| 274th Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active |
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| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | .svg) Red Army |
| Type | Rifle division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Decorations |
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| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
The274th Rifle Division (Russian:274-я стрелковая дивизия) was an infantry division of theSoviet Union'sRed Army duringWorld War II, formed twice.
The division was first formed in the summer of 1941 and was destroyed in Ukraine during the fall of that year, Reformed in the spring of 1942, the division served through the entire war before being disbanded postwar in the summer of 1945.
The 274th began forming on 10 July 1941 atZaporizhia, part of theOdessa Military District. Its basic order of battle included the 961st, 963rd, and the 965th Rifle Regiments, as well as the 814th Artillery Regiment. Still incomplete when the front line reached the division, the 274th was assigned to theSouthern Front's12th Army, defending the lowerDnieper. After the Soviet encirclement in theBattle of Kiev, the1st Panzer Group advanced south into the front's northern flank in the rear of the 12th Army. The division, which had never received its full complement of artillery or anti-tank weapons, suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat. On 1 October, the 961st Rifle Regiment was detached to the15th Rifle Division, and by 20 October the division's remnants were used as replacements for the4th Rifle Division.[1]
The 274th was formed for a second time from March to 10 May 1942 in theMoscow Military District. The division retained the same basic order of battle as the first formation, but added the 150th Anti-Tank Battalion. After its commander was assigned on 10 May, the division was transferred to theMoscow Defence Zone from the Moscow Military District training command. The 274th became part of theReserve of the Supreme High Command's4th Reserve Army a month later, and was part of theKalinin Front's29th Army by the end of July. The army was moved to theWestern Front in August, and the division transferred to the front's30th Army in October. From April to December 1943, the division was part of the front's31st Army. In the third phase ofOperation Suvorov 31st Army attacked the positions of the18th Panzergrenadier Division 12 km east ofYartsevo on the morning of 15 September. Three days later the 274th, led by Lt. Col. Pyotr Dodogorsky's 961st Rifle Regiment, formed the vanguard in 31st Army's battle for the city, which was secured by 19 September.[2] The division was awarded a battle honor for its role in the fighting.[3]
The 274th was transferred to the33rd Army's36th Rifle Corps at the end of the year. In April 1944, the division became part of the1st Belorussian Front's69th Army, and was assigned to the army's61st Rifle Corps. The division remained part of the corps and the 69th Army until the end of the war.[4] The division received the honorifics "Yartsevo Red Banner Order of Suvorov" for its actions, and was disbanded in the summer of 1945 with theGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany.[5]
