216th Rifle Division
Encyclopedia
The 216th Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Ground Forces. It was descended from the 216th Rifle Division, a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army
. It was established at Staro Konstantinov
in May 1941. It fought at Kharkov and in Karelia, Crimea, and Kurland.
The division was formed in March 1941 in the Kiev Special Military District
as the 216th Motorised Division, and was with the KSMD's 24th Mechanised Corps, along with the 45th and 49th Tank Divisions, in June 1941. After the defensive fighting on the borders it was reformed in Kharkov as the 216th Rifle Division which became the skeleton of the garrison of the city. The Front staff directed that the defenders of Kharkov should abandon the city on the night of 25 October 1941. However the city garrison staff, under General I.I.Marshalkov, and the efforts of the 38th Army
, also present, were not well coordinated. Thus the Division received orders simultaneously from the city defense staff, and from the 38th army staff. As a result of the confusion the Germans managed to seize one of the bridges into the city.
In April and May 1944 the Division fought with the 10th Rifle Corps, 51st Army
, in the Battle of the Crimea (1944)
. 51st Army was subsequently moved to 1st Baltic Front
. Later on, on 6 April 1945 the 216th Rifle Division was one of the divisions in the encirclement around Königsberg
, located at the northwest sector and part of the 124th Rifle Corps of the 43rd Army. The division to the right was the 208th Rifle Division
, and to the left was the 153rd Rifle Division
. They attacked German positions and broke through the second defense line. By May 1945 the Division was with the 50th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front.
The Division was part of the Fourth Army in the Transcaucasian Military District
until 1955, and was for a brief period the 104th Mechanised Division. It was renamed the 216th Motor Rifle Division in 1965, and then disbanded 1985.
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...
. It was established at Staro Konstantinov
Starokostiantyniv
Starokostiantyniv is a city in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Starokostiantynivsky Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
in May 1941. It fought at Kharkov and in Karelia, Crimea, and Kurland.
The division was formed in March 1941 in the Kiev Special Military District
Soviet Southwestern Front
The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several...
as the 216th Motorised Division, and was with the KSMD's 24th Mechanised Corps, along with the 45th and 49th Tank Divisions, in June 1941. After the defensive fighting on the borders it was reformed in Kharkov as the 216th Rifle Division which became the skeleton of the garrison of the city. The Front staff directed that the defenders of Kharkov should abandon the city on the night of 25 October 1941. However the city garrison staff, under General I.I.Marshalkov, and the efforts of the 38th Army
38th Army (Soviet Union)
The 38th Red Banner Army of was a field army of the Soviet Union that existed between 1941 and 1991.The army headquarters was formed in July 1941 by redesignation of the staff of 8th Mechanised Corps.On 1 May 1945, the army was part of 4th Ukrainian Front...
, also present, were not well coordinated. Thus the Division received orders simultaneously from the city defense staff, and from the 38th army staff. As a result of the confusion the Germans managed to seize one of the bridges into the city.
In April and May 1944 the Division fought with the 10th Rifle Corps, 51st Army
51st Army (Soviet Union)
The 51st Army was a field army of the Red Army that saw action against the Germans in World War II on both the southern and northern sectors of the front. In particular, it was involved in the Crimean debacle of May 1942, and the final cutting-off of German forces in the Courland area next to the...
, in the Battle of the Crimea (1944)
Battle of the Crimea (1944)
The Crimean Offensive — known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea — was a series of offensives by the Red Army in the effort to liberate Crimea from the German Wehrmacht occupation...
. 51st Army was subsequently moved to 1st Baltic Front
1st Baltic Front
The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The commanders of it were Army General Andrey Yeryomenko and succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It was formed by re-naming the Kalinin Front in October 12, 1943 and took part in several important military...
. Later on, on 6 April 1945 the 216th Rifle Division was one of the divisions in the encirclement around Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, located at the northwest sector and part of the 124th Rifle Corps of the 43rd Army. The division to the right was the 208th Rifle Division
208th Rifle Division
The 208th Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division in the Red Army during World War II. It began Operation Barbarossa as the 208th Mechanized Division under Colonel V.I. Nichiporovich, with the 128th Tank Regiment and 752nd and 760th Motorized Rifle Regiments. The Division was part of the 13th...
, and to the left was the 153rd Rifle Division
153rd Rifle Division
The 153rd Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed in the Ural Military District. On 22 June 1941 when the German Operation Barbarossa began, it was serving with the 51st Rifle Corps of the 22nd Army....
. They attacked German positions and broke through the second defense line. By May 1945 the Division was with the 50th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front.
The Division was part of the Fourth Army in the Transcaucasian Military District
Transcaucasian Military District
The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia into the USSR...
until 1955, and was for a brief period the 104th Mechanised Division. It was renamed the 216th Motor Rifle Division in 1965, and then disbanded 1985.