The 59th Guards Kramatorsk Order of Red Banner, Order of Suvorov, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Motor-Rifle Division of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

was initially formed near

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southe ...

in March 1942 as the 197th Rifle Division (2nd formation). On the division's formation Colonel (from 14.10.1942 major-general) M. I. Zaporozhchenko took command, who stayed with the division until February 1943. Its second commander was Major-General G. P. Karamyshev from February 1943 up to the end of the war. On the formation of the 197th Rifle Division the major subunits were the 828th, 862nd, 889th Rifle, 261st Artillery Regiments, as well as other support units. Upon becoming Guards the designations of the subunits changed to the 176th, 179th, and 183rd Guards Rifle and 127 Guards Artillery Regiments, and 66th Guards Independent Sapper Battalion.

Combat history

* Until July 1942 the division was part of the 7th Reserve Army of 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, ...

* From July 1942 it joined the 5th Reserve Army * On 10 July 1942 the 5th Army of the

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 ...

Reserve was redesignated as the 63rd Army of the Stalingrad Front * From 28 September 1942 assigned to the Don Front * From 22 October 1942 the division served with the Southwestern Front during the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later r ...

The division was assigned initially to the 63rd Army (since November 1942 the 1st Guards Army, and since December 1942 3rd Guard Army), 6th Army, and eventually the 46th Army within which it ended the war. The division saw combat for the first time during the

from July to December 1942 as part of the 63rd Army (which became the 1st Guards Army on 1 November 1942). During fierce fighting in the Veshenskaya area, parts of the division along with other Soviet units repelled the approach of the German forces. Having forced the

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 ...

in the El'yanskoye area, the division seized a bridgehead which was subsequently used to stage a Soviet counter-attack. In these engagements the division destroyed up to 2,000 enemy troops, and much military equipment and weapons. The division participated in

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, launc ...

between 16 and 30 December 1942. The division, in conjunction with other formations of the 1st Guards Army (which was renamed the 3rd Guards Army on 5 December 1942) traversed over 200 kilometers, liberated 170 settlements, including the city of Voroshilovgrad (now

Lugansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

) on 14 February 1943, and captured around 8,000 pieces of enemy equipment. For its courage, tenacity, and heroism the division was honored and renamed the 59th

Guards Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

Rifle Division on 3 January. The division's next combat participation was in the Donbass Offensive and the Barvenkov-Pavlograd Offensive operation (13.08 – 22.09.1943) in the Don basin and liberating the Donbass region. For its efforts in capturing the city of

Kramatorsk Kramatorsk ( uk, Краматорськ, translit=Kramatorsk ) is a city and the administrative centre of Kramatorsk Raion in the northern portion of Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, Kramatorsk was a city of oblast significan ...

on 6 September 1943 it was awarded the honorific name 'Kramatorsk' on 8 September 1943 by the Order of High Command No.9 on the same day During the liberation of Kramatorsk the division was supported by the 5th Guards Independent Motor-Rifle Brigade and the 243rd Independent Tank Regiment The division also supported clearing the city of

Zaporozhye Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запоріжжя) or Zaporozhye (russian: Запорожье) is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia has a populatio ...

of the enemy on 14 October 1943, in conjunction with other units. For its exemplary battle skills and valour 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 ...

on 14 October 1943. During the 1944 Nikopolsk–Krivorozhsk Offensive (30.01 - 29.02) the division fought first as part of

3rd Guards Army The 3rd Guards Army () was a field army of the Soviet Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The army fought in the Battle of Berlin, during which it mopped up German resistance around Cottbus. 1942 to 1945 It was formed o ...

, and then as part of 6th Army together with the

61st Guards Rifle Division The 61st Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 159th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The divisio ...

, 203rd Rifle, and the 320th Rifle Division divisions of the 34th Guards Rifle Corps. For the skilful performance of combat tasks and courage of the division's troops it was awarded 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, on 13 February 1944. In the following months, the division was part of the attack toward

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, and was the first formation to enter the city on 10 April 1944 despite the bad road conditions, crossing the river lines of the Ingulets, Ingul, and

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 = PietinisBu ...

rivers in the process. The division was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd degree on 20 April 1944 for its courage and heroism in clearing the city of Odessa. In the summer of the same year the division, as part of the 46th Army (with which it remained to the end of the war), 3rd Ukrainian Front, the division participated in the Yassy-Kishinev Offensive operation. As part of the offensive the division broke through the Wehrmacht defense to the east of

Bendery Bender (, Moldovan Cyrillic: Бендер) or Bendery (russian: Бендеры, , uk, Бендери), also known as Tighina ( ro, Tighina), is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under ''de facto'' control of the un ...

