3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Volnovaskyi Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division was a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

 of the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...

 from 1957 to around 1992. It traced its history from the highly decorated 3rd Guards Rifle Division of World War II. 3rd Guards Rifle Division was formed from the 153rd Rifle Division
153rd Rifle Division
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....

.

Combat history from June 22 to September 20, 1941

In August 1940, by the Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the 153rd Rifle Division was created in the city of Sverdlovsk
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...

. The division was later renamed the 3rd Guard Rifle Volnovakha
Volnovakha
Volnovakha is a city in Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Population is 24,647 ....

 Red Banner Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...

 Division. From August 1940 through June 1941 the division was engaged in combat training in the Kamyshlovsky
Kamyshlovsky District
Kamyshlovsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 30 in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia.The district contains 15 selsovets under its jurisdiction....

 camps of the Ural Military District.

In the first half of June 1941, by the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

, as a part of the Second Strategic Echelon, was transferred to Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...

. By June 22, 1941—the day of the German attack on the Soviet Union—the first three echelons (troop trains?) had already arrived to Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...

. The full complement of the division arrived to Vitebsk only by June 27, 1941. Upon arriving to Vitebsk, the division was manned to peace time standards (6,000 soldiers and officers). Due to the declaration of war, the division was urgently staffed with personnel and supplied with additional weapons and materiel over the period of June 22–27. The mobilized personnel arriving to the division's camps was often under-supplied, but over the course of the week the division became fairly battle-ready.

While the staffing of the division was still in progress, on June 26, 1941 parts of it assumed a defensive position on a broad front along the Gnezdilovichi–Kholm–sovkhoz
Sovkhoz
A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...

 Khodtsy–Moshkany–Burdeli–station of Krynki line. At the same time, the division's advance detachments reached the area of Ulla-2 (435 ch), Beshankovichy (Reconnaissance Battalion), Verkhovye (by OT 666 ch), and Syanno (by JV from 505). On July 5, 1941, the advance units along these lines clashed with large mechanized forces of the enemy which were breaking through to Vitebsk. On July 7, 1941, the battle reached the main division lines in the areas of Gnezdilovichi, Shchikotovshchina, Pavlovichi, and sovkhoz Khodtsy. Large German motorized and tank forces, expanding their offensive, attempted to break through to the city of Vitebsk along the Beshenkovichi-Vitebsk highway, and on July 7, 1941 reached the defense division line. After the day of fierce fighting, the division stopped the enemy's advance to the city along the highway and inflicted heavy losses. The German units, waging battles with the defending divisional forces, launched another offensive towards Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...

 both along the Polotsk–Vitebsk and the Syanno—Bogushevsk highways, thus bypassing the division from north and south. On July 8, 1941, due to the emerging threat of the entrapment by the enemy, the division partially re-grouped its forces, and took up defensive positions at the Gnezdilovichi–Kholm–sovkhoz Khodtsy–Moshkany–Shchemilovka line.

The battles were extremely fierce. The Germans repeatedly tried to break through the division's defensive line, but after having achieved no success and sustaining heavy losses in men and materiel, ceased their attempts at the head-on attack. After breaking through the defenses on the right and left, a large force of infantry and tanks began to bypass the division from the north and south. Continuing the offensive north and south of the defending division, by the end of July 10, 1941 the German forces broke through the Gorodok–Vitebsk and Polotsk–Vitebsk highways and captured the western part of Vitebsk, thus reaching the western coast of the Zapadnaya Dvina River. The German mechanized troops pushed past the division's flanks and launched an offensive towards Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...

.

From July 11, 1941, the Division was surrounded near the villages of Popovka, Karpovichi, and Krynki, located respectively 8, 14, and 22 km south-east of Vitebsk. By the morning of July 17, 1941, the Division's main forces reached the area of Sleptsy, Loguny, and Karoli, located respectively 17, 14 and 18 km south-west of a major inhabited locality of Liozno (Vitebsk Oblast
Vitsebsk Voblast
Vitsebsk Voblast or Vitebsk Oblast is a province of Belarus with its administrative center being Vitebsk .As of a 2009 estimate, the voblast has a population of 1,230,800...

