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Latvian Riflemen Soviet Divisions
Latviešu strēlnieku padomju divīzijas
Active	1940–1956
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Size	about 70,000
Motto(s)	Visu zemju proletārieši, savienojieties! ("Proletarians of all countries, unite!")
March	The Internationale
Battle honours	Honorable Red Flag of VTsIK

Latvian Riflemen Soviet Divisions were military formations of the Red Army during World War II created in 1941 and consisting primarily of ethnic Latvians.

Background

After the occupation of Latvia in June 1940 the Soviet Armed Forces began to demobilize the Latvian Land Forces. The army was renamed People's Army and in September–November 1940- the Red Army's 24th Territorial Rifle Corps. In September the corps contained 24,416 men but in autumn more than 800 officers and about 10,000 instructors and soldiers were discharged. The arresting of soldiers continued in the following months. In June 1941, the entire Territorial Corps was sent to Litene camp. Before leaving the camp, Latvians drafted in 1939 were demobilised, and replaced by about 4000 Russian soldiers from area around Moscow. On June 10, the corps senior officers were sent to Russia where they were arrested and most of them shot. On June 14 at least 430 officers were arrested and sent to Gulag camps. After German attack to Soviet Union, from June 29 to July 1 more 2080 Latvian soldiers were demobilised, fearing that they might turn their weapons against the Russian commissars and officers. Simultaneously, many soldiers and officers deserted and when the corps crossed the Latvian border only about 3000 Latvian soldiers remained.

Latvian workers regiments

In July 1940, 1st and 2nd workers regiments (the last later changed to 76th Latvian Rifle Regiment) were formed in Estonia from Latvian workers guard battalions and other active duty soldiers, who at the beginning of German attack, fled from Latvia to Estonia. 1st Latvian Workers Regiment was formed on July 18, 1941. Their strength was about 900 men, and that was subordinate to 8th Army (Soviet Union), 10th Rifle Corps. In the beginning the regiment guarded the Corps rear lines and fought with Estonian and Latvian Destruction battalions, but later joined in battles against the Army Group North (until July 29). The regiment suffered heavy losses, and at the end of July transferred to Gogland Island and later to Kotlin Island (Kronstadt). From the left over regiment was later formed (3rd through September 7) Latvian Battalion (commander Žanis Grīva-Folkmanis), which was part of the Red Army's 10th Rifle Division, 62nd Regiment. The Latvian battalion had only 283 soldiers. By riflemen, Germans battalions destroyed them and the remaining part retreated to Leningrad, and Peterhof to be placed in 76th Latvian Riflemen Regiment. 2nd Regiment was formed July 15, also in Estonia. The regiment's strength was about 1,200 soldiers. In Estonia, the regiment suffered heavy losses (from July 24 until August 4), then was surrounded, but broke out and fought in the Leningrad Oblast until October 20. On September 4 the regiment transferred to 76th Latvian Rifle Regiment. On October 22 on account of heavy losses the regiment was disbanded January 1942 and the leftover soldiers were transferred to other Latvian Rifle Divisions.

43rd Latvian Riflemen Guards Rifle Division

See 201st Motor Rifle Division and 43rd Guards Rifle Division.

308th Rifle Division

See 308th Rifle Division

1st Latvian Riflemen Reserve Regiment

Regiment was organized on February 18, 1942. That was subordinate to Moscow Military District, placed at Gorokhovets. Commander was P. Alksnis-Dreimanis, later H. Šponbergs. Regiment trained and placed with 201st (later: 43rd Guard) Division, Second Army (Poland) and Latvian partisans, and gave cadets to the forming of the Latvian Air Regiment.

Separate units

Latvian Riflemen name was given to its aviation squadron, which contained 10 planes. This squadron belonged to 1st Air Army, 303rd Division, 18th Guard Aviation Regiment, and joined in battles for Briańsk, Western Front (Soviet Union) and 3rd Belorussian Front. Also the Latvian Riflemen name was given to a column (10 tanks T-34). On August 16, 1942, they formed a Latvian Separate Reserve Riflemen Regiment in the Gorokhovets region as 246th Tank Brigade. This tank unit joined in the Battle of Stalingrad, Ilovla, and the Prague Offensive. 1st Latvian Bomber Aviation Regiment was founded September 1943. Until July 12, 1943, it was the 24th Latvian Aviation Squadron. This Regiment supported the XXIV Latvian Territorial Corps. 1st Latvian Bomber Regiment contained 3 squadrons and assigned reserve units. Their commander was Regiment Commander K. Kirss, an Estonian. On September 28, 1943, the regiment joined the Northwestern Front, 6th Air Army, 242nd Bomber Division. Later the regiment was attached to other air force units, with a greater part in night bombing. The Latvian Air Regiment joined greatly the operations in the Baltic region. On August 9, 1944, the regiment transferred to 1st Rēzekne Latvian Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. Later (October 1, 1945) it transferred to 322nd Rēzekne Latvian Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. Battle orders to the regiment also included the Courland Pocket. Overall they flew 6,475 combat missions.

Mobilisation in 1944-45

Following the Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944 mobilisation of persons born between 1903 and 1926 began in Eastern Latvia on July 27 and in Riga on November 3. According to Soviet sources, a total of 50,000 Latvian citizens were mobilised in combatant units by the end of the war (not only in the Latvian units, but also in other Red Army units). However many Latvians evaded mobilisation and deserted. By January 1945, 2214 soldiers had deserted and by February 1529 soldiers had been sent to Gulag camps. The Latvian Division in Soviet Army continued operating in Latvia after the war until 1956.

References

1. Bleiere, Daina; Ilgvars Butulis; Antonijs Zunda; Aivars Stranga; Inesis Feldmanis (2006). History of Latvia : the 20th century. Riga: Jumava. p. 327. ISBN 9984-38-038-6. OCLC 70240317.
2. Aviel Roshwald, Ethnic nationalism and the fall of empires.
3. "2x2 Divisions". Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
4. (Zulis@aol.com), Gunars David Zulis - Copyright 2004. "WW2 - Latvian Aviators in Soviet Service". latvianaviation.com. Retrieved 23 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
5. "Cultural-educational courses". Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
6. "LATVIAN UNITS IN THE RED ARMY". www.lacplesis.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012.
7. "Avalanche Press". www.avalanchepress.com. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
8. Bleiere, Daina; Ilgvars Butulis; Antonijs Zunda; Aivars Stranga; Inesis Feldmanis (2006). History of Latvia : the 20th century. Riga: Jumava. p. 329. ISBN 9984-38-038-6. OCLC 70240317.

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.

• Military history of Latvia during World War II
• Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union
• Military units and formations established in 1940
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1956
• Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic