354th Infantry Division

The division was formed in the Penza region , on the basis of the directive of the Armed Forces PRIVO number MOU 1/13726. The beginning of the formation - August 15, 1941 . The division was formed in the city of Kuznetsk , Kuznetsk and Sosnovoborsk districts of the Penza region and ended on November 14, 1941. From 12 to 25 November 1941, the division was stationed in the city of Shumerlya of the Chuvash ASSR , where it received weapons and continued training in combat training.

In the army during the Great Patriotic War - from 11/29/1941 to 02/05/1943 and from 02/12/1943 to 05/09/1945 ^[1] .

In November 1941 she was sent to Moscow by train, immediately after entering the army on 11/30/1941 she took up positions on the Leningradskoye Highway and on the northern outskirts of the village of Kryukovo from the 40th kilometer of the Leningradskoye Highway to Krasny Oktyabr. 11/30/1941, while unloading parts of the division at Skhodnya station, 11 enemy air strikes were committed, 7 were killed, 5 were wounded and 1 soldier was wounded 354th detachment, while one aircraft was shot down by the response fire of the 645th battalion and two were shot down enemy aircraft ^[2] . On December 2, by the end of the day, the division with fierce battles advanced 2-3 km, captured the settlements of Bolshie Rzhavki, Savyelka and approached Matushkino. The enemy repeatedly tried to restore the previous situation, but was not successful. The division is firmly entrenched at the reached turn. 12/09/1941 parts of the division captured the village of Matushkino and reached the line of Chashnikovo and Alabushevo.

By the end of the day, 12/12/1941, the division reached the Istra Reservoir . On the night of 12/13/1941, units of the division moved across the ice to the western, heavily fortified shore and liberated the villages of Armiagovo and Novoselovo, but in the morning the enemy’s counter-attack was thrown back to the eastern shore. 12/16/1941 The assault detachments of the division again moved across the ice to the western shore, leaked into the rear of the German units and again captured Armyagov and Novoselov. Taking advantage of the confusion of the enemy and the beginning of the withdrawal under the threat of encirclement, the entire division forced the reservoir and ousted the enemy from the villages of Dyakovo, Lechishchevo, Alekhnovo.

12/24/1941 as part of the shock group of the 16th Army, the division was to break through the enemy’s front on the Chertanovo , Ostashevo sector and reach the Ruza River, then take the enemy’s flank to take Terekhovo and Fedosino, cutting off the enemy’s withdrawal paths to the west and south- west. The division, from 12/24/1941 led heavy offensive battles, which turned out to be completely unsuccessful. In the course of the offensive, the division suffered tremendous losses, all the regiments of the division were consolidated into one combined battalion. On 01/05/1942, in the division, along with the attached 146th tank, 40th and 49th rifle brigades, there were 377 bayonets and 13 tanks (of which 3 are medium and 10 are small). The offensive on the divisional division ended in the middle of the first decade of January 1942. As of January 7, 1942, the division held defenses at the turn: a forest 1 kilometer east of Chertanovo , a forest 1 kilometer east of Kuz'minskoe ; fought approximately at this turn until 01/15/1942. Then the enemy units began to withdraw, the division occupied Kolyshkino, Hovinische. 01/17/1942 the village of Ostashevo (then the center of the Ostashyovsky district of the Moscow region) was liberated by soldiers of the 1203rd rifle regiment of the 354th rifle division. 01/20/1942 the division occupied Terekhovo, Knyazhevo, Ignatkovo and continued the offensive with the main forces in the direction of the village of Bolychevo. 01/24/1942 liberated the city of Porechye , continued the offensive and advanced to the outskirts of Gzhatsk . In early February 1942, led heavy fighting for Akatovo , was transferred to the Kostrovo-Dolginevskoe direction. From 03/05/1942 to 03/16/1942 the division led the hardest battles for Kostrovo and Dolginevo .

In the course of the Rzhev-Sychev offensive operation of the summer of 1942, it began on July 30, 1942, from the area south-east of the Pogoreloe Settlement , towards the south-west, in the area of ​​operation of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps in the general direction of Sychevka , by August 10, 1942, after crossing the Gzhat River, it was stopped in the Kolokolny area on the Vazuza River , where it went over to the defensive and beat off the enemy counterattacks until August 22, 1942, and was forced to withdraw to Grebenkino, Podbylonka, Kolokolnya. On September 2, 1942, the division again attacked Burgovo, Romanovo, supported by the 100th Tank Brigade , advanced some distance, but by September 4, 1942 it was forced to withdraw to the initial positions.

