The 172nd Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II, formed thrice.

First formation

On 22 June 1941 it was part of the 61st Rifle Corps of the 20th Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. By 10 July the division transferred to the

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of the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

with the corps. It was officially disbanded on 19 September.

Second formation

It was formed on 10 October 1941 from the 3rd Crimean Motorized Division as part of the 51st Army. By 1 November it transferred to the Coastal Army. It was officially disbanded on 25 June 1942.

Third formation

The division was reformed again on 9 September in the area of the

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railway station, part of the

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, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kostitsyn. The latter transferred to command the 183rd Rifle Division on 30 September. At the end of the war, it was part of the 102nd Rifle Corps of the

. In mid-1945 it was withdrawn to Korosten in the Carpathian Military District with the army's

27th Rifle Corps 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

. The division was disbanded in 1946.

Commanders

The division's first formation was commanded by the following officers: * Major General Mikhail Romanov (14 March–19 July 1941) The division's second formation was commanded by the following officer: * Colonel

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(6 March–25 June 1942) The division's third formation was commanded by the following officers: * Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kostitsyn (14–30 September 1942) * Colonel Gavriil Sorokin (31 September 1941–22 January 1943) * Colonel Nikolay Timofeyev (23 January 1943–1 January 1944; promoted to major general 18 May 1943) * Colonel

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(2 January–7 May 1944) * Major General

Anatoly Krasnov Anatoly (russian: Анато́лий, Anatólij , uk, Анато́лій, Anatólij ) is a common Russian and Ukrainian male given name, derived from the Greek name ''Anatolios'', meaning "sunrise." Other common Russian transliterations are Ana ...

(8 May 1944–after 11 May 1945)

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * {{Soviet Union divisions before 1945 Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union in World War II Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner