47th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

47th Mountain Rifle Division (1940-1942)
47th Rifle Division
Active

I Formation: 1922-1942
II Formation: 1942-1946

III Formation: 1955-1956
Country  Soviet Union
Branch Red Army
Type Infantry
Engagements

World War II

Decorations

Order of the Red Banner (1st and 3rd formations)
Order of Lenin (2nd formation)
Order of Suvorov 2nd class (2nd & 3rd formations)

Order of Kutuzov 2nd class (3rd formation)
Battle honours

Roslavl (3rd formation)
Nevel (2nd formation)

On behalf of Comrade Stalin (1st formation)
Commanders
Notable
commanders

Viktor Georgyevich Chernov

Grigory Chernov

The 47th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army. It was first formed in 1922 as the Georgian Rifle Division. In 1924, it became the 1st Georgian Mountain Division. The division became the 47th Georgian Mountain Rifle Division in 1936 and dropped the designation "Georgian" in 1940. It was disbanded in June 1942 after being wiped out at Izyum.[1] In July 1942, the 47th Rifle Division was formed from the 21st Rifle Brigade.[2][3] It fought in the Nevel Offensive, for which it was awarded the title "Nevel".[4] The division was disbanded in the Baltic Military District in 1946.[5] It was also awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of Suvorov 2nd class.[6] The division was reformed a third time from the 277th Rifle Division in 1955 but disbanded in July 1956.

History

In 1922, the Georgian Rifle Division was formed. It was given the honorific "on behalf of Comrade Stalin" on 29 July 1930. In July 1936, it was renamed the 47th Georgian Mountain Rifle Division. On 16 July 1940, it became the 47th Mountain Rifle Division. On 22 June 1941, it was part of the 3rd Rifle Corps in Batum. Between 11 and 14 September, the division was sent by rail from Kupyansk to Sloviansk. On 20 September it was again transported to Iskrivka, Vodyanaya and Kovyahy. It was sent into battle near Chutovo on 26 September to participate in the attack on Poltava.[7] As a result of a disorganized retreat, it lost 23 artillery guns and 7 mortars in October 1941. As part of the 6th Army, it fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov[8] and was wiped out in the Izyum pocket during May 1942. It was officially disbanded on 30 June.[9][10]

The 47th Rifle Division was reformed in July 1942 from the 21st Rifle Brigade.[2] The division fought in the Nevel Offensive in October 1943 as part of the 83rd Rifle Corps.[11] On 7 October it was awarded the honorific "Nevel" for its actions in the capture of Nevel.[12] The division was advancing towards Zheludok, Ovinische and Lobok on 8 November. It was awarded the Order of Suvorov 2nd class on 21 December. The division was awarded the Order of Lenin on 10 July 1944.[6] In 1946, the division was disbanded in the Baltic Military District.[5]

In 1955, the division was reformed from the 277th Rifle Division at Iman with the 5th Red Banner Army. It inherited the honorifics "Roslavl Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov". The division disbanded on 25 July 1956.[13]

Commanders

The division was commanded by the following officers.[9][4]

Composition

On 22 June 1941, the 47th Mountain Rifle Division contained the following units.[1][9]

The 47th Rifle Division was composed of the following units. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "47 ГОРНО СТРЕЛКОВАЯ ДИВИЗИЯ" [47th Mountain Rifle Division]. bdsa.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  2. 1 2 3 "47 СТРЕЛКОВАЯ ДИВИЗИЯ" [47th Rifle Division]. bdsa.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  3. ↑ Pettibone, Charles D. (2009-11-18). The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II: Volume V - Book B Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781426978159.
  4. 1 2 "47-я (ф. 1942) стрелковая дивизия" [47th (1942) Rifle Division]. samsv.narod.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  5. 1 2 "Стрелковые 46-60" [Rifle Divisions 46-60]. myfront.in.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  6. 1 2 "47-я Невельская стрелковая дивизия" [47th Nevelskaya Rifle Division]. rkka.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 Jan 2016.
  7. ↑ "47-я горнострелковая дивизия" [47th Mountain Rifle Division]. samsv.narod.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  8. ↑ Forczyk, Robert (2013-01-01). Kharkov 1942: The Wehrmacht Strikes Back. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781780961576.
  9. 1 2 3 "47-я Краснознаменная горнострелковая дивизия им. И.В. Сталина" [47th Red Banner named after I.V. Stalin Mountain Rifle Division]. rkka.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 Jan 2016.
  10. ↑ "Горнострелковые" [Mountain Rifle]. myfront.in.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  11. ↑ Glantz, David M.; Orenstein, Harold S. (2004-01-01). Belorussia 1944: The Soviet General Staff Study. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415351164.
  12. ↑ Beloborodov, Afanasy Petrovich (1984). Всегда в бою [Always in the fray] (in Russian). Moscow: Ekonomika.
  13. ↑ Feskov et al 2013, p. 151
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