339th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

339th Rifle Division (August 29, 1941 – May 29, 1945)
Maj. Gen. T. S. Kulakov, Hero of the Soviet Union
Active	1941–1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Battle of Rostov (1941) Case Blue Battle of the Caucasus Novorossiysk-Taman Operation Kerch–Eltigen Operation Crimean Offensive Vistula-Oder Offensive Battle of Berlin
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Battle honours	Rostov Taman Brandenburg
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col. A. M. Pykhtin Maj. Gen. Teodor Kulakov Maj. Gen. G. T. Vasilenko

The 339th Rifle Division was first formed in late August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Rostov-on-Don. As it was formed in part from reservists and cadre that included members of the Communist Party from that city, it carried the honorific title "Rostov" for the duration. In late November it was part of the force that counterattacked the German 1st Panzer Army in the Battle of Rostov and forced its retreat from the city, one of the first major setbacks for the invaders. During 1942 the division was forced to retreat into the Caucasus, where it fought to defend the passes leading to the Black Sea ports. In 1943 it fought to liberate the Taman Peninsula, and then in early 1944 to also liberate Crimea. In the following months the division was reassigned to the 1st Belorussian Front, with which it took part in the Battle of Berlin in 1945. Following a distinguished career, the division was disbanded in the summer of that year.

The division began forming on August 29, 1941 at Rostov in the North Caucasus Military District. Its order of battle was as follows:

Col. A.M. Pykhtin took command of the division on the day it began forming, a position he would hold until December 15. On October 12, while still barely formed, the division was sent to the front in the Taganrog Group, and about a week later was assigned to the 9th Army in Southern Front. Not surprisingly, the division saw its first action in the Battle of Rostov, first in the Donbass-Rostov Strategic Defensive Operation and later, after being transferred to the 37th Army, in the Rostov Strategic Offensive Operation. During the latter the 339th played a role in the counterattack, beginning on November 27, that deeply outflanked 1st Panzer Army's positions in Rostov, eventually forcing it back to the Mius River line and, incidentally, costing Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt his job as commander of Army Group South.