The 176th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the
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 ...
, originally formed as part of the prewar buildup of forces, based on the ''shtat'' (
table of organization and equipment
A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of Military unit, units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as ...
) of September 13, 1939. The division completed its formation at
Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. Kr ...
in the
Odessa Military District
The Odesa Military District (russian: Одесский военный округ, ОВО; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operat ...
and at the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union was in the same area, assigned to the
35th Rifle Corps Military units
*35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force
*35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I
*35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...
. Being relatively far from the frontier it escaped the early disasters and retreated mostly in good order through southern Ukraine into the autumn as part of
9th Army. It then took part in the counteroffensive against the overextended German Army Group South that liberated
Rostov-na-Donu
Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
for the first time in December. When Army Group A began its summer offensive in 1942 the 176th fell back into the Caucasus region, losing much of its strength in the process, but finally helping to take up a firm defense along the
Terek River
The Terek (; , Tiyrk; , Tərč; , ; , ; , ''Terk''; , ; , ) is a major river in the Northern Caucasus. It originates in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of Georgia (country), Georgia and flows through North Caucasus region of Russia into the Casp ...
and finally in front of
Ordzhonikidze. As a result of this fighting the division, along with its artillery regiment, were awarded the
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
. After the German
6th Army was surrounded at Stalingrad the 176th advanced into the western Caucasus and entered the so-called
Malaya Zemlya
Malaya Zemlya (russian: Малая Земля, lit. "Small Land") was a Soviet uphill outpost on Cape Myskhako (russian: Мысхако) that was recaptured after battles with the Germans during the Battle of the Caucasus, on the night of 4 Febru ...
bridgehead south of
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
in the spring of 1943 where it helped to defeat the German Operation ''Neptun'' in April and in the autumn took part in the liberation of the city, for which it was redesignated as the
129th Guards Rifle Division.
A new 176th was formed in the
32nd Army of
Karelian Front
The Karelian Front russian: Карельский фронт) was a front (a formation of Army Group size) of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.
Wartime
The Karelian Front was created in August 1941 when ...
in February 1944 based on a pair of naval rifle brigades. In late July it advanced on the Finnish town of
Ilomantsi
Ilomantsi ( krl, Il'manči or Ilomančči, sv, Ilomants) is municipality and a village of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population densi ...
but was soon surrounded and forced to break out with heavy losses. Following this fiasco the division was moved southwest to join the
36th Rifle Corps which was in
31st Army at the start of the
Vistula-Oder Offensive in January 1945. It the course of the fighting in East Prussia it received a battle honor and a decoration before moving with this Army to the Czechoslovakian border region and ending the war advancing toward Prague. It was disbanded within months of the German surrender.
1st Formation
The division officially formed at Kryvyi Rih in the Odessa Military District on July 16, 1940. As of June 22, 1941 it had the following order of battle:
* 389th Rifle Regiment
* 404th Rifle Regiment
* 591st Rifle Regiment
* 300th Artillery Regiment
* 380th Howitzer Artillery Regiment
* 188th Antitank Battalion
* 433rd Antiaircraft Battery (later 203rd Antiaircraft Battalion)
* 128th Reconnaissance Company (later 128th Reconnaissance Battalion)
* 166th Sapper Battalion
* 197th Signal Battalion (later 1450th Signal Company)
* 141st Medical/Sanitation Battalion
* 12th Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company
* 152nd Motor Transport Company
* 264th Field Bakery (later 103rd Motorized Field Bakery)
* 287th Divisional Veterinary Hospital
* 1555th (later 451st) Field Postal Station
* 288th Field Office of the State Bank
Col. Vladimir Nikolaevich Martsinkevich was appointed to command on the day the division formed. This officer had previously commanded the
173rd Rifle Division 173rd or 173d may refer to:
*173d Air Refueling Squadron, unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard 155th Air Refueling Wing
*173D Special Troops Battalion, combat engineer battalion of the United States Army headquartered in Italy
*173rd (3/1st Lond ...
and would be promoted to the rank of major general on November 9. On June 22 the 176th was in 9th Army's 35th Rifle Corps with the
95th Rifle Division
The 95th Rifle Division (Russian: 95-я стрелковая дивизия 95-y strelkovaya diviziya) was a Red Army Rifle Division during World War II, formed three times. The division was first formed in November 1923 with the 6th Rifle Corps ...
