The 339th infantry division played a significant role in the victory over Nazi Germany. This unit was one of the most combat-ready on the Crimean and other fronts. Fighters took part in many decisive battles of World War II.
They liberated Soviet land from the Caucasus to Lviv and invaded Germany. For military merit, the division bears the honorary title "Red Banner".
Creature
339 rifle division was created at the beginning of World War II. Immediately after the Nazi Germany attack on the Soviet Union, mobilization began in the country. New units were created, which afterwards often immediately rushed into battle. In September, the mobilization center of the new division subordinated to the ninth army moved to Rostov. 339 rifle divisions were assigned the role of a reserve connection. The fighters were trained in Novocherskassk. Mostly recruits consisted of the local population. Therefore, the division was supposed to be in Rostov-on-Don. The command of the military district devoted special attention to the formation of units. Armament and some tactical decisions took into account the features of the steppe area.
Composition of 339 rifle divisions
In total, the division had 16 divisions. This is taking into account various logistics and service groups. Many battle regiments bore the names of their cities. The core of the division were three rifle regiments. They were armed with rifles, PPSh machine guns, machine guns, hand grenades and mortars. The cover was provided by an artillery regiment equipped with howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems. Also, the 339th rifle division included a separate anti-tank division.
The structure included a reconnaissance battalion, a chemical protection company, and sappers. Other units performed auxiliary functions: transportation, food delivery, provision of medicines and so on. The division was commanded by Alexander Pykhtin.
Baptism of fire
After the failure of the defense of Kiev, the Germans quickly advanced to the East. By the fall, they had already launched an offensive in the Crimea.
Kharkov was besieged, advanced units overlooked the Donbass. In early October, Soviet divisions covering the Rostov area were surrounded. As a result of the fighting, the eighteenth army suffered a serious defeat. The southern front was liquidated. The catastrophic situation developed in all directions. Under the threat of occupation was Rostov-on-Don, Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) and other settlements. In order to somehow delay the advance of the Nazis, the command threw all reserves into battle.
As a result, the 339th Infantry Division was introduced to hold the line of defense. At that time, stopping the offensive was an extremely important strategic task. On other fronts, the situation was similar. Therefore, the soldiers of the division were thrown into battle practically from the echelons. Weapons were issued only upon arrival at the front line. But from the rear, replenishment slowly approached. An acute shortage of anti-tank guns forced the command to issue exhibits from museums to the soldiers. So, with the weapons of the Civil War 339, the rifle division went into battle.
Protection of Donbass
After occupying the defense line along the Mius River, the soldiers began to prepare for the advance of the enemy. In late September, the Germans launched an offensive. The enemy surpassed Soviet troops several times in the number of aircraft, manpower, and guns. The most severe blow came at the “junction of two armies”. The German motorized division immediately broke through the front, surrounded by a significant number of Soviet units.
At the same time, a threat of a breakthrough is planned near Pavlograd. In order to defend the Rostov direction and prevent the Nazis from reaching the rear, the Soviet leadership created a special section. The 339th division is included in it. The task of the fighters is to defend the front along the river and cover the road to Rostov.
On October 12, the division’s fighters were the first to meet Kleist’s advance detachments. Despite the lack of anti-tank weapons, the 1st German strike group was never able to crush the enemy’s defenses. And the very next day the division launched a counterattack. Rushing forward, the Germans rushing forward suffered losses and were forced to retreat. The division advanced fifteen kilometers. However, four days later, the Germans approached the reserves. The offensive began. By October 20th, the division suffered huge losses (the personnel of two regiments almost completely died) and was forced to retreat. As a result, the front collapsed. Most of the Donbass was occupied. Before the Germans opened the road to the Crimea.
Counterattack
After breaking through the front, Soviet troops were rapidly retreating. The command ordered to cover Rostov-on-Don. 339 rifle divisions were ordered to gain a foothold in the suburbs. However, the situation was developing rapidly. Inspired by the Germans attacked the city with huge forces. Therefore, the command decided to leave Rostov. A few days later the Germans entered it.
On November 5, the Red Army launched a counterattack.
