90th Guards Lvov Tank Division (1985–1997)
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The 90th Guards Tank Division was a
division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
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 ...
, and then of 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 Forces ...
.


Interwar period

The division traced its history back to the formation of the 82nd Territorial Rifle Division in 1932 from personnel of the 57th Rifle Division's 169th Rifle Regiment, which had relocated to the
Transbaikal Transbaikal, Trans-Baikal, Transbaikalia ( rus, Забайка́лье, r=Zabaykalye, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲjɪ), or Dauria (, ''Dauriya'') is a mountainous region to the east of or "beyond" (trans-) Lake Baikal in Far Eastern Russia. The steppe and ...
region. Formed in the
Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia ** Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administra ...
area, the 82nd relocated to the
Ural Military District The Red Banner Ural Military DistrictHistory of the Ural Military District / Edited by Alexander Egorovsky, Ivan Tutarinov – 1 – Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, 1970 – 352 Pages – 11,500 ...
in May 1935. In May 1939, the 82nd Rifle was mobilized and sent to the Transbaikal. From July, it fought in the
Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (russian: Бои на Халхин-Голе; mn, Халхын голын байлдаан) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Ja ...
against Japanese troops. After the end of the fighting, the 82nd was stationed at
Bayantümen Bayantu'men ( mn, Баянтүмэн, Rich tumen), also Tsagaanders ( mn, Цагаандэрс) is a sum (district) of Dornod Province in eastern Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () ...
. For their actions, the 601st Rifle and 82nd Artillery Regiments of the division were 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 t ...
on 17 November. By a directive of the
People's Commissariat of Defense The People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union () was the highest military department of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. History In the 1920–1930s, the highest military authority of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic ...
of 15 January 1940, the division was converted into the 82nd Motor Rifle Division with 12,000 men. Its 82nd Red Banner Artillery Regiment was formed from the 82nd Red Banner Howitzer Artillery Regiment and the 82nd Light Artillery Regiment. It included the 210th, 289th, and 601st Motor Rifle Regiments in addition to the artillery regiment. Then-Colonel
Ivan Fedyuninsky Ivan Ivanovich Fedyuninsky (russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Федю́нинский; July 30, 1900 – October 17, 1977) was a Soviet military leader and Hero of the Soviet Union (1939). Early life Fedyuninsky was born into a peasant fa ...
commanded the division before the war. On 1 November 1940, the division included 11,755 men and 240
BT tank The BT tanks (russian: Быстроходный танк/БТ, translit=Bystrokhodnyy tank, lit. "fast moving tank" or "high-speed tank") were a series of Soviet light tanks produced in large numbers between 1932 and 1941. They were lightly arm ...
s. In March 1941, the 82nd was converted into the 82nd Motorized Division, joining the 29th Mechanized Corps. It included the 210th and 601st Motorized Regiments as well as the 123rd Tank and 82nd Artillery Regiments. However, this assignment proved to be brief, as the corps disbanded in May and the division became a separate unit of the 17th Army. On 1 June, it included 200 BT and
T-26 The T-26 tank was a Soviet light tank used during many conflicts of the Interwar period and in World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and was one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s until its light ...
tanks and seventeen T-37, T-38, and
T-40 The T-40 amphibious scout tank was an amphibious light tank used by the Soviet Union during World War II. It was armed with one 12.7 mm (0.5 in) DShK machine gun. It was one of the few tanks that could cross an unfordable river without ...
amphibious tanks for a total of 217 tanks.