; the 9th was at the time a separate Army unassigned to any Front.
Battles in Ukraine
By July 1 the division had been shifted to the
48th Rifle Corps, still in 9th Army which was now part of
Southern Front (formerly Odessa Military District). A few days later it incorporated five battalions of militia plus survivors of the 2nd and 23rd Border Guards that had retreated from the frontier. The 176th remained with 9th Army, retreating across the southern Ukraine until October while the main forces of Army Group South were focused on the
encirclement battle east of Kiev. As of the start of September it was a separate division within 9th Army and during October it was withdrawn into the Front reserves; the 380th Howitzer Regiment was removed from the division on October 14. In November and December the 176th played a prominent role in Southern Front's successful counteroffensive at Rostov-na-Donu and the ensuing winter campaign of 1941–42. At the beginning of December it was directly under command of the Front, but during that month it was moved to
12th Army of the same Front where it remained until March 1942 when it returned to Front reserves.
Battle of the Caucasus
On July 7 the German
1st Panzer and
17th Armies of
Army Group A
Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) was the name of several German Army Groups during World War II. During the Battle of France, the army group named Army Group A was composed of 45½ divisions, including 7 armored panzer divisions. It was responsible ...
launched their part of Case Blue, the summer offensive into southern Russia and the
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains,
: pronounced
* hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ,
: pronounced
* az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced
* rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ
* tr, Kafkas Dağla ...
. At this time the 176th was back in 12th Army, still in Southern Front. Just after the offensive began General Martsinkevich was moved to command of the
24th Army of the same Front; he would go on to command 9th Army in August but was removed for "failure to take decisive measures" against German bridgeheads south of the Terek River. After further military education he was given command of the
134th Rifle Division. He was killed in an air attack while directing a crossing of the
Vistula River
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
on July 30, 1944, and was posthumously made a
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
. He was replaced in command of the 176th by Col.
Ivan Andreevich Rubaniyuk, who had been in command of the 591st Rifle Regiment from November into February and had since been serving as the division's deputy commander.
In the first weeks of the German offensive the 12th Army was forced back from its positions along the lower
Don River
The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire.
Its ...
and by July 25 the division, now described as "remnants", was helping to hold a 40 km-wide sector from Kiziterinka (20 km southeast of Rostov) eastward to Belianin (50 km southeast of Rostov) opposite the 1st Panzer Army's
III Panzer Corps
III Army Corps was a corps level formation of the German Army during World War II.
III Army Corps
The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. The corps took part in Fall Weiss, the 1939 invasion of Poland as a part of Army Gr ...
. By the beginning of August 12 Army had been subordinated to the Don Operational Group of
North Caucasus Front
The North Caucasian Front or North Caucasus Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The North Caucasus Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war.
First Creation
The first formation wa ...
; the 109th Rifle Regiment of
74th Rifle Division was also serving in 12th Army at this time. Army Group A was reorganized on August 17 after which 1st Panzer Army was ordered to advance southeast parallel to the Caucasus Mountains with the objective to seize the Terek River valley, the key cities of Ordzhonikidze and
Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...
, and ultimately the oil fields at
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
.
The previous day the
23rd and
3rd Panzer Divisions of
XXXX Panzer Corps
XXXX Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.
History
The XXXX. Armeekorps was formed on 26 January 1940 in Lubeck in the Wehrkreis X.
It took part in the invasions of France and Greece before being sent to the Easte ...
renewed their offensive in the direction of
Mozdok
Mozdok (russian: Моздо́к; os, Мæздæг, ''Mæzdæg''; Kabardian: Мэздэгу) is a town and the administrative center of Mozdoksky District of North Ossetia – Alania, Russia, located on the left shore of the Terek River, no ...
