212th Rifle Division
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 212th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army after a motorized division of that same number was badly damaged and then redesignated about five weeks after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
212th Motorized Division (March 1941 - July 29, 1941) 212th Rifle Division (July 29, 1941 - December 8, 1942) 212th Rifle Division (June 8, 1943 - July 1945) | |
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Active | 1941–1945 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Motorized Infantry |
Size | Division |
Engagements | Operation Barbarossa Battle of Brody (1941) Battle of Kiev (1941) Case Blue Battle of Stalingrad Kotluban Offensives Operation Kutuzov Battle of Smolensk (1943) Orsha offensives (1943) Operation Bagration Lublin–Brest offensive Riga offensive (1944) Vistula–Oder offensive Operation Solstice Battle of Berlin |
Decorations | Order of the Red Banner (2nd formation) Order of Suvorov (2nd formation) Order of Kutuzov (2nd formation) |
Battle honours | Krichev (2nd formation) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Maj. Gen. of Technical Troops Sergei Vasilevich Baranov Col. Vasilii Vladimirovich Bardadin Col. Ivan Maksimovich Shutov Col. Georgii Ivanovich Anisimov Col. Andrei Prokopevich Maltsev Col. Vladimir Georgievich Kuchinev Col. Sergei Mikhailovich Maslov |
After redesignation the division was nearly trapped in the Kiev encirclement but managed to escape. It then moved to Bryansk Front and served under several army commands during the winter and spring of 1942 until it was caught up in the German summer offensive. It was encircled with most of 40th Army and took heavy losses before its remnants managed to cross to the east bank of the Don River. What remained of the division was moved to the Volga Military District for rebuilding, after which it was assigned to 66th Army north of Stalingrad. It was again badly depleted in the October battle south of Kotluban and was soon after disbanded.
A new 212th Rifle Division was formed in June 1943 based on two rifle brigades in 50th Army of Western Front. It was soon involved in a flanking role in the operation to liberate the Oryol salient after which it joined the advance south of Smolensk, winning a battle honor, and later in fighting in support of the efforts of Western Front to seize Orsha as part of 10th Army. After nearly two months in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command it was redeployed to 61st Army, south of the Pripyat Marshes; it remained in this Army for the duration of the war. In the later stages of the destruction of Army Group Center it advanced through the western Pripyat, earning the Order of the Red Banner in the process while all four of its regiments soon won the same decoration for helping to retake the city and fortress of Brest. Along with its Army it was again moved to the Reserve and redeployed, now to the Baltic States, gaining a further decoration in the fighting for Riga. It was in 80th Rifle Corps in 61st Army of 1st Belorussian Front during the advance through Poland and into Germany in early 1945, largely in a secondary role but winning further distinctions on the way. It ended its combat path along the Elbe River. Despite its outstanding record it was disbanded within months of the German surrender.