In the course of the 2nd Rzhev-Sychev offensive, the 11/28/1942 was transferred from the right flank of the front to the bridgehead at Vazuza . From 11/29/1942, being attached to the 8th Guards Rifle Corps , attacked in the area of Zherebtsovo - Hlepen . Led heavy offensive battles until 12/05/1942. During the attacks, the division was practically crushed and was transformed into “mixed divisional assault detachments”, or rather into a single assault detachment, preparing for a new stage of the operation and again continued unsuccessfully to break through the enemy defenses in the same sector.

In February 1943, it was withdrawn to the reserve and transferred to the northern front of the Kursk Bulge, to the region of Komarichi and from the end of February 1943 throughout March 1943 led heavy and unsuccessful offensive battles for Komarichi , lost almost two-thirds of the composition, occupied the defense from Berezovets to Mars.

In the summer of 1943 she occupied the defense on the Kursk Bulge in the center of her protrusion, was not in the direction of the main strike of the enemy, reflected an auxiliary blow from the Sevsk region. In August 1943, it was transferred under the city of Sevsk , from where it began its offensive, being on the right flank of the army, having the 149th rifle division as a left, began the offensive, forcing the Sev , Desna , Sozh rivers successively (28.09.1943 at Zherebnaya, Novye Tereshkovichi) ), The Dnieper , passing through the city or near them: Sevsk , Shostka , Novgorod-Seversky . In October 1943, forced the Dnieper in the area of Loyev , from there she began an offensive in the Gomel-Rechitsa operation in November 1943, and reached the Ozarichi - Parichi line .

In January 1944, taking part in the Kalinkovichi-Mozyr operation , attacked from the Ozarichi area, on January 14, 1944, she distinguished herself during the liberation of the Kalinkovichi . During January 1944 she fought to eliminate the Ozarich grouping of the enemy, during which she broke through the long-term defense of the German troops on the Ipa River in the area of ​​Rylovichi and Selizhba, advanced 11 kilometers into the depth of the German defense, liberated 15 settlements and on January 28, 1944 went into the area 300 meters southeast of Vichy . In February 1944 she fought in the area of Gorokhovichi and Pruzhishchi . In March 1944 she led private battles in the same area, liberated up to 9 thousand prisoners from a German concentration camp in the Ozarichi area. In April and May 1944, parts of the division occupied defenses and carried out engineering work at the intermediate defensive line on the eastern bank of the Visha river at the Podkhimovshchina, Ozarichi, Novoselki line and at the rear line on the eastern bank of the Ipa river at the turn of Koreni and Kosici.

From June 24, 1944, during the Bobruisk operation, attacked in the direction of Parichi - Bobruisk , broke through the defenses at the Grabichi , Radin line . 06/29/1944 participated in the liberation of Bobruisk , fought in the city itself, seized the railway station. For 7 days of offensive battles, the division advanced 80 kilometers into the enemy’s defense, liberated 350 square kilometers of territory with 75 settlements, including Bobruisk and the regional center Parichi. Participated in the defeat of the Bobruisk group, from July 01, 1944, attacked through Baranavichy , Slonim , Brest . In the course of the attack she fought for settlements Uzda of the Minsk region , Lyakhovichi , Pruzhany . On July 11, 1944 she was fighting near the town of Kossovo ( Brest region ), on July 22, 1944 near the village of Zherchitsy ( Brest region ). During the offensive, the division traveled 590 kilometers of a combat route, freed more than 100 settlements, including those involved in the liberation of Baranavichy. 07/17/1944 went to the state border of the USSR - on the Western Bug in the area south of Milejchits .

After regrouping, during August 1944 reached the state border in the region of Granny . Forced the Western Bug, broke through the long-term and deeply echeloned enemy defenses, and at the end of August entered the Prishma area. In August, the division passed the combat path of 160 kilometers and occupied 49 settlements on Polish territory.