. At this time the 176th had been re-subordinated to the 9th Army and was positioned in its first echelon which was along the Terek from
Prokhladny Prokhladny (russian: Прохла́дный; masculine), Prokhladnaya (; feminine), or Prokhladnoye (; neuter) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, a town in the Kabardino ...
eastward past Mozdok. The 3rd Panzer Division reached the northern bank of the Terek in the Mozdok region late on August 23 and captured the city two days later. After a week of confused fighting the 1st Panzer Army soon came to a virtual standstill and the Soviet defenses began reorganizing. General Martsinkevich was replaced but the forces of 9th Army continued to hold the south bank of the Terek, apart from two German-held bridgeheads.
Battles along the Terek
By the beginning of September it was noted that the personnel of the division were roughly 30-40 percent of various
Caucasian nationalities. At this time the 9th Army consisted of the 176th,
151st,
389th and
417th Rifle Division
The 417th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in the spring of 1942 and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Although it was formed in the Transcaucasus, unlike the 414th and 416th Rifl ...
s, 62nd Naval Rifle Brigade and the
11th Guards Rifle Corps
11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables.
Name
"Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...
, continuing to defend the Terek from south of Prokhladny eastward to south of Mozdok to just northwest of Grozny. It was tasked with preventing the German
LII Army Corps and
13th Panzer Division
The 13th Panzer Division ( en, 13th Armoured Division) was a unit of the German Army during World War II, established in 1940.
The division was organized under the code name Infantry Command IV (''Infanterieführer IV'') in October 1934. On O ...
from crossing the river and advancing on Ordzhonikidze. LII Corps began its attack at 0200 hours on September 2, attempting to thrust across the Terek against the positions of 11th Guards Corps. In two days of see-saw fighting the German force, backed by tanks of the 23rd Panzer Division, managed to secure a bridgehead nearly 3 km deep. On September 6 a mixed battlegroup from the two panzer divisions with about 40 tanks drove a deep wedge between the 9th and 8th Guards Rifle Brigades, but as it approached the northern foothills of the Terek Mountains it encountered intense artillery, ''Katyusha'' and antitank fire as well as heavy counterattacks by Soviet forces, bringing them to a temporary halt.
1st Panzer Army's commander, Gen.
E. von Kleist, gave orders to the
5th SS Panzergrenadier Division ''Wiking'' on September 22 to advance eastward through the Terek Mountains toward either Grozny or Ordzhonikidze in cooperation with the
111th Infantry Division. Unbeknownst to Kleist part of the 176th, along with the 52nd Tank and 59th Rifle Brigades and the 75th Tank Battalion, had been concentrated for a counterattack against a perceived weak spot in the 111th's defenses in the Alkhan-Churt valley. As a result, the attack of the 5th SS ran straight into this battle group, leading to a fight that lasted most of a week before the assault collapsed in the face of fierce Soviet resistance, with both German divisions suffering heavy casualties, especially from antitank fire. Kleist blamed the failure on poor internal cohesion within the 5th SS but then on October 3 pleaded with the high command for substantial reinforcements before he could resume his advance. Meanwhile, the commander of
Transcaucasian Front
Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus Front (russian: Закавказский Фронт) was a front of the Soviet Red Army—a military formation comparable to an army group, not a geographic military front—during the Second World War.
Th ...
recommended to the ''STAVKA'' that his Northern Group of Forces, to which 9th Army belonged at this time, go over to the defensive, which was accepted on September 29.
By October 23 it appeared to the commander of the Northern Group, Lt. Gen.
I. I. Maslennikov, that the German panzer army remained a spent force and he was proposing a counterattack with a group that would include the 176th. In the event this was forestalled two days later when the "spent" Germans launched a renewed drive to the southwest and then to the east; this attack was halted at the gates of Ordzhonikidze on November 5. On October 13 Colonel Rubaniyuk was moved to command of the 11th Rifle Corps, being replaced by Col.
