The 263rd 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 ...
during
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 ...
.
Formed in mid-1941, the division fought in the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
against Finland in
Karelia
Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Каре́лия, links=y, r=Karélija, p=kɐˈrʲelʲɪjə, historically ''Korjela''; sv, Karelen), the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for ...
until the beginning of 1943, when it transferred to the
Southwestern Front in Ukraine. After fighting in the
Crimean Offensive
The Crimean offensive (8 April – 12 May 1944), known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea, was a series of offensives by the Red Army directed at the German-held Crimea. The Red Army's 4th Ukrainian Front engaged the German 17th Army ...
in the spring of 1944, the division was transferred to the Baltics and advanced westward into
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
at the end of the war. Postwar, the division was withdrawn to Crimea, downsized into a separate rifle brigade, and disbanded.
History
World War II
The 263rd Rifle Division began forming on 10 July 1941 at
Vologda
Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. ...
in the
Arkhangelsk Military District
The Arkhangelsk Military District () was a regional military district of the Red Army which oversaw the North-Western part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The district was formed in 1940 during a reorganisation of the Army, ...
. It included the 993rd, 995th, and 997th Rifle Regiments, as well as the 853rd Artillery Regiment. In December 1941, the division became part of the
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 ...
. It spent most of the next 14 months with
26th Army facing Finnish troops north of
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 ...
in the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
. In January 1943, the division was withdrawn 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 ...
(RVGK), and relocated south to the
Southwestern Front. On 11 June, Colonel
Pavel Volosatykh took command of the division, which fought in the
Donbass Strategic Offensive during the summer of 1943 as part of the front's
6th Army, and on 23 September it was transferred to the RVGK.
![Sivash](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Sivash.jpg)
At the end of October, the 263rd became part of the
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.
The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by ...
's
28th Army and fought in the
Melitopol Offensive. On 5 November, the division moved across the
Sivash
The Syvash or Sivash (Russian and Ukrainian: ; , Cyrillic: Сываш, "dirt"), also known as the or (, ''Gniloye More''; , ''Hnyle More''; , Cyrillic: Чюрюк Денъиз), is a large area of shallow lagoons on the west coast of the Sea ...
, joining the
51st Army's
54th Rifle Corps in its Crimean bridgehead. It fought with the army in the
Crimean Offensive
The Crimean offensive (8 April – 12 May 1944), known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea, was a series of offensives by the Red Army directed at the German-held Crimea. The Red Army's 4th Ukrainian Front engaged the German 17th Army ...
in the spring of 1944, breaking through the German defensive lines on the southern coast of the Sivash and capturing
Dzhankoy
Dzhankoi or Jankoy is a town of regional significance in the northern part of Crimea, an internationally recognized ''de jure'' part of Ukraine, but since 2014 a ''de facto'' federal subject of the Russian Federation. It also serves as administrat ...
. On 16 April, its units captured
Bakhchysarai
Bakhchysarai ( crh, Bağçasaray, italic=yes; russian: Бахчисара́й; ua, Бахчисара́й; tr, Bahçesaray) is a town in Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and annexed by Russia as the Re ...
and reached the approaches to
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. For its actions, the division was awarded the honorific "Sivash" on 24 April, and Volosatykh received the title
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 ...
on 16 May. He was promoted to corps command on 18 April and was replaced by Major General
Alexander Pykhtin
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
. The division subsequently fought in the recapture of Sevastopol.
At the end of May it was assigned to the
2nd Guards Army
The 2nd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that fought in World War II, most notably at Stalingrad.
History
The 2nd Guards Army was formed according to the order of the Staff of the Supreme High Command (Stavka) from Oc ...
when the entire front was transferred to the RVGK. The division moved north with the 2nd Guards Army and joined the
1st Baltic Front
The First Baltic Front (Russian language, Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenk ...
in July 1944 during the advance into southern Lithuania, the
Siauliai Offensive. The division then fought in the
Riga Offensive from September and the
Memel Offensive in October. Between 5 and 12 October, it broke through strong fortified defenses on the
Dubysa
Dubysa, at 131 km, is the 15th List of rivers of Lithuania, longest river solely in Lithuania. It originates just a few kilometers from Lake Rėkyva near Šiauliai city. At first it flows south, but at Lyduvėnai turns southeast and near Ar ...
River and developed the breakthrough into a 120-kilometer advance in a week that brought it to the
Neman
The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
River. In November, the 263rd was transferred to the
43rd Army. On 22 November, Pykhtin was sent to military academy courses and was replaced by Colonel
Kornily Cherepanov.
In January 1945, the army became part of the
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fron ...
, fighting in the
Insterburg–Königsberg Offensive, part of the
East Prussian Offensive. Between 20 and 23 January, the division captured
Tilsit
Sovetsk (russian: Сове́тск; german: Tilsit; Old Prussian: ''Tilzi''; lt, Tilžė; pl, Tylża) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania.
Geography
Sov ...
,
Heinrichswalde
Heinrichswalde is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
History
From 1648 to 1720, Heinrichswalde was part of Swedish Pomerania. From 1720 to 1945, it was part of the Prussian Province of Pomer ...
, and
Labiau. The 263rd then fought in the
Battle of Königsberg
The Battle of Königsberg, also known as the Königsberg offensive, was one of the last operations of the East Prussian offensive during World War II. In four days of urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussia ...
, taking in part in the capture of the city on 9 April.
After the fall of the city, the 43rd Army and the division joined 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
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
. At the end of the war the 263rd was still with the 43rd Army's 54th Rifle Corps near the German Baltic coast.
Postwar
The division remained with the 54th Rifle Corps in the
Northern Group of Forces
The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in People's Republic of Poland, Poland from the end of World War II, Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fal ...
after the end of the war. Around late 1945 and early 1946, the 263rd was withdrawn to
Feodosia
uk, Феодосія, Теодосія crh, Kefe
, official_name = ()
, settlement_type=
, image_skyline = THEODOSIA 01.jpg
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption = Genoese fortress of Caffa
, image_shield = Fe ...
in the
Tauric Military District
The Taurida Military District was a military district of the Soviet Union. It was formed from the headquarters of the Separate Coastal Army and the 22nd Army in the summer of 1945. The military district controlled troops on the territory of the ...
with the 54th Rifle Corps. It was downsized into the 19th Separate Rifle Brigade there and disbanded in March 1947.
Commanders
The following officers commanded the division during World War II:
* Major General
Lazar Fishman (10 July 1941–30 April 1942)
* Lieutenant Colonel
Fyodor Krasavin (31 April–10 September 1942)
* Lieutenant Colonel
Nikolay Pimenov
Nikolay Igorevich Pimenov (russian: Николай Игорьевич Пименов; born 29 March 1958) is a retired Russian rower who mostly competed in the coxless pairs, rowing with his twin brother Yuriy. Between 1978 and 1993 the brothe ...
(1–9 October 1942)
* Colonel (10 October 1942–10 June 1943)
* Colonel (11 June 1943–18 April 1944)
* Major General (19 April–22 November 1944)
* Colonel (23 November 1944–after 9 May 1945)
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945
Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1941
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946