200th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

The division had seen its first action the previous day at Viche and by June 28 it was trying to defend the line of the Styr River at Bobovich.[4] As of the beginning of July the 31st Corps, which now contained just the 200th and 193rd, had been assigned to Southwestern Front's 5th Army,[5] which was concentrating in the eastern Pripyat area on the north flank of the forces of Army Group South advancing on Kiev. By the end of July 7 the two divisions were attempting to hold an extended front along the Sluch River northwest of Novohrad-Volynskyi against the XXIX Army Corps but a week later the 200th had been forced back to north of Yemilchyne.[6] In the interim the 195th Division had rejoined the Corps.[7] The presence of 5th Army in this region was beginning to affect German strategy as noted in Führer directive No. 33 of July 19:

The Kiev fortifications and the Soviet 5th Army's operations on our rear have inhibited active operations and free maneuver on Army Group South's northern flank.

The directive set the task, among others, "to destroy the Soviet 5th Army by means of a closely coordinated offensive by the forces on Army Group Center's southern flank and Army Group South's northern flank."[8]

Over the following weeks the division made a well-organized retreat, falling back to a line along the Uzh River by the end of August 11,[9] but continuous combat was wearing the division down; by August 19 it had only 1,684 personnel on strength, less than half the strength of a prewar rifle regiment.[10] On August 1 Colonel Lyudnikov had been withdrawn from command and placed at the disposal of the Front headquarters. He was replaced the next day by his chief of staff, Maj. Aleksei Pavlovich Kolpachev who would remain in command for the duration of the 1st formation. After recovering from wounds suffered during his escape from the Kiev Pocket Lyudnikov would go on to lead the 138th Rifle Division in the fighting for the Barricady Factory in the Battle of Stalingrad, becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union and reaching the rank of colonel general before the end of the war.

Gomel fell to forces of German 2nd Army on August 19 which effectively unhinged the defenses of the Soviet 21st Army east of the Dniepr. The commander of Southwestern Front, Marshal S. M. Budyonny, signalled the STAVKA that this Army's divisions were withdrawing to a line some 20 km north of the Repki region where the 200th was organizing defenses. In response to this crisis the division was ordered at noon on August 27 to move in that direction in order to come under that Army's command along with the 62nd Rifle Division. This order was overridden on September 1 when the 200th was directed to hold its present positions and carry out reconnaissance.[11] Meanwhile, in late August the 2nd Panzer Group and 2nd Army of Army Group Center began their drives southward. At this time the 200th was attempting to hold positions west of Chernihiv from elements of the XXIII Army Corps outflanking it to the east. By September 10 the remnants of 5th Army were grouped north of Kozelets but on September 16 the 2nd Panzers linked up with the 1st Panzer Group of Army Group South well to the east and the Army was deeply encircled.[12] The division was officially declared destroyed on September 20;[13] Major Kolpachev was taken prisoner but survived the war, being released in 1945.

Prior to the arrival of the 200th the German forces had managed to restore land communications through the "Ramushevo corridor" on March 21 although its forces in the salient would continue to rely on air supply for most of its needs for the duration.[17] The division was under 11th Army command by the beginning of May,[18] and as a fresh unit was committed on the 3rd to an attack to cut the corridor in conjunction with the 1st Shock Army from the south. The Soviet forces continued the assault for two weeks but could not cut the 4 km-wide pathway, although artillery fire prevented German supply convoys from using it most of the time. Further efforts were made by the two armies from July into November but these made little impact on the heavily fortified corridor.[19] In the November assault the division was likely part of the 11th Army's shock group which was led by the 202nd Rifle Division.[20] Later that month the 200th was moved to the 27th Army, still in Northwestern Front.[21] On August 8 Colonel Elshin had left command of the division; he was replaced the following day by Col. Pyotr Efimovich Popov, but this officer would in turn be replaced on December 9 by Col. Mikhail Emmanuilovich Moskalik, who had previously commanded the 384th Rifle Division.

Operation Ziethen. Note the position of the 200th Rifle Division near the right flank of 34th Army.

In January 1943 the 200th was assigned to 34th Army which, like the 27th, was holding positions around Demyansk.[22] On February 22 Colonel Moskalik was moved to command of the 171st Rifle Division and was replaced by Col. Borumil Yosifovich Zobin. On the morning of February 17 the II Army Corps had begun Operation Ziethen, the evacuation of the salient, and Demyansk itself was burned to the ground on February 21. Ski units of 34th Army were committed to a pursuit but were unable to inflict any serious harm. By early March the German forces had pulled back to prepared positions along the Lovat River;[23] by then the 200th had returned to 11th Army.[24]

11th Army had been earmarked by Marshal G. K. Zhukov for his planned Operation Polar Star which was to encircle and destroy German 18th Army south of Leningrad, but the evacuation of Demyansk threw these plans into disarray. An attack by the Army south of Ramushevo in conjunction with the 34th and 53rd Armies on March 14 made almost no gains at considerable cost and on the 17th the STAVKA ordered it halted. With the spring thaw arriving the entire Soviet-German front went into a relative lull in April.[25] During that month the 200th was reassigned to the 68th Army but in May returned to 34th Army where it was assigned to 12th Guards Rifle Corps.[26] This began a peripatetic existence for the division as it moved among Fronts, armies and rifle corps for the duration of the war.

The situation around Nevel was extremely complex and included a long German-held salient from Novosokolniki south nearly to Nevel. German domination of the high ground, powerful defensive positions and difficult terrain and weather prevented any progress in cutting it off during November and 93rd Corps was forced to hold defensively along its western side. On December 1 the German 23rd Infantry Division launched a local attack against the overextended 200th, driving it out of the village of Turki-Perevoz, advancing 3–4 km, crossing the Ushcha River, and reaching the outskirts of Somino where the division finally managed to contain the advance. This was a highly dangerous situation as German command of the heights near the latter village would effectively cut the only supply road to the Soviet forces south of Pustoshka. The 379th and the 18th Guards Rifle Division were immediately dispatched to the threatened sector. On December 5 the German force briefly seized the heights outside Somino but were driven off by the two newly arrived divisions and the 28th Rifle Division attacking from the south. The situation was stabilized by December 10.[30] In the course of this fighting the division was transferred to 90th Rifle Corps, still in 3rd Shock Army.[31] On December 18 Col. Ignatii Aleksandrovich Krasnov took over from Colonel Ivenkov. Krasnov had previously been chief of staff, and briefly in acting command, of 93rd Corps; he would be promoted to the rank of major general on June 3, 1944.

2nd Baltic planned a new offensive to clear the salient in early January 1944. However this was preempted beginning on December 29 when Field Marshal G. von Küchler, commander of Army Group North, began a phased withdrawal which took place over six days. This caught the Soviets by surprise and while 3rd Shock and 6th Guards Army hastily organized a pursuit this did nothing but harass the retreating Germans.[32] During January the 200th returned to 12th Guards Corps, now in the 6th Guards Army of 2nd Baltic Front, but in February it was moved to the 19th Guards Rifle Corps of 10th Guards Army before being assigned again to 93rd Corps in 3rd Shock Army in March. It remained under these commands until June.[33]

During the