8th Guards Rifle Division - formation of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War

Connection history:

16 November 41 The last offensive of German troops on Moscow began. 316SD, which was part of Rokossovsky’s 16A, found itself at the forefront of the enemy’s main attack. On this day, the 16A command planned to launch a counterattack on the right flank of the army with the forces of 126SD, 58TD and 17 and 24CD. General Panfilov, in a report to army headquarters, asked to speed up the start of this offensive. However, the offensive of our troops on November 16-17, encountering the stubborn defense of German infantry divisions, did not achieve its goal. For this operation, significant artillery forces were concentrated, including 39 cap rgk, 138 paps, 426gap, 641ap pto, 13 gmp. The artillery in the 316th rifle division was significantly weaker - it was supported by 296 and 768 artillery artillery and 14 infantry regiments. On the left flank of the division from Shiryaevo to Petelino, Kaprova’s 1075th infantry regiment occupied the defense, in the center along the Volokolamsk Highway. The 1073rd infantry regiment was defending, the right flank of the division was occupied by the 1077th and 690th infantry regiments (from the right-flank 126th infantry division).

The main enemy attack on November 16 fell on the center and left flank - at the junction with the cavalry. Dovator's group. After an air strike and artillery barrage, German tanks attacked positions 1073 and 1075sp. A difficult battle ensued. During the attack, the enemy broke through the defense of the left-flank 1075sp in the Petelino area and again. Dubosekovo and captured the village of Matrenino and the village of Matrenino. It was also pushed back at Shiryaevo Cavern. Dovator group. The 1073rd regiment defending along the Volokolamsk Highway was attacked from Muromtsevo and was forced to withdraw leaving Mykanino and Rozhdestvenno. The 690sp, defending between 1077 and 1073sp, was attacked in the Chentsy area and pushed back. 1077sp on the far right flank was not attacked that day. By the end of the day, the center and left flank of the division were pushed back to the line of Lystsevo, Rozhdestvenno, Matrenino, Morozovo. Counterattacks by our troops and Dovator's cavalrymen, with the support of tank brigades, stopped the enemy's advance. By a night counterattack of the 1073rd Rifle Battalion and the Dovator Cavalry Group, the enemy was driven out of the village of Matrenino and the village of Matrenino. Losses of 1073sp amounted to over 30% hp.

On November 17, the positions of the 1077th regiment were attacked, which left Avdotino and fought for Golubtsovo. 690sp was surrounded in the Chentsy area. The 1st Gvtbr with the NKVD battalion and the 27t brigade and the 1073sp battalion defended Matrenino station. To the left, the enemy continued to press 690sp, which had left Shishkino. 5 T-34 tanks were sent to help him. On the morning of November 18, German troops on the right flank of the division broke through from the Shishkino area to the south towards Anino, cutting off the group defending in Matrenino. 690sp broke out of encirclement and retreated to the Amelchino area (northern Shishkino).

On November 18, the 1077th Rifle Division, attacked by the German 2nd Division, having suffered heavy losses, left Strokovo and Sytnikovo, continuing its retreat to the east. The 2nd battalion 1073sp, occupying the defense in the Sitnikovo area, was subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by 12 aircraft and lost 30 people. killed and 60 wounded. After the airstrike, his positions were attacked by up to 40 tanks. The enemy occupied Amelfino while continuing to move to the north.. To ref. day the division retreated to the eastern line. Sitnikovo, Gusenevo.

On November 18, for exemplary actions on the front of the fight against fascism, the division was transformed into the 8th Guards Infantry Division. On the same day, the division commander, Major General Panfilov, was killed during an attack by enemy tanks on the village of Gusenevo during a mortar attack. The division commander never found out about the transformation of the division into a guards division.

On November 23, the Supreme Command Headquarters granted the request of the Military Council 16A to assign the honorary name " Panfilovskaya"This was one of the first cases of assigning an honorary name to a formation during the Second World War.

As a result of the three-day battles, 700 people remained in the 1077 rifle regiment, 120 people in the 1075 rifle regiment, 200 people in the 1073 rifle regiment, and 180 people in the 690 rifle regiment. On November 19, the division retreated to the B. Sestra river. 690sp joined the 126sd on November 19 (without having an order to do so from the headquarters of the 8th Guards Infantry).

Major General Revyakin was appointed the new division commander. Until October 41 he served as commandant of Moscow, and in November 1941. was at the headquarters of the Western Front. From November 23, Revyakin led the defense of Solnechnogorsk, but as a result of a surprise attack, the city was quickly captured by the enemy. Revyakin arrived in the division only on December 1st. Before this, all orders and operational reports were signed by the beginning. headquarters Colonel Serebryakov.

On November 20, by order of the commander of 16A, the tanks assigned to the division were recalled to the subordination of the brigade commander Katukov. Meanwhile, the enemy VAK (106, 35 infantry, 2td), having knocked out units of the 316th (8th Guards) Infantry Division on November 20, struck the right-flank 126th Infantry Division and 20th Infantry Division and the cadet infantry regiment, occupying Teryaeva Sloboda. The right flank of the division, covered by 20kd, was under threat. On the morning of November 21, the army commander received an order to transfer the division to the Ustinovo area (northern Novo-Petrovskoye). The Dovator cavalry group operating here (50, 53kd) had suffered heavy losses by this time. There were only a few dozen people left in the cavalry regiments. Units of the 1st Guards, 23rd, 27th, 28th Brigades covering this area lost almost all their tanks in the battles of November 16-21. Burning the settlements they left behind, the division columns advanced to the designated line, where they arrived at 16:00. Novo-Petrovskoye by this time had already been captured by the enemy.

By November 23, a group of 2nd and 35th German infantry divisions bypassed the Istra Reservoir from the north. On the afternoon of November 23, tanks from the 2nd Division burst into Solnechnogorsk in a surprise attack. Units of 8GVSD, 18SD, Dovator's cavalry group and other units of 16A continued to defend in the west. The banks of the reservoir in the Spas-Nudol area and in the Novo-Petrovsky area were deeply bypassed by the enemy and were under the threat of encirclement. On November 23, with a tank attack, the Germans drove back parts of the division and the 23rd brigade supporting it from Ustinkovo ​​to Bodrovo and Nizh.Vasilievskoye. The division's losses amounted to 130 people. killed and missing and 200 wounded.

On November 24, under these conditions, the commander of 16A, Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, gave his famous order to withdraw army units to the line of the Istra Reservoir. and the Istra river. During this period, the Solnechnogorsk breakthrough was the main headache for the command of 16A on the right flank of the army. The cavalry divisions of Dovator's cavalry group have already retreated to the east. shore of the reservoir. To assist the cavalrymen, the 1077sp battalion with the 857ap battery was assigned. Having reinforced them with tanks, the cavalry group was supposed to be used for a counterattack against the Germans who had captured Solnechnogorsk. The 8th Guards Infantry Division was supposed to firmly defend the east. shore of an artificial lake. After the regiments began to withdraw to a new line, the German 11th and 5th Tank Divisions began to immediately pursue the retreating units of the 8th Guards Infantry Division and the left flank 18th Division. At 15:30 German troops captured Yakunino, Sinevo, Torlonovo. Pursuing the retreating 1075th rifle regiment, the enemy broke through from Torlonovo to the reservoir dam, defended by the 23rd brigade. Due to the unauthorized, unorganized withdrawal, the regiment commander, Colonel Kaprov, was removed from his post. Major Starikov became the new commander of 1075sp. 1077sp retreated to the east. north shore dams in the Gorki area. On the morning of November 25, the 3rd battalion 1077sp received an order to move to the Friday area and take up defense at the narrowest point in the north. parts of the reservoir However, when approaching Friday, it turned out that the village was already occupied by the enemy. The battalion was scattered by machine gun fire. 1073sp withdrew to the center of the reservoir in the Lopotovo area. But on the shoulders of our troops, German troops also crossed the lake and captured Lopotovo late in the evening. Our troops blew up the sluice gates and the water level in the reservoir dropped. However, even such obstacles did not stop the enemy’s advance against the severely weakened units of the division. On November 26, the Germans crossed the reservoir and in its southern part knocked out 1073sp from Trusovo, and in the evening from Sokolovo, Povadino. 1075sp with 23tbr could not keep the Germans in the dam area. To ref. day, the regiment retreated to the Ognikovo area, which is 5 km east. reservoirs. Even further south, in the 18th Rifle Division sector, German troops managed to capture an intact bridge across the Istra near Buzharovo. Thus, the strong defensive line, which the 16A command so hoped for, was immediately broken through by the enemy in one day. Since our troops did not occupy preliminary positions in the east. bank of Istra and the reservoir, it was very difficult to occupy them in conditions of retreat and pursuit by motorized enemy formations.

However, resolutely attack from busy to the east. On the shore of the bridgehead, the Germans still did not succeed. 1077sp continued to hold Ognikovo and repelled all enemy attacks from the dam from Rakovo. Enemy attacks on November 27 were repulsed by units of the 8th Guards Airborne Forces. A much greater threat was posed by an enemy breakthrough south of the dam in the Buzharovo area in the 18th division. The arriving marching battalion was immediately sent here and attacked Novo-Sergovo. On November 28, German troops knocked out units of the division from Ognikovo and Novo-Sergovo, developing an offensive towards Lytkino. On November 28, German aircraft bombed Maryino, where the division headquarters was located, 4 times. On November 29, the division's defenses were broken through again. Unable to withstand the enemy's attack and having lost control, the division began to retreat to the east. The division's withdrawal opened up the flanks of the 2nd GvKK (Dovator's former group) and the 18th Rifle Division, which were also forced to retreat to the east.

By the end of November 29, units of the 8th Guards Infantry Division retreated to their last line of defense in the Moscow region and probably the second most famous line after Volokolamsk - in the area of ​​Kryukovo station. From December 1, the division was tasked with recapturing Alabushevo (northern Kryukovo). The 1077sp, supported by 10 tanks of the 1st Guards Brigade, attacked Alabushevo, while two other regiments held the line on the outskirts of Kryukovo. Overall, the attack by 1077sp was unsuccessful. The artillery was late in its readiness, and Katukov’s tanks did not arrive at the start of the attack. The attack was repulsed. Our losses were 2 killed, 8 wounded, 1 tank. Meanwhile, on December 1, the enemy knocked out the 1075th rifle regiment that occupied Aleksandrovka (northern Kryukovo by railway). On December 2, a new attack by enemy tanks and motorized infantry took place from Aleksandrovka and Andreevka. Under attack by enemy tanks, 1075sp was forced to leave Kryukovo and retreat to the east. 1073sp together with 44kd in the Kamenka area (southern Kryukovo) held its positions. On December 3, the 1075th Regiment, with the support of 4 tanks, launched an attack on Kryukovo. The regiment's units managed to gain a foothold in the west. env. Kryukovo. On December 5, the 1073rd infantry regiment, together with units of the 44th cavalry division (from the south) and the 159th cavalry division (from the 7th Guards Infantry Division) attacked in the direction of Kryukovo station. After a difficult battle with heavy losses, our attacking units managed to drive the Germans out of the station. Kryukovo. The regiment before the attack numbered 350 people. Losses during the attack amounted to 30 killed and 60 wounded. The regiment commander, Art. Lieutenant Momysh-Uly.

On December 7, a decisive assault on Kryukovo took place. The attack was attended by 8GVSD, 1GVTBR, 44KD and the fresh 17SBR. Waging a stubborn battle, moving from house to house, the fighters cleared Kryukovo of the enemy. 1077sp went around Kryukovo from the north. By the end of the day on December 8, Kryukovo and Kamenka were completely in our hands. 25 tanks, 2 tractors, 3 armored vehicles, 3 motorcycles, 36 cars, 5 guns and much other enemy military property were captured as trophies. The losses of only 1073 and 1077sp were 47 killed and 87 wounded. Attempts to immediately develop the offensive on December 9 to the west of Kryukovo were unsuccessful. The attacks on Andreevka were repulsed. On December 10, German troops began to retreat west to the Istra border. But the 8GVSD did not immediately join the pursuit, remaining in the Kryukovo area to get themselves in order. Tankers from the 1st Gvtbr, 145tbr, 17sbr and 44kd went forward.

On December 12, the division moved in the direction of Istra, where units of 16A went. While marching, 20 people were blown up by mines. from zenad. On December 15, it was transferred to the reserve of Headquarters in the Nakhabino region, becoming part of the 2nd GvSK.

From January 19 to February 2, it will be redeployed to the NWF. On February 3, he went on the offensive, breaking through the enemy’s defenses in the Staraya Russa area. After traveling 200 km behind enemy lines, it connects with units of the Kalinin Front.

In January '42 To replenish the division, the entire personnel (more than 1,700 people) of the 100th brigade formed in Alma-Ata was sent. Before being sent to the front in August 1942. Several more combined battalions were sent from this brigade to replenish the division of fellow countrymen.

Division losses in battles on the Western Front: irrevocable 3630 people, wounded 6300 people. On the Northwestern Front (at the time of writing the report - August 42): irrevocable 4132 people, wounded and sick 9615 people.

The last offensive was 1945.

By the beginning of 1945, the entire territory of the USSR was liberated from the German occupiers - except for the Courland (Kurland) Peninsula. There the so-called land was blocked. Courland group - German Army Group North (two armies - 18th and 16th) consisting of more than 30 divisions. Several offensives launched since October 44. to March 45 did not give any serious results. It was not possible to take Libau or destroy the entire bridgehead. 10GvA, which included 8GVSD, was put into reserve to rest for the upcoming new offensive in mid-March. Back in February, the division received reinforcements and for 1.5 months prepared for the offensive

On the morning of March 17, the weather turned out to be bad. There was thick fog, which forced the start of the attack to be postponed to 10.00, then to 12.00. By noon the fog had cleared somewhat, but wet snow began to fall. Visibility even worsened. Aviation could not operate at all. On March 17, we managed to overcome the enemy’s tactical defenses in the Kauni-Dangas sector. Only the 85th Guards Rifle Division lagged behind, clinging to its left neighbor. At the junction of the 7th and 8th Guards Rifle Divisions, the positions of one German infantry battalion remained untouched. The corps commander did not immediately realize the danger brewing here and, until the evening of March 18, essentially did not take any radical measures.

The army headquarters did not see anything threatening in the presence of the resulting ledge. A decision was made by the commander of the 29th Guards Rifle Division, Colonel V. M. Lazarev, and the commander of the 8th Guards Rifle Division, Colonel G. I. Lomov, to advance without looking back at their neighbors. It seemed that as a result of the success of these divisions, the enemy would not be able to hold out for long at their junction in the area of ​​​​Dzeni, Danzinas, Sutuli, Mazkalki. In the dark, the 29th Division with the tank regiment attached to it marched another six to eight kilometers, reaching the Lazdukamni, Aizunin, Dzervmes area. And the 8th Guards went to Danchi and Bites. However, at night, the situation worsened. From the Saldus area, the Nazis counterattacked the right flank of the 15th Guards Rifle Corps and went to the rear of the 29th Guards Rifle Division, which continued to advance north. Several battalions of German infantry, reinforced with six-barreled mortars and approximately 60 tanks, occupied the Yanaishi-Dembin forest area. At the same time, enemy infantry with 30–40 tanks pinned down the actions of the 85th Division and further increased its lead over the 29th. The situation also worsened in the zone of the 8th Guards Division: west of Kaupini, Ziemäli, Danzinyas, the enemy managed to cut through the battle formations of Panfilov’s men. The 30th Guards Rifle Division, which the corps commander intended to use to develop success at the junction of the 85th and 29th divisions, had a hard time. The Nazis counterattacked it with large forces on the evening of March 17 and upset the pre-battle formations of the units. The division took the battle in the dark, and in a completely unclear situation.

In the zone of the 7th Guards Rifle Corps, the Germans counterattacked from the west and east with three infantry divisions. As a result, by the morning of March 18, the main forces of the 8th Division were cut off. Nevertheless, there was still faith in the successful development of the operation. The troops were not yet tired; they had used no more than 0.8 rounds of ammunition. However, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov assessed the situation differently. On March 18 at 11.00 he himself arrived at the CP of the 10th Guards Army. This was unusual in his practice. As a rule, Leonid Aleksandrovich led the troops through the front headquarters. Govorov resorted to personal telephone conversations with commanders, and even more so to a personal meeting, only in exceptional cases.

Govorov began to carefully examine the map lying on the table. His gaze lingered somewhat longer on two dents in the enemy’s defenses made by the 29th and 8th divisions. The Marshal asked to clarify what prevented the advance of the 30th Guards Rifle Division to the line of the 29th and why it was not possible to promptly eliminate the bulge at the junction of the 7th and 8th divisions.

- What do you think you should do next? - Govorov asked. -Are you going to continue the offensive? If so, what kind of help would you like to receive from the front commander? I spoke out in favor of continuing the offensive and only asked for more ammunition. The commander listened to me in silence, never interrupted me, didn’t ask a single additional question, and suddenly announced his decision, which I never expected: “You can’t attack like that.” It was necessary from the very beginning to evenly advance the battle formations of the corps and divisions forward. The army will not receive any ammunition other than what has already been released. They are not in the front warehouses. Therefore, you should now take care of the withdrawal of the twenty-ninth and eighth divisions from encirclement. Only after this will it be possible to think about continuing the offensive...

Was the only reason the commander stopped the offensive was that the entire strike group of the army did not advance uniformly? Hardly. As a rule, there is no uniform advance of troops when breaking through enemy defenses. The 29th and 8th divisions, which had taken the lead, were not in such a dire situation. The Nazi forces here are generally small, and the army still has a whole guards corps in reserve. The reason that prompted the front commander to interrupt the operation was apparently different - he proceeded from the situation in the front zone as a whole.

