23. střelecká divize [1922-1943]

23rd Rifle Division

23-я стрелковая дивизия

On December 30, 1920, the 23rd Rifle Division was reduced to a 23rd Rifle Brigade due to the demobilization of the Red Army. Based on the order of M.V. Frunze, the commander of the Ukrainian Military District, rifle brigade was renamed the 23rd Rifle Division on July 6, 1922. The rifle regiments were given the names - 67th Kupyansky, 68th Akhtyrsky and 69th Kharkiv Rifle Regiment. By 15 December 1922, the division headquarters was stationed in Kharkov, the 67th Rifle Regiment in Artyomovsk, the division's artillery and cavalry detachment in Chugov. In the 1930s, members of the division participated in the construction of the Kharkov Tractor Plant, for which the division was awarded the Order of Lenin on 23 May 1932. From 17 May 1935, the division was part of the newly established Charkov Military District. On 1 July, the 23rd Rifle Division was part of the 14th Rifle Corps. The division participated in the Polish campaign of September-October 1939 as part of the Ukrainian Front. From 2 October 1939 it was part of the 49th Rifle Corps of the 12th Army. On 17 October 1939 it was part of the Kharkov Military District, again as part of the 14th Rifle Corps.

In June 1941 the division was stationed in Dvinsk and from 17 June 1941 began its march to the Kozlova Ruda area. On the night of 22 June 1941, the division left the area of Pageližjy (20 km southwest of Ukmerge) to the area of Andrushkantsy to continue the march to the forest area south and southeast of Kaunas. On 22 June 1941, the division spent the day in Carmel and on the same day took up a defensive position on the road leading from Prussia to Kaunas. At the same time, three battalions of the division were already directly on the border on the extreme flank of the 11th Army northeast of Pilviska. These were probably destroyed in the first days of the war.

The division was ordered to defend Kaunas from the southwest and northwest, covering the retreat of units of the 16th Rifle Corps. On the night of 23 June 1941, the division took up defences along the Nevaja River, and from 23 June the division was forced to retreat to Kaunas due to enemy flanking and further east, taking up defences 17 kilometres east of the town. After being subjected to heavy artillery fire, the division was ordered to retake Kaunas. Its task was to concentrate in the Svilainiai area by 1100 hours and advance southwest along the Ionava-Karmelava-Kaunas highway. During the offensive, and even before it began, the division suffered heavy losses in both manpower and equipment from air and artillery fire, yet managed to advance and capture Karmelava, which the division held until 26 June, but was forced to retreat. The 117th Rifle Regiment was caught in the encirclement, and although it managed to break out of the encirclement, the entire division was cut off from its own and did not break out of the encirclement until 28 June. Continuing its retreat, by 4 July the division had crossed the Western Dvina north of Disna near Semyonov. By 7 July the division was concentrated in the Borovni area and began its retreat to the Pogorelovo area. On 12 July it took up defenses west of Nasva and by 14 July had moved further west 50-60 km, taking up defenses on the border of Kamennoye and Yazno lakes.

On 18 July, the division again began military operations against the Wehrmacht's advance troops. On that day it received a replenishment of 5,100 men. From 19 to 21 July it fought on the occupied line, covering Nasva from the south, and by 22 July its troops had withdrawn to the Kamenets - Strugi line and then on to Lokna. The division was essentially divided and partially surrounded by German troops (89th Rifle Regiment, part of the 117th Rifle Regiment and the 211th Artillery Regiment). The division headquarters was also in a difficult situation. On 22 July 1941, the remaining units of the division with the headquarters began to withdraw along the route Mashutino - the northern shore of Lake Loknovo - Drozdovo. On 23 July, the division failed to break through the enemy positions and stood in a circular defense in the Baranovo - Klishkovichi area. On 24 July the division, together with the encircled units of the 5th, 33rd Rifle and 84th Motorized Divisions, again made an attempt to break through, this time the 117th Rifle Regiment managed to break out of the encirclement, but the other units, including the headquarters, remained surrounded. With heavy casualties, the division broke out of the encirclement in the Molvotits area, after which from 2 to 5 August, 2,500-2,500 men from various formations joined together under division command. At the same time, the 89th Rifle Regiment and 211th Artillery Regiment, as well as the 117th Rifle Regiment, fought under the direct command of the 65th Rifle Corps in Lokna and on the Podberezje line, respectively. By 28 July, the remnants of these regiments were withdrawn from the fighting and concentrated 5 km east of Cholm, taking up defences on the Cholm-Ostashkov highway and retreating to the northeast and east with the fighting. At the same time, units that had entered the Molvotits area were on the march.

On 8 August 1941, the 89th and 117th Rifle Regiments attempted an attack on Chalm and fought fierce battles near Kamenka for several days, with the remainder of the units concentrated in the Velily area. From 13 to 14 August the division fought for Lužki, and from 21 to 24 August made unsuccessful counterattacks. On 25 August 1941, it went on the defensive on the 12-kilometre-long Filino - Izvozno - Bobrovo line, with the 188th Rifle Division on the right and the 256th Rifle Division on the left. On 30 August, German troops went on the offensive and for two days the division fought heavy battles, as a result of which the division's defenses on the lines of communication with its neighbors were broken and the division withdrew behind the Bolshoi Tuder River. By 2 September the division had taken up defences on the Kalinkino-Pankovo line and by 3 September on the Padera-Pankovo line, where it fought on 3-4 September. From 5 September the division again retreated and then took up a defence on the outskirts of Molvotice, from 6-7 September it fought for the village and after leaving it retreated to Demjansk, while on 8 September it took up a defence near the village of Peski.

From 10 to 11. September, the heavily battle-damaged division advanced on Demyansk and achieved little success, but on September 12, enemy troops pushed the 28th Tank Division out of the village of Shishkovo and encircled the 23rd Rifle Division, which only broke through the encirclement on September 13. The division fought again on 13-14 September and withdrew to the eastern shore of Lake Velje on 15-16 September, where it held the defences until 23 December, when, after the surrender of the area by 25 December, it replaced the 73rd Rifle Regiment 33rd Rifle Regiment. Rifle Division, it took up defences along the eastern shore of Lake Seliger on the Dolmaticha, Gorodets and Glebovo lines.

Early in 1942, the division's units took part in the Toropets-Kholm operation, went on the offensive on 9 January, and after a forced crossing on the frozen Seliger River, seized the Vysechka foothold, blockaded Zaozerie, and by the end of the day had begun the battle for the Roven bridges. On 10 January 1942 the division struck towards Lake Beloye and by the end of the day had pushed the enemy out of Palagino, then resumed the offensive. By the end of 12 January the division had liberated nine settlements, during 13-14 January the division continued offensive fighting in the general direction of Molvotitse, and by 15 January it was fighting for Linie, Sivushino, and Konisevo. By 16 January, the division had indeed reached the approaches to Molvotitse, but during January-February it unsuccessfully attacked the village, and it was not until 9 March, operating jointly with 130th Rifle Division, managed to liberate Molvotitse.

On 10 March 1942, the division continued its slow advance, advancing on Degilevo, Drozdy and Ozhiely and capturing the settlements of Bekasovo and Drozdy. On 22 March, the division went on the defensive on the reached line west of the Bel-2 and Bel-1 strongpoints, where it remained until 7 July, when it surrendered its line to units of the 166th Rifle Division and marched to the Svapuša area, where it was in reserve. On 11 August 1942, the division made a march to the Ostashkov area, where it was loaded into railway echelons and transported to the Stalingrad Front. On 18 August the division landed at the Frolovo-Log railway station and by 19 August had concentrated on the left bank of the Don in the Viltov, Novo-Grigorievskaya area and began to form a defensive line. On 27 August the division went on the offensive and captured the village of Kanojchev. Throughout the autumn of 1942, the division fought as part of the 21st Army. On 22 November, the division went on the offensive, capturing the settlements of Osinki and Shevyrev, and by 26 November was concentrated in the Kartuli area. From 4 to 28 December 1942, the division unsuccessfully attempted to break through enemy defenses.

Beginning on 10 January 1943, the division advanced again, and by 13 January, together with the 304th Rifle Division, it reached the Roshka River, but failed to cross the river forcibly on the march. On 15 January, the division liberated Novo-Alekseyevskiy after forcibly crossing the river. On 21 January the division renewed its offensive, reached the settlement of Gorodishche by 25 January, which it liberated by fighting into the evening, and then fought for the settlement of "Barrikady" from 27 January to 1 February 1943.

On 21. February, units of the division reached the town of Yelets and marched along the route Yelets - Kursk- Fatezh. On 1 March 1943, while the division was on the march, it was renamed for merit in the battles the 71st Guards Rifle Division.

Sources:

Feskov, V.I., Kalashnikov, K.A. Golikov, V.I.: Krasnaya Armiya v pobedach i porazenijach 1941-1945 gg., Tomsk 2003 (В.И. Feskov, K.A. Kalashnikov, V.I. Golikov: The Red Army in Victories and Defeats 1941-1945; Tomsk University Press 2003) ISBN 5-7511-1624-0
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