Battle path of the 19th Guards Rifle Division.
In the period from August 15 to December 15, 1941, it was necessary to form 110 divisions, including 12 rifle and 4 cavalry divisions in the Siberian military district. On the same day, the Directive of the NPO of the USSR No. Org / 2 / 539010 was sent to the military districts, containing an order to the commander of the Siberian Military District to begin the formation of divisions with an indication of deployment in the cities. And in Tomsk, in accordance with the order of the commander of the Siberian Military District No. 0051 dated 08/26/41, from August 26 to November 9, 1941, the 366th Rifle (later the 19th Guards) Division was formed.
In memory of these events and the exploits of Siberian soldiers during the Great Patriotic War, one of the streets of Tomsk bears the name of the 19th Guards Rifle Division. This is the name of the streetreceived June 5, 1981. AOn September 6, 1986, during the All-Union meeting of veterans of the division, a memorial sign was unveiled.
Veterans of the division at the memorial sign. year 2001
Also on one of the buildings of the city there is a memorial plaque, about being here in 1941 was headquarters of the 366th Infantry Division.However, according to our data, the building in which the headquarters was located was nearby, it has not been preserved.We will be grateful to Tomsk residents for any information on this issue.
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Tomsk, per. Cooperative, 8 - the building on which the memorial plaque is placed.
Memorial plaque on the building at the address per. Cooperative, 8
In accordance with the order of the commander of the Siberian Military District, the formation of the division was headed by the head of the Belotserkovsky military infantry school evacuated to Tomsk, ColonelOdaryuk Gavriil Efremovich (later Major General), and from September 23, 1941, Colonel Bulanov Semyon Ivanovich, who arrived from the front, took command of the division. Manevich Efim Moiseevich was appointed to the post of commissar of the 366th Infantry Division.
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The recruitment of personnel went at the expense of Siberians - residents of the Altai and Krasnoyarsk Territories, Novosibirsk and Omsk Regions (Kemerovo and Tomsk Regions were then part of Novosibirsk region), as well as at the expense of cadets of the Tomsk Military Infantry School (so temporarily, after the evacuation, it was calledBelotserkovsky military infantry school, then it was returned to its former name).
Composition of the 366th Rifle Division.
Three infantry regiments:
1218th, later the 54th Guards Rifle Order of Suvorov III degree regiment, was formed in the Basandaika area;
1220th, later the 56th Red Banner Guards Rifle Regiment, was formed at the Stalin Club (the House of Culture of the Railway Workers at the Tomsk-II station);
1222nd, subsequently 61st Guards Rifleman the first order of Kutuzov III degree regiment, was formed in the barracks (GPZ-5 area).
Artillery Regiment:
938th, later the 45th Guards Artillery Red Banner Regiment, was formed in the area of the circus - the mouth of the Ushaika River.
The following divisions were also formed:
380th separate anti-tank fighter division;
377th anti-aircraft battery (662nd separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion);
419th mortar division;
437th reconnaissance company;
655th separate engineer battalion;
826th separate communications battalion;
460th medical and sanitary battalion;
453rd separate company chemical protection;
450th (490th) motor transport company;
229th (289th) field bakery;
798th divisional veterinary infirmary;
1423rd field post station;
746th field cash desk of the State Bank.
Throughout October, the soldiers of the division were intensely engaged in combat training, mastering weapons and military equipment. In the same month, the division was awarded a combat red banner with the inscription: "366 Rifle Siberian Division."
On November 7, 1941, the soldiers of the division took the oath, and in the following days the personnel left for the front.
