...

and launched an attack on

Baranavichy Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

, which was taken on 8 July. Then was sent to

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 ...

, but was redirected to the southwest, participated by the 23rd Tank Brigade in the release of

Berezino Byerazino or Berezino is a town on the Berezina River in Minsk Region, Belarus. It is located east of the capital Minsk, and serves as the administrative center of Byerazino District. As of 2025, it has a population of 11,250. History Earl ...

participated in the liberation of

Slonim Slonim is a town in Grodno Region, in western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa (river), Isa rivers, southeast of Grodno. As of 2025, it has a population of ...

a, Novogrudok and during the Lublin-Brest Operation, of Brest. In October 1944 the corps received its final reinforcement of the war with the assignment of the: *36th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (21 IS-II) *868th Light Artillery Regiment (24 76 mm guns) were added to the unit.

1945

On 14 January 1945, the corps attacked as part of the offensive out of the Pulawy bridgehead on the west bank of the Vistula River, south of

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. On 23 January, the corps took part in the capture of

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...

. During the East Pomeranian Offensive the corps was subordinated 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 ...

and from 1 March 1945 the tank brigades were used to support infantry formations. During the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

the corps again was subordinated to the 3rd Shock Army as a mobile group and on 16 April 1945 was sent into action at 10:00 AM, advancing on the

Seelow Heights The Seelow Heights () are situated around the town of Seelow, about east of Berlin, and overlook the Oderbruch, the western flood plain of the River Oder, which is a further to the east. They are sometimes known as the "Gates to Berlin", be ...

, but did not have a significant impact on the offensive. On 18 April, in support of the

79th Rifle Corps The 79th Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army in World War II that became part of the Soviet Army during the Cold War. World War II The corps was formed in July 1943 as a headquarters with no troops assigned, and subordinated to th ...

, 9th Tank Corps crossed the Frielander waterway, the 23rd and 95th Tank Brigades in cooperation with the 150th Rifle Division captured Kunersdorf, and at the end of April 1945, stormed the Reichstag building.

1945–1957 9th Tank Division

In common with all other Soviet tanks corps, the 9th Tank Corps was reorganised as the 9th Tank Division in mid-late 1945. As part of the occupation forces, the 9th Tank Division was assigned to the ต๋อม (known from 1946 to 1957 as the 1st Guards Mechanized Army).

1957–1965 13th Heavy Tank Division

In 1957, it was reorganized and re-designated as the 13th Heavy Tank Division receiving the T10M. It reverted to its original 9th Tank Division designation in 1965.

1965–1991 9th Tank Division

The division retained this designation until the Soviet withdrawal from Germany in 1991 when it was moved to

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

and disbanded. Its divisional headquarters during the Cold War was based at

Riesa Riesa (; ) is a town in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, approximately northwest of Dresden. History The name ''Riesa'' is derived from Slavic ''Riezowe''. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears f ...

. At the beginning of 1991, the division included two tank and two mechanized infantry regiments (both BMP). It was equipped with

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72 and changing the engine to a gas turbi ...

tanks. * 1st Guards Tank Regiment, 1st Guards Tank Chertkovsky double Order of Lenin Red Banner Orders of Suvorov. Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky regiment them. Marshal of Armored Forces Mekatvkova (Zeithain): 89 T-80, 60 BMP (33 BMP-2, 23 BMP-1, 4

BRDM BRDM is an initialism for ''Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina'', (RU Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина), literally "Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle". The BRDM is a eight-wheeled amphibious ...

-1K), 18

2S1 The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (, "Dianthus caryophyllus, Carnation") is a Soviet Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries . It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mount ...

