25th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

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25th 'Chapayevskaya' Rifle Division (1918-1945)
Merged with 25th Guards Rifle Division, 1945
25th Guards Rifle Division (1945-57)
25th Guards Motor Rifle Division (1957-1992)
25th Mechanised Division (1992-c.2000)
Active 1918-1942
Country Soviet Union
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Nickname Chapayevskaya
Engagements Russian Civil War
Kiev Offensive (1920)
Battle of Odessa (1941)
Battle of Sevastopol
Battle honours Order of the Red Banner
Order of Lenin
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Vasily Chapayev (Civil War)
Insignia
Division sleeve patch
Guards unit
Mechanized branch insignia

The 25th Rifle Division 'Chapayevskaya' (Russian: 25-я Чапаевская стрелковая дивизия) was a formation in the Red Army, established by Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War. The division was named after Vasily Chapayev, who was its commander during the civil war. This division was created, disbanded and recreated several times up until the Collapse of the Soviet Union, when it would enter service in the Ukrainian Army.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Russian Civil War

See also: Russian Civil War

The division was hastily formed in 1918, in the beginning of the civil war. General Vasily Chapayev, who fought for the Russian Army in World War I, had been given command of the division. The division first began command in the in the Ural, where it was engaged against the Ural Cossacks in the Zavolzhye region of Russia. On October 7, 1918 the division fought at Samara and on March 11, 1919 it fought at Uralsk. On January 2, 1920 the division entered Atyrau (then Guriev), claiming it for the Bolsheviks.

In May of 1920, the division was transferred to the South Western Front (Ukraine). Here the division was engaged in the Kiev defense operation against the Polish Army. This victory was followed by the division's capture of Kovel, and several other operations on the Southern Buh. From April 1921, until the end of the civil war, the division was responsible for suppressing Ukrainian forces in the region.

[edit] World War II

See also: Eastern Front (World War II)

On June 24, 1941 by order № 20466 of the STAVKA supreme command, the division was transferred to the 14th Rifle Corps, of the 9th Army of the Southern Front. The division took part in the defense of Odessa, during which it was incorporated into the Odessa defense district. After their defeat in October 1941, the Odessa defensive district was evacuated by sea to Sevastopol. Following their arrival, the forces quickly began preparing defenses against the impending German attack. The heroic battle of Sevastopol lasted from October, 1941, to July of 1942, until all Soviet forces in the region were completely overwhelmed and killed.

The division was recreated sometime around 1942-1944 when it would fight at the battle of Zvenigorod in 1944, with 4th Rifle Corps of the Belarussian Military District. At the end of the war the 25th 'Chapayevskaya' division's honourable and historical number was given to the 25th Guards 'Sinelkov-Budapest' Rifle Division (formed from 2nd Guards Rifle Brigade previously known as the 71st Naval Rifle Brigade). Thus the division became the 25th Guards Rifle Sinelkov-Budapest Red Banner Order of Suvorov and B. Khmelnitsky Division named for V.I. Chapayev (Russian: 25-я Гвардейская мотострелковая Синельниково-Будапештская орденов Суворова и Б. Хмельницкого дивизия имени В.Чапаева).

[edit] Cold War service

In 1957 the division was reorganized as a Motor Rifle Division. It was eventually transferred to the 1st Guards Army of the Kiev Military District.

[edit] Post-Soviet time

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union the division's assets and Ukrainian personnel were transferred to the Ukrainian Ground Forces as the 25th Mechanized Division. Ukraine however chose to retain the divisional awards and honorifics from the Soviet era. Its 280th Tank Regiment was used to form a new armored brigade, the 1st Armored Brigade at Honcharivske.[1] The 25th Mechanized Division was disbanded in 2000.[citation needed] 

[edit] Order of Battle, 25th Guards Motor Rifle Division, 1988-9

  • 25th Guards Motor Rifle 'Sinelko-Budapest' Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov and Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Division named for V.I. Chapayev (Lubny)[2]
    • 132nd Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutznesov Regiment (Lubny): 10 T-64; 9 BTR-60, 4 BMP (2 BMP-1, 2 BMP-1К); 12 D-30; 1 PRP-3, 3 1V18, 1 - 1V19; 5 R-145BM, 2 PU-12; 1 MT-55A
    • 136th Guards Motor Rifle Red Banner Regiment (Lubny): Equipment is identical to that of the 132nd Regiment
    • 426th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Lubny): 10 Т-64; 21 BMP (19 BMP-1, 2 BMP-1К); 3 BTR-60" 12 - 2S1 "Gvozdika"; 2 BMP-1K, 1 PRP-3, 3 RHM, 2 MTP-2; 4 R-145BM, 2 PU-12; 1 MTU-20, 1 MT-55А
    • 280th Tank Regiment (Goncharovskoe): 31 Т-64; 4 BMP (2 BMP-1, 2 BMP-1К); 12 - 2S1 "Gvozdika"; 2 BMP-1K, 1 PRP-3, 2 R-145BM, 2 PU-12; 2 МТ-55А; 29 МТ-LBT
    • 53rd Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Lubny): 12 BM-21 "Grad"; 2 PRP-3, 3 - 1ВV18, 1 - 1V19; 22 МТ-LBT
    • 1175th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment

[edit] Awards

[edit] Famous People of the Division

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Andrew Duncan, 'Russia and Ukraine: Restructuring for a New Era,' Jane's Intelligence Review, June 1998, p.7
  2. ^ А.Г.Ленского и М.М.Цыбина „Советские сухопутные войска в последний год существования СССР” (Санкт-Петербург, 2001)
  3. ^ В Чувашии отмечают 40-летие со дня создания чапаевской дивизии - Новости России - ИА REGNUM
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