The 51st Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Army, formed twice. Its first formation was formed during the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
and fought in the
Perekop-Chongar Offensive in 1920. It also fought in the
Soviet invasion of Poland
The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
. During World War II, it fought in the
Battle of Rostov,
Barvinkove-Losowaja Operation and
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov or Operation Fredericus was an Axis counter-offensive in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted 12–28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objectiv ...
before being destroyed at the
Battle of Voronezh. Officially disbanded on 28 November 1942, the division was reformed on 15 April 1943 from the 15th Rifle Brigade. The 2nd formation fought in
Operation Bagration
Operation Bagration (; russian: Операция Багратио́н, Operatsiya Bagration) was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (russian: Белорусская наступательная оп ...
and 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 ...
. It was disbanded in an executive order by Premier
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
in 1946.
History
First formation
On 6 July 1919,
3rd Army commander
Sergey Mezheninov
Sergei A Mezheninov (January 19, 1890 – September 28, 1937) was a Soviet komkor (corps commander).
He fought for the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going over to the Bolsheviks during the subsequent civil war.
During this wa ...
issued Order No. 158, forming the 51st Rifle Division, part of the Northern Expeditionary Unit. The formation took place in
Tyumen
Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura River. Fueled by the Russian oil and gas indu ...
, where the 151st, 152nd and 153rd Brigades were formed. The organization of the division was completed by 15 August, when division commander
Vasily Blyukher
Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher ( rus, Васи́лий Константи́нович Блю́хер, Vasiliy Konstantinovich Blyukher; 1 December 1889 – 9 November 1938) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Earl ...
issued his first order, defining the divisional structure. The division included headquarters, the political department, logistics and other services, three brigades of three infantry regiments each (numbered from 450th to 458th), communications and engineering battalions, and armored car detachments. Blyukher himself arrived in Tyumen on 19 August and established his headquarters in the house of the merchant Kolokolnikov.
During the final phase of the
Petropavlovsk Operation in the fall of 1919, the 151st Brigade advanced on
Ishim. The 152nd Brigade moved to
Tobolsk
Tobolsk (russian: Тобо́льск) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1590, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, and i ...
, and the 153rd Brigade was held in reserve in Tyumen. At the end of November, it became part of the
5th Army. After the defeat of the
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
led by
Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fought ...
, the division was relocated to
Novonikolayevsk
Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Census, ...
. The division became part of the high command of the Red Army's reserve on 1 January 1920.
The division was tasked with the repair of the Siberian railway and the Cheremhovsky coal mines, destroyed during the Russian Civil War.
On 4 July, the division received orders to transfer to the
Southern Front to fight against
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
units led by
Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel
Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel (russian: Пётр Никола́евич барон Вра́нгель, translit=Pëtr Nikoláevič Vrángel', p=ˈvranɡʲɪlʲ, german: Freiherr Peter Nikolaus von Wrangel; April 25, 1928), also known by his ni ...
. The advance echelons of the division arrived at
Apostolove
Apostolove ( , russian: Апо́столово) is a city in Kryvyi Rih Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Apostolove urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: In 2001, the populat ...
station in early August. On 3 August, the division was included in the group of forces on the right bank of the Dnieper and concentrated near Berislavlya. The 13th Army command began an offensive on 6 August to smash the White Army units between the Dnieper and the Crimean Isthmus. The main attack was assigned to the
52nd Rifle Division
The 52nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, the interwar period, World War II, and the Cold War, formed once during the Russian Civil War and three times during the existence of the Soviet Union.
...
and Latvian Rifle Division. The 51st Rifle Division was placed in the second echelon of the attack without being given time to fully concentrate. On the night of 7 August, the 52nd and Latvian divisions crossed the Dnieper, captured
Kakhovka
Kakhovka ( uk, Кахо́вка, ) is a port city on the Dnieper River in Kakhovka Raion, Kherson Oblast, of southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of the Kakhovka urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of
It ...
and Alyosha, and began to advance on Melitopol. The 51st followed them across the Dnieper and began building defences in the area of Kakhovka.
