55th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
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The 55th Rifle Division that served as a Red Army rifle division during the Great Patriotic War formed for the first time in September 1925 as a territorial division headquartered at Kursk. When the German invasion began the unit was as Slutsk, but soon came under attack from their armored spearheads and lost most of its strength within days, and was eventually encircled and destroyed at Kiev. A new division was formed along the Volga in December, and was soon sent north to join in the fighting around Demyansk until early 1943. In many respects the 55th was a hard-luck unit; after being destroyed once, it drew assignments to mostly secondary fronts in areas where, due to the terrain and other circumstances, no unit could distinguish itself. By early 1944, the division was reduced to minimal strength for an active formation, and after making some key gains in the pursuit phase of Operation Bagration it was transferred north to the Baltic States and then disbanded to provide replacements for the other units in 61st Army. Elements of the disbanded division were repurposed to other roles in coastal defense and as a naval base garrison, continuing in service until 1956.
55th Rifle Division | |
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Active | 1925–1944 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Division |
Role | Infantry |
Engagements | Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Demyansk Pocket Battle of Kursk Battle of Smolensk (1943) Battle of the Dnieper Operation Bagration Riga Offensive |
Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
Battle honours | Mozyr |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Col. Dmitry Ivanovich Ivanyuk Col. Gevork Andreevich Ter-Gasparyan Maj. Gen. Ivan Pavlovich Shevchuk Col. Nikolai Nikolaievich Zaiulev Col. Kornei Mikhailovich Andrusenko |