4th Guards Rifle Division
| 4th Guards Rifle Division (18 September 1941 - 1946) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1943 - 1946 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union
|
| Branch |
 Red Army
|
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Siege of Leningrad Lyuban Offensive Operation Battle of Stalingrad Battle of the Caucasus Operation Little Saturn Battle of Rostov (1943) Lower Dniepr Offensive Nikopol–Krivoi Rog Offensive First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive Budapest Offensive Vienna Offensive |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Mjr. Gen. A.I. Andreev Mjr. Gen. G.P. Lilenkov Mjr. Gen. G.Ye. Kukharev Mjr. Gen. K.D. Parfyonov |
The 4th Guards Rifle Division was formed on Sept. 18, 1941 from the 161st Rifle Division as one of the original Guards formations of the Red Army, in recognition of that division's participation in the successful counter-offensive that drove German forces out of their positions at Yelnya. The division then moved northwards to serve in the defense of Leningrad, as well as the early attempts to break that city's siege, but later was sent to the deep southern part of the front, where it continued to serve for the duration, ending the war at Vienna. The division was disbanded in 1946.
The 4th Guards was one of several Guards rifle divisions created in the aftermath of the fighting for Yelnya. Unlike later Guards divisions, its regiments and battalions retained their previous numbers with "Guards" added, as, for example: "477th Guards Rifle Regiment". On Feb. 9, 1942 these were all re-designated, and its order of battle became as follows:
At around the same date, the division also received the 16th Guards Mortar Battalion (82mm and 120mm mortars).
After a short period for rebuilding the 4th Guards was railed, along with its "sister" 3rd Guards Rifle Division, northwards to join the recently formed 54th Army in October, holding positions to the east of Leningrad. German forces had cut off and isolated that city on Sept. 8. The 4th Guards was earmarked to take part in the First Sinyavino Offensive beginning on Oct. 20, but this was preempted by the German offensive on Tikhvin. The division was quickly shifted to 4th Army; beginning on Oct. 27 and again on Nov. 4 - 6 it launched attacks which slowed but did not stop the German advance. By Nov. 8 Tikhvin had fallen, but the German XXXIX Motorized Corps was vastly overextended with a tenuous line of supply. 4th Guards was made part of the Southern Operational Group of 4th Army, and commenced its counter-attack on the 19th. Progress was slow, but on Dec. 8 the weakened German forces evacuated the town, and the division took part in the pursuit to the Volkhov River.
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