78th Guards Rifle Division
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The 78th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in March 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 204th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War.
78th Guards Rifle Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1946 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Division |
Role | Infantry |
Engagements | Battle of Kursk Belgorod-Kharkov Offensive Poltava-Kremenchug Offensive Battle of the Dniepr Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket Uman–Botoșani Offensive First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive Vistula-Oder Offensive Lower Silesian Offensive Battle of Berlin Battle of the Oder–Neisse Spremberg–Torgau Offensive Operation Battle of Bautzen (1945) Prague Offensive |
Decorations | Order of Suvorov |
Battle honours | Vistula |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Vasilevich Skvortsov Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Grigorevich Motov Maj. Gen. Zakhar Trofimovich Trofimov |
As the 204th it had fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and distinguished itself during Operation Ring in the 64th Army. It remained assigned to that Army when it was redesignated as the 7th Guards Army. It moved north to the Kursk area joining Voronezh Front and played an important role in the defense of the Northern Donets River south of the salient as part of the 25th Guards Rifle Corps during Operation Zitadelle. Following this victory it fought in the Belgorod-Kharkov Offensive in August and continued advancing toward the Dniepr River into the early autumn. During the crossing operations over the Dniepr a large number of the division's personnel distinguished themselves, becoming Heroes of the Soviet Union, including the divisional commander, or receiving other awards. During January and February 1944 the 78th Guards was involved in the fighting around Korsun-Shevchenkovski and went through several reassignments before ending up in the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps of 5th Guards Army where it remained for the duration of the war. As part of 1st Ukrainian Front it made a successful advance into southeastern Poland during the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive and was awarded a divisional honorific for its assault crossing of the Vistula River. In January 1945 the division attacked through southern Poland and into Silesia, taking part in the battles around Breslau and later in the offensive against Berlin in April before ending the war near Prague. Following the German surrender the division was decorated with the Order of Suvorov for its part in the capture of Dresden. Despite a laudable combat record the 78th Guards was disbanded in July, 1946.