The 99th 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 ...

division of

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 ...

. It was formed from the 14th Guards Airborne Division in January 1944. It fought in the Svir-Petrozavodsk Offensive between June and August 1944. It became the 99th Guards Airborne Division in August but was converted into infantry again in December 1944 and January 1945. The division fought in the Budapest Offensive and in the defense against Operation Spring Awakening. At the end of the war it participated in the Vienna Offensive and the

Prague Offensive The Prague offensive (russian: Пражская стратегическая наступательная операция, Prazhskaya strategicheskaya nastupatel'naya operatsiya, lit=Prague strategic offensive) was the last major military ...

. In August 1945 it transferred to the Far East and was converted into an airborne division in 1946. The division served in the Far East for the next decade and was disbanded in 1956.

History

The 99th Guards Rifle Division was formed from the 14th Guards Airborne Division on 19 January 1944. The 14th Guards Airborne Division had been formed on 23 December 1943 from the 6th Guards Airborne Brigade, the 13th Guards Airborne Brigade and the 15th Guards Airborne Brigade. Prior to June 1944, it was stationed in the Moscow Military District, but was transferred to the line of the

Svir The Svir (, Veps: , Karelian/Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows westwards from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest ...

to fight in the Svir-Petrozavodsk Operation. On 21 June 1944, the division crossed the Svir and breaking through the Finnish defences, seized its objectives. On 25 June, it captured the strongpoint of Kuytezha. During the river crossing, the division supported the 275th Separate Motorized Battalion of Special Forces and the 92nd Independent Tank Regiment, which utilized the T-37A amphibious tank, in the last such use of tanks in the war. On the same day, the division captured the strongholds of Pirkinichi and Semenovschinu. The division advanced to the north to Svirstroy and prevented the Finnish from blowing up a dam. On 15 July 1944, the division, supported by the 29th Tank Brigade, attacked. After the Finnish troops were partially routed, 460 soldiers from the division were surrounded after advancing too far and killed or captured. On 9 August, the division was put in reserve near

Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...

. On 9 August it became the 99th Guards Airborne Division. From 29 December 1944 to 5 January 1945, the division was reorganised as the 99th Guards Rifle Division in the Belorussian Military District in accordance with Stavka VGK Prikaz 0047 of 18 December 1944. In January 1945, the division was transferred to Hungary and was positioned southeast of

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. On 13 March 1945, it repulsed the German counterattack during Operation Spring Awakening. During the Vienna Offensive, it broke through the German defences north of Székesfehérvár, into the

6th Panzer Army The 6th Panzer Army (german: 6. Panzerarmee) was a formation of the German Army, formed in the autumn of 1944. The 6th Panzer Army was first used as an offensive force during the Battle of the Bulge, in which it operated as the northernmost element ...

's rear area, penetrating the German line between Lake Velence and Lake Balaton. On 29 March it fought in the capture of Szombathely. In early April, in conjunction with the 6th Guards Tank Army, it advanced to the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

, cutting of German escape routes to the west. On 1 April 1945 it was on the outskirts of Wiener Neustadt, on 2 April in

Baden bei Wien Baden (German for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Loc ...

. The division fought in the Vienna Offensive until 13 April. On 8 May, it captured

Znojmo Znojmo (; german: Znaim) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian R ...

. The division advanced to the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

and in May was in the area of Mlaka in

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. In August 1945, the division was transferred to the Transbaikal Military District. The 99th Guards Rifle Division was disbanded in early June 1946, probably at Manzovka, Primorskiy Krai, in the Soviet Far East, and reorganised as the 99th Guards Airborne Division of the

37th Guards Airborne Corps The 37th Guards Airborne Corps was a Red Army airborne corps. The corps was established as the 37th Guards Rifle Corps on 19 January 1944. In August, it was converted into an airborne corps. On 18 December, it became an infantry corps again. The cor ...

.Michael Holm
99th Guards Airborne Division
/ref> In 1953 the 196th Guards Airborne Regiment was formed as part of the division. The 99th Guards Airborne Division was disbanded on 4 May 1956. Its 300th Guards Airborne Regiment and 74th Guards Artillery Regiment transferred to the

98th Guards Airborne Division The 98th Guards Airborne Division is an airborne division of the Russian Airborne Troops, currently based in Ivanovo. Russian 98th Airborne Division patch.svg, 98th Guards Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia (1993) History During the Se ...

Composition

* 297th Guards Rifle Regiment (former 6th Guards Airborne Brigade) * 300th Guards Rifle Regiment (former 13th Guards Airborne Brigade) * 303rd Guards Rifle Regiment (former 15th Guards Airborne Brigade) * 239th Guards Artillery Regiment * 371st Guards Self-propelled Artillery Regiment * 54th Guards Divisional Artillery Brigade (from 21 February 1945)

References

{{Soviet Union divisions 1945–57 Military units and formations established in 1943 G099