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109th Guards Rifle Division
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109th Guards Rifle Division
The 109th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in July 1943, based on the 6th Guards Rifle Brigade and the 9th Guards Rifle Brigade and was the second of a small series of Guards divisions formed on a similar basis. It was considered a "sister" to the 108th Guards Rifle Division and they fought along much the same combat paths until the spring of 1945.
Following a further abortive offensive against the German Gotenkopfstellung on the Taman Peninsula that month the division was moved into reserve and then sent northwest to join the 44th Army in Southern Front. During the advance to the Dniepr River in early November that Army was disbanded and the division, along with its 10th Guards Rifle Corps, was reassigned to 28th Army. Under this command the 109th Guards fought along the southern flank of the German bridgehead over the Dniepr River based at Nikopol until it was finally evacuated in early February 1944. Following this the 109th Guards advanced through western Ukraine, winning a battle honor at Beryslav and decorations for its part in the battles for Nikolaev and Odessa. Its advance was brought to a halt along the Dniestr River in early May. When a new offensive began in August the 10th Guards Corps was initially in reserve but soon forced a crossing of the Prut River which began an advance through southern Romania. In late October the 109th Guards took part in the liberation of Belgrade, for which all four of its regiments were decorated or received battle honors. Following this the division pushed northward and participated in the encirclement and the siege of the Hungarian capital, winning further distinctions.
In mid-March 1945 the division began advancing through northern Hungary and into Czechoslovakia as part of the 18th Guards Rifle Corps in 53rd Army, ending the war against Germany near Brno. It then moved under these commands to the far east and took part in the offensive into Manchuria, winning a second battle honor in the process although it saw little actual fighting. After the war it was moved with its Corps to western Siberia and continued to serve until 1960.
By mid-1943 most of the Red Army's remaining rifle brigades were being amalgamated into rifle divisions as experience had shown this was a more efficient use of manpower.
This brigade began service as the 3rd formation of the 2nd Airborne Brigade in July 1942 but by the month's end had been redesignated in the Transcaucasus Military District. In August it was moved to the North Caucasus where it joined the 10th Guards Rifle Corps and it mostly remained under this command until it was reformed. For nearly a year it took part in battles against German Army Group A in the Caucasus region, eventually facing the defenses of 17th Army in the Kuban Bridgehead in the early summer of 1943.
The 9th Guards was formed from July 30 to August 10, 1942 from the 3rd formation of the 5th Airborne Brigade in the Transcaucasus Military District and was immediately assigned to the 11th Guards Rifle Corps. By early August it was fighting along the Terek River as the 1st Panzer Army advanced eastward, but as the momentum of this advance ebbed the Red Army began planning counterattacks. In October it was sent to the 18th Army and it fought under this command against the German defenses on the Taman Peninsula until July 1943 when it was reformed.
On July 5, 1943 the combined brigades officially became the 109th Guards in the North Caucasus Military District; as they were already Guards formations there was no presentation of a Guards banner. Once the division completed its reorganization its order of battle was as follows:
The division was placed under the command of Col. Ilya Vasilevich Baldynov who had been the deputy commander of the 55th Guards Rifle Division until he was seriously wounded in late May. He was of Buryat nationality and had been arrested in July 1938 during the Great Purge but was reinstated in the Red Army two years later. This officer would remain in this position for the duration of the war, becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union on September 8, 1945 and being promoted to the rank of major general on the same date. The 109th Guards did not inherit the Order of the Red Banner from the 6th Guards Brigade which it had won on December 13, 1942.
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109th Guards Rifle Division
The 109th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in July 1943, based on the 6th Guards Rifle Brigade and the 9th Guards Rifle Brigade and was the second of a small series of Guards divisions formed on a similar basis. It was considered a "sister" to the 108th Guards Rifle Division and they fought along much the same combat paths until the spring of 1945.
Following a further abortive offensive against the German Gotenkopfstellung on the Taman Peninsula that month the division was moved into reserve and then sent northwest to join the 44th Army in Southern Front. During the advance to the Dniepr River in early November that Army was disbanded and the division, along with its 10th Guards Rifle Corps, was reassigned to 28th Army. Under this command the 109th Guards fought along the southern flank of the German bridgehead over the Dniepr River based at Nikopol until it was finally evacuated in early February 1944. Following this the 109th Guards advanced through western Ukraine, winning a battle honor at Beryslav and decorations for its part in the battles for Nikolaev and Odessa. Its advance was brought to a halt along the Dniestr River in early May. When a new offensive began in August the 10th Guards Corps was initially in reserve but soon forced a crossing of the Prut River which began an advance through southern Romania. In late October the 109th Guards took part in the liberation of Belgrade, for which all four of its regiments were decorated or received battle honors. Following this the division pushed northward and participated in the encirclement and the siege of the Hungarian capital, winning further distinctions.
In mid-March 1945 the division began advancing through northern Hungary and into Czechoslovakia as part of the 18th Guards Rifle Corps in 53rd Army, ending the war against Germany near Brno. It then moved under these commands to the far east and took part in the offensive into Manchuria, winning a second battle honor in the process although it saw little actual fighting. After the war it was moved with its Corps to western Siberia and continued to serve until 1960.
By mid-1943 most of the Red Army's remaining rifle brigades were being amalgamated into rifle divisions as experience had shown this was a more efficient use of manpower.
This brigade began service as the 3rd formation of the 2nd Airborne Brigade in July 1942 but by the month's end had been redesignated in the Transcaucasus Military District. In August it was moved to the North Caucasus where it joined the 10th Guards Rifle Corps and it mostly remained under this command until it was reformed. For nearly a year it took part in battles against German Army Group A in the Caucasus region, eventually facing the defenses of 17th Army in the Kuban Bridgehead in the early summer of 1943.
The 9th Guards was formed from July 30 to August 10, 1942 from the 3rd formation of the 5th Airborne Brigade in the Transcaucasus Military District and was immediately assigned to the 11th Guards Rifle Corps. By early August it was fighting along the Terek River as the 1st Panzer Army advanced eastward, but as the momentum of this advance ebbed the Red Army began planning counterattacks. In October it was sent to the 18th Army and it fought under this command against the German defenses on the Taman Peninsula until July 1943 when it was reformed.
On July 5, 1943 the combined brigades officially became the 109th Guards in the North Caucasus Military District; as they were already Guards formations there was no presentation of a Guards banner. Once the division completed its reorganization its order of battle was as follows:
The division was placed under the command of Col. Ilya Vasilevich Baldynov who had been the deputy commander of the 55th Guards Rifle Division until he was seriously wounded in late May. He was of Buryat nationality and had been arrested in July 1938 during the Great Purge but was reinstated in the Red Army two years later. This officer would remain in this position for the duration of the war, becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union on September 8, 1945 and being promoted to the rank of major general on the same date. The 109th Guards did not inherit the Order of the Red Banner from the 6th Guards Brigade which it had won on December 13, 1942.