Road to the front
On the way, the echelons made stops in major cities. The stop in Novosibirsk was short - about half an hour. In Omsk, the division received winter uniforms and food, and sanitation was carried out in Sverdlovsk and Perm. All the way, the soldiers wondered where the division was heading: near Moscow or near Leningrad. And only the command of the division knew that, according to the directive of the Headquarters Supreme Command of November 2, 1941 № 004276 366 sd was included in the59 armies(commander - major general, Chief of Staff - Major General ). The army was formed in the Siberian military district, was in the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, and in November - the first half of December was engaged in the creationdefensive linein the Vologda region. By November 30, 1941, the army commander was instructed to submit for approval by the Headquarters a decision and a plan for the defense of army troops along the eastern shore of Lake. White (Lipin Bor) and further south along the river. Sheksna to Myagsy(south of Skull Sheep) . This indication was dictated by the situation on the right bank of the river. Volkhov, where the 4th and 52nd armies occupied the defenses in a strip 130 km wide - 10/16/1941 German troops, with the forces of the 16th A Army Group "North", went on the offensive and rushed to Tikhvin.November 8, 1941 the city was captured by German troops.The indicated defensive line was erected 280 km east of Tikhvin. But the enemy was first stopped, and then, as a result of the Tikhvin offensive, was driven back beyond the river. Volkhov. Thus, until December 31, 1941, troops of 59 A combat operations they led.
11/18/1941 the division unloaded from the echelons in the Vologda region and marched north on foot. Place of publicationCombat Order No. 1 dated November 28, 1941, the settlement of Kovarzino was indicated, located about 130 km north of Vologda and 288 km east of the city of Tikhvin.
At the end of November and the first half of December, the division's units, constantly changing their places of deployment, made marches, continued training and built defensive structures. Then the division quickly advanced to Cherepovets, plunged into the echelons, which headed towards Tikhvin, and, before reaching it, unloaded again and continued to move on foot. It should be noted that in this section of their advance to the front, the division's units had already come under enemy air raids.
In accordance with the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of December 11, 1941, on December 17, the Volkhov Front was created, which also includedarriving 59th and 26th armies (the latter was soon renamed the Second Shock Army).
However, 366 sd was withdrawnin reserve front with a place of deployment in the district of Art. Terebutenets, south of Tikhvin (70 km), liberated on December 9, 1941, and east of st. Chudovo (about 100 km).
Luban offensive operation
Operation of the troops of the Volkhov Front ( ) with the assistance of the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front - part of the Battle of Leningrad 1941 - 1944. the main role was assigned to the Second Shock Army, at the disposal of which on January 16, 1942, the 366th Rifle Division entered. The day before, the division (without the 1218th regiment left in the 59th army) received an orderthe commander of the Volkhov Front to come out of the Pogorelets area and, making a forced march, by January 17 concentrated east of Dubovitsy - Gorodok. Initially, its task was to cover the rear and flanks of the 20th and 59th Rifle Regiments in order to prevent enemy counterattacks from the Yamno direction.
During the offensive, our troops broke through the enemy defenses and advanced 75 kilometers.
However, at the end of March, German troops launched a counterattack at the base of the breakthrough. The 2nd shock army was surrounded. Only at the end of June 1942 Tomsk division , which became the 19th Guards in these battles,with big lossesgot out of the environment. June 25died regimental division commander Nick Bulanov Semyon Ivanovich.
According to the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of November 2, 1941 on the formation of 59A. The 366th Rifle Division was subordinate to it (commanded by Major General Galanin I.V., Chief of Staff of the Army, Major General Tokarev I.M.), formed in the Siberian Military District. The army was in the reserve of the Supreme Command Headquarters and in November - the first half of December was engaged in the creation of a defensive line on the Sheksna River and the eastern shore of Lake Beloe.
11/18/1941 the division unloaded from the echelons in the Vologda region and marched north on foot. The place of issue of the Combat Order No. 1 of November 28 was the settlement of Kovarzino, located about 130 km. north of Vologda and 288 km. east of the city of Tikhvin, which was captured by German troops on November 8, 1941.
At the end of November and the first half of December, the division's units, constantly changing their places of deployment, made marches, continued training and built defensive structures. Then the division quickly advanced to Cherepovets, plunged into the echelons, which headed towards Tikhvin and, before reaching it, unloaded again and continued to move on foot. It should be noted that in this section of their advance to the front, the units of the division already fell under enemy air raids.
