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150th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
Encyclopedia
The 150th Rifle 'Idritskaya' Division was a formation in the Red Army
fighting on the Eastern Front
of World War II from 1941 to 1945. It gained most fame as the formation whose soldiers famously raised the Soviet flag over the Reichstag near the end of the war.
The nickname ‘Idritskaya’ was given to the division on July 23, 1944 by the order № 207 for it’s heroic battle in the town of Idritsa. The Division fought at Stalingrad
, Schneidemühl, Königsberg
, and Berlin
.
in September 1939, operating as part of the 9th Army
on 22 June 1941, then, after the Second Battle of Kharkov
, being wiped out at Izyum in May 1942. It was recreated at Turga in August 1942. It was then re-created for the third time in September 1943.
When formed for the third time, it was composed of the 127th, 144th, and 151st brigades. Initially this division fell under the command of the 34th Army. But during some time in early 1944 it was transferred to the 6th Guards Army, and then finally it was assigned to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army
, of the 1st Belorussian Front
, under which it would stay on the offensive all the way from Nevel
, Pskov Oblast
to Berlin
.
On April 22, 1945, when victory for the Soviet Army was near, an order from the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army
designated the 150th Division to be one of 9 divisions to receive a special banner solely for the purpose of raising it over the Reichstag as a sign of the Soviet victory. Red Army
photographer
Yevgeny Khaldei
took the picture of soldiers Kovaliev and another comrade of the Division's 756th Rifle Regiment hoisting the flag (called the Victory Banner
) on May 2, 1945 on the roof of the Reichstag building. An earlier flag had been raised the day before while the building was being fought over with remaining German soldiers. However, as the flag was raised after dusk, there was no chance to take a picture. After taking the shot with the flag Khaldei rushed back to Moscow
, and it was later decided that the true persons on the photo, Kovaliev and his comrade, were not politically correct. So they became Meliton Kantaria
(a Georgian
, like Stalin) and Mikhail Yegorov (a Russian).
On April 26, 1945 for its heroic overnight victory at lake Voshvanzee 150th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov
, second degree.
In December 1946 the division was disbanded.
, the player playing the character Private Dimitri Petrenko. In the very last level of the game 'Downfall' Dimitri raises the flag over the Reichstag building.
Also, the player controlled character Private Alexei Ivanovich Voronin from Call of Duty 1 belongs to the 150th rifle division
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
fighting on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
of World War II from 1941 to 1945. It gained most fame as the formation whose soldiers famously raised the Soviet flag over the Reichstag near the end of the war.
The nickname ‘Idritskaya’ was given to the division on July 23, 1944 by the order № 207 for it’s heroic battle in the town of Idritsa. The Division fought at Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, Schneidemühl, Königsberg
Battle of Königsberg
The Battle of Königsberg , was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg...
, and Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
.
History
The Division was formed three times, being initially established at VyazmaVyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
in September 1939, operating as part of the 9th Army
9th Army (Soviet Union)
The 9th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a Soviet field army, active from 1939 – 43, and then after the war from 1966 to 1989.It was active during the Winter War against Finland as part of the Leningrad Military District, beginning operations at the end of November 1939 under ComKor M.P....
on 22 June 1941, then, after the Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
, being wiped out at Izyum in May 1942. It was recreated at Turga in August 1942. It was then re-created for the third time in September 1943.
When formed for the third time, it was composed of the 127th, 144th, and 151st brigades. Initially this division fell under the command of the 34th Army. But during some time in early 1944 it was transferred to the 6th Guards Army, and then finally it was assigned to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army
3rd Shock Army (Soviet Union)
The 3rd Shock Army was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The 'Shock' armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and artillery assets than other combined arms armies...
, of the 1st Belorussian Front
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
, under which it would stay on the offensive all the way from Nevel
Nevel
Nevel is a town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel southeast of Pskov. Population:...
, Pskov Oblast
Pskov Oblast
Pskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²...
to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
On April 22, 1945, when victory for the Soviet Army was near, an order from the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army
3rd Shock Army (Soviet Union)
The 3rd Shock Army was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The 'Shock' armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces, and were reinforced with more armoured and artillery assets than other combined arms armies...
designated the 150th Division to be one of 9 divisions to receive a special banner solely for the purpose of raising it over the Reichstag as a sign of the Soviet victory. Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
photographer
War photography
War photography captures photographs of armed conflict and life in war-torn areas.Although photographs can provide a more direct representation than paintings or drawings, they are sometimes manipulated, creating an image that is not objectively journalistic.-History:Photography, presented to the...
Yevgeny Khaldei
Yevgeny Khaldei
Yevgeny Khaldei was a Red Army photographer, best known for his World War II photograph of a Soviet soldier Raising a flag over the Reichstag, in Berlin, capital of the vanquished Nazi Germany .-Life:...
took the picture of soldiers Kovaliev and another comrade of the Division's 756th Rifle Regiment hoisting the flag (called the Victory Banner
Victory Banner
The Soviet Banner of Victory is the banner raised by the Red Army soldiers on the Reichstag building in Berlin, on April 30, 1945. It was raised by three Soviet soldiers: Alexei Berest, Mikhail Yegorov, and Meliton Kantaria, from Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia respectively.The Victory Banner, made...
) on May 2, 1945 on the roof of the Reichstag building. An earlier flag had been raised the day before while the building was being fought over with remaining German soldiers. However, as the flag was raised after dusk, there was no chance to take a picture. After taking the shot with the flag Khaldei rushed back to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and it was later decided that the true persons on the photo, Kovaliev and his comrade, were not politically correct. So they became Meliton Kantaria
Meliton Kantaria
Meliton Varlamovich Kantaria or Kantariya , Hero of the Soviet Union , was a Georgian sergeant of the Soviet Army credited to have together with M. A...
(a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, like Stalin) and Mikhail Yegorov (a Russian).
On April 26, 1945 for its heroic overnight victory at lake Voshvanzee 150th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov
Order of Kutuzov
The Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....
, second degree.
In December 1946 the division was disbanded.
Commanders
- Major-general Sergei Alekseyevich Kniazkov (1939 - 1940)
- Major-general Alexander Ivanovich Pastrevich (1940 - 1941)
- Major-general Daniil Grigorevich Egorov (1941 - 1942)
- Major-general Stepan Ivanovich Povetkin (1942 - 1943)
- Colonel Leonid Vasilyevich Yakovlev (September 1943 - April 1944)
- Major-general Vasily Mitrofanovich ShatilovVasily ShatilovVasily Mitrofanovich Shatilov was a Soviet general who commanded the 150th Rifle Division during the Battle of Berlin.-Early life:Born to a peasant family, Shatilov joined the Red Army at 1924, becoming a member of the Communist Party three...
(May 1944 - December 1946)
Media
The 150th rifle division was featured in the video game Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
, the player playing the character Private Dimitri Petrenko. In the very last level of the game 'Downfall' Dimitri raises the flag over the Reichstag building.
Also, the player controlled character Private Alexei Ivanovich Voronin from Call of Duty 1 belongs to the 150th rifle division
Sources
- Шатилов В.М. Знамя над рейхстагом. 3-е изд. М.: Воениздат, 1975;
- Наша газета
- http://samsv.narod.ru/Div/Sd/sd150/default.html