Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Ivanovich Belov Col. Konstantin Alekseevich Sergeev Maj. Gen. Anton Stanislavovich Vladychanskii Col. Grigorii Leontievich Rybalka
Military unit
The 50th Guards Rifle Division was an elite infantry division of the Red Army during World War II that continued as part of the Soviet Army during the early period of the Cold War. Converted into the 50th Guards Motor Rifle Division in the late 1950s, the division was based in Brest, Belarus. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the division became part of the Belarusian Ground Forces and was reduced to a brigade and then a storage base before being disbanded in 2006.
It was formed in November, 1942 from the 2nd formation of the 124th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was in the 21st Army of Southwestern Front when it formed but soon moved to 5th Tank Army and played a leading role in the defeat of the 3rd Romanian Army in Operation Uranus. It was transferred to the 3rd Guards Army when that was formed and was under this Army as it advanced into the Donbas in late winter. In April, 1943 the division was moved again to the 51st Army in Southern Front where it was assigned to the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps, which it remained with for the duration of the war.
The division remained in the south of Ukraine into early 1944, in the 51st or later the
Belorussian Military District
and it remained in Belarus until it was reorganized as the 50th Guards Motor Rifle Division in 1957.
Formation
The 50th Guards officially received its Guards title on November 17, just two days before the start of Operation Uranus. Its subunits would not be redesignated until December 26 and fought under their old designations through most of Uranus; following that the division's order of battle would be as follows:[1]
66th Guards Antiaircraft Battery (until April 25, 1943)
54th Guards Reconnaissance Company
56th Guards Sapper Battalion
80th Guards Signal Battalion
59th Guards Medical/Sanitation Battalion
55th Guards Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company
57th Guards Motor Transport Company
53rd Guards Field Bakery
47th Guards Divisional Veterinary Hospital
566th Field Postal Station
343rd Field Office of the State Bank
Col. Aleksandr Ivanovich Belov remained in command of the division after redesignation; he had commanded the 124th since July and would be promoted to the rank of major general on November 27. Belov's division gained its Guards status in large part due to its offensive successes in the fighting for the
Don River against the 3rd Romanian Army. Beginning on the night of October 13/14 the division, along with the 14th Guards Rifle Division, began an intense probing attack against the Romanian forces which continued until the 16th. The intention was to draw German forces away from Stalingrad but not incidentally these attacks, along with another by 76th Rifle Division on October 24-27, inflicted 13,154 casualties on 3rd Army, roughly the equivalent of what the British 8th Army would suffer in the concurrent Second Battle of El Alamein.[3]
During earlier fighting in the bridgehead on October 3 Sen. Lt. Mikhail Arsentyevich Kuznetsov of the 622nd Rifle Regiment had led a group of his submachine-gunners in a successful battle in the area of Senyutkino Farm against two enemy-held bunkers. On the second day of Operation Uranus he further distinguished himself by leading his men into the rear of a retreating Romanian artillery battalion, which was soon mostly destroyed or captured, including 16 serviceable guns. Kuznetsov then directed his group to attack Sredne Tsaritsynsky Farm using the captured artillery and took it after a 15-minute fight, adding more prisoners and trophies to the total. He was personally credited with 88 killed and 64 prisoners, but also received five wounds. The journalist Ilya Ehrenburg wrote an account of this action entitled "Good morning, Guards!" On February 14, 1943 Kuznetsov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. A month later he was severely wounded and concussed and spent most of the rest of the war in political work.[4]
Operation Uranus
Shortly after redesignation the 50th Guards was moved from 21st Army to the 5th Tank Army, which would be the main shock group of Southwestern Front. Before the main offensive began on November 19 all four of the army's first-echelon rifle divisions conducted a reconnaissance-in-force with reinforced rifle battalions on the night of November 17/18. Overcoming Romanian forward security outposts and eliminating obstacles as they were encountered the division advanced nearly 2 km (1.2 mi) into the positions of Romanian 5th Infantry Division to 250 m south of the burial mound at Marker +1.2 and Hill 222, 5 km (3.1 mi) east-northeast of Kalmykovskii. This reconnaissance was effective in uncovering and removing minefields and other engineering works and identified many strongpoints in the main defensive line as well as weak spots.[5]
When the actual offensive began on November 19, the division had a strength of about 8,800 personnel, of which about 6,500 were infantry and sappers. It was stationed on the left flank of the army, between the
47th Guards and the 119th Divisions reached their second defensive position, while the 14th Guards was stalled even farther back. It was becoming apparent to the commander of 5th Tank, Lt. Gen. P. L. Romanenko, that the artillery preparation had not been as effective as planned. Accordingly he decided that if the offensive was to succeed he would have to commit his 1st and 26th Tank Corps. These corps stepped off at 1400 hours, west of the 50th Guards' sector, and effectively obliterated two regiments of the Romanian 14th Infantry Division. Meanwhile, the 216th and 19th Tank Brigades supported the division in its struggle to seize Hills 217 and 223 in a fight that lasted until 1800 hours. Thereafter the 216th and the 406th Rifle Regiment wheeled eastward and were involved in fighting in the Tsaritsa River valley by the day's end. The remainder of the division, with 19th Tanks, advanced to positions east of Hill 208, 5–7 km (3.1–4.3 mi) southeast of Klinovoi, where it faced the remnants of 14th Romanian's right-wing regiment which was now supported by a handful of tanks from the 1st Romanian Armored Division.[6]
