64th Guards Rifle Division

64th Guards Rifle Division (19 January 1943 – 1957) 64th Guards Motor Rifle Division (1957 – 1 June 1997)
Wartime photo of Mjr. Gen. N.A. Poliakov
Active	1943–1997
Country	Soviet Union  Russia
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Siege of Leningrad Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive Narva Offensive Vyborg-Petrozavodsk Offensive Tallinn Offensive Courland Pocket
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner
Battle honours	Krasnoye Selo
Commanders
Notable commanders	Mjr. Gen. N. A. Poliakov Mjr. Gen. I. D. Romantsov

The 64th Guards Rifle Division was created on January 19, 1943 from the 327th Rifle Division, in recognition of that division's distinguished combat record in the Second Siniavino Offensive and Operation Iskra. It was one of a relatively small number of formations raised to Guards status in the northern sector of the Soviet-German Front. As such, it was employed as an assault division in the subsequent fighting, particularly in the final defeat of the German forces before Leningrad, and the final offensive against Finland. The division ended the war in Lithuania, helping to contain the enemy forces trapped in the Courland Pocket, and went on to serve well into the postwar era, still in the Leningrad/St. Petersburg area.

When the 64th Guards was formed, its basic order of battle was as follows:

The division was considered a "sister" to the 63rd Guards Rifle Division, which was forming in the same area at the same time. The two divisions served almost the entire remainder of the war in 30th Guards Rifle Corps.

During Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda, in February and March, the 64th Guards was in 8th Army. On March 19 it was in the army's second echelon as it started its attack from south of Voronovo towards Mga. During the first three days of intense fighting the first echelon divisions penetrated 3 - 4 km along a 7 km front at the junction of the defending 1st and 223rd Infantry Divisions. The army commander, Lt. Gen. F.N. Starikov, then committed a small mobile group, the 191st Guards Rifle Regiment and a battalion of the 122nd Tank Brigade, with orders to cut the rail line between Mga and Kirishi, and then wheel northwest towards Mga Station. Despite heavy rain which prevented any air support, the group reached the rail line east of Turyshkino Station before being halted by hastily assembled German reinforcements. A further effort was made by the full division, backed by 14th Rifle Division and 1st Separate Rifle Brigade from reserve, on April 1 against the German defenses around Karbusel, just east of the Mga-Kirishi line. This attack was repelled by the 121st Infantry Division, with heavy losses to the attackers. This marked the end of Polarnaya Zvezda, and the Soviets went over to the defense the following day.