Gvozdika ('Carnation') self-propelled howitzers, 6 BMP-1KSH, 2 PRP-3, 4, 3 RHM, 1 BREM-2, 2 PU-12, 3 MT-55A * 70th Guards Tank Proskurov-Berlin Red Banner Order of Lenin Order of Kutuzov regiment im.G.I.Kotovskogo (Zeithain): 90 T-80, 60 BMP (32 BMP-2, 24 BMP-1, 4 BRDM-1K), 18 2S1, 6 BMP-1 KSH, 2 PRP-3, 4, N RHM, 1 BREM-2, 2 PU-12, 1 R-145BM, 2 MT-55A * 302nd Motor Rifle Regiment (Riesa): 30 T-80, 147 BMP (95 BMP-2, 45 BMP-1, 7BMP-1K), 24 armored personnel carriers (10

BTR-70 The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier () originally developed by the Soviet Union during the late 1960s under the manufacturing code GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into Soviet service and would later be widely exp ...

, 14

BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet Union, Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR (vehi ...

), 18 2S1, 18 2S12, 9 BMP-1KSH, 3 PRP-3, 4, 3 RHM, 2 BREM-2, 2 PU-12, 6 MT-LBT (for 100-mm T-12 AT guns) * 1321st Motor Rifle Glukhovskoy-Rechitsa Order of Lenin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Regiment (

Jüterbog Jüterbog () is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin. History The Polabian Slavs, Slavic se ...

): 29 T-80, 152 BMP (94 BMP-2, 51 BMP-1, 7 BRDM-1K), 18 2S1, 18 2S-12, 9 BMP-1KSH, 3 PRP-3, 4, 3 RHM, 2 BREM-2, 3 PU-12, 6 MT-LBT (for 100-mm towed T-12 AT guns) * 96th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment ( Borna): 54 2S5 "Acacia", 18

BM-21 The BM-21 "Grad" () is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-So ...

"Grad"; 5 PRP-3/4, 3 1V-18, 1 1V-19, 2 R-145 BM, 1 R-156 BTR * 216th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Zeithain): in addition to a SAM P-145BM or

1 P-156 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 ...

armored personnel carrier * 13th Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare Battalion (Zeithain): 17 BMP-2, 7 BRM-1K; 1 BMP-1KSH, 2 R-145 BM, 1 R-156 BTR * 696th Battalion (Riesa): 10 R-145BM, 1 P-156 armored personnel carriers, 2 P-2AM * 109th Engineer Battalion (Oschatz): 2 IRM, 2 MT-55A * 112th Chemical Protection Battalion * 1071st independent battalion for material support * 68th Repair Battalion * 200th Medical Battalion On 19 November 1990 the 9th Tank Division had: * 238 tanks (T-80 ) * 443 BMP (271 BMP-2, 143 BMP-1, 29 BRM-1K) * 24 APCs (10 BTR-70, 14 BTR-60) * 126 self-propelled guns (72 2C-1, 54 2S5) * 36 mortars "Sani" (120 mm) * 18 MLRS BM-21 "Grad"

Honorifics

''9th Bobruisk-Berlin

Red Banner In politics, a red flag is predominantly a symbol of left-wing ideologies, including socialism, communism, anarchism, and the labour movement. The originally empty or plain red flag has been associated with left-wing politics since the French ...

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 ...

Tank Division''

Commanders

*Major-General of Tank Troops Alexey Kurkin (12 May 1942 – 18 October 1942) *Major-General of Tank Troops Alexander Alexandrovich Shamshin (19 October 1942 on 10 March 1943) *Major-General of Tank Troops,

Semyon Bogdanov Semyon Ilyich Bogdanov (; – 12 March 1960) was a Soviet Marshal of tank forces, and twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was deputy commander of the 5th Army (1941–1942), commander of the ...

(11 March 1943 – 24 August 1943) Promoted to Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops 7 June 1943? or 6 July 1943 *Major-General of Tank Troops Gregory S. Rudchenko (25 August 1943 – 1 September 1943) (deceased) *Major-General of Tank Troops Boris S. Bakharov (from 2 September 1943 – 16 July 1944) *Major-General of Tank Troops Nikolai Ivanovich Voyeikov (12 July 1944 – 17 July 1944) *Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Ivan Kirichenko (12 August 1944 on 9 May 1945)

References

*Feskov et al., The Soviet Army in the period of the Cold War, Tomsk University Publishing House, 2004 *Niehoste
9th Tank Corps OB 3 Apr 1945
{{Soviet Union divisions

009 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight ...

Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner