BREST-BERLIN MOTORISED ENGINEER BRIGADE

Brest-Berˈlin ˈMotorised Engiˈneer Briˈgade

Brest-Berlin Guards Motorised Engineer Red Banner of the Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Brigade.

It was formed in June 1942 during the Great Patriotic War on the South-Western Front as the 16th Engineer Special Purpose Brigade. It was part of the troops of the Stalingrad, Don, and Central fronts. The brigade participated in the Battle of Stalingrad. For combat merits, it was reorganised (April 1, 1943) into the 1st Independent Guards Special Purpose Engineer Brigade. It took part in the Battle of Kursk and the liberation of Left-Bank Ukraine.

At the end of 1943 — beginning of 1944, during the liberation of the eastern areas of the BSSR, it ensured the combat actions of the troops of the Belarusian and 1st Belarusian fronts, for example, it conducted engineering works, made passages in minefields, and prepared movement routes. After being reformed (May 22, 1944) into the 1st Guards Motorised Engineer Brigade, the brigade joined the Belarusian Operation of 1944 (Operation Bagration of 1944) where it distinguished itself in the course of the liberation of Brest, therefore it was awarded the Brest honorary title (August 10, 1944). It ensured the advance of troops in the Lublin-Brest, Warsaw-Poznań operations and in the Battle of Berlin. It was awarded the Berlin honorary title (June 11, 1945).

During the war, 7,487 soldiers of the brigade were awarded orders and medals of the USSR, a soldier was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Major general M. F. Iofe was the brigade commander.