22nd Motor Rifle Division (After 2010) 58th Motor Rifle Division 58th Rifle Division 344th Rifle Division (1941β55) | |
---|---|
Active | 1941β1990s Since June 1992 |
Country | Soviet Union Turkmenistan |
Branch | Red Army (1941-1946) Soviet Army (1946-1991) Turkmen Ground Forces (1991-present) |
Type | Division |
Role | Motor rifle |
Garrison/HQ | Serdar |
Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
Battle honours | Roslavl |
The 22nd Motor Rifle Division named for Atamyrat Niyazov (Military Unit Number 01123) is a division of the Turkmenistan Ground Forces. It traces its history to the 344th Rifle Division (Russian: 344-Ρ ΡΡΡΠ΅Π»ΠΊΠΎΠ²Π°Ρ Π΄ΠΈΠ²ΠΈΠ·ΠΈΡ), an infantry division of the Red Army and the Soviet Ground Forces during World War II and the Cold War.
History
World War II
The division was formed in the Baryshsky and Kuzovatovsky Districts of Ulyanovsk Oblast between August and October 1941 in accordance with an 11 August decree of the State Defense Committee. It was part of the operational army from 2 December of that year to the end of the war on 9 May 1945. Its basic order of battle was as follows:
- 1152nd Rifle Regiment
- 1154th Rifle Regiment
- 1156th Rifle Regiment
- 913th Artillery Regiment
In November 1941, in accordance with Direction number 55 of the Stavka and commander of the 26th Army Reserve op/2999 number from 25 November 1941, the division was loaded onto trains at Cheboksary and shipped to Noginsk, and then to Lyubertsy where it was manned and received weapons.
In December the 344th was assigned to the Moscow Defense Zone as part of the last-ditch defenses of the capital. It first went into combat in January 1942, in the 50th Army of Western Front. It remained in this Army until April 1943, when it was moved to the 49th Army in the same Front. It took part in Operation Suvorov under this command, and on 28 August made probing attacks against the German Gruppe Harpe to prevent the transfer of reserves; by three days later the division had suffered 2,000 casualties, about one-third of its strength. On 25 September it was awarded the battle honor Roslavl in recognition of its part in the liberation of that city. On 29 September the division recaptured Mstsislaw. In April 1944 it was again reassigned, this time to the 62nd Rifle Corps of 33rd Army in 2nd Belorussian Front, and fought under these headquarters during Operation Bagration. It was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 10 July 1944, for its role in the forcing of the Pronya and Dniepr Rivers and the liberation of the cities of Mogilev, Shklov and Bykhov in the first phase of Operation Bagration. In August it went into the reserves of 1st Baltic Front, and from September 1944 until February 1945 it served in the 19th Rifle Corps of 43rd Army in that Front, along the coast of Lithuania. From at least October 1944, it had attached the 18th SU Battalion of SU-76s in addition to its organic battalion of towed anti-tank guns. During the last months of the war the 344th was part of the force containing the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket, and it ended the war in the 1st Rifle Corps of the 1st Shock Army in the Kurland Group of Leningrad Front. On 5 April 1945, the 1154th Rifle Regiment was separately awarded the Red Banner for its role in the capture of KlaipΔda (Memel).