Vasilii Vasilievich Glagolev. Rubaniyuk went on to command the
10th Guards and
20th Guards Rifle Corps and reached the rank of colonel general postwar. On November 19 Glagolev took over the 10th Guards Corps and was replaced by Col. Sergei Mikhailovich Bushev who came over from the 10th Rifle Brigade; this officer would be awarded the rank of major general on April 21, 1943, and would lead the 176th for the duration of its 1st formation. In recognition of its successes in the fighting against 1st Panzer Army near Mozdok and Ordzhonikidze, on December 13 the division, as well as its 300th Artillery Regiment, would each be awarded the
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
. This was an unusual distinction so early in the war especially for a divisional subunit.
Into the Western Caucasus
As of the start of December the 176th had left 9th Army and was under the direct command of the Northern Group of Forces. Later in the month it was moved to
58th Army
The 58th Combined Arms Army (russian: 58-я общевойсковая армия) is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered at Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, within Russia's Southern Military District. It was formed in 1941 as pa ...
, still in the Northern Group. This Army began advancing westward on December 11 from a line with
Malgobek
Malgobek (russian: Малгобе́к; Ingush: , ''Maghalbike'') is a town in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia, located northwest of the republic's capital of Magas. Population:
History
In 1934, the '' selo'' of Voznesenskoye was granted wor ...
on the Terek on the right (north) flank to west of
Illarionovka where it linked with 9th Army; the division was in the second echelon. 58th Army largely faced the
50th Infantry Division of LII Army Corps supported by the 51st Sapper Battalion. The fighting in the Malgobek area was relatively desultory until the 176th was committed on December 13. The division's Combat Report No. 02 issued at 1800 hours on December 15 stated in part: As this report indicates the 109th Rifle Regiment had by now replaced the 389th Rifle Regiment in the division's order of battle; this regiment had been awarded the Order of the Red Banner on March 27, 1942.
The December 13 attack, aided on the left by the
317th Rifle Division, gained from 4–6 km northward and began what would become a two-day fight for Hill 501.0, but proved to be the Army's only success during this mid-December drive. The offensive was renewed on December 17 but this only prevented the 50th Infantry from regaining its lost positions. 58th Army attacked again, as many as six times, with the
89th, 176th and 317th Divisions on December 21 and 22, only to be repulsed each time. Further attacks took place on December 24, 28 and 29 in what a German account described as "increasingly desperate fighting" but also failed to make any progress. The division was relieved overnight on January 1/2, 1943 by the 155th Rifle Brigade and began moving toward Nazran Station, 26 km north of Ordzhonikidze.
As the new year opened the division, along with the 10th Guards Corps and the
337th Rifle Division, was loading for transport to the
47th Army The 47th Army (russian: 47-я армия) of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1946.
History
The 47th Army was formed in late July 1941 in the Transcaucasian Military District as part of the Soviet Union's ...
of the Black Sea Group of Forces, still in Transcaucasian Front, where it remained at the beginning of February. In a plan called Operation ''More'' (''Sea'') that was approved by the ''STAVKA'' on January 8 the 47th Army, with four rifle divisions and five brigades, supported by armor and artillery, was to penetrate Romanian defenses in the Abinskaya region and capture Krymskaya, then capture the port and city of Novorossiysk and subsequently clear the
Taman Peninsula
The Taman Peninsula (russian: Тама́нский полуо́стров, ''Tamanskiy poluostrov'') is a peninsula in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia, which borders the Sea of Azov to the North, the Strait of Kerch to the West and the ...
of all Axis forces. The 176th was to join in the second stage and reinforce the 103rd and 8th Guards Rifle Brigades to develop the offensive in the direction of Verkhne-Bakanskii. An amphibious group of two reinforced naval rifle brigades would land in the vicinity of
Yuzhnaya Ozereyka west of Novorossiysk and take the city with an attack to the northeast. The 176th and 337th were expected to concentrate in the
Gelendzhik
Gelendzhik (russian: Геленджи́к) is a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk ( to the northwest) and Tuapse ( to the southeast). Greater Gelendzhik sprawls for along t ...
region by the end of January 12. In the event, due to winter storms this was not accomplished until January 20. On this date the division was recorded as having a personnel strength of 6,069, which was 64 percent of establishment.