, fighting on the left shore of lake Kitai, and cut off the withdrawal route to parts of German III Army Corps. Pursuing the retreating German troops, the division crossed the Soviet-Romanian border on August, 28th near the city of

Reni Reni may refer to: Places * Reni, Alwar, Alwar district, Rajasthan, India * Reni, Chamoli (also ''Raini''), Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, devastated by the 2021 Uttarakhand flood * Reni, Churu, Churu district, Rajasthan, India * Reni, U ...

, 25 kilometres to the East of

Galați Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most pa ...

. On 8 September, the

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

n border was also crossed as the division was transferred to the

2nd Ukrainian Front The 2nd Ukrainian Front (2-й Украинский фронт), was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War. History On October 20, 1943 the Steppe Front was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front. During the Second Jassy–Kishinev ...

for the Belgrade Offensive (28.09 - 20.10). From October 1944 to February 1945 the division took part in the

Battle of Debrecen The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the ''Debrecen Offensive Operation'', was a battle taking place 6–29 October 1944 on the Eastern Front in Hungary during World War II. The offensive was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front ...

and the initial phase of the Budapest Offensive, the Kecskemét-Budapest Offensive operation. During this operation the commander of the 179th Rifle Regiment, T.N. Artem’yev was awarded

Hero of 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 heroic performance in combat.

1945

The last stages of the division's combat path during World War II was the participation in the Vienna Offensive's Győr Offensive operation (russian: Дьерская наступательная), during which the division's active and resolute actions to the north of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

led to the Red Army's capture of the Austrian capital on 13 April 1945. The division's combat operations finished in the

Freistadt Freistadt (, literally "Freetown") is a small Austrian town in the state of Upper Austria in the region Mühlviertel. With a population of approximately 7,500 residents, it is a trade centre for local villages. Freistadt is the economic centre of ...

area, north of

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital ...

, in May 1945.
For their performance during the Great Patriotic War over 4,000 soldiers were awarded awards and medals, and 19 given the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Battle honours

*1942

Stalingrad Front *1942

Don Front *1942 Southwestern Front *1943

3rd Ukrainian Front The 3rd Ukrainian Front (Russian: Третий Украинский фронт) was a Front of the Red Army during World War II. It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southweste ...

Donbass *1943

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, ...

Yassy-Kishinev *1944

Belgorod Voroshilovgrad, Donbass, Zaporozh'ye, and Nikopol' - Krivoy-Rog, Odessa and Iasi-Kishinev operations, the

Battle of Romania The Battle of Romania in World War II comprised several operations in or around Romania in 1944, as part of the Eastern Front, in which the Soviet Army defeated Axis (German and Romanian) forces in the area, Romania changed sides, and Sov ...

and Bulgaria, and finally in the

, and the Budapest and Vienna operations.

Cold War era

After the war the division became the 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division (GMRD) in 1957. It joined the

14th Guards Army The 14th Guards Army () was a field army of the Red Army, the Soviet Ground Forces, and the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1956 to 1995. According to sources within the 14th Army, the majority of its troops came from the Pridnestrovian Moldavi ...

and remained at

Tiraspol Tiraspol or Tirișpolea ( ro, Tiraspol, Moldovan Cyrillic: Тираспол, ; russian: Тира́споль, ; uk, Тирасполь, Tyraspol') is the capital of Transnistria (''de facto''), a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the th ...

for the next two decades. In 1974 the 14th Combined Arms Army became a part of 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 ...

, which had been awarded the

in 1968.
The Army headquarters was in city of

, with the 59th GMRD garrisoned in the city as well. In December, 1972, for excellence in protection of Soviet territory and high marks in combat and political preparedness, the division was awarded the Minister of Defence of the USSR's Pendant for Courage and Military Valour.