Meanwhile, the attack of the group of forces on the left bank of the Dnieper was repulsed from the beginning, allowing Wrangel to concentrate more forces against the 52nd and Latvian divisions. Both divisions were forced to retreat back to the Kakhovka bridgehead, now held by the 51st Rifle Division. White attempts to reach the Dnieper were repulsed by the 51st Rifle Division. Firmly entrenched in the bridgehead, the division routed opposing forces during 13th Army's second offensive on 21 August. On 27 August, the division reached the area of
Serogozy. During battles in the Serogozy area on 28–29 August, the division reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the White units and conducted an orderly retreat back to the bridgehead. At the end of September, Southern Front was created under command of Mikhail Frunze. The group of forces on the right bank was disbanded and became 6th Army. The 51st Rifle Division was ordered to firmly defend the Kakhovka bridgehead from the planned White Army attack.
![Kahovka English tank](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Kahovka_English_tank.jpg)
During October, the division constructed a defensive line in the bridgehead. The line had a length of 40 kilometers and a depth of 12 kilometers. Its antitank defences were based on field artillery and antitank ditches, as well as landmines. On 14 October, the White Army made a last desperate attack to capture the bridgehead and throw the 51st back across the Dnieper. Despite tank support, the White Army attack failed. In preparation for the final Red Army offensive, the division received reinforcements. The division's objective was to destroy the White 2nd Corps and capture the White fortifications on the
Perekop Isthmus
The Isthmus of Perekop, literally Isthmus of the Trench ( uk, Перекопський перешийок; transliteration: ''Perekops'kyy pereshyyok''; russian: Перекопский перешеек; transliteration: ''Perekopskiy peresheek ...
. The 51st,
15th
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...
and Latvian Rifle Divisions, a separate cavalry brigade, cavalry regiment, and armored car detachment formed the Perekop Strike Group. The attack began on 28 October and the division had captured
Perekop
Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. The ...
by the next day. The division renewed the attack on 30 October, but was unable to overrun the Turetsky Val and had to dig in. Blyukher had the advance units withdrawn from within a range of White fire.
On 30 October, Blyukher ordered the 151st Brigade to reconnoiter the
Perekop Gulf for a possible crossing. He also ordered the 153rd Brigade to reconnoiter
Syvash
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 ...
. On 1 November, Blyukher offered to allow the White Army units to surrender. On 7 November, the Perekop-Chongar Offensive was begun. The division attempted to storm the Turetsky Val but was unable to break through by the next day. During the night, elements of the division crossed Syvash and emerged in the White rear. With a simultaneous frontal attack, this assault captured the Turetsky Val. The 51st Rifle Division continued to advance and broke through the Yushunskaya positions with the aid of the Latvian Rifle Division. The capture of the Yushinskaya position ended organized White resistance in the Crimea.
On 13 October, it became the 51st Moscow Rifle Division. On 14 September 1921, the division was 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 ...
. It became the 51st Perekop Red Banner on behalf of the Moscow Soviet Workers, Peasants, and Red Army Deputies Rifle Division. At the same time, the division was awarded the
Order of the Red Banner of Labour
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...
of the Ukrainian SSR by the
Central Election Commission. In December 1935, the division was awarded the
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...
for the 15th anniversary of the fighting at Perekop.
In September 1939, the 51st became part of the
Ukrainian Front for the
Soviet invasion of Poland
The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
, but did not see combat. The division fought in 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 ...
as part of the
7th Army from January to April 1940. Five soldiers of the division were awarded 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 ...
for their actions during the war.
In June 1940, the division participated in the
Soviet occupation of Bessarabia
The Soviet invasion and occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina took place from June 28 to July 3, 1940, as a result of an ultimatum by the Soviet Union to Kingdom of Romania, Romania on June 26, 1940, that threatened the use of force. Be ...
as part of the
14th Rifle Corps
14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15.
In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen".
In mathematics
* 14 is a composite number.
* 14 is a square pyramidal number.
* 14 is a stella octangula number. ...