). Until the end of August 5, 1941, the 153rd Infantry Division was trying to break out of the encirclement. By August, of its original complement of 6,000 only about 1,000 soldiers and officers remained.

From August 6 to 22, 1941, the division conducted combat operations on the east bank of the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...

, as well as attempted to expand its foothold on the west coast in the area of Ratchino, Lyakhovo, and Golovino. From August 22 to September 6, 1941, the division conducted warfare in the area of Height 249.9 on the east bank of the Dnieper, and then on the west coast. From September 6 to 20, 1941, the division was in the 20th Army
20th Army (Soviet Union)
The 20th Army was a field army of the Red Army that fought during the Great Patriotic War.-First formation:The Army was first formed in the Orel Military District in June 1941...

 reserve and then in the Stavka Supreme Main Command
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...

 reserve while it was staffed to standard in Kalinin
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...

.

On September 18, 1941, by the Order #308 of the People's Commissar of Defense, the 153rd Rifle Division was renamed the 3rd Guards Rifle Division.

Fighting divisions from 20 September 1941 to the summer of 1943

From September 20 to November 9, 1941, the Division led military operations as a part of the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front
Leningrad Front
The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:...

 in the area of Mga and Sinyavino
Sinyavino
Sinyavino is an urban locality in Kirovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located east of St. Petersburg and east from Kirovsk. Population: It was founded in 1930....

. From November 10 to 14, 1941, the Division relocated to the left flank of the army, south of the city of Volkhov
Volkhov
Volkhov is an industrial town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated east of St. Petersburg, on the Volkhov River. Population: -History:...

. From November 15 to December 28, 1941, the division conducted combat operations near Volkhov and then pursued the enemy to the station of Pogostye.

In summer 1942, the division added staff, and then was made a part of the Stavka reserve.

At the end of August - September 1942, the division took part in the Sinyavino Offensive
Sinyavino Offensive (1942)
The Sinyavino Offensive was an operation planned by the Soviet Union with the aim of breaking the German blockade and establish a reliable supply line to Leningrad which was under siege for almost a year. At the same time, German forces were planning Operation Northern Light to capture the city...

 of the Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...

.

In early December 1942, the division was withdrawn from the Stavka reserve and transferred under the 2nd Guards Army of the Stalingrad Front
Stalingrad Front
The Stalingrad Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the city of Stalingrad on the Volga River....

. During winter 1942, the division completed a difficult forced march, passing 200 to 280 km from the discharge point to the assembly areas. From December 15 to 31, 1942, the division engaged in active combat operations near Stalingrad
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...

.

During the Stalingrad strategic offensive, on the threshold of the Myshkova River, the division, as a part of the 2nd Guards Army, played a decisive role in repelling the enemy's Kotelnikovo group attack, and on December 24 it started the offensive itself and forced the enemy to withdraw to the south. Continuing the offensive toward Rostov, the troops of the 2nd Guards Army liberated Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Tuzlov River and on the Aksay River. Population: 169,039 ; 170,822 ; 178,000 ; 123,000 ; 81,000 ; 52,000 ....

 on February 13, 1943, and three days later reached the Mius River
Mius River
Mius is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It starts in the Donets Range of Donetsk Oblast and flows through Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine and Rostov Oblast, Russia into the Mius Firth of the Sea of Azov, west of Taganrog...

, where the enemy's resistance forced them to take defensive positions.

Fighting from the summer of 1943 to May 1945

In August–September 1943, the 3rd Guards Division took part in the Donbass strategic offensive operation. The division liberated the inhabited localities of Bolshoy Tokmak (on September 20, 1943) and Volnovakha
Volnovakha
Volnovakha is a city in Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Population is 24,647 ....

