81st Guards Rifle Division
| 81st Guards Rifle Division (March 1, 1943 – June 4, 1957) 81st Guards Motor Rifle Division (June 4, 1957 - June 1, 2009) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1943–2009 |
| Country |
 Soviet Union Russia
|
| Branch |
 Red ArmyRussian Ground Forces |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Engagements |
|
| Decorations |
 Order of Suvorov
|
| Battle honours | Krasnograd |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Maj. Gen. Ivan Konstantinovich Morozov Col. V.N. Kiladze |
The 81st Guards Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army and the Soviet Army. It was formed after the Battle of Stalingrad from the 422nd Rifle Division in recognition of that division's actions during the battle, specifically the encirclement and the siege of the German forces in the city. The 81st Guards continued a record of distinguished service through the rest of the Great Patriotic War, and continued to serve postwar, as a rifle division and later a motor rifle division, until being reorganized as the 57th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade in 2009 in the Russian Ground Forces Most of its postwar service was in the Soviet (Russian) far east, where it was originally formed as the 422nd.
The 81st Guards was one of nineteen Guards rifle divisions created during and in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Stalingrad. It was formed from the 422nd Rifle Division, which had helped to surround and later defeat the German Sixth Army. When formed, its order of battle was as follows:
The division spent March and April rebuilding in the new 7th Guards Army (former 64th Army) before being sent north to Voronezh Front, where it took up and fortified positions on the southern shoulder of the Kursk salient, east of Belgorod.
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