Battle of Stalingrad 51st Guards Division. Airborne flag of Tula

05.10.1922 - 10.03.1960

On October 5, 1922, the brigade was renamed the Armenian Rifle Division. In October 1931, the division was reorganized again and received the name “Armenian Mining rifle division"- consisted of four rifle regiments, an artillery regiment and a separate cavalry squadron.

In 1935, the division was named after Marshal Soviet Union K.V. Voroshilov, and on May 29, 1936, for the successes achieved and in connection with the 15th anniversary, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

On July 1, 1936, the division became known as the 76th Armenian Order of the Red Banner Mountain Rifle named after. K.V. Voroshilov Division", and from July 16, 1940 - "76th Mountain Rifle Red Banner named after. K.E. Voroshilov division."

The Great Patriotic War found the division on the southern borders of the USSR with Iran on the Araks River. On August 25, 1941, together with other units of the Red Army, the division, having crossed Araks River, entered to Iranian territory and after completing the assigned task returned to Armenia.

In September 1941, the division was sent to the Southwestern Front, and on September 27, 1941 in the Kochubeevka area of the Poltava region parts of the division entered into battle with German troops. Heavy defensive battles continued for 20 days. This was the division's baptism of fire. Then there were fights on the borders of the rivers Northern Donets, Oskol, Don. On February 2, 1942, the division became part of the 21st Army of the Southwestern Front and was reorganized as a rifle division.

In July 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began. By combat order from the headquarters of the 21st Army, the division receives the task of leaving to the border of the Don River for further actions to seize a bridgehead on its right bank. For four months the division as part of the 21st Army fought defensive battles northwest of Stalingrad. It was here that for the demonstrated courage, perseverance, courage, heroism of personnel in heavy defensive battles and for conquering a bridgehead on the right bank of the Don River The division, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 375 dated November 23, 1942, was transformed into the 51st Guards Division. The division's Guards banner was awarded on January 5, 1943.

The division took part in breaking through the defensive lines of German troops northwest of Stalingrad, the first of the units of the 21st Army broke into the city and on January 26, 1943 united with units of the 13th Division M.A. Rodimtseva. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 19, 1943, for successful actions in the defeat of Nazi troops near Stalingrad The division is awarded the Order of Lenin.

After Stalingrad, the division, as part of the 23rd Guards Rifle Corps of the 6th Guards Army, took part in the Battle of Kursk from July 5 to August 23, 1943. in the liberation of the cities of Kursk, Belgorod, Kharkov.

From October 1943 to early January 1944, the division was on the defensive as part of the 2nd Baltic Front northwest of Nevel, and then took part in the defeat of the enemy’s Nevelsk group.

From June 23, 1944, the division as part of the 1st Baltic Front participated in the Belarusian offensive operation"Bagration", having covered a distance of 250 km with continuous battles, crossed four water obstacles, including twice the Western Dvina River.

During Operation Bagration, our troops closed the ring of resistance around the Vitebsk group of Germans and liberated them on July 4, 1944. Polotsk. On July 23, 1944, Order No. 204 of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, for successful battles from June 22 to July 5, 1944, the division was given the honorary name “Vitebsk”, and its three regiments the name “Polotsk”.

In the summer of 1944, the division did not leave the battles, liberating the Baltic states, pursuing the enemy along the line Polotsk-Turmantas, Joniskis-Trishkiai, Bene-Priekule.

In October 1944 the division northwest of Siauliai broke through the heavily fortified enemy defenses and advanced more than 90 km in 5 days, including destroying up to 100 enemy soldiers and officers, destroying and capturing 32 tanks, 759 rifles and machine guns, 125 machine guns and much other property. For the successful autumn battles of 1944, the 156th and 158th rifle regiments were awarded the Order of Kutuzov III degree and the Red Banner.

