145th Rifle Division

The 145th Rifle Division was originally formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in August 1939 in the Byelorussian Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of the following month. Less than a month after forming it took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland. At the outbreak of the war it was in the Oryol Military District, attempting to build up to wartime strength as part of the 33rd Rifle Corps, but by the beginning of July it had been assigned to 28th Army, soon being made part of a shock group known as Group Kachalov. Beginning in the third week of July this Group, under Western Front, started a combined arms drive to the north from the Roslavl area toward Smolensk. This push made very poor progress in a week of fighting before the Group was struck on the left flank by the XXIV Panzer Corps and quickly encircled. The men of the 145th were forced to break out as individuals and small groups, taking heavy losses in the process, and were then moved to the rear of Reserve Front, but it was decided to disband the division to reinforce its "sister" 149th Rifle Division.

A new 145th was designated in the Moscow Military District in January 1942, and was soon sent to the 4th Shock Army of Kalinin Front in the salient around Toropets which had recently been retaken. In April fighting near Velizh it was badly shot up and spent several months rebuilding on the defense. In October it was reassigned to 43rd Army of the same Front. During the summer offensive of 1943 that liberated Smolensk 43rd Army saw action against the left flank of German 4th Army, eventually helping to take the city before advancing to the western border of Belarus, where the 145th became involved in a months-long slog which threatened, but never quite broke the German hold on the city of Vitebsk. During this fighting it also served briefly in 39th Army, in what was now the 1st Baltic Front. Returning to 43rd Army it fought in the 1944 summer offensive that destroyed Army Group Center, for its part breaking into and clearing Vitebsk itself, for which it received a battle honor. During July it advanced into Lithuania and Latvia, the "Baltic Gap" that had formed between Army Groups Center and North, and distinguished itself in the fighting south of Riga in early October so as to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Shortly after it helped to lead the Army's advance on Memel, but this came to a halt outside the walls of the heavily fortified city. By now the Red Army was disbanding formations that were surplus to remaining requirements, and after moving to 2nd Guards, 4th Shock, and 51st Armies in Lithuania in early 1945 the 145th was written off in March in 2nd Baltic Front, with its remaining personnel and equipment going to the 158th Rifle Division.