IRKUTSK-PINSK RIFLE DIVISION

Irˈkutsk-ˈPinsk ˈRifle Diˈvision

Irkutsk-Pinsk Guards Rifle Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR Thrice Red Banner of the Orders of Lenin and Suvorov Division.

Formed in July 1918 on the Eastern Front. Since November 1918, it was called the 30th Rifle Division. It participated in the Civil War, the fight against banditry, and the strengthening of the Soviet regime in Ukraine. The division was awarded the Irkutsk honorary title (1920, for the liberation of the city from the troops under A. V. Kolchak), the name of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (1921, from 1938, the name of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR); it was awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner (1920), Orders of the Red Banner of the RSFSR (1920, 1921), the Labour Red Banner of the Ukrainian SSR (1921), Lenin (1934).

The Prut River witnessed the beginning of its military actions during the Great Patriotic War. The Division was part of the 9th Independent, 56th, 37th, 58th, and 18th Coastal armies. It participated in defensive battles in the southern part of the Soviet-German Front, in the liberation of the North Caucasus and the Taman Peninsula, in battles on the Kerch Peninsula. On December 18, 1942, for combat merits, it was transformed into the 55th Guards Rifle Division, in September 1943, it was awarded the Order of Suvorov, II degree. From the summer of 1944 until the end of the war, it was part of the 28th Army.

Since April 1944, as part of the troops of the 1st Belarusian Front (20th Corps of the 28th Army), the division participated in the liberation of Belarus. It distinguished itself in the battles during the liberation of Pinsk (July 14, 1944), that’s why it received the Pinsk honorary title (July 23, 1944). It participated in the liberation of the eastern regions of Poland, i.e. as part of the troops of the 3rd Belarusian Front, in the East Prussian offensive, in interaction with formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front, in the Berlin and Prague offensive operations.

For their exploits during the Great Patriotic War, 25 soldiers of the division were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, among them S. D. Roman who distinguished himself in the battles for Belarus. More than 22,000 soldiers of the division were awarded the USSR orders and medals.

Commanders were major general S. G. Galaktionov (June — July 1941); colonel, from July 25, 1941, major general M. D. Gancharow (July — December 1941); colonel S. K. Potekhin (December 1941 — June 1942); colonel, from January 23, 1943, major general B. N. Arshintsev (June 1942 — December 1943); colonel S. I. Semenov (December 1943 — January 1944; February — April 1944); lieutenant colonel, from February 22, 1944, colonel P. A. Murashov (January — February 1944); major general A. P. Turchinskij (April 1944 — May 1945).