344th Rifle Division
| 344th Rifle Division 1941-~1957 58th Motor Rifle Division ~1957-1990s | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941-present |
| Country | Soviet Union, Russia |
| Branch | Russian Ground Forces |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Motor rifle |
The 344th Rifle Division was a military formation of the Soviet Armed Forces that served in the Great Patriotic War.
The division was formed in Barishskie, Kuzovatovsky District, Ulyanovsk Oblast, from August to October 1941 by Decree number 459 of GKO 08/11/1941. It was part of the 'operational army' from 02.12.1941 to 09.05.1945.
In November 1941, in accordance with Direction number 55 of the Stavka and commander of the 26th Army Reserve op/2999 number from November 25, 1941, the division was loaded onto trains at Cheboksary and shipped to Noginsk, and then to Lyubertsy where it was manned and received weapons.
The division gained the honorifics 'Roslavl Red Banner' during the war, was seemingly renamed the 58th Motor Rifle Division around 1957.[1] Michael Holm's research indicates the division comprised the 160 Motor Rifle Regiment (73806) - Kazandzhike (BMP-1), the 161 Motor Rifle Regiment (73884) - Kyzyl-Arvat (BTR-60), the 162 Motor Rifle Regiment (14142) - Nebit-Dag (trucks), and the 231 Tank Regiment (61631) - Kazandzhike (T-55), plus artillery and the other normal units of a motor rifle division.[2] Carey Schofield's Inside the Soviet Army, Headline, 1991, p.117, says the division's regiments in 1989 were 254 strong (MRR BTR), 256 strong (MRR BMP) and 210 (tank regiment), and was under the command of Acting Commander Colonel Mishin.
In June 1992 the division became part of the Military of Turkmenistan.
References
- ↑ V.I. Feskov et al 2013, Table 4.1.5, 151.
- ↑ Michael Holm. "58th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
- Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.
- Michael Holm, 58th Motor Rifle Division