.On 22 June 1941, the division was part of the 14th Rifle Corps of the
9th Army 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 ...
. The division was based in the
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta ( ro, Delta Dunării, ; uk, Дельта Дунаю, Deľta Dunaju, ) is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Ro ...
area. It fought against advancing German troops in
Operation München
Operation München ( ro, Operațiunea München) was the Romanian codename of a joint German-Romanian offensive during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II, with the primary objective of recapturing Bessarabia, Northern Bukov ...
. It retreated back to the
Prut
The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , uk, Прут) is a long river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube. In part of its course it forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine.
Characteristics
The Prut originates ...
and then the
Dniester
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
near
Dubăsari
Dubăsari ( ro, Dubăsari , Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet: Дубэсарь) or Dubossary (russian: Дубоссары; yi, דובאסאר; uk, Дубоcсари) is a city in Transnistria, with a population of 23,650. Claimed by both the Republic ...
. The division then was forced to retreat back to the
Southern Bug
, ''Pivdennyi Buh''
, name_etymology =
, image = Sunset S Bug Vinnitsa 2007 G1.jpg
, image_size = 270
, image_caption = Southern Bug River in the vicinity of Vinnytsia, Ukraine
, map = PietinisBug ...
and the
Dnieper
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
at Kakhovka and
Kherson
Kherson (, ) is a port city of Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers appr ...
. By November 1941, the division was in the
Donbas
The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...
. On 16 November, the division, now part of the
37th Army, attacked in the direction of Pavlovka and
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
The ...
. On 27 November, the division participated in the
Battle of Rostov. The division did not break through until 29 November and advanced to Sultan-Saly. In January 1942, the division transferred to fight in the
Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Operation and was on the
Donets
The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Don ...
. In late July, the division was withdrawn on the Don and across the Manych. It was disbanded on 16 August and its personnel transferred to other units.
Second formation
The division was formed again on 12 July 1943 from the 15th Rifle Brigade.
The division was relocated to
Makhachkala
Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...
and became part of the
Baku Military District's
124th Rifle Corps in the winter of 194546. As part of the corps it was to land in northern Iran if necessary. The division and its corps were disbanded by May 1946.
Composition
The 51st Rifle Division's first formation included the following units during World War II.
* 23rd Rifle Regiment
* 287th Rifle Regiment
* 348th Rifle Regiment
* 263rd Rifle Regiment (from 12 July 1941, transferred from
25th Rifle Division
The 25th Rifle Division (russian: 25-я стрелковая дивизия) was a rifle division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War, formed twice.
Formed in 1918, it was a Russian, and later Soviet, Red Army formation f ...
)
* 218th Artillery Regiment (until 25 January 1942)
* 300th Artillery Regiment (from 25 January 1942)
* 277th Separate Antitank Battalion
* 231st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery (later 165th Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion)
* 774th Mortar Battalion
* 30th Reconnaissance Battalion
* 44th Sapper Battalion
* 50th Separate Communications Battalion
* 115th Medical Battalion
* 60th Separate Chemical Defence Company
* 57th Trucking Company
* 60th (later 65th) Field Bakery
* 159th (later 1495th) Field Post Office
* 346th Field Ticket Office of the State Bank
The 51st Rifle Division's second formation included the following units.
* 23rd Rifle Regiment
* 287th Rifle Regiment
* 348th Rifle Regiment
* 300th Rifle Regiment
* 91st Separate Antitank Battalion
* 30th Intelligence Company
* 44th Sapper Battalion
* 207th Separate Communications Battalion (later 653rd Separate Communications Company)
* 115th Medical Battalion
* 60th Separate Chemical Defence Company
* 125th Trucking Company
* 309th Field Bakery
* 84th Divisional Veterinary Hospital
* 1628th Field Post Office
* 34th (later 1657th) Field Ticket Office of the State Bank
References
Sources
*
*
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945
Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union
Soviet infantry divisions in the Russian Civil War
051
Military units and formations established in 1919
Military units and formations of the Soviet Union in the Winter War
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946