696th Infantry Regiment. Museum Exhibition

⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ★ Subordination ★

07/30/1941 Reserve Front 33rd Army (USSR)

10/10/1941 Western Front 49th Army (USSR)

01.1942 Bryansk Front 3rd Army (USSR)

⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ★ Command ★

07/02/1941 - 09/26/1941 Major General Pronin Nikolai Nilovich
10/16/1941 - 11/13/1941 Colonel Kalinin Vasily Ivanovich
11/14/1941 - 11/07/1942 Colonel Zashibalov Mikhail Arsentievich
08.11.1942 - 27.08.1943 Colonel from 31.03.1943 Major General Klyaro Ignatius Vikentievich
08/29/1943 - 03/25/1944 regiment. Bogoyavlensky Alexander Viktorovich
03/29/1944 - 03/14/1945 Major General Viktor Georgievich Chernov
03/15/1945 - 05/09/1945 regiment. Ivanov Georgy Stepanovich

⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ★ Division history ★

The division was created on September 26, 1941 by renaming the 1st Moscow Rifle Division of the People's Militia (Leninsky District).
It was part of the 33rd Army of the Reserve Front. On August 26, the 1283rd Infantry Regiment was sent to the 24th Army on the Desna River, to replace the 100th Infantry Division, which had been withdrawn to reserve. The remaining units remained in the second echelon near Spas-Demensk. The 1283rd regiment of the division was one of the first to meet the Typhoon, already on October 2. The further fate of the regiment is unknown. The remaining units of the division fought in encirclement north of the city of Spas-Demensk, Kaluga Region, from October 3, 1941. Some rear units of the division (the entire medical battalion) emerged from the encirclement.
In November, the division was replenished with the remnants of the 303rd Infantry Division, and the 875th Howitzer Artillery Regiment was included in its composition. The division was transferred to the city of Serpukhov to cover the gap created after the fall of Kaluga. During stubborn positional battles, the division lost a significant part of its strength. On November 14, only 470 active bayonets remained in the entire division, the 969 artillery regiment did not have a single serviceable gun, and the 71 separate anti-tank fighter division had only two 76 mm guns. On December 21, the division launched a counteroffensive in the direction of Maloyaroslavets.
On January 1, 1942, the 60th Division was transferred to the General Headquarters reserve. In January 1942, the division was transferred to the Bryansk Front.
Subsequently it was part of the Belorussian and 2nd Belorussian fronts. In August 1943, for the successful operation to liberate Sevsk, it received the honorary name “Sevskaya”.
In February 1945, it was given the honorary name “Warsaw”
At the end of the Great Patriotic War, the division became part of the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany.
The division was formed in the Leninsky district of Moscow from volunteers aged 17 to 55 years, who were not subject to conscription and were not employed in the defense industry.
In the first two days, 12 thousand people joined the militia. Volunteers from the largest enterprises in the region joined the division: the Krasny Proletary machine tool plant, the Sergo Ordzhonikidze machine tool plant, the 2nd ball bearing plant, the carburetor plant, the ENIMS plant, HPP No. 2, the Lift plant, the Glavpoligrafmash plant, the 1st taxi fleet, People's Commissariat of Tsvetmet, People's Commissariat of Motor Transport, confectionery factory "Red October" and others. Teachers and scientists from the institutes came: Mining, Steel and Alloys, Oil, Textile and a number of institutes of the Academy of Sciences. Subsequently, it was also replenished from residents of the Sokolnichesky district of Moscow and the Orekhovo-Zuevsky and Leninsky districts of the Moscow region. The commander of the division, as well as the commanders of regiments, artillery divisions and most battalions, became career military personnel.
The division was formed from July 2 to July 7 at the Moscow Mining Institute, on Bolshaya Kaluzhskaya Street. At dawn, on July 9, 1941, units of the division marched through the streets of the capital, heading to the construction area of ​​defensive structures near Moscow. In mid-July, the division made the transition along the Medyn - Yukhnov - Spas-Demensk route.
On July 30, 1941, it became part of the 33rd Army of the Reserve Front. Major General Nikolai Nilovich Pronin was appointed commander. The division initially included the 2nd and 3rd rifle regiments, the 1st reserve rifle regiment, a transport company, 3 artillery divisions (45 mm, 76 mm and 152 mm guns), a reconnaissance company, a sapper company, a medical battalion, Automotive company, NKVD platoon. On August 11, the division was reorganized according to the staff of the NKO rifle division and its composition became as follows: 1281st, 1283rd, 1285th rifle regiments, 969th artillery regiment, 71st separate anti-tank fighter division, 468th reconnaissance company, 696th engineer battalion, 857th communications battalion, 491st medical battalion, etc.
On August 15, the division was assigned to the active army as the 60th Infantry Division.
Memory
On the facade of the building of the Moscow Mining Institute at Leninsky Prospekt, 6, there is a memorial plaque reminiscent of the formation of the 1st Moscow Rifle Division of the Leninsky District People's Militia here in July 1941. The monument was created on the initiative, with funds and by the efforts of students and teachers of two capital universities - the Moscow Mining Institute and the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys.
There are several museums whose exhibitions are dedicated to the history of the division, including in Kremenki, Protvino and Lyceum No. 1561 (formerly school No. 1693) in Moscow.
The Museum of Military Glory of the 60th Sevsko-Warsaw Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division has existed for more than 30 years, since May 1984. It was created by veterans at the site of the formation of the first division of the people's militia of the Leninsky district of Moscow. Now this is the Yasenevo district. All these years, the museum has been continuously developing and adding new exhibits. The museum has a Certificate and Certificate of Compliance with the status of MUSEUM OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
The Lyceum Museum is an integral part of the regional “Path of Memory and Glory” and is part of the MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL COMPLEX, which also includes:
-Monument to the defenders of Moscow -military weapon - howitzer and
-A memorial plaque on the Lyceum building in memory of the formation of the First Division of the People's Militia in our area;
According to the results of the competition of military history museums, our museum takes first place in the region.

The history of the people's militia division is an integral part of the history of the country
The division graduated from the Great Patriotic War with the honorary name of the Sixtieth Sevsko-Warsaw Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division.

She marched from Moscow to Berlin with bloody battles, becoming a model of courage,
and loyalty to the Fatherland.
In the battles in the Serpukhov direction, the division did not retreat a single step and thwarted the Nazis’ plans to encircle and destroy the city of Tula.
For 72 days the enemy tried to break through our defenses, capture Serpukhov and cut off the roads to Moscow.
Already on December 17, 1941, units of the division went on the offensive.
During the Battle of Moscow, the fighters gained combat experience, which allowed them to defeat the Nazis on their territory.

The name SEVSKAYA was awarded for the capture of the city of Sevsk
Name WARSAW - for the liberation of Warsaw
In August 1944, the division was awarded the Order of SUVOROV

For courage and heroism
more than 10,000 soldiers were awarded military decorations,
and 40 people became
HEROES OF THE SOVIET UNION
Our museum contains fragments of military equipment given to us by participants in the battles and their relatives. The museum's exposition allows it to be used for training sessions, lyceums and city events, together with the Council of Veterans of our region.
We remember those who gave their lives to save our Motherland
and gave us the opportunity to live and learn.

Plan:

Introduction

• 1. History
• 2 Composition
• 3 Insignia
• 4 Personnel
Notes

Introduction

Memorial plaque in Donetsk on the building of the Franko Palace of Culture, which housed the headquarters of the 696th Infantry Regiment of the 383rd Division in August 1941

Memorial plaque in Donetsk on the Philharmonic building located on Lenin Square, which housed the division headquarters in September 1941

383rd Rifle Division (383rd Miner Rifle Division, 383rd Donbass Volunteer Division, 383 sd ) - a formation of the Red Army of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

383sd was formed by GKO Resolution No. 506 c dated August 18, 1941, mainly from Donbass miners. Because of this, the division received the popular name “miner”. Over time, the division’s personnel were significantly updated and it began to consist not only of Donbass miners.

The right to command the newly created divisions went to people who knew both the theory and practice of military art - graduates of the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze, Heroes of the Soviet Union, Colonel K.I. Provalov, Lieutenant Colonel A.I. Petrakovsky and D.I. Zinoviev ( sd № 383 , 393 and 395, respectively). So, on August 20, 1941, they were summoned to the command and control department of the People's Commissariat of Defense. In the conversation, the head of the department, Major General A.D. Rumyantsev announced that they were entrusted with command of rifle divisions. At the same time, the following was emphasized: “Make sure that the military registration and enlistment offices provide trained enlisted personnel: Red Army soldiers, detached commanders, platoon commanders and foremen - all, I emphasize, should all be appointed from among those who served in the Red Army at most three years ago. You will receive regular command staff.”

Defense of DonBass and the city of Stalino in 1941. 383 sd, Donetsk. Story. Events. Data.

The division, together with other formations and units, fought defensive battles for Donbass and held the front on Mius. The division also took part in battles from Stalingrad to Berlin and was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree, and the Order of the Red Banner.

The division was commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Konstantin Ivanovich Provalov, a graduate of the Military Academy named after. M. V. Frunze, who was later awarded the rank of major general. Senior battalion commissar M.S. was appointed division commissar. Korpyak, Lieutenant Colonel P.I. was appointed chief of staff. Skachkov.

In the active army, periods 10/08/1941 - 09/01/1944, 10/19/1944 - 05/09/1945.

Full name of the division at the end of the war: 383rd Feodosia-Brandenburg Red Banner Order of Suvorov 2nd class rifle division .

1. History

The formation of the division took place at the 6-bis mine in Stalino. When the division was formed, 6 special detachments for the destruction of tanks, created by the Stalino Komsomol city committee, were included in its composition. Especially for the division, the production of grenades and mines was urgently launched in Stalino.

Formation 383 sd, 18th Army, Southern Front went according to plan. The division was well armed and had well-trained Red Army personnel; two of the three commanders of its rifle regiments had combat experience in the first two months of the Great Patriotic War. The division commander himself, Colonel Provalov, in addition to the academy, had experience of fighting on the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929, and in 1938 on Lake Khasan.

"The division was formed in 35 days. Among the Red Army soldiers, communists and Komsomol members made up 10%. We were well dressed and provided with food. Everyone was wearing overcoats and boots. But the most important thing is that they are well armed. Rifle regiments were given 54 heavy machine guns. There were 162 of them in the division. The anti-aircraft division received twelve 37-mm anti-aircraft automatic guns. The artillery was in factory lubricant and packaging. 80% of the personnel performed shooting from personal weapons with “good” and “excellent” marks.

K.I. Provalov, On the fire of the front lines, M., Voenizdat, 1981, pp. 3-4, 12-13.

The formation, training and coordination of units and subunits of the division ended in September 1941.

On September 30, 1941, the 383rd Miner's Rifle Division became part of the 18th Army of the Southern Front and, having completed the forced march "Selidovo - Krasnoarmeysk", occupied the defensive line "Grishino - Solntsevo - Trudovaya".

October 13th 383 sd occupies a defense zone 50 km wide (which is 2-3 times greater than the recommendations of the Red Army Infantry Combat Manual). The division received its baptism of fire the very next day. 14th October 383 sd entered into battle with an enemy group consisting of the 4th German Mountain Division and the Italian cavalry division "Caesar" (Italian: "Cesare"). On the same day, the division completely destroys the regiment of the "Royal Musketeers", an Italian cavalry division, in a firebag. During the 5 days that the division held the line, 3,000 Germans and Italians were destroyed, in turn, its own losses amounted to 1,500 killed. All this despite the complete dominance of the Germans in the air. The division could have held the defense line longer, but on October 18, headquarters 383 sd received an order from army headquarters to withdraw.

“The width of the defense at the new line was no less than at the first, and I frankly did not understand the meaning of this retreat.”

K.I. Provalov, On the fire of the front lines, M., Voenizdat, 1981.

From October 15 to October 22, 1941, the division held the defense of Stalino and destroyed 30 tanks, 4 mortar and 2 artillery batteries, 16 heavy machine guns, and more than 5,000 enemy soldiers and officers. On October 22, 1941, the Germans nevertheless entered Stalino, and the division destroyed another 1,500 enemy soldiers and officers.

“During the battles in Donbass, we did not lack shells, mines, hand grenades, or cartridges.”

K.I. Provalov, On the fire of the front lines, M., Voenizdat, 1981

At the beginning of November 1941, the front stopped at Mius and Seversky Donets. Along the Mius, on the approaches to the city of Krasny Luch, the 383rd Infantry Division took up defensive positions, and further south along the river - the 395th Infantry Division. Then the division took up defensive positions in the Donsk - Bataysk area.

The following characteristics of the division's actions have been preserved in archival documents:

It should be especially emphasized that during the battles in the summer of 1942 on the Don and Kuban, the 383rd Infantry Division never retreated from its positions without an order from the command, and stood on its lines to the end, serving as an example of selfless courage and perseverance for the remaining formations of the 18th. th army.

The division repeatedly distinguished itself in battles in the Caucasus. Near Shaumyan, the division stopped the enemy group advancing towards Tuapse.

At the beginning of 1943, the division fought in the Novorossiysk area. On November 7, 1943, the division took part in crossing the Kerch Strait and landing troops near Kerch. In April 1944, the war divisions liberated Feodosia and approached Sevastopol. In May 1944, a division consisting of the 16th Rifle Corps, the Black Sea Group, and the Transcaucasian Front liberated Crimea.

In January 1945, the 383rd Miner Rifle Division was included in the 33rd Army of the First Belorussian Front. As part of this army, the division fought in Poland and Germany and crossed the Oder River. On May 2, 1945, the division as part of the 33rd Army fought for Berlin.

2. Composition

August - September 1941, Stalino's deployment:

• Management (headquarters);
• 149th Infantry Regiment (149 joint venture)?;
• 694th Infantry Regiment (694 joint venture);
• 696th Infantry Regiment (696 joint venture);
• 690th separate anti-aircraft artillery division (690 back);

From January 18, 1942: 691, 694 and 696 joint venture, 966up, 28oiptd, (from January 18, 1942), 450 zenbatr (690back) – until 1.4.43, 465 pp, 684sapb, 854obs (425ors), 488medical battalion, 481orhz, 304atr, 257php, 827dvl, 1414pps, 761pkg.

• Management (headquarters);
• 691st Infantry Regiment;
• 694th Infantry Regiment;
• 696th Infantry Regiment;
• Personnel - 4225;
• Light and heavy machine guns - 204;
• Total guns and mortars - 87;
  • Mortars - 46;
    • 82 mm - 36;
    • 120 mm - 10;
  • Guns - 41;
    • 45 mm - 15;
    • 76 mm - 22;
    • 122 mm - 4;

3. Insignia

2. Young, recently formed from Donbass miners 383 sd, in the battle of October 16, 1941, while repelling the enemy’s offensive, she showed examples of steadfastness and courage. Having repelled repeated attacks by the enemy and inflicted significant losses on him in this battle, the division captured trophies: one gun, several machine guns, motorcycles, and captured prisoners, including officers.

Noting the skillful leadership of the battle and the brave actions of the group of Colonel Kolosov and 383 sd, I order:

A) Declare gratitude from the Military Council of the front to all personnel who participated in these battles, and especially distinguished fighters, commanders and political workers, the commander of the motorized group and the commander 383 sd submit for a government award.

B) The order is announced in all companies, batteries, squadrons and teams.

Commander of the Southern Front, Colonel General Cherevichenko, member of the Military Council Korniets, Chief of Staff of the Southern Front, Major General Antonov.

Order of the Commander of the Southern Front

• The honorary name for the liberation of Feodosia is “Feodosia”.
• Honorary title for the successful invasion of the Brandenburg region of Germany - “Brandenburg”;
• Order of the Red Banner, for especially skillful and decisive actions in the defeat of the enemy Taman group, order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR No. 31, October 9, 1943.

For the victory in the Crimea, the title “Feodosia” was added to the name of the 383rd Infantry Division; for the successful invasion of the Brandenburg region of Germany, the title “Brandenburg” was added to it. Now it began to be called Feodosia-Brandenburg, and its three rifle regiments - Sevastopol.

4. Personnel

• Kostyrina, Tatyana Ignatovna - Hero of the Soviet Union, sniper, junior sergeant;
• Laptev, Konstantin Yakovlevich - Hero of the Soviet Union;

Notes

1. Defense of DonBass and the city of Stalino in 1941. 383 sd, Donetsk. Story. Events. Data. - infodon.org.ua/stalino/197
2. The Great Slandered War - liewar.ru/content/view/97/3/
3. 1 2 Active army. Lists of troops. List No. 5. Rifle, mountain rifle, motorized rifle and motorized divisions. - tashv.nm.ru/Perechni_voisk/Perechen_05_01.html
4. 1 2 3 K.I. Provalov, On the fire of the front lines, M., Voenizdat, 1981, pp. 3-4, 12-13.
5. 1 2 3 4 graves, Krasny Luch - krluch.org/content/view/312/44/Brotherly
6. TsAMO. F. 1. Op. 71398. D. 1. L. 96. Quote from the book: Dunaev P. M.“Star and cross of the battalion commander” - M.: ZAO Tsentrpoligraf, 2007 ISBN 978-5-9524-2596-5
7. 1 2 Breakthrough of enemy defenses by the 16th Rifle Corps of the Primorsky Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front in the Sevastopol offensive operation in May 1944, Militera - militera.lib.ru/science/sb_proryv_oborony/05.html
8. Luhansk region: chronicle of victory - www.loga.gov.ua/calendar/glory/war-chronicles/
9. 1 2 3 Saga of the Donbass regiments - infodon.org.ua/stalino/418
10. Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR No. 31, October 9, 1943 - grachev62.narod.ru/stalin/orders/chapt031.htm

IN Asiliev Nikandr Vasilievich - commander of a fire platoon of an artillery battery of 45-mm cannons of the 696th Infantry Regiment (383rd Infantry Red Banner Division, Separate Primorsky Army), senior sergeant.

Born on October 5, 1919 in the village of Mironikha, now Pushkinogorsky district, Pskov region, into a peasant family. Russian. After graduating from high school, he worked as a mechanic at a factory in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

Drafted into the army in 1939 by the Moscow District Military Commissariat of Leningrad. He took part in the campaign of Soviet troops in Western Belarus in September 1939 and in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940.

During the Great Patriotic War in the active army - from June 1941. He fought on the Southern, North Caucasian, Transcaucasian, and again the North Caucasian fronts, in the Separate Primorsky Army.

He particularly distinguished himself in the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation.

In the battles on the outskirts of the city of Kerch, he supported the advance of rifle units with the fire of the cannons of his platoon, which were located in infantry combat formations. Direct fire destroyed an artillery observation post and 10 enemy heavy machine guns. Reflecting enemy counterattacks, he destroyed two tanks, up to a battalion of German infantry.

U Kazakh Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 16, 1944 for the courage and heroism shown in the Kerch-Eltigen operation, Vasiliev Nikandr Vasilievich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

In the summer of 1944, he completed courses for junior lieutenants and was enlisted in the 318th Infantry Division, in the ranks of which, as a fire platoon and battery commander, he participated in battles on the 4th Ukrainian Front in Poland for the city of Sanok, in the Carpathians (autumn 1944), in the liberation of Slovakia, in the Moravian-Ostravian operation. He finished the war with the rank of senior lieutenant in the Czech city of Olomouc.

After the end of the war he continued to serve in the army. In 1952 he graduated from the Higher Officer Artillery School. Served as district military commissar. Since 1961, Major N.V. Vasilyev has been in reserve. Lived and worked in the city of Daugavpils (Latvia).

Awarded the Orders of Lenin (05/16/1944), the Red Banner (06/5/1943), 2 Orders of the Patriotic War 1st degree (05/24/1944; 03/11/1985), Orders of the Patriotic War 2nd degree (10/28/1943), the Red Star , medals, including “For Military Merit” (02/14/1943).

N.V. Vasilyev, as part of the 18th Army from September 30, 1941 to August 1942, on the Southern Front, from July 28, 1942, on the North Caucasus Front, participated in defensive battles in the Donbass, including for the city of Stalino (now Donetsk), then on the territory of the Rostov region, including beyond Rostov-on-Don, in the Kuban (in the Krasnodar direction).

On the Transcaucasian Front, as part of the Black Sea Group of Forces, from September to November 1942, he participated in defensive battles in the foothills of the Main Caucasus Range southwest of Maykop, where the 18th Army stopped the enemy 17th Army near the village of Shaumyan, Tuapse District (Krasnodar Territory), trying to break through to the city of Tuapse.

On the Transcaucasian Front, as part of the 47th Army, he participated in the North Caucasus offensive operation, where the army fought from January 26 to February 6, 1943 in the Novorossiysk region, trying to break through enemy defenses and take the city.

The commander of the battery gun of the 45-mm guns of the 696th Infantry Regiment, Senior Sergeant N.V. Vasiliev, on February 2, 1943, in the area of ​​​​height 192.1, rolled out his gun into an open firing position and, with direct fire, destroyed 2 heavy machine guns and up to 15 enemy soldiers. He was awarded the medal "For Military Merit".

As part of the 47th Army of the North Caucasus Front, he participated in the Krasnodar offensive operation (February 9 – March 16, 1943), where the army tried to break through the enemy’s defenses in the area of ​​​​the village of Krymskaya (now the city of Krymsk) in the Krasnodar Territory.

Subsequently, the 393rd Rifle Division, as part of the 56th Army, fought stubborn battles in this area. On May 4, 1943, the Krymskaya village was liberated.

In the battles on the outskirts of the Krymskaya village, the enemy, having gained a foothold at an altitude of 68.8, fired continuously at the advancing rifle units. The commander of the 45-mm gun, senior sergeant N.V. Vasilyev, moved with his gun to an open firing position and, with direct fire, destroyed an anti-tank gun and 2 enemy heavy machine guns, knocked out 3 enemy tanks, and destroyed more than 50 soldiers and officers. In the battle on April 15, 1943, replacing a wounded gunner, he personally knocked out 2 German tanks.

He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

As part of the 56th Army on the North Caucasus Front, he participated in the Novorossiysk-Taman offensive operation (September 9 - October 9, 1943), during which army troops broke through enemy defenses on the Blue Line and successively overcame 5 heavily fortified intermediate defensive lines and by October 9, in cooperation with other troops of the North Caucasus Front, they liberated the Taman Peninsula.

In the battles for the liberation of Kuban and the Taman Peninsula from September 16 to October 9, 1943, the commander of the fire platoon of the battery of 45-mm guns of the 696th Infantry Regiment, N.V. Vasiliev, skillfully directing the fire of his anti-tank gun, destroyed 5 machine gun points, 1 bunker, enemy observation post, up to 25 soldiers and officers. At the key points of resistance: the village of Gladkovskaya, the village of Shkolny, Krasnaya Balka, the village of Bely, Sennoy, the enemy tried to delay the advance of the division’s units. N.V. Vasiliev quickly deployed his gun from a traveling position 150-200 meters from the enemy and destroyed machine gun points with direct fire, providing the opportunity for infantry to advance. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree.

On the North Caucasus Front, as part of the 56th (from November 20, 1943 - Separate Primorsky) Army, he participated in the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation (October 31 - December 11, 1943), during which the 383rd Infantry Division was carried out by the ships of the Azov Military Flotilla was landed on the Kerch Peninsula on November 7 - 8, 1943 in the area northeast of Kerch and began fighting to retain and expand the captured bridgehead. On November 9, the division stormed the village of Adzhimushkay (now within the city of Kerch).

N.V. Vasiliev particularly distinguished himself in this operation.

From April 8 to May 12, 1944, as part of the Separate Primorsky Army, he participated in the Crimean offensive operation, during which Crimea and the Hero City of Sevastopol were liberated. Together with other army formations, the 383rd Infantry Division liberated the Crimean cities of Kerch (April 11), Feodosia (April 13), and Yalta (April 15) in stubborn battles. Over the course of two days, the division, being in the first echelon of the army, fought about 90 km. For excellent military operations during the liberation of Feodosia, the 383rd Infantry Division received the name Feodosia. On May 12, the division fought its last battle on Crimean soil, on Cape Khersones (now in the territory of the Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol).

The fire platoon commander of the 696th Infantry Regiment, Senior Sergeant N.V. Vasilyev, in battles from May 1 to May 12, being with his platoon in infantry combat formations, with direct fire destroyed 3 heavy machine guns, a dugout, 2 enemy observation posts, an anti-tank gun, up to 50 soldiers and officers.

On the last day of fighting, May 12, 1944, at Cape Khersones, he went on the attack with the infantry and mercilessly shot the Nazis with a machine gun. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

From the award list for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union

Senior Sergeant Vasiliev showed exceptional courage, valor and heroism in battles with the German invaders on the Kerch Peninsula. Continuously being in infantry combat formations, Comrade. Vasilyev cleared the way for her with the fire of his cannons, destroying the enemy’s firing points and his manpower.

"Penalty" 388th division.

Chapter 3 End of the 2nd assault.

From the operational report for December 28, 1941: “Parts of the division occupy the following position:

778 joint venture and the military division were transferred to the disposal of 172 SD 782 joint venture occupied the defensive area of ​​​​the northern (northern) slopes of the ext. , that to the south is the northern bay (it’s not entirely clear, but in the original) The rest of the division is unchanged. Losses are being clarified. Communications with the Army worked with great interruptions.”

12/29/41 " Units of the division are in position. Two battalions of the 782nd rifle regiment took up defensive positions /see diagram/ (the diagram is not in the document). The battalion 778 joint venture with the military division was transferred to the disposal of the 172nd infantry division. The remaining "units of the division are in the same position. Losses of 2/953 AP: six 76 mm and one 122 mm guns were disabled. The guns were sent for repairs. Communications with the Army worked uninterrupted during the night."

Actually this is not true. The 782nd Regiment did not take the line. But not through my own fault. From the division's combat log:

"12/29/41 The 782nd joint venture (received an order) to occupy the line 0.5 km west of Rybakova village, the eastern spurs of the Fedyukina Mountains (sic). The regiment did not change the defending units due to a lack of agreement between the headquarters of the 1st sector. Regiment on the night of 12/30/41. again received the order to occupy the indicated lines.

The 671st O(separate) S(aper)B(atallion) was withdrawn to the western region of Balaklava.”

The rifle units were withdrawn, but the division's artillery continued to fight, supporting units of the 3rd and 4th sectors. From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko: “By the evening of December 29, 50 shells remained on the fourth battery. Using Bogdanov’s connection, I contacted the chief of the army’s artillery, General Ryzhi, and informed him about the current situation. I also reported to him that the division from the northern direction was not covered by anyone and there was no infantry in this sector. I don’t have my own people to cover this area. If measures are not taken and the enemy finds a weak point, then the possibility cannot be ruled out that the enemy will reach the rear of the division and break through to the Northern Bay. General Ryzhi promised to provide the division with shells and report to General Petrov about the situation..."

Objectively speaking, it was a violation of subordination when a senior lieutenant, a division commander, calls the army commander, but apparently the commander of the 79th brigade did not care about the division reassigned to him, understanding “operational subordination” in a very peculiar way.

“... the whole night from December 29 to 30, shells were delivered in vehicles. 1000 pieces were brought for the cannon battery. 76mm shells, 360 were delivered for the howitzer battery. shells. In the morning, an infantry company was brought forward, but it did not occupy the open area, clinging to the flank of the neighboring unit, to the right of the road.

On the 30th, the enemy began active operations in the morning. The attacks alternated one after another, but they were repelled by the infantry of the 79th brigade and the fire of the division, as well as the Bogdanovsky regiment. By 12 o'clock, having failed to achieve success, the enemy stopped attacks and began to accumulate forces for a stronger blow. ...

Concentrating forces at the anti-tank ditch, the enemy struck a strong blow at 16:00, knocked our infantry out of position, and reached the division’s positions.

At that time I was at my command post, which was located north of the road leading from cordon No. 1 to the Mekenzievy Gory station. Suddenly they report from the firing positions: the enemy is at the firing positions. I jumped out of the trench, and the division commissar and deputy division commander jumped out with me to run to the firing positions of the batteries, which were located 100-150 meters from the command post, but were met by fire from enemy machine gunners who broke through to our command post.

My deputy was immediately killed. The commissar's right hand was cut off by a machine gun burst. I grabbed the commissar’s arms with one hand, and with the other I opened fire on the Germans with a machine gun. The signalmen and scouts who were here fired from rifles. The commanders of the 3rd and 4th batteries came running to our aid with their people, who were also knocked down from their positions.

Something unimaginable was happening at the firing positions. The batteries fired direct fire at the enemy infantry with shrapnel and grenades. Some of the Germans had already broken into the firing positions of the battalion batteries. ...

At one gun limber, which stood near the guns, I saw two “Red Army men” dressed in saddle-back overcoats, shouting loudly and waving their arms. I ran up to them with two fighters.

Why are you shouting?

There are Germans all around! We are dead!

I thought they were alarmists and cowards, but one of them had a German machine gun peeking out from under his overcoat. I realized that they were Germans, and without hesitation, I shot him in the head with a pistol. The second was killed by soldiers. Then they reported to me that two more Germans in disguise had been captured...

With the combined efforts of the infantry and artillery, the enemy was stopped... When I arrived at the firing positions of the 4th battery, the commander of the 4th battery approached me and reported that all his guns were out of action. Two guns have anti-recoil devices, and two have barrels. Both howitzers in the 3rd battery were disabled. The damage is minor, but you can’t shoot...” Those. in fact, the division lost all of its material, because The 5th battery died on December 23, 1941.

From the division's combat log: “12/30/41. The 782nd Regiment took up defensive positions:

3 S (shooting) B (battalion) on the east slopes 70.4, high. 48.8, 54.2 (heights on the territory of the modern Balaklava mining department) 671st OSB reserve village of Karan. The 778SP and 773rd SP continue to be at the disposal of the 1st 172nd SD, the second 95th SD.”

During the battles on December 31, 1941. managed to recapture the former firing positions of the 5th battery and take the guns out for repairs. 1.01.42 The personnel of the 5th battery, who died on December 23, 1941, were buried at the former firing position.

“1.01.42 Units of the division occupy their previous position. One battalion of the 778th joint venture was transferred to the 3rd sector and moved to a position 1 km west of elevation. 137.5…

2.01.42 ... The 773rd joint venture was transferred from the Sukharnaya Balka area to the Nikolaevka area...”

From the memoirs of I.G. Nikolaenko: “By order of the command, when the situation had already been corrected, we were lined up in a column and sent on foot to the area of ​​​​the Nikolaevka farm, on the 8th km of the Balaklava highway, near the French cemetery. There, in the stables of the former flower-growing state farm, we celebrated the New Year in relative warmth. With the equipment of our tank, under the command of Captain Obodin, the 1st battalion was formed. I was appointed deputy. commander of a machine gun company. My peer, a graduate of the Sukhumi Infantry School, Artyukhov Edik, became the company commander.”

“01/3/42 ... night reconnaissance was organized as part of the company 782 joint venture. The company did not complete the task of reconnaissance of the enemy’s defense system, was detained by strong mortar and bullet fire, and returned back by dawn. There were no losses. The 1st division of the 953rd artillery regiment was transferred to the pursuit group (514SP).”

Chapter 4 At new frontiers.

At the beginning of January, almost all units of the division were transferred to the 1st sector, but in a very limited composition: headquarters, one battalion from an infantry regiment, an engineer battalion and a communications battalion. Combat-ready rifle battalions of the 778th and 782nd regiments, artillery, etc. were distributed to other units. The division seemed to be formed anew from marching companies arriving in Sevastopol.

Then everyday life in combat dragged on, without any bright events. “5.01.42. Units of the division received orders to relieve the 1330th joint venture at the "Blagodat" state farm line and further east. On the night from 5 to 6 we started our shift. By the morning of January 6, 42. The 1st battalion of the 782nd regiment replaced the battalion of the 1330th joint venture. 773 SP replaced 782SP in its positions.”

True, for some reason emergencies constantly occur in parts of the division

From the political report of the 388th Infantry Division for 01/10/42: “On January 9, the division’s units occupied their previous position, with the exception of the Ministry of Defense, which arrived in Yukharin Balka... 01/9/42. Due to careless handling of a grenade, an explosion occurred by the platoon commander of the 1st company of the 1st battalion of the 782nd regiment, Lt. Shurko. Lieutenant Shurko was seriously wounded, Lieutenant Kolomeets and assistant were slightly injured. platoon commander Anenko, who were in the dugout."

From the combat log: “at 4:00 on January 15, 1942. in the 1st battalion 782SP, a group of Red Army soldiers consisting of 11 people, having killed platoon commander Nikolaenko, went to the enemy’s side. One of them came across a minefield, was blown up, came back wounded, and 10 people went to the enemy.”

On the night of January 15-16, 1941. The 953rd artillery regiment was transferred to the 1st sector. This follows from the order. But in fact, this is not so.

The 2nd division of this regiment concentrated in the Inkerman area only at 9 o’clock on January 16, 1942. and at 12 o'clock began moving towards Balaklava. The 1st Division remained at the disposal of the 4th Sector. The 2nd Division was supposed to take positions west of Karagach.

01/17/42 the entire 773rd regiment was transferred to the area above the village of Komary (Obornoye). From Nikolaenko’s memoirs: “The battalion was fully equipped and transferred to the front line above the village of Komary. The trenches were poorly equipped, knee-deep, no communication passages, just holes for shelter... They began to dig into the ground, the defense took the form of real engineering equipment, with full-profile trenches, cells, and outpost trenches brought forward. ...

I didn’t have to be a deputy for long, reinforcements arrived, and I was recalled back to the same Nikolaevka. Reinforcements came from the “Black Shirts” and from the peoples of the Caucasus” (“Black Shirts” were the name given to prisoners at that time).

01/23/42 4 Red Army soldiers from 782SP went to the enemy side

On January 26, 1942, the newly formed 3rd battalion of the combined NKVD regiment replaced the 1st battalion of the 782nd regiment in positions in the area “...ruins 0.5 km northeast of the Blagodat state farm - height 77.3 (164.9, Canrober Hill). - height 33.1"

On January 28, 1942, after sanitization, the 1st battalion of the 782nd joint venture replaced the 2nd battalion of the 778th regiment in its positions.

Division management 170 people

773rd joint venture 722 people, 6 trucks, 114 horses, 515 rifles, 6 easel, 5 light machine guns, 2 pcs. 76mm mountain guns, 2 pcs. 45mm anti-tank guns, 11 pcs. 82mm mortars, 10 pcs. 50mm mortars. There are no radio stations.

778th joint venture 940 people, 97 horses, 1 passenger car, 8 trucks, 838 rifles, 4 automatic rifles, 5 easel rifles, 16 light machine guns, one PPD, 2 pcs. 76mm mountain guns, 1 pc. 45mm anti-tank gun, 8 pcs. 82mm mortars, 22 pcs. 50mm mortars. There is one radio station in the regiment.

782nd joint venture 1258 people, 95 horses, 12 trucks, 1073 rifles, 9 automatic rifles, 7 easel rifles, 14 light machine guns, no guns, 11 pcs. 82mm mortars, 14 pcs. 50mm mortars. The regiment has 4 radio stations.

953 artillery regiment 750 people, 120 horses, 10 trucks, 6 tractors, 435 rifles, 11 76mm mountain guns. howitzers 122mm mod. 138g. 6pcs. The regiment has 10 radio stations

Separate anti-tank division (newly formed): 68 people without weapons (not even rifles)

Separate anti-aircraft battery (newly formed) 79 people, two trucks, no weapons.

452 motorized reconnaissance units 26 people, 27 rifles

671 engineer battalion 195 people, 18 horses, 2 trucks, 172 rifles, 3 automatic rifles

841 communications battalion 229 people, 9 horses, 3 trucks, one special vehicle, 217 rifles, one radio station.

Separate mortar division, 158 people, 16 horses, 3 trucks, 137 rifles, 2 pcs. 120mm mortars, 16 pcs. 82mm mortars.

468 Himrota 35 people, 2 horses, 2 trucks, 31 rifles.

475 medical battalion 85 people, 4 cargo, 5 special vehicles, 59 rifles.

240 bakery 17 people

Divisional veterinary hospital for 14 people

Field mail 15 people

State bank cash desk 5 people

Military tribunal 7 people

Prosecutor's office 9 people

Zagrad. squad of 31 people

3.02.42 The 7th company of the 782nd joint venture received the task of conducting reconnaissance in the direction of the heights. 181.2 (aka 386.6, Fort “Yuzhny”) the company did not reach 500 meters from the fort, coming under enemy fire, losing 4 people killed, 12 people wounded. On the night of 02/04/42. The 7th company, reinforced by the 9th company, repeated the attempt. Due to lack of preparation, the reconnaissance failed. 6.01.42 the companies retreated to their original position. The companies did not complete the task. Losses: 4 people killed, 16 wounded and 19 missing.

5.02.42 The formation of national units in the 388th Infantry Division began. At the same time, the formation of the 2nd battalion of the 773rd regiment began, consisting of: the 5th Azerbaijani, 6th Dargin and 7th Georgian companies (without pulrota). Art. was appointed battalion commander. Lieutenant Shavgulidze.

02/11/42 The 2nd division of the 953rd artillery regiment was supplemented with personnel. Due to the repaired 76mm guns with cut barrels, the 5th battery was restored (commander senior lieutenant V.A. Luzin). The 1st division of the regiment, although it was listed in the division, continued to remain in the 4th sector, being attached to 514 1st regiment of the 172nd SD.

From the combat log: “02/15/42. Five Red Army soldiers of the 2nd company of the 1st battalion of the 782nd regiment went to the enemy side. 01/16/42 3 people from the 1st battalion were kidnapped; it is assumed that they were taken away by a group of enemy machine gunners. Two people from the barrier detachment deserted.”

On the night of 16/17/02/42, the newly formed 3rd battalion of the 782nd regiment replaced the 1st battalion in its positions.

02/18/42 instead of Major Stepanov to the position of chief. Colonel L.A. Dobrov arrived from headquarters. Within 20 days, the division received serious reinforcements. As of February 20, 1942 The division's status was as follows:

Division control 203 people (was 170 people)

773rd joint venture 1022 people (was 722 people), 591 rifles, 7 (was 6) easel, 7 (was 5) light machine guns. Two PPD appeared. Artillery: 2 pcs. 76mm mountain guns, 2 pcs. 45mm anti-tank guns, 11 pcs. 82mm mortars, 24 (there were 10 pieces). 50mm mortars. There are no radio stations. But here’s what’s interesting: for 350 bayonets there are 587 combat support people and 85 logistics people. Those. The strength of the regiment is inflated. The shortage of small arms is clearly visible.

778th joint venture 1210 people (was 940), 816 rifles, 4 easel, 14 light machine guns, one PPD, 2 pcs. 76mm mountain guns, 1 pc. 45mm anti-tank gun, 10 pcs. 82mm mortars, 23 pcs. 50mm mortars. There is one radio station in the regiment. But again the same picture: 350 active “bayonets”, 734 combat support, 126 rear support.

