| 73rd Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1st Formation 2nd Formation 3rd Formation Oct 1942 – 1993 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | .svg) Red Army (1942-1946) Soviet Army (1946-1991) Russian Ground Forces (1991-1993) |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | Operation Kutuzov Battle of the Dnieper Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive Operation Bagration Bobruysk Offensive East Prussian Offensive |
| Battle honours | Order of the Red Banner Order of Lenin Order of Suvorov |
The73rd Rifle Division was a formation of the Great Patriotic War Soviet Army. The division began assigned to the20th Army at the beginning of the war and was destroyed and rebuilt twice before the war ended.
According to research in the Soviet archives published by Michael Avanzini and Craig Crofoot, the division was formed five times from 1930 to the late 1940s.[1] Its first formation was established at Omsk in theSiberian Military District in 1930, and reformed a second time in September 1939 after serving as the cadre for the109th Rifle Division and the194th Rifle Division. Disbanded for unknown reasons in October 1939.
Established Omsk in Jul 1940. Assigned to the newly formed 20th Army formed in June 1941 in theOrel Military District, under the command of ColonelAlexander Akimov. Wiped out in October 1941 near Vyazma during the opening stages of theBattle of Moscow.
Rebuilt in February 1942 atOrdzhonikidze, Ukraine. Destroyed sometime prior to October 1942.
Formed on 15 October 1942 from the122nd Rifle Brigade in the city ofLivny, Orel Oblast.
In January–February 1943 the division participated in theVoronezh-Kastornoye andMaloarkhangelsk Offensive operations. In early April 1943 the division took up defensive positions on the right flank of the48th Army.
On 20 July 1943 the division participated in the counteroffensive after theBattle of Kursk. The division participated in the Liberation ofNovozybkov. By October 1943 the division was located southwest ofGomel. On 11 November 1943 the division participated in theGomel-Rechitsa Offensive and by the end of the month was in defensive position 10 km south ofZhlobin. By the end of December 1943 the division had advanced to the right bank of theBerezina River south of Parichi and repelled enemy counterattacks.
The division spent the next several months in defensive positions south ofParichi.
On 23 June 1944 as part ofOperation Bagration the division deployed to the western bank of the Berezina River and reached the approaches ofBabruysk and later participated in the capture of the city. The division then advanced in the general direction of Warsaw.
In September 1944 the division was in the 2nd echelon of the 48th Army protecting the army's right flank during its advance. The division entered battle between the 217th Rifle Division and 399th Rifle Division, 42nd Rifle Corps and captured a bridgehead over theNarew River. The bridgehead was gradually expanded through October 1944.
From January 1945 until the end of the war, the division participated in theMlawa-Elbing Offensive and ended the war on the Baltic Coast atFrisches Haff.
Gained the honorifics 'Novozybkov Order of Lenin Red Banner Order of Suvorov'.
Postwar, the 73rd Rifle Division was relocated to theKuban Military District with the29th Rifle Corps and was based atNovorossiysk.[2] It became the 39th Rifle Brigade and was redesignated the 73rd Mountain Rifle Division on 23 July 1949.[3] In 1954 it became a rifle division again.[4] On 10 June 1957 it became the 73rd Motor Rifle Division.[5] In June 1968 the division transferred toKomsomolsk-on-Amur and became part of the15th Army.[6] On 29 October 1989 it became the 5505th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base.[7] The base was disbanded in 1993.[6]
 Divisions of the Soviet Union 1945–1957 | |||||||||
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