In accordance with the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of December 11, 1941, the Volkhov Front was created on December 17, which also included the arriving 59th and 26th armies (the latter was soon renamed the Second Shock Army).
19th Guards Rudny-Khingan Order of Lenin Red Banner Order of Suvorov 2nd Class Rifle Division
By November 1941, the 366th Rifle Division was formed in Tomsk. Already on November 8-10, she, as a combat-ready unit, left for the front. Having unloaded in Vologda, the division was in difficult climatic conditions made a 600-kilometer pedestrian crossing and on January 8, 1942, as part of the troops of the 52nd Army of the Volkhov Front, began near Tikhvin fighting against the Nazi troops. Volkhov front, Myasnoy pine forest... The most difficult battles with the 16th Nazi army, whose task was the complete encirclement of Leningrad.
On March 17, 1942, the 366th Rifle Division was reorganized into the 19th Guards Division for bravery in battle, for steadfastness and courage. Hot battles near Tikhvin, on the Sinyavinsky Heights, active participation in the liberation of the city of Velikie Luki, turned into a fortress by the enemy, again brought the well-deserved glory of the division.
Since May 1943, the 19th Guards has been actively fighting in the Smolensk region, liberating the cities of Dukhovshchina, Liozno, Rudnya and others, and by the beginning of September it enters the land of long-suffering Belarus. September 29, 1943 she was given the honorary name - Rudnyanskaya.
On July 2, 1944, the division as part of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps liberated Vitebsk. For this feat, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In total, it liberated more than 600 settlements on the territory of Belarus. She was one of the first to enter Lithuania. For the liberation of Kaunas, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class.
Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, in October 1944 the 19th Guards crossed the border of East Prussia, began an assault on the city - the fortress of Koenigsberg. For military operations in Prussia, she is awarded the Order of Lenin.
Less than three days after Victory Day, the division raced in echelons across the entire Union to the east, to new battles - with the Japanese militarists. Here, by their actions, the 19th Guards contributed to the defeat of the vaunted Kwantung Army. For the successful overcoming of the Great Khingan ridge, it is given the name - Khinganskaya.
The modest 366th returned from the war with the 19th Guards Rudnyansko-Khinganskaya Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 2nd Class Rifle Division. 12 golden stars of Heroes shone on the chest of her warriors.
Today, the battle flag of the division is installed in the Victory Hall of the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.
The division was led into battle by commander S.I. Bulanov, commissar E.M. Manevich.
19th Guards Rudny-Khingan Order of Lenin Red Banner Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class Rifle Division. - Booklet.
Materials prepared by the Museum of Military Glory of the 19th Guards Division, school. No. 32. Luban offensive operation(January 7 - April 30, 1942)
By the beginning of January, the fighters of our division arrived in the Novgorod region to participate in the Lyuban offensive operation, the purpose of which was to lift the blockade from the city of Leningrad.
During the offensive, our troops broke through the enemy defenses near the village of Myasnoy Bor and moved forward 75 km. However, by the end of March, the Nazis launched a strong counterattack at the base of the breakthrough and the 2nd Shock Army, which included our division, was surrounded.
The first combat operation turned out to be tragic for the division, and the last for many soldiers. By the time of the encirclement, the division had more than 13 thousand soldiers, and at the end of the operation only about a thousand remained alive. The Nazis tried to wipe the army, which was surrounded, from the face of the earth. It was impossible to help the seriously wounded. At the beginning of March, an attempt was made to take out seriously wounded soldiers by rail, but the Nazis opened massive artillery fire and all the wounded died. The rest, still resisting soldiers, also had a hard time. The Nazis were advancing from everywhere, the earth was pitted with funnels, the trees were broken and burned. There was not enough ammunition, and what could be obtained from behind the encirclement line often sank in the swamps, the planes that flew to the rescue were often shot down. The dead comrades were put into funnels by the soldiers. Each soldier was to have a medallion, nicknamed by the mortal soldiers. This medallion contained a document in which all the data of its owner were written in case of death. But the soldiers had a sign: if you fill the medallion, you will surely die. Therefore, many soldiers did not fill. Because of this, it was impossible to identify the deceased, and he was considered missing.
Only at the beginning of June the soldiers of the division with huge losses managed to get out of the encirclement. They made their way to their own in small groups. Leading the last fighters out of the encirclement, blown up by a mine, the first commander of the Bulanov division died. Despite the fact that during this operation the division lost most of its composition, the division's banner was managed to be taken out of the encirclement. Unfortunately, the name of the person who accomplished this feat remains unknown. It was thanks to him that the division was preserved as combat unit. Moreover, having left the encirclement, the fighters learned about the big reward.
By order of March 17, 1942, for the courage and courage shown in the battles with the Nazi invaders, the 366th Rifle Division was awarded the title of 19th Guards. And guards means the best. Sinyavino offensive operation
(August 19 - October 10, 1942)
By the end of August 1942, the division was replenished with new soldiers and again rushed into battle. The division was headed by David Markovich Barinov. The next combat operation, in which our division took part, took place near Leningrad, in the area of the village of Sinyavino. The task set: a new attempt to break through the blockade of Leningrad.
The offensive was complicated by the fact that the Germans occupied very advantageous positions, located on the Sinyavin Heights. Our troops were advancing along the plain, and before the war, peat extraction took place here, and the whole area was pitted with deep trenches. The fighters of our division managed to take possession of the Sinyavinsky heights for some time, but our troops could not hold them. And this time it was not possible to remove the blockade from Leningrad. However, the significance of this military operation is great, because in order to stop the offensive of our troops, the fascist command had to urgently transfer several new divisions near Sinyavino, which were supposed to attack Leningrad. Velikolukskaya offensive operation
(November 24, 1942 – January 20, 1943)
After heavy fighting on the Sinyavinsky Heights, the division was assigned to rest in the Selizharovo area, and on December 1, an order was received to move to the area of the city of Velikiye Luki. This city-fortress was in the hands of the enemy and battles were coming to liberate it. Our division was in reserve and went into action in mid-December.
At first, the battles went with varying success. As a rule, in a combat area there are always dominant heights, for the mastery of which there are fierce battles. This time it was a height near the village of Ptahino. Our fighters fought for this height for seven days and defended it, which allowed the division to move forward and successfully complete the battles in this direction.
After the victorious completion of the Velikolukskaya offensive operation, the division was assigned to rest, received reinforcements, and serious preparations began for the next combat offensive operation - Smolensk, under the conditional name "Suvorov". Smolensk offensive operation
(August 7 - October 2, 1943)
The 19th Guards Division was included in the 39th Army. Our troops were given the task of not only liberating the city of Smolensk, but also, developing the offensive, to begin the expulsion of the Nazis from the Belarusian land. Overcoming the well-equipped German defenses, the division struck at Dukhovshina. And then to the heavily fortified city of Rudnya, which she liberated on September 29, 1943.
Rudnya was a railway interchange, so its liberation from the Germans was extremely important. For mastering the city, the division received the honorary name of Rudny. Belarusian offensive operation
(June 23 – August 29, 1944)
During this operation, being part of the 39th Army, the division smashed the enemy in the Vitebsk direction. Already on the first day of this operation, our soldiers managed to break through the enemy defenses, crossing the Luchesa River, and then occupying the Zamostochye station. On June 26, the city of Vitebsk was liberated. For his liberation, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of War. Baltic offensive operation
(September 14 - November 24, 1944)
During this operation, the division took part in the liberation of Lithuania and was awarded the Order of Suvorov of the second degree. Having liberated the republic, it was necessary to cut off the fascist army group "North" from East Prussia. And then, pursuing the retreating enemy, cross the state border of the USSR, and break into the territory of the enemy ourselves - into East Prussia. East Prussian offensive operation
(January 13 - April 25, 1945)
The defeat of the Germans in East Prussia removed the threat of a flank attack on our troops advancing on Berlin. Wanting to keep this area at any cost, the Nazis created a powerful system of fortifications there. Nevertheless, our army captured one settlement after another, and then, breaking through the so-called "iron gates", broke into Koenigsberg. Here, in the fortress city of Koenigsberg, our soldiers learned that the Great Patriotic War victoriously completed, and the German generals signed the act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces.
But not all soldiers could go home after the victory. Our division was to, fulfilling its allied duty to the United States, enter the war with Japan.
The 39th Army, which continued to include the 19th Guards Division, was transferred to Mongolia. Manchurian offensive operation
(August 9 - September 2, 1945)
On August 9, the general offensive of the Soviet troops began. The 19th Guards Division crossed the border and approached the foothills of the Greater Khingan. Hundreds of kilometers had to be overcome through waterless mountainous desert terrain in order to cut off the samurai's escape route to the south. For overcoming the Great Khingan mountain range, the division received the title of Khingan. This operation, like the fighting against Japan, ended in a brilliant victory.
The 19th Guards Division finished its combat path in the city of Russian glory Port Arthur, where it was located until it was disbanded in 1955.
Excursion prepared by the Museum of Military Glory of the 19th Guards Division, school. No. 32.
The combat path of the 19th Guards Rudny-Khingan Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Rifle DivisionIn November 1941, the 366th rifle division was formed in the Tomsk region. It included the 1218th, 1220th, 1222nd rifle and 938th artillery regiments. Colonel S.I. Bulanov became the first commander. In December 1941, the Division arrived at the Volkhov Front and became part of the 59th, then the 2nd Shock Army. On January 13, 1942, the troops of the Volkhov Front launched the Lyuban offensive operation in order to break through the blockade of Leningrad. Having crossed the Volkhov River, the 366th Infantry Division, breaking through the enemy defenses, captured the village of Myasnoy Bor, creating a passage for our formations advancing towards Lyuban. On January 26, the division, together with the 25th Cavalry Division, liberated the village of Novaya Kerest, while the Nazis suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment. Soviet soldiers showed miracles of courage and courage, but it was not possible to break through to the besieged Leningrad, the enemy turned out to be stronger, our command assumed. There are many reasons for the failure of the Luban operation. One of the main ones is the natural factor. In the area of the offensive of our units there were swamps and forests littered with deep snow, and only one or two country roads along which the troops were supplied. The Nazis often closed the neck of the breakthrough, which made it even more difficult to supply the advancing ammunition and food. The absence of aviation, tank and artillery support also had a great negative effect. The thaw that came in early March interrupted all supply. In March-April 1942, by order of the command, the troops, having suffered heavy losses, left the encirclement, often breaking through in separate small groups.
For the courage and courage of the personnel shown in the battles, the 366th Rifle Division on March 17, 1942 was transformed into the 19th Guards Rifle Division. The numbers of its regiments also changed: the 1218th Rifle became the 54th Guards Rifle, the 1220th became the 56th Guards Rifle, the 1222nd became the 61st Guards Rifle, and the 938th Artillery became the 45th Guards Artillery.
After rest and replenishment personnel and weapons, the 19th Guards Rifle Division took part in the Sinyavino offensive operation. On August 19, 1942, an offensive was launched towards each other by the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. This time, along with the task of breaking through the blockade, it was meant to disrupt the enemy’s preparations for a new assault on Leningrad. The last task was successfully solved. The fascist German command was forced to use the formations of the 11th Army transferred from the Crimea near Leningrad to repel the offensive of the Soviet troops.
However, the blockade was not broken this time either. The 19th Guards Division, having broken through the front of the enemy west of the village of Gaitolovo, approached Sinyavino with a fight, but could not take it and was forced to retreat to the starting line. As a result of this operation, the enemy suffered serious losses, his forces were pinned down, which contributed to the successful defense of Leningrad, and thwarted the attack that was being prepared to capture the city.
In mid-December 1942, the 19th Guards Rifle Division was transferred to the town of Velikiye Luki, Pskov Region, and became part of the 3rd Shock Army. By this time, the fascist garrison of the city was completely surrounded by Soviet troops, but refused to capitulate, hoping for the support of their command.
Parts of the 19th Guards Rifle Division took up combat positions to the west of the city and steadfastly repulsed all attacks of the enemy, who were trying to break through to the besieged. After many days of bloody fighting on January 17, 1943, the resistance of the encircled garrison was broken, and the city was liberated from the invaders.
Upon completion of the operation, the division fought defensive battles west of Velikie Luki until August 1943.
The 19th Guards Rifle Division, transferred to the Smolensk Region in August, became part of the 39th Army, in which it fought until September 1943.
On September 14, 1943, the troops of the Kalinin Front, which included the 39th Army, began the Dukhovshchinsko-Demidov offensive operation. Having broken through the front line of defense of the enemy along the Vop River, by the end of the day, army units advanced to a depth of 3-13 km with a breakthrough front width of up to 30 km. As a result of four days of fighting, the defense of the Nazi troops was completely broken through. On the night of September 19, the 39th Army captured an important enemy defense center - the city of Dukhovshchina. The 19th Siberian Guards Rifle Division took an active part in these battles.
The offensive continued. Widely using an enveloping maneuver and boldly attacking, the 19th Guards and other formations of the army on September 28 reached the approaches to the city of Rudnya by the end of the day. With a swift blow from units of the division, the enemy was knocked out from the heights surrounding the city, and retreated to a previously prepared city line of defense. The battle lasted all night, and on the morning of September 29, the city of Rudnya was completely liberated from the Nazi invaders. In commemoration of the success achieved, for the courage and courage of the soldiers, the 19th Guards Rifle Division received the honorary name of Rudny.
In the battles on the outskirts of the city of Rudnya, the personnel of the 61st Guards Rifle Regiment, led by its commander, Lieutenant Colonel I. N. Kireev, bravely fought. Despite the incomplete staffing, the regiment successfully completed the combat mission of breaking through the heavily fortified enemy defenses and forced him to hastily retreat. In the battle on September 24, Lieutenant Colonel I. N. Kireev died, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Further attempts to develop offensives in the Vitebsk direction were not successful. The troops, weakened in the past battles, met the heavily fortified defenses of the enemy and were forced to stop, taking up defense. Being on the defensive, the troops of the 39th Army fortified their positions, carried out reconnaissance of the enemy and the terrain, and fought local battles.
In early October, units of the 134th and 158th Rifle Divisions, supported by tankers of the 28th Guards Brigade, began fighting for the Belarusian city of Liozno and liberated it on October 8th. The offensive of our troops was so unexpected and swift for the enemy that he hastily fled, leaving serviceable vehicles, guns with ammunition and even kitchens with cooked food. The attackers failed to advance further.
In the Belarusian operation that began on June 23, 1944, the 19th Guards Rifle Division took an active part. Having liberated, in the very first battles, a number of settlements, the soldiers crossed the Luchesa River and, having captured the Zamostochye station, cut the Orsha-Vitebsk railway. All approaches to the city and the city itself were heavily fortified, and therefore the Soviet command, in order to avoid heavy losses in street battles, planned to surround the city with a solid ring and force the enemy to surrender.
By the morning of June 25, units of the 19th Guards Rifle Division reached the Western Dvina River near the village of Gnezdilovichi and closed the outer encirclement. About 40 thousand Nazis fell into the formed Vitebsk cauldron. On June 26, the city of Vitebsk was liberated from the Nazis. For the exemplary performance of the tasks of the command to break through the Vitebsk fortified area of the enemy, the 19th Guards Army was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
During the fighting in the Vitebsk region, the advancing troops of the front went far ahead, and the 39th Army resumed its movement to the west to the front line as part of their second echelon. At the beginning of July 1944, the army, by directive of the Stavka, was transferred to the 1st Baltic Front. Having made a 400-kilometer march on foot through the western regions of Belarus, sometimes engaging in battles with separate units of the defeated enemy group wandering around our rear, formations of the 39th Army reached the concentration area west of Lake Naroch near the border with Lithuania.
On July 9, the troops of the 39th Army entered the territory of Lithuania. The 19th Guards Division advanced north of the town of Pabrade in the direction of Sirvintos. Here the resistance of the enemy intensified, for the formations of the army covered the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, from the north. At this time, the troops of the 5th Army fought to liberate Vilnius, which was assisted by the troops of the 39th Army. For skillful and decisive military operations that contributed to the liberation of Vilnius, the 19th Guards Red Banner Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Suvorov.
Continuing the offensive, the division crossed the Nevėžys River and cut the Kaunas-Raseiniai and Kaunas-Vilkia highways, which helped the troops of the 5th Army in the liberation of Kaunas. The stubborn resistance of the enemy was met by the troops of the 39th Army east of the town of Raseiniai. Here the German command tried to organize a counteroffensive. The fighting was also difficult because the advancing formations of the 39th Army met a well-prepared long-term enemy defense on the outskirts of Raseiniai. At the end of August, the army troops were forced to stop the offensive and take up defense.
On the morning of October 6, after a powerful artillery and aviation preparation, the troops of the 39th Army launched the Taurage offensive operation, the purpose of which was to expel the fascist invaders from the territory of Lithuania and enter East Prussia, the stronghold of German militarism in the east.
Within 30 minutes after the end of the artillery preparation, the army formations broke through the enemy defenses. On the morning of October 9, regiments of the 17th Guards and 192nd Rifle Divisions of the army broke into the city of Taurage and, after a short street battle, liberated it. By the end of that day, units of the 19th Guards Division reached the Neman River on a wide front and, having broken the enemy’s resistance, crossed it. Heavy and bloody battles began already on the territory of East Prussia. On the morning of January 13, 1945, the offensive resumed. Having broken through the front line of the enemy's defense, units of the 9th Guards and 124th Rifle Divisions captured the city of Pilkallen (Dobrovolsk). The Nazi command did not accept this and for several days threw its units into counterattacks, but could not return the city. The counterattacks with the use of tanks did not help the enemy either. Taking advantage of the breakthrough in the enemy's defenses, the neighboring 5th and 11th Guards Armies approached the city of Petersburg (Chernyakhovsk) and captured it on January 22.
For the courage and bravery shown in the battles for the city of Pilkallen, the commander of the 61st Guards Rifle Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel V. A. Trushin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Heavy three-day battles unfolded after crossing the Daime (Daima) River. Here, the advancing troops met with a powerful long-term defense of the enemy, which began to be built back in 1914 on January 24, and this heavily fortified enemy defense line was broken through, which opened the way to Koenigsberg, to which 30 km remained.
On January 27, 1945, the troops of the 39th Army started fighting on the near approaches to Koenigsberg, bypassing the city from the north and northwest. Army formations cut the Konigsberg-Pilau (Baltiysk) railway and completed the encirclement of the city from the west. In the beginning of the assault on Koenigsberg, units of the 19th Guards Rifle Division, reaching the shore of Frisches-Haff Bay, participated in the defeat of the encircled garrison of the city, which on April 9 ceased resistance and capitulated.
In mid-April, formations of the 39th Army defeated the remnants of the enemy's Zemland grouping and on April 25 reached the Baltic Sea, thus ending the fighting in East Prussia.
For the exemplary performance of command assignments in the East Prussian offensive operation, for the heroism and courage of the personnel shown in these battles, the 19th Guards Rudny Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Lenin.
In early May 1945, the division, like all formations of the army, was loaded into railway echelons and moved east. Already on the way, the soldiers of the division celebrated the day of the Great Victory. By order of the Headquarters, the 39th Army became part of the troops of the Transbaikal Front and concentrated in the northeast of the Mongolian People's Republic in the area southwest of the Khalkhin Gol River.
At dawn on August 9, units of the 19th Guards Rifle Division, as part of the 39th Army, crossed the border with Manchuria, broke through the Halun-Arshan and Hailar fortified areas of the Japanese Kwantung Army, fought through the Great Khingan mountain range, for which the division received an honorary the name of Khingan, and, in the shortest possible time, liberated the cities of Salun, Wan'emyao (Ulan Hot), Sypingai, Liaoyang and reached the city of Andong on the shores of the West Korean Gulf, where she ended her combat path.
For feats of arms in the battles against the Nazi invaders and the troops of imperialist Japan, more than 17 thousand soldiers of the division were awarded orders and medals, and six of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Molochaev I.P. The combat path of the Siberian divisions in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.
- Novosibirsk: Publishing House of the SO RAN NITs OIGGM, 2000.
On March 17, 1942, the 366th Rifle Division was reorganized into the 19th guards division. The battles on the Sinyavinsky Heights, active participation in the liberation of the city of Velikiye Luki, turned into a fortress by the enemy, brought the deserved glory to the division.
Since May 1943, the 19th Guards has been actively fighting in the Smolensk region, liberating the cities of Dukhovshchina, Liozno, Rudnya and others, and by the beginning of September it enters the land of long-suffering Belarus. September 29, 1943 she was given the honorary name - Rudnyanskaya.
On July 2, 1944, the division, as part of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps, liberated Vitebsk. For this feat, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In total, it liberated more than 600 settlements on the territory of Belarus. She was one of the first to enter Lithuania. For the liberation of Kaunas, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class.
Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, in October 1944 the 19th Guards crossed the border of East Prussia, began an assault on the city - the fortress of Koenigsberg. For military operations in Prussia, she is awarded the Order of Lenin.
Less than three days after Victory Day, the division raced in echelons across the entire Union to the east, to new battles - with the Japanese militarists. Here, by their actions, the 19th Guards contributed to the defeat of the vaunted Kwantung Army. For the successful overcoming of the Great Khingan ridge, it is given the name - Khinganskaya.
The modest 366th returned from the war with the 19th Guards Rudnyansko-Khinganskaya Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 2nd degree rifle division. 12 golden stars of Heroes shone on the chest of her warriors.
Today, the division's battle flag is installed in the Victory Hall of the Central Museum of the Armed Forces. In Tomsk there is a street of the 19th Guards Division.
The division fought in the compositions:
2nd shock army (May - October 1942),
52nd Army, 3rd Shock Army,
39th Army - since August 1943.
Division's combat path:
1. Luban offensive operation from January 7 - April 30, 1942. The goal is to deblockade Leningrad.
2. Sinyavino offensive operation from August 19 - October 10, 1942. The goal is to de-blockade Leningrad and disrupt a new enemy attack on the city.
3. Velikie Luki offensive operation from November 24, 1942 - January 20, 1943. Purpose: to defeat the enemy on the left wing of Army Group Center near the city of Velikie Luki (Pskov region)
4. Smolensk offensive operation from August 7 - October 2, 1943 Purpose: to defeat the enemy on the left wing of Army Group Center in the area of the city of Smolensk.
5. Belarusian offensive operation from June 23 - August 29, 1944. Purpose: the defeat of the Nazi Army Group Center and the liberation of the BSSR.
6. Baltic offensive operation from September 14 - November 24, 1944. Purpose: defeat of the Nazi troops in the Baltic states and liberation of the Soviet republics.
7. East Prussian offensive operation from January 13 - April 25, 1945. Purpose: defeat of the enemy grouping in East Prussia and northern Poland.
8. Manchurian offensive operation from August 9 - September 2, 1945. Purpose: defeat of the Kwantung army, liberation of Manchuria and North Korea from the Japanese aggressors.
Additional Information:
http://blokada.otrok.ru/text.php?s=lu&t=11
Http://www.dn.kz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=537:2012-06-26-07-35-37&catid=2:2011-10-23-11-43-45&Itemid=4
http://gorod.tomsk.ru/index-1296041325.php
http://gorod.tomsk.ru/index-1296126881.php
http://gorod.tomsk.ru/index-1296185685.php
http://militera.lib.ru/research/0/pdf/beshanov_vv03.pdf
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