From several fronts, the forces of three armies, Soviet troops launched an attack on Rostov. The 339th division stormed the city with special zeal, since a significant part of the personnel came from these places. On November 27, the German defenses were broken. The forces of the two fronts struck towards each other, trying to surround the German group. Two days later the city was liberated. The success of the operation greatly encouraged Soviet soldiers throughout the country, as this was one of the first successful offensives. The soldiers of the 339th again took up the defense along the Mius river.
Retreat
At the front in the area of the Mius River, the lull lasted the longest. The Soviet troops did not have the strength to attack, and the Germans did not dare to go forward. The soldiers of the Rostov division occupied positions in the area of the village of Matveev Kurgan. Artillery duels and attacks by sabotage groups - that’s all the fighting. However, everything changed in July of the forty-second. The Germans launched a large-scale offensive. The division began to retreat. After the defeat of the Southern Front, it was transferred to the subordination of the forty-seventh army. By the end of the summer, the division took up defense in the Caucasus.
The fighting took place in extremely difficult mountain conditions. Although the personnel of the Rostov division was located on a relatively flat area, the new climate affected the health of some fighters. The German offensive continued until winter. All this time, the soldiers held a stubborn defense.
But the fate of the front was not decided here, but near Stalingrad. After the defeat there, German troops began to retreat rapidly. Fearing the environment, they left the Caucasus and the Kuban. After this, a large-scale counterattack of the Red Army began. The soldiers of the 339th division liberated Taman and Kerch.
Liberation of Crimea
An airborne operation was undertaken to transfer to the peninsula. Soviet troops landed in the Kerch port and immediately rushed into battle. As a result, units of the Wehrmacht and the Romanian armies suffered a crushing defeat and retreated. The distinguished soldiers of 339 rifle divisions were awarded orders and medals.
After the liberation of the city, preparations began for a large-scale offensive on the entire peninsula. Division soldiers participated in the offensive from the first days. In April, Soviet troops took Sevastopol into the ring and began to prepare for its attack. However, numerous assault attempts were unsuccessful. On May 5, a decisive offensive began. After four days of heavy fighting, the Red Army still managed to free Sevastopol.
Offensive on Germany
After the complete liberation of Soviet land, the soldiers of the 339th division began to liberate western Europe.
As part of the Belarusian Front, they participated in the defeat of the German armies that occupied Poland. As the Soviet soldiers retreated to the forty-first in the Donbass, the Germans fled from them in the forty-fifth. Every day, the Red Army advanced several tens of kilometers. In less than a month, almost all of Poland was liberated, and the advanced units reached Oder. The Soviet fighters performed some operations together with the Polish partisans.
Storming Berlin
The last operation of the division ended the war.
On April 16, Soviet troops went on the offensive. Bloody battles continued for twenty-three days. On May 8, Berlin fell, the Second World War in Europe ended. The 339th infantry division met the end of the war on the Elbe along with the troops of the United States of America.
We must remember the names of those who fought for a brighter future. Among the distinguished soldiers of the 339th Infantry Division:
- Kulakov Theodor Sergeevich - division commander, died in 1943, on November 16.
- Goloshchapov Alexei Kirillovich - Komsomol battalion of the 1133th Infantry Regiment, died in November 1943.
- Starygin Alexander Vasilievich - rifle platoon commander.
- Nesterov Alexey Stepanovich - the commander of the calculation of the platoon of 45-mm guns of the 1137th Infantry Regiment, died in 1981.
- Alexey Prokofievich Soroka - deputy battalion commander of the 1133th Infantry Regiment, died in 1993.
- Gavriil Pavlovich Shchedrov - commander of the sapper platoon department of the 1133th Infantry Regiment, died in 1973.
- Doyev David Teboevich - sniper of the 1133th Infantry Regiment, died in 1943.
- Shamsula Fayzulla oglu (Feizullaevich) Aliyev - deputy commander of the 2nd battalion of the 1135th Infantry Regiment, died in 1943.
- Zolotukhin Ivan Panteleevich - intelligence officer of the 1137th Infantry Regiment.
- Fesenko Vladimir Akimovich - scout observer of the battery of 76-mm guns of the 1135th Infantry Regiment.
In memory of the division named the street in Rostov-on-Don. The short combat path of the 339th rifle division is described in the book Test of Fidelity.