By 10:00 on 09/05/1944, by all means, she approached Narew in the area of Pultusk - Pogozhelec , crossed over to the bridgehead, captured by the forward detachments of the division in the early morning of the same day.

The organization of joint actions of tankers and shooters deserves attention. Thus, the forward detachments of the 354th Infantry Division (Colonel V.N. Janjgava), consisting of two infantry battalions of majors M.U. Gamzatov and I.T. Ishchenko, were mounted on self-propelled guns and armored vehicles of the 922nd self-propelled artillery regiment. Early in the morning of September 5, they, together with the forward detachments of the tank brigades of the 1st Tank Corps, rushed to Narew, forced it and captured a small bridgehead.

Entered the battle, advancing on Karnovsk , 09/06/1944 in full force was on the bridgehead. During September-October 1944, she fought the hardest battles on the bridgehead, especially intense in the first decade of October near Buda-Tsepelinsk . Only on 04.10.1944 and lost 945 people killed, 445 wounded. She fought on the bridgehead until January 1945, on 11/19/1944 was located near the settlement of Piskornia Mala (13 kilometers south-west of the town of Pultusk ).

In January 1945, she launched an offensive during the East Prussian operation, the division was supported by the 922nd self-propelled artillery regiment . 01/26/1945, the first of the army units approached the Vistula and immediately seized a bridgehead on the left bank in the Neussas area. By 9 o'clock on January 27, 1945, its parts expanded the bridgehead to 2 kilometers along the front and about 500 meters in depth, but this was stopped by strong resistance, and then, in general, on the left flank was thrown to the right bank. In early February 1945, she fought, advancing from the bridgehead, excluding one regiment, thrown from the bridgehead to the right bank and reflecting a counterstrike at the Sarshevo - Sarnau line . Fights for Graudenz .

Then she launched an offensive during the East Pomeranian operation, leading battles for Sopot , took part in the liberation of Danzig on March 30, 1945.

After regrouping, took up positions in the area south of Stettin . On 04/17/1945, it was a reconnaissance detachment on the east bank of the West Oder, providing an advancing group of army troops at the approaches to the Stettin defensive area. 04/20/1945 the assault on the area was to begin, but it was not possible to force the river quickly, some of them came under heavy fire from the defensive area. Only in the second half of the day, 04/20/1945, the division reconnaissance company (24 warriors), on its own initiative, made a daring throw through the Oder , captured a piece of coast and thus allowed one regiment to cross over and consolidate north of Sjadło Dolve by 20:00 . 04/22/1945 occupied Przetslav , and was stopped there by strong resistance of the enemy. During the further offensive, 04/28/1945, the city of Pasewalk was liberated, 05/01/1945, the city of Grimmen was liberated by part of the forces.

Finished the war in Stralsund , the composition of the division during the war changed three times.

On June 8, 1945, the division from the Stralsund region, after making a march of 300 kilometers, relocated to the city of Jarocin , where it was engaged in combat training. On July 3, 1945, she again changed her place of deployment to the military town of Strans (15 km south of Sprattau ), where she remained until her disbandment.

On the basis of the order of the Armed Forces of the 65th Army No. OU / 2/00918 dated May 20, 1946, the 354th Infantry Division began to disband, the hardware and property were transferred to army warehouses, the personnel moved to the 3rd Guards and 10th Panzer Divisions . On June 28, 1946, the division ended its existence.

354th Kalinkovichi Infantry Order of Lenin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division

• 1199th Infantry Regiment
• 1201st Infantry Regiment
• 1203rd Infantry Regiment of the Red Banner of the Order of Suvorov
• 921st Artillery Regiment
• 412th mortar division (from 01/25/1942 to 06/01/1942)
• 307th anti-aircraft battery (645th separate anti-aircraft artillery division) (up to 10/20/1942)
• 274th Separate Anti-Tank Division (since 01/19/1942)
• 420th Separate Intelligence Company
• 476th separate sapper battalion
• The 809th Separate Order of Alexander Nevsky Communication Battalion (809th Separate Communication Company)
• 443rd Medical Battalion
• 436th Separate Chemical Defense Company
• 473rd motor transport company
• 212th Field Dairy Plant
• 778th Divisional Veterinary Infirmary
• 355th Field Mail Station
• 788th field ticket office of the State Bank ^[1]
• 257th Separate Penal Company of the 65th Army (while in the army)