In further battles from October 1944 to May 1945, the division conducted a series of offensive battles to destroy the encircled Kurland enemy group, in the Priekule area: Elkuzeme, north of the metro station. Varme, mz. Remte.

X. Garni 10/27/1944
X. Imanta 30-31.10.1944
X. Leinieki 10/27/1944
plz. Jaunveyty 01/15/1945
X. Jaunzemie 02/03/1945

X. Piteli 10/27/1944

plz. Jaunveyty 01/15/1945

X. Warte 10/16/1944
plz. Gulbene 27-29.10.1944
X. Idriti 10/27/1944
X. Crievini 10/23/1944
X. Pumpaishi 10/16/1944
X. Seeley 10/28/1944

PERSONNEL

Total: 119

Rank and file:

machine gunner No. 1 of the 3rd SB 158th Guards Rifle Regiment

1907 - 25.03.1945

Guards Corporal Vinogradov Georgy Borisovich
Guards Corporal Volkov Grigory Timofeevich, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1923 - 10/27/1944
Guards Art. Sergeant Volodin Mikhail Ivanovich, squad commander of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1914 - 02/04/1945
Guards Corporal Voloshin Mikhail Vasilievich, commander of the rifle squad of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 10/27/1944
Guards Art. Sergeant Voronovsky Alexey Ivanovich, gun commander of the 122nd GAP 1911 - 02/02/1945
Guards Art. Sergeant Vyshlov Vasily Semenovich, gun commander of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1907 - 10/27/1944
Guards Corporal Gavrikov Vasily Alekseevich
Guards Red Army soldier Nikolai Vasilievich Grigorets, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Guida Mikhail Kuzmich, shooter of the 122nd GAP 1909 - 10/16/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Divin Fedor Gerasimovich
Guards Red Army soldier Mikhail Danilovich Dolinets, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1924 - 02/03/1945
Guards Sergeant Dotsenko Fedor Prokofievich, squad commander of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Elkaev Hotambay
Guards Sergeant Major Emelyanov Nikolai Alexandrovich, commander of the reconnaissance department of the 122nd GAP 1923 - 10/28/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Fyodor Konstantinovich Zabulika, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1920 - 02/03/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Zakruzhnitsky Alexander Nikitovich, machine gunner of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 10/27/1944
Guards Sergeant Ivanov Dmitry Grigorievich, scout of the 122nd GAP 1918 - 10/25/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Ignatiev Sidor Ignatievich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1905 - 10/28/1944
Guards ml. Sergeant Igoshin Viktor Nikolaevich
Guards Red Army soldier Ilyesh Gavriil Ivanovich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1922 - 02/02/1945
Guards Art. Sergeant Kalabsky Yuliy Petrovich, commander of the rifle squad of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 10/28/1944
Guards Art. Sergeant Kaporin Vladimir Yakovlevich, squad commander of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment? - 10/27/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Katana Petr Nikolaevich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1924 - 02/04/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Alexey Petrovich Kafarsky, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1915 - 02/03/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Knyazev Andrey Semenovich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1922 - 10/27/1944
Guards Art. Sergeant Kovalkov Ivan Akimovich, squad commander of the 154th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 01/15/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Grigory Semenovich Kovalchuk, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1899 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Georgy Konstantinovich Kodryants, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1923 - 02/03/1945
Guards Corporal Kozlov Sergei Vasilievich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 10/29/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Koldashin Oman, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1919 - 10/27/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Dmitry Filippovich Kostyuk, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 02/03/1945
Guards Art. Sergeant Kudashov Zarif Khusainovich, commander of the machine gun crew of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1917 - 02/02/1945
Guards ml. Sergeant Kurbanov Akhat, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Ivan Gavrilovich Kulikov, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1906 - 10/27/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Philip Paramonovich Kuratkin
Guards Red Army soldier Alexander Evdokimovich Kushev, shooter of the 122nd GAP 1926 - 10/23/1944
Guards ml. Sergeant Larionov Ivan Andreevich, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1904 - 02/03/1945
Guards Art. Sergeant Levin Vasily Matveevich, squad commander of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1911 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Fedor Nikolaevich Litvinov, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1907 - 10/29/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Nikolai Emelyanovich Lubchuk, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 10/27/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Vladimir Yakovlevich Lunev, machine gunner of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 10/28/1944
Guards Sergeant Lyashchenko Ivan Petrovich, commander of the rifle squad of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1924 - 10/29/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Semyon Evseevich Maksimov, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1904 - 02/06/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Little Dmitry Dmitrievich, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1908 - 02/03/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Nikolai Fedorovich Markovich, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1915 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Semyon Konstantinovich Marutkov, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1924 - 10/16/1944
Guards Sergeant Makhimbaev Mamedil, gunner of the 122nd GAP 1924 - 10/23/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Philip Timofeevich Matsuganov, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1901 - 10/30/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Ivan Semenovich Mokhnatov, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1922 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Alexander Dmitrievich Muratov, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Yakov Zotovich Nedugov, machine gunner of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1904 - 02/05/1945
Guards Sergeant Nikolenko Mikhail Ivanovich, squad commander of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1925 - 02/02/1945
Guards Art. Sergeant Ozhogin Petr Alekseevich, commander of the rifle squad of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1915 - 10/27/1944
Guards Sergeant Major Pankov Vladimir Gavrilovich, foreman of the rifle company of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1910 - 10/27/1944
Guards Corporal Panchenko Akim Filippovich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1905 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Pereverzev Andrey Ignatievich, shooter of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1918 - 02/03/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Anatoly Alexandrovich Pilipenko, reconnaissance officer of the 158th Guards Rifle Regiment 1922 - 02/02/1945
Guards Sergeant Major Podogov Evgeniy Vasilievich, squad commander of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1918 - 02/04/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Popov Mikhail Stepanovich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 10/27/1944
Guards Corporal Postal Konstantin Prokofievich, shooter of the 156th Guards Regiment, born in 1924.
Guards Corporal Pramkulov Turgun, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1904 - 10/27/1944
Guards Red Army soldier Konstantin Vasilievich Prosvirov, shooter of the 154th Guards Rifle Regiment 1909 - 02/02/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Ptashnik Vladimir Martynovich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1926 - 02/04/1945
Guards Red Army soldier Puga Sergei Georgievich, shooter of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1920 - 02/02/1945
Guards Sergeant Pudovkin Vasily Danilovich, squad commander of the 156th Guards Rifle Regiment 1921 - 02/02/1945

