The 74th Guards Rifle Division' was an Guards

Guards unit

Guards units are elite units and formations in the armed forces of the former Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in service, and are considered to have elite status. The Guards designation originated during the...

 infantry division of the Red Army

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 the Second World War. Its full formal name was the 74-я Guards Nizhnedneprovskiy Order of Lenin

Order of Lenin

The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...

 twice Red Banner Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Rifle Division. It was formed from 45th Rifle Division on March 1, 1943. The division's entire World War II service was with the 62nd Army, later the 8th Guards Army.

It fought at Zaporozhye, Nikopol, and on the Vistula River.

10.03.1943 года погрузилась на станции Безродное и отправлена в распоряжение Юго-Западного фронта на станцию Молчаново.

It was part of the 'Operational Army' с 01.03.1943 по 07.06.1944 and from 15.06.1944 to 09.05.1945

In July 1943, participated in the battles on the outskirts of Raisins Изюм (Изюм-Барвенковской наступательной операции)( Raisins, Barvenkovskoy offensive), in August 1943 in Barvenkovo-Lozova operations , Donbass Strategic Offensive Operation . В ходе Нижнеднепровской наступательной операции форсировала Днепр южнее Днепропетровска . During Nizhnedneprovskiy offensive forced the Dnieper to the south of Dnepropetrovsk . Затем принимала участие в Никопольско-Криворожской операции , Березнеговато-Снигиревской операции , Одесской операции . Then participated in Nikopol, Krivoy Rog operations , Bereznegovata-Snigirevskaya operations , Odessa operations .

In 1944, the division participated in the Lublin-Brest Operation , the Vistula-Oder strategic operation, the liberation of Poland.

In April 1945, broke through enemy defenses at Seelow Heights , taking part in the Berlin strategic operation.

Participated in the liberation of the cities Изюм/Raisins, Nikopol, Krivoy Rog , Odessa , Poznan , Lodz , taking Kustrin.

Subordination

• South-Western Front, 62nd Army
  62nd Army (Soviet Union)
  The 62nd Order of Lenin Army was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. Formed as the 7th Reserve Army as part of the Stavka Reserve in May 1942, the formation was designated as the 62nd Rifle Army the following month...
  
   - on 01.04.1943 year.
• South-Western Front, 8th Guards Army , 29 Guards Rifle Corps - from 05.05.1943, the
• 3rd Ukrainian Front
  3rd Ukrainian Front
  3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
  
  , 8th Guards Army , 29 Guards Rifle Corps - c 20.10.1943 year
• 1st Belorussian Front
  1st Belorussian Front
  The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
  
  , 8th Guards Army, 29th Guards Rifle Corps — с 15.06.1944 года
• With 8th Guards Army of the 1st Belorussian Front
  1st Belorussian Front
  The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
  
   May 1945.

Composition

• 226-th Guards Rifle Łódź Regiment
• 236-th Guards Rifle Regiment
• 240-th Guards Rifle Regiment
• 157-th Guards Artillery Regiment
• 82-th Guards separate antitank battalion
• 399-th Guards antiaircraft battery (up to 04/13/1943)
• 76-я гвардейская развед рота 76-th Guards intelligence company
• 85-th Guards sapper battalion
• 103-й гвардейский отдельный батальон связи 103rd Guards separate battalion
• 584-й (77-й) медико-санитарный батальон 584-th (77 th), medico-sanitary battalion
• 73-я гвардейская отдельная рота химический защиты 73rd Guards separate company chemical protection
• 725-я (78-я) автотранспортная рота 725-I (78 th) trucking company
• 659-я (79-я) полевая хлебопекарня 659-I (79 th), field bakery
• 676-й (75-й) дивизионный ветеринарный лазарет 676-th (75 th) Divisional veterinary hospital
• 781-я полевая почтовая станция 781-I Field Postal Station
• 538-я полевая касса Госбанка 538-I field ticket office of the State Bank

Commanders

* Соколов, Василий Павлович (01.03.1942 — 01.09.1943), полковник , с ??.??.1943 генерал-майор Sokolov, Vasily Pavlovich (03/01/1942 - 01/09/1943) Colonel , with ??.??. 1943 Maj.-Gen.
* Югатов, Михаил Иванович (02.09.1943 — 29.11.1943), подполковник Yugatov, Mikhail Ivanovich (02.09.1943 - 11.29.1943), Lt. Col.
* Кузин, Андриан Тимофеевич (30.11.1943 — 31.01.1944), полковник Kuzin, Adrian T. (11/30/1943 - 01/31/1944), Colonel
* Баканов, Дмитрий Евстигнеевич (01.02.1944 — 01.05.1944), полковник Bakanov, Dmitry Evstigneevich (01/02/1944 - 05/01/1944), Colonel
* Можейко, Карл Карлович (11.05.1944 — 03.06.1944), полковник Mazheika, Karl Karlovich (05/11/1944 - 06/03/1944), Colonel
* Баканов, Дмитрий Евстигнеевич (04.06.1944 — 09.05.1945), генерал-майор Bakanov, Dmitry Evstigneevich (04/06/1944 - 05/09/1945), Maj.-Gen.

Awards

• Awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2 degrees Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky II degree
• 13.02.1944 — присвоено наименование «Нижнеднепровская» 13/02/1944 - given the name "Nizhnedneprovskiy"

See also

• Vladimir Abyzov, The Final Assault, 1945, Novosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow, 1985. A short memoir of a rifleman of the 236th Guards Rifle Regiment.

• Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union 1917-1957