421st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 421st Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served briefly after the German invasion, Operation Barbarossa, in that role. The division was formed from assets of the Odessa Military District after its namesake city came under siege by a mainly-Romanian force, and it immediately became part of the Separate Coastal Army. It was one of several improvised Soviet formations that saw service in this fighting, and its order of battle changed considerably over the course of its short existence. Prior to the fall of Odessa on October 16 what remained of the division was evacuated to the Crimea. On November 13 it was disbanded to provide replacement troops and equipment for other units defending the fortress of Sevastopol. The 421st was never reformed.
421st Rifle Division (September 1, 1941 – November 13, 1941) | |
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Active | 1941 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Division |
Role | Infantry |
Engagements | Siege of Odessa (1941) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Col. Grigorii Matveevich Kochenov |