Command

Titles and awards

Distinguished warriors

Memory

Notes

Literature

Links

Story

The division traces its history back to the Armenian Rifle Division formed on October 5, 1922.

The division had the following names:

Battle path

I. M. Chistyakov. Fracture. In the book “And the Earth Smelled of Gunpowder” he wrote:

On January 10, 1943, Operation Ring began. The 51st Guards Division advanced in the direction of the village of Karpovka. After taking this strong point, the pursuit of the enemy began. On the 12th, several tanks of the division broke through to Pitomnik, where the German airfield and hospitals were located, and caused a lot of commotion in the enemy camp. On January 15, the 51st Division, together with the 252nd Division, liberated Pitomnik.
On January 22, 1943, the final stage of the operation began to completely defeat the encircled enemy group. The 21st Army was supposed to advance in the direction of Gumrak, the village of Red October. The 62nd Army was supposed to advance towards them from the city. But the progress was very difficult - the German soldiers fought with the despair of a hunted beast. On January 25, the 51st Division with other units of the army captured the village of Gumrak, where the Nazis maintained a camp for Soviet prisoners of war. Battalions were formed from them and sent to army divisions.
On the night of January 26, the commander of the Don Front, K.K. Rokossovsky, gave the order to break through to Mamayev Kurgan and complete the dismemberment of the remnants of the encircled German troops. On the morning of this day, to the music of the orchestra, the soldiers of the 51st Division went on the attack and, together with units of the 121st Tank Brigade and the 52nd Division on the slopes of the mound, joined forces with units of the 13th Guards and 284th Rifle Divisions of the 62nd Army - military , and with it the historical tasks were completed.