Divisional commanders
The following officers commanded the division during World War II:
- Colonel Mikhail Pudofeyevich Glushkov (7 September 1941 β 24 February 1942)
- Colonel Pyotr Kirillovich Zhivalev (26 February 1942 β 21 February 1943)
- Colonel Mikhail Trofimovich Ilyin (28 February β 5 June 1943)
- Major General Mikhail Andreyevich Pronin (8 June 1943 β 5 August 1943)
- Colonel Vitaly Kuzmich Strakhov (6 August 1943 β 12 April 1944)
- Colonel (promoted to Major General 20 April 1945) Georgy Ivanovich Druzhinin (13 April 1944 - after 9 May 1945)
Postwar
During September and October 1945, the 344th was relocated to Kushka in the Turkestan Military District with the 1st Shock Army's 1st Rifle Corps. The division was later moved to Kyzyl-Arvat. In April 1955, it was renumbered as the 58th Rifle Division. On 25 June 1957, it became the 58th Motor Rifle Division, and around the same time the 1st Rifle Corps became the 1st Army Corps. The division was directly subordinated to the district in 1970 when the corps transferred to Kazakhstan. Michael Holm's research indicates the division comprised the 160th Motor Rifle Regiment (73806) - Kazandzhike (BMP-1), the 161st Motor Rifle Regiment (73884) - Kyzyl-Arvat (BTR-60), the 162nd Motor Rifle Regiment (14142) - Nebit-Dag (trucks), and the 231st Tank Regiment (61631) - Kazandzhike (T-55), plus artillery and the other customary units of a motor rifle division. At the time, it carried the Military Unit Number 29435. In the spring of 1982, the division became part of the new 36th Army Corps. 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.
Fall of the Soviet Union
In June 1992 the division became part of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. By the early 2000s the 58th had become the 22nd Motor Rifle Division "Atamyrat Niyazov," and Kyzyl-Arvat had been renamed Serdar. It has also been believed to have been referred to as the 84th Motorized Rifle Division named after Saparmurat Niyazov. From 1997-2002, Begench Beknazarov served as deputy division commander, a position he would serve in until he was sent into hiding following the November 2002 attack on the president's life.
Present day
It is named after Atamyrat Niyazov, the father of former President Saparmurat Niyazov, in July 2004. In May 2005, it took part in the comprehensive military exercises called Kuwwatly Watan (Strong Motherland) at the Kelyata Training Center. On 21 August 2008, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the unit, where he inspected its equipment, including infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. He also presented the division with 20 Kamaz trucks and took part in the underwater exercises of tank crews. Like many military units, it has often been accepted that commanders extort bribes for an early demobilization of conscripts.
In June 2017, officers from the division were accused of spreading "non-traditional Islam". The accusation was based on an investigation at the end of April of that year by the Ministry for National Security, as a result of which 12 senior and junior officers were sentenced to terms of 10 to 15 years in prison. The investigation stemmed from a complaint by a recruit who was forced to take off the aladja (Turkmen amulet) by senior soldiers of the unit, who also warned that he was obliged to go to evening meetings where the company commander would talks about "true Islam". In the course of the investigation, more than 70 people were detained, with many of the rank and file being sent to serve on the AfghanistanβTurkmenistan border.
Notes
- "ΠΡΡ Π°Π±Π°Π΄Π° Π² Π²ΠΎΠΉΡΠΊΠ°Ρ Π°ΡΡΠΈΠ»Π»Π΅ΡΠΈΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΡΠ»Π΅. ΠΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ ΠΌΠΈΡΠ°".
- Charles C. Sharp, "Red Tide", Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. IX, Nafziger, 1996, p. 85
- ^ Sharp, "Red Tide", p. 85
- Robert Forczyk, Smolensk 1943: The Red Army's Relentless Advance, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2019, Kindle ed.
- "ΠΡΠ²ΠΎΠ±ΠΎΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π³ΠΎΡΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ²". www.soldat.ru. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- Megargee 2009, p. 1707.
- Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967a, p. 385.
- Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1967b, p. 38.
- Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union 1964, p. 271.
- Feskov et al 2013, p. 151.
- Feskov et al 2013, pp. 537β538.
- Feskov et al 2013, p. 554.
- ^ Michael Holm. "58th Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- Feskov et al 2013, pp. 549β550.