Order of battle, late 1980s

*176th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Tiraspol): 26 Т-64; 18 BTR (12 BTR-70, 6 BTR-60), 6 BMP (4 BMP-2, 2 BRM-1К); 12 - 2S1 "Gvozdika", 12 - 2S12 "Sani" portee mortars; 3 - 1V18, 1 - 1V19, 1 PRP-3; 3 Р-145B, 1 PU-12; 1 МТ-55А *179th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Tiraspol): 22 Т-64; 21 BMP (6 BMP-2, 12 BMP-1, 3 BRM-1К), 13 BTR-70; 10 - 2S1 "Gvozdika", 2 BМ-21 "Grad"; I BMP-1KSh, 1 PRP-3, 1 RKhM, 1 RKhM-4; 5 Р-145BМ, 1 PU-12; 1 МТ-55А *183rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Tiraspol): 20 Т-64; 140 BTR (129 BTR-70, II BTR-60), 6 BMP (6 BMP-2, 2 BRM-1К); 12 - 2S1 "Gvozdika", 12 - 2S12 "Sani"; 5 BMP-1KSh, 1 PRP-3, 1 RKhM, 3 BREM-2, 3 R-145BМ, 1 PU-12; 1 МТU-20 *356th Tank Regiment (Tiraspol): 87 Т-64; 16 BMP (14 BMP-2, 2 BRM-1К); 1 - 2S1 "Gvozdika"; 5 BMP-1KSh, 1 PRP-3, 3 RKhM, 2 Р-145BМ, 1 PU-12; 3 МТU-20 *328th Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Tiraspol): 34 - 2SЗ "Akatsiya"; 12 BМ-21 "Grad"; 3 - 1V18, 1 - 1V19, 3 PRP-3, 2 Р-145BМ, and 1 BTR-70 *1162nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Tiraspol): 6 PU-12, 3 Р-145BМ *1299th Independent Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Tiraspol): 15 МТ-LBT *102nd Independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Tiraspol): 17 BMP (10 BMP-1, 7BRM-1К), 6 BTR-70 *201st Independent Signal Battalion (Tiraspol): 11 Р-145BМ, 3 Р-156BTR *66th Independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Tiraspol): 3 UR-67 *896th Independent Material Support Battalion *275th Independent Repair Battalion On 19 November 1990 the division had the following equipment: *155 Т-64 tanks *180 BTRs (169 BTR-70, 17 BTR-60); *66 BMPs (38 BMP-2, 12 BMP-1, 16 BRM-1К); *82 SP guns (46 - 2S1 "Gvozdika", 36 - 2SЗ "Akatsiya"); *2 D-30 towed guns; *36 Mortars (2S12 "Sani"); *14 MRLs BМ-21 "Grad"

1990s

Two former battalions of 179th Guards Motor-Rifle Regiment, (now independent) located at Dubossary and

have carried out peacekeeping functions together with Moldavian and Transnistrian soldiers since May 1996 as part of the OGRF. On 1 June 1997 the 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division was reorganised as the 8th Guards Independent Motor-Rifle Brigade with four motor-rifle battalions, one

tank battalion is a multi-directional shooter arcade video game that was released by Namco in 1980. The only direct home conversion is for the MSX, and in 1985 a similar game release is ''Battle City'' for the Family Computer. ''Tank Battalion'' received a ...

, two artillery battalions, and an anti-tank battalion plus other combat support and support units. From 1 December 1999 two motor-rifle battalions were officially removed from the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...

organisation and transferred to the Combined Peacekeeping Forces command.

8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade

The reorganised 8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade comprised the following units: *82nd Independent Guards Motor Rifle Battalion; *113th Independent Guards Motor Rifle Battalion; *145th Independent Guards Motor Rifle Battalion; *238th Independent Guards Motor Rifle Battalion; *48th Independent Tank Battalion; *896th Independent Battalion of Material Maintenance. In December 2002 the brigade was disbanded, and the remaining personnel, numbering 5,719 effectives were absorbed into the Peacekeeping Forces command. As a result of reduction in the strength of the Operational Group (commander General-Major Boris Sergeyev) the remaining strength as of 2006 is about 1,000 - 1,500 troops, and comprises:

Kommersant ''Kommersant'' (russian: Коммерсантъ, , ''The Businessman'' or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. The TNS Media and NRS Russia ...

Ъ - Все Российские базы
/ref> *82nd and 113th Separate Peacekeeping Motor-Rifle battalions *Independent security and support battalion *A helicopter detachment *Several small administrative detachments

References

Sources

Soldat.ru
* Keith E. Bonn (ed.), Slaughterhouse : The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005 * * Glantz, D.M., Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War, Frank Cass, London, 1989 {{Soviet Union divisions Motor rifle divisions of the Soviet Union Infantry divisions of Russia Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations disestablished in 1997 Kramatorsk Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner Military of Moldova