The division took part in breaking through the defensive lines of German troops north-west of Stalingrad, the first of the units of the 21st Army broke into the city and on January 26, 1943 united with units of the 13th division of M. A. Rodimtsev. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943, the division was awarded the Order of Lenin for successful actions in the defeat of Nazi troops at Stalingrad.

After Stalingrad, the division as part of the 6th Guards Army from July 5 to August 23, 1943, she took part in the Battle of Kursk, in the liberation of the cities of Kursk, Belgorod, and Kharkov.

During the Battle of Kursk, units of the division occupied defenses in the Oboyan area. With the start of the German offensive on July 5 and the next three days, there was a continuous battle on the division’s defense lines. On the evening of July 8, formations of the 6th Guards Army retreated to the second line of defense, and, having completely exhausted the enemy, stopped their advance. At the end of the Battle of Kursk, the division as part of the 6th Guards Army continued its offensive in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction.

In September 1943, the division as part of the army was transferred to Leningrad and, as part of the 2nd Baltic Front, broke through the German defenses northeast of Nevel.

From October 1943 to early January 1944, the division as part of the 2nd Baltic Front occupied the defense northwest of the city of Nevel, and then took part in the defeat of the enemy’s Nevel group.

In February 1944, the division as part of the army was transferred to the 1st Baltic Front.

From June 23, 1944, as part of the 1st Baltic Front, she participated in the Belarusian offensive operation “Bagration”, covering a 250 km path with continuous battles, crossing four water obstacles, including the Western Dvina River twice.

During Operation Bagration, our troops closed the ring of resistance around the Vitebsk group of Germans and liberated the city of Polotsk on July 4, 1944. For successful battles from June 22 to July 5, 1944, the division was given the honorary name “Vitebsk” and its three regiments (154, 156 and 158) were given the name "Polotsk". In the summer of 1944, the division did not leave the battles, liberating the Baltic states, pursuing the enemy along the line Polotsk - Turmantas, Joniškis - Triškiai, Bene - Priekule.

In October 1944, the division north-west of Siauliai broke through the heavily fortified enemy defenses and advanced more than 90 km in 5 days, including destroying up to 100 enemy soldiers and officers, destroying and capturing -32 tanks, -759 rifles and machine guns , machine guns - 125 and a lot of other property. For the successful autumn battles of 1944, the 156th and 158th rifle regiments were awarded the Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree and the Red Banner.

In further battles from October 1944 to May 1945, the division conducted a number of offensive battles in the Priekule area of the Leningrad Front.

The division carried out its last operations in heavy battles to destroy the encircled Kurland enemy group.

Together with the troops of the 1st Baltic Front, the division made the famous rush to the shores of the Baltic Sea, where it ended the Great Patriotic War.

The division trained 32 Heroes of the Soviet Union, among them: Arendarenko I.I., Kovtunov G.N., Lapata N.I., Lutsevich A.F., Sushkov F.T., Stempkovskaya E.K., Toguzov K. T., Uglovsky M.N., Falin D.K. and others. 9 soldiers became full holders of the Order of Glory. The heroic deeds of the guardsmen I. Aytykov, M. N. Belova, A. A. Vlasov, A. I. Grigorieva, P. L. Gutchenko, K. Dosov, M. N. Kabribov, R. Kochar are inscribed in golden letters on the division’s battle path. ., Krasilnikova A. I., Korneeva P. A., Pechersky G. N., Startseva A. P., Tavartkiladze N. T., Khandzhyan A. G., Khachatryan A. M., Khochelava K. M., Skins P.G. and many others.