The Chief of Army Staff, General N.P. Sidelnikov, conveyed the relevant orders to the commanders of the 15th and 7th Corps. In the 7th Corps, the need to withdraw the 8th Guards was perceived with full understanding. Over the course of two nights, the 29th Division quite easily passed through the Nazi battle formations. Having rescued the 29th, we completely focused our attention on the 8th Guards. By order of the corps commander, two of its regiments (19th and 30th) were withdrawn in an organized manner from the Danchi, Bites area south of Kaupini. At the same time, the 23rd Regiment, in cooperation with the 26th Regiment of the 7th Guards Division, cut off the enemy's bulge in the area of ​​Zeni, La Paz. But it has not yet been possible to completely eliminate the bridge that separated the main forces of Panfilov’s troops from the rear. All forest roads and clearings along which the troops were supplied with supplies were shot through. Only at night did the soldiers manage to carry a little ammunition, crackers, sugar, and canned food.

The crisis had matured by March 25, when the enemy, with parts of three divisions, began to tighten the ring around the 8th Guards Infantry Division. Units of the enemy's 263rd and 290th Infantry Division, supported by tanks, tried to cut off parts of the division from the rest of the 7GvSK forces with attacks from the east, north and west. The division's rifle units suffered heavy losses, especially the units covering the division's flanks. By the end of March 26, the enemy managed to cut off the division and joint venture of the 47th Infantry Division from the main forces of the army. Attempts to restore the division's communications by 7GvSK forces made on March 27 did not produce results, and the breakthrough of the encircled division units in the south-west direction also failed. The enemy continued to attack the encircled parts of the division, trying to cut off the regiments from each other and destroy them piece by piece. Realizing that the existing forces would not be able to connect with the encircled units, the reserve 22nd Guards Infantry Division was transferred to the database area. Morning attack on March 28, 1945 units of the 7th Guards SD and 22nd Guards SD in the north-west direction and surrounded units towards them, the ring was broken and units of the 8th Guards SD left the encirclement. ( There is information that no more than 300 people from the 8GVSD escaped from the encirclement, but nothing like that is written in the documents of the 8GVSD and 2PribF. Probably after such losses the division would have been withdrawn not to the second echelon but to be reorganized...).

After leaving the encirclement, units of the division were withdrawn to the second echelon of the army, where, after putting themselves in order, they engaged in combat training in preparation for new battles. On March 31, the 2nd Baltic Front was liquidated and units were transferred to the Leningrad Front. at 14:00 on May 8, the Courland group of Germans capitulated. On May 9, 1945, being in the second echelon of the Leningrad Front, we received news of the surrender of Germany and the end of the war.

Commanders:

• Panfilov Ivan Vasilievich (11/18/1941 - 11/18/1941), major general
• Revyakin Vasily Andreevich (01.11.1941 - 18.01.1942), Major General
• Chistyakov Ivan Mikhailovich (01/18/1942 - 05/23/1942), major general
• Serebryakov Ivan Ivanovich (05/01/1942 - 10/31/1942), colonel
• Chernyugov Spiridon Sergeevich (01.10.1942 - 29.02.1944), major general
• Dulov Dmitry Arsentievich (03/01/1944 - 05/31/1944), colonel
• Sedunin Ernest Isakovich (05/01/1944 - 06/30/1944), Major General 22A, Northwestern Fleet

In our country, a prominent place is occupied by the Red Banner Panfilov Division, which was staffed by representatives of almost thirty nationalities inhabiting the USSR. Their role in protecting Moscow from the fascist hordes rushing towards it is indelible in people’s memory. But people of the older generation also remember the propaganda excitement that was raised around the “feat of 28 Panfilov’s men,” which later turned out to be just an idle invention of a journalist.

Commander of the legendary division

Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov began mastering military science during the years of the Imperialist War - in 1915 on the Southwestern Front. Participating in hostilities as part of the 638th Olpinsky Regiment, he rose to the rank of sergeant major, which corresponds to the modern army. When the autocracy was overthrown in February 1917 and processes aimed at democratizing society began in the country, Panfilov became a member of the committee of his regiment.

In the very first days of the Civil War, he became a Red Army soldier. It should be noted that untold luck awaited Ivan Vasilyevich - the infantry regiment in which he was enrolled became part of the Chapaev division, and thus Panfilov, commanding first a platoon and then a company, had the opportunity to gain combat experience under the command of one of the most famous and legendary military leaders throughout the history of the Red Army. This experience was useful to him in future battles.

In the fire of the Civil War

In the period from 1918 to 1920, he had the opportunity to participate in battles with formations of the Czechoslovak corps, the White Poles, as well as the armies of Kolchak, Denikin and Ataman Dutov. Panfilov ended the civil war in Ukraine, leading units whose task was to fight numerous bandit formations, formed mainly from local nationalists. In addition, in those years, Ivan Vasilyevich was entrusted with commanding one of the platoons of the border guard battalion.

In 1921, the command sent Ivan Vasilyevich to study at the Kyiv School of Higher Command Staff of the Red Army, which he graduated with honors two years later. By this time, Soviet power had already been established in the European part of the country, but fierce fighting still continued in the republics of Central Asia, and the young graduate was sent to the Turkestan Front to fight the Basmachi.

It was in Central Asia that the career of the future legendary division commander was further developed. For ten years (1927-1937) he headed the regimental school of the 4th Turkestan Rifle Regiment, commanded a rifle battalion, a mountain rifle regiment, and in 1937 became the chief of staff of the Central Asian Military District. The next important step was his appointment in 1939 to the post of military commissar of Kyrgyzstan. In the last pre-war year, Ivan Vasilyevich was awarded the rank of major general for his services in strengthening the country's defense capability.

Formation of a division and sending it to the front

In July 1941, by order of the military commissar of Kyrgyzstan, Major General I.V. Panfilov, it began to be completed. It soon became one of two that were named after their commanders in the entire history of the Red Army. The first was the Chapaevskaya division, and the second was this Panfilov division. She was destined to go down in history as an example of mass heroism of soldiers and commanders.

Formed in July 1941, the Panfilov division, the national composition of which included almost all representatives of the Central Asian republics, a month later entered into battle with the fascists in the Novgorod region, and in October it was redeployed to Volokolamsk. There, as a result of stubborn battles, she was able not only to defend her positions, but also with heroic counterattacks to completely defeat four German divisions, including two infantry, a tank and a motorized one. During this period, Panfilov’s troops destroyed about 9 thousand enemy soldiers and officers, and also knocked out about 80 tanks.

Although the general situation at the front forced the division led by I.V. Panfilov to leave the positions it defended and retreat in accordance with the general tactical plan of the command, it was one of the first at the front to be awarded the honorary right to be called a guards division.

A very interesting document has survived to this day, when reading it you can’t help but be filled with pride for those people who once blocked the path of the Nazis. This is a report from the commander of the 4th German Tank Brigade. In it, he calls Panfilov’s men a “wild division” and reports that it is absolutely impossible to fight with these people: they are real fanatics and are not at all afraid of death. Of course, the German general was wrong: they were afraid of death, but they put the fulfillment of duty above life.

Official version of the event

In November of the same year, events occurred that, as presented by means of Soviet propaganda, made the division and its commander known throughout the country. We are talking about the famous battle in which the soldiers managed to destroy 18 enemy tanks near the Dubosekovo crossing in a short time, despite the fact that there were only 28 of them.

The Panfilov division in those days fought fierce battles with the enemy, who was trying to surround it and destroy its headquarters. According to the version widely disseminated by Soviet propaganda, on November 16, soldiers of the 4th company, commanded by political instructor V.G. Klochkov, defending the Dubosekovo crossing, located 8 kilometers from Volokolamsk, and repelling an attack by fifty enemy tanks, accomplished an unprecedented feat. In a battle that lasted four hours, they managed to destroy 18 enemy combat vehicles and force the rest to turn back.

All of them, according to the same version, died the death of the brave. Political instructor Klochkov himself, while dying, allegedly uttered a phrase that later became a propaganda cliché: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat: Moscow is behind us!” Having fulfilled its duty, the Panfilov division stopped the further advance of the enemy in the Volokolamsk direction. On those same days, having come under heavy enemy mortar fire, the division commander himself, Lieutenant General I.V. Panfilov, was killed.

Myth dispelled

Unfortunately, this story, when examined in detail, raised certain doubts among researchers. After the war - in 1948 - a prosecutor's investigation into this incident was carried out. As a result, the chief of the USSR Armed Forces, Lieutenant General of Justice Afanasyev, was forced to admit that the feat attributed to the 28 Panfilov heroes was a fiction.

Traitor back from the dead

The impetus for the start of the investigation was very interesting circumstances. The fact is that a year before, in Kharkov, they managed to arrest the traitor to the Motherland and former accomplice of the Nazis, I. E. Dobrobabin. During the search, among other things, a book about the feat of 28 Panfilov men, popular at that time and published in mass circulation, was discovered.

Flipping through its pages, the investigator came across information that plunged him into amazement: it turned out that his defendant appeared in it as one of the main participants in the events. Moreover, the book said that he died heroically and was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. It is quite clear that after this “discovery” it was necessary to verify the remaining facts presented by the authors of the popular publication.

Falsification exposed

Documents were immediately requested that would make it possible to form an objective picture of the hostilities in which the Panfilov division was then participating. The list of those killed at the end of November 1941, reports of all clashes with the enemy, reports of unit commanders and even intercepted German radiograms immediately fell on the desk of the investigator of the military prosecutor's office of the Kharkov region.

