153rd Rifle Division
Encyclopedia
The 153rd Rifle Division was a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army
during World War II
. It was formed in the Ural Military District. On 22 June 1941 when the German Operation Barbarossa
began, it was serving with the 51st Rifle Corps of the 22nd Army
.
The 153rd Rifle Division was one of the first divisions to be designated a Guards
formation, becoming 3rd Guards Rifle Division on September 18, 1941, due to 'its combat record in Belarussia and Smolensk
'. It was reformed for the second time in February 1942, and later became the 57th Guards Rifle Division in December, after fighting with the 63rd Army
.
Reformed for the third time, during the East Prussian Offensive
, on 6 April 1945 the Division, which was with the 69th Rifle Corps, 50th Army, was one of the divisions in the encirclement around Königsberg
, located at the northwest sector. The division to the right was the 216th Rifle Division
, and to the left was the 110th Rifle Division
. They attacked German
positions and broke through the second defense line.
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was formed in the Ural Military District. On 22 June 1941 when the German Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
began, it was serving with the 51st Rifle Corps of the 22nd Army
22nd Army (Soviet Union)
The 22nd Army was a field army of the Russian Ground Forces, part of the Moscow Military District. It was active from 1941 to 2010. The order for the formation's dissolution was signed by the Minister of Defence on 1 July 2009....
.
The 153rd Rifle Division was one of the first divisions to be designated a Guards
Russian Guards
Guards or Guards units were and are elite military units in Imperial Russia, Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The tradition goes back to the retinue of a knyaz of medieval Kievan Rus' and the streltsy, the Muscovite harquebusiers formed by Ivan the Terrible by 1550...
formation, becoming 3rd Guards Rifle Division on September 18, 1941, due to 'its combat record in Belarussia and Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
'. It was reformed for the second time in February 1942, and later became the 57th Guards Rifle Division in December, after fighting with the 63rd Army
63rd Army (Soviet Union)
The 63rd Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was formed in July 1942, by the order of Headquarters Red Army Supreme Command № 994110, by renaming Stavka's 5th Reserve Army....
.
Reformed for the third time, during the East Prussian Offensive
East Prussian Offensive
The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May...
, on 6 April 1945 the Division, which was with the 69th Rifle Corps, 50th Army, was one of the divisions in the encirclement around Königsberg
Battle of Königsberg
The Battle of Königsberg , was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg...
, located at the northwest sector. The division to the right was the 216th Rifle Division
216th Rifle Division
The 216th Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Ground Forces. It was descended from the 216th Rifle Division, a Soviet infantry division of the Red Army. It was established at Staro Konstantinov in May 1941...
, and to the left was the 110th Rifle Division
110th Rifle Division
The 110th Rifle Division, which was formed, dissolved, and re-formed three times, was a formation of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the course of World War II.-History:The division was formed 20.09.1939 года в Sverdlovsk....
. They attacked German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
positions and broke through the second defense line.
External links
- 153-я стрелковая дивизия (Russian)