World War II

In July and August, the division was reorganized into the 82nd Motor Rifle Division again. Its 123rd Tank Regiment was used to form the 111th Tank Division, leaving the 82nd with the 210th, 250th, and 601st Motor Rifle Regiments and the 82nd Artillery Regiment. As a result of German advances following the beginning of their invasion of the Soviet Union,
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, on 22 June, the 82nd was sent to the Western Front in October. It departed the Far East on 7 October and arrived at the front on 25 October. It was reinforced with the 27th Separate Tank Battalion, and fought in the Battle of Moscow as part of the 5th Army. The 82nd fought in fighting at Dorokhovo and in the capture of
Mozhaysk MozhayskAlternative transliterations include ''Mozhaisk'', ''Mozhajsk'', ''Mozhaĭsk'', and ''Možajsk''. ( rus, Можа́йск, p=mɐˈʐajsk) is a town and the administrative center of Mozhaysky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to th ...
. For its actions, the division was made an elite
Guards unit Guards units (russian: Гвардия, translit=Gvardiya) were elite units and formations in the Soviet Armed Forces that continue to exist in the Russian Armed Forces and other post-Soviet states. These units were awarded Guards status after di ...
, the 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division, on 17 March 1942, and received 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 t ...
. It took part in the summer battles of 1942 with the Western Front and the failed
Operation Mars Operation Mars (Russian: Операция «Марс»), also known as the Second Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive Operation (Russian: Вторая Ржевско-Сычёвская наступательная операция), was the codename fo ...
in November/December 1942. After moving back into Stavka Reserves in June 1943, it was reorganized into the 6th Guards Mechanized Corps on 28 June 1943, being merged with the 49th Mechanised Brigade. The new corps included the 17th Guards Mechanised Brigade. The new Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General
Alexander Akimov Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov (russian: Александр Фёдорович Акимов; 6 May 1953 – 11 May 1986) was a Soviet engineer who was the supervisor of the shift that worked at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Unit 4 on t ...
, became part of the 4th Tank Army under Lieutenant General Vasily Badanov. Its first action was at Orel, the counterattack (
Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German '' He ...
) on the northern side of the Kursk bulge after the German defeat at the
Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history ...
proper.
John Erickson John Erickson may refer to: * John E. Erickson (Montana politician) (1863–1946), American politician from Montana * John E. Erickson (basketball) (1927–2020), American basketball coach and executive, Wisconsin politician * John P. Erickson ...
writes that '..at 1100 on 26 July, two of Badanov's corps (11th Tank and 6th Guards Mechanised) put in a ragged attack towards
Bolkhov Bolkhov (russian: Бо́лхов) is a town and the administrative center of Bolkhovsky District in Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Nugr River (Oka's tributary), from Oryol, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 12,800 (1 ...
. For the next few hours, under the very gaze of Bagramyan ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army,_whose_sector_4th_Tank_was_attacking_through.html" ;"title="11th_Guards_Army.html" ;"title="ommander of ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army,_whose_sector_4th_Tank_was_attacking_through">11th_Guards_Army.html"_;"title="ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army">ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army,_whose_sector_4th_Tank_was_attacking_throughand_Badanov,_both_corps_were_heavily_battered_by_the_concealed_German_tanks_and_assault_guns.'_For_the_remainder_of_1943,_it_was_in_reserve._It_took_part_in_the_winter_battles_in_the_Ukraine_in_1944_(Proskurov-Chernovitsy_Offensive.html" ;"title="11th Guards Army">ommander of 11th_Guards_Army.html"_;"title="ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army">ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army,_whose_sector_4th_Tank_was_attacking_throughand_Badanov,_both_corps_were_heavily_battered_by_the_concealed_German_tanks_and_assault_guns.'_For_the_remainder_of_1943,_it_was_in_reserve._It_took_part_in_the_winter_battles_in_the_Ukraine_in_1944_(Proskurov-Chernovitsy_Offensive">Proskurov-Chernovitsy),_then_the_Lvov–Sandomierz_Offensive.html" ;"title="11th Guards Army, whose sector 4th Tank was attacking through">11th_Guards_Army.html" ;"title="ommander of ommander_of_11th_Guards_Army,_whose_sector_4th_Tank_was_attacking_throughand_Badanov,_both_corps_were_heavily_battered_by_the_concealed_German_tanks_and_assault_guns.'_For_the_remainder_of_1943,_it_was_in_reserve._It_took_part_in_the_winter_battles_in_the_Ukraine_in_1944_(Proskurov-Chernovitsy_Offensive">Proskurov-Chernovitsy),_then_the_Lvov–Sandomierz_Offensive">Lvov-Sanodmierz_Operation_in_the_summer._It_then_participated_in_the_Silesian_Offensives.html" ;"title="11th Guards Army">ommander of
Proskurov-Chernovitsy),_then_the_Lvov–Sandomierz_Offensive">Lvov-Sanodmierz_Operation_in_the_summer._It_then_participated_in_the_Silesian_Offensives">Lower_Silesia,_Upper_Silesia,_ Proskurov-Chernovitsy),_then_the_Lvov–Sandomierz_Offensive">Lvov-Sanodmierz_Operation_in_the_summer._It_then_participated_in_the_Silesian_Offensives">Lower_Silesia,_Upper_Silesia,_Battle_of_Berlin">Berlin_ Berlin_(_,_)_is_the_capital_and_List_of_cities_in_Germany_by_population,_largest_city_of_Germany_by_both_area_and_population._Its_3.7_million_inhabitants_make_it_the_European_Union's_List_of_cities_in_the_European_Union_by_population_within_ci_...
,_and_Prague_Offensive.html" ;"title="Battle_of_Berlin.html" "title="11th Guards Army, whose sector 4th Tank was attacking throughand Badanov, both corps were heavily battered by the concealed German tanks and assault guns.' For the remainder of 1943, it was in reserve. It took part in the winter battles in the Ukraine in 1944 (Proskurov-Chernovitsy Offensive">Proskurov-Chernovitsy), then the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive">Lvov-Sanodmierz Operation in the summer. It then participated in the Silesian Offensives">Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, Battle of Berlin">Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, and Prague Offensive">Prague operations. In August 1944 it was given the honorific '
Lvov Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...
' for its part in the liberation of that city.


