32nd Rifle Division
Encyclopedia
The 32nd Rifle Division was first raised in 1934 at Vladivostok
and organized as a Siberian Rifle Division. The division initially served Far Eastern Military District as part of the 39th Rifle Corps. It took part in a number of border skirmishes on the Manchuria
n border near Lake Khasan
. By 1941 it consisted of the 17th, 113th, and 322nd Rifle Regiments and the 133rd and 154th Artillery Regiments.
in Europe on June 22, 1941. The German Army Group Center in September paused near Smolensk
because Hitler had ordered the capture of Kiev
to secure the southern flank. This allowed the Soviets some time to prepare the defenses west of Moscow, but by the beginning of October the offensive toward the capital began again and was called Operation Typhoon by the Germans. The 32nd Rifle Division was ordered west and was rapidly transported by train to the Mozhaisk Defense Line, then manned by Dmitri Danilovich Lelyushenko
's 5th Army. By October 10, the forward elements had arrived and dug in on the old Borodino
battlefield, where the Russians had bled white Napoleon's Army in 1812. The best the division could hope for was to delay the German advance long enough to form a new line of defense further west. The Germans attacked with two veteran divisions, the 10th Panzer Division and the 2nd SS Division Das Reich
on the 32nd's line of defense. On October 13 the fighting began in the Yelnya
area (defended by the 17th Regiment). The battle continued for five more days until the exhausted Russians fell back further to the east and Mozhaisk fell on the 18th. The 32nd Rifle Division had traded its blood for time and had inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. It stayed on the frontlines through November and took part in the Battle of Moscow
.
. The next appearance of the division in battle was in the Ukraine
in January 1944 with the 37th Army. Later that year it was moved to the Baltic
area and was the first Soviet division into Riga
. It ended the war as part of 10th Guards Army still in the Baltic region.
Postwar, the Division was reformed as a Mechanised Division and then circa 1965 became the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division, based in Tallinn
and part of the Baltic Military District
. After the fall of the Soviet Union it was withdrawn to Yelnya
in the Moscow Military District
and is now the 4944th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment, in a crisis it is capable of being brought back to up to full division strength.
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
and organized as a Siberian Rifle Division. The division initially served Far Eastern Military District as part of the 39th Rifle Corps. It took part in a number of border skirmishes on the Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
n border near Lake Khasan
Battle of Lake Khasan
The Battle of Lake Khasan and also known as the Changkufeng Incident in China and Japan, was an attempted military incursion of Manchukuo into the territory claimed by the Soviet Union...
. By 1941 it consisted of the 17th, 113th, and 322nd Rifle Regiments and the 133rd and 154th Artillery Regiments.
Operation Typhoon
While the 32nd Rifle Division was serving in the 25th Army of the Far East Military District, the Germans invaded the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in Europe on June 22, 1941. The German Army Group Center in September paused near Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
because Hitler had ordered the capture of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to secure the southern flank. This allowed the Soviets some time to prepare the defenses west of Moscow, but by the beginning of October the offensive toward the capital began again and was called Operation Typhoon by the Germans. The 32nd Rifle Division was ordered west and was rapidly transported by train to the Mozhaisk Defense Line, then manned by Dmitri Danilovich Lelyushenko
Dmitri Danilovich Lelyushenko
Dmitry Danilovich Lelyushenko |Army General]] , twice the Hero of the Soviet Union , Hero of Czechoslovakia . Member of the CPSU from 1924. Born in Rostov Oblast, ethnically Ukrainian....
's 5th Army. By October 10, the forward elements had arrived and dug in on the old Borodino
Borodino
Borodino is a rural locality in Mozhaysky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located west of Mozhaysk.The village is famous as the location of the Battle of Borodino, which occurred in what is now known as the "Borodino Battlefield" . The State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve is...
battlefield, where the Russians had bled white Napoleon's Army in 1812. The best the division could hope for was to delay the German advance long enough to form a new line of defense further west. The Germans attacked with two veteran divisions, the 10th Panzer Division and the 2nd SS Division Das Reich
2nd SS Division Das Reich
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was a Waffen-SS division during World War II. It is considered to be an elite formation amongst the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS....
on the 32nd's line of defense. On October 13 the fighting began in the Yelnya
Yelnya
Yelnya is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna River from Smolensk. Population: -History:...
area (defended by the 17th Regiment). The battle continued for five more days until the exhausted Russians fell back further to the east and Mozhaisk fell on the 18th. The 32nd Rifle Division had traded its blood for time and had inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. It stayed on the frontlines through November and took part in the Battle of Moscow
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
.
Reformed as 29th Guards Rifle Division
The 32nd Division part in the battle of Moscow did not escape the notice of the Soviet high command and it was given the title 29th Guards Rifle Division and the 17th Rifle Regiment received the Order of the Red BannerOrder of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
. The next appearance of the division in battle was in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in January 1944 with the 37th Army. Later that year it was moved to the Baltic
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
area and was the first Soviet division into Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. It ended the war as part of 10th Guards Army still in the Baltic region.
Postwar, the Division was reformed as a Mechanised Division and then circa 1965 became the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division, based in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
and part of the Baltic Military District
Baltic Military District
The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991....
. After the fall of the Soviet Union it was withdrawn to Yelnya
Yelnya
Yelnya is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna River from Smolensk. Population: -History:...
in the Moscow Military District
Moscow Military District
The Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:In the beginning of...
and is now the 4944th Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment, in a crisis it is capable of being brought back to up to full division strength.
Sources
- John EricksonJohn Erickson (historian)John Erickson was a British historian who wrote extensively on the Second World War...
The Road to Stalingrad: Stalin's War with Germany Phoenix Press, 2002. ISBN 1-84212-426-9
See also
- Divisions of the Soviet Union 1917-1945
- :ru:29-я гвардейская стрелковая дивизия(Russian: 29th Guards Rifle Division)