76th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
| 76th K. E. Voroshilov Division | |
|---|---|
| Active |
September 5, 1922–1942 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Rifle Division |
| Role | Tactical attack and defense combat operations |
| Engagements | First Battle of Kharkov, Battle of Stalingrad, Operation Uranus |
| Decorations |
 Order of Suvorov (2nd formation) |
| Battle honours |
K. Y. Voroshilov (1st formation) |
September 5, 1922–1942
Order of the Red Banner (1st and 2nd formations)
K. Y. Voroshilov (1st formation)
Yelnya (2nd formation)
The 76th Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division, formed twice.
The division was formed in 1922 and was known also as the 76th Armenian Mountain Division. It was a Soviet infantry fighting unit of the Red Army that fought on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. The 76th was made up primarily of Armenians from the newly established Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia, but also included among its ranks several different nationalities. The division became the 51st Guards Rifle Division on 23 November 1942 for its actions in Operation Uranus.
The division was reformed in 1943 from a rifle brigade. The division's second formation was disbanded in the summer of 1945.
The division was officially created on September 5, 1922, at the near end of the Russian military conquests of the southern Caucasus republics.
The 76th was initially formed as a brigade-sized unit and led by several non-Armenian commanders including Major Generals S. V. Chernikov, E. F. Pryakhin, K. E. Goryunov, N. E. Kaladzen, N. T. Tavarkiladze (the latter two were ethnic Georgians), Colonel G. G. Voronin, and subordinate commanders A. P. Melik-Shahnazaryan, H. T. Atoyan (the latter two being Armenians). Instruction was carried out in Armenian and the unit published a military newspaper, The Red Soldier, and a newsletter The Red Fighting Man (both in Armenian). During the Second World War, a third paper, Voroshilovets, under the aegis of Armenian novelist Hrachya Kochar, began publication in Russian.
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