Cold War

The Corps then became the 6th Guards Mechanised Division (1945–57) and then 6th Guards Motor Rifle Division (17 May 1957 – 1982, GSFG). The division was based at Bernau and was part of the
20th Guards Army The 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (originally designated as the 4th Tank Army, 4th Guards Tank Army in 1945, 4th Guards Mechanised Army in 1946, and the 20th Guards Army in 1960 within the Soviet Ground Forces) is a field army. In 1991, after t ...
. In May 1958, the division was reorganized. The 930th Guards Artillery Regiment moved to the 11th Guards Motor Rifle Division and was replaced by the 400th Artillery Regiment. The 1106th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment and 22nd Separate Guards Sapper Battalion were also transferred to the 11th Guards and replaced by that division's 288th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment and 122nd Separate Guards Sapper Battalion. The 351st Separate Missile Battalion was activated in 1961. On 19 February 1962, the 32nd Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated. In May, the 10th Separate Tank Battalion was formed. The 122nd Separate Guards Sapper Battalion became an engineer-sapper battalion in 1968 and the 465th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated. The chemical defence company became the 120th Separate Chemical Defence Battalion in 1972. The 686th Separate Motor Transport Battalion became the 1122nd Separate Material Supply Battalion in 1980. On 8 February 1985, the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Division became the 90th Guards Tank Division. A new
6th Guards Motor Rifle Division The 6th Guards Motor Rifle Vitebsk-Novgorod Twice Red Banner Division (; Military Unit Number 68434) was a Soviet motor rifle division, which after the end of World War II was stationed on the Polish territory as part of Northern Group of Forces. ...
was formed from the previous 90th Guards Tank Division in Poland. The new 90th Guards Tank Division's 16th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment became the 6th Guards Tank Regiment. Its 82nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment was transferred to the new 6th Guards in Poland and replaced by that division's 215th Guards Tank Regiment. The 10th Separate Tank Battalion was disbanded, and the 465th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion transferred to the new 6th Guards. On 28 August 1988, the 351st Separate Missile Battalion was transferred to the 464th Missile Brigade. On 1 July 1989, the 215th Guards Tank Regiment was moved to the
25th Tank Division Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...
and replaced by that division's 803rd Motor Rifle Regiment. During its last years in Germany the Division consisted of the 6th and 68th Guards Tank Regiments, the 81st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, and the 803rd Motor Rifle Regiment . Also part of the Division were the 400th SP
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, the 288th
Air defence Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
Missile In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocke ...
Regiment, and smaller supporting units. In January 1991, the 803rd Motor Rifle Regiment transferred back to the Soviet Union and was replaced by the
35th Motor Rifle Division Military units * 35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force * 35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I * 35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 Jul ...
's 69th Motor Rifle Regiment. The division became part of the 2nd Guards Tank Army in May.


