37th Infantry Division (2nd formation)

The division was formed in Petrozavodsk on the basis of the 52nd , 1061st rifle regiments of the Red Army and the 15th motorized rifle regiment of the NKVD as the Petrozavodsk division 07/24/1941, 09/24/1941 renamed the 37th rifle division.

In the army from 07.24.1941 to 04.22.1945.

From the moment of formation, she fought on the outskirts of Petrozavodsk , defended the city itself, retreated north of Petrozavodsk , to the line of the Shuya River on September 30, 1941, then fought for Medvezhyegorsk in December 1941, after losing it, fought at the border of the White Sea-Baltic Canal , then fought defense in Karelia .

At the beginning of 1943 it was withdrawn to the reserve and, probably, by the beginning of summer, it was transferred to the Starorussky district, where it fought private battles until the beginning of 1944.

During the Leningrad-Novogorodsky operation in January 1944, he took part in a private Nasvo-Mayev operation carried out with the aim of preventing the transfer of enemy troops to the Novgorod region.

In April 1944, it was staggered along a walking march about 200 kilometers long to the Pushkin Mountains region , immediately crossed the river Pet and occupied a small bridgehead on the other side. 04/10/1944 conducts battles in the Pushkin Mountains ,

During the Rezhitsky-Dvina operation, she was part of the mobile group of the 2nd Baltic Front (the group commander was the commander of the 37th Infantry Division, Major General A. G. Gusarov ), before the operation began, she was concentrated in the forests northwest of Zabelle . The mobile group, in addition to the 37th rifle division, included the 13th guards rifle regiment and reinforcements.

07/18/1944 entered the territory of Latvia , combed forests, pursued disparate enemy groups. 07/28/1944 at dawn with the swift blow of one of the regiments from the north and the other regiment of the division from the south surrounded the enemy infantry battalion in the area of ​​the large settlement of Dritsen . At dawn, by the well-coordinated actions of both regiments, the encircled were completely crushed, and Dritseni was freed. In this case, 10 guns were captured. Developing the offensive, units of this division reached 16 at r. Rezekne in the area of ​​Zhagatka, crossed the river by rifle units, seized the bridgehead, and by 21 o’clock, having built crossings, they advanced forward and equipment, continuing the relentless pursuit of the enemy in the direction of Varaklyana ^[1] . In early August 1944, fights at Madona . Through the territory of Latvia, the division marched through the cities of Dobele , Madona , Cesvaine , Wilan , Rezekne .

The Riga operation began already on September 12, 1944, while on the right flank of the army on the Cesvaine section, Lake Liezers, with the task of covering the flank, discovered the withdrawal of enemy units and, together with the 85th Guards Rifle Division, went on the offensive and liberated more than 20 settlements.

On 10/15/1944, being in the reserve of the front while remaining in the operational subordination of the commander of the 22nd Army , prepared the ways for action in the directions of Ietsava , Jelgava , Dobele and at the junction with the 1st Baltic Front .

Participated in the liberation of Riga .

From December 1944 until the end of the war he fought to eliminate the enemy’s grouping, which was blocked on the Courland Peninsula.

During the war, the personnel of the division was updated almost completely 6 times.

• 20th (15th) Rifle Regiment
• 24th Rifle Regiment (until 01/02/1942)
• 52nd Rifle Regiment (before 01.02.1942)
• 91st Rifle Regiment (from 16.02.1942)
• 247th Infantry Regiment (from 16.02.1942)
• 170th artillery regiment (from 02.16.1942)
• 103rd Separate Anti-Tank Division
• 214th mortar division (until 05/02/1942)
• 356th mortar division (from 24.02.1942)
• 68th Separate Reconnaissance Company
• 58th Engineer Battalion
• 83rd separate communications battalion (825th separate communications company)
• 39th Health Battalion
• 13th Separate Chemical Defense Company
• 209th Motor Company
• 349th field bakery
• 214th Division Veterinary Hospital
• 762th Field Post Station
• 463rd box office of the State Bank

• Litvinov, Fedor Ivanovich (11/09/1941 - 02/11/1942), lieutenant colonel ;
• Gusarov, Alexander Georgievich (02/12/1942 - 02/10/1945), Colonel , from 16/10/1943 major general ;
• Davydov, Peter Mikhailovich (02/13/1945 - 05/09/1945), Major General.

• Memorial in the village of Vilga ( Prionezhsky district , Republic of Karelia )

• Directory on the website of the club "Memory" Voronezh State University
• Directories and forum on Soldat.ru
• Directory