277th Rifle Division
| 277th Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active |
|
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Rifle division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Decorations |
|
| Battle honours |
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Viktor Chernov |
The 277th Rifle Division (Russian: 277-я стрелковая дивизия) was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army and later the Soviet Army, formed twice.
First formed in the summer of 1941, the division was destroyed in the Battle of Kiev during September of that year. Reformed in December 1941, the division fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, Operation Bagration, the Vistula–Oder Offensive, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Serving in the Soviet Far East postwar, the division was renumbered in 1955.
The 277th began forming on 10 July 1941 at Dmitriyev, part of the Orel Military District. Its basic order of battle included the 850th, 852nd, and the 854th Rifle Regiments, as well as the 846th Artillery Regiment. The division was sent into combat while still incomplete and was transferred to the 21st Army's 67th Rifle Corps in the Bryansk Front (later the Central Front) while missing most of its heavy weapons and trucks in early August. The 277th held positions on the southern flank of the German 2nd Panzer Group. When the group attacked south and encircled most of the Central Front and the Southwestern Front in the Kiev pocket, the division was among the units trapped and destroyed. The 277th was officially disbanded on 1 November.
The division was reformed on 25 December from the 468th Rifle Division, stationed at Frolovo in the Stalingrad Military District. The 468th had been formed there on 14 December. Its basic order of battle was the same as the first formation. The division remained near Stalingrad, finishing its formation, until March 1942, when it became part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command's (RVGK) 28th Army in the same area. A month later, the 277th was sent to the front as part of the Southwestern Front's 38th Army. After the Soviet defeat at the Second Battle of Kharkov in May and the beginning of Case Blue, the German summer offensive, in June, the 38th Army was disbanded as a result of losses and the 277th was assigned to the 21st Army. By the end of August the division, worn down by the previous months of fighting against the German advance, was withdrawn to the RVGK's 10th Reserve Army. In October the division returned to the 21st Army, with which it fought in Operation Uranus, which encircled German troops in Stalingrad, in November. In January 1943, the division fought in Operation Ring, which eliminated the pocket.
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