28th Tank Division (Soviet Union)
| 28th Tank Division (February 1941 – December 13, 1941) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Armor |
| Engagements | Operation Barbarossa Battle of Raseiniai Baltic operation Leningrad strategic defensive |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovskii Col. Timofei Semyonovich Orlenko |
The 28th Tank Division was an armored division of the Red Army, created during the prewar buildup of forces in the Baltic Special Military District, based on a light tank brigade and a motorized rifle brigade. It fought against German Army Group North during the first months of Operation Barbarossa. It was initially under command of the 12th Mechanized Corps of the 8th Army.
It was notably the first wartime command of Ivan Chernyakhovskii, who went on to lead the 3rd Belorussian Front. The division's tank regiments were largely destroyed in the first battles, but not without inflicting losses themselves. The remnants fell back through Latvia and Estonia, receiving enough reinforcements and replacements to remain combat-effective. It served well at Novgorod and in the early fighting around Demyansk as part of the 27th Army, but in November, the Stavka ordered its conversion to the 241st Rifle Division.