As German 17th Army was forced back toward the Taman Peninsula the 176th was again transferred, now to the
18th Army, still in the Black Sea Group of Forces which was now part of North Caucasus Front. The 591st Rifle Regiment was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner on February 8.
Battle of Novorossiysk
By the beginning of April most of 18th Army, including the 176th, had occupied the bridgehead called Malaya Zemlya which had been created on February 4 south of Novorossiysk. The Army, under command of Lt. Gen.
K. N. Leselidze, had more than 20,000 men in the bridgehead with artillery and tank support. It was facing the German/Romanian
V Army Corps which was planning a new offensive to eliminate the bridgehead which at this time was roughly 6 km wide and 4.5 km deep and thoroughly entrenched. In mid-April the division was holding the center section of the bridgehead front with the 51st Rifle Brigade to its south.
Operation ''Neptun'' began on April 17. V Corps had 28,000 troops on hand including the
4th Mountain and
125th Infantry Divisions and parts of three Romanian divisions backed by a detachment of
StuG III assault guns and three battalions of heavy artillery. The assault was also to be backed with considerable air support and the
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
was tasked with interdicting Soviet naval supply lines to the bridgehead. The main effort would be made by 4th Mountain against Mount Myskhako which was the southern bastion of the bridgehead. The Romanian units were assigned only supporting roles. The operation was delayed several times due to adverse weather which would have affected air operations and artillery observation but finally went ahead in order to get ahead of inevitable further Soviet attacks against the larger Kuban bridgehead.
''Neptun'' was delayed to 0630 hours but was still hindered by 60 percent cloud cover and ground fog. Five battalions of the 4th Mountain Division assaulted the 2nd Battalion of the 107th Rifle Brigade just west of Mount Myskhako but made no progress due to the lack of effective air support and suffered 898 casualties. Before the commander of V Corps was fully aware of this failure he ordered the 125th Infantry to begin its part of the offensive at 0730. The assault guns that were to act in support did not arrive in time. The attack took place near the boundary of the 176th and the 51st Brigade over terrain that was hilly and heavily wooded, and although it continued for the rest of the day the fierce resistance of the two Red Army units limited its advance to no more than 700m. The interdiction of Soviet resupply and reinforcements was also a failure. On April 20 the offensive was renewed with a further effort to split the bridgehead between the 176th and 51st Brigade. This time V Corps had two assault gun batteries, two battalions of
Nebelwerfer
The Nebelwerfer (smoke mortar) was a World War II Nazi Germany, German series of weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the German Army (Wehrmacht), Wehrmacht's "smoke troops" (''Nebeltruppen''). Initially, two different mortar ...
rocket launchers and considerable air support. The attack gained another 1,000m but the flanks held firm and General Leselidze committed his reserve 8th Guards and 83rd Naval Rifle brigades to stop the advance. The Red Air Force had also been reinforced with six regiments of
Yak-9
The Yakovlev Yak-9 (russian: Яковлев Як-9) is a single-engine, single-seat multipurpose fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union and its allies during World War II and the early Cold War. It was a development of the robust and successf ...
fighters. The German offensive continued for another week but made no further gains. This failure made 17th Army's coastal flank a constant source of concern until the Kuban was finally evacuated.
