85th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

The 85th Leningrad-Pavlovsk Red Banner Motor Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Red Army originally active from 1931 and converted to a motorised formation in 1957. It was part of the Russian Ground Forces until it was reorganised as two .

The division was originally formed in 1931 in the Ural MD, seemingly at Chelyabinsk. It seems to have been sent to Belorussian Special Military District, soon to be the Western Special Military District, 1940. Assigned to 4th Rifle Corps, 3rd Army, Soviet Western Front on outbreak of war. Narod.ru seems to indicate that the division was formed twice, in 1931 and 1941.

After the division's First Formation was disbanded or destroyed, the division was reformed. In late 1941 it was reformed during the Leningrad Strategic Defensive from the 2nd Guard People's Militia Division.

On 10 March 1945 the division marched into the area Balozi, Kreyli and 22.03.1945 March, stepping into the junction between the 43rd Infantry Division and 46 Infantry Division seized the servants, Meira, where it met strong enemy counterattacks, held on defense until 30.04.1945. On 30 April 1945 the Division, passing occupied Rebezha 43rd Rifle Division and the 56th Rifle Division, took a new line of defense Mengravil, Yatsy, replacing part of the 11th Rifle Division.

By the end of the day on 07.05.1945, the German troops began to retreat in a north-west direction. Parts of the division pursued the retreating enemy in the direction Lubenko, Rumbiniska, Zeri and 17.00 08.05.1945 year went to the line of Grange Gaito, Yurdi, Cowes, where at 18.00 on 08.05.1945 the division accepted the surrender of enemy units.

After fighting on the Eastern Front, the division's Second Formation was relocated to Siberia in 1945. In September 1945, the division, part of the 122nd Rifle Corps arrived in the city of Novosibirsk (Siberian Military District), and was given barracks in a military town in the street Bogatkova. In 1946, the division was reorganized as the 24th Infantry Brigade. In 1953, the brigade was upgraded and redesignated the 85th Pavlovsky Rifle Red Banner Division once again. From 1957 the division became the 85th Motorized Rifle Division. Furthermore, the division exchanged regiments with the 74th Motor Rifle Division - 444th Regiment (formerly 103rd) (for the?) 228th Sevastopol Order of Alexander Nevsky Regiment.

...
Wikipedia