73rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
| 73rd Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1st Formation 2nd Formation 3rd Formation Oct 1942 - 1993 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Operation Kutuzov Battle of the Dnieper Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive Operation Bagration Bobruysk Offensive East Prussian Offensive |
| Battle honours |
Order of the Red Banner Order of Lenin Order of Suvorov |
The 73rd Rifle Division was a formation of the Great Patriotic War Soviet Army. The division began assigned to the 20th Army at the beginning of the war and was destroyed and rebuilt twice before the war ended.
According to research in the Soviet archives published by Michael Avanzini and Craig Crofoot, the division was formed five times from 1930 to the late 1940s. Its first formation was established at Omsk in the Siberian Military District in 1930, and reformed a second time in September 1939 after serving as the cadre for the 109th Rifle Division and the 194th Rifle Division. Disbanded for unknown reasons in October 1939.
Established Omsk in Jul 1940. Assigned to the newly formed 20th Army formed in June 1941 in the Orel Military District. Wiped out in October 1941 near Vyazma during the opening stages of the Battle of Moscow.
Rebuilt in February 1942 at Ordzhonikidze, Ukraine. Destroyed sometime prior to October 1942.
Formed on 15 October 1942 from the 122nd Rifle Brigade in the city of Livny, Orel Oblast.
In January–February 1943 the division participated in the Voronezh-Kastornoye and Maloarkhangelsk offensive operations. In early April 1943 the division took up defensive positions on the right flank of the 48th Army.
On 20 July 1943 the division participated in the counteroffensive after the Battle of Kursk. The division participated in the Liberation of Novozybkov. By October 1943 the division was located southwest of Gomel. On 11 November 1943 the division participated in the Gomel-Rechitsa Offensive and by the end of the month was in defensive position 10 km south of Zhlobin. By the end of December 1943 the division had advanced to the right bank of the Berezina River south of Parichi and repelled enemy counterattacks.
The division spent the next several months in defensive positions south of Parichi.
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Wikipedia