782nd SP 1417 (was 1258) people, 1158 rifles, 4 easel, 10 manual 4PPD, one 76mm mountain gun, 11 pcs. 82mm mortars, 24 pcs. 50mm mortars. The regiment has 4 radio stations. 630 bayonets, 697 BO, 90 rear.

953 artillery regiment 738 people, 435 rifles, 76mm mountain guns 11 pcs. howitzers 122mm mod. 138g. 6pcs. The regiment has 10 radio stations

Separate anti-tank division (newly formed): 109 people, one 45mm gun. There are no small arms.

Separate anti-aircraft battery (newly formed) 79 people, no weapons.

452 motor reconnaissance 40 (was 26) people, 25 rifles 7 PPD

671 sapper battalion 207 (was 195) people, 172 rifles, 1 light machine gun, one PPD.

841 communications battalion 199 people, 191 rifles, one radio station.

Separate mortar division, 188 people, 136 rifles, 2 pcs. 120mm mortars, 16 pcs. 82mm mortars.

468 Himrota 37 people, 31 rifles.

475 medical battalion 85 people, 4 cargo, 5 special vehicles, 59 rifles. etc. in total there are 5828 people in the division. There is a clear shortage of small arms.

02/26/42 At dawn, five Red Army soldiers from the 2nd company of the 773rd regiment deserted.

02/27/42 in the morning, the division began reconnaissance in force with three companies. The companies approached 100-800m to the enemy's forward positions and lay down under heavy fire. Losses: 2 people killed, 23 people wounded. The greatest losses were in the 8th company of the 782nd regiment. The companies continued operations in the direction of heights 99.4 (212.1), 145, 181.2 (386.6), 206.6 (440.8).

The infantry actions were supported by fire from the 2nd Division of the 953rd Artillery Regiment. The division's observation post was located in a prefabricated pillbox at a height above the modern one. market (remains preserved).

1.03.42 The 8th company of the 782nd regiment came under heavy enemy fire from high. 99.4 (212.1) moved to the front line of the defense. The 4th company of the 778th regiment and the 3rd company of the 773rd regiment remained at height 206.6 (440.8). 20 people were injured. The greatest losses were in the 773rd regiment.

3.03.42 reconnaissance and surveillance continues by the 3rd company of the 773rd regiment and the 6th company of the 778th regiment. Its former commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ovseenko, left the division.

7.03.42 1 person was killed and 4 people were injured from the explosion of his own grenade. 7.03.42 The 1st Division of the 953rd Regiment returned to the division.

03/08/42 German shelling killed 2 people and wounded 4 people.

There was constant sniper fire. From the memoirs of I.G. Nikolaenko: “Observers reported to me that two ladies with flasks and cans, probably milk, were approaching the front positions of the enemy. I immediately lay down behind my machine operator, “Maxim,” and brought my best shooters into combat readiness. We distributed the targets and sectors of fire, because we knew that the Germans would run out to meet them, the women. And so it happened! There were about a dozen of them! Aiming to the left, I opened fire with a burst from my Maxim, and a lot of them were killed there! And only in the evening the enemy was able to remove the corpses! We have discouraged our traitors from helping the enemy!”

From 8.03.42 to 25.03.42 in the combat log, again there is an entry “Troop position unchanged.” From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko: “At the end of March, an order was received from the division headquarters to destroy firing points located at an altitude of 212.1 with direct fire. I began to prove that this was impossible... I was ordered to carry out, not to reason. ... To complete the task, one gun of the 4th battery with a fire platoon commander was allocated. The senior officer was the division chief of staff. At dawn, the gun opened fire, but only managed to fire three shots when powerful enemy fire fell on the gun position. In addition, one of our shells ricocheted and exploded in the location of our troops. One person was injured. After this there was such a noise that a special department intervened..."

03/25/42 in 388SD an emergency occurs again. From the combat log: “On March 25, 1942, the intensity of enemy artillery fire decreased. 16-17 hours from the 5th company of the 778th regiment, 15 Red Army soldiers went to the enemy side.

On the night of March 31, 1942. as of April 1, 1942 parts of the division regrouped units on the front of the state farm "Grace" - Kamary - height 77.3 (Canrober Hill, level 164.9).

At 00 o'clock. 2.04.42 from the 1st battalion of the 782nd regiment, two Red Army soldiers went to the enemy side with a light machine gun. In the morning, two Red Army soldiers from the 773rd regiment left.” What was this connected with? Most likely, due to the fact that the 388th division paid very little attention to the living conditions of the soldiers, and from April 1, 1942. In Sevastopol, a siege ration was introduced, which apparently created a precedent. In the 388th Division this phenomenon took on the character of an epidemic. From the Combat Log: “04/03/42. Five Red Army soldiers from the Ministry of Defense went over to the enemy’s side at dawn on April 4, 1942. 9 people from the 782nd regiment went to the enemy side. 6.04.42 Five people from the 773rd regiment went to the enemy side, 04/07/42. six people went to the enemy side.” If until this moment the situation was hidden, then after 04/08/42. a scandal broke out. From the 773rd regiment, the entire 5th Dargin company (commander of senior lieutenant of the NKVD I. Shir-Ali-ogly Aliev) went over to the enemy’s side.

From the memoirs of I.G. Nikolaenko: “And there is no point in hiding, as the Russian proverb says: “Better the bitter truth than a sweet lie,” there were also violations of discipline, there were also cases of our soldiers going over to the side of the enemy. So, next to me stood the 5th Dargin company from the nationalities of Dagestan, on one April night in 1942, my neighbor, the commander of the 6th company, senior lieutenant Takhtadzhiev, a Tajik by nationality, called me and asked me to patch up the hole, on the flank of his company, because about 100 soldiers went over to the enemy at night. The situation was corrected, but in the evening we, the national units, were thrown out of the trenches by sailors from the Marine Corps with bayonets and took our positions. After a thorough check by the special department, we were transferred to second positions in the area of ​​the Yalta Highway, in the Golden Valley. We built defensive positions here.” The 2nd battalion of the 773rd regiment was removed from its positions under escort and sent to the rear for investigation. But at the same time, it is worth noting that the 1st battalion of the 773rd regiment remained in position and continued to carry out its combat mission. Snipers of the 1st battalion killed 28 Germans in just 10 days.

By order of the command of the Primorsky Army No. 057, the rifle units of the 388th SD were withdrawn to the rear. On the night from 10 to 11.04, units of the 388th SD concentrated: the 778th SP in area x. Nikolaevka, the 782nd joint venture, the former farm of Maksimovich, the 773rd joint venture, the 953rd AP and the military division were transferred to the disposal of the sector commandant. Those. the division is secretly disbanded. The 1/773rd joint venture remains in the area of ​​height 206.6 (440.8) -Kamara.

Personnel changes were made within the division. Brigade commander S.F. Monakhov was removed from command of the 388th SD, and instead of him on 04/13/42. Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Aleksandrovich Shvarev, who had previously been deputy commander of the 79th Naval Rifle Brigade, was appointed. Major Brovchak, also from the 79th Naval Rifle Brigade, was appointed commander of the 773rd Regiment.

On the night of April 21-22, the 778th joint venture replaced the 773rd joint venture in the Kamara area - elevation. 440.8. The 773rd joint venture was transferred to the Nikolaevka farmstead area for sanitation. The 782nd joint venture in its entirety (1927 people) was transferred to the Army reserve for anti-landing defense in area x. Golikova.

The artillerymen of the 953rd Regiment continued to remain in firing positions. From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko: “At the end of April, a large group of scouts was sent behind enemy lines in the first sector. They crossed the front line somewhere on the property of the neighbor on the right: 381SP. It was headed by a Marine sergeant major.

On the eve of crossing the front line, the commander of the reconnaissance group with a representative of the division headquarters from my observation post carefully studied the routes to the enemy rear, as well as the escape routes; the division headquarters installed a powerful radio station at the OP. Signals were established according to which the division should open barrage fire when the reconnaissance group returned from reconnaissance.

The scouts went to the rear. For some period the radio station kept in touch with them, but two days later it was canceled by division headquarters. I asked why the station had been removed, how I would keep in touch with the scouts, and where I should fire and at what time. The headquarters didn't tell me anything.

But then I found out that the reconnaissance team had returned and crossed the front line somewhere in another sector. Of the twelve people, nine returned. Two were killed, and the reconnaissance group commander went missing. I can’t say anything bad about this commander of the reconnaissance group, but when much later, during the repulsion of the third German assault on Sevastopol, in the sector of the 381st regiment, a battle map was confiscated from one of the killed German officers, and all the observation posts of the regiments and divisions, indicating the names of the commanders of these units. ... The fact remains: on the eve of the new German offensive, many observation posts, including mine, were destroyed.”

1.05.42 From a direct hit of a shell into the dugout of the 6th company of 778SP, the commander and military commissar of the company, PNSh-1 st., were killed. Lt. Starostin, two deputies. political instructor and three Red Army soldiers.

As of 01.05.42 in the 388th division the artillery units included:

953rd AP 696 people, 13 units. 76mm mountain guns, and 6 howitzers of the 1938 model for the mech. traction.

The 104th separate anti-tank division had 76 people, but instead of standard weapons the division had 11 pieces. 82mm mortars (Sevastopol production) and one anti-tank rifle

181st anti-aircraft battery (677th anti-aircraft division) 58 people, one DShK anti-aircraft machine gun and 4 pcs. 82mm mortar

675th Mortar Battalion 163 people, 13 pcs. 82mm mortars, 4 pcs. 120mm mortars.

773rd Infantry Regiment 25 units. 50mm mortars and 15pcs. 82mm mortars, 2 pcs. 76mm regimental guns (mountain guns that were previously in the regiment were transferred to 953AP), 3 pcs. 45mm anti-tank gun

778th Infantry Regiment 24 pcs. 50mm mortars and 16pcs. 82mm mortars, 3 mountain 76mm guns, 3 pcs. 45mm anti-tank gun.

782 rifle regiment 24 pcs. 50mm mortars and 13pcs. 82mm mortars, 2 pcs. regimental guns, 3 pcs. 45mm anti-tank gun

But here’s what’s interesting: both according to German and Soviet data, the 1st division of the 953rd artillery regiment continues to be listed in the 4th sector. This is confirmed by the memories of veterans and documents of the 1C (intelligence) department of the headquarters of the 22nd German Infantry Division. . The division included the 677th anti-aircraft artillery division (commander Major Kashirin, military commissar senior political instructor Bozhko) and an anti-tank division, but these units had almost no materiel and were stationed in the city. These units were not subordinate to the division command, being at the disposal of Army headquarters. Those. in the 1st sector there was not the entire division, but only two rifle regiments, one artillery division, and two battalions (an engineer and a communications battalion). The medical battalion of the 388th SD was located together with the MSB of the 109th SD in the St. George Monastery.

Position of the units of the 388th SD as of May 1, 1942:

“...the 778th joint venture occupies the northern slopes of elevation 206.6 (440.8), the road south of the Prokutora farmstead, unnamed height (ota) 0.5 km west of the village of Kamary (modern village of Oboronnoye), 782nd joint venture - reserve army, with the aim of fighting enemy airborne forces. 773rd joint venture - Nikolaevka farm, sector reserve ..."

On the night of May 4-5, 1942. The 782nd SP replaced the 778th SP in its positions in the area of ​​height 206.6 (440.8). The 778th joint venture, consisting of 1,478 people, was deployed to antilanding defense in area x. Golikov, joining the reserve of the Army headquarters.

“...On the night of May 12-12, the 773rd Regiment occupied the second line of defense: the village. Kadykovka, height 53.1 (?, possibly 33.1), height with a monument to the Battle of Balaklava, height. (corrected, unclear). 778th joint venture with a mission in case of airborne landings in the rear of the Special Operations Command. 953rd AP and the Ministry of Defense at the OP on the v. Elm. The enemy showed significant artillery activity, launching sudden powerful artillery raids on previously reconnoitred targets.

05/13/42 Enemy activity intensified. Fire raids became more frequent, especially against the 782nd joint venture in the area east of the village of Kamary. Raids on road junctions and unit control centers also became more frequent.

05/14/42 ... At 9:30 a.m. artillery fire hit the CP of the 773rd joint venture in the Zolotaya Balka area, firing 150mm caliber at the Red Army soldiers who were there up to the company. Reason for convening the Red Army: conversation with delegates. 7 people were wounded, 4 people were killed.”

06/16/42 “... to create a strong defense, to the third line of the highest. 114.3 (Bezymyannaya height, with an old redoubt next to Gornaya height) - height. 101.6 (height with the old redoubt above the fork of the Balaklava and Yalta highways) - high. 113.2 (Karagach height) the following were withdrawn: an anti-tank division, a reconnaissance company and a barrage company.” (Combat log of the 388th SD)

Chapter 5 3rd assault

From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko:

“06/1/42 The enemy increased fire on our positions, trying to provoke a response from our batteries; enemy reconnaissance groups began to appear on the slopes of the heights. But the SOR artillery opens fire only in exceptional cases, upon call from the infantry.

On June 3, at 4 o'clock in the morning, enemy aircraft began an intensive raid on the positions of the 1st sector. Enemy planes fiercely bombed the front line of the 381st Regiment of the 109th Division (Yalta Highway). It was assumed that after air preparation the enemy would go on the offensive, but an hour or two passed, but the enemy continued the bombing.

At 10 o'clock the squadron of Yu-88 bombers dropped its cargo on the division command post. Several bombs fell on residential dugouts and in communications and intelligence dugouts. Heavy artillery destroyed my observation post and the side observation post, which was located in the area of ​​the monument to the Battle of Balaklava, where the scouts were located.”

On the night of June 4-5, units of the division received orders to be in combat readiness No. 1 to repel the enemy's assault, but the enemy did not go on the offensive. At 4:30 a.m. the enemy resumed raids, and the order was given to go into readiness No. 2.

By the morning of June 7, 1942, the formation of defensive battle formations of the troops of the 1st sector was as follows: “Composition of troops: 109th Infantry Division (456th, 381st, 602nd Infantry and 404th Artillery Regiments) , 388th Rifle Division (782nd, 773rd Rifle and 953rd Artillery Regiments). The commandant of the sector is the commander of the 109th Infantry Division, Major General P. G. Novikov, the military commissar is Brigade Commissar A. D. Khatskevich; commander of the 388th Infantry Division - Colonel N. A. Shvarev, military commissar - senior battalion commissar K. V. Shtanev. The headquarters of the sector and the 109th Infantry Division is 1 km northwest of the village. Karan, TsAGI wind turbine; headquarters of the 388th Infantry Division - dot. Nikolaevka. The sector front is 7.5 km.

The sector's troops occupied the line (from right to left): 456th Infantry Regiment - Genoese Tower, V. 212.1 (exc.), state farm "Bla-godat" (exc.); 381st Infantry Regiment further up to 300 m to the north. 440.8; 782nd Infantry Regiment - up to 600 m northeast of the village. Kamara; 602nd Infantry Regiment - to the barracks. The reserve of the sector is the 773rd Infantry Regiment as part of the battalion in the area of ​​heights 244.1 and 241.5. The sector's artillery (404th and 953rd artillery regiments) was located in the area: Vye. 244.1 - a separate yard 2 km east of the village. Nikolaevka - hut. Nikolaevka".

On June 7, 1942, at 3:45 a.m., the enemy launched a 15-minute artillery raid, then there was silence for 5 minutes, but at 4:05 a.m. the enemy again launched a powerful 30-minute artillery raid on the positions of the 381st regiment of the 109th SD and the 782nd SP 388th SD, after which the enemy transferred fire to the 2nd and 3rd lines of defense. Without ceasing artillery fire on the 2nd and 3rd lines of trenches, the enemy began an offensive, supporting his infantry with assault guns.

In the memoirs of almost all veterans who directly participated in these events, the word “hell” is used when describing artillery training. The artillery of the 388th SD opened barrage fire with three batteries: the 4th (commander Sr. Lt. Volkov), the 5th (Sr. Lt. Luzin) and the 6th (Sr. Lt. Pogorelov).

From the memoirs of the commander of the 7th Marine Brigade, E.I. Zhidilov: “On June 7, our neighbor on the right, the 388th Infantry Division, was subjected to terrible bombing. Its first echelon occupies a height of 166.7 (Zhidilov’s mistake, in fact, 164.9, also known as Canrobert Hill) - a dome-shaped hill covering the highway to Sapun-ropy. The hill dominates the terrain, and enemy positions are clearly visible from it. The Germans, apparently, decided to throw our troops out of there. The artillery attack began at 5 o'clock in the morning. A continuous cloud of smoke rose above the heights, in which it was no longer possible to distinguish individual explosions. Then enemy planes attacked. Explosions merge into a continuous roar. The hill is relatively far from us, but we feel the earth trembling under our feet. A thick dark gray cloud continues to expand and rise towards the sky.

“There will be nothing left of the height,” says Evseev.

He stands next to me at our observation post and, like the rest of us, cannot take his eyes off his neighbor’s site.

“We’ll see, maybe something will survive,” I answer him, but I myself have little faith in it. I, too, have never seen such a fierce bombing.”

At 10 o'clock the 2nd Division was detached to support the 602nd Infantry Regiment. According to the memoirs of M.K. Norenko, all the advanced OP of the 953rd artillery regiment were destroyed by enemy artillery with all their personnel.

In the sector of the 782nd Infantry Regiment, the enemy did not show activity, concentrating their efforts on the sector along the Yalta Highway. Only the artillerymen of the 953rd artillery regiment were active. At 10:30 a.m., artillerymen of the 388th SD covered two German companies moving to the front line. The companies were spotted by the division's OP and covered with fire from a 122mm howitzer battery.

By 13:00 a report was received that the batteries were running out of shells. From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko: “I reported this to the regiment commander Polonsky, but he, instead of taking measures to provide it, began to reprimand me for the wasteful use of ammunition, and threatened that he would immediately organize a commission on this issue...”

Objectively speaking, 122mm ammunition in Sevastopol was indeed in short supply, but 76mm ammunition was in abundance, and there was no point in limiting its consumption. In addition, it is worth noting that both divisions of the 953rd artillery regiment were removed from the subordination of the commander of the 953rd artillery regiment, and were operationally subordinate to the commanders of the 388th and 172nd SD.

Those. The 2nd Division acted independently. The only task of the command of this regiment was to provide the divisions with shells and food. But, apparently, the headquarters of the 953rd AP failed to even cope with this task. From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko:

“I answered Polonsky: “Appoint at least ten commissions, but give them shells!” Otherwise, the infantry will not hold out without artillery support!” “When an investigation is carried out and the reasons for the overuse of shells are clarified, then the division will be supplied with shells,” answered Polonsky.” The issue of supplying shells was resolved through the commandant of the 1st sector, but for some time the artillery of the 388th Infantry Division fell silent, which allowed the enemy to advance 500-700 m forward. At 20:30 the enemy infantry suspended the offensive.

True, in the memoirs of S. Vasiliev (reconnaissance platoon of the 1st artillery division), the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Polonsky, is given a positive description. Apparently, the regimental headquarters acted with the 1st division in the 4th sector, leaving the 2nd division without attention.

June 8, 1942 The artillery of the 388th SD carried out a 15-minute raid on the enemy. The enemy tried to launch an offensive, however, he acted with much smaller forces and was not successful. Active enemy operations ended around 20:00.

“Novikov I sector, Skutelnikov II sector, Zhidilov, Gorpishchenko and the commander of the 388th rifle division Shvarev.

It is possible to expect the enemy to launch a decisive offensive in your areas today. The enemy will try to break through the defense. Be carefull! Under no circumstances should we allow even one of our trenches to be occupied. If there is a clear threat of the penetration of an enemy that has penetrated, bring all forces down on him, knock him out, destroy him. Do not allow the enemy to gain a foothold for one hour. This, and only this, is success. The first two days you showed examples of heroism. I am confident in your further success. Oktyabrsky, Kulakov"

However, these data turned out to be erroneous. Enemy 06/09/1941 showed no activity. The same thing continued on the 10th. P.A. Morgunov writes: “During June 9 and 10, the enemy repeatedly launched an attack in certain areas of sectors I and II. Thanks to the decisive actions of our troops, with the support of artillery, all enemy attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. The units firmly held the previous lines of defense.” However, according to recollections, the enemy acted in small groups, with a total number of no more than two companies.

06/11/1942 To carry out a counterattack in the 4th sector, one battalion of the 7th Marine Brigade (2nd battalion A.S. Gegeshidze), which was the left neighbor of the 1st sector, was removed from its positions. Another battalion of the 7th brigade (3rd, commander captain Rud) was taken from the antilanding defense of the Kulikovo field airfield. In addition to the 2nd battalion, one battery of the 7th brigade and its mortar division were removed from the second sector. In this regard, one division of the 953rd artillery regiment was switched to support the 7th brigade.

Taking advantage of the fact that part of the troops had been withdrawn from the 2nd sector, the enemy launched an offensive at the junction of the 1st and 2nd sectors, where he occupied the defense of the 602nd SP 109SD and in the sector of the 782nd regiment of the 388th SD in the area .Kamary (Defence) and the state farm "Grace".

At the same time, around 6 a.m., a massive air strike was carried out on the strongholds of the 388th Infantry Division: the Prokutora farmstead (500m east of the village of Kamary) and Canrober Hill (elevation 164.9).

By the end of the day, at the junction of the 2nd and 1st sectors, the enemy managed to penetrate almost 2 km and approach height 164.9 (Canrobert Hill). Almost all the firing points of the strong point, inscribed in the rampart of the old Turkish redoubt, were suppressed. The front of the 1st sector rolled back to the line at elevation. 164.9-der. Kamara.

06/12/41 The enemy, in the morning, began an attack on the village. Kamara, located in the area of ​​responsibility of the 782nd joint venture. The division's artillery switched to supporting the 782nd joint venture.

From the memoirs of I.G. Nikolaenko: “In the ravine, between the Italian cemetery and mountain 77.3 (164.9), enemy tanks came and among them were flamethrower tanks. A terrible picture of a flamethrower. Everything along the path of movement is engulfed in fire and flame, even the earth is burning. I had to ask the authorities for help.” Indeed, into battle on June 12, 1942. flamethrower tanks based on French captured B-2bis vehicles from the 223rd battalion of captured tanks and assault guns of the 2nd battery of the 249th assault gun battalion were introduced. That day, six tanks and self-propelled guns were hit by fire from the 953rd Regiment. By the end of the day, the enemy suspended the offensive.

On June 13, the enemy switched to the 2nd sector, attacking units of the 7th Marine Brigade north of the Yalta Highway.

06/14/42 The enemy again launched an offensive in the 1st sector, as a result of which height 164.9 was captured. The 3rd battalion of the 782nd regiment, which occupied the defense at the height, was forced to retreat.

By the end of the day, units of the 1st sector were fighting at the line: the Blagodat state farm, heights 33.1 (1st department of the Golden Beam) and 56.0 (area of ​​the modern Shayba complex). The enemy, having captured the strongholds of the 602nd Regiment of the 109th SD in the former Turkish redoubts on the Semyakin Heights line, wedged themselves in with a long narrow tongue along the Yalta Highway. An important role in the German breakthrough was played by German assault guns and flamethrower tanks of the 223rd battalion of captured enemy tanks. At height 56.0 (“Shayba”, also known as the 5th Turkish redoubt), the enemy was stopped.

On June 15, two battalions (1st and 3rd) of the 9th Marine Brigade, previously located in anti-landing defense, were withdrawn to the left flank of units of the 1st sector in the area of ​​the Karagach heights.

Trying to expand the breakthrough, the enemy 06/16/42. went on the offensive to the Kadykovka area. The troops of the first sector (109th and 388th rifle divisions), fighting stubborn battles, were forced to retreat.

By the end of the day, the 1st battalion of the 782nd Infantry Regiment left the Blagodat state farm and retreated to the west. By the end of the day, Soviet units held the line that ran from height 57.7 (Genoa Tower), along the western slopes of height 99.4 (212.1), along the heights: unnamed, 300 m west of the state farm "Blagodat" - the former farm of Zaguryanov, height 33.1-56.0. Thus, the enemy reached the 2nd line of defense, occupied by the 773rd regiment.

06/17/1942 in the sector of the 388th division, enemy infantry with tanks attacked the positions of the company of senior lieutenant I.G. Nikolaenko (2nd battalion of the 773rd rifle regiment). As a result of the counterattack, the company pushed back the enemy and moved forward, but immediately came under heavy fire from enemy artillery. The company commander was wounded in the leg, but did not leave the battlefield, causing artillery fire. All fire weapons of the 388th SD were already deployed to fire in support of other units, but at the request of the commander of the 773rd regiment, Lieutenant Colonel A.T. Brovchak, from the Maximova Dacha area, two salvos of rocket mortars were fired.

From the memoirs of I.G. Nikolaenko: “I was admitted to the hospital on June 19, 1942. to Yukharin Balka. There was already a feeling of chaos there, no one, strictly speaking, was taking care of us, we were given evacuation certificates, and whoever could get to Kamyshevaya Bay, or to planes, to the airfield. We, 9 people, were sent to the airfield by gas car, but along the way we were heavily bombed, and our driver escaped. I, remembering my driving skills, had to drive the car with one foot squeezing the clutch, brake and gas. But we were received very unkindly at the airfield, some lieutenant or political instructor stood on the bandwagon, we were driven into some kind of adit, and they said: “Wait!” And here there is chaos, panic. The doctors... were rushing about, crying. ..." I.G. Nikolaenko failed to evacuate. He was captured at Cape Khersones.

On the night of June 18, the enemy regrouped forces and pulled up units of the 170th Infantry Division, bringing the reserve 420th Infantry Regiment (arrived from the 125th Division) closer to the front line.

Soviet troops also carried out a partial regrouping to level the front and strengthen the threatened areas. By the morning, Soviet troops in the 1st sector occupied the following positions and lines: 109th and 388th Rifle Divisions: Genoese Tower - western slopes of height 99.4 (aka 212.1) - 500m west of the state farm "Grace" - height 33.1 (excl.) - 400 m west of height 56.0 - a farmstead located 100 m east of elevation. 36.0".

On the morning of June 18, the enemy, after strong air and artillery preparation, again went on the offensive, trying to widen the gap. The blow was delivered in three diverging directions: to the left towards Kadykovka, straight to the height of 56.0, and to the right, towards the Fedyukhin Heights. Heavy fighting broke out in this area, lasting continuously for two days on June 18 and 19.

From the report of the commander of the SOR: “06/19/42” to Budyonny, Isakov, Kuznetsov, Bodin.

1. I and II sectors 04.00 - 08.00 the enemy group broke through in the area of ​​​​height 29.4. As a result of hand-to-hand combat, the group that broke through is eliminated. In the area of ​​height 56.0, hut. Kalagai, height 77.3 - a concentration of enemy infantry and tanks. In the area of ​​height 56.0 there are farms
Kaligai - height 77.3 accumulation of enemy infantry and tanks....”

On June 19, another battalion of the 9th Brigade, the 2nd, was brought into battle. He took up positions in the area. Elm.

Further, the enemy got stuck. His progress was hampered by flank attacks from the Fedyukhin Heights. The long narrow German wedge along the Yalta Highway has exhausted its capabilities. The Germans were unable to advance one step further, despite the introduction of armored vehicles into the battle.

On the one hand, the enemy was restrained by a defense line along the Balaklava road, built by the 388th division, and on the other, by positions on the Fedyukhin Heights and Karagach Heights. The fork in the Yalta and Balaklava highways was reliably covered by Soviet artillery and an old French redoubt with pillbox No. 29 (100mm B-24B-m cannon) installed in it.

In order to ensure further advancement, the enemy 06/21/42. began an operation to capture the Fedyukhin Heights, the defense of which was occupied by the 7th Marine Brigade. The main events took place to the left of the positions of the 388th and 109th SD, and calm reigned on their line of defense.

Officially, according to the Soviet version, units of the 7th Brigade were withdrawn from the Fedyukhin Heights to Sapun Mountain in order to “level the front.” The Germans describe events differently. The German 170th Infantry Division brought the 420th Infantry Regiment (from 125 Infantry Division) assigned to it into battle and took the heights in battle.

From the history of the German 420th regiment: “Without artillery preparation, battalions penetrate the first line of defense and break through it in the first attack. The units of the 420th PP have the goal of the offensive - to capture the “height of the path” (“Fußsteighе”), mark 135.0. (This is the first Fedyukhin height, if you count from the city of Gasfort)

By 4 a.m. the 420th PP reaches a line 500 m south of the summit. With the onset of dawn, artillery fire from the Sapun Heights and from numerous flanking fortified positions intensifies, so that the attack has to be continued, hugging the ground; The killing fire of the enemy infantry intensifies.

At about 6 a.m. German dive bombers appear. In accordance with the attack plan, the advance groups light flares and smoke cartridges to indicate the front line of German troops.

The Yu-88s begin a hellish bombing raid, many heavy bombs falling less than 100 meters in front of the regiment's own line of forward units. After the bombing, dive bombers with airborne weapons storm enemy fortifications. At this time, while the last volleys of the side cannons of the attacking aircraft have not yet died down, units of the 420th regiment rush to the attack, and at 8.30 o’clock they take the “height of the path” (135.7). The 399th PP (170 PD) is located at the same height to the west of the beam that crosses the Fedyukhin Heights.”

Those. on the very first day of the offensive, the 7th brigade, weakened by the withdrawal of two battalions to the northern side, was thrown from its positions. The German wedge expanded. On the same day, June 21, 1942, after lunch, the enemy continued the offensive.

From the same German source: “After regrouping, both units begin at 13.15 hours to attack the second and third lines of fortified Russian positions. Now their own artillery and dive bombers cover the Sapunsky heights with smoke shells and bombs, so that the Russians cannot conduct any guided fire from there on the advancing battalions. By 14:00 the next height (125.7) is reached.

After 16:00 the enemy launched two counterattacks from Novye Shuli, behind the railway line. Reflecting the attack turns into hand-to-hand combat. In the evening, the regiment's units dig in at their occupied positions.

June 21 was a very difficult combat day for the 420th Regiment and it cost significant losses. On this day, Major Plath, commander of the 1st battalion of the 420th PP, distinguished himself during the assault on the “height of the path.” He took command of the battalion only on May 18, 1942, after the first battalion commander was killed.

On June 22, Russian resistance did not weaken. The day passes in a regrouping of forces. At night, at about 1.30 o'clock, the 420th PP launched an attack and captured Novye Shuli (Assault).

At 4 o'clock the Russians launched a strong counterattack, supported by artillery and mortar fire. The Russians retake the village. New Shuli will be captured later by units of the 28th LPD.”

Those. within a day and a half, the 7th brigade was knocked out from the Fedyukhin Heights, but the command of the SOR, in front of the high command, described the situation differently: The sent report said: “Krasnodar - Budyonny, Isakov, NKVMF - Kuznetsov, General Staff - Vasilevsky I report: Within 16 The fierce assault on Sevastopol continues for days. By the beginning of the assault, the enemy had seven German infantry divisions (132nd, 22nd, 24th, 28th, 50th, 72nd, 170th) and the 1st and 18th Romanian infantry divisions, reinforced by the 10th Infantry Division, the 18th Armored Group consisting of 150-200 tanks and armored vehicles, the 8th Air Corps consisting of up to 500 aircraft.

As a result of 16 days of fierce fighting, we defeated the main forces of the 11th Army (22nd, 24th, 28th, 50th and 132nd Infantry Divisions of the Germans, 1st and 18th Infantry Divisions of the Romanians). 188 aircraft, 107 tanks were destroyed, 97 aircraft and 109 tanks were knocked out.

Despite the losses, the enemy continues to advance at an unabated pace, compensating for the loss by introducing fresh forces from the reserves into the battle at the expense of the Southern Front.

By 22-06-42, seven German infantry regiments, the 4th Romanian mountain rifle division, a tank brigade of up to 200 tanks, and high-power artillery divisions were additionally brought into battle. In addition, the enemy receives marching reinforcements.

3. As a result of fierce battles, units of the SOR suffered heavy losses..., receiving only 3,500 men during these 16 days of marching battles. The 95th, 172nd, 345th Infantry Divisions and the 79th Infantry Brigade, as well as the 2nd Perekop Marine Regiment, almost completely lost their combat effectiveness. The 109th, 388th Infantry Division and 7th Marine Brigade lost over 60%. Retain combat capability, but suffered losses of up to 25% 25th Infantry Division, 8th and 9th
Marine brigade, 138th brigade, 3rd marine regiment
infantry.

Continuous bombing of the enemy, disabling entire battalions, continuous repulsing of tank and infantry attacks led to the loss of 50% of the main troops. We lost a lot of artillery equipment. The troops are significantly tired. Based on the data on the balance of forces in the absence of reserves, the SOR units are not able to hold the previous lines of defense
front line 40 kilometers. The enemy's entry to the line of the Fedyukhin Heights, the ridges between the Trenzina and Grafskaya girders, threatened the rupture of the front and the encirclement of the 25th Rifle Division. It is impossible to prevent encirclement without regrouping your troops - there are no forces, no reserves.

4. Based on the situation, I decided to regroup on the night of 23-06. The units occupy the line: height 57.7 - west. slopes height 99.4 - west. slopes of height 29.4 - unnamed height (150 meters southwest of height 74.0) - height 36.4 - N. Shuli - high. 9.5 — mark. 3.5 - stone pillar - height 57.7 - height 67.1 - bend of the road (800 meters southwest of height 119.9) and further along the southern slope of the Martynovsky ravine - eastern and northern slopes of the city of Suzdal. In order to cover the Inkerman Valley from the north, units of the 345th Infantry Division with the attached two battalions of the 138th Infantry Brigade will remain - to defend the area of ​​​​mark 66.1 - the bend of the Simferopol Highway, which is at Trenzina Balka - Sukharnaya Balka.

Subject to the daily supply of replenishment and ammunition, we will defend this new line of defense with the same tenacity. With delays and interruptions in receiving assistance, this milestone cannot be maintained. The most difficult defense conditions are created by enemy aircraft. Aviation paralyzes everything every day with thousands of bombs. It is very difficult for us to fight in Sevastopol. 15 aircraft are hunting for a small boat in the bay. All funds have been drained.

Help fight enemy aircraft. All troops continue to fight heroically.

P.A. Morgunov also repeats this information, pointing out that the 7th Marine Brigade was withdrawn from the Fedyukhin Heights as a result of redeployment, although in fact, the 7th Brigade was driven out from them a day before. The village of Novye Shuli was recaptured as a result of a desperate attack by signalmen and rear guards of the 386th Infantry Division, numbering just over 100 people.

The report of the military council of the SOR, in principle, contains a lot of false information, including on artillery. As of this date, most of the artillery was preserved, but most of the anti-aircraft artillery was lost, and it died as a result of a miscalculation by the SOR command. But this is a topic for a separate study.

In fact, having provided by the morning of 06/22/42. their flank, the enemy again took hold of the 388th and 109th divisions. From the book by P.A. Morgunov “Heroic Sevastopol”: At 5 o’clock. 30 min (22.06.42). in sectors I and II, the Nazis went on the offensive with two regiments of the 170th and 72nd infantry divisions with tanks in the direction higher. 74.0 (north of the village of Kadykovka). In reserve, the enemy had a regiment each from the 318th and 125th infantry divisions. In the direction of the enemy's attack, the defense was held by units of the 388th Infantry Division, two battalions of the 9th Marine Brigade (inaccuracy, actually three battalions). ...

As a result of fierce fighting in Sector I, by the end of the day on June 22, our units, despite heroic resistance, withdrew in some places, and the enemy reached the northwestern slopes of an unnamed height, which are 200 m to the west. 74.0". Height 74.0, this is the 6th Turkish redoubt, the area of ​​​​the monument to the Kyiv Hussar Regiment, however, there is no height to the west of it, perhaps this is a mistake, but it does not fundamentally change anything, the enemy broke through almost to the fork between the Yalta and Balaklava highways.

By the morning of June 24, 1942. units of the 1st sector occupied the defense line: from Balaklava to high. 113.2 (aka Karagach height excl.); forces: 109th and 388th rifle divisions, 9th marine brigade. In the area of ​​the Genoese Tower, surrounded, was the 2nd battalion of the 456th regiment of the 109SD. From that day on, the enemy suspended the offensive in the 1st sector, preparing a new offensive, scheduled for the night of June 28-29, 1942.

From German documents: “Attack plan XXX. A.K. to the Sapun Heights was prepared by the corps headquarters in detail, down to the smallest details. The 170th Infantry Division was supposed to attack in three groups in an area only 800 meters wide, seize a bridgehead and begin attacks to the south.

The amount of heavy weapons used by the 11th Army near Sevastopol is unique. The 420th RR had the opportunity to see that this was the strongest use of artillery by the Germans during the entire Second World War.

Units of the 170th Infantry Division were supported by: divisional artillery of the 170th, 72nd Infantry Divisions and 28th Light Infantry Division, as well as artillery units of the 1st Romanian Mountain Division. The attack was supported by artillery units of army subordination: the 154th artillery division, batteries of the 2nd training artillery regiment, the 284th coastal artillery division (Kъsten-Art.-Abt. 284), the 2nd division of the 818th artillery artillery regiment (II. Abt. A.R. 818), 1st Division of the 767th Artillery Regiment (I./A.R.767), and in addition the 70th Rocket Launcher Regiment (Werfer-Rgt. 70) and the 2nd Division of the 1st Heavy Rocket Launcher Regiment (II./schw. Werfer-Rgt. 1). To this we also need to add 5 batteries of anti-aircraft guns and the 8th Air Corps with bombers and dive bombers.”

From the memoirs of M. Norenko: “June 25, 1942. at 10:00 the enemy, without any precautions, began advancing in vehicles along the Yalta road. About 10 tanks were moving ahead, the division opened barrage fire. Several cars were wrecked. The column stopped and the infantry began to scatter... Throughout the entire day, the division did not allow the enemy to move beyond the height with the monument to the Battle of Balaklava. On the morning of the 26th there were no more infantry or tanks on the Yalta Highway. At night, for lack of shells, the division did not fire.” It is interesting to note that according to documents, 76mm ammunition suitable for mountain guns was in excess (about 970 tons), but it was listed in naval warehouses. Indeed, there was little of it left in army warehouses (73 tons). The same picture (on an even larger scale) is observed with 45mm ammunition.

The artillery of the 1st sector found itself in a difficult situation: it was located on the Sapunsky plateau, and could not bombard the front line with cannon fire, because he was in a dead zone. There was almost no howitzer ammunition left. The only hope was for the mortar division.

June 27, 1942 The artillery of the sector did not fire due to lack of shells. Only on the night from 27 to 28 were 152mm shells delivered to the 404th artillery regiment of the 109th SD. It is also curious that Sevastopol also had 152mm ammunition for ML-20 guns. They simply couldn't deliver it.