 (on September 10, 1943). By the order of VGK
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...

, the 3rd Guards Rifle Division (as well as 11th Guards Cavalry Division, 5th Motor Rifle Division, and 12th Motor Rifle Division, 5th and 12th Guards Motorized Brigades, 5th and 6th Guards Motorized Brigades, and 65th Tank Brigade) was named "Volnovakha".

In late September, during the Melitopol operations, the divisional forces reached the lower course of the Dnieper and liberated Kakhovka
Kakhovka
Kakhovka is a port city on the Dnieper River in the Kherson Oblast of southern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kakhovsky Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around .It is home to the KZEZO as well as the Tavria...

 on the coast of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...

 (on November 2, 1943). In December, as a part of the 4th Ukrainian Front
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...

, the divisional forces eliminated the enemy's foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper (in the area of Kherson
Kherson
Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kherson Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast. Kherson is an important port on the Black Sea and Dnieper River, and the home of a major ship-building industry...

) after a stubborn battle. In February 1944, the army was transferred to the area of Perekop
Perekop
Perekop is a village located at the Perekop Isthmus connecting Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the Fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea...

 isthmus, and in April–May it took part in the Crimean strategic operation, resulting in the liberation of Yevpatoriya on April 13, 1944, and, together with other forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....

, Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....

 on May 9. In May–June, the 2nd Guards Army was relocated to the area of cities of Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River to the east of Smolensk and west of Vyazma. Population:...

 and Yelnya
Yelnya
Yelnya is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna River from Smolensk. Population: -History:...

. From May 20, it was in the Stavka reserve, and on July 8 it was included in the 1st Baltic Front
1st Baltic Front
The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The commanders of it were Army General Andrey Yeryomenko and succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It was formed by re-naming the Kalinin Front in October 12, 1943 and took part in several important military...

. In July, during the Šiauliai Offensive, the division countered the enemy's strikes to the west and northwest of Šiauliai
Šiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...

. In October, it participated in the Memel Offensive. On December 20, it was re-assigned to the 3rd Belorussian Front
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...

. In January–April 1945, 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...

, it broke the long-term defenses and eliminated, in conjunction with other troops, the enemy's pent-up forces southwest of Koenigsberg and the Sambia
Sambia
Sambia or Samland is a peninsula in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea. The Curonian Lagoon and the Vistula Lagoon demarcate the peninsula. Prior to 1945 it formed an important part of East Prussia.-Names:Sambia is named after the Sambians, an extinct...

 group.

Postwar

3rd Guards Rifle Division was in the Voronezh MD with 11th Guards Rifle Corps in 1945/6, and later in 1955 and 1957. A later formation of 3 Guards MRD was listed by Feskov et al. in the Baltic Military District
Baltic Military District
The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991....

 in 1979, and in 1988 - at Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....

.

Assignments

  • Western Special Military District, 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....

    , 62 Rifle Corps (from mid-June to July 1941)
  • Western Front, 20th Army
    20th Army (Soviet Union)
    The 20th Army was a field army of the Red Army that fought during the Great Patriotic War.-First formation:The Army was first formed in the Orel Military District in June 1941...

     (July - early August 1941)
  • Western Front, 16th Army (Soviet Union)
    16th Army (Soviet Union)
    The 16th Army was a Soviet field army active from 1940 to 1945.-First Formation, 16th Army:Before Operation Barbarossa, HQ 16th Army was formed in July 1940 in the Transbaikal Military District . General Lieutenant М. F. Лукин took command...

     (August - early September 1941)
  • Western Front, reserve of 20 Army (from 6 to 20 September 1941)
  • Stavka Reserve (20 September - early October 1941)
  • Leningrad Front
    Leningrad Front
    The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:...

    , 54th Army (c (no later) 1 October 1941 to (no earlier than that date) July 1, 1942). Since February 1942 in the 4th Guards Rifle Corps.
  • Volkhov Front
    Volkhov Front
    The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...

