| 24th Tank Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | I Formation: 1941II Formation: 1957–1960 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | Soviet Army |
| Type | Armor |
| Garrison/HQ | Dobele (1957–1960) |
| Engagements | World War II |
The24th Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Union, formed twice. The division's first formation was formed in the spring of 1941 and fought in theLeningrad Strategic Defensive before being broken up into two smaller brigades. The division's second formation was originally formed in 1956 as the 24th Heavy Tank Division and became a regular tank division in 1957. It became a training division in 1960 and was redesignated the 54th District Training Center in 1987 before being disbanded in 1995.
Formation of the division began in March 1941. It was part of the10th Mechanized Corps. It was based inPushkin andSlutsk. The division was formed from the 2nd Light Tank Brigade. 2nd Light Tank Brigade commanderAlexey Rodin became its acting commander. In late May, Colonel M.I. Chesnokov took command of the division.[1]
WhenOperation Barbarossa began on 22 June 1941, the division was ordered to combat readiness. 13 tanks from the 49th Tank Regiment were sent toPskov, where they remained until redeployment to theKandalaksha area. The remaining 20BT-5 andBT-7 light tanks were not in full working order. By 24 June, all of these tanks were put in full working order, sent to the rail station and moved to theKarelian Isthmus. The 10th Mechanized Corps became part of the23rd Army reserve east ofVyborg. The division was moved to those positions with its headquarters inIhantala by 1 July.[2] Due to the German advance on Leningrad from the south, the division transferred to theLuga Operational Group and defended positions in theLuga River area during mid-July.[3]
By September 1941 the 24th Tank Division had been dissolved and reformed as the 124th Tank Battalion and 12th Tank Regiment.[4]
On 22 September, the division was broken up into the124th Tank Brigade and the125th Tank Brigade.[5]
On 9 June 1956, the 24th Heavy Tank Division was formed atKubinka. It included the 177th, 193rd and 207th Heavy Tank Regiments and the 1265th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. It was part of theMoscow Military District. On 25 June 1957, it was converted to a regular tank division. At the same time, the division moved toDobele and became part of theBaltic Military District. The 285th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment joined the division from the40th Tank Division. In August 1960, it became a training division. On 19 February 1962, the 381st Separate Training Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated, along with a training missile battalion. In March 1963, the 285th Guards Regiment was replaced by the3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division's 13th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment. The chemical defence company became the 556th Separate Training Chemical Defence Battalion in 1972. On 14 September 1987, the division became the 54th District Training Center. It became part of theNorth Western Group of Forces in November 1991. In June 1992, the 13th Guards Training Motor Rifle Regiment was detached and became the25th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade.
The new 25th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade remained inĀdaži until November 1993, when it moved toStrugi Krasnye.
The 54th District Training Centre was disbanded in 1995.[6]
