| 11th Guards Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | I Formation: 1943–1944II Formation: 1948–1955 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army Soviet Airborne Troops |
| Type | Infantry, airborne |
| Size | Division |
| Decorations |  Order of the Red Banner (2nd formation) |
The11th Guards Airborne Division was the name of two separate airborne divisions of theSoviet Airborne Troops. The division was first formed in late 1943 from three airborne brigades and did not see action before its conversion to the104th Guards Rifle Division nearly a year later. The division was formed a second time in 1948 from a regiment atRyazan and was disbanded in 1955.
The 11th Guards Airborne Division was formed on 23 December 1943 from the 1st, 2nd, and 11th Guards Airborne Brigades,[1] part of theReserve of the Supreme High Command.[2] The division included the 1st, 2nd, and 11th Guards Airborne Brigades. It was commanded byMajor GeneralVasily Polikarpovich Ivanov.[3] The division became part of the38th Guards Airborne Corps when it was formed.[4] On 8 December 1944, the State Defense Committee decided to reorganize the division as the104th Guards Rifle Division. The reorganization took place atSlutsk.[5]
The 347th Guards Air Landing Regiment had been converted from the347th Guards Rifle Regiment in June 1946, and from 1946 to 1948 was based inTula. It formed part of the106th Guards Airborne Division.[6]
On 15 October 1948, the 11th Guards Airborne Division was formed from the 347th Guards Air Landing Regiment. The new division was based atRyazan and inherited theOrder of the Red Banner from the regiment. It was part of the38th Guards Airborne Corps.[7] In 1948 the key divisional units included the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment; the 137th Guards Air Landing Regiment;[N 1] the 1185th Guards Artillery Regiment (all atRyazan, Moscow Oblast) and independentSelf-Propelled Artillery, independent Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery, independent Guards Anti-Tank Artillery; and independent Guards Engineering Battalions; and independent Guards Reconnaissance, independent Communications, and an independent Air-Landing Security Company.Combat service support units included an independent Supply Truck Battalion, and independent Medical & Sanitary Company. The 137th Guards Air Landing Regiment was later converted to the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment at some point, possibly as late as April 1955. The division was commanded byVasily Larin from February 1949, and then Aleksandr Andreyevich Koreshchenko from 24 January 1953 to 5 April 1955.[9] On 25 April 1955, the division was disbanded,[10] with the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment transferred to the105th Guards Vienna Airborne Division and the newly converted 137th Guards Airborne Regiment transferred to the106th Guards Airborne Division.[11][12]
In 1948, the division was composed of the following units.[11][12]
 Divisions of the Soviet Union 1945–1957 | |||||||||
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| Airborne | |||||||||
| Artillery |
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| Cavalry | |||||||||
| Rifle |
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| Mechanised |
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| Tank | |||||||||
| Other | |||||||||
Guards units marked inbold. | |||||||||