As a result, as mentioned above, the investigation convincingly proved that the facts presented in the book are fiction and there is a deliberate falsification of the events that took place. In May 1948, Lieutenant General Afanasyev personally reported these conclusions to the USSR Prosecutor General G.N. Sofonov, who, in turn, drew up a document sent to him

A myth born from the pen of a journalist

The initiator of the historical falsification, as it was established by the investigation, was the editor of the newspaper “Red Star” Ortenberg. On his instructions, an article was published in the next issue, written by a reporter for the newspaper Krivitsky, which presented partly unverified and partly obviously fictitious material. As a result of this, a myth was born about a small handful of heroes who managed to stop the enemy’s tank armada.

During the interrogation, Krivitsky, who by that time had occupied one of the leading positions in the editorial office of the Krasnoe Znamya newspaper, admitted that the famous dying phrase of political instructor Klochkov, “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat...” was invented by him, as well as everything else. written in the book. But even without his confession, the lie was obvious: from whom could he have heard those words, because, according to his version, all the participants in the battle died and there were no witnesses left?

The author of the falsification, thanks to the story he invented, managed to create a name for himself in literary circles, write and publish several books, become the author or at least co-author of several poems and poems about the unparalleled heroism of 28 Panfilov men. And among other things, this story gave a tangible impetus to his further career growth.

Historical forgery

What really happened? This question is answered by further research by historians of the Patriotic War. From them it is clear that at that time the Panfilov division actually fought in this area with several German corps. Moreover, in the area of ​​the Dubosekovo crossing they became especially fierce.

However, neither ours nor even the enemy’s military reports mention the battle described in the sensational newspaper article, thanks to which the Panfilov division then became the center of everyone’s attention. The list of those killed in those days also does not correspond to the data given by Krivitsky. There were many killed: there were heavy battles, but these were completely different people.

The former commander of a rifle regiment stationed in that area at the time of the events described testified that the Dubosekovo crossing was defended by a company that was completely destroyed during the fighting, but, according to him, there were 100 people, not 28. Panfilov’s division in those days suffered heavy losses, and this company replenished their number. However, only 9 tanks were hit, of which 3 burned on the spot, and the rest turned back and left the battlefield. In addition, he emphasized the absurdity of the assumption that 28 lightly armed soldiers could successfully resist 50 enemy tanks on flat terrain.

This myth became widespread in the post-war years thanks to Soviet propaganda. The materials of the prosecutor's audit of 1948 were classified, and the attempt made in 1966 by an employee of the magazine "New World" E.V. Kardin to reveal in his article the inconsistency of the official version, received a sharp rebuke from L.I. Brezhnev. The General Secretary of the CPSU called the published materials slander against the party and the heroic history of our Motherland.

Only during the years of perestroika, when the materials of the 1948 investigation were finally declassified, was it possible, without detracting from the glory that the Panfilov division rightfully deserved, to bring to the attention of the general public the fact of distortion of the events of the last war.

However, despite such an unfortunate incident, the culprits of which were overly zealous Soviet propagandists, the great contribution of Panfilov’s men to the victory over the fascists should be recognized. In November of the same year, their division became officially known as Panfilov. Only in the Volokolamsk direction, in the period from November 16 to 21, she, in conjunction with other units and formations, stopped the advance of two German corps and one tank division.

Subsequent fate of the division

The further combat path of the Panfilov division was difficult, full of losses, but, as before, covered in glory. In the first months of 1942, she, along with other Soviet units, took part in battles against the SS division “Totenkopf”. The fighting took place with extraordinary ferocity on both sides and caused numerous losses both in the ranks of Panfilov’s men and their opponents.

Having fought with honor until 1945, that is, almost until the end of the Second World War, the Panfilov division was surrounded during the attack on the Latvian city of Saldus. As a result, almost all of its personnel were killed, and only 300 people were able to break through the enemy ring. Subsequently, the surviving members of the Panfilov division were assigned to other units and ended the war with them.

Post-war years

In the post-war years, the division, which the whole country knew about thanks to its high fighting qualities and partly due to the propaganda hype raised around it, was completely restored. The territory of Estonia was chosen as its location. However, in 1967, the leadership turned to the government of the country with a request that the personnel of the Panfilov division with all weapons and equipment be transferred to them in the republic. This appeal was caused by reasons of national security and therefore met with support in Moscow.

Having become part of the Turkestan Military District, the Panfilov Division, which by that time was largely replenished with conscripts from the Central Asian republics, was partly stationed in the Kirghiz SSR, and partly in the Kazakh SSR. For a state that included various republics, this was quite normal. But in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the history of the Panfilov Division underwent several dramatic moments.

Suffice it to say that, being part of the Northern Group of Forces of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, it was completely unexpectedly abolished and completely disbanded in 2003. It is difficult to say who and due to what political or other interests made such a decision. However, the famous division ceased to exist.

Only eight years later, when the seventieth anniversary of its founding was celebrated, it was re-formed and received its former name. Nowadays, its location is the city of Tokmok, located near Bishkek. The Panfilov division, the national composition of which today is mainly a conglomerate of nationalities inhabiting Kyrgyzstan, serves under the command of a native of those places - Colonel Nurlan Isabekovich Kiresheev.

Until September 6, 1942, the Eighth Guards Rifle Brigade was called the 4th Airborne Brigade. It was formed at the end of 1941 in Grozny. In August 1942, when Nazi troops were approaching the North Caucasus, the brigade received a combat mission - to defend Mozdok; on August 6, it, together with the 582nd artillery regiment, a motorized detachment of the 24th Army, the Rostov Artillery School and a reserve communications regiment, occupied the southern bank of the Terek defense for a 36-kilometer length. On August 23, the brigade entered the battle. During the day, its 3rd battalion, reinforced by a battery of anti-tank guns and a machine gun platoon, under the command of Guard Captain D.P. Kovalenko, together with a motorized squad and two armored trains, stubbornly defended the city. By evening, enemy infantry, supported by tanks, attacked the left flank of the battalion. Having encountered staunch resistance, the enemy began to bypass the battalion, trying to capture the crossing of the Terek. But the bridge was mined. When the first fascist tank appeared on the bridge, there was an explosion. The bridge collapsed.

At the same time, the enemy launched an offensive from the northwest. On August 24 at 14.00 his attacks resumed with increasing force. The Nazis brought into action several dozen tanks and up to a battalion of infantry. A stubborn battle broke out. The 9th company took the main blow. The artillerymen and tank destroyers acted energetically. The enemy did not reach the target.
However, at the cost of heavy losses, the enemy broke through into the city and blocked a number of our strong points. By order of the command, parts of the brigade left Mozdok, in the battles for which hundreds of enemy soldiers and officers were killed over the course of three days, and a lot of enemy military equipment was burned. From September 3 to 8, the enemy continued to press back the brigade's units with superior forces, losing up to 1,200 people killed and wounded, about 20 tanks, two artillery batteries and other technical equipment at the Terek line. On September 6, by order of the commander of the North Caucasus Military District, the 4th Airborne Brigade was reorganized into the 8th Guards Rifle Brigade. Five days later, all its units were withdrawn to a new defensive line near the Chechen Balka. The enemy, having brought up large tank forces, sought to develop success in the direction of Kizlyar - Malgobek - Nizhny Kurp and enter the valley south of the Terek Range. On September 17, with a force of up to 20 tanks, he attacked the brigade’s positions, but did not achieve success and rolled back.
On October 7, the 8th Guards Rifle Brigade received an order to move to the Gaersk-Yurt area. There she became an insurmountable obstacle to the path of Hitler's troops. And on October 17, the brigade was transferred to the Tuapse region, where it became part of the 18th Army.
During the winter offensive of the Red Army in 1943, the 8th Guards was redeployed to the area northeast of Novorossiysk. On January 11, its battalions went on the offensive, occupying a number of enemy strongholds and significantly improving their positions. to the 18th Army.
On January 30, by order of the Military Council of the 47th Army, the brigade was moved to Gelendzhik. Where they began to prepare for an amphibious landing. On February 21-23, it was transferred to Malaya land on ships of the Black Sea Fleet and immediately entered the battle as part of the 20th Airborne Rifle Corps. Having come into direct contact with the enemy at the turn of an unnamed height, the brigade, adjacent to the 51st Rifle Brigade and the 176th Red Banner Rifle Division, fought to expand the bridgehead, by the end of the day on February 27 it had moved forward somewhat, as a result of which the front line had stabilized. On April 17, the brigade was subjected to heavy air bombardment, followed by a barrage of artillery and mortar fire. By the end of the day, the enemy managed to wedge into our defenses at the junction of two brigades.

To eliminate the breakthrough, the corps commander sent machine gunners from the 83rd brigade from his reserve. But even these forces were not enough. The 591st Infantry Regiment of the 176th Infantry Division, the 144th Battalion of the 83rd Brigade and the battalion of the 111th Infantry Brigade came to the rescue. Together with the 8th Guards and 51st Rifle Brigades, they destroyed enemy units that had penetrated our defenses and again reached the previously occupied line.
After the regrouping of troops on Malaya Zemlya, the brigade occupied the defense zone between the 176th Rifle Division and the 107th Separate Rifle Brigade. At this point, she conducted active combat operations for four months. On September 4, the brigade received the task of breaking through the enemy’s defenses and, in cooperation with units of the right flank of the 18th Army, occupying the northwestern outskirts of Novorossiysk. On the morning of September 10, after artillery preparation, the guards battalions launched an attack, but the brigade was unable to reach the intended line. The enemy desperately resisted and brought up reserves.
Only on September 13, interacting with the 176th Red Banner Rifle Division, the brigade's units broke into German trenches and by the morning of September 16 they captured the battle line: Great October Square - water pump - block 572 - Sixth Slit beam. And by 10 o’clock in the morning Novorossiysk was completely cleared. Pursuing the enemy along the Novorossiysk - Abrau-Durso - Anapa highway, by the end of September 21 the brigade reached Anapa. There was a short respite, filled to the limit with preparations for the landing on the Bugaz Spit, which was carried out on September 26. On the night of October 3, the enemy began to retreat in a northeastern direction, but the guards pursued them, and by the morning the 4th battalion captured the southeastern part of Taman.

    During the war, the 316th Rifle Division was part of the 52nd, 16th Armies, 2nd Guards Rifle Corps of the Northwestern, then Kalinin Fronts, 3rd Shock, 22nd and from April 1944 10 1st Guards Army. She took part in battles in the area of ​​Malaya Vishera, in the Battle of Moscow, in battles against the Demyan group of fascist German troops, on the Lovat River, in the Novgorod-Luga, Rezhitsko-Dvina, Madona and Riga offensive operations, the blockade of enemy troops on the Courland Peninsula.
    The division was formed in July - August 1941 in Alma - Ata. in August 1941 it was included in the 52nd Army of the North-Western Front. On August 27, the division's regiments unloaded at the small station of Borovichi, Novogorod region. As soon as the head of the artillery regiment reached the forest, enemy planes attacked. The personnel suffered their first losses. On September 8, the division, having crossed the Ust-Volma River, arrived in Krestsy, where an order was received from a representative of the headquarters of the 52nd Army: to immediately take positions in the second echelon of the army. For almost a month, the division stood in the second echelon, preparing for combat operations.
    But the division did not have to take part in the battles near Leningrad. At the very beginning of October, by order of Headquarters, it was urgently transferred to another front - the Western, to the Volokolamsk direction. By that time, the situation here was extremely difficult.
The 316th Division, which became part of the 16th Army, received a fairly wide defense zone - 41 kilometers. On the right flank, the 1077th Infantry Regiment under the command of Major Z. S. Shekhtman equipped its positions, in the center - the 1073rd Regiment of Major G. E. Elin and on the left flank - the 1075th Infantry Regiment of Colonel I. V. Kaprov , the 857th artillery regiment under Lieutenant Colonel G.F. Kurganov initially took up defense on the right flank of the division and covered the formations of the 1077th regiment. But in the following days, the command was forced to distribute it subdivisionally among rifle units.
    At this stage, the army command added two more artillery regiments and a tank company to the division. One of them, a 45-mm gun, was located in the center, directly in the battle formations of the 1073rd Infantry Regiment. Another, five-battery, armed with 16 76-mm cannons and 4 85-mm anti-aircraft guns, took up positions on the left flank. The tank company (only 2 T-34 tanks and the same number of tankettes) became the reserve of General I.V. Panfilov. The same reserve also included a group (in terms of size - a battalion) of Captain M. A. Lysenko.
    The defense zone allocated to the division was single-echelon and stretched from the village of Lvovo to the Bolychevo state farm. With an average artillery density of 4 guns per kilometer, in some directions it increased to 14 guns.
    In addition to everything, by order of the commander of the 16th Army, anti-tank fighter detachments were created in the division regiments, consisting of a platoon and a company of sappers in vehicles with a supply of anti-tank mines and flammable bottles. This was supposed to significantly increase the ability to maneuver explosive barriers.
   During the Moscow Battle at the Dubosekovo junction, an unprecedented feat was accomplished by a group of tank destroyers of the 1075th Infantry Regiment, led by junior political instructor V.G. Klochkov - Diev. During the days of the heroic defense of the capital, the division was named after its deceased commander I.V. Panfilov.
    For military services, it was transformed into the 8th Guards Rifle Division (November 1941), awarded the honorary name "Rezhitskaya" (August 1944), and awarded the Orders of Lenin, Red Banner and Suvorov, 2nd degree; over 14 thousand of its soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 33 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
    In the post-war period, the regiments of the 8th Guards. The Panfilov division was stationed in Estonia (Klooga).
The division was commanded by:
Panfilov Ivan Vasilyevich (07/12/1941 - 11/19/1941), major general (GSS, died near the village of Guskovo, Volokolamsk district, Moscow region, buried in Moscow, from the book “Military Personnel in the Second World War”, 1963)
Revyakin Vasily Andreevich (11/20/1941 - 01/18/1942), major general
Chistyakov Ivan Mikhailovich (01/19/1942 - 04/03/1942), major general
Serebryakov Ivan Ivanovich (04/04/1942 - 10/18/1942), colonel
Chernyugov Spiridon Sergeevich (10/19/1942 - 03/12/1944), colonel, from 10/14/1942 major general
Dulov Dmitry Arsentievich (03/13/1944 - 05/28/1944), colonel
Sedulin Ernest Zhanovich (05/29/1944 - 06/07/1944), major general
Kuleshov Andrey Danilovich (06/08/1944 - 08/17/1944), major general
Panishev Grigory Ivanovich (08/18/1944 - 09/07/1944), colonel
Lomov Georgy Ilyich (09/08/1944 - 05/09/1945), colonel. 1073rd (19th Guards) Regiment: 1075th (23rd Guards) Regiment: 1077th (30th Guards) Regiment: 857th (27th Guards) AP:
Kurganov G. F., lieutenant colonel
Anokhin N.I., major
Literature:
"Feat at the walls of Moscow", Alma - Ata, 1967
Kuznetsov A.I., “Heroes do not die”, Alma - Ata, 1963
"Great things do not die", Frunze, 1981
"The unknown are known", Moscow, 1983
Markov V.I. in the book “On Earth, in Heaven and on the Sea,” collection No. 1, Moscow, Voenizdat, 1979, p. 162 - 232.

(Kor Eskertkish)

PANFILOV DIVISION
8th Guards Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov
Rezhitskaya named after I.V. Panfilov Rifle Division
1. History of the Panfilov Division

The history of the heroic Panfilov division begins in Almaty. Almaty is one of the most beautiful cities in Kazakhstan. Huge, constantly updated with modern and distinctive architecture, the city impresses with the breathtaking beauty of its panorama. Almaty dates back to 1854. This is not an age for a big city, but it is rich in many memorable events. One of the bright pages of the history of Almaty is written by the heroic exploits of Panfilov’s men and other glorious defenders on the fields of the Great Patriotic War.
Almaty is rightfully considered the birthplace of the famous Panfilov division. Here its formation began and ended. Here the military unit was presented with a military banner and its brave fighters took an oath of allegiance to the Motherland.
On July 12, 1941, by order of the government, the formation of the 316th Infantry Division began. For almost a month, every day teams of conscripts from Taldy-Kurgan, Dzhambul, Chimkent, from distant Kustanai and Petropavlovsk arrived at the division; also, through the Kurdai Pass, a column of trucks with conscripts from Kyrgyzstan was traveling to the place of deployment of the 316th division.
From the position of instructor of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Alexey Vasilyevich Kirillov went to the front and became a political commissar of a company; in another company the political commissar was Manap Musin, the former chairman of the regional trade union committee. THEM. Kanipov, Saushev, Malik Gabdullin, I.E. Syailov, Seit Ekibaev, Karibai Zharkimbetov, A.L. Mukhamedyarov, Zhumazhan Bulyshev and many, many other of our compatriots fought in its ranks.
The division included three rifle regiments, an artillery regiment, a communications battalion, a separate engineer battalion, a separate auto company, a medical battalion, a separate reconnaissance motorized rifle company, a herd of cattle, a field bakery, and a field postal station. The military commissar of Kyrgyzstan, Major General I.V. Panfilov, was appointed commander of the 316th division.