During the first half of November 20 the 1st Tank Corps ran up against elements of the reinforcing 22nd Panzer Division. Meanwhile, 216th and 19th Tanks, supported the division and the left-wing regiment of 119th Division in containing the Romanian 5th Infantry and 1st Armored as part of an encirclement operation east of the Tsaritsa. Ultimately the Soviet force was to link up with 21st Army's 277th and 333rd Rifle Divisions advancing westward from Kletskaya. Continuing their assaults eastward and southeastward into the afternoon the two rifle divisions faced near-constant counterattacks and probes from the Romanian armor and a composite regiment made up of remnants of the 6th and 13th Romanian Infantry Divisions trying in vain to find an escape route to the southwest. 1st Armored was under orders from XXXXVIII Panzer Corps to break out and rejoin it in the Donshchinka region but was blocked by the Soviet force, backed by a 76mm tank destroyer regiment and a flamethrower tank battalion. By now the near-encircled Romanian forces had come under command of Gen. M. Lascăr, commander of the 6th Infantry.[7]
When the battle resumed on November 21 the 50th Guards was facing the northwest sector of Group Lascăr's salient, still supported by 216th Tanks along and west of the Tsaritsa while the remainder of 26th Tank Corps began exploiting towards Kalach. The division and brigade deployed along a 12 km-wide (7.5 mi) sector west of and along the river and drove eastward against the positions of Romanian 5th Infantry. After repelling several Romanian counterattacks during the morning the division crossed the Tsaritsa with two regiments, penetrated the Romanian defenses and pushed forward another 6 km (3.7 mi), roughly halfway to its objective of Golovsky. This was also the objective of the 333rd Division, and a linkup would complete the encirclement of Group Lascăr. Before this could happen the 119th and 277th Divisions joined hands to the south and achieved the same purpose. The survivors of five infantry divisions and the 1st Armored were completely enveloped by 2000 hours. The 50th Guards continued its advance which became critical as Golovsky had become the hub for supply and other operations for Group Lascăr. The 6th Romanian Infantry sent a battalion of infantry and several artillery pieces to defend the town.[8]
While the most dramatic developments on November 22 involved 5th Tank Army's mobile forces reaching Kalach, most of the remainder of the army began the liquidation of Group Lascăr. At 0230 hours General Romanenko sent a message by radio to the Romanian headquarters demanding an unconditional surrender, but this was refused. Beginning before dawn the division, with the 119th Rifle and 216th Tanks and now joined by a regiment of the
Chir River, although it would take several days to reach this objective.[9]
Battle for Chernyshevskaya
By now the main objective of 5th Tank Army was the town of Rychkovsky on the Chir. The 22nd Panzer and 1st Romanian Armored had set up a bridgehead in the Bolshaya Donshchinka and Kurtlak River regions and General Romanenko was intent on eliminating these positions. He ordered the 50th Guards, 346th and 119th Divisions with the 8th Guards and 216th Tank Brigades and the 8th Motorcycle Regiment to contend with the former, north of the Kurtlak. The attack was led on November 24 by the 346th and the mobile units at 0700 hours. The other two rifle divisions joined the fray after 22nd Panzer had withdrawn its antitank guns from Bolshaya Donshchinka leaving the Romanian Group Sion to fend for itself. By the end of the day the 50th Guards had reassembled at Perelazovsky and prepared to march south to the Chir, leaving the 119th to finish off the Sion group. By this time Romanenko was planning his measures to crack the Axis defense along that river, and the division was tentatively earmarked for the region north of Chernyshevskaya.[10]
The following day several advance elements of 5th Tank Army pursued a number of objectives along the Chir, leaving only the 437th Rifle Regiment of
47th Guards Rifle Division to defend Chernyshevskaya proper and the area to its north and south. The 3rd Romanian Army quickly ordered the remnants of 22nd Panzer and 1st Romanian Armored to counterattack and retake this town, with a force of 30 to 40 tanks and infantry mounted on up to 100 vehicles. The attack gained its goal by 1500 hours. At nightfall Romanenko ordered the 50th Guards to accelerate its march and join with the 47th Guards and the 21st Cavalry Division to recapture Chernyshevskaya by enveloping it from the north. After covering 20 km (12 mi) the division reached the Chir east and northwest of the town by midday on November 26. Deploying for action it engaged the Romanian 14th Infantry north of Chistyakovskaya and 22nd Panzer at Chernyshevskaya, recapturing it after forcing a crossing, and also seizing several nearby villages. The 622nd Rifle Regiment made the most progress, pushing 6 km (3.7 mi) west from Novosergeevka and taking Hill 188.0, 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of Stavidnyanskii. At this time the 21st Cavalry and a supporting regiment of the 47th Guards were only 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the latter village and a large part of the Romanian 14th was in danger of encirclement.[11]
To deal with this crisis the local German commander, Gen.
8th Cavalry Corps at Oblivskaya but due to incessant counterattacks it was unable to disengage until three days later. At the same time the division also relieved a regiment of the 47th Guards.[12]
Operation Little Saturn
In late November the STAVKA began planning for Operation Saturn, which was to liberate
The offensive began on December 16; by now the division was part of the 14th Rifle Corps with the 14th Guards and 203rd Rifle Divisions. It broke through the positions of the Romanian 14th Infantry southeast of Krasnokutskaya, heading for Fomin. By December 27 the 5th Tank Army was beginning to attack towards the town of Tormosin, crossing the Chir and advancing 8–10 km (5.0–6.2 mi) southwestward with its 5th Mechanized Corps and 8th Cavalry Corps and capturing Parshin Station on the rail line 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Oblivskaya. This led to a counterattack by a battlegroup of the 6th Panzer Division that, over the course of the next two days, routed the 8th Cavalry. However the 5th Mechanized had been reinforced by the 50th Guards which together managed to hold the Station and extend their hold on the railway southwestward. By this time the division was at about 50 percent of its authorized strength. 5th Tank Army's offensive was stalled and General Romanenko was relieved of his command.[14]
Into Ukraine
The 50th Guards soon returned to the direct command of 3rd Guards Army. By the beginning of February, 1943 the army held a bridgehead over the
59th Guards and 243rd Rifle Divisions and elements of 2nd Tank Corps, had liberated Voroshilovgrad.[15] After this victory the 3rd Guards and 5th Tank Armies pressed on towards Stalino, but on February 20 the German 4th and 1st Panzer Armies began the counteroffensive that would become the Third Battle of Kharkov. While this was primarily aimed at Voronezh Front, Southwestern Front also faced attacks and the overall crisis made any further Soviet advance impossible.[16] On February 28 General Belov handed his command over to Col. Konstantin Alekseevich Sergeev. Belov would go on to command the 29th Rifle Corps and the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps before he was mortally wounded on March 28, 1944 when his vehicle struck an antitank mine. He died of his injuries on April 8.[17]
In March the division was transferred to the 29th Rifle Corps, still in 3rd Guards Army, but a month later it was moved to Southern Front where it joined the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps of 51st Army.[18] At this time it was noted as having 70 percent Russian and 30 percent Asian personnel.[19] 51st Army played a minor role in the abortive July offensive to penetrate the German defenses along the Mius River, but a larger part in the renewed offensive into the Donbas that began on August 13. During that month the 3rd Guards Corps was transferred to the 5th Shock Army, still in Southern Front.[20] On September 4 Col. Anton Stanislavovich Vladychanskii took over command from Colonel Sergeev; Vladychanskii would be promoted to the rank of major general on March 19, 1944 and would lead the division for most of the rest of the war. The city of Stalino was liberated on September 8 and the division earned an honorific:
STALINO... 50th Guards Rifle Division (Colonel Vladychanskii, Anton Stanislavovich)... The troops who participated in the liberation of the Donbas region, and the city of Stalino, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 8 September 1943, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns.[21]
Lower Dniepr Offensive
During the rest of September Southern Front, with 5th Shock on its right (north) flank, forced the German
Zaporozhe to Melitopol. On October 9 the Front (renamed 4th Ukrainian on October 20) renewed its offensive on both sides of the latter city. The 51st Army's battle for Melitopol lasted until October 23 after which 6th Army was in a near rout across the Nogay Steppe. The larger part of its forces fell back to form a bridgehead east of the Dniepr south of Nikopol with the 5th Shock and 2nd Guards Armies in pursuit. During November substantial German reserves were moved into the bridgehead in anticipation of an offensive to restore communications with Crimea, which had been cut off by the remainder of 4th Ukrainian Front. This came to nothing in the face of Soviet threats elsewhere, but the bridgehead remained strongly held.[22]
Nikopol-Krivoi Rog Offensive
A cold wave in the first week of January, 1944 firmed up the ground enough for the 4th and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to begin moving against the remaining German positions in the Dniepr bend. 3rd Ukrainian began its assault on January 10, but this had largely failed by the 13th. On the same day the 4th Ukrainian attacked the bridgehead but made minimal gains before both Fronts called a halt on January 16. The offensive was renewed on January 30 against a bridgehead weakened by transfers and 4th Ukrainian drove a deep wedge into its south end. On February 4 the German 6th Army ordered the bridgehead to be evacuated.[23] On February 13 the 50th Guards was awarded its first Order of the Red Banner for its part in the battle for the Nikopol bridgehead.[24]
During February 5th Shock Army was transferred to 3rd Ukrainian Front.
Nikolayev, which Hitler had designated as a "fortress" on March 8.[26] Nikolayev was finally liberated on March 28 and on April 1 the division was decorated with the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Degree, for its role in the fighting.[27] Immediately following this victory the 3rd Guards Corps was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and assigned to the 28th Army.[28]