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The 1st Guards Zvenigorod–Bucharest Red Banner Order of Suvorov Airborne Division (Russian: 1-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная Звенигородско-Бухарестская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия) was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. The division was first formed in December 1942 and fought in the Battle of the Dnieper, the Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket, the Uman–Botoșani offensive, the second Jassy–Kishinev offensive, the Battle of Debrecen, the siege of Budapest and the Prague offensive. In August 1945 it was sent east and fought in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The division became the 124th Guards Rifle Division in November 1945 and disbanded in 1956.

History

The division was formed in accordance with an order from 8 December 1942 from the 4th Airborne Corps headquarters and the 1st Airborne Brigade.

The division became part of the Special Group commanded by Mikhail Khozin. In mid-February 1943, it was concentrated south of Zaluceni. Its objective was to advance into a breach in the German lines in the 1st Shock Army offensive zone. In March, the division fought in the Staraya Russa operation, but was unable to capture the town. In August, it made another attempt and cut the Staraya Russa-Kholm road on 18 August. It then advanced to the Porus River at the villages of Chirikov and Kotov. The division entrenched in positions there. After the end of the fighting, it was sent to the rear to rest and refit; in September, it was transferred to the Steppe Front.

It fought in the capture of Left-bank Ukraine in the area east of Kremenchug. On 9 October, it crossed the Dnieper near Moldavan Island and the villages of Soloshino and Perevolochna. October 9, 1943, crossed the Dnieper near the island of Moldovans, Soloshino, Perevolochna, advancing in the second echelon of the 37th Army. From October to December, the division advanced towards Krivoy Rog and Kirovograd.

In January and February 1944, the division fought in the Korsun–Shevchenkovsky offensive and took part in the encirclement of German troops around Zvenigorod. The division was awarded the honorific "Zvenigorod" for its actions during the fighting on 13 February. Between March and April, it fought in the Uman–Botoșani offensive. During the offensive, the division reached the Dniester and Dubăsari. During the summer it fought in the second Jassy–Kishinev offensive. During the offensive, it advanced in the second echelon of 53rd Army towards Focșani. On 31 August, it entered Bucharest. At the end of September, the division reached the Hungarian border northwest of Arad. On 6 October, it launched an offensive from there during the Battle of Debrecen and reached the Tisza. The division crossed the Tisza in November during the Budapest offensive.

By February 1945, the division was positioned on the Hron. It fought in the Bratislava–Brno offensive in April and the Prague offensive in May. During June and July, the division was transferred to Choibalsan in Mongolia, along with the 53rd Army. It became part of the 18th Guards Rifle Corps. In August 1945, it fought in the Khingan–Mukden offensive operation, part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. At the end of the war, it was in Tongliao, where the division conducted its first airborne operation.

On 5 December 1945 the division became the 124th Guards Rifle Division, still with the 18th Guards Rifle Corps in the East Siberian Military District. The division relocated to Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk Oblast in the spring of 1946. It became the 20th Separate Guards Rifle Brigade there and was directly subordinated to the district as a result of postwar troop reductions. In October 1953 it was upgraded to a division again. The East Siberian Military District became the 31st Rifle Corps of the Transbaikal Military District around this time. The division thus became part of the 31st Rifle Corps. On 4 April 1956, the division was disbanded.

Composition

The 1st Guards Airborne Division included the following units.

• 3rd Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 8th Airborne Brigade)
• 6th Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 9th Airborne Brigade)
• 13th Guards Airborne Regiment (formed from 214th Airborne Brigade)
• 4th Guards Airborne Artillery Regiment
• 2nd Guards Airborne Antitank Battalion
• 5th Separate Guards Airborne Reconnaissance Company
• 11th Field Bakery
• 13th Veterinary Hospital
• 2464th Field Post Office

Subordination

Notes

1. Poirer and Conner.
2. Feskov et al 2013, p. 147
3. "Героизму и вечной памяти воинов I гв. ВДД посвящается :: Главная". vdd-1.narod.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
4. Feskov et al 2013, p. 149
5. Feskov et al 2013, p. 567
6. Feskov et al 2013, p. 152
7. "Портал о Фронтовиках: 82-й стрелковый корпус". www.pobeda1945.su. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
8. В первых числах October 1943 units of the corps, форсировав Днепр, захватывают и удерживают плацдарм на западном берегу реки. С 6.3.1944 г. части корпуса, участвуя в Одесской наступательной операции, прорывают немецкую оборону на западном берегу реки Игулец и продвигаются вперед. Овладев с ходу нас.п. Лозоватка, корпус после незначительной перегруппировки, начинает преследовать врага. 16.3.1944 г. корпус сдерживает контратакующие удары противника, который силами в 35–40 танков с несколькими пехотными батальонами попытались оттеснить наши части от реки Ингул и удержать переправы в районе Софиевки. 22 марта части корпуса выходят к реке Южный Буг. В ночь на 27 March 58-я и 228-я дивизии корпуса, переправившись через Южный Буг, под мощным огнем противника продвинулись вперед и овладели крупным нас.п. Акмечеть. 1.4.1944 г. частям корпуса в составе 37-й армии удалось овладеть нас.п. Стрюково, Шварцево, Корнеевка и захватить переправу через р. Тилигул. 5 апреля дивизии корпуса ведут бой за ст. Мигаево. 11.4.1944 г. корпус, которому для усиления передавалась из резерва 15-я гв. сд при поддержке 23-го тк освобождает Тирасполь, с ходу форсирует Днестр и врывается в Варницу. Командир: генерал-майор А.И. Петраковский ( – 18.1.1944) генерал-майор Ф.А. Осташенко (19.1.1944– Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник И.Н. Карасев Начальник штаба: В.И. Минеев
9. Преобразован 24 апреля 1943 года из 30th Rifle Corps (Second Formation). In October 1943 года корпус в составе 20-й и 31-й гвардейских, 394-й и 236-й стрелковых дивизий, форсировав Днепр, наступает на направлении главного удара армии 46-й армии. Ему надлежало прорвать оборону противника перед аулским плацдармом (село Аулы) и, развивая наступление в направлении Кринички, отрезать пути отхода на запад днепровской группировке врага. К исходу дня 24 октября 1943 года войска корпуса перерезали шоссейную дорогу Днепропетровск — Кривой Рог и создали выгодные условия для разгрома группировки врага. 24.8.1944 г. корпус участвуя в Ясско-Кишиневской операции, в составе 5-й ударной армии переходит в наступление с задачей выйти на северные окраины Кишинева. Преодолевая упорное сопротивление врага, дивизии корпуса ворвались в Кишинев и завязали бои в Скулянской Рогатке и северной части Старой Почты. С 16.4.1945 г. дивизии корпуса переходят в наступление на Берлин: 19 апреля части корпуса, развивая стремительное наступление, к исходу дня прорвали третью полосу обороны противника на участке Грунов, Буков. 19-го числа дивизии корпуса во взаимодействии с танкистами 12-го гв. тк прорвали оборону частей 11-й моторизированной дивизии СС «Нордланд» на участке Бацлов-Райхенберг, 20-го апреля гвардейцы продвинулись на 12 километров и вышли на рубеж Везендаль, Гартенштадт и вклинились во внешний оборонительный обвод Берлина. 21.4.1945 г. корпус силами 226-й сд и во взаимодействии 32-м ск ночным штурмом овладел Штраусбергом, в дальнейшем завязывает бои в пригородах Берлина. 25.4.1945 г. части корпуса продолжают штурм Берлина в направлении площади Александерплац и Рейхстага. 1.5.1945 г. части корпуса, громя врага, наступают на запад и северо-запад по обеим сторонам Шпрее в направлении Гумбольдтской гавани и Рейхстага, ведет тяжелые бои по захвату важных военных и государственных объектов. Командир: генерал-майор П.А. Фирсов Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник Я. Дубровский ( – 22.3.1944) полковник Д.И. Андреев (23.3.1944– Начальник штаба: Н.К. Антипов
10. On August 4, 1943, the corps, as a part of the 7th Guards Army, overcoming the enemy's stubborn resistance and deflecting frenzied counterattacks, persistently moved forward to Belgorod. Increasing the attack force, parts of the corps stormed the city and cleared it on August 5. On January 18, 1944, the units of the corps, as a part of 53rd Army, conducted defensive battles in the area of Zvenigorodka–Vodyanoy. By February 13, 1944, the corps, after having been subordinated to the 5th Guard Tank Army, was transferred back to 53A along with their defensive position. Commander: И.А. Корнилов генерал-майор Г.Н. Терентьев Военный комиссар, замполит: полковник Д.С. Черных
11. On 4 August 1943 76th, 36th Guards, 213th Rifle Division the corps, as part of 7th Guards Army, advanced on Belgrade from the east. Together with other formations it eliminated the Mikhailovsky bridgehead плацдарм противника на восточном берегу Северского Донца и завязывают бои уже на западном берегу.
12. Combat composition of the Soviet Army, 3 September 1945

References

• Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.
• Robert G. Poirier and Albert Z. Conner, The Red Army Order of Battle in the Great Patriotic War, Novato: Presidio Press, 1985. ISBN 0-89141-237-9.

Further reading

• Lukashenko, Andrey Ivanovich (1971). Дорогами воздушного десанта [Airborne Roads] (in Russian). Moscow: Moskovsky Rabochy.
• Nenakhov, Yury (1998). Воздушно-десантные войска во второй мировой войне [Airborne Troops in World War II] (in Russian). Minsk: Literatura.
• Novohatsky, Ivan Mitrofanovich (2007). Воспоминания командира батареи. Дивизионная артиллерия в годы Великой Отечественной Войны. 1941 – 1945. На линии фронта. Правда о войне [Memoirs of a Battery Commander: Divisional Artillery during the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945: On the Front Lines: The Truth about the war] (in Russian). Moscow: Tsentrpoligraf. ISBN 9785952428706.
• Pigunov, Vladimir Nikiforovich (1995). Глазами десантника [Through the Eyes of a Paratrooper] (in Russian). Minsk: Belarus.
• V. N. Nechayev. 50th Guards Tank Brigade/B. S. Lebedev. 1st Guards Airborne Division- Saratov: Приволж. кн. изд-во, 1991. – 200 с.
• I. I. Gromov, V. N. Pigunov, V. N. Piskunov. Forward, Airborne Raiders, to the Victory. Под общ. ред. проф. Г. И. Шпака. – М.: ПОЛИФОРМ, 2010. – 440 с.: ил.

v t e List of Soviet divisions (1917–1945)
Airborne	1st Guards 2nd Guards 3rd Guards 4th Guards 5th Guards 6th Guards 7th Guards 8th Guards 9th Guards 10th Guards 11th Guards 12th Guards 13th Guards 14th Guards 15th Guards 16th Guards
Cavalry	1st 1st Guards 2nd 2nd Guards 3rd 3rd Guards 4th 4th Guards 5th 5th Guards 6th 6th Guards 7th 7th Guards 8th 8th Guards 9th 9th Guards 10th 10th Guards 11th 11th Guards 12th 12th Guards 13th 13th Guards 14th 14th Guards 15th 15th Guards 16th 16th Guards 17th Mountain 17th Guards 18th 19th 20th 21st Mountain 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 65th 66th 67th 68th 70th 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 87th 91st 94th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th
Rifle	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th (1925) 64th (1942) 65th 66th 67th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd (1936) 93rd (June 1942) 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th 120th 121st 122nd 123rd 124th 125th 126th 127th 128th 129th 130th 131st 132nd 133rd 134th 135th 136th 137th 138th 139th 140th 141st 142nd 143rd 144th 145th 146th 147th 148th 149th 150th 151st 152nd 153rd 154th 155th 156th 157th 158th 159th 160th (1940) 160th (1941) 161st 162nd 163rd 164th 165th 166th 167th 168th 169th 170th 171st 172nd 173rd 174th 175th 176th 177th 178th 179th 180th 181st 182nd 183rd 184th 185th 186th (1939) 186th (1941) 187th 188th 189th 190th 191st 192nd (1942) 192nd 193rd 194th 195th 196th 197th 198th 199th 200th 201st 202nd 203rd 204th 205th 206th 207th 208th 209th 210th 211th 212th 213th 214th 215th 216th 217th 218th 219th 220th 221st 222nd 223rd 224th 225th 226th 227th 228th 229th 230th 231st 232nd 233rd 234th 235th 236th 237th 238th 239th 240th 241st 242nd 243rd 244th 245th 246th 247th 248th 249th 250th 251st 252nd 253rd 254th 255th 256th 257th (July 1941) 257th (November 1941) 257th (July 1943) 258th 259th 260th 261st 262nd 263rd 264th 265th 266th 267th 268th 269th 270th 271st 272nd 273rd 274th 275th 276th 277th 278th 279th 280th 281st 282nd 283rd 284th 285th 286th 287th 288th 289th 290th 291st 292nd 293rd 294th 295th 296th 297th 298th 299th 300th 301st 302nd 303rd 304th 305th 306th 307th 308th 309th 310th 311th 312th 313th 314th 315th 316th 317th 318th 319th 320th 321st 322nd 323rd 324th 325th 326th 327th 328th 329th 330th 331st 332nd 333rd 334th 335th 336th 337th 338th 339th 340th 341st 342nd 343rd 344th 345th 346th 347th 348th 349th 350th 351st 352nd 353rd 354th 355th 356th 357th 358th 359th 360th 361st 362nd 363rd 364th 365th 366th 367th 368th 369th 370th 371st 372nd 373rd 374th 375th 376th 377th 378th 379th 380th 381st 382nd 383rd 384th 385th 386th 387th 388th 389th 390th 391st 392nd 393rd 394th 395th 396th 397th 398th 399th 400th 402nd 403rd 404th 406th 407th 408th 409th 411th 413th 414th 415th 416th 417th 421st 422nd 2nd Priamur 1st Crimean 2nd Crimean 1st Polar Petrozavodsk Mountain 60th 63rd 68th 72nd 83rd 192nd Reserve 10th 34th 35th 36th 41st 50th Lithuanian Guards 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th 120th 121st 122nd 124th 125th 126th 128th 129th
Motorized	7th 15th 29th 36th 69th 81st 82nd 84th 103rd 109th 131st 163rd 185th 198th 202nd 204th 205th 208th 209th 210th 212th 213th 215th 216th 218th 219th 220th 221st 236th 239th 240th
Tank	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th Amur Ussuri
Motor Rifle	2nd Guards 3rd Guards 36th 57th 82nd 101st 106th 107th 112th 3rd Crimean
Other	Latvian Riflemen Soviet Divisions NKVD OMSDON People's Militia Reboly Direction Division Guards unit Destruction battalions

v t e Divisions of the Soviet Union 1957–1989
Airborne	7 31 44 Training 76 98 103 104 105 106 107
Artillery	2 15 20 Training 26 34 51 55 81 110 149
Aviation	1 6 12 16 22 36 55 95 Mixed 95 Fighter 119 326
Motor Rifle	Guards 1st – 18th 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 20th – 39th 20 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 42nd – 66th 42 45 47 48 50 51 (I) 51 (II) 53 55 57 59 62 63 64 66 70th – 97th 70 72 77 81 83 86 87 90 92 93 94 97 109th – 144th 109 112 113 114 115 120 122 123 128 144 Training 2 16 34 37 42 53 62 63 66 80 92 100 112 4th – 27th 4 9 12 13 15 18 19 21 22 24 27 32nd – 49th 32 33 35 40 41 43 44 46 47 48 49 52nd – 69th 52 54 56 58 60 61 62 65 67 68 69 71st – 99th 71 73 74 75 78 79 80 82 84 85 88 89 91 92 93 95 96 99 100th – 119th 100 101 102 108 110 111 114 116 117 118 119 121st – 135th 121 124 125 126 127 129 130 131 134 135 145th – 199th 145 146 147 148 149 150 152 155 157 164 180 192 197 198 199 201st – 295th 201 203 207 213 242 245 254 265 266 270 272 295 Training 43 56 61 67 78 121 129 150
Rocket	4 7 8 10 13 14 18 19 23 24 27 28 29 35 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 54 62
Tank	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 Training 25 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 37 40 41 42 44 Training 45 Training 47 48 Training 51 60 75 78 79 90 117 Training 193
Other	OMSDON
Guards units marked in bold unless they are in a Guards section.

• Airborne divisions of the Soviet Union
• Military units and formations established in 1942
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1956
• Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner