172nd Rifle Division explained

Unit Name:172nd Rifle Division
Dates:
  • 1st formation: September 1939–July 1941
  • 2nd formation: October 1941–June 1942
  • 3rd formation: September 1942–1946
Country:Soviet Union
Branch:Red Army
Type:Infantry
Battles:German-Soviet War1st formation:

2nd formation:

3rd formation:

Decorations:
  • (3rd formation)
  • 2nd class (3rd formation)
Battle Honours:Pavlograd (3rd formation)
Notable Commanders:

The 172nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II, formed thrice.

First formation

172nd Rifle Division (First formation)
Subordinate:
  • 388th Rifle Regiment
  • 514th Rifle Regiment
  • 747th Rifle Regiment
  • 340th Light Artillery Regiment
  • 493rd Howitzer Artillery Regiment
  • 174th Separate Anti-Tank (Tank Destroyer) Artillery Battalion
  • 341st Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
  • 157th Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 222nd Separate Communications Battalion
  • 275th Sapper Battalion
  • 224th Medical-Sanitary Battalion
  • 7th Separate Chemical Defense Company
  • 227th Auto Transport Battalion
  • 298th Field Bakery
  • 106th Field Post Office
  • 369th Field Cash Office of the State Bank
Date:1941

On 22 June 1941 it was part of the 61st Rifle Corps of the 20th Army in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. By 10 July the division transferred to the 13th Army of the Western Front with the corps.It was officially disbanded on 19 September.

Second formation

172nd Rifle Division (Second formation)
Subordinate:
  • 31st Rifle Regiment (10 November 1941 to 14 March 1942)
  • 161st Rifle Regiment (10 November to 30 December 1941)
  • 388th Rifle Regiment
  • 514th Rifle Regiment
  • 747th Rifle Regiment
  • 340th Light Artillery Regiment
  • 134th Howitzer Artillery Regiment (from 15 November 1941)
  • 174th Separate Anti-Tank (Tank Destroyer) Artillery Battalion (from 4 March 1942)
  • 341st Separate Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
  • 151st Reconnaissance Company
  • 247th (later 270th) Sapper Battalion
  • 222nd Separate Communications Battalion
  • 224th Medical-Sanitary Battalion
  • 7th Separate Chemical Defense Company
  • 137th Auto Transport Company
  • 339th Field Bakery
  • 988th Divisional Veterinary Hospital
  • 484th Field Post Office
Date:1941–1942

It was formed on 10 October 1941 from the 3rd Crimean Motorized Division as part of the 51st Army. By 1 November it transferred to the Coastal Army. It was officially disbanded on 25 June 1942.

Third formation

The division was reformed again on 9 September in the area of the Dorokhovo railway station, part of the Moscow Defense Zone, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kostitsyn. The latter transferred to command the 183rd Rifle Division on 30 September. At the end of the war, it was part of the 102nd Rifle Corps of the 13th Army.

172nd Rifle Division (Third formation)
Subordinate:
  • 388th Rifle Regiment
  • 514th Rifle Regiment
  • 747th Rifle Regiment
  • 134th Artillery Regiment
  • 174th Separate Anti-Tank (Tank Destroyer) Artillery Battalion (from 4 March 1942)
  • 157th Reconnaissance Company
  • 275th Sapper Battalion
  • 222nd Separate Communications Battalion (later 276th Separate Communications Company)
  • 224th Medical-Sanitary Battalion
  • 7th Separate Chemical Defense Company
  • 137th Auto Transport Company
  • 339th Field Bakery
  • 988th Divisional Veterinary Hospital
  • 2252nd Field Post Office
  • 924th Field Cash Office of the State Bank
Date:1943–1945

In mid-1945 it was withdrawn to Korosten in the Carpathian Military District with the army's 27th Rifle Corps. The division was disbanded in 1946.

Commanders

The division's first formation was commanded by the following officers:

The division's second formation was commanded by the following officer:

The division's third formation was commanded by the following officers:

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "172nd Rifle Division".

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