24th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

1st Simbirsk Infantry Division (1918) 24th Rifle Division (1918-1957) 24th Motor Rifle Division (1957-c.1992) 24th Mechanized Division (c.1992-2003) 24th Mechanized Brigade (2003-present)
Current Brigade Insignia
Active	July 26, 1918 - Present
Country	Ukraine
Branch	Ukrainian Army
Type	Mechanized Brigade
Part of	13th Army Corps (formerly Soviet 13th Army)
Garrison/HQ	A0998[1] Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast
Nickname	Iron Brigade Iron Division[2]
Motto	In Iron Division - iron soul, iron will and iron step.
Equipment	BMP-2 T-64
Engagements	Russian Civil War Winter war World War II
Decorations	Order of the October Revolution Order of the Red Banner(3) Order of Suvorov Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Volodymyr Trunovskyi[3]

The 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Division was a rifle, then a motor-rifle division of the Red Army of the USSR. It is now a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, based at Yavoriv in the west of Ukraine.

The full name of the division was 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Motor-Rifle Berdychivskaya, Iron, Awards of October Revolution, three times Red Banner, Suvorov's, Bogdan Khmelnitsky division.

[edit] History

[edit] Formation and Early Wars

The division was formed on the order of the Revolutionary Military Council on July 26 1918 from voluntary groups(?) under the name 1st Simbirsk Infantry Division. In November 1918 it was renamed as the 24th Simbirsk Rifle Division. It actively participated in the Russian Civil War in the Volga region, in the Southern Urals Mountains, and in Polesye and Volhynia. At this time one of its regimental commanders was a future Army General Maksim Purkayev.

In 1922 it was renamed as the 24th Samaro-Simbirsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1924 it was again renamed as the 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1939-1940, during the Russo-Finnish War the division distinguished itself during the breaking of the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian isthmus.

[edit] World War II

The division participated in fighting from the first days after the German invasion of the USSR in 1941. The division staff showed mass heroism when the German opponents arrived in the Lidy area. It also took part in the Kyiv defensive operation, and as part of the 21st Rifle Corps and 13th Army, conducted heavy defensive fights in Belarus. Reportedly because the division's banner was lost it was disbanded on December 27 1941.

In February 1942 in the Vologda area a new 24th Rifle Division (2nd formation) was formed in Volgograd Oblast as part of 17th Guards Rifle Corps. During war this division was a part of some armies on Western, Kalinin, Stalingrad, Don, Southwest fronts, since April till May 1944. In 1945 it was part of the Eighteenth Army.

The Division participated in Battle of Stalingrad, the Donbass offensive operation, clearing of Left-bank Ukraine, in Zhytomyr - Berdychiv, Khmelnytskyi - Chernivtsi, Lviv - Sandomierz, East - Carpathian, Western - Carpathian, Moravia - Ostrava and the Prague offensive operations.

The division's combat path finished on June 24th 1945, 100 km away from Prague. The last platoon of the division participated in Parade of the Victory led by Captain Klyuyev.

On July, 10th, 1945 the division has been disbanded, and its number given to the 294th Rifle Division which became the 24th Rifle Division (3rd formation).

[edit] After the war

During the post-war period a place of a disposition of a division was the Carpathian Military District (in area of Lviv).

[edit] Under Ukrainian Control

After disintegration of Soviet Union the division became part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. On May 19, 2001 by the decree of Leonid Kuchma N 268/2001, division was awarded Danylo of Halych designation.^[4] In 2003 the division was redesignated as 24th Mechanized Brigade.

[edit] Loss of its Banner

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the division was disbanded, apparently following the loss of its Banner (divisional colours).

As it was made known later, that the instructor of the political department of the division, senior Commissar A. V. Barbashev had the Banner while the division was trying to break out of the German encirclement. Barbashev died on August 6, 1941 near Anyutino village Cherykaw Raion Mogilev Oblast. Local farmer D.N. Tyapin later found the stained Banner on the officers corpse. He buried the body and the Banner in the local cemetery.

After clearing village Anyutino by the Soviet armies the Banner was taken and directed on to restoration. On February, 20th 1944 the restored Banner of former division was handed over to 24th Rifle Division (2nd formation). For his finding of the division's Banner, D.N. Tyapin has been honoured by being forever listed on the rolls of the 1st company of one of the division's regiments.

[edit] Divisional Order of Battle

[edit] Russo-Finnish War

• 7th Rifle Regiment
• 168th Rifle Regiment
• 274th Rifle Regiment
• 246th Guards Artillery Regiment
• 160th Reconnaissance Battalion
• 315th Separate Armor Battalion

[edit] Late Soviet Period ~1988

• 181st Tank Regiment^[5]
• 7th Motor Rifle Regiment (Lvov)
• 310th Motor Rifle Regiment (Рава-Русская)
• 274th Motor Rifle Regiment
• 849th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
• 257th Guards Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment

[edit] Brigade Order of Battle

[edit] 2000

• 181st Separate Armor Regiment
• 7th Mechanized Regiment
• 274th Mechanized Regiment
• 310th Mechanized Regiment
• 56th Signal Battalion
• 29th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
• 30th Chemical Battalion
• 306th Engineer Battalion
• 849th Artillery Regiment
• 396th Combat Service Support Battalion

[edit] Awards

• 1918 - awarded Honorable banner of Supreme Soviet
• On September, 28th 1918 awarded the Honorable Revolutionary Red Banner
• On December, 13th 1920 was given the honorable name "Samara"
• On October, 25th 1921 was given the honorable name "Iron"
• 1928 awarded the Honorable Revolutionary Red Banner
• On February, 1st 1933 received the Order of the Red Banner
• On April, 11th 1940 received the Order of the Red Banner (for operations in Winter war)
• January 1944 has received the honorable name «Berdychivskaya»
• 1944 received Order of Suvorov of 2-nd class (for clearing of the city of Chernivtsi)
• 1944 received Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2-nd degree (for an output(exit) in foothills of Carpathian mountains)
• October 5, 1967 received the Order of the Red Banner^[2]
• 1978 received the Order of the October Revolution^[2]
• 17 soldiers of a division were awarded ranks of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
• About 9,000 of the Division's soldiers received awards and medals
• On May 19, 2001 awarded Danylo of Halych designation.

[edit] Well-known people that served with the Division

In the division served:

• Chairman of the Supreme body of USSR Shvernik, Nikolay Mikhajlovich
• The marshal of Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich Konev
• 6 generals of army, 2 commanders of 2-nd rank, 11 general-colonels, 25 general-lieutenants, 68 general-majors.
• Igor Rodionov, later Russian Defence Minister - during Soviet period as 24th Motor Rifle Division
• Defector 'Viktor Suvorov' (Viktor Rezun)

[edit] Past commanders

• Gay G. D. - July 27, 1918 - November 20, 1918^[2]
• Pavlovskiy V. I. - November 20, 1918 - February 2, 1919
• Vilymson E. F. - February 2, 1919 - April 25, 1919
• Myretov M. V. - April 25, 1919 - April 30, 1919
• Pavlovskiy V. I. - April 30, 1919 - July 21, 1920
• Myretov M. V. - July 21, 1920 - January 11, 1921
• Colonel Vasiliev - January 1938 -
• Filip Fedorovich Aliabushev - 1936 - 193?^[6]
• Colonel Veshchev P. E. - 193? - December 6, 1939
• Major General Galitskiy Kuzma Nikitivich - December 23, 1939 - December 27, 1941^[7]
• Major General Prohorov Fedor Alexandrovich January 1,1942 - May 11, 1945
• Lieutenant Colonel Lendar Kharakhalil - July 12 2007
• Colonel Volodymyr Trunovskyi July 12 2007 - present

[edit] Source and See Also

• Ru-wiki at ru:24-я Самаро-Ульяновская дивизия
• Divisions of the Soviet Union 1917-1945
• http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?part=armament&lang=en
• V.A. Andrianov, The legendary Iron Division is 85, Military Thought, 2003

[edit] References