In the post-war period

In the late 1950s, the 51st Guards Mechanized Division was stationed in the Latvian SSR:

The division headquarters was located in Liepaja
tank and artillery regiments - village. Paplaka
two framed mechanized regiments and a tank battalion - Priekule
mechanized regiment - Ventspils

March 10, 1960 in accordance with the directive of the General Staff Armed Forces USSR 51st Guards Motorized Rifle Division (formed in 1957) began to disband. The main personnel were transferred to staff the Strategic Missile Forces. In order to perpetuate the glory and military merits of the division, its Battle Banner, awards and honorary names were transferred to the missile division formed on May 5, 1960, which became known as the 29th Guards Vitebsk Rocket Order of Lenin Red Banner Division. On October 17, 1961, the transfer of the Battle Banner took place 51st Guards Rifle Division.

On the basis of the 138th Guards Artillery Regiment of the Red Banner, the 344th Missile Regiment of the 29th Missile Division was formed

November 23, 1942 for the courage, perseverance, courage, heroism of personnel in heavy defensive battles and for the conquest of a bridgehead on the right bank of the Don River, the 76th Red Banner Infantry Division named after. K.E. Voroshilova was reorganized into the 51st Guards Rifle Division. This was the first guards division of the 21st Army. At the end of the month, its commander N. T. Tavarkiladze received the rank of major general. The division's Guards Banner was awarded on January 5, 1943.

On November 26, together with the 3rd GvKK, the division captured Kartuli, reaching the Don. Having crossed the Don at Malogolubinskaya on November 27, she went on the offensive towards Peskovatka. The goal of the offensive was to cut off the German troops still operating in the north. bank of the Don at the Trekhostrovskaya escape route beyond the Don. On November 29, the division captured Peskovatka, but the enemy was able to withdraw its troops beyond the Don at Vertyachiy.

Having crossed the Don in early December, together with the 277th Rifle Division, she fought for Dmitrievka on the internal front of the encirclement near Stalingrad, but the enemy put up fierce resistance and it was not possible to take this small farm. On December 5, there were 4,675 people. On December 13, the division was withdrawn to the army reserve and concentrated in the Platonov area. From December 17, it took up defensive positions along the inner ring of encirclement to the right of the 52nd Guards Airborne Division.

I. M. Chistyakov. Fracture. In the book “And the Earth Smelled of Gunpowder” he wrote:

On January 10, 1943, Operation Ring began. The 51st Guards Division advanced in the direction of the village of Karpovka. After taking this strong point, the pursuit of the enemy began. On the 12th, several tanks of the division broke through to Pitomnik, where the German airfield and hospitals were located, and caused a lot of commotion in the enemy camp. On January 15, the 51st Division, together with the 252nd Division, liberated Pitomnik. On January 22, 1943, the final stage of the operation began to completely defeat the encircled enemy group. The 21st Army was supposed to advance in the direction of Gumrak, the village of Red October. The 62nd Army was supposed to advance towards them from the city. But the progress was very difficult - the German soldiers fought with the despair of a hunted beast. On January 25, the 51st Division with other units of the army captured the village of Gumrak, where the Nazis maintained a camp for Soviet prisoners of war. Battalions were formed from them and sent to army divisions.

On the night of January 26, the commander of the Don Front, K.K. Rokossovsky, gave the order to break through to Mamayev Kurgan and complete the dismemberment of the remnants of the encircled German troops. On the morning of this day, to the music of the orchestra, the soldiers of the 51st Division went on the attack and, together with units of the 121st Tank Brigade and the 52nd Division on the slopes of the mound, joined forces with units of the 13th Guards and 284th Rifle Divisions of the 62nd Army - military , and with it the historical tasks were completed.

April 22, 1943 For outstanding services in defeating the enemy at Stalingrad, the 21st Army was transformed into the 6th Guards Army.