Russian service

In August 1992, the division moved to Chernorechye (now Roshchinsky) in
Samara Oblast Samara Oblast ( rus, Сама́рская о́бласть, r=Samarskaya oblast, p=sɐˈmarskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Samara. From 1935 to 1991, it was known as Kuyb ...
, becoming part of the
Volga Military District The Volga Military District (PriVO) was a military district of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 to 1989 and 1992 to 2001. The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at different ...
, declining to a very low strength. In 1993, the 69th Motor Rifle Regiment became the 169th Tank Regiment. Between December 1993 and May 1998, the division was part of the
2nd Guards Army The 2nd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that fought in World War II, most notably at Stalingrad. History The 2nd Guards Army was formed according to the order of the Staff of the Supreme High Command (Stavka) from Oc ...
. Between 14 December 1994 and 9 April 1995 the 81st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment fought in the First Chechen War. In December 1997, the division became the 5968th Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base. The 81st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment was sent to the
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division The 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division (Military Unit Number 35100)Michael Holm27th Guards Motorised Rifle Division/ref> was a Red Army rifle division in World War II which later became a Soviet Army motor rifle division. History The division dr ...
. A Russian
media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
report on 14 July 2001 said the 5968th Base was to be broken up to reinforce the 27th Motor Rifle Division and other units. The base disbanded in 2005. Its final division honorifics were:
Lvov Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...
,
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 t ...
,
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 ...
,
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, 19 ...
(russian: Львовская краснознаменная, орденов Ленина, Суворова).


Regiments, 1980s

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20110516125726/http://orbat.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?=&p=57 * 6th Guards "Lvovskiy" order of Lenin Red Banner orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Tank Regiment (ex. 16th Guards Mechanized Brigade) * 68th Guards "Zhitomirsko-Berlinskiy" Red Banner orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov, Bogdan Khmelnitskiy and Aleksandr Nevskiy Tank Regiment (ex. 68th Guards Tank Brigade, directly attached to the 4th Guards Tank Army) * 81st Guards "Petrokovskiy" twice Red Banner orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Tank Regiment (ex. 17th Guards Mechanized Brigade) * 803rd Motorized Rifle Regiment (1989 from the 25th Tank Division; replaced the 215th Guards "Kamenesk-Podolskiy" Guards Tank Regiment x. 35th Guards Mechanized Brigade * 400th "Transilvanskiy" Red Banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Motorized Artillery Regiment (not originally part of the 6th Guards Mechanized Corps) * 288th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (originally directly subordinated to the 1st Ukrainian Front)


Notes


References

* Keith Bonn (ed.), Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, 2005 * Craig Crofoot, 'Group of Soviet Forces Germany,' V3.0.0, 7 February 2007, manuscript available via www.microarmormayhem.com. *
Chernorech'e base at warfare.ru
* 6 GMC museum: http://www.russianmuseums.info/M557 {{DEFAULTSORT:90th Guards Lvov Tank Division (1985-1997) 090 090 Military units and formations established in 1982 Military units and formations disestablished in 2001 1982 establishments in the Soviet Union Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner