344th Rifle Division

58th Motor Rifle Division
(1957–1990s)

58th Rifle Division
(1955–57)

344th Rifle Division
(1941–55)
Active 1941–1990s
Country
Branch
Type Division
Role Motor rifle
Decorations  Order of the Red Banner
Battle honours Roslavl

The 344th Rifle Division was a military formation of the Soviet Armed Forces that served in the Great Patriotic War.

History

World War II

The division was formed in Barishskie, Kuzovatovsky District, Ulyanovsk Oblast, from August to October 1941 by Decree number 459 of GKO 08/11/1941. It was part of the 'operational army' from 02.12.1941 to 09.05.1945.

In November 1941, in accordance with Direction number 55 of the Stavka and commander of the 26th Army Reserve op/2999 number from November 25, 1941, the division was loaded onto trains at Cheboksary and shipped to Noginsk, and then to Lyubertsy where it was manned and received weapons.

On 29 September 1943 the division recaptured Mstsislaw.[1]

The division gained the honorifics "Roslavl Red Banner" during the war.[2]

Postwar

During September and October 1945, the 344th was relocated to Kushka in the Turkestan Military District with the 1st Shock Army's 1st Rifle Corps. The division was later moved to Kyzyl-Arvat. In April 1955, it was renumbered as the 58th Rifle Division. On 25 June 1957, it became the 58th Motor Rifle Division,[2][3] and around the same time the 1st Rifle Corps became the 1st Army Corps. The 58th was directly subordinated to the district in 1970 when the corps transferred to Kazakhstan.[4] Michael Holm's research indicates the division comprised the 160th Motor Rifle Regiment (73806) - Kazandzhike (BMP-1), the 161st Motor Rifle Regiment (73884) - Kyzyl-Arvat (BTR-60), the 162nd Motor Rifle Regiment (14142) - Nebit-Dag (trucks), and the 231st Tank Regiment (61631) - Kazandzhike (T-55), plus artillery and the other normal units of a motor rifle division.[5] In the spring of 1982, the division became part of the new 36th Army Corps.[6] Carey Schofield's Inside the Soviet Army, Headline, 1991, p.117, says the division's regiments in 1989 were 254 strong (MRR BTR), 256 strong (MRR BMP) and 210 (tank regiment), and was under the command of Acting Commander Colonel Mishin. In June 1992 the division became part of the Military of Turkmenistan.[5]

By the early 2000s the 58th had become the 11th Motor Rifle Division named for Atamyrat Niyazov.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Megargee 2009, p. 1707.
  2. 1 2 V.I. Feskov et al 2013, Table 4.1.5, 151.
  3. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 537–538.
  4. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, p. 554.
  5. 1 2 Michael Holm. "58th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  6. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 549–550.
  7. ↑ "Вооруженные силы Туркмении" [Army of Turkemenistan] (in Russian). Vad777. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2017.

References

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