119th Rifle Division
| 119th Rifle Division (1939 – Mar. 17, 1942) 119th Rifle Division (Apr. 21 – Dec. 16, 1942) 119th Rifle Division (March 1943 – 1946) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–1946 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union
|
| Branch |
 Red Army
|
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Battle of Moscow Operation Blue Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Smolensk (1943) Operation Bagration Kurland Pocket |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Mjr. Gen. A. D. Berezin |
The 119th Rifle Division was originally raised in 1939 as a standard Red Army rifle division, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. The first two formations of the division distinguished themselves on the battlefield, and were raised to the status of Guards Rifle divisions: the 17th Guards following the Battle of Moscow, and the 54th Guards following the Battle of Stalingrad. The division was formed for a third time in early 1943 and served for the duration of the war, in the north-central sectors of the front.
The division was organized at Krasnoyarsk in the Siberian Military District in 1939, as part of the pre-war expansion of the Red Army. It comprised:
Mjr. Gen. Aleksandr Dmitrievich Berezin commanded the division during its entire 1st Formation. The division remained in Siberia, forming and training, until after the onset of the German invasion, when it was rushed to the front, being assigned to 24th Army and then 31st Army in Reserve Front in August, 1941. Unlike the newer divisions being formed at that time, the 119th had the pre-war organization and as of Sept. 20 was actually overstrength, with 1,142 officers, 14,804 NCOs and men, 13 tankettes, 4 armored cars, 166 heavy machine guns, 408 light machine guns, 54 45mm antitank guns, 85 artillery pieces, 109 mortars and 4 antiaircraft guns.
With the launch of the German Operation Typhoon, the division was involved in heavy fighting west of Rzhev in the first week of October. On Oct. 6 the 365th Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 18th Rifle Division, which had escaped from encirclement with significant casualties. In exchange the 119th received the 920th Rifle Regiment from the 247th Rifle Division, a unit made up from a cadre of NKVD troops. At about this time the division was transferred to 29th Army, and after the battle for Kalinin, back to 31st Army. The men and women of the division fought well during the rest of the Battle of Moscow, and in the following counteroffensive. On Mar. 17, 1942, now in 22nd Army of Kalinin Front, the 119th Rifle Division was reformed as the 17th Guards Rifle Division.
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Wikipedia