- "ΠΠΎΠΎΡΡΠΆΠ΅Π½Π½ΡΠ΅ ΡΠΈΠ»Ρ Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ" [Army of Turkemenistan] (in Russian). Vad777. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- "ΠΠΈΠ»ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΠΈΠ·Π°ΡΠΈΡ ΠΈ ΡΠ»Π°Π±ΡΠ΅ Π·Π²Π΅Π½ΡΡ ΠΊΠ°ΡΠΏΠΈΠΉΡΠΊΠΎΠΉ Π±Π΅Π·ΠΎΠΏΠ°ΡΠ½ΠΎΡΡΠΈ. Π§Π°ΡΡΡ II, - Π.ΠΠ½ΡΠ·Π΅Π²". centrasia.org. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "ΠΠΎΡΡΠ°Π» ΠΎ Π€ΡΠΎΠ½ΡΠΎΠ²ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ ". www.pobeda1945.su. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "Π‘ΠΏΠΈΡΠΎΠΊ ΠΈΡΡΠ΅Π·Π½ΡΠ²ΡΠΈΡ Π² ΡΡΡΡΠΌΠ°Ρ Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π°" (PDF). 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2021.
- "Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½/Π ΠΎΡΡΠΈΡ: ΠΏΠΎΠΊΠ° Π½Π΅ ΡΡΠ½ΠΎ, ΠΎΠ±Π»Π΅Π³ΡΠΈΡ Π»ΠΈ "ΠΏΠΎΠΊΠ°ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ΅" ΠΠΎΡΠΈΡΠ° Π¨ΠΈΡ ΠΌΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΎΠ²Π° ΡΡΠ΄ΡΠ±Ρ Π΅Π³ΠΎ ΡΠΎΠ΄ΡΡΠ²Π΅Π½Π½ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ² | ΠΡΠ°Π²ΠΎΠ·Π°ΡΠΈΡΠ½ΡΠΉ ΡΠ΅Π½ΡΡ "ΠΠ΅ΠΌΠΎΡΠΈΠ°Π»"". memohrc.org. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- "ΠΠΠΠΠ‘Π’Π Π½Π° REDSTARe".
- "Π‘Π΅ΠΌΡ ΠΌΠΎΡΠΎΡΡΡΠ΅Π»ΠΊΠΎΠ²ΡΡ Π΄ΠΈΠ²ΠΈΠ·ΠΈΠΉ ΠΈ Π±ΡΠΈΠ³Π°Π΄ ΠΠΎΠΎΡΡΠΆΠ΅Π½Π½ΡΡ Π‘ΠΈΠ» Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΡΡΠ°Π»ΠΈ ΠΈΠΌΠ΅Π½Π½ΡΠΌΠΈ". Π ΠΠ ΠΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡΡΠΈ (in Russian). 12 July 2004. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "Turkmenistan conducts comprehensive military-tactical exercises | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Turkmen army demonstrates military skills to Turkmen president | Turkmenistan.ru".
- "ΠΠ·ΡΡΠΊΠΈ Π·Π° Π΄Π΅ΠΌΠΎΠ±ΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ·Π°ΡΠΈΡ. ΠΡΠΎΠ±Π΅Π½Π½ΠΎΡΡΠΈ ΡΠ»ΡΠΆΠ±Ρ Π² ΡΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΡΠΊΠΎΠΉ Π°ΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ". Π Π°Π΄ΠΈΠΎ ΠΠ·Π°ΡΠ»ΡΠΊ (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "Π Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π΅ Π½Π°ΡΠ°ΡΠ° Π±ΠΎΡΡΠ±Π° Ρ "Π½Π΅ΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΡΠΌ ΠΈΡΠ»Π°ΠΌΠΎΠΌ"". ΠΠΎΠ²Π°Ρ ΠΠΏΠΎΡ Π° (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2020.; "Π Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π΅ Π°ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π»ΠΈ 12 ΠΎΡΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΎΠ² Π°ΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ Π·Π° ΡΠ°ΡΠΏΡΠΎΡΡΡΠ°Π½Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π½Π΅ΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΈΡΠ»Π°ΠΌΠ°, - Π‘ΠΠ". centralasia.media. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2020.; "Π Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π΅ Π°ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π»ΠΈ 12 ΠΎΡΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΎΠ² Π°ΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ Π·Π° ΠΈΡΠΏΠΎΠ²Π΅Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π½Π΅ΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΈΡΠ»Π°ΠΌΠ°". Π₯ΡΠΎΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠ° Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π° (in Russian). 25 June 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2020.; "Π Π’ΡΡΠΊΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡΡΠ°Π½Π΅ Π°ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π»ΠΈ 12 ΠΎΡΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΎΠ² Π°ΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ, ΠΊΠΎΡΠΎΡΡΠ΅ ΠΏΡΠΈΠ΄Π΅ΡΠΆΠΈΠ²Π°Π»ΠΈΡΡ "Π½Π΅ΡΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΈΡΠ»Π°ΠΌΠ°"". ΠΠ·ΠΎΠ΄Π°Π³ΠΎΠ½ (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2020.
References
- Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1967a). Π‘Π±ΠΎΡΠ½ΠΈΠΊ ΠΏΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π·ΠΎΠ² Π ΠΠ‘Π , Π ΠΠ‘ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π , ΠΠΠ ΠΈ Π£ΠΊΠ°Π·ΠΎΠ² ΠΡΠ΅Π·ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΡΠΌΠ° ΠΠ΅ΡΡ
ΠΎΠ²Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π‘ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΠ° Π‘Π‘Π‘Π ΠΎ Π½Π°Π³ΡΠ°ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΎΡΠ΄Π΅Π½Π°ΠΌΠΈ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π ΡΠ°ΡΡΠ΅ΠΉ, ΡΠΎΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈΠΉ ΠΈ ΡΡΡΠ΅ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ ΠΠ‘ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π . Π§Π°ΡΡΡ I. 1920β1944 Π³Π³ [Collection of orders of the RVSR, RVS USSR and NKO on awarding orders to units, formations and establishments of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Part I. 1920β1944] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1967b). Π‘Π±ΠΎΡΠ½ΠΈΠΊ ΠΏΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π·ΠΎΠ² Π ΠΠ‘Π , Π ΠΠ‘ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π , ΠΠΠ ΠΈ Π£ΠΊΠ°Π·ΠΎΠ² ΠΡΠ΅Π·ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΡΠΌΠ° ΠΠ΅ΡΡ
ΠΎΠ²Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π‘ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΠ° Π‘Π‘Π‘Π ΠΎ Π½Π°Π³ΡΠ°ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΎΡΠ΄Π΅Π½Π°ΠΌΠΈ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π ΡΠ°ΡΡΠ΅ΠΉ, ΡΠΎΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈΠΉ ΠΈ ΡΡΡΠ΅ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ ΠΠ‘ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π . Π§Π°ΡΡΡ II. 1945β1966 Π³Π³ [Collection of orders of the RVSR, RVS USSR and NKO on awarding orders to units, formations and establishments of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Part II. 1945β1966] (PDF) (in Russian). Moscow. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). ΠΠΎΠΎΡΡΠΆΠ΅Π½Π½ΡΠ΅ ΡΠΈΠ»Ρ Π‘Π‘Π‘Π ΠΏΠΎΡΠ»Π΅ ΠΡΠΎΡΠΎΠΉ ΠΠΈΡΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΉ Π²ΠΎΠΉΠ½Ρ: ΠΎΡ ΠΡΠ°ΡΠ½ΠΎΠΉ ΠΡΠΌΠΈΠΈ ΠΊ Π‘ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΊΠΎΠΉ [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.
- Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1964). ΠΠΎΠΌΠ°Π½Π΄ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΊΠΎΡΠΏΡΡΠ½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΈ Π΄ΠΈΠ²ΠΈΠ·ΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π·Π²Π΅Π½Π° ΡΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΊΠΈΡ Π²ΠΎΠΎΡΡΠΆΠ΅Π½Π½ΡΡ ΡΠΈΠ» ΠΏΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΎΠ΄Π° ΠΠ΅Π»ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠΉ ΠΡΠ΅ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ²Π΅Π½Π½ΠΎΠΉ Π²ΠΎΠΉΠ½Ρ 1941 β 1945 Π³Π³ [Commanders of Corps and Divisions in the Great Patriotic War, 1941β1945] (in Russian). Moscow: Frunze Military Academy.
- Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2009). Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933β1945. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253003508.