343rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

343rd Rifle Division (August 23, 1941 – May 4, 1943) 343rd Rifle Division (June 27, 1944 – 1945)
Colonel P. P. Chuvashev after his promotion to Major General
Active	1941–1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Battle of Rostov (1941) Barvenkovo-Lozovaia Operation Second Battle of Kharkov Operation Blue Battle of Stalingrad Operation Koltso Operation Bagration Minsk Offensive Lublin–Brest Offensive Vistula-Oder Offensive East Prussian Offensive Battle of Königsberg
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner 2nd Formation  Order of Suvorov 2nd Formation
Battle honours	Belostok
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col. P. P. Chuvashev Maj. Gen. M. A. Usenko Maj. Gen. A. I. Yakimovich Maj. Gen. A. L. Kronik

 Order of the Red Banner 2nd Formation

The 343rd Rifle Division was first formed in late August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Stavropol, in the Caucasus region. Its first major operation was in the liberation of Rostov in December, 1941. Following this, it was nearly caught up in the debacle near Kharkov in May, 1942, but managed to evade the German spearheads during Operation Blue to join the forces defending the Stalingrad region during the summer and fall. Following the German surrender at Stalingrad, on May 4, 1943, it was re-designated as the 97th Guards Rifle Division. Over a year later, a new 343rd Rifle Division was formed, based on the personnel and equipment of a Fortified Region, just after the start of Operation Bagration, the destruction of German Army Group Center. This new division went on to distinguish itself by helping to liberate the Polish city of Białystok, and ended the war in East Prussia, near Königsberg.

The division was formed in August and September, 1941 in the North Caucasus Military District. Its order of battle was as follows:

The division had a political cadre of 413 Communist Party members and 315 Komsomols (Young Communists). The division's first commander, Col. P.P. Chuvashev, was assigned on August 23, and he would remain in command until nearly the end of 1942.

The 343rd remained forming up and training in the North Caucasus until October 16, when it was assigned to the 56th Army, which was itself forming up near Rostov in Southern Front. In December the division received the 567th Antitank Battalion as a much-needed reinforcement. It remained in this Army and Front until the end of the year, during which time it participated in the liberation of Rostov, which had been occupied by the German Army Group South on November 21. The division led the assault into the city against the withdrawing German forces, and thereafter drove them back to the Mius River. It was briefly moved to 9th Army, then, in January, 1942, the 343rd was reassigned to the 6th Army in Southwestern Front, where it was held in reserve. During the Barvenkovo-Lozovaia Operation, which created the so-called Izium Salient, the division was committed late in the battle, when it seized the village of Nizhne Bishkin, the furthest point of 6th Army's advance into the bridgehead.