BREST-TOTSKOE-POMERANIAN HOWITZER ARTILLERY BRIGADE

ˈBrest-ˈTotskoe-Pomeˈranian ˈHowitzer Arˈtillery Briˈgade

Brest-Totskoe-Pomeranian Howitzer Artillery Red Banner Twice of the Order of Bagdan Khmiaĺnitski, Thrice of the Order of Aleksandr Nevskij Brigade.

It was formed in October 1943 during the Great Patriotic War on the basis of the 135th Totskoe Howitzer Artillery Regiment as the 63rd Howitzer Artillery Brigade. It included the 135th, 236th, and 278th regiments.

For the first, it participated in the battle time in the vicinity of Gomiel on November 11, 1943. As part of the 22nd Breakthrough Artillery Division of the Main Command Reserve of the 48th Army on the Belarusian and 1st Belarusian fronts, it fought for the liberation of the towns of Mazyr and Kalinkavichy and the cities of Babrujsk and Baranavichy. The brigade distinguished itself in the battles in the course of the liberation of Brest during the Lublin-Brest offensive of 1944 for which it was awarded the Brest honorary title (August 10, 1944).

It took part in the liberation of Poland and the Battle of Berlin. The brigade received its final name for combat awards and honorific titles of the regiments which were part of it. During the war, 3,381 soldiers of the brigade were awarded USSR orders and medals.

The brigade was commanded by colonel F. F. Zvonarenko (October — December 1943), colonel A. I. Jurgielievich (December 1943 — February 1944), lieutenant colonel R. M. Kurasaw (February — May 1944), colonel K. A. Papa (May — November 1944), colonel I. M. Vakhrameev (November 1944 — March 1945), colonel E. A. Okhatrin (March — May 1945).