154th Rifle Division

The 154th Rifle Division was first formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in June 1940 in the Volga Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of the previous September. Just before the war with Germany began it had started moving west as part of 66th Rifle Corps in 21st Army, with orders to concentrate around Gomel as its Army came under command of Western Front. In early July this Army was involved in an ambitious effort to counterattack into the flank of 2nd Panzer Group, and later across the Dniepr River against the German infantry that was advancing toward Babruysk and then Rahachow to Zhlobin. In early August the division was forced back across the Dniepr with its 63rd Rifle Corps, and was soon encircled northwest of Gomel and forced to break out with heavy casualties. Its remnants fell back to join Bryansk Front, and spent September rebuilding and constructing fortifications. When the final German offensive on Moscow began at the end of the month the 154th was west of Bryansk and in the first week of October attempted to contest the city before falling back to the east. After escaping another encirclement with heavy casualties, now as part of 50th Army, it retreated first to Belyov and then formed a core of the defense of the city of Tula, which was successfully defended into early December, after which Western Front went over to the counteroffensive. Late in the month two of the 154th's rifle regiments formed the main infantry component of a special mobile group that successfully thrust behind German lines to liberate the city of Kaluga. After this was taken on December 30 the division pushed on toward Yukhnov, which finally fell on March 5, 1942. It was now removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and assigned to the new 3rd Tank Army as its only rifle division. At the outset of the German summer offensive it was moved south from the Tula area with its Army to take up a position on the northern flank of the German drive. In late August and early September it took part in a largely abortive counteroffensive in the Kozelsk area; it distinguished itself sufficiently that on October 20 it became the 47th Guards Rifle Division.

A new 154th was formed in the Moscow Military District in May 1943, based on a pair of rifle brigades. As it formed it came under command of 68th Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command but the Army was assigned to Western Front in July, prior to the start of the summer offensive toward Smolensk. After seeing action in August it was reassigned to 5th Army late in the month, then again to Kalinin Front in September, soon joining 4th Shock Army. Under this command it was involved in the battles to expand the breakthrough south of Nevel toward Haradok and eventually on Vitebsk. The complicated and frustrating fighting for the latter place continued through the winter without decisive success, and prior to the summer offensive the 154th was transferred to 6th Guards Army, north and west of the German-held salient. Initially in the Army's reserve it was soon assigned to the 103rd Rifle Corps and took part in the fighting for Polotsk. As the offensive continued into the Baltic states the division briefly moved to 43rd Army during Operation Doppelkopf, but returned to 6th Guards until December when it was reassigned to 2nd Guards Army's 60th Rifle Corps in 3rd Belorussian Front, and it would remain under these commands for the duration. The offensive into East Prussia began on January 13, 1945 and 2nd Guards initially played a secondary role, but soon the 154th and its Corps was in the forefront of the advance on Königsberg and, in March, the elimination of the German forces southwest of that place, for which it was awarded the Order of Suvorov. It took part in the battle for the city in April, and ended the war clearing the Samland Peninsula. Following the German surrender it remained in this area until February 1946, when it was disbanded.

The 154th began forming on June 20, 1940, at Ulyanovsk in the Volga Military District. Its personnel were recruited from several nationalities of the Volga region, including Russians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashes, and others. At the time of the German invasion a year later it was near full establishment strength with 12,796 personnel and a nearly full complement of equipment, with the exception of 76mm cannons. Its order of battle was as follows:

Col. Yakov Stepanovich Fokanov had taken command of the division on July 16, 1940. This officer had previously led the 61st and 129th Rifle Divisions and came to the 154th from the 18th Reserve Rifle Brigade, and would be promoted to the rank of major general on July 31, 1941. When the war began the division was in 66th Rifle Corps, which also contained the 61st and 117th Rifle Divisions. As part of 21st Army it was on the move by rail toward Belarus. The Army was in the STAVKA Group of Reserve Armies

By July 1, 66th Corps had the 154th and 232nd Rifle Divisions under command. On July 2, as the division joined the fighting, Marshal S. K. Timoshenko took over command of Western Front, which included the 21st, which would soon be led by Col. Gen. F. I. Kuznetsov. The Army, which was anchoring the Front's southern flank, launched a partially-successful reconnaissance-in-force on July 5, and then a series of resolute and somewhat effective counterattacks against the right flank of 2nd Panzer Group in the area of Rahachow and Zhlobin.

By July 10 the 154th had been reassigned to 63rd Rifle Corps, still in 21st Army. This Corps also contained the 61st and 167th Rifle Divisions. Given his Army's successes to date, on July 11 Timoshenko ordered Kuznetsov to "tie down the operations of the enemy and force him to fear the possibilities of our attacks" by dispatching "mobile detachments with sappers, antitank guns, and tank destroyer commands for operations in the direction of Zborovo, Chigirinka, Gorodishche, Zhlobin, Parichi and Bobruisk". These detachments were to destroy German tanks and disorganize the rear through "the destruction of transport, communications, radio transmitters, warehouses, and so forth, the destruction of supply routes, and the emplacement of mine traps." In addition, Timoshenko wanted Kuznetsov to "prepare an operation and keep units in readiness for a surprise seizure of Bobruisk and Parichi." At 0241 hours on July 13 Kuznetsov ordered his Army to expand its offensive by conducting an assault against 2nd Panzer Group's right wing in the Bykhaw region jointly with 4th Army. 63rd Corps was to attack along a front from Rahachow to Zhlobin, in cooperation with 66th Corps, beginning at 1700, to "destroy the enemy's Rogachev and Zhlobin grouping, capture Bobruisk, and, subsequently, prepare to attack toward the north."

The 154th was deployed on the east bank of the Dniepr roughly between Lebedevka and Zhlobin. The Corps as a whole, under command of Maj. Gen. L. G. Petrovskii, assaulted across the river and advanced 8-10km into the defenses of the advance elements of LIII Army Corps' 52nd and 255th Infantry Divisions. In doing so it retook Rahachow and Zhlobin and forced a German withdrawal to the west. Meanwhile, 66th Corps crossed the Dniepr between Rechytsa and Loyew and struck the defenses of the forward elements of 2nd Army's XII Army Corps and began exploiting northwestward toward Babruysk deep in the German rear. The 232nd Division made an impressive advance of 80km to the west. 63rd Corps was brought to a halt by the main forces of the two German divisions which threw up a credible defense line after some delay. The success of 63rd Corps was unique for the Red Army at this time, but it was also fleeting, as LIII Corps recaptured both Rahachow and Zhlobin within a week. The series of counterattacks by 21st Army were such a serious threat to 2nd Panzer Group's right flank that Army Group Center was forced to intervene with two divisions of the reserve XXXXIII Army Corps. The absence of these infantry divisions would soon be felt in the fighting around Smolensk.

During this operation one battalion of the 437th Rifle Regiment was under command of Cpt. Fyodor Alekseevich Batalov. Under his command the men of the battalion prevailed against stubborn opposition in the fighting for Rahachow and Zhlobin, capturing the railway depot of the latter place and several populated places. On August 9 he was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. Before he could actually receive his awards he was killed while breaking out of encirclement northeast of Gomel on August 17.