149th Rifle Division

The 149th Rifle Division was originally formed as an infantry division of the Red Army by September 1939 in the Oryol Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of later that month. At the outbreak of the war it was still in this District, attempting to build up to wartime strength as part of the 30th 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 149th 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 for rebuilding under 43rd Army for most of August. It played an abortive role in the fighting near Yelnya in the last days of the month, costing further casualties, before being pulled back into its Army's second echelon. At the start of the final German offensive on Moscow the 149th found itself almost directly in the path of 4th Panzer Group and was quickly driven north in disarray, becoming encircled with most of its Front by October 7. Although the command staff, other small groups, and individuals managed to escape through the German lines over the coming weeks there was not enough to warrant another rebuilding, and the division was written off in late December.

A new 149th was formed very soon after, based on a 400-series division, in the Moscow Military District, and after only about six weeks of equipping and training was assigned to 61st Army on the south flank of Western Front. Through most of 1942 it took part in minor operations as part of the fighting for the Rzhev salient, but it February 1943 it was transferred to 65th Army of the re-formed Central Front. With this force it began an abortive offensive toward Smolensk and Gomel late in the month, then went over to the defense to prepare for the German summer offensive. 65th Army saw little or no combat in the Kursk offensive, and in late August began advancing through eastern Ukraine toward the Dniepr River. In the campaign to retake Gomel and Rechytsa in mid-October the division forced a crossing of the river and some 20 men were made Heroes of the Soviet Union. This was followed by a successful advance to the north and west which retook both cities, but in December it was transferred south to 1st Ukrainian Front, joining 13th Army as it renewed its advance west of Kyiv, and was soon awarded both a battle honor and the Order of the Red Banner. In April 1944 it was reassigned to 3rd Guards Army of the same Front, where it would remain for the duration of the war. After a few months outside Brody the 149th took part in the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive in July and on the last day of the month forced a crossing of the Vistula River near the latter place and received the Order of Kutuzov. During the Vistula-Oder operation it advanced from the Sandomierz bridgehead through southern Poland and into Silesia, where it took part in fighting through February, arriving at the Neisse River in the third week of the month. During this operation it was also awarded the Order of Suvorov. From this line it attacked into the German heartland in April, first taking part in routing the German Cottbus grouping, and then the encirclement battle against the 9th Army in the Spree Forest. When the German surrender came it was advancing with its Front toward Prague. As with many other distinguished divisions it was disbanded a few months later.