The 176th remained in Malaya Zemlya as a separate rifle division of 18th Army into September. On September 3 Hitler finally agreed with his advisers to evacuate the Kuban bridgehead; this was unknown to North Caucasus Front which was making plans to finally liberate Novorossiysk. The combined land and amphibious assault began overnight on September 10/11 and fighting for the city continued for several days until it was abandoned by V Corps overnight on September 15/16 and units of 18th Army entered unopposed during the morning. 17th Army completed its evacuation of the Kuban on October 9. On the same day the division was officially redesignated as the 129th Guards Rifle Division.
2nd Formation
A new 176th Rifle Division was formed on February 12, 1944 in the 32nd Army of Karelian Front based on the 65th and 80th Naval Rifle Brigades and according to the rifle division ''shtat'' of December 10, 1942.
65th Naval Rifle Brigade
This brigade had been formed in October 1941 in the
Ural Military District
The Red Banner Ural Military DistrictHistory of the Ural Military District / Edited by Alexander Egorovsky, Ivan Tutarinov – 1 – Moscow: Voenizdat, Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, 1970 – 352 Pages ...
and was assigned to Karelian Front in December. It was based on a cadre from the
Pacific Fleet and joined the Maselskoi Operations Group on January 5, 1942. In April this became part of 32nd Army and the brigade remained on the relatively inactive front between
Belomorsk
Belomorsk (russian: Беломо́рск; krl, Šuomua; fi, Belomorsk/') is a town and the administrative center of Belomorsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Onega Bay on the shore of the White Sea. Population:
Hi ...
and
Lake Onega
Lake Onega (; also known as Onego, rus, Оне́жское о́зеро, r=Onezhskoe ozero, p=ɐˈnʲɛʂskəɪ ˈozʲɪrə; fi, Ääninen, Äänisjärvi; vep, Änine, Änižjärv) is a lake in northwestern Russia, on the territory of the Repu ...
until it was disbanded to help form the new 176th.
80th Naval Rifle Brigade
Although its origins were somewhat different the 80th Naval Brigade shared a very similar combat path with the 65th. It had been formed in October 1941 at
Kotelnikovo Kotelnikovo (russian: Котельниково) is the name of several types of inhabited localities in Russia, inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Kotelnikovo, Volgograd Oblast, a town in Kotelnikovsky District of Volgograd Oblast; ...
in the
North Caucasus Military District
The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.
It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...
and 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 ( ru , РВГК)) comprises reserve military formations and units; the Sta ...
in December for deployment. Its personnel came from the
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
, the
Caspian Flotilla
Kaspiyskaya flotiliya
, image = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla
, dates = No ...
and several naval schools. In January 1942 it was assigned to the Kemskaya Operational Group which was redesignated as the
26th Army of Karelian Front in April. It remained in this Army until February 1943 when it was shifted south to join 32nd Army and it remained under this command until it was used to help form the 176th.
The reformed division's regiments and other subunits were mostly given numbers from among those disbanded early in the war and not yet reformed:
* 52nd Rifle Regiment
* 55th Rifle Regiment
* 63rd Rifle Regiment
* 728th Artillery Regiment
* 33rd Antitank Battalion
* 64th Reconnaissance Company
* 243rd Sapper Battalion
* 197th Signal Battalion (later 1405th Signal Company)
* 128th Medical/Sanitation Battalion
* 80th Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company
* 368th Motor Transport Company
* 105th Field Bakery
* 331st Divisional Veterinary Hospital
* 738th Field Postal Station
* 1668th Field Office of the State Bank
Col. Aleksei Grigorevich Kaverin was given command of the division on the day it was formed, but this was relatively short-lived as Col. Vasilii Ivanovich Zolotarev took over on April 19; this officer would be promoted to the rank of major general on April 20, 1945 and remained in command for the duration of the war. As of the beginning of March the Army had just two other rifle divisions (
289th,
313th) and two brigades under command so the 176th remained under direct Army control for the following months.
