The1st Guards Proletarian Moscow-Minsk Order of Lenin, twice Red Banner Orders of Suvorov (II) and Kutuzov (II) Motor Rifle Division (Russian:1-я гвардейская мотострелковая Пролетарская Московско-Минская ордена Ленина, дважды Краснознаменная, орденов Суворова и Кутузова дивизия (2-е формирование)) was adivision of theRed Army andRussian Ground Forces active from 1926 to 2002.
The order forming the Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division was issued on 31 December 1926. The division was formed with three rifle brigades and a separate squadron with formation to be completed by 1 February 1927, from separate units of the Moscow garrison in theMoscow Military District. The Separate Moscow Rifle Regiment, formed in 1924, became the 1st Rifle Regiment. The training rifle battalion of theVystrel course was reorganized into the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Rifle Regiment, the 1st Separate Local Rifle Battalion reorganized into the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Rifle Regiment, the 20th Separate Local Rifle Battalion became the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Rifle Regiment, and the Separate Training Squadron at theRed Army Military Academy reorganized into the division's separate squadron.[1]
Pavel Batov was a battalion and then regiment commander in the division in the late 1920s.
The division was numbered as the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division on 21 May 1936. In honor of its tenth anniversary and "successes in combat and political training" the division was awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner on 28 December, thus becoming the 1st Moscow Proletarian Red Banner Rifle Division.[2] On 22 April 1938 the division was renamed the 1st Moscow Red Banner Rifle Division.[3]
The division was expanded to form the new 115th and 126th Rifle Divisions on 7 September 1939, and the new 1st Moscow Red Banner Rifle Division was formed from its 6th Red Banner Rifle Regiment.[4] The 1st Rifle Division was reorganized as the 1st Motorized Division on 7 December 1939.[3][5]
Mortarmen of the mortar company of the division's 175th Motor Rifle Regiment, November 1941. On the right, platoon commander Lieutenant Dmitry Mikhailovich Kiriltsev (killed 7 February 1942) conducts observation
It was re-raised from its single remaining regiment in September 1939 (second formation), and by January 1940 was re-formed as the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division. Training was complete 7 June 1940, and1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division took part inSoviet occupation of the Baltic states since 15 June 1940, advancing from base inPolotsk and forward positions atWidze toPanevėžys 16 June 1940. After a month-long garrison duty inPanevėžys and 2-month long garrisoning ofDaugavpils, the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division was returned to Russia.[5] For the actions duringSoviet occupation of the Baltic states, the 6th motorized rifle regiment was awardedOrder of the Red Star 22 February 1941.
On 22 June 1941 it was part of the7th Mechanised Corps, alongside the 14th and 18th tank divisions in the Moscow Military District, assigned to the20th Army.[6]
23 June 1941, the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division was replenished to the full strength of 10831 men. It was the first Soviet formation to useT-34 tanks, atBorisov, on June 30, 1941.Yartsevo in Sep 1941.
11 July 1941, after suffering heavy losses, the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division was moved to the reserve of20th army and placed north ofOrsha, and was completely encircled by the German forces 14 July 1941.
25 July 1941, the elements of 6th and 175th motor rifle regiments of1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division break encirclement nearMogilev, but have suffered more losses in the heavy rearguard fighting by 30 July 1941. During that period, heavy personnel flow left few if any of the initial combatants.[7]
By 5 August 1941, remnants of the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division were wiped out after being encircled again inSmolensk region, in unclear circumstances.
5 August 1941, the1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division was re-formed anew within20th army, 18 August 1941 renamed "1st Tank Division" and on September 21, 1941, it was renamed the "1st Guards Moscow Motor Rifle Division".[8] The division was renamed (again) as the "1st Guards Rifle Division", in January 1943.[9]
On 30 August 1941, the1st Tank Division was participating in theYelnya Offensive, forcing back28th Jäger Division. Due heavy losses, the division was stopped advancing 10 September 1941 and was withdrawn to behind ofVop River.
On 18 September 1941, the1st Tank Division was withdrawn toMozhaysk for replenishment and subordinated directly toStavka.
On 30 September 1941, the1st Guards Moscow Motor Rifle Division was assigned to the40th Army and sent toSumy region. After initial advances, the1st Guards Moscow Motor Rifle Division started to retreat 6 October 1941 asFirst Battle of Kharkov was being lost by Soviet forces. After losingSumy 10 October 1941, the division was withdrawn to the reserve and sent back toMoscow.
On 21 October 1941, the division was assigned to33rd army and arrived toNaro-Fominsk. The1st Guards Moscow Motor Rifle Division lost 70% of personnel inurban warfare before retreating from Naro-Fominsk on 25 October, and subsequent attempts to rettake Naro-Fominsk on 28 October failed. The division remained in the Naro-Fominsk area until end of November 1941.
On 29 January 1942, the division liberated the village ofMyatlevo along with the415th Rifle Division during the winter counteroffensive in front of Moscow.[10]
In 1942, the1st Guards Moscow Motor Rifle Division was participating inBattle of Rzhev.
From January–July 1944, the1st Guards Rifle Division advanced in theVitebsk -Minsk direction with heavy fighting, and was awarded 'Minsk' honorific 13 July 1944.
In November 1944, the division advanced intoEast Prussia in theGusev area, and stormedKönigsberg in April 1945.
The division was stationed inKaliningrad during the postwar period as part of the11th Guards Army. It became the 1st Guards Moscow Motorised Rifle Division (again) in 1957. The 171st Guards Regiment became the 12th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment in March 1959. The division was truncated virtually all the time (serving as a low-strength cadre formation).[11]
^"QIP.RU".www.tashv.nm.ru. Archived fromthe original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved10 April 2018.
^"QIP.RU".www.tashv.nm.ru. Archived fromthe original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved10 April 2018.
^Keith E. Bonn (ed.), Slaughterhouse, Aberjona Press, 2005, p.358
^This was the second formation of 1st Guards Rifle Division. This should not be confused with the first formation of the 1st Guards Rifle Division, formed from the 100th Rifle Division, which was later reorganized as the1st Guards Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union).
^Soviet General Staff,The Battle of Moscow 1941-1942, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2015, Kindle ed., part V, ch. 8
Bonn, Keith E. (2005).Slaughterhouse: Handbook of the Eastern Front. Bedford, PA: Aberjona Press.ISBN0-9717650-9-X.
Kalashnikov, K. A.; Dodonov, I. Yu. (2019).Высший командный состав Вооруженных сил СССР в послевоенный период: Справочные материалы (1945-1975) (in Russian). Vol. 4: Командный состав Сухопутных войск (армейское и дивизионное звенья). Часть первая. Ust-Kamenogorsk: Media-Alyans.ISBN9786017887315.
Kuznetsov, P. G. (1975).Пролетарская Московско-Минская [Proletariat Moscow-Minsk] (in Russian) (2nd ed.). Moscow: Voenizdat.
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