| 111th Guards Rifle Division (28 June 1945–c. 1946–1947) 4th Guards Airborne Division (8 December 1942–28 June 1945) | |
|---|---|
 Battle flag of the division | |
| Active | 8 December 1942–c. 1946–1947 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army /Soviet Army |
| Type | Airborne |
| Role | Infantry |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |
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| Battle honours | Ovruch |
The4th Guards Airborne Division (Russian:4-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная дивизия) was an airborne division of theRed Army that fought as infantry duringWorld War II.
Formed in December 1942 from three airborne brigades, the division spent the next few months training for airborne operations. However, it first saw combat as an infantry unit in theDemyansk Offensive in late February 1943, then helped defendPonyri during theBattle of Kursk. The division fought inOperation Kutuzov and advanced west in theBattle of the Dnieper, during which it capturedPryluky and crossed theDnieper. It received theOvruch honorific for the capture of the key rail junction during theBattle of Kiev. The division then fought in theZhitomir–Berdichev Offensive and theKorsun-Shevchenkovsky Offensive in late 1943 and early 1944.
The 4th Guards received theOrder of the Red Banner and theOrder of Bogdan Khmelnitsky for actions during theUman–Botoșani Offensive, then fought in theSecond Jassy–Kishinev Offensive and received theOrder of Suvorov. The division advanced westward into Hungary, fighting in theBattle of Debrecen and theBudapest Offensive in late 1944. In the last months of the war it fought in theBratislava–Brno Offensive and ended the war fighting in thePrague Offensive. Shortly after the end of the war, the division was redesignated as the111th Guards Rifle Division, and disbanded in 1946–1947.
The 4th Guards Airborne Division was formed by an order of 8 December 1942 atStupino,Moscow Oblast from the 1st Airborne Brigade of the1st Airborne Corps and the independent 2nd and 5th Maneuver Airborne Brigades, one of eight new airborne divisions. It was commanded by Major GeneralPyotr Alexandrov, the former commander of the 1st Airborne Corps, whose headquarters became the division headquarters.[1] The division included the 9th, 12th, and 15th Guards Airborne Regiments, as well as the 1st Guards Airborne Artillery Regiment. For the rest of December and January 1943, the division conducted parachute jumps and trained in tactics, preparing for operations in the German rear.[2] In February 1943, it was transferred from theReserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK) to theNorthwestern Front, joining the1st Shock Army. The 4th Guards were alerted for the movement on 5 February and were transported by truck towardsStaraya Russa.[3] The division entered combat on 26 February during theDemyansk Offensive, and in the second half of March transferred to the53rd Army of the RVGK on theKursk direction. In mid-April the army became part of theSteppe Military District. The 4th Guards Airborne fought in theBattle of Kursk as part of the13th Army of theCentral Front, distinguishing itself in the repulse of the German attack atPonyri. It then fought in theOperation Kutuzov.[4]
During the advance intoleft-bank Ukraine, the division fought as part of the60th Army of the Central Front. During theChernigov–Pripyat Offensive, it participated alongside other units in the recapture ofPryluky on 18 September. Elements of the division crossed theDnieper on 1 October, and fought fiercely to hold and expand the bridgehead in the area of Horodyshche, Gubin, andDytiatky, 20 kilometers south ofChernobyl. At the end of October it transferred back to the 13th Army, now part of the1st Ukrainian Front. With the 13th Army, the division fought in theBattle of Kiev, distinguishing itself when it capturedOvruch and the significant rail junction towardsPolesia on the night of 19 November, for which it received the Ovruch honorific on the same day.[4]
Subsequently, the division fought in theZhitomir–Berdichev Offensive, and was transferred to the40th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front (transferred to the2nd Ukrainian Front on 21 February) in the second half of January 1944, with which it fought in theKorsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive. During theUman–Botoșani Offensive, the division broke through the Axis defenses atOratovka andYushkovtsy, 15 to 20 kilometers northwest ofTsybuliv on 10 March, then crossed theSouthern Bug and tookBratslav on 17 March. It crossed theDniester southwest ofMohyliv-Podilskyi on 25 March, then developed the offensive alongside the rest of the 40th Army and the11th Guards Tank Corps of the 1st Ukrainian Front to captureKhotyn on 3 April. For its "exemplary fulfillment of command tasks, valor, and courage" the division was awarded theOrder of the Red Banner on 8 April, and for its actions in the capture of Khotyn it received theOrder of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class, on 18 April.[4]
During theSecond Jassy–Kishinev Offensive in mid-1944, the division fought with the27th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. For its "exemplary fulfillment of command tasks, valor, and courage" during the offensive, the division was awarded theOrder of Suvorov, 2nd class, on 15 September. Between October and January 1945 it fought in theBattle of Debrecen and theBudapest Offensive. From 17 February to the end of the war, it operated as part of the7th Guards Army of the4th Ukrainian Front. During theBratislava–Brno Offensive, it fought on Czechoslovak territory, and capturedBratislava on 4 April. The division ended the war fighting in thePrague Offensive in early May. For their actions during the war, several thousand of its soldiers received orders and medals, and nine were madeHeroes of the Soviet Union.[4]
On 28 June, the division was redesignated as the 111th Guards Rifle Division when several airborne divisions formed in 1942 that had fought as infantry for the rest of the war were redesignated as rifle divisions. Its regiments became the 2nd, 7th, and 16th Guards Rifle Regiments, and the 466th Guards and 471st Guards Artillery Regiments.[5] Around this time, it transferred to the4th Guards Army of theCentral Group of Forces.[6] The division was disbanded in 1946–1947 shortly after the army was withdrawn to theOdessa Military District.[7]
The following officers commanded the division:[8]
