45th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

The 45th Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division formed originally after the Russian Civil War that fought in World War II and then served through the Cold War in the Leningrad Military District.

First formation

The division was originally formed between 1918 and 1922 in the south of the USSR.

econd World War service

It was attached to the Kiev Special Military District/Soviet Southwestern Front at the outbreak of World War II, as part of the 15th Rifle Corps, 5th Army. Under Colonel V.P. Solokov, it was earmarked to defend the mid-Volga River islands behind the hard-pressed 62nd Army on 7 October 1942. However it was deployed in the Battle of Stalingrad proper on 26 October 1942, being ferried over from the east to the west bank of the Volga River to take up positions between the Red October and the Barrikady factories. [pp. 420, 443, John Erickson (historian), The Road to Stalingrad, Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2003] It was disbanded at a later date, probably after being severely depleted in battle against the German units in Stalingrad.

econd formation

The division was re-formed on May, 5th, 1943 in the Kareliya territory from the 67th Naval Rifle Brigade of the Karelian Front, on defensive boundaries at Loukhi Stations of the Kirov railway. After its formation the division was concentrated towards Kestenga (Kiestinki), and from May 6 until August 19, 1943 was retained in the reserve of the 31st Rifle Corps in defensive positions. The division's first combat was on August 9, 1943 with the 61st Rifle Regiment and 85th Naval Rifle Brigade were supported by the 178th Artillery Regiment. On August 20, 1943 the division replaced the 85th Motor Rifle Brigade and 205th Rifle Division in the first echelon, and on September 7, 1943 conducted defensive operations against the Nazi 7th Infantry Division and 6th SS Mountain Division Nord. On September 8, 1944 the division had gone over to the offensive and on September 10 seized the Kestenga settlement. It was later relocated in the Kandalaksha direction to the area of Nyamozero Station. From September 24 till September 28, 1944, the 45th Rifle Division attacked the settlement of Alakurtti.

By October 3, 1944 the division had been relocated in the Murmansk direction and was a part of the army operations group, having the task to attack an auxiliary direction as part of the 14th Army. On October 10, 1944, 45th Rifle Division had broken through defense of its opponent on the Zapadnaya Litsa River near the Lake Chapr area. On October 13, 1944 the division joined 131st Rifle Corps (probably part of 14th Army) and on October 15 in cooperation with elements of 131st Rifle Corps seized Petsamo (as part of the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation).

From October 16 until October 25th, 1944 it conducted operations for seizing the village of Tornet and the Norwegian city of Kirkenes. On October 25, 1944 the 61st Rifle Regiment and the 253rd Rifle Regiment of the division helped seize the port and city of Kirkenes.

For actions on clearing Pechenga (Petsamo) the divisional staff was thanked officially by the Supreme Commander in Chief Stalin, and the division was given the honourable name "Pechenga". For taking Kirkenes, the staffs of the 61st Rifle Regiment and 253rd Rifle Regiment were given the honorary name "Kirkenes". On January 6, 1945 for valour and courage in combat with fascist aggressors the 61st Rifle Regiment of the division was awarded the Military Order of the Red Banner. On September 27, 1945 parts of the division, following a decision of the Soviet government were withdrawn from Norway and billeted in Murmansk and the Pechenga area.

Cold War service

In 1957 the division was renamed the 131st Pechenga Motor-Rifle Division. In 1968, in days of celebrating the 25 anniversary of its 2nd formation, the division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class.

Russian Federation service

On December, 1st, 1997 the 131st MRD was reorganised as the 200th Pechenga Independent Motor-Rifle Brigade. The division, as the 200th Brigade, has been based for many years at Kamenka, Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast.

The brigade was deployed for operations during the Second Chechen War, in which, along with other Russian Ground Forces units, its personnel was reported to have behaved badly at times. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1999/991203-chechen-forces.htm Some Provisional Notes On Current Russian Operations In Dagestan & Chechnya] ] A 22-year old woman in Ingushetia was shot by drunken soldiers from the brigade scavenging for alcohol. The deployment of a tank battalion of the brigade was apparently halted when it was discovered that soldiers had been selling the explosive from their tanks' reactive armour.

Transition to professional contract status is planned to finish at the end of 2006. At the beginning of April 2006 the brigade had about 700 professional personnel, practically all sergeant positions having been filled by kontraktniks ( _ru. контрактник contracted professional soldiers). More than 180 military men and women have signed contracts for service in communications, medical, and rear services subunits. The brigade has about 10 professional soldiers from other CIS states. At the beginning of 2006, during a trip to the Leningrad Military District, the 200th Brigade was visited by the Minister of Defence, Sergey Ivanov.

The brigade has association links with the Norwegian 6th Division (Norway) and the Swedish Norrbottens Regiment.

References

ources

*Machine translated from Russian official site
*V.I. Feskov et al 2004, Lenskii et al.
*http://www.contract.mil.ru/56/226/1719/index.shtml (200th Pechenga Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, Pechenga, Murmansk Oblast)
*http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/954462/Main/954462 - Google Earth link