Major General Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov

Born on January 1, 1893 in the city of Petrovsk, Saratov region. From the age of 12 he worked for hire. In 1915 he was drafted into the army and was sent to the Russian-German front. He joined the Red Army voluntarily in 1918. He was enlisted in the 1st Saratov Infantry Regiment of the 25th Chapaev Division. In its ranks he fought against Dutov, Kolchak, Denikin and the White Poles. After the war, he graduated from the two-year Kyiv United Infantry School and was assigned to the Central Asian Military District. He took part in the fight against the Basmachi. He was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner (1921, 1929) and the medal “XX Years of the Red Army”. The Great Patriotic War found Major General Panfilov at the post of military commissar of the Kyrgyz Republic. Having formed the 316th Rifle Division, he went to the front with it and fought near Moscow in October-November 1941. Killed in battle on November 18, 1941 near Volokolamsk. He was buried with military honors at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow. On April 12, 1942 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).
In harsh training, in the difficult everyday life of a soldier, the battle formations of Panfilov’s men were united and cemented. Mastering the basics of military affairs, Panfilov's men made many kilometers of forced marches under the scorching sun, learned to dig in, throw grenades, overcome obstacles, and navigate minefields. The soldiers diligently mastered weapons and military equipment, trained to shoot accurately, and skillfully wield a bayonet, butt and grenade.
On August 18, the long-awaited order to be sent to the front was received. The 316th Infantry Division began its combat history.
Addressing the Panfilovites with parting words, Dzhambul told General Panfilov: “The fate of the Kazakhs is forever connected with the Russian people. Without the Russian people, the steppe is an orphan. May this friendship be sealed with the holy blood of the batyrs in the battle with the fascists. Lead the young horsemen, teach them, make heroes out of them, so that the Motherland will be pleased with our sons.
I call with the thought and song of the country
Forward to the fascists, dear sons,
The more you hike, the bigger your leg,
Be brave, sons, do not spare the enemy!

By August 30, the division arrived by forced march and occupied the defense of Borovichi-Kresttsy in the second echelon of the 52nd Army.
At the beginning of the second week of October, the 316th Infantry Division, by order of headquarters, surrenders the equipped line and changes its deployment, arrives and takes up defense along a front of 45-50 km in the Volokolamsk direction. The division became part of the 16th Army of Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky. The history of the division is one of massive heroic deeds, and they began on October 14, 1941 in the village of Bolychevo. The fighting took place in the area of ​​the villages of Fedosino, Ignatkovo, Ostashevo. For four days, from October 15 to 18, the 1st battalion of Captain M. A. Lysenko fought heroically near the village of Ostashevo. In four days, all the soldiers of the battalion died, having fulfilled their duty.
On October 23-24, the enemy met stubborn resistance in the defense sector of the 1075th, 1073rd rifle regiments: Spas-Ryukhovskoye, Chertanovo, Kozlovo, Krasnaya Gorka.
On October 28, the Germans captured the city of Volokolamsk. The division, not having time to gain a foothold, retreats and occupies the line: Remyagino, Avdotyino, Chentsy, Bolshoye Nikolskoye, Dubosekovo, Shiryaevo. The Nazis were uncontrollably rushing towards Moscow. General Panfilov said, addressing his soldiers: “Our land is equally dear to all of us - Russians, Kazakhs, Ukrainians and Kyrgyz, the sons of all nations, whether it is located near Leningrad or in Belarus, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. We are on the land of the Moscow region. We must fight for our native land in such a way that we are not ashamed in front of our people.”
On November 16-17, the enemy resumed an active offensive along the entire front and brought fresh units into the battle. The whole world knows the immortal feat of tank destroyers - soldiers of the 4th company, who detained a large column of enemy tanks at the Dubosekovo crossing on November 16. On the same day, soldiers of the 6th company fought bravely near the village of Petelino.
In those days, the heroism of the soldiers of the 316th division was truly massive. This is a feat of sapper soldiers of the 1077th Infantry Regiment near the village of Strokovo. Near the village of Mykanino, a platoon of tank destroyers under the command of Lieutenant V.G. performed a feat. Gloomy, political instructor A.N. Georgiev, he will go down in history as a feat of 17 Talgarians.
In the October battles of 1941, Panfilov’s men covered themselves with unfading glory. By order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 399 of November 18, 1941, the division was transformed into the 8th Guards Rifle Division and awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan addressed the Panfilovites with an open letter:
"Dear friends!
The working people of Kazakhstan heard a radio message yesterday that the division commanded by Major General Panfilov was heroically fighting the enemy on the distant approaches to Moscow, repelling his furious onslaught. And we said with pride: “These are our brave fellow countrymen, our glorious comrades in arms! Yes, it’s them!”
... Greetings to you, courageous red warriors! Eternal glory to those who died a brave death on the battlefields! Kazakhstan will preserve for centuries the bright memory of its best sons, who gave their lives for a great, just cause.
...Our brave friends! On the approaches to the heart of our Motherland, the fate of the Soviet people is being decided. Remember this. No step back! Until your last breath, until the last drop of blood, defend your native Moscow!
...In these terrible days of decisive battles, distant Kazakhstan is with you. Balkhash, Leninogorsk, Chimkent, Guryev, Karaganda send to the front as much copper, lead, coal, oil as is needed to defeat the enemy. Never before has the industry of our republic produced as much product as it produces these days. Collective farmers of Kazakhstan, workers of MTS and state farms, sparing no effort, are working to feed the soldiers well, dress warmly and put on shoes... The workers of Kazakhstan give you their word to work even better, to do everything that is required for the front...
War greetings to you, comrades! Be bold, fearless and merciless towards the enemy."
On November 18, 1941, the commander of the 8th Guards Division I.V. died. Panfilov in the village of Gusenevo, where the division headquarters was located.
On that day, Pravda’s military correspondent M. Kalashnikov came to the division headquarters to see Panfilov. He congratulated the general on renaming the division into the Guards and took a photo as a souvenir. The frosty silence of the air was broken by the roar of shells. An exploding shell mortally wounded the general. I.V. was buried. Panfilov in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery. In December 1941, the division collected 600,000 rubles for the construction of a tank named after. Panfilova.
Until December 15, the division fought defensive battles on the Istra-Kryukovo-Istra line. And on December 15, by order No. 030, the division left the 16th Army and transferred to the General Headquarters reserve.
On January 19, 1942, the division, on instructions from Headquarters, was transferred by rail to Bolotnoye station, where it became part of the 2nd Rifle Corps. The main task of the division was to go through deep snow, forest paths and clearings to the main line of enemy defense, break through it, and then carry out a raid deep in the rear of the Nazi troops. In a number of combat operations during the snow raid, Malik Gabdullin, the political instructor of the machine gunner company of the 1075th regiment, and the machine gunner of the 4th company, Tulegen Tokhtarov, distinguished themselves for their courage and dedication. They were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
By Government Decree of March 16, 1942, the 8th Guards Division was awarded the Order of Lenin for the exemplary performance of combat missions on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the valor and courage displayed.
Subsequently, the division fought to capture the Sopki-Kholm highway. Units of the division worked to strengthen the defenses and build supply routes through the swamps. The division took part in the liberation of Velikiye Luki, the territory of the Kalinin region. The liberation of Latvia began.
In April 1944, the division was transferred to the 10th Guards Army. On July 23, 1944, developing the offensive, the division captured the large county center of Latvia - the city of Rezekne. As a result of the fighting, the 16th Latvian SS Corps and the 23rd German Infantry Division were defeated. On July 27, 1944, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the division was given the honorary name “Rezhitskaya”.
Continuing the offensive, the division liberated the city of Madonna and crossed the Pustek and Ogre rivers. Assisting the troops of the 10th Army, by October 14, the division cut the railway north of the Balozhi station, occupying Saldus, one of the enemy’s largest defensive sectors. In the Saldus area, near the village of Maipils, in 1963 the remains of 28 unknown soldiers of the Panfilov division who fought here in 1944 were discovered. Of these, the names of three have been established: Fedorov, Gornov, Santibekov Vali.
After stubborn fighting, the enemy was driven out of the capital of Latvia - the city of Riga. By decree of the Government of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 3, 1944, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command during the liberation of the Baltic states and the city of Riga, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree.
From January to May 1945, the 8th Guards Rifle Division, together with other units of the 2nd Baltic Front, fought with the enemy’s Kurland group in the Libau-Klaipeda area. After stubborn fighting, on May 8, 1945, the Nazi group, pressed to the Baltic Sea, capitulated. Panfilov's soldiers celebrated the victory on the territory of Lithuania.

2. Memorable dates of the division:

July 12 – Order from the command of the Central Asian Military District on the formation and beginning of the formation of the 316th Infantry Division.
July 12-15 – Arrival at the division and assumption of office as division commander, Major General I.V. Panfilov; division commissar - senior battalion commissar S.A. Egorov; Chief of Artillery - Major V.I. Markova; division chief of staff - Colonel I.I. Serebryakov; head of the political department of the division - battalion commissar A.F. Galushko; commander of the 1073rd (19th Guards) Rifle Regiment, Major G.E. Elin; commander of the 1075th (23rd Guards) rifle regiment - Colonel I.V. Kaprov, commander of the 1077th (30th Guards) Rifle Regiment - Major Z.S. Shekhtman; commander of the 857th (27th Guards) artillery regiment - Lieutenant Colonel G.F. Kurganova.
July 22 – Publication of the first issue of the divisional newspaper “For the Motherland!”
July 25 - August 1 - Taking the military oath by personnel.
July 29 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 1075th Infantry Regiment of Colonel M.V. Kaprova.
August 8 – Arrival of the Chief of Staff of the SAVO, Major General Kazakov, to the division.
August 18-20 – Departure of the division from Alma-Ata-1 station to the front.
August 25-27 – Arrival and unloading of the division’s echelons at the Borovichi station of the October Railway and the division’s entry into the 52nd Army of the North-Western Front. Equipment of the defense line at the points: Selishche–Parny–Ust-Volma–Kresttsy–Mokry Ostrov.
September 21 – First battle with the enemy by scouts under the command of Lieutenant Korolev near the Zakharovo farmstead, Novgorod region.
October 7-10 - Surrender of the defensive line and transfer to the disposal of the 16th Army of the Western Front, commanded by General K.K. Rokossovsky.
October 10-11 – Occupation of defense in the Volokolamsk direction.
October 14 – The beginning of stubborn battles with the enemy. Battle of a platoon of the 4th rifle company of the 1075th rifle regiment under the command of Lieutenant N.M. Shtaneva.
October 15-17 – Battles for the Bolychevo state farm and the village of Fedosino-Knyazevo.
October 16 – The feat of the chief of staff of the 1075th Infantry Regiment, Captain I.M. Manaenko. The feat of the battery commander of the 875th artillery regiment, junior lieutenant G.O. Babayan. The feat of the gun commander of the 875th artillery regiment, Sergeant A.V. Banina. The feat of the chief of staff of the 875th artillery regiment, Major V.L. Augsburg. The feat of the machine gun platoon commander of the 1075th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant A.S. Kakulia.
October 17 – The feat of the Red Army soldier of the 8th rifle company of the 1075th rifle regiment Tleugabylov.
October 18 – The feat of the scout of the 1073rd Infantry Regiment, Sergeant E.P. Moseyasha.
October 19 – Resolution of the State Defense Committee on the defense of the city of Moscow.
October 17-19 – Heroic battle surrounded by the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 1075th Infantry Regiment of Captain M.A. Lysenko on the banks of the Ruza River, in the village of Ostashevo. 594 soldiers of this battalion died there.
October 23-25 ​​– Fighting in the Chertanovo – Spas-Ryukhovskoye, Ivanovskoye – Novlyanskoye – Krasnaya Gora – Kozlovo, Vysokoye section.
October 25 – The feat of the division commander of the 875th artillery regiment, Lieutenant A.G. Petrashko.
October 27-28 – battles for the city of Volokolamsk, Art. Vyazminskaya.
October 28 – The feat of the platoon commander of the 4th company of the 1075th Infantry Regiment, junior lieutenant Dzhura Shirmatov.
November 2 – The first feat of the political instructor of the 4th rifle company of the 1075th rifle regiment, political instructor V.G. Klochkova.
November 7 – Order No. 285 to the troops of the Western Front on awarding division personnel. Arrival of guests from Moscow with gifts to the division.
November 16 – Resumption of the German offensive on Moscow. Day of mass heroism of the division’s soldiers: the feat of the Panfilov heroes of the 4th company of the 1075th rifle regiment, led by political instructor V.G. Klochkov; the feat of 11 sappers of the 1077th Infantry Regiment, led by junior lieutenant P.I. Firstov and political instructor A.M. Pavlov near the village of Strokovo; the feat of 17 fearless heroes - tank destroyers of the 1073rd Infantry Regiment, led by political instructor A.N. Georgiev near the village of Mykanino; feat of the political instructor of the 6th company of the 1075th rifle regiment P.B. Vikhreva near the village of Petelino.
November 17 - Order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 339 on the transformation of the 316th Rifle Division into the 8th Guards Rifle Division. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the division with the Order of the Red Banner for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the fascist invaders and the valor and courage shown.
November 18 – Injury and death of the division commander, Major General I.V. Panfilov in the village of Gusenevo.
November 22 – Presentation of the Order of the Red Banner to the division.
November 23 – Resolution of the State Defense Committee No. 950 on naming the division after Major General Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov. Presentation of the division of the Guards Banner and presentation of the first orders and medals to those awarded for military merits.
December 1 – Assumption of the post of division commander, Major General V.A. Revyakina.
December 4 – The division goes on a counteroffensive near the Kryukovo station.
December 8 – Liberation of Kryukovo.
December 12 – Liberation of the city of Istra.
December 15–January 18 – Withdrawal of the division from the 16th Army to the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. Rest and replenishment in the points Zhelyabino – Nakhabino – Novonikolskoye – Gorekosovo – Chernevo, Moscow region.
December 19 – Arrival of a delegation of workers from Kazakhstan, which handed over several carriages with gifts to the division.
December 31 – The division joins the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps.

January 5 – Arrival of replenishment from Kazakhstan.
January 14 – Trip of a group of commanders, political workers and soldiers to the Dubosekovo crossing, liberated from the Germans, to organize the funeral of the fallen Panfilov heroes.
January 15 – Recall from the post of division commander, Major General V.A. Revyakina.
January 18 – Assumption of the post of division commander, Major General I.M. Chistyakova.
January 17-19 - Departure of the division after a month's rest and replenishment to the North-Western Front.
January 22-26 - Unloading of the division's trains at the Bologoe station of the Oktyabrskaya railway and the stations of Lyubnitsy, Bolotnoye, and the Palace of the Kalinin railway. The division became part of the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General A.I. Lizyukov 3rd Shock Army (commander Lieutenant General K.N. Galitsky).
February 2 – Injury of the commander of the 875th Guards Artillery Regiment, Colonel G.F. Kurganova.
February 3 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 875th Guards Artillery Regiment of Captain A.N. Tikhomirov. The division goes on the offensive along the Staraya Russa – Kholm highway to the Sokolovo-Trokhovo area.
February 6-11 – Battles for Sokolovo.
February 7 – The feat of the clerk of the 1075th Guards Rifle Regiment, Senior Sergeant A.E. Smirnov and Red Army soldier Elfimov.
February 9 – The feat of the Red Army soldier of the machine gun company of the 1075th Guards Rifle Regiment Tulegen Tokhtarov.
February 14 - Union with the troops of the Kalinin Front, as a result of which a 70,000-strong enemy group found itself in a cauldron at the points Ramushevo - Demyansk.
February 18 – The feat of the Komsomol organizer of the 1073rd Guards Rifle Regiment, political instructor V.Ya. Belova.
February 19 – The feat of 16 Panfilov men of the 2nd company of the 1073rd Guards Rifle Regiment, led by junior political instructor R.Sh. Dzhangozhin in the battle for the village of Sutoki.
March 14 – Retirement due to illness of Captain Anatoly Nikolaevich Tikhomirov from the post of commander of the 875th Guards Artillery Regiment.
March 16 - Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the division with the Order of Lenin - for the exemplary performance of combat missions on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the valor and courage shown.
March 26 – Arrival of reinforcements from Kazakhstan (4 marching companies)
April 2 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 875th Guards Artillery Regiment of Major N.I. Anokhina.
April 3 – Introduction by the division chief of staff, Colonel I.I. Serebryakov as division commander. Lieutenant Colonel K.N. was appointed to the post of chief of staff of the division. Hoffman.
April 12 – Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Major General I.V. Panfilov.
April 15 – Removal of regimental commissar S.A. from the post of military commissar of the division. Egorova.
April 27 – Appointment of regimental commissar P.F. to the post of military commissar of the division. Lobova.
April 28 – Arrival of reinforcements from Kazakhstan.
May 3 – Injury of the commander of the 1077th Guards Rifle Regiment, Colonel Z.S. Shekhtman.
May 4 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 1077th Guards Rifle Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Dunaeva.
May 10 – Arrival of the delegation of workers of Kazakhstan.
May 14 – Presentation of sniper rifle TV No. 2916 to senior sergeant of the 1077th Infantry Regiment Tuleugali Abdybekov.
June 4 – Arrival of the delegation of workers of Kyrgyzstan, headed by the People's Commissar of Education of the Kyrgyz SSR J. Shukurov.
June 10 – Recall from the post of commander of the 1075th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Colonel I.V. Kaprova and the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel E.V. to this position. Voronova.
June 10-17 - Retreat of the division for defense across the Lovat River, to its eastern bank.
June 27 – Removal from the post of commander of the 1077th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Dunaev and the appointment of Major N.M. to this position. Ural.
July 6 - Arrival of reinforcements - 1002 people, of which 99 were communists and 268 Komsomol members.
July 12 – Celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the Panfilov division.
July 16 – Resolution of the State Defense Committee on the introduction of distinctive signs for military personnel wounded on the fronts of the Patriotic War.
July 21 – Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Panfilov’s heroes of the Dubosekovo patrol
August 19 – Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the approval of the badges “Excellent Miner” and “Excellent Sapper”.
September 23 - Order of the command of the 3rd Shock Army No. 240 on assigning new guards numbering to division units: 1073rd Regiment - 19th Guards Rifle Regiment, 1075th Regiment - 23rd, 1077th - 30th, 875 1st artillery regiment - 27th Guards Artillery Regiment.
October 3 – Removal from the post of commander of the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Major N.M. Ural.
October 18 – Recall from the post of commander of the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Colonel I.I. Serebryakov and the assumption of this position by Major General S.S. Chernyugova.
October 19 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Major N.G. Yakubenko.
November 2 – Recall from the post of deputy division commander for political affairs of the guard, Colonel P.F. Lobova.
November 7 – Arrival of Illarion Romanovich Vasiliev and Grigory Melentyevich Shemyakin to the division of Heroes of the Soviet Union and presentation of awards to them.
November-December - Arrival of the delegation of workers of the Mongolian People's Republic, presentation of the 19th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Order of the Mongolian People's Republic and orders and medals of the republic to the personnel of the regiment.
December 26 – Recall from the post of commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Colonel E.V. Voronova.
December 30 – Presentation of the Order of Lenin to the division.

