| 316th Rifle Division (July 12, 1941 – 1945) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1945 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | .svg) Red Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Battle of Moscow Battle of Stalingrad |
The316th Rifle Division was formed as aRed Army division during World War II. The division was initially formed in July 1941, renamed the8th Guards Rifle Division on 18 November 1941. The division was recreated at Vjasniki in July 1942, fought in the early battles around Stalingrad and was disbanded in November 1942. The division was recreated for the third time from the57th and131st Rifle Brigades in September 1943. The division ended the war assigned to the27th Army of the3rd Ukrainian Front.
After Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, reserves were mobilized to be sent to the front. On 12 July 1941, the 316th Rifle Division was established inAlma Ata, the capital of theKazakh SSR. Major GeneralIvan Panfilov, themilitary commissar of theKyrgyz SSR, was appointed its commander. The reservists allotted to the 316th were mostly from the two republics; when formed, the division was noted as being 90 percent Kazakh and Kirgiz, with 10 percent Russians.[1] It consisted of three infantry regiments: the 1073rd, the 1075th and the 1077th.[2]
The 316th soldiers' were sworn in on 1 August, and boarded trains to the front from the 18th to the 20th. They arrived inBorovichi, nearMalaya Vishera, in late August. Intense fighting against the Germans already took place in the region, as part of the campaign to defend Leningrad from the attack of Army Group North. The 316th was involved in several skirmishes, but on 8 September was consigned as the reserve of the 52nd Army. It spent a month in the rear.[3]
Formed in late June to 10 July 1942 atVyazniki in theMoscow Military District. The cadre for the unit came from either the41st,52nd or157th Rifle Brigades. The division was assigned to the9th Reserve Army in the STAVKA reserve and remained there until late August. The division was then assigned to the8th Reserve Army and remained assigned to the army when it was redesignated as the66th Army on 24 August and sent south to theStalingrad Front. From the divisions arrival at the front in September it fought under the24th, 66th, and1st Guards Armies. The division was practically destroyed in the fighting and on 4 November 1942 the division headquarters was disbanded and the remnants of the division used to reinforce the260th Rifle Division.[5]
The third formation of the 316th Rifle Division began on Sept. 3, 1943, based on the 57th Rifle Brigade and the 131st Rifle Brigade in the11th Rifle Corps of9th Army of theNorth Caucasus Front. Its order of battle remained as previous.[6]
Postwar, the division moved toMogilev-Podolsky with the37th Rifle Corps. It was disbanded either before or around July 1946 when the corps disbanded.[7]
The first formation of the 316th, and specifically one battalion of the 1073rd Rifle Regiment, commanded by Senior LieutenantBauyrzhan Momyshuly, in the battles before Moscow, was immortalized inAleksandr Bek's novelVolokolamsk Highway.
