Soviet 2nd Rifle Division

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2nd Rifle Division
Formed	September 24, 1919
Demobilised	January 28, 1946

The Soviet 2nd Rifle Division was an infantry division that served during The Great Patriotic War (World War II). Originally formed in 1919 from the 1st Ryazansk Rifle Division, the division was twice destroyed and reformed during the war. The division contained two or three rifle regiments.

1 Formations
2 External links and Sources

[edit] Formations

During the war there were four distinct formations that bore the title of '2nd Rifle Division'.

[edit] 1st Formation

Formed in 1919, the division was part of the Soviet Tenth Army. It was annihilated by the German army in a pocket west of Minsk on September 19, 1941.

The full honorific title of the division was the 2nd Belorussian Red Banner Rifle Division in the name of M.V. Frunze.

13th Rifle Regiment
200th Rifle Regiment
261st Rifle Regiment

[edit] 2nd Formation

Formed from a Moscow militia division on September 26 1941, the second formation served in the Soviet Thirty-Second Army. It was encircled and destroyed by the Germans in the Vyazma pocket in October, 1941. This formation was disbanded on December 27 1941.

1282nd Rifle Regiment
1284th Rifle Regiment
1286th Rifle Regiment

[edit] 3rd Formation

Formed in the Crimea on November 23 1941 from the 2nd Cavalry Division, this formation served with the Coastal Army and was renamed the 109th Rifle Division on January 29, 1942.

383rd Rifle Regiment
1330th Rifle Regiment

[edit] 4th Formation

Commenced forming in Arkhangelsk on December 21 1941, this incarnation of the division served to the end of the war and earned the honorific title of 2nd Masurian Rifle Division. It finished the war as part of the 81st Rifle Corps in the 3rd Belorussian Front. With the 81st Rifle Corps, it was withdrawn to the Eastern Siberian Military District immediately after the war, and probably disbanded soon afterwards.