On June 29, at about 2 a.m., the enemy began an assault in the 2nd sector, but at first there was calm in the 1st sector. The thing is that the Romanian General Manoliu, on his own initiative, began the assault on Sapun Mountain several hours ahead of schedule, and was the first to reach the slopes of Sapun Mountain.

The 170th Division began the assault 2 hours later, and, accordingly, broke through the Soviet defenses a little later. The 105th Infantry Regiment, under the command of Oberst (Colonel) Müller, was introduced into the breakthrough. The breakthrough was made in the sector of the 2nd sector, but the artillery of the 1st sector, located at the junction of the sectors, came under attack. At about 6 o'clock the 4th battery of the 2nd division of the 953rd artillery regiment fought off the enemy, without infantry cover. It was not possible to pull the guns away from the position; the positions were almost continuously fired upon, therefore, by the evening, the two guns remaining in the ranks were blown up, and the remnants of the personnel retreated to the fifth battery.

Units of the 388th Division held their lines throughout the day, despite heavy losses. Its last battalion, the 4th, was transferred to help the 9th brigade.

It was still possible to stabilize the situation. The Sevastopol defense still had a sufficient number of reserves. The 778th Infantry Regiment of the 388th SD remained in the antilanding defense, the 142nd Infantry Brigade arrived, the 81st Separate Tank Battalion almost did not participate in the battles, there were other reserves, but...

In the official version, it looks like this: “In order to delay further advance of the enemy, shorten the front and withdraw units to reserve and to more convenient defensive lines, the command of the SOR made a decision during the night of June 30 to regroup troops and occupy the border high 122.6—high. 133.7—high. 101.6—high. 113.2—English Cemetery—high. 77.4—English redoubt “Victoria”—Malakhov Kurgan—barracks of the Training Detachment of the Black Sea Fleet. To carry out a systematic withdrawal and occupy the planned
lines of defense, the army commander, General Petrov, gave a number of private combat orders to the commanders of sectors and formations. In particular, the commander of the IV sector, Kapitokhin, was ordered: “by 2.00 30-6-42, the 138th brigade with the 514th brigade will occupy and defend: 77.4-w. shore of Dokovy Ravine - excl. Malakhov Kurgan. Sector Headquarters - Laboratory Beam. 79 brigade with 2 infantry fighting vehicles assigned to defend Kamchatka, heights and northern outskirts
slob. Korabelnaya and west, the shore of Kilen-balka - 23.4 and Cape Pavlovsky. Brigade Headquarters - Fleet Crew. Remains of the 386th Infantry Division and the 8th Infantry Brigade. assemble and pour into 514 str. and 90 sp and defend along the anti-tank ditch, the English redoubt "Victoria" - west.
shore of Kilen-balka - Kamchatka. 19—50 29—06—42 . Petrov, Chukhnov, Krylov."

Let's translate this data from army into Russian. Height 122.6, this is the height in the area of ​​​​the St. George Monastery. 133.7 is the height next to the TsAGI wind turbine, above the Karan Valley, 101.6 is the fork of the Yalta and Balaklava highways with the French redoubt and pillbox No. 29. Height 113.2 is the height of Karagach. Everything seems decent, but...

All units of the 388th Infantry Division were removed from the line of defense: the remnants of the 773rd and 782nd regiments, the engineer battalion, and the communications battalion. These units were sent to the evacuation cover line. Thus, almost the entire 388th SD was pulled to the rear, to the “Kamyezh Line”. Only the artillerymen of the 2nd division of the 953rd regiment remained in their previous position.

The combat report to the mainland at 9:00 30. stated: “During the night, our troops, having regrouped, occupied the front: 109 page div. - Marble Beam - bezim. altitude, which is 1 km north. Elevation 133, 7. 9 br. mp - Balaklava highway "KAZ (Arma)" - excl. hut. 600 m north-east. 85.2 (current mark 177.3 north of the village “7th km”).” This was reported to the authorities. In fact: the remnants of the 602nd and 381st regiments of the 109th division were allocated to the evacuation cover line.

From the memoirs of M.K. Norenko: “... the deputy commander of the 381st regiment was with me at the command post, and he was there on June 29th. At 22:30, the chief of staff of the regiment, Major Obrezanov, called him to the phone and talked to him for a long time about something. After the conversation ended, he told me:

The regiment was ordered to withdraw from positions and move to Chersonese. He didn't tell me anything else.

And what about me? I asked him

I don't know, call Major Obrezanov

Why Obrezanov, and not the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Makeenok?

Makeenka is no longer at the checkpoint. After which he packed up and left.

...What should I do? What to do? The infantry left, the artillery remained. There is no connection with Polonsky (commander of the artillery regiment), nor with the headquarters of the 388th division.” Only around 1 p.m. did the 2nd Division of the 953rd Regiment receive the order to withdraw, but by this time the situation had changed greatly...

The 9th Marine Brigade did not die, but received a similar order, and, withdrawing from its positions, retreated to a new line assigned to it, under the command of Major Nikulshin. Those. Only the 456th Infantry Regiment remained in position, and even then, without the 2nd Battalion, which was surrounded in the area of ​​the Genoese fortress. 06/30/42 A gap 7 km wide opened in the city’s defenses, into which German troops rushed.

I.G.Nikolaenko. Memories. NMGOOS Archive. Photocopy. Author's archive.

Political report No. 76 dated April 12, 1942. Photocopy. Author's archive.

P.A. Morgunov “Heroic Sevastopol” p. 329

Dept. CVMA, f. 72, d. 1235, l. 16.

22 ID Abt. 1C Feindnachrichtenblatt 73 Photocopy. Author's archive.

Tsugunyan A.G. Memories. NMGOOS Archive. Photocopy. Author's archive.

Dept. CVMA, f. 72, no. 1235, pp. 48-50. 398

P.A. Morgunov “Heroic Sevastopol” p.431

Protocol of interrogation of Lieutenant Colonel A.T. Makeenok. Photocopy. Author's archive.

N. Blagoveshchensky. Memories. NMGOOS Archive. Photocopy. Author's archive.

Connection history:

Formed in August 1941 in Stalino (Donetsk). According to the directive of the headquarters of the Kharkov Military District No. OM/003128 dated August 25, 1941, the combat crews of the division's combat units were staffed exclusively by trained junior miners liable for military service in the relevant military specialties called up from the reserve. On September 2, the division, fully equipped with personnel and weapons, began combat and political training. The division included the 691st, 694th, 696th rifle and 966th artillery regiments.

The formation of the 383rd Infantry Division went according to plan. The training and coordination of the division's units ended in September 1941. The division was well armed and had well-trained Red Army personnel; two of the three commanders of its rifle regiments had combat experience in the first two months of the Great Patriotic War. The division commander himself, Colonel Provalov, in addition to the academy, had experience of fighting on the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929, and in 1938 on Lake Khasan.

On September 29, 1941, near Novomoskovsk, the 1st Panzer Group of Kleist launched a massive attack on the right-flank divisions of the 12th Army. She broke through the front and, turning towards her right flank, rushed along the left bank of the Dnieper in a southern direction. Hitler's Army Group "South", breaking into the operational space of the left bank of the Dnieper, captured Poltava, advanced to Melitopol, and cut off Crimea. Due to the complicated situation, on September 30, 1941, the 383rd Rifle Division became part of the 18th Army of the Southern Front and, having completed the Selidovo - Krasnoarmeysk march, occupied the defensive line "Grishino - Solntsevo - Trudovoy", which is being improved to October 7, 41st. On this day, the division, having come under the control of the 9th Army, occupied a new line of defense: Solontsovka, Vasilyevka. On October 13, the division was transferred to the 18th Army and occupied the line Krasnoye, Yantarnoye, Uspenovka, Elizavetovka, Konstantinovka, Novo-Mikhailovka, Alexandrinka with the task of stopping the enemy advance operating in the direction of Stalino, Krasny Luch. On the right was the 296th Infantry Division of the 12th Army, and on the left was the 38th Division of the 18th Army. From October 14, the 383rd entered into battle with the enemy, thereby receiving a baptism of fire. On October 14, the 383rd Rifle Division entered into battle with an enemy group consisting of the 4th German Mountain Division and the Italian Caesar cavalry division. On the same day, the division completely destroys the regiment of the "Royal Musketeers", an Italian cavalry division, in a firebag. During the 5 days that the division held the line, 3,000 Germans and Italians were destroyed, in turn, its own losses amounted to 1,500 killed. All this despite the complete dominance of the Germans in the air. On October 18, the headquarters of the 383rd Infantry Division received an order from army headquarters to withdraw.

From October 15 to October 22, 1941, the division held the defense of Stalino. On 10/19/1941, after persistent heavy fighting, the division retreated to a pre-prepared defense line on the outskirts of Stalino - from Gornyak to Avdotyino with the task of defending the city to the last. 10/22/1941, in connection with the withdrawal of the neighboring 38th CD and 395th SD to new lines, units of the 383rd began to withdraw and occupied a new line of defense: Ordzhonikidze, Nizhnyaya Krynka, ZuGRES. On October 24, the enemy resumed strong attacks and the division was forced to begin a retreat.

By the end of the day on October 28, units of the division approached the city of Chistyakovo and took up defense there. On the night of October 30, the division retreated to the line of the Krasnaya Zvezda mine, Koopstroy, Snezhnoye. And here, too, there were bloody battles all day. The miners held out until the evening, and when it got dark, leaving cover, they began to retreat across the Mius River, taking a line along the left, low-lying bank of the Mius from Yanovka through Knyaginevka to Novo-Pavlovka. On November 9, having repelled numerous massive enemy attacks and earned some respite, all units of the 383rd Infantry Division began organizing active defense on the Mius line.

At the beginning of November 1941, the front stopped at Mius and Seversky Donets. Along Mius, on the approaches to the city of Krasny Luch, the division took up defensive positions. Further south along the river is the 395th Infantry Division. Then the division took up defensive positions in the Donsk - Bataysk area.

On December 29, 1941, the division fought for the Knyaginevsky bridgehead: the regiments delivered converging attacks under the base of the bridgehead, along the Mius. The enemy began to retreat to the right bank of the river in the direction of Andreevka and Vesely.

At the beginning of January 1942, the division was part of the Southern Front and occupied the defense line of Knyaginevka, Yanovka, ShterGRES, Novo-Pavlovka. The division is replenished, conducts combat training, and rests. Throughout January, February and early March 1942, the division was on the defensive, conducting force reconnaissance and sorties against the opposing 198th Wehrmacht Infantry Division.

On March 15, 1942, the division, having surrendered its positions to units of the 353rd Infantry Division, was withdrawn to the rear for replenishment and rest in the Sofievka, Shterovka, Ivanovka area. Here the division is assigned to the 880th howitzer artillery regiment of the RGK.

On April 14, 1942, units of the division again took over their defense line along the Stryukovo-Novo-Pavlovka line from the 353rd Infantry Division. Until July 1942, the division improved its defense, carried out reconnaissance in force, and repelled weak enemy attacks.

On July 10, 1942, the enemy went on the offensive and hot battles broke out. On the night of July 18, following the order of the commander of the 18th Army, the 383rd Infantry Division began a systematic retreat to Rostov. She again found herself in the rearguard of the army. On July 21, the division took up defensive positions on the near northwestern approaches to Rostov, and the enemy was persistently attacking. On the 22nd, the division concentrates in the Mokry Bataysk area, Art. Koisug and launches a counterattack at the station. Zarechnaya with the task of throwing the enemy into the Don. However, it was not possible to recapture the station; the regiments of the 383rd began to bury themselves in the ground, repelling the continuous attacks of the enemy.

On August 5, 1942, the division, following a written order from the army commander, approached the foothills of the Western Caucasus and took up defensive positions in the area of ​​the villages of Khanskaya, Belorechenskaya, Chernigovskaya, Kubanskaya 2nd, and Pshekhskaya. On the right, directly in the village of Khanskaya, the 13th cavalry division of the 17th kk was defending, and even further to the right, along the Belaya River, the 31st rifle division and the 9th rifle division of the NKVD. The left neighbor of the 383rd was the 12th cd.

Since August 9, 1942, the division has been holding back powerful enemy attacks along the entire defensive front, from Khanskaya to Belorechenskaya, and finds itself surrounded. On August 11, having made a hole in the German ring, the division reached the main forces of the 12th Army and began to retreat through Apsheronsky and Neftegorsk to the region of Maratuka, Kotlovin, Gunayk, where it was to take up defensive positions, covering one of the sectors on the approaches to the Black Sea coast. However, it was not possible to complete the combat mission. On the morning of the 16th the enemy struck from Apsheronsky to Neftyanaya. The division, having added two regiments of the defeated 236th Infantry Division, counterattacks the enemy from the Neftyanaya area in the direction of Khadyzhenskaya, but fails. Having only one regiment, by August 18 the division came under the command of the commander of the 18th Army and, having made a mountain crossing, took up defense on the line of Mount Gunai, Mount Geiman, Gunayka, Kotlovina, Maratuki. Until September 25, 1942, the division, located 40 kilometers from Tuapse, strengthened and improved the defense line, replenished with personnel and military equipment

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From September 26, 1942, units of the division entered into battle with the enemy advancing in the Tuapse direction. On October 3, having withstood a powerful blow from the Nazis, the division had to surrender Kotlovina and Gunayka. Even worse, the enemy dismembered the division's defenses and cut off the 691st Regiment, which continued to hold Maratuk and Mount Oplepen, from the division's other two rifle regiments.

