The 65th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

History

It fought in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Poirer and Connor say it was established at Chita in February 1941. Began Barbarossa with the 12th Rifle Corps,

Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District (russian: Забайкальский военный округ) was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on May 17, 1935 and included the ...

. Fought near Leningrad and in the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation. Became the 102nd Guards Rifle Division on 29 December 1944. In January 1945, the division was transferred to the Grodno area and included in the 19th Army of the

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

. In February - early April, the division took part in the East Pomeranian Offensive, during which, in cooperation with other formations of the army, on February 26, it captured the town of Schlochau (Człuchów) and at the beginning of March reached the Baltic Sea near

Koszalin Koszalin (pronounced ; csb, Kòszalëno; formerly german: Köslin, ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-stat ...

. In late March - early April, the division participated in the capture of the naval base and the port of

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and ...

and liberation of the "Polish Corridor". Subsequently, until the beginning of May, the division conducted operations to block and destroy enemy troops on the western coast of the Danzig Bay. In 1945-46, the division performed occupational tasks on the demarcation line of the Mecklenburg province, and was disbanded in 1947.RKKAWWII
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Components

The division included the following units. *38th Rifle Regiment *60th Rifle Regiment *311th Rifle Regiment *6th Guards Artillery Regiment (former 127th Artillery Regiment) *172nd Howitzer Artillery Regiment (to 28 January 1942) *167th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion *367th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery (former 350th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion) *23rd Reconnaissance Company *Ski Battalion (from 13 October 1942 to 10 April 1943) *74th Sapper Battalion *104th Separate Communications Battalion (former 782nd Separate Communications Company) *54th Medical Battalion *210th Separate Chemical Defence Company *230th Motor Transport Company *163rd Field Bakery (former 95th Field Mobile Bakery) *199th Divisional Veterinary Hospital *41st Divisional Artillery Workshop *98th Field Post Office *281st Field Cash Office of the State Bank

References

065 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner {{Military-history-stub