After Stalingrad, the division as part of the 6th Guards Army from July 5 to August 23, 1943 took part in the Battle of Kursk, in the liberation of the cities of Kursk, Belgorod, and Kharkov.

During the Battle of Kursk, units of the division occupied defenses in the Oboyan area. With the start of the German offensive on July 5 and the next three days, there was a continuous battle on the division’s defense lines. The enemy continued and continued to rush towards Oboyan. Units of the division with the support of tankers of the 1st tank army with difficulty they held their lines in the area of the village of Krasnaya Polyana, Mal. Lighthouses and Greznoe. More than two hundred fascist tanks were advancing on the Greznoye-Kochetovka section alone, and about a hundred were moving towards Suho-Solotino. This was a dangerous direction for the army and especially for its headquarters, which was located in Kochetovka.

On the evening of July 8, formations of the 6th Guards Army retreated to the second line of defense, and, having completely exhausted the enemy, stopped their advance.

Since September 25, 1943, the division as part of the 6th Guards Army arrives at a new theater of combat - in a wooded, swampy and lake area, in the Toropets region of the Kalinin region, from where, not counting on more or less decent roads and bridges, it, having marched more than a hundred kilometers, concentrates northeast of the city of Nevel. The division became part of the 2nd Baltic Front.

In February 1944, the division as part of the army was transferred to the 1st Baltic Front.

During Operation Bagration, our troops closed the ring of resistance around the Vitebsk group of Germans and liberated the city of Polotsk on July 4, 1944. For successful battles from June 22 to July 5, 1944, the division was given the honorary name “Vitebsk” and its three regiments (154th, 156th and 158th) were given the name “Polotsk”. In the summer of 1944, the division did not leave the battles, liberating the Baltic states, pursuing the enemy along the line Polotsk-Turmantas, Joniskis-Trishkiai, Bene-Priekule.

At the beginning of October 1944. The division is participating in the offensive in the Memel direction. As a result of the successful operation on the Courland Peninsula, up to 40 divisions of Army Group North were surrounded. In 5 days, the division advanced 90 km, destroying up to 100 enemy soldiers and officers, destroying and capturing 32 tanks, 759 rifles and machine guns, 125 machine guns and much other property. For the successful autumn battles of 1944, the 156th and 158th rifle regiments were awarded the Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree and the Red Banner.

In further battles from October 1944 to May 1945, the division conducted a number of offensive battles in the Priekule area.

The division carried out its last operations in heavy battles to destroy the encircled Kurland enemy group. Stubborn and fierce battles with the enemy's Kurland group continued until its surrender on May 8, 1945. Here in the Baltics, the 51st Guards Rifle Division ended the war, having fought 12,000 km in four years.

From the memoirs of the head of the political department of the 6th Guards Army, Colonel V.I. KASYANENKO

51st GUARDS VITEBSK ORDER OF LENIN RED Banner RIFLE named after. K.E. VOROSHILOV DIVISION

The combat path of the 51st Guards Vitebsk Order of Lenin Red Banner Rifle named after. K.E. Voroshilov's division began with the proclamation of Soviet power in Armenia, where in December 1920 the Armenian Rifle Brigade was formed on the basis of a separate Armenian regiment. In April 1921, a separate artillery division was formed within the brigade, which later became the backbone of the future artillery regiment, the historical traditions of which were inherited by the 344th Rocket Regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces.

On October 5, 1922, the brigade was renamed the Armenian Rifle Division.

The first division commander, Colonel A.P.

Melik-Shakhnazarov.

In its ranks, two marshals received their first training - Marshal of the Soviet Union I.Kh. Bagramyan and Chief Marshal of the Armored Forces A.Kh. Babajanyan.

In October 1931, the division was reorganized again and received the name “Armenian Mountain Rifle Division.” It consisted of four rifle regiments, an artillery regiment and a separate cavalry squadron.

