6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

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The 6th Rifle Division was a division of the Red Army, active from 1918 to 1945 and afterwards.

The Division was first formed on May, 3rd, 1918 in the city of Gdov of Petrograd province from volunteers of group of Item of E.Dybenko, Petrograd Red Guards and workers of the city of Narva under name of the Gatchinskoy infantry division; since July, 24th, 1918 - 3rd Petrograd infantry division, since November, 2nd, 1918 - 6th Rifle Division, since December, 6th, 1921 - 6th Oryol Rifle Division.

In May - November, 1918 it defended approaches to Petrograd on the Narva direction. In November 1918 - January, 1919 participated in the Emancipating campaign of Red Army to Baltic and Belarus. Since January, 1919 conducted fights with White Guard and белоэстонскими armies at a withdrawal from Estonia, in May - June - with armies Юденича at defense of Petrograd, released(exempted) Ямбург (Yamburg) (on August, 5th, 1919), during reflection of second approach Юденича has occupied Red Village (October 1919), participated in the Narva operation (November - December 1919). In January - May, 1920 protected border of the Soviet Republic with Estonia. In May - June, 1920 participated in approach against белополяков in area of the cities of Polotsk and Лепель, in July - August in fights in area Dokshitsy, Deep and in the Warsaw operation, in September - in fights under Grodno. In October 1920 - February, 1921 it liquidated White Guard gangs in area of the cities of Lepel and Сенно.

The Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1928. In August, 1939 it was deployed in the Оrel MD, and according to 'Armies of the Bear', was broken up to provide cadres for the 122nd and 180th Rifle Divisions.

The Second Formation of the 6th Rifle Division, probably formed from the 16th Rifle Regiment of the original division, took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland in September, 1939. As of September, 17th, 1939 was a part of 11th Rifle Corps of 10th Army of the Belarus front. As of October, 2nd, 1939 was a part of 24th Rifle Corps of Fourth Army of the Belarus Front.

After clearing the Western Belarus since October, 1939 the Division joined the Belorussian Special Military District's 6th Rifle Corps, 4th Army . Almost all the division (except for its howitzer regiment) was deployed within the Brest Fortress in the Western Special Military District. On the night of June, 14th the division was lifted on fighting alarm. The Division comprised the 84th, 125th, and 333rd Rifle Regiments, the 131st Artillery Regiment, and the 204th Howitzer Artillery Regiment. It began operations against the Germans with 13,700 personnel [1]

The German attack, Operation Barbarossa, launched on June 22, 1941, found much of the 6th Rifle Division forming part of the garrison of the Brest fortress. At that time many natives of the Voronezh area (an appeal dawn upon 1940 and spring 1941) served in the division's units. The defenders of the fortress during the Siege of Brest set an example of the highest courage and heroism.

On August 1, to the north from Кричева (Kricheva) in a strip of defense of 148th Rifle Division the Germans struck massed blows by aircraft, and then forces of 24th Motorized Corps has gone over to the offensive. On highway Krichev - Roslavl (Рославль) 4th tank division has moved, and from Мстиславля aside Smolensk armies of 46th Motorized Corps have directed. 6th Rifle Division, which was on the right flank of the 13th Army, deployed, and its 84th Rifle Regiment was cut off from the basic forces of a division. The communistic battalion of volunteers-ленинградцев given to a division has rendered помщь surrounded a shelf. Fighters-communists under command of item of the lieutenant And. Pryanishnikov's Item have rushed to resolute attack and on shoulders of fascists have rushed(have rushed into) in Ганновку (to the north Милославичей), have destroyed up to a battalion of alive force of the opponent and have captured a staff of a battalion. On the night of August, 4th the division has broken from enemy rear and regained the main Soviet defence line.

In the fierce fights for settlements Zamoste, Гута-Сенска the division has rendered sensitive losses to parts of the German 258th Infantry Division. The Germans left on the battlefield a hundred corpses, 30 motor vehicles, 45 motorcycles and large numbers of weapons. As of September, 1st, 1941 the Division was a part of 45th Rifle Corps of the 13th Army of the Bryansk Front. On the night of September 2, 1941, the 29th Motorized Division of 47th Motorized Corps forced Desna at the railway bridge to the south from White Berezki (Березки) and has grasped jumping-off place северо-to(North of?) the west stations Znob. 13th Army headquarters took urgent measures to not allow expansion of the German jumping-off place. Fight was entered with 50th tank and both 307th and 6th shooting divisions.

As of October, 1st, 1941 was a part of 13th Army of the Bryansk Front. On September, 30th and on October, 1st the division defended earlier taken positions. On October, 2nd one of the division's regiments continued to defend a boundary from a mouth of the river Znobovka up to (the claim.) area Krenidovka, other parts in movement in area Suzemka with the task of mastering by it. The Division took part in defensive fights near Bryansk, the Eagle and Kursk. The division was in the end of the first year of war among those formations which stopped the Germans on a boundary of the river Tima. At the city of Shchigry it strongly held positions during half a year.

In the end of June, 1942 the division has appeared on a direction of the main impact of the German forces who have started the approach aside of Voronezh. For eight days of fighting, from June 28th until July 6th, the division destroyed 53 tanks, 64 motor vehicles, 4 planes, plus a lot of other enemy equipment, and many soldiers and officers.[2] During this week parts of a division have strongly thinned also. However they have kept forces that right after deviation for Don, without rest and поплнения, to take defensive positions in a left-bank part of Voronezh and to repulse the pressed enemy.

And hardly the Germans have been stopped in a right-bank part of city as 6th division has successfully lead individual offensive operation and has begun jumping-off place Chizhovskomu.

After the battle in Voronezh the division took part in the clearing of Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. In August 1945 the Division distinguished itself in Operation August Storm in Manchuria, fighting as part of the 53rd Army of the Transbaikal Front. The division has received for services in battle (September 1945) the honourable name "Хинганская (Khiganskaya)" and was awarded another Order of the Red Banner and an Order of Suvorov. After the war it was briefly made part of the Fifth Army before being disbanded by being redesignated the 6th Rifle Brigade in November or December 1945.

6th Rifle Division was briefly reformed for the third time in 1955-57 in the Transcaucasian Military District from the 406th Rifle Division, assigned to the 4th Army. However it was reorganised as the 60th Motor Rifle Division in 1957. The famous combat history of the division and the feats of arms of its soldiers in the protection of Voronezh and in other battles are told in the exhibits of the museum of Boarding School No.4 on Leninsk prospeckt in Voronezh.

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Simonov. 100 days of war. Smolensk, “Rusich”, 1999, p.348 (document provided)) via Lenskii, 2001.
  2. ^ TsAMO of the USSR (ЦАМО the USSR), ф. 203, оп. 2848, л. 27/

[edit] Sources