67th Guards Rifle Division

67th Guards Rifle Division (Jan. 21 1943 – July 1946)
Maj. Gen. A.I. Baksov, Hero of the Soviet Union
Active	1943–1946
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Operation Ring Battle of Kursk Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation Vitebsk-Orsha Offensive Šiauliai Offensive Riga Offensive Courland Pocket
Commanders
Notable commanders	Mjr. Gen. S.P. Merkulov Mjr. Gen. A.I. Baksov

The 67th Guards Rifle Division was created on Jan. 21, 1943 from the 304th Rifle Division, in the 65th Army of Don Front, in recognition of that division's leading role in reducing the German 6th Army during Operation Ring, the destruction of the encircled German and Romanian forces at Stalingrad. The division later put up a very strong defense in the Battle of Kursk, and in 1944 and '45 took part in several succeeding offensives to the west and north, ending the war near the Baltic Sea, helping to besiege Army Group Courland.

The 67th Guards was one of several Guards rifle divisions created prior to the conclusion of the fighting for Stalingrad. When formed, its order of battle was as follows:

The division was soon reassigned to 21st Army, which itself was re-designated as 6th Guards Army during the spring. Along with nearly all of the Stalingrad divisions, the 67th Guards required extensive rebuilding during these months. It was assigned to 22nd Guards Rifle Corps during this time, and 6th Guards Army moved to Voronezh Front within the Kursk salient, helping to fortify the south face of the bulge.

The division, along with its partner 71st Guards Rifle Division of the 22nd Guards Rifle Corps, was struck on the opening day of the German offensive by 4th Panzer Army's XXXXVIII Panzer Corps. This numerically more powerful formation included the Grossdeutschland Panzer-Grenadier Division and the 10th Panzer Brigade, which was equipped with the first Panther tanks to enter service.

Even before the attack began the German forces encountered serious problems due to minefields and other Soviet fixed defenses, as well as overcrowding on a very narrow attack sector. The Panthers became stuck in the minefields, blocking the tanks of Grossdeutschland and forcing the infantry to go in without direct armor support. A marshy gully in front of the 196th Guards Rifle Regiment, which had been skillfully strengthened with a system of anti-tank obstacles, proved to be a difficult and time-consuming barrier.