1st Guards Airborne Division

1st Guards Airborne Division (1942–1945); 124th Guards Rifle Division (1945–1946; 1953–1956); 20th Guards Rifle Brigade (1946–1953)
Active	1942–1956
Country	Soviet Union
Allegiance	Red Army
Branch	Airborne/Infantry
Engagements	Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket; Uman–Botoșani Offensive; Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive; Battle of Debrecen; Siege of Budapest; Bratislava–Brno Offensive; Prague Offensive; Khingan-Mukden Offensive
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner; Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Battle honours	Zvenigorod; Bucharest

The 1st Guards Zvenigorod-Bucharest Red Banner Order of Suvorov Airborne Division (Russian: 1-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная Звенигородско-Бухарестская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия) was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. The division was first formed in December 1942 and fought in the Battle of the Dnieper, the Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket, the Uman–Botoșani Offensive, the Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive, the Battle of Debrecen, the Siege of Budapest and the Prague Offensive. In August 1945 it was sent east and fought in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The division became the 124th Guards Rifle Division in November 1945 and disbanded in 1956.

History

The division was formed in accordance with an order from 8 December 1942 from the 4th Airborne Corps headquarters and the 1st Airborne Brigade.

The division became part of the Special Group commanded by Mikhail Khozin. In mid-February 1943, it was concentrated south of Zaluceni. Its objective was to advance into a breach in the German lines in the 1st Shock Army offensive zone. In March, the division fought in the Staraya Russa operation, but was unable to capture the town. In August, it made another attempt and cut the Staraya Russa-Kholm road on 18 August. It then advanced to the Porus River at the villages of Chirikov and Kotov. The division entrenched in positions there. After the end of the fighting, it was sent to the rear to rest and refit; in September, it was transferred to the Steppe Front.

It fought in the capture of Left-bank Ukraine in the area east of Kremenchug. On 9 October, it crossed the Dnieper near Moldavan Island and the villages of Soloshino and Perevolochna. October 9, 1943, crossed the Dnieper near the island of Moldovans, Soloshino, Perevolochna, advancing in the second echelon of the 37th Army. From October to December, the division advanced towards Krivoy Rog and Kirovograd.

In January and February 1944, the division fought in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky Offensive and took part in the encirclement of German troops around Zvenigorod. The division was awarded the honorific "Zvenigorod" for its actions during the fighting on 13 February. Between March and April, it fought in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive. During the offensive, the division reached the Dniester and Dubăsari. During the summer it fought in the Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive. During the offensive, it advanced in the second echelon of 53rd Army towards Focșani. On 31 August, it entered Bucharest. At the end of September, the division reached the Hungarian border northwest of Arad. On 6 October, it launched an offensive from there during the Battle of Debrecen and reached the Tisza. The division crossed the Tisza in November during the Budapest Offensive.

By February 1945, the division was positioned on the Hron. It fought in the Bratislava–Brno Offensive in April and the Prague Offensive in May. During June and July, the division was transferred to Choibalsan in Mongolia, along with the 53rd Army. It became part of the 18th Guards Rifle Corps.[1] In August 1945, it fought in the Khingan–Mukden Offensive Operation, part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. At the end of the war, it was in Tongliao, where the division conducted its first airborne operation.

On 5 December 1945 the division became the 124th Guards Rifle Division, still with the 18th Guards Rifle Corps in the East Siberian Military District.[2] The division relocated to Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk Oblast in the spring of 1946.[3] It became the 20th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade there and was directly subordinated to the district as a result of postwar troop reductions. In October 1953 it was upgraded to a division again.[4] The East Siberian Military District became the 31st Rifle Corps of the Transbaikal Military District around this time. The division thus became part of the 31st Rifle Corps.[5] On 4 April 1956, the division was disbanded.[6]

Composition

The 1st Guards Airborne Division included the following units.

3rd Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 8th Airborne Brigade)
6th Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 9th Airborne Brigade)
13th Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 214th Airborne Brigade)
4th Guards Airborne Artillery Regiment
2nd Guards Airborne Antitank Battalion
5th Separate Guards Airborne Reconnaissance Company
11th Field Bakery
13th Veterinary Hospital
2464th Field Post Office

Subordination

Date	Front	Army	Corps
1 April 1943	Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK)
1 February 1943	RVGK
1 March 1943	Northwestern Front	68th Army
1 April 1943	Northwestern Front	68th Army
1 May 1943	Northwestern Front	68th Army
1 June 1943	Northwestern Front	34th Army	12th Guards Rifle Corps
1 July 1943	Northwestern Front	34th Army	12th Guards Rifle Corps
1 August 1943	Northwestern Front	34th Army	12th Guards Rifle Corps
1 September 1943	RVGK		82nd Rifle Corps[7]
1 October 1943	Steppe Front	37th Army	82nd Rifle Corps
1 November 1943	2nd Ukrainian Front	37th Army	57th Rifle Corps[8]
1 December 1943	2nd Ukrainian Front	37th Army	57th Rifle Corps
1 January 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	37th Army
1 February 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	26th Guards Rifle Corps [9]
1 March 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army
1 April 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps[10]
1 May 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 June 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 July 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 August 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army
1 September 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 October 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 November 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 December 1944	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	57th Rifle Corps
1 January 1945	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	24th Guards Rifle Corps[11]
1 February 1945	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 March 1945	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
1 April 1945	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	57th Rifle Corps
1 May 1945	2nd Ukrainian Front	53rd Army	49th Rifle Corps
3 September 1945[12]	Transbaikal Front	53rd Army	18th Guards Rifle Corps

Notes

Poirer and Conner.
Feskov et al 2013, p. 147
"Героизму и вечной памяти воинов I гв. ВДД посвящается :: Главная". vdd-1.narod.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
Feskov et al 2013, p. 149
Feskov et al 2013, p. 567
Feskov et al 2013, p. 152
"Портал о Фронтовиках: 82-й стрелковый корпус". www.pobeda1945.su. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
В первых числах October 1943 units of the corps, форсировав Днепр, захватывают и удерживают плацдарм на западном берегу реки. С 6.3.1944 г. части корпуса, участвуя в Одесской наступательной операции, прорывают немецкую оборону на западном берегу реки Игулец и продвигаются вперед. Овладев с ходу нас.п. Лозоватка, корпус после незначительной перегруппировки, начинает преследовать врага. 16.3.1944 г. корпус сдерживает контратакующие удары противника, который силами в 35–40 танков с несколькими пехотными батальонами попытались оттеснить наши части от реки Ингул и удержать переправы в районе Софиевки. 22 марта части корпуса выходят к реке Южный Буг. В ночь на 27 March 58-я и 228-я дивизии корпуса, переправившись через Южный Буг, под мощным огнем противника продвинулись вперед и овладели крупным нас.п. Акмечеть. 1.4.1944 г. частям корпуса в составе 37-й армии удалось овладеть нас.п. Стрюково, Шварцево, Корнеевка и захватить переправу через р. Тилигул. 5 апреля дивизии корпуса ведут бой за ст. Мигаево. 11.4.1944 г. корпус, которому для усиления передавалась из резерва 15-я гв. сд при поддержке 23-го тк освобождает Тирасполь, с ходу форсирует Днестр и врывается в Варницу. Командир: генерал-майор А.И. Петраковский ( – 18.1.1944) генерал-майор Ф.А. Осташенко (19.1.1944– Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник И.Н. Карасев Начальник штаба: В.И. Минеев
Преобразован 24 апреля 1943 года из 30th Rifle Corps (Second Formation). In October 1943 года корпус в составе 20-й и 31-й гвардейских, 394-й и 236-й стрелковых дивизий, форсировав Днепр, наступает на направлении главного удара армии 46-й армии. Ему надлежало прорвать оборону противника перед аулским плацдармом (село Аулы) и, развивая наступление в направлении Кринички, отрезать пути отхода на запад днепровской группировке врага. К исходу дня 24 октября 1943 года войска корпуса перерезали шоссейную дорогу Днепропетровск — Кривой Рог и создали выгодные условия для разгрома группировки врага. 24.8.1944 г. корпус участвуя в Ясско-Кишиневской операции, в составе 5-й ударной армии переходит в наступление с задачей выйти на северные окраины Кишинева. Преодолевая упорное сопротивление врага, дивизии корпуса ворвались в Кишинев и завязали бои в Скулянской Рогатке и северной части Старой Почты. С 16.4.1945 г. дивизии корпуса переходят в наступление на Берлин: 19 апреля части корпуса, развивая стремительное наступление, к исходу дня прорвали третью полосу обороны противника на участке Грунов, Буков. 19-го числа дивизии корпуса во взаимодействии с танкистами 12-го гв. тк прорвали оборону частей 11-й моторизированной дивизии СС «Нордланд» на участке Бацлов-Райхенберг, 20-го апреля гвардейцы продвинулись на 12 километров и вышли на рубеж Везендаль, Гартенштадт и вклинились во внешний оборонительный обвод Берлина. 21.4.1945 г. корпус силами 226-й сд и во взаимодействии 32-м ск ночным штурмом овладел Штраусбергом, в дальнейшем завязывает бои в пригородах Берлина. 25.4.1945 г. части корпуса продолжают штурм Берлина в направлении площади Александерплац и Рейхстага. 1.5.1945 г. части корпуса, громя врага, наступают на запад и северо-запад по обеим сторонам Шпрее в направлении Гумбольдтской гавани и Рейхстага, ведет тяжелые бои по захвату важных военных и государственных объектов. Командир: генерал-майор П.А. Фирсов Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник Я. Дубровский ( – 22.3.1944) полковник Д.И. Андреев (23.3.1944– Начальник штаба: Н.К. Антипов
On August 4, 1943, the corps, as a part of the 7th Guards Army, overcoming the enemy's stubborn resistance and deflecting frenzied counterattacks, persistently moved forward to Belgorod. Increasing the attack force, parts of the corps stormed the city and cleared it on August 5. On January 18, 1944, the units of the corps, as a part of 53rd Army, conducted defensive battles in the area of Zvenigorodka–Vodyanoy. By February 13, 1944, the corps, after having been subordinated to the 5th Guard Tank Army, was transferred back to 53A along with their defensive position. Commander: И.А. Корнилов генерал-майор Г.Н. Терентьев Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник Д.С. Черных
On 4 August 1943 76th, 36th Guards, 213th Rifle Division the corps, as part of 7th Guards Army, advanced on Belgrade from the east. Together with other formations it eliminated the Mikhailovsky bridgehead плацдарм противника на восточном берегу Северского Донца и завязывают бои уже на западном берегу.
Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 3 September 1945

References

Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.
Robert G. Poirier and Albert Z. Conner, The Red Army Order of Battle in the Great Patriotic War, Novato: Presidio Press, 1985. ISBN 0-89141-237-9.