• Alekseev, Dmitry Fedorovich (09/01/1941 - 10/17/1943), colonel , since May 19, 1943, Major General ;
• Furt Porfiry Sergeevich (10/18/1943 - 11/21/1943), Major General;
• Alekseev, Dmitry Fedorovich (11/22/1943 - 12/27/1943), Major General;
• Krymsky Nikolai Alekseevich (12/28/1943 - 02/13/1944), colonel;
• Smirnov Nikolay Vasilyevich (February 14, 1944 - April 10, 1944), colonel;
• Vdovin Sergey Andreevich (04/15/1944 - 06/28/1944), colonel;
• Janjgava Vladimir Nikolayevich (06/29/1944 - February 1946), colonel, from 02/11/1944 Major General;
• Grebyonkin, Fedor Alekseevich (03/01/1946 - 06/28/1946), Guard Colonel.

• Monument in the village Buzharovo Istrinsky district of Moscow region ( 1995 ).
• A memorial sign from a granite block brought from Penza, near the Leningradskoye Highway , at the beginning of Panfilov Avenue , near the sign "Frontier-41" (1991).
• A memorial stone in the park in honor of the soldiers of the 354 rifle division in the Penza Customs (Penza, Austrina Street, 160) ( 2000 ).
• The name of the division was given to secondary school No. 49 in Penza ( 2009 ) ^[6] .
• The name of the division was given to secondary school No. 14 of the city of Kuznetsk, Penza Region ( 2016 ) ^[7] .

• The division is dedicated to the museum of school number 617 of Zelenograd . The school itself was named after Colonel General D. F. Alekseev , the first commander of the 354th Infantry Division ^[8] .
• The division named the streets in the city of Penza and in the city of Kuznetsk, Penza Region .
• Monument at the place of formation of the compound at the station Selix ( Penza region ).
• Monument “In Memory of Father Prygunov I. Ye., Private 1199 p. 354 sd and his comrades who fell in this field. 1941—1943 ”in the area of ​​the village Dolginevo near Gzhatsk .

• Pavlov I. N. From Moscow to Stralsund. M., 1985.
• Mochalov V. A. The 354th Division in the battles for the Motherland (1941-1945). Penza, 1996.
• Feskov V.I., Kalashnikov K.A., Golikov V.I. Chapter 2. Rifle and airborne troops, fortified areas of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War // Red Army in victories and defeats of 1941-1945 .. - Tomsk: Tomsk University Press, 2003. - 619 p. - ISBN 5-7511-1624-0 .

• The team of authors. Ground Forces // USSR Armed Forces after the Second World War from the Red Army to the Soviet. - 1st. - Tomsk: NTL, 2013. - 640 p. - ISBN 978-5-89503-530-6 .
• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. College I. Shkadov . - Moscow : Military Publishing , 1987. - T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 s. - 100 000 copies - ISBN SEC., Reg. Number in the PSC 87-95382.
• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. College I. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1988. - T. 2 / Lyubov - Yashchuk /. - 863 s. - 100 000 copies - ISBN 5-203-00536-2 .
• Holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees: A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. College D.S. Sukhorukov . - M .: Military Publishing , 2000. - 703 p. - 10 000 copies - ISBN 5-203-01883-9 .

• Directory
• Reference book on the site of the club "Memory" of the Voronezh State University
• Directories and forum on Soldat.ru
• List No. 5 of rifle, mountain rifle, motorized rifle and motorized divisions that were part of the army during the Great Patriotic War (not available link)
• THREE FIFTY-FOURTH ARROWS DIVISION (inaccessible link) // Penza Encyclopedia.
• Memorial signs at the scene of the battles of the 354th Infantry Division (Zelenograd)
• site MKOU Hlepenskoy OSH Sychevsky district of Smolensk region
• Day of the Unknown Soldier (Neopr.) . 3dekabrya1941.mil.ru. The appeal date is December 3, 2018.
• The memory of the people :: Short combat way 354 pr, describes the period from 08.16.1941 to 30.06.1946 (Unc.) . pamyat-naroda.ru. The appeal date is December 3, 2018.
• The memory of the people :: Fighting way 354 pr (non-com.) . pamyat-naroda.ru. The appeal date is December 3, 2018.