| 36th Guards Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | August 1942 – March 1947 (Redesignated 24th Guards Mechanized Division October 1945) |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army (Soviet Army from 1946) |
| Type | Infantry (Mechanized Infantry from October 1945) |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |
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| Honorifics | Verkhnedneprovsk |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Mikhail Denisenko |
The36th Guards Rifle Division (Russian:36-я гвардейская стрелковая дивизия) was aGuards infantry division of theRed Army duringWorld War II. It was formed from the9th Airborne Corps in August 1942 as a result of the Soviet need for troops to fight in theBattle of Stalingrad. The division was awarded the honorificVerkhnedneprovsk for itscrossing of theDnieper in September 1943 near that town, later receiving theOrder of the Red Banner and theOrder of Suvorov, 2nd class, for its actions in theUman–Botoșani Offensive in March 1944. It fought in thesiege of Budapest during late 1944 and early 1945, receiving theOrder of Kutuzov, 2nd class, for its actions. In late 1945, it was converted into the24th Guards Mechanized Division. Stationed in Romania, it was disbanded in early 1947.
The 9th Airborne Corps was formed in late 1941 when theSoviet Airborne Troops were rebuilt after losses suffered in the defense againstOperation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which began in June of that year. It was held in reserve, but after the situation around Stalingrad worsened due toCase Blue the ten airborne corps were converted into infantry and sent to the front.[1]
The 36th Guards Rifle Division was formed during August 1942 inIvanovo Oblast from the 9th Airborne Corps. ColonelMikhail Denisenko, commander of the latter, continued in command of the 36th Guards; he was promoted to major general on 27 November. In addition to smaller support units, it included the 104th, 106th, and 108th Guards Rifle Regiments and the 65th Guards Artillery Regiment. Entering combat on 11 August in theBattle of Stalingrad, it served with the57th and64th Armies in fierce defensive battles and participated in the encirclement and elimination of the German troops in Stalingrad. For their steadfastness and courage at Stalingrad, 3,000 soldiers of the division received orders and medals, and the 36th Guards' 39th Guards Anti-Tank (Tank Destroyer) Artillery Battalion was awarded theOrder of the Red Banner.[2]
From March 1943 as part of the 64th Army (which became the7th Guards Army on 16 April) of theVoronezh Front the 36th Guards fought in fierce fighting on theSeversky Donets to the southeast ofBelgorod and the defensive phrase of theBattle of Kursk. After the army transferred to theSteppe Front, the division fought in the counteroffensive near Kursk and the recapture ofKharkov, returning to the 57th Army in these battles. On the night of 26 September the division crossed theDnieper and secured a bridgehead on the right bank of the river near Soshinovka northwest ofDnipropetrovsk. For their successful Dnieper crossing, eight soldiers of the division received the titleHero of the Soviet Union. Developing the offensive, the 36th Guards took the railway station ofVerkhnodniprovsk, contributing to the capture of the city of the same name on 22 October. As a result, the division received the name of the city as an honorific on the next day.[2]
Denisenko was transferred and replaced by Major GeneralGeorgy Lilenkov in February 1944; Lilenkov commanded the division for the remainder of the war. During the MarchUman–Botoșani Offensive of the2nd Ukrainian Front, the 36th Guards, advancing as part of the 7th Guards Army, facilitated the capture ofNovoukrainka by the5th Guards Army and captured the rail junction ofPomoshnaya, for which it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 29 March. For successful actions in the crossing of theSouthern Bug and the capture ofPervomaysk, the division was awarded theOrder of Suvorov, 2nd class, on 1 April. The 36th Guards went on to cross thePrut and fought battles on Romanian territory. The division fought in theSecond Jassy–Kishinev Offensive, with the 104th Guards Rifle and 65th Guards Artillery Regiments receiving the Jassy honorific on 15 September for their actions in the capture of the city on 21 August.[2]
Between October and January 1945, the division fought in theBattle of Debrecen and theBudapest Offensive. For capturing the large rail junction ofSzolnok the 104th Guards Rifle and 65th Guards Artillery Regiments were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, and the 41st Guards Sapper Battalion received theOrder of Alexander Nevsky. For exemplary actions in the breakthrough of strong fortified defenses and the capture of theAszód city and rail junction the 106th Guards Rifle Regiment received theOrder of Suvorov, 3rd class. During the street fighting in thesiege of Budapest the personnel of the division were credited with killing 3,600 and capturing 5,300 Axis personnel. For distinguishing itself in the siege of Budapest, the division was awarded theOrder of Kutuzov, 2nd class on 5 April. In addition, its 108th and 106th Guards Rifle Regiments received the Order of Alexander Nevsky and the Budapest honorific, respectively, on the same day.[2]
From January 1945, the division, transferred to the26th Army of the3rd Ukrainian Front, fought in theBalaton Defensive Operation and theVienna Offensive. The 36th Guards ended the war on theMur river nearJudenburg in Austria. During the war, 13,000 soldiers of the division received orders and medals, eleven were made Heroes of the Soviet Union, and three became full cavaliers of theOrder of Glory.[2]
In October 1945, the division was converted into the 24th Guards Mechanized Division. The 104th, 106th, and 108th Guards Rifle Regiments became the 77th, 78th, and 79th Guards Mechanized Regiments, respectively. Each of the latter included a separate tank battalion: the 159th Guards for the 77th, the 160th Guards for the 78th, and the 167th Guards for the 79th.[3] The division also included the 125th Guards and 34th Tank Regiments.[4] It was assigned to the 57th Army, which became the9th Mechanized Army in June 1946, as part of theSouthern Group of Forces. By this point it was based atSibiu in Romania.[5] The division was relocated to theKiev Military District before its disbandment on 21 March 1947.[6]
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