126th Infantry Division (1st formation)

It was deployed on August 14, 1939 on the basis of the 3rd Rifle Regiment of the 1st Moscow Rifle Division , in June 1940 it was introduced to Latvia , in 1940 it was reorganized into the 126th Motorized Division, and then again into the 126th Rifle Division. As of November 1940, it included 11697 people, 10782 rifles, 32 SVT, 720 machine guns.

In the spring of 1941, it was deployed in Krustpils , on May 4, 1941, it was partially transferred to Jelgava and a march to the Baltic coast, not far from the Moonsund archipelago, where the detachment was engaged in the construction of fortifications. On June 18, 1941, the detachment was transferred to Šiauliai , then to Kaunas , and took up defense 30 kilometers from the border. The main forces of the division were in Znezhmoryai, south of Kaunas .

In the army during the Second World War from June 22, 1941 to December 13, 1941.

On June 22, 1941, a detachment deployed to the border consisting of the 3rd battalion of the 550th rifle regiment, the 2nd battalion of the 366th rifle regiment and the 3rd battalion of the 595th rifle regiment, as well as, obviously, some parts of the artillery regiment came under the blow of the 39th motorized corps , entered into battles and was quickly destroyed. The remnants moved to Alytus , where, apparently, they fought along with the 5th Panzer Division

Since June 22, 1941, the main forces of the division departed along the Prenai route (where it fights with enemy landing forces, crossed the Neman and blew up the bridge) - Ezno - Krona - Rumšišskis - Käishadoris - Chabishki - Kozyany - Kozulino - Borkovichi - Dernovichi - Bokachi - Rokachi Wasteland .

By the beginning of July 1941, the division strengthened in the Disna area, taking positions between the 174th and 98th rifle divisions, with 2355 bayonets, and became part of the 62nd rifle corps . Since July 7, 1941, it has been carrying out heavy battles with the enemy, expanding the bridgehead in the area of ​​Disna ( Polotsk Defense 1941 ).

On July 10, 1941, it still holds its position, however, it was already forced to start retreating, is fighting at the turn of Zabelye station, and by July 15, 1941 it is on the western approaches to Novosokolniki . July 21, 1941 part of the forces takes part in the liberation of the city of Great Luke . After the liberation of the city, she left it by order of Novosokolniki and on July 23, 1941, in full force, concentrated in Velikiye Luki, where she was fighting until the end of August 1941. August 21, 1941 goes on the offensive, but she herself enters the environment, suffers heavy losses, leaves the environment. On August 29, 1941, he was fighting on the approaches to Toropets, retreating behind the Western Dvina in its upper reaches, where he took part in a combined detachment in a strike on the bridgehead of the German forces with the help of one regiment (185 people with a complete absence of machine guns and guns). September 3, 1941, fights with an enemy trying to cross the Western Dvina. As of October 1, 1941, it occupies a position west of Ostashkov , having the 249th Infantry Division as a neighbor on the right and the 252nd Infantry Division on the left. According to some reports, from the beginning of the war to October 1941, the division was surrounded 8 times.

October 4, 1941 assigned to the reserve, where it is located until October 9, 1941. On October 11, 1941, the division had an order to retreat to the eastern bank of the Vazuza river in the Stepanovo, Laptevo area and with battles retreat to the Zubtsov .

On October 11-14, 1941, part of the division’s forces was surrounded in the area between Sychevka and Rzhev . Only one regiment of the division could get out of the encirclement, it should be noted in an organized manner. The remnants of the division, numbering up to a thousand people, were reduced to the 690th combined rifle regiment. According to the magazine of military operations of the division, from October 15 to 26, 1941, it is being understaffed.

However, the replenished regiment — actually making up the division — took up positions northeast of Volokolamsk , to the right of the 316th Infantry Division . Since October 16, 1941, the division has been fighting, being subordinate to the 316th Infantry Division , and by October 26, 1941 it retreated to the east bank of the Lama River, where it consolidated and held its defenses until mid-November 1941 - the enemy was not active in this direction.

November 14, 1941, is fighting with the 14th Motorized Division , November 16, 1941 captured Botovo . The German troops, renewed the offensive, drove the division back to Klin , where it retreated unorganized.

From the book “The rout of Nazi troops near Moscow”

However, despite all the measures taken by the front and army command, separate units and formations still did not always show proper resistance and sometimes left their positions without a fight or after a clash with advanced enemy units (126th Infantry Division in the area west of Klin and in the area Wedge ...)

By the end of November 21, 1941, the division’s regiments occupied the defensive line southwest and south of Klin; by November 22, 1941, it was forced to withdraw to the line of Akulovo, Sokhino, Misirevo south of Klin and was surrounded. German troops broke into Misirevo, where the division headquarters were located, as a result of which communication with it was lost. By the end of the day, the division escaped from it and moved to the area of ​​Borozda, Karavaevo, Kononovo. November 23, 1941 conducted unsuccessful counterattacks. On November 24–25, 1941, the remnants of the division fought south of Klin in the encirclement, representing already disparate groups that were partly able to get out of the encirclement. On November 27–28, 1941, the remnants of the division were fighting along the highway to Fedorovka. On November 29, 1941, the division was included in the group of General Zakharov, waged defensive battles at the line of Olgovo , Kharlamovo , Klusovo , Timonovo and further along the eastern shore of Lake Senezhskoye and was again surrounded, with the rest left it. On December 3, 1941, the group had the task of securing the Khoroshilovo line 12 kilometers southwest of Yakhroma ), Nikolskoye. From December 4, 1941, it advances towards Lake Senezhskoye and further to Klin.

December 13, 1941 disbanded, with less than a thousand people, without the knowledge of the people's commissar of defense.

• 366th Infantry Regiment
• 539th Infantry Regiment (from mid-November 1941 until the division was disbanded in December 1941)
• 690 rifle regiment (from the end of November 1941, almost immediately turned to replenish other regiments of the division)
• 550th Rifle Regiment
• 358th Light Artillery Regiment (until 10/30/1941)
• 501st howitzer artillery regiment (until 10/25/1941)
• 426th howitzer artillery regiment (from 10.30.1941)
• 265th separate anti-tank fighter division
• 286th (240th) separate anti-aircraft artillery division
• 198th reconnaissance battalion
• 175th Engineer Battalion
• 233rd separate communications battalion
• 222nd (212nd) Health Battalion
• 130th Separate Chemical Defense Company
• 101st Motor Company (230th Motor Battalion)
• 195th field bakery
• 873th Field Post Station
• 139th box office of the State Bank

• Sokolov Nikolay Alexandrovich (? .08.1939 -? .05.1940), division commander ,
• Samokrutov, Mikhail Vasilievich (?. 05.1940 - 12.27.1940), brigade commander (committed suicide)
• Kuznetsov, Mikhail Andreevich (01/27/1941 - 07/21/1941), Major General (died of wounds 6/08/1941)
•   Bedin, Efim Vasilievich (07.22.1941 - 01.11.1941), Colonel
• Vronsky, Yakov Nikiforovich (11/02/1941 - 12/13/1941), Colonel

• The obelisk on the mass grave at (82nd kilometer, Leningradskoye highway , Belozerki )

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• List No. 5 of the rifle, mountain rifle, motor rifle and motorized divisions that were part of the army during the Great Patriotic War (inaccessible link)