January 30 – Issue of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the political instructor of the machine gun company of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment Malik Gabdullin and the Red Army soldier of the same company Tulegen Tokhtarov.
February 15, March 6 – Arrival of the delegation of workers of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
February 25-28 – Battles to break through enemy defenses in the Novechki-Chikunovo sector.
March 11 – Departure of the division as part of the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps from the 3rd Shock Army to the 25th Army (commanded by Lieutenant General G.P. Korotkov).
March 31 – Issue of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the political instructor of the 6th Rifle Company of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment P.B. Vikhrev.
April 20 - Withdrawal of the division from the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps.
May 26-27 – Arrival of reinforcements from the 114th reserve regiment.
End of May - Arrival of a delegation of workers from the Kirghiz SSR.
July 25 – Parade and celebration to mark the second anniversary of the formation of the division.
August 12 – Replenishment arrives.
October 12 - The feat of a scout - sapper of the 2nd separate guards sapper battalion of the guard, senior sergeant Nikolai Morozov
October 13-17 - The division made a march, covering a distance of 260 kilometers to the area of ​​​​the city of Velikiye Luki. Here the liberation of the Kalinin region was completed and the liberation of Latvia began.
October 30 – Guards rally in the liberated city of Velikiye Luki on Lenin Square.
November 6 – Active defense in the Novosokolniki area.
November 23, December 3 – Arrival of representatives of workers of the Kirghiz and Kazakh SSR.
December 30 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 27th Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Major V.A. Head. The feat of the sapper of the 2nd separate sapper battalion of the guard, private Mukhmed Nurbaev.

January 5-8 - Surrender of the defense in the Novosokolniki area to other units and joining the 97th Rifle Corps of the 2nd Baltic Front.
January 8-10 – March from the Novosokolniki area to the area of ​​Gorovatka, Lopatniki, New Plant.
January 15 - The battle for Manakovo - a heavily fortified enemy stronghold - and its capture. The feat of the medical instructor of the 19th Guards Rifle Regiment, Guard Sergeant Major A. Maslova. Occupation of defense in the area of ​​the station. Naswa.
January 23 – The feat of the guard private of the 15th separate reconnaissance company Grigory Postolnikov, who repeated the immortal feat of Alexander Matrosov.
February 2-5 – Offensive battles in the area of ​​Surino, Domankino, Svinovo, Slobodka, Ivantsovo, height 165.6.
February 6 - order of the Military Council of the Army declaring gratitude to the division personnel for repelling multiple violent counterattacks of the Germans.
February 22 – Wound and death of the famous sniper of the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment, Senior Sergeant Tleugali Abdybekov, who exterminated 397 Nazis.
February 24 – The feat of the senior adjutant of the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the 23rd Guards Regiment of the Guard, Captain Shurekov.
February 24-March 7 – Pursuit with fighting of the retreating enemy in the direction of the points of Galtsevo, Maksimikha, Zakharino, Aksenovo. Fights for the village of Andryushino and its liberation. March to the areas of Lopanevo, Zhar, Zahod, Byshevo, Korostovets, Yurentsovo.
March 7 - The division leaves the 97th Rifle Corps and joins the 44th Rifle Corps.
March 9 – Guard division commander, Major General S.S., was wounded and evacuated to the hospital. Chernyugova.
March 12 – Assumption of the post of commander of the guard division, Colonel D.A. Dulova.
March 12-15 – March to the Kadkino, Bolshoye Eliseevo, Semenkino, Glukhovo areas.
March 20 – Arrival of a delegation of workers from Kazakhstan.
March 26-April 13 – Division fighting on the bridgehead across the Velikaya River in the Pushkin Mountains area.
April 5 – Concussion of the commander of the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment, Colonel F.I. Reshetnikov and the appointment of Guard Major V.P. to this position. Shevchuk.
April 13-April 25 – March to the Maslovo, Veche, Kuzovikha areas. March to the Novaya area, Bondari. March to the area of ​​Lake Privetskoye, Privetok, Lopanevo.
April 20 – The division joined the 10th Guards Army under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General M.I. Kazakova (2nd Baltic Front, commander Marshal A.T. Eremenko)
May 2 – March to the Vaskovo, Varenkino, Lake Zagornoye, Gorkovets areas.
May 23 – Recall from the post of commander of the guard division, Colonel D.A. Dulov and the assumption of the post of division commander, Major General E.Zh. Sedulina.
June 9 – Recall from the post of division commander, Major General E.Zh. Sedulin and the assumption of the post of commander of the guard division, Major General A.D. Kuleshova.
June 13 – Presentation of the Guards Combat Banner to the 19th Guards Rifle Regiment.
July 8-9 – March to the Afanaskevichi, Gorka, Veretye ​​areas.
July 10 - Breakthrough of enemy defenses in the Sinyukhovo area.
July 12 – Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 70 declaring gratitude for military operations to break through the enemy’s defenses and pursue him.
July 13 – Crossing of the Velikaya River in the Pyskovo area.
July 15 – battles for Mozuli and their liberation.
July 16 – Entry into the territory of the Latvian SSR.
July 17-22 – Fighting on the outskirts of the city of Ludza.
July 23 – Liberation of the city of Rezekne (Rezitsa). Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief declaring gratitude for the liberation of the city of Rezekne. Recall from the post of commander of the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment of the Guard, Major V.A. The head and appointment to this position of Guard Major D.F. Kisses.
August 3 – Liberation of M. Varna.
August 5 – Crossing of the Aiviekste River in the Stalydzena area. The death of the commander of the 19th Guards Rifle Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel I.D. Kurgansky.
August 6-14 – Fighting on the outskirts of the city of Madonna.
August 8 – Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on assigning the name “Rezhitskaya” to the division. Appointment to the post of commander of the 19th regiment of Major I.L. Shapshaeva.
August 13 – Recall from the post of commander of the guard division, Major General A.D. Kuleshov and the assumption of the post of commander of the guard division, Colonel G.I. Panisheva.
August 26 – The commander of the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment, Major D.F., was wounded and evacuated to the hospital. Kisses.
August 27 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment of the Guard, Major V.I. Magpie.
September 1 – Arrival of a team of artists from Almaty.
September 2 – Presentation of the Guards Combat Banner to the 30th Guards Rifle Regiment.
September 7-8 – Injury and death of the commander of the guard division, Colonel G.I. Panisheva. The death of the commander of the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment of the Guard, Major V.I. Magpie. Assumption of the post of division commander Colonel G.I. Lomov from the post of commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment.
September 10 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guard, Lieutenant Colonel A.Ya. Popova.
September 21 – Crossing of the Ogre River in the Yanzemi region.
September 28-October 1 – Fierce fighting in the area of ​​Tibores, Lejasglazpisks, Auvukregs.
October 3 – Appointment to the post of commander of the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment of the Guard, Major I.D. Lepekhina.
October 4-5 – March to the Zheibany, Salivyas area.
October 8 – Liberation of the city of Ogre.
October 12 – Crossing of the Tenawa River in the Tsinishi area.
October 16 – Presentation of the Guards Combat Banner to the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment.
October 24 - Ceremonial presentation to the second mortar company of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment of three 82-mm mortars purchased with his personal savings by the engineer of the People's Commissariat of Mortar Weapons plant G.G. Belyaev.
November 2 – By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, II degree, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command during the liberation of the Baltic states and the capital of the Latvian SSR, Riga.
November 3-8 – Fighting in the area of ​​Yulishi, Terplini, Namdari, Pumpuri, Anites.
November 23-December 2 – Fighting in the Rateniski area.
December 21 – Presentation of Guards Combat Banners to the 27th Guards Artillery Regiment, 2nd Separate Guards Engineer Battalion, 5th Separate Guards Anti-Tank Fighter Division.
December 23-25 ​​– Fighting in the Brammani area, Laugali.
December 26-30 – Fighting in the area of ​​Gergali, Yulishi.

January 1 – Corps commander Major General Kuleshov arrived at the legendary 4th Rifle Company of the 23rd Guards Rifle Regiment and presented orders and medals to the 38 distinguished guardsmen.
March 1 – The division received a greeting from the Presidium of the Supreme Council, the Council of People's Commissars and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan.
March 4 – Presentation of the Order of Suvorov II degree to the division.
March 17-28 – Heroic battles of the 19th and 30th Guards Rifle Regiments behind enemy lines. The feat of the commander of the 19th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel I.L. Shapshaeva. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
May 8 – Surrender of the enemy Courland group. The act of surrender was signed in the former customs house on the Latvian-Lithuanian border. Representatives of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, Marshals A.M., were present at the signing of the act. Vasilevsky, L.A. Govorov, commander of the 2nd Baltic Front, Marshal A.I. Eremenko.

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