84th Rifle Division

The 84th Rifle Division was a formation of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the Soviet Union. Created at Tula in 1923 as a territorial division of the Moscow Military District, it combined a permanent cadre drawn from Russian Civil War veterans with locally mobilized personnel who received periodic training. In October 1924 it became part of the 2nd Rifle Corps. Its early existence reflected the Red Army's territorial-militia system, in which local men were called up for training while a smaller permanent element maintained the formation. In July 1940 the division was converted into the 84th Motorized Division and assigned to the 3rd Mechanized Corps in the Baltic Special Military District. When Germany launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the division entered the border battles on the Northwestern Front. It suffered severe losses during the Battle of Raseiniai and the subsequent retreat through Lithuania and Belarus, losing most of its equipment. After further fighting along the Nemunas River, the depleted motorized formation was reorganized as the 84th Rifle Division in July 1941. The reconstituted division was sent to the Valday area for rebuilding and then defended positions on the Northwestern Front. It participated in the Demyansk fighting before being transferred in August 1942 to the Stalingrad Front. Under the 4th Tank Army and later the 66th Army, it took part in defensive operations intended to prevent Axis forces from breaking through toward Stalingrad. From November 1942 it served with the 24th Army of the Don Front during Operation Koltso, the Soviet operation that encircled and destroyed the German forces in the Stalingrad pocket. After the Stalingrad campaign, the division moved to the Voronezh area in April 1943 for reconstruction. It subsequently served with the 53rd Army and 5th Guards Army of the Steppe Front, and from October 1943 with the 2nd Ukrainian Front. Its later wartime operations included the Battle of Kursk, the crossing and fighting around the Dnieper, the Kirovograd and Korsun-Shevchenkovsky offensives, and the Second Jassy-Kishinev Offensive. For its role in the capture of Kharkov, it received the honorific Kharkov on 23 August 1943; it was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Late in 1944 the division joined the 20th Guards Rifle Corps of the 4th Guards Army and was temporarily placed in the reserve of Supreme High Command. In November it entered the 3rd Ukrainian Front for the Budapest Offensive. Its final operations were conducted during the Vienna Offensive in 1945. The division was disbanded in August 1945, and its personnel were used to reinforce the 21st and 93rd Rifle Divisions of the 57th Army.

The division was formed in 1923 at Tula as one of the Red Army's territorial divisions and was assigned to the Moscow Military District. Its initial cadre included veterans of the 36th Rifle Division and the 12th Red Banner Turkestan Rifle Regiment, supplemented by volunteer command personnel. The formation's first territorial training camp took place from 4 to 19 December and included mobilization of local men, marching, and simulated attacks. In October 1924 it was subordinated to the 2nd Rifle Corps. The division was reorganized in July 1940 as the 84th Motorized Division within the 3rd Mechanized Corps and transferred to the Baltic Special Military District. Major General Pyotr Fomenko assumed command. Following the German invasion in June 1941, it fought in the Northwestern Front's border battles, including the Battle of Raseiniai from 23 to 25 June. The formation lost much of its equipment and suffered heavy casualties. Its remnants retreated through Lithuania and Belarus and fought along the Nemunas before being converted back into a rifle division in July. After rebuilding at Valday, the 84th defended the area with the Northwestern Front and participated in the Demyansk Offensive. In August 1942 it was transferred to the Stalingrad Front. The division fought defensive actions under the 4th Tank Army and 66th Army, then joined the 24th Army of the Don Front for Operation Koltso, the final Soviet offensive against the encircled German forces at Stalingrad. The division moved to the Voronezh region in April 1943 for reconstruction. Fomenko moved to higher command, and Colonel Pavel Bunyashin took command, receiving promotion to major general in September. The division served with the Steppe Front's 53rd and 5th Guards Armies and later the 2nd Ukrainian Front. It fought at Kursk, in the Battle of the Dnieper, and in the Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, and Second Jassy-Kishinev offensives. Its capture of Kharkov earned it the Kharkov honorific in August 1943, followed by the Order of the Red Banner. In late 1944 it was assigned to the 20th Guards Rifle Corps of the 4th Guards Army and placed temporarily in the reserve of Supreme High Command. It joined the 3rd Ukrainian Front in November for the Budapest Offensive and later took part in the Vienna Offensive. The division was disbanded in August 1945, with its personnel transferred to the 21st and 93rd Rifle Divisions of the 57th Army.

• 1945

  Disbandment

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The division was disbanded in August, and its troops reinforced the 21st and 93rd Rifle Divisions.

• 1943

  Kharkov honorific and Red Banner award

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  Following operations around Kursk and Kharkov, the division received the Kharkov honorific on 23 August and the Order of the Red Banner the following month.

• 1942

  Stalingrad campaign

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The division transferred to the Stalingrad Front and later participated in Operation Koltso with the Don Front.

• 1941

  Border battles and reconstitution

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  After severe losses during the Raseiniai fighting and the retreat through the Baltic region and Belarus, the motorized division was reformed as the 84th Rifle Division in July.

• 1940

  Conversion to a motorized division

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  In July the formation was reorganized as the 84th Motorized Division of the 3rd Mechanized Corps.

• 1924

  Assignment to the 2nd Rifle Corps

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The division became part of the 2nd Rifle Corps in October.

• 1923

  Formation at Tula

  [1]84th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The 84th Division was established as a territorial Red Army rifle division in Tula under the Moscow Military District.

A Soviet territorial and wartime infantry formation whose identity was defined by repeated reorganization, combat reconstruction, and service in major Red Army operations from 1941 to 1945.

• 1945Vienna Offensive

  Austria

  The division participated in the final Soviet offensive that captured Vienna during the closing weeks of the war.

  Source
• 1944Budapest Offensive

  Hungary

  After joining the 3rd Ukrainian Front, the division took part in the Soviet offensive against Budapest.

  Source
• 1943Kursk and Dnieper operations

  Soviet Union

  The division fought in the Battle of Kursk and subsequent operations connected with the Soviet advance toward and across the Dnieper.

  Source
• 1942Demyansk Offensive

  Soviet Union

  The reconstituted division fought with the Northwestern Front in the Demyansk area after defending Valday.

  Source
• 1942Operation Koltso

  Stalingrad

  With the 24th Army of the Don Front, the division participated in the encirclement and destruction of Axis forces trapped at Stalingrad.

  Outcome. The Stalingrad pocket was destroyed and the campaign ended in a major Soviet victory.

  Source
• 1941Battle of Raseiniai and retreat through Lithuania and Belarus

  Lithuania · Belarus

  As the 84th Motorized Division, it fought in the Northwestern Front's opening border battles and then withdrew through Lithuania and Belarus after losing most of its equipment.

  Outcome. The depleted formation was reorganized as a rifle division in July 1941.

  Source

• 1941

  Reorganization as the 84th Rifle DivisionStrategy

  Background

  The motorized formation was severely depleted during the German invasion, the Raseiniai fighting, and the retreat through Lithuania and Belarus.

  Action taken

  The surviving formation was reorganized as the 84th Rifle Division in July.

  Aftermath

  It was withdrawn to Valday for rebuilding before returning to front-line service.

  Source

• 1940

  Conversion to motorized organizationStrategy

  Background

  Soviet military reorganization placed the division in the 3rd Mechanized Corps as the 84th Motorized Division.

  Action taken

  The rifle division was converted into a motorized division and stationed in the Baltic Special Military District.

  Aftermath

  The formation entered the 1941 border battles as a motorized unit but was later rebuilt as a rifle division after suffering catastrophic losses.

  Source

1. 184th Rifle Divisionen.wikipedia.org