143rd Rifle Division

The 143rd Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in early September 1939 in the Byelorussian Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of September 13. It took part in the invasion of eastern Poland later that month, and the occupation of Lithuania in 1940. At the time of the German invasion on June 22, 1941, it was in 47th Rifle Corps, a reserve corps of Western Special Military District. In the initial chaos it moved west and quickly collided with advancing German forces, becoming encircled in the Minsk pocket, but emerging with enough strength to be subordinated to 4th Army. Shortly before that Army was disbanded the division was transferred to 13th Army, soon part of Central Front, and barely escaped being encircled again in early August, falling back to, and then beyond the Desna River. When Bryansk Front was established 13th Army was subordinated to it. Through September it was involved in fighting along the Desna which further weakened it, and it was then encircled with its Army in Operation Typhoon, forcing it to break out with catastrophic losses. During November the division was forced back past Livny in the last gasps of the German offensive, but joined the counteroffensive in early December, helping to retake that town as well as Yelets before making modest gains to the southwest during January 1942. It remained in the same area throughout the year, recovering its strength as the German summer offensive moved south and east of its positions. Following the victory at Stalingrad, now as part of 48th Army, still in Bryansk Front, it pushed through the weak German 2nd Panzer Army toward Kursk. This advance was halted in March 1943 and the 143rd remained in positions near Pokrovskoye during the buildup to the fighting for the Kursk salient, being transferred to the recreated Central Front. The division did not see much fighting during the German offensive but joined the following counteroffensive into the Oryol salient, and at the end of July was pulled back to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rest and rebuilding. When it returned to the front in late August it was assigned to 60th Army, and very soon won a battle honor for its part in retaking Konotop, after which it advanced to the Dniepr River. During October, now as part of 1st Ukrainian Front, it attempted to enlarge the existing bridgeheads north of Kyiv with little success, but made much greater progress when the offensive was renewed in early November. As it pushed west of the city it took part in the capture of Korosten; this was lost to German counterattacks later in the month, but retaken in late December, giving the 143rd its second battle honor. It was further distinguished with the Order of the Red Banner as a result of the advance on Lutsk in February 1944. Following this it took up positions south of the Pripet Marshes as part of 47th Army. During the second stage of Operation Bagration in July, as part of the 1st Belorussian Front, it helped break the German defense around Kovel, earning the Order of Suvorov. From there it advanced with its Army toward Warsaw and several of its subunits won awards in the fighting for Praga. When the winter offensive began in January 1945 the 47th outflanked the German units still holding in the city, then headed east toward Pomerania, before regrouping for the final offensive on Berlin. Along with its Army it helped encircle the city from the north, linking up with 1st Ukrainian Front near Potsdam, and then marched west, meeting US Army forces along the Elbe River. Postwar, it was part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, and was disbanded there in June 1946.