146th Rifle Division

The 146th Rifle Division was formed for the first time as a Red Army rifle division in August 1939, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of the following month, in the Ukrainian Military District as part of a major build-up of the Army prior to the start of World War II. Very soon after being formed it was part of the Soviet force that invaded eastern Poland, and the next year also took part in the occupation of Romanian territories in Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. After the start of the German invasion in 1941 it was assigned to 6th Army in Southwestern Front, then reassigned to 26th Army before defending the approaches to Kyiv as part of 37th Army for several weeks until being surrounded and destroyed in September east of the city.

A second formation began in January 1942, based on a pair of partly formed 400-series divisions, in the Moscow Military District, and entered the fighting as part of 50th Army of Western Front in the last stages of the winter counteroffensive in front of Moscow. It suffered heavily in this fighting and then remained on relatively quiet sectors as part of 49th Army until the withdrawal of German 9th Army from the Rzhev salient. It was service in the same Army in the 1943 summer offensive that liberated Smolensk, and was the first Soviet unit into Spas-Demensk in late August. It was then shifted north after being refitted in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command and came under command of 2nd Baltic Front's 3rd Shock Army, fighting under those commands in the later stages of the battle for Nevel. By the start of the summer offensive in 1944 it had fought its way to the northern part of the Panther Line, east of Ostrov, and during that offensive, under command of 1st Shock Army of 3rd Baltic Front, took part in the liberation of that town, for which it was awarded a battle honor. Shortly after, during the advance through Estonia, it was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner. When 3rd Baltic was disbanded in October the 146th returned to 3rd Shock, which was transferred to 1st Belorussian Front just prior to the winter offensive into Poland and Pomerania. 3rd Shock was tasked with a leading role in the final battle for Berlin, and the division ended the war fighting in the streets of the German capital, winning further distinctions. It saw postwar duty in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, before moving to Ukraine in early 1946 and being disbanded in June.