In the Samur-Lazarevsky direction, units of the 46th German Infantry Division on September 28 went on the offensive from the Samurskaya, Neftegorsk sector in the direction of Rozhet, Maratuki and captured a number of heights. The troops of the 31st, 383rd and 11th Guards Divisions fought fierce battles until October 5 and were still forced to leave Chernigov and Mount Oplepen. There was a serious threat of an enemy breakthrough into the river valley. Pshekha.

On 10/9/1942, having surrendered positions to units of the 40th Motorized Rifle Brigade, the division occupied a new line of defense, which now ran along the heights located between Goytkh, Gunayka and Kotlovina. The neighbor on the left is the 12th Guards. CD, covering from the east the section of the road on Tuapse between Shaumyan and Goytkhsky pass.

On October 14, the Germans resumed their offensive in the direction of Shaumyan. On the 15th - having surrendered positions to units of the 408th Rifle Division who arrived from the Soviet-Turkish border, the 383rd marched to the Goytkh Pass, where, arriving on the 16th, it entered the battle on the move.

On October 18, having surrendered positions to units of the 107th Brigade, the 383rd was withdrawn to the rear for replenishment and concentrated in Georgievskoye. On the 23rd, due to the difficult situation - the enemy, having dismembered the battle formations of the 408th Infantry Division, went to the Semashkho and Two Brothers mountains - units of the division fought to occupy heights with marks 919.6 (Two Brothers), 1103.1 and 960, 0. 29th - the division reached the south-eastern slopes of the height with a mark of 879.0, south-western corner of the village of Perevalny. By noon on November 1, the division took Perevalny and the village of Pelika. During ten days of fighting, the division destroyed more than 2,000 enemy soldiers and officers.

From November 16, 1942, the division went on the offensive, cutting off the road from Goytha to Mount Semashkho, but bad weather broke out (heavy rain with sleet) interrupted all combat operations in this area for a month, cutting off the division from the rear. And this means the cessation of the supply of ammunition and food, the impossibility of evacuating the wounded. It must be emphasized that parts of the enemy’s Semashkh group also found themselves in a difficult situation during the outbreak of bad weather. Hitler's command tried to supply its troops by air, dropping them both food and medicine. But the weather was bad, and the enemy was unable to use this option.

On December 23, 1942, the division was withdrawn to the area of ​​Mount Two Brothers and began building huts, bathhouses and other structures necessary for the troops for rest and study. The destruction of the Semashkh enemy group was completed by the 83rd State Division, 353rd Infantry Division, 8th Guards Infantry Division, 10th and 165th Infantry Brigades.

Combat training continued until January 9, 1943. On the 10th, by order of the commander of the Black Sea Group of Forces, the 383rd Infantry Division set out on foot in Tuapse to then come under the command of the commander of the 47th Army F.V. Kamkov. On January 25, having completed the transition, units of the division occupied the Slit Memorable-Unnamed height line with an elevation of 192.1.

On January 27, 1943, the division went on the offensive with the task of capturing the village of Krymskaya. There were a lot of bunkers in the enemy defenses in front of the division's front. It took all of February to fight them.

On March 5, 1943, the division was reassigned to the commander of the 56th Army. On March 10, her regiments went on the attack together with the task of quickly reaching the eastern bank of the Abin River north of the camps and capturing the village of Abinskaya. Abinskaya was taken only half a month later, on March 23. But the 383rd Infantry Division did not participate in hostilities: concentrating in the area of ​​the village of Ilskaya, it was replenished with personnel and engaged in combat and political training.

By April 14, 1943, the division, having marched from the Ilskaya area to the right flank of the 56th Army, went on the offensive in the direction of the Krymskaya village with the task of capturing its southern outskirts. The division captured Krymskaya, but was unable to consolidate its success - the enemy threw more than two infantry regiments and about 60 tanks against the 383rd from the Pyatiletka state farm. Having retreated to the outskirts of the village, the regiments firmly held their positions, repelling strong counterattacks of the enemy.

At 6 o'clock in the morning on April 29, 1943, the division as part of the 56th Army resumed its offensive from the line of height 68.8 directly to Krymskaya. Having captured the village on May 4th, the division was resubordinated to the commander of the 11th Guards Infantry Division and on the morning of May 5th it decisively attacked the enemy entrenched at the Tambulovsky, Svoboda line. The 32nd Guards was advancing on the right. SD, on the left - 242nd State Guards Division. However, the offensive floundered, the Soviet units came across heavily fortified enemy positions, the so-called Blue Line, which stretched from the Verbyanaya Spit on the Sea of ​​Azov along the Kurka and Adagum rivers with their vast floodplains to the northwestern spurs of the Main Caucasus Range. Having gained a foothold on the achieved lines, units of the division began preparing to break through enemy fortifications.

From May 15 to May 25, 1943, the 383rd Infantry Division, withdrawn from the front line to the area east of Krymskaya, put itself in order and engaged in combat training. On the 25th, having replaced the 242nd Civil Division at the forefront, the division went on the offensive with the task of breaking through the enemy’s defenses in the direction of the Samsonovsky farm and subsequently advancing around Moldavansky from the north.

From May 31, the 383rd Infantry Division got involved in grueling and bloody battles to break through the Blue Line. On June 13, 43, the division was transferred to reserve and concentrated in the area of ​​​​the bend of the Krymskaya-Timashevskaya railway, the Krasno-Zeleny farm.

By June 27, 1943, the division as part of the 16th Infantry Division was concentrated in the Abinskaya, Beregovoi, Verkhnee-Stavropolsky areas and, being in the army reserve, began combat training. Ahead are heavy battles to break through the Blue Line.

From July 20, 1943, units of the division went on the offensive with the task of breaking through the enemy’s defenses in the direction of Novy, Krasny and reaching the Kudak River line by the end of the day. The period from July 23 to August 14, 1943 was characterized by positional battles, which the division fought with the forces of a battalion or regiment in order to improve its positions. Since August 15, 1943, units of the division, following the order of the commander of the 56th Army, have been improving their defense.

From September 10, 1943, the division, participating in the operation to liberate the Taman Peninsula, as part of the 16th Rifle Division of the 56th Army, went on the offensive with the task, moving in the direction of Moldavian and Russian, to break through the enemy’s defenses in the freedom sector, the southern slopes of height 114 ,1, to capture both settlements, and with access to the Kudak River, advance to the northern outskirts of Damansky, Gladkovskaya and Gastagaevskaya.

On September 18, 1943, the forward detachment of the division broke into the outskirts of the village of Gladkovskaya. However, after Gladkovskaya, hitting a new intermediate line of enemy defense, the key point of which was the village of Soglasie, units of the division stopped. On the night of September 21, after some regrouping, the division's assault battalions captured the village of Soglasie, and the main units of the 16th Infantry Corps again went on the offensive. By the end of the day, having liberated the villages of Akkermanku, Shkolny, Novopokrovsky in cooperation with units of the 32nd Guards SD of the 11th Guards Rifle Division, the division regiments approached the next pre-prepared line of enemy defense, which ran along the heights with marks 244.5, 258, 8, 195.0 and through the Krasny Vostok village.

By the end of October 4, the division, having liberated us. Vyshesteblievskaya, Traktovy, Brazhnikov, Primorsky, reached the shore of the Taman Bay. On October 8, advancing on the right flank of the corps, the division regiments captured the village of Fontalovskaya; on October 9, having liberated several villages in battle, they reached the Kerch Strait. The troops of the 56th Army completely cleared the Taman Peninsula of Nazi invaders. On the same day, for successful battles to liberate the Taman Peninsula, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Since 10/15/1943, all units of the division have been engaged in combat training according to a special program: they taught people to board ships, land on the shore and fight in the conditions of strong anti-landing defense of the Nazis - units of the division as part of the 16th Infantry Corps were to land on the northern coast of the Kerch Peninsula , in the area of ​​Cape Tarkhan.

On November 8, 1943, following units of the 339th Infantry Division, units of the 383rd Infantry Division began landing. So, the soldiers loaded at two points: the 691st joint venture from berth No. 1 on the Chushka spit, and the 694th joint venture in the area of ​​​​the village of Kordon. And they landed accordingly - in Opasnaya and Zhukovka. On November 9, units of the division replaced the 55th Guards. sd at the border of us.p. Bucks. On the right flank - the 694th joint venture, on the left - the 691st. The 696th deployed into battle formation in the second echelon. On November 11, the division cleared the village of Adzhimushkay from the enemy and launched an attack on Katerlez, but stopped moving when it came across heavily fortified enemy positions. It was still necessary to thoroughly prepare for the breakthrough of enemy defenses on the Kerch Peninsula.

Since November 20, 1943, the division has been operating as part of the newly formed Separate Primorsky Army, repelling continuous enemy counterattacks.

On December 4, 1943, after powerful artillery bombardment, units of the division went on the offensive and, with the support of tank regiments, latched onto the eastern outskirts of Bulganak. But they failed to advance further.

Since January 24, 1944, the division has been attacking Kerch. However, the landing failed. And yet, he helped the division improve its position - reach the brick factory line, Kerch 1st station, block No. 40. Until April 10, the 44th corps units are improving the defense line, conducting combat training, being replenished, and resting.

On April 10, 1944, the division launched an attack on Kerch. Particularly fierce battles broke out on the northern outskirts of the city. Here parts of the division were surrounded by about 2,000 enemy soldiers and officers. 691st joint venture, Lieutenant Colonel Grachev N.N. immediately took possession of the southern slopes of Mount Vysokaya.

By 6 a.m. on April 11, 1944, Kerch was liberated. The few surviving Nazi units managed to leave the city to the Turkish Wall. The battered enemy forces defending Katerlez also retreated there.

On April 12, 1944, mobile units of the division broke through to the estate of the Arma-eli state farm and started a battle for it. The enemy offered them the most determined resistance. In front of the advanced units of the division was the Ak-Monai position, fortified no worse than the main enemy defense line in the Kerch region.

On April 13, 1944, units of the division liberated Feodosia; on the 15th, having liberated Alushta, units of the division went to Yalta and started fighting for it.

On April 16, units of the division approached the outer perimeter of the enemy’s Sevastopol defensive region. In ten days of offensive battles, Soviet troops liberated almost all of Crimea. Now it was necessary to liberate Sevastopol.

On April 24, 1944, by order of the Supreme Commander for the liberation of the city of Feodosia, the division was given the honorary name “Feodosia”.

On April 28, 1944, the division’s assault troops began fighting for Sapun Mountain; on May 5, the division, having surrendered positions to units of the 83rd Naval Brigade, entered the second echelon of the corps.

Until September '44. The division was in the Crimea as part of the Primorsky Army, after which the division consisting of 16SK was transferred to Belarus to the area south of Bialystok and from September 10 began to unload in the area of ​​​​the station. Nurets, where the corps became part of 33A, which was in reserve. Here, as throughout the summer in Crimea, the division was engaged in combat training, conducted exercises and prepared for future battles.

January 8, 45 The division completed a march and crossed the Vistula to the Puławy bridgehead. On the night of January 13, the division replaced units of the 247th Rifle Division. The division's sappers carried out complete mine clearance, removing more than 2000 mines. In the upcoming offensive, the division was to be supported by a powerful artillery fist. In addition to its own artillery (54 82mm min., 18 122mm min., 36 45mm guns, 32 76mm guns, 12 122mm guns), the division was supported by artillery regiments 89, 95, 64mm, as well as attached 6 artillery regiments (total 51 82mm min., 54 122mm min. ., 139 76mm guns, 24 122mm guns), and two self-propelled artillery regiments (21 SU-76 and 21 SU-152). Total 453 guns and mortars.

On the morning of January 14, the division went on the offensive from the Pulawy bridgehead. Overcoming strong machine-gun and mortar fire from the enemy against the battle formations of the advancing infantry, the division broke through the defensive line of the German troops. By the evening of January 14, the division overcame 3 enemy lines of defense. German troops repeatedly tried to launch counterattacks using self-propelled guns, but all attacks were repulsed with heavy losses for the enemy. The opposing 214th Infantry Division was defeated on the first day. The next day, the enemy brought the reserve 10th infantry division into battle, but it, too, unable to withstand the pressure of our offensive, began to retreat to the west. After this, the enemy’s defenses practically collapsed and the division began to develop an offensive south of Radom. By the end of January 16, units of the 383rd Rifle Division reached the Radom-Szydłowiec highway. From that moment on, the organized resistance of the German troops practically ceased and the division rapidly developed an offensive, sweeping away small enemy detachments and units emerging from the encirclement. On January 21, the advance detachment captured the crossings in the city of Warta, which greatly accelerated the further offensive. Division losses when breaking through the defense and pursuing the enemy on January 14-21, 1945. amounted to 156 people. killed and 772 people. wounded. On January 21, the division consisted of 5860 people.