    , 2nd Guards Army, 6th Guards Rifle Corps (August - 1 October 1942)
  • Don Front
    Don Front
    The Don Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name refers to Don River, Russia....

     - 15 December 1942.
  • Stalingrad Front
    Stalingrad Front
    The Stalingrad Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the city of Stalingrad on the Volga River....

     2nd Guards Army - from 15 to 31 December 1942.
  • Southern Front, 2nd Guards Army 13th Guards Rifle Corps - from 1 January 1943 to October 20, 1943.
  • 4th Ukrainian Front
    4th Ukrainian Front
    The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...

    , 2nd Guards Army 13th Guards Rifle Corps - 20 October 1943
  • 4th Ukrainian Front
    4th Ukrainian Front
    The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...

    , 2nd Guards Army 13th Guards Rifle Corps - on July 8, 1944.
  • 1st Baltic Front
    1st Baltic Front
    The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The commanders of it were Army General Andrey Yeryomenko and succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It was formed by re-naming the Kalinin Front in October 12, 1943 and took part in several important military...

    , 2nd Guards Army 13th Guards Rifle Corps - 8 July 1944 to December 20, 1944.
  • 3rd Belorussian Front
    3rd Belorussian Front
    The 3rd Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...

    , 2nd Guards Army 13th Guards Rifle Corps - from December 20, 1944 by
  • 3rd Belorussian Front
    3rd Belorussian Front
    The 3rd Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...

    , Samland Group of Forces, 2nd Guards Army, 11th Guards Rifle Corps - on 1 April 1945

On July 5, 1941

  • 435-j Infantry Regiment
  • 505th Infantry Regiment,
  • 666th Infantry Regiment,
  • 122nd independent artillery division
  • 565th Light Artillery Regiment,
  • 581-j howitzer artillery regiment
  • 150 of a separate division antitank defense
  • 460th individual Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
  • 238th individual Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 208th individual Battalion
    Battalion
    A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

  • 297th individual Battalion
  • 362nd individual medical-sanitary battalion
  • 7-I single company of chemical protection
  • 193rd trucking company
  • Field bakery and the divisional veterinary hospital.

In December 1942

  • 5 Guards Rifle Regiment
  • 9 Guards Rifle Regiment
  • 13 Guards Rifle Regiment (see :ru:13-й гвардейский стрелковый полк)
  • 22 Guards Artillery Regiment
  • 11 Guards Mortar Battalion
  • 15 anti-tank battalion of the Guards
  • 10 of the Guards Battalion
  • 3 Guards Battalion

Commanders

  • Nikolai Hagen (July 16, 1940 - September 18, 1941), Colonel
    Colonel
    Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...


and after conversion to the 3rd Guards:
  • Nikolai Hagen (September 18, 1941 - December 18, 1941), a colonel from November 9, 1941 Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

    ;
  • Anatoly A. Krasnov (December 19, 1941 - March 8, 1942), Colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union
    Hero of the Soviet Union
    The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

    , from 1942 - Major General;
  • Nikolay Moiseevich Martynchuk (March 9, 1942 - October 17, 1942), Major-General;
  • Cantemir A. Tsalikov (October 18, 1942 - May 20, 1944), a colonel, with 27 November 1942, Major-General;
  • Leonti D. corridors (May 21, 1944 - June 28, 1944), Colonel
    Colonel
    Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

    ;
  • Gregory Fedoseevich Polishchuk (June 29, 1944 - May 9, 1945), a colonel on May 5, 1945, Major-General.

Awards

  • September 18, 1941 - the 153rd Infantry Division received the name:3rd Guards Rifle Division '.
  • September 10, 1943 - The divisions given the name 'Volnovaskyi.
  • ? ? 194? year - the division was awarded Order of the Red Banner
    Order of the Red Banner
    The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...

  • ? ? 194? year - the division was awarded Order of Suvorov
    Order of Suvorov
    The Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK