The 55th Guards Rifle Division was a
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 ...
military unit, engaged in the
Second World War
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 ...
. Its full name was the 55th Guards Rifle Irkutsk-Pinsk Order of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, three Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 2nd degree division named after the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.
History
The division was formed on 18 December 1942 by converting the
30th Rifle Division.
It was in battle from 18.12.1942 to 21.04.1944 from 28.05.1944 to 14.09.1944 from 13.10.1944 to 31.03.1945 from 20.04.1945 to 11.05.1945 year.
She took part in the liberation of
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
and 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 ...
. In November 1943, participated in the
Kerch–Eltigen amphibious operation, landing on the beach in Danger,
Yenikale
Yeni-Kale ( uk, Єні-Кале; russian: Еникале; tr, Yenikale; crh, Yeñi Qale, also spelled as ''Yenikale'' and ''Eni-Kale'' and ''Yeni-Kaleh'' or ''Yéni-Kaleb'') is a fortress on the shore of Kerch Strait in the city of Kerch.
Histor ...
, is fighting on the Kerch Peninsula until April 1944, then participated in
Belorussian strategic operations by participating in the liberation of Ivanovo and Luninets areas
Brest Region
Brest Region or Brest Oblast or Brest Voblasts ( be, Брэ́сцкая во́бласць ''(Bresckaja vobłasć)''; russian: Бре́стская о́бласть (''Brestskaya Oblast)'') is one of the regions of Belarus. Its administrative cent ...
of
Pinsk
Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk a ...
and Logishin district
Pinsk area, eastern Poland, in
East Prussian
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 1871 ...
,
Berlin and
Prague offensive operations.
The division participated in the liberation of the city
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 ...
,
Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
,
Pinsk
Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk a ...
, taking
Gumbinnen
Gusev (russian: Гу́сев; german: Gumbinnen; lt, Gumbinė; pl, Gąbin) is a town and the administrative center of Gusevsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Pissa and Krasnaya Rivers, near the border ...
and
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
.
With 28th Army of the
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 ...
in May 1945.
55th Guards Rifle Division redesignated 55th Guards Motorised Rifle Division on 20.5.57 in Grodno, Grodno Oblast; became 30th Guards Motor Rifle Division in 1965; taken over by
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
in 1992. In 1960 part of
28th Army (Soviet Union)
The 28th Army was a field army of the Red Army and the Soviet Ground Forces, formed three times in 1941–42 and active during the postwar period for many years in the Belorussian Military District.
Initial formation
The army was formed firs ...
; in 1968 moved forward into
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
and became part of
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
; withdrawn to
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
in February 1991.
The division was turned over to Belarusian control in March 1992 at
Maryina Horka. On August 17, 1992, personnel from the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
made a
Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty inspection of an installation in Urechye (near Minsk,
Minsk Oblast
Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минская о́бласть, ''Minskaya oblast'') is one of the regions of Belarus. Its administrative center is Minsk, ...
). Two elements of the 30th Guards Motor Rifle Division, the 30th Guards Tank Regiment and the 20th independent Reconnaissance Battalion, were at the site, along with the 969th Central Base for Reserve Tanks. Also nearby but not inspected was the 63rd Guards independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion.
The division became a mechanized brigade in 1992 and then the 30th Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base in 1997. The base was disbanded in 2005, and the new 30th Separate Guards Mechanized Battalion was formed by a 26 May 2005 Minister of Defense decree to perpetuate the traditions of the Irkutsk-Pinsk division. The battalion formed part of the
37th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade at
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...
. After the 37th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade was disbanded in fall 2011, the battalion moved to Zaslonovo and became part of the
19th Guards Mechanized Brigade.
Higher headquarters
*
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 ...
,
Black Sea Group of Forces,
56th Army - on 01.01.1943 year.
*
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 ...
,
56th Army - from 12.01.1943;
*
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 ...
,
37th Army,
11th Guards Rifle Corps - on 01.07.1943;
*
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 ...
,
18th Army - on 01.10.1943;
*
7th Army,
11th Guards Rifle Corps - on 01.01.1944;
*
Separate Coastal Army
The Separate Coastal Army (russian: Приморская армия), also translated to English as Independent Coastal Army, was an army-level unit in the Red Army that fought in World War II. It was established on July 18, 1941, by the order o ...
,
20th Rifle Corps - on 01.04.1944;
*
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Белорусский фронт, ''Perviy Belorusskiy front'', also romanized " Byelorussian") was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army ...
,
28th Army,
20th Rifle Corps - on 01.07.1944;
*
Stavka
The ''Stavka'' (Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка) is a name of the high command of the armed forces formerly in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine.
In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrative staff, a ...
,
28th Army,
20th Rifle Corps - on 01.10.1944;
*
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 ...
,
28th Army (Soviet Union)
The 28th Army was a field army of the Red Army and the Soviet Ground Forces, formed three times in 1941–42 and active during the postwar period for many years in the Belorussian Military District.
Initial formation
The army was formed firs ...
,
20th Rifle Corps - on 1 January 1945;
*
Stavka
The ''Stavka'' (Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка) is a name of the high command of the armed forces formerly in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine.
In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrative staff, a ...
,
28th Army,
20th Rifle Corps - on 01.04.1945.
Subordinate units (partial)
* 164th Guards Rifle Regiment
* 166th Guards Rifle Regiment
* 168th Guards Rifle Regiment
* 126th Guards
Artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
Regiment
* 62 Guards separate self-propelled artillery battalion (62 Guards separate antitank battalion)
References
*
{{Soviet Union divisions
G055
Military units and formations established in 1942
Military units and formations disestablished in 1957
Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner