233rd Rifle Division
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 233rd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of September 13, 1939. As part of 20th Army it was moved from the Moscow Military District to the front west of Orsha by July 2. Serving under Western Front the 20th was soon pocketed in the Smolensk region and although remnants of the 233rd were able to escape the division was no longer combat-effective and was broken up for replacements in early August.
233rd Rifle Division (March 14, 1941 - September 19, 1941) 233rd Rifle Division (April 1942 - October 1945) | |
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Active | 1941–1945 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Engagements | Operation Barbarossa Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Stalingrad Kotluban Offensives Operation Uranus Operation Ring Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation Chernigov-Poltava Strategic Offensive Battle of the Dniepr Kremenchug-Pyatikhatki Offensive Kirovograd offensive Uman–Botoșani offensive First Jassy–Kishinev offensive Second Jassy–Kishinev offensive Belgrade offensive Battle of Batina Operation Konrad III Operation Spring Awakening Vienna offensive |
Decorations | Order of the Red Banner (2nd formation) |
Battle honours | Kremenchuk (2nd formation) Znamianka (2nd formation) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Col. Georgii Fyodorovich Kotov Col. Gennadii Petrovich Pankov Maj. Gen. Yosif Fyodorovich Barinov Col. Yakov Nikiforovich Vronskii Col. Yuri Ivanovich Sokolov Col. Ivan Mikhailovich Vodopyanov Col. Dmitrii Ilich Taranov Col. Timofei Ilich Sidorenko Maj. Gen. Fyodor Pavlovich Berezhnov |
A new 233rd began forming between February and May 1942 in the Ural Military District, based on a rifle brigade, and largely from Azerbaijani nationals. After a fairly lengthy forming-up period near Moscow was sent south in August, eventually to Stalingrad Front, where it took part in the futile efforts to break through the German corridor to the city. After the Axis forces there were encircled the division fought as part of 65th Army into the factory district during Operation Koltso. Following the liquidation of the pocket it was moved north, eventually joining the 53rd Army of Steppe Front. Under these commands the 233rd advanced through eastern Ukraine to the Dniepr and won two battle honors in the fighting on both banks of the river, mostly as part of 75th Rifle Corps. In February 1944 it moved with its Corps to 4th Guards Army, in 2nd Ukrainian Front, serving under those commands during the first failed offensive into Moldavia. When the advance resumed in late August it was still with 75th Corps, now in 57th Army of 3rd Ukrainian Front, and took part in the operations that captured Bucharest and Belgrade. The division won the Order of the Red Banner for successfully crossing the Danube at Batina, but took heavy losses in fighting south of the Drava River in late December. During 1945 the 233rd helped defend against the German efforts to break the siege of Budapest and then advanced across Hungary into Austria as part of the 135th Rifle Corps in 26th Army. It was disbanded in the Balkans in October.