303rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

303rd Rifle Division (10 July 1941 - 27 Dec. 1941) 303rd Rifle Division (December 1941 - 1945)
Active	1941 - 1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Operation Barbarossa Yelnya Offensive Operation Blue Battle of Kursk Battle of the Dniepr Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Siege of Budapest Prague Offensive
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col. A.G. Moiseevskiy Mjr. Gen. K.S. Fedorovsky

The 303rd Rifle Division began service as a standard Red Army rifle division shortly after the German invasion, and in its first formation fought in the central part of the Soviet-German front for a few months until encircled and annihilated in the fighting around Vyasma. A second 303rd was raised a few months later and fought on, mainly in the central sector of Ukraine, distinguishing itself in an assault crossing of the Dniepr River at Verkhnodniprovsk, and later in the liberation of the town of Belitsy. It ended the war at Prague, having advanced through Romania, Hungary and Austria.

The division began forming on July 10, 1941 at Voronezh in the Oryol Military District. Its order of battle was as follows:

Less than a month after forming, the 303rd was assigned to Reserve Front, moving to 43rd Army of that Front on Aug. 10, just as that Army was itself forming up. By the end of August it had been shifted to 24th Army, and took part in the third counteroffensive against the Yelnya Salient, beginning on Aug. 30.

The division led the southern Shock Group as part of the planned concentric attack to seal off the salient, and advanced 2km on the first day, and again on the second. After standing off German counterattacks for two days, it again advanced on Sept. 3 with assistance from a tank battalion. It was still about 8km short of linking up with the northern Group when Army Group Center ordered its forces to withdraw from the salient, which was carried out over the next four days. General G.K. Zhukov gave the 303rd little credit for this success, stating that "The 303rd... operated poorly and without initiative". It was not chosen to become one of the first four Guards rifle divisions. As of Sept. 12 the rifle regiments of the division averaged only 400 men each, indicating excessive casualties.

By the end of September the division was reassigned yet again, to 49th Army of Reserve Front some 200km to the north in the area of Sychevka. Before this move could get well underway, the 303rd was swept up in the German Operation Typhoon, and by Oct. 10 was deeply encircled north of Spas-Demensk. By the end of the month the division was effectively destroyed, although it lingered on the official order of battle until Dec. 27.

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