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231st Rifle Division
The 231st Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed out-of-sequence in the Ural Military District in February 1942. It continued training and forming until late May when it was assigned to 8th Reserve Army and began moving toward the Stalingrad area. By the end of August it had reached the fighting front as part of 66th Army in Stalingrad Front and was almost immediately committed to the first of the Kotluban offensives, attempting to cut off the XIV Panzer Corps that had penetrated to the Volga River north of Stalingrad about a week earlier. The division suffered heavy casualties from the outset of these efforts, attacking across flat and open terrain against well dug-in opposition. Devastated in these attacks the 231st was soon relegated to second-echelon duties until, with only about 600 infantry and sappers still on strength, it was officially disbanded on November 2.
A new 231st was formed from a reserve rifle regiment on July 1, 1943 in Primorsky Krai of the Soviet far east. It did not see combat during the next two years but remained in this area, mostly as part of the 87th Rifle Corps of 1st Red Banner Army, observing the border with Japanese-occupied Manchuria. It joined the offensive against Japan on August 9 as part of 59th Rifle Corps, still in 1st Army. The campaign was as much against the terrain as the Japanese forces, but after helping to lead the Corps and its supporting armor through trackless forests it broke into the clear and by the end of the campaign less than two weeks later it had reached Harbin. It was recognized for this accomplishment with the award of the Order of the Red Banner, but was disbanded shortly thereafter.
A division numbered as the 231st began forming in March 1941 in the Moscow Military District but in May it was disbanded to provide a cadre for the 8th Airborne Brigade of 4th Airborne Corps.
Another division numbered as the 231st began forming in February 1942 at Kungur in the Ural Military District. Its first commander, Col. Fyodor Maksimovich Rukhlenko, was not officially appointed until April 16 and it remained in the District training and equipping its units until May. Once formed, its official order of battle, based on a version of the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of March 18, 1942, was as follows:
In late May it was assigned to the 8th Reserve Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and began moving southwestward in the direction of the Don and Volga Rivers.
At the start of July the 231st was still one of six rifle divisions in 8th Reserve. The German summer offensive was just beginning and the STAVKA was unclear if the planned objective was toward Moscow or the Caucasus. On August 14 Colonel Rukhlenko left the division; he would later lead the 123rd Rifle Division and then serve as deputy commander of 30th Rifle Corps being promoted to the rank of major general on April 19, 1945. He was replaced the next day by Col. Gavriil Efremovich Odaryuk. This officer had been commandant of Belotserkovsk Infantry School and led the division for the duration of the 1st formation.
On August 21 the XIV Panzer Corps of German 6th Army struck eastward from a bridgehead over the Don River and by the 23rd had reached the Volga and the northern outskirts of Stalingrad in some strength. This seemingly vulnerable corridor, which passed near the village of Kotluban and its railway station, would attract Soviet counterattacks into November. At this time 8th Reserve was in the Kamyshin region roughly 150km north of Stalingrad and late the next day the STAVKA issued the following orders:
1. Form 66th Army, consisting of 231st, 120th, 99th, 49th, 299th, 316th, 207th, and 292nd RDs. 2. Transfer the command of 8th Reserve Army to form the command of 66th Army... 3. Appoint Lieutenant General S. A. Kalinin as the commander of 66th Army, relieving him of his duties as commander of the Volga Military District. Appoint Major General M. I. Kozlov as deputy commander of 66th Army.
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231st Rifle Division
The 231st Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed out-of-sequence in the Ural Military District in February 1942. It continued training and forming until late May when it was assigned to 8th Reserve Army and began moving toward the Stalingrad area. By the end of August it had reached the fighting front as part of 66th Army in Stalingrad Front and was almost immediately committed to the first of the Kotluban offensives, attempting to cut off the XIV Panzer Corps that had penetrated to the Volga River north of Stalingrad about a week earlier. The division suffered heavy casualties from the outset of these efforts, attacking across flat and open terrain against well dug-in opposition. Devastated in these attacks the 231st was soon relegated to second-echelon duties until, with only about 600 infantry and sappers still on strength, it was officially disbanded on November 2.
A new 231st was formed from a reserve rifle regiment on July 1, 1943 in Primorsky Krai of the Soviet far east. It did not see combat during the next two years but remained in this area, mostly as part of the 87th Rifle Corps of 1st Red Banner Army, observing the border with Japanese-occupied Manchuria. It joined the offensive against Japan on August 9 as part of 59th Rifle Corps, still in 1st Army. The campaign was as much against the terrain as the Japanese forces, but after helping to lead the Corps and its supporting armor through trackless forests it broke into the clear and by the end of the campaign less than two weeks later it had reached Harbin. It was recognized for this accomplishment with the award of the Order of the Red Banner, but was disbanded shortly thereafter.
A division numbered as the 231st began forming in March 1941 in the Moscow Military District but in May it was disbanded to provide a cadre for the 8th Airborne Brigade of 4th Airborne Corps.
Another division numbered as the 231st began forming in February 1942 at Kungur in the Ural Military District. Its first commander, Col. Fyodor Maksimovich Rukhlenko, was not officially appointed until April 16 and it remained in the District training and equipping its units until May. Once formed, its official order of battle, based on a version of the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of March 18, 1942, was as follows:
In late May it was assigned to the 8th Reserve Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and began moving southwestward in the direction of the Don and Volga Rivers.
At the start of July the 231st was still one of six rifle divisions in 8th Reserve. The German summer offensive was just beginning and the STAVKA was unclear if the planned objective was toward Moscow or the Caucasus. On August 14 Colonel Rukhlenko left the division; he would later lead the 123rd Rifle Division and then serve as deputy commander of 30th Rifle Corps being promoted to the rank of major general on April 19, 1945. He was replaced the next day by Col. Gavriil Efremovich Odaryuk. This officer had been commandant of Belotserkovsk Infantry School and led the division for the duration of the 1st formation.
On August 21 the XIV Panzer Corps of German 6th Army struck eastward from a bridgehead over the Don River and by the 23rd had reached the Volga and the northern outskirts of Stalingrad in some strength. This seemingly vulnerable corridor, which passed near the village of Kotluban and its railway station, would attract Soviet counterattacks into November. At this time 8th Reserve was in the Kamyshin region roughly 150km north of Stalingrad and late the next day the STAVKA issued the following orders:
1. Form 66th Army, consisting of 231st, 120th, 99th, 49th, 299th, 316th, 207th, and 292nd RDs. 2. Transfer the command of 8th Reserve Army to form the command of 66th Army... 3. Appoint Lieutenant General S. A. Kalinin as the commander of 66th Army, relieving him of his duties as commander of the Volga Military District. Appoint Major General M. I. Kozlov as deputy commander of 66th Army.