In 1935, the division was named after Marshal of the Soviet Union K.V.

Voroshilov, and on May 29, 1936, for the successes achieved and in connection with the 15th anniversary, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In July 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began. By combat order from the headquarters of the 21st Army, the division receives the task of reaching the line of the Don River for further actions to capture a bridgehead on its right bank. The division was commanded by Colonel V.A. Penkovsky. For four months, the division as part of the 21st Army fought defensive battles northwest of Stalingrad.

It was here that for the courage, perseverance, courage, heroism of the personnel in heavy defensive battles and for the conquest of the bridgehead on the right bank of the Don River, the division was transformed into the 51st Guards Division by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 375 dated November 23, 1942. The division's Guards banner (division commander, Major General I.T. Tavartkiladze) was awarded on January 5, 1943.

The division took part in breaking through the defensive lines of German troops north-west of Stalingrad, the first of the units of the 21st Army to break into the city and on January 26, 1943 united with units of the 13th Division M.A. Rodimtseva. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943, the division was awarded the Order of Lenin for successful actions in the defeat of Nazi troops at Stalingrad. Among the thousands of names on the Mamayev Kurgan, the names of the heroes of the division are also carved - Pokalchuk, Gutchenko, Pechersky. After Stalingrad, the division as part of the 6th Guards Army (formerly 21st Army) from July 5 to August 23, 1943 took part in Battle of Kursk, in the liberation of the cities of Kursk, Belgorod, Kharkov.

For exploits in the battle on

Kursk Bulge

During Operation Bagration, our troops closed the ring of resistance around the Vitebsk group of Germans and liberated the city of Polotsk on July 4, 1944. For successful battles from June 22 to July 5, 1944, the division was given the name “Vitebsk”, and its three regiments (154th, 156th and 158th) were given the name “Polotsk” (Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 204 of July 23, 1944). ).

In the summer of 1944, the division did not leave the battles, liberating the Baltic states, pursuing the enemy along the line Polotsk-Turmantas, Joniskis-Trishkiai, Bene-Priekule. For the successful autumn battles of 1944, the 156th and 158th rifle regiments were awarded the Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree and the Red Banner.

The last period of the Great Patriotic War The division fought in heavy battles to destroy the encircled Kurland enemy group. Together with the troops of the 1st Baltic Front, the division made the famous rush to the shores of the Baltic Sea, where it ended the Great Patriotic War.

During the period of hostilities in the division, 32 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 12 people became full holders of the Order of Glory, 19,114 people were awarded orders and medals of the USSR.

In the late 1950s, the 51st Guards (already mechanized) division was stationed in the Baltic states:

tank and artillery regiments - in the village. Paplaka of the Latvian SSR;

two cadre mechanized regiments and a tank battalion - in the city of Priekule, Latvian SSR;

mechanized regiment - in Ventspils, Latvian SSR.

The division headquarters was located in Liepaja, Latvian SSR.

On March 10, 1960, in accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, the 51st Guards Mechanized Division began disbanding. The main personnel were transferred to staff the Strategic Missile Forces. On the basis of the 138th Guards Red Banner Artillery Regiment, the 344th Missile Regiment of the 29th Missile Division was formed.

On May 9, 1965, by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR No. 55, Hero of the Soviet Union Guard Senior Sergeant Lutsevich was forever included in the lists of the 344th Missile Regiment (Priekule), and Hero of the Soviet Union Guard was forever included in the lists of the 867th Missile Regiment (Dobele) senior sergeant A.I. Krasilnikov.

People from the 51st Guards Division were: commander of the Yelgava Missile Regiment, Colonel B.I. Mineev (former commander of a tank regiment);

deputy commander of the Jelgava Missile Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel V.P. Danilchenko (former deputy commander of the tank regiment B.I. Mineev, future commander of the Dobele missile regiment);

Deputy commander of the Priekul regiment for political affairs, Major S.S.