Battle of Ilomantsi
On June 10 the forces of
Leningrad Front
The Leningrad Front (russian: Ленинградский фронт) was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front
The Karelian Front ...
and Karelian Front began the offensive that would eventually drive Finland out of the Axis and out of the war, but this did not immediately involve 32nd Army. After suffering serious defeats the Finnish Army began to regain its equilibrium in the last two weeks of July. 32nd Army began an advance on July 26 in the direction of Ilomantsi, in
North Karelia
North Karelia ( fi, Pohjois-Karjala; sv, Norra Karelen) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders the regions of Kainuu, North Savo, South Savo and South Karelia, as well as Russia's Republic of Karelia. It is the easternmost region of Finlan ...
, using the 176th and 289th Rifle Divisions with limited armor and artillery support, despite the fact this was not headed toward any strategic objective. By this time the ''STAVKA'' had apparently decided that achieving a decisive victory against Finland would take more troops and resources than it was willing to spare from the upcoming offensives into Germany. The attack appeared initially to be a success as the two divisions reached the 1940 frontier and pushed on to the area where the
155th Rifle Division had been stalled in 1939. Finnish reinforcements arrived on July 28 and began counterattacking three days later. Already by August 1 they had cut the only road to the 176th in a return to the ''motti'' tactics of the
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
. Three rifle brigades with armor support were organized to break through to the encircled divisions; while this was not successful it distracted the Finnish forces sufficiently for a large percentage of the pocketed men to break out and escape through the dense forests, losing their heavy equipment and vehicles in the process. The last men escaped on August 10; Finland and the USSR reached an armistice on September 4. Colonel Zolotarev was not blamed for this debacle and retained his command.
Into Germany and Czechoslovakia
As of the beginning of October the three rifle divisions of the 32nd Army had been grouped together as the
135th Rifle Corps and the 176th remained under these commands until the middle of November when Karelian Front was disbanded and the division was removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command where it joined the
134th Rifle Corps 134th may refer to:
*134th (2/1st Hampshire) Brigade, formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army
*134th (Loyal Limerick) Regiment of Foot, infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1794 and disbanded in 1796
*134th Air Refueling ...
, still in 32nd Army. When the new year began it had been assigned as a separate rifle division in the 31st Army of 3rd Belorussian Front which was preparing to invade East Prussia later in January; by that time it had been assigned to the 36th Rifle Corps, which also contained the 173rd and
352nd Rifle Divisions. It would remain under this Corps command for the duration of the war.
During the advance on
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
the 176th, with its Corps, was assigned to the
5th Army, before returning to 31st Army by the end of March. On April 5 the division was awarded the honorific "Masurian" for its part in the battles for the
Masurian Lake District
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland ( pl, Pojezierze Mazurskie; german: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masuri ...
. It was further distinguished on April 26 with the award of the
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 award established on July 29, 1942 ...
, 2nd degree, as a result of its fighting southwest of Königsberg.
Later in April, the entire 31st Army was shifted out of 3rd Belorussian Front and moved south. In the last three weeks of the war the 176th Division and its Army were under the command of
1st Ukrainian Front
The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front (Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a ...
, advancing into Czechoslovakia.
Postwar
The division held the full title of ''176th Rifle, Masurian, Order of Suvorov Division''
ussian: 176-я стрелковая Мазурская ордена Суворова дивизияwhen the fighting came to an end. According to ''STAVKA'' Order No. 11096 of May 29, 1945, part 8, the 176th is listed as one of the rifle divisions to be "disbanded in place", which took place in July 1945.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
Brezhnev, Leonid, ''Little Land'', trans. P. Shikman, ed. P. Tempest, APN Publishers, Moscow, USSR, 1978, reprinted by Progress Publishers, 1980
* p. 86
* p. 190
External links
Vladimir Nikolaevich MartsinkevichHSU Vladimir Nikolaevich MartsinkevichHSU Vasilii Vasilievich Glagolev
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945, state=collapsed
176
Year 176 ( CLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Proculus and Aper (or, less frequently, year 929 '' Ab urbe condita'') ...
Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner
1940 establishments in the Soviet Union
1945 disestablishments in the Soviet Union