The 79th Motor Rifle Division was a motorized infantry division of the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

. It was converted from the 79th Rifle Division in 1957 and inherited the honorific "Sakhalin". 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 ...

. The 79th Rifle Division fought in the

Invasion of South Sakhalin The Soviet invasion of South Sakhalin, also known as the Battle of Sakhalin (russian: Южно-Сахалинская операция; ja, 樺太の戦い), was the Soviet invasion of the Japanese portion of Sakhalin Island known as Karafu ...

in 1945 and was based at

Leonidovo Leonidovo was a Soviet Naval Aviation reserve airfield in the remote central area of Sakhalin, Russia located east of Leonidovo. Declassified KH-7 imagery obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that it existed in June 1966 without muc ...

for most of its career.

History

The 79th traces its history back to the formation of the Sakhalin Rifle Division on 17 August 1938. In January 1939, the division became the 79th Mountain Rifle Division, commanded by Kombrig

Ivan Makarenko Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

. In 1940, it was converted into the 79th Rifle Division. It became part of the 16th Army's 56th Rifle Corps in 1943. During August and September 1945, the division fought in the

. For its actions in the invasion, the division was awarded the honorific "Sakhalin". During the battle for south Sakhalin, 179th Rifle Regiment Battalion commander Captain

Leonid Smirnykh Leonid (russian: Леонид ; uk, Леонід ; be, Леанід, Ljeaníd ) is a Slavic version of the given name Leonidas. The French version is Leonide. People with the name include: *Leonid Andreyev (1871–1919), Russian playwright an ...

was posthumously 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 ...

after his battalion captured 5 bunkers and Smirnykh was killed by sniper fire. Sergeant Anton Buyukly was also made a Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously in 1965 for his sacrifice in blocking a bunker firing slit with his body. The division became the 79th Motor Rifle Division on 17 May 1957 in

, part of the 15th Army. In March 1960, it became part of the 2nd Army Corps. On 22 February 1968, it was awarded the

on the Soviet Army's 50th anniversary. The division became part of the 51st Army in 1977. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, the division was maintained at 15% strength. In 1994, the division was disbanded.

Commanders

The following officers commanded the division. * Kombrig (Major General 4 June 1940)

(27 January 1939 – 14 May 1942) * Major General Alexander Mikhailovich Maximov (15 May 1942 – 27 June 1942) * Colonel (Major General 16 October 1943)

Ivan Baturov Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

(28 June 1942 – 3 September 1945)

Composition

The 79th Rifle Division included the following units. * 157th Rifle Regiment * 165th Rifle Regiment * 179th Rifle Regiment * 644th Divisional Artillery Brigade * 284th Artillery Regiment * 487th Howitzer Artillery Regiment * 360th Separate Tank Battalion * 163rd Separate Antitank Battalion * 251st Separate Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion * 78th Mortar Battalion * 9th Reconnaissance Battalion * 43rd Sapper Battalion * 931st Separate Communications Battalion (became 187th Separate Communications Battalion, then 134th Separate Communications Company) * 211th Medical and Sanitary Battalion * 192nd Separate Chemical Defence Company * 808th Motor Company (became 180th Trucking Company, then 376th Motor Transport Battalion) * 138th Repair and Replacement Company * 121st Field Bakery * 79th Mobile Field Hospital * 177th Divisional Veterinary Hospital * 32nd Divisional Artillery Workshop * 58th Field Post Office * 1043rd Field Ticket Office of the State Bank The 79th Motor Rifle Division included the following units in 1988. All units are based at Leonidovo unless noted. * 157th Motorized Rifle Regiment ( Pobedino) * 396th Motorized Rifle Regiment * 398th Motorized Rifle Regiment ( Gastello) * 113th Tank Regiment * 284th Artillery Regiment * 1224th Antiaircraft Missile Regiment (Pobedino) * 124th Separate Missile Battalion * Separate Reconnaissance Battalion * 43rd Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion * 931st Separate Communications Battalion * Separate Chemical Defence Company * Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion * Separate Medical Battalion (Gastello) * 1489th Separate Material Supply Battalion

References

{{Soviet Union divisions 1957–1989 Motor rifle divisions of the Soviet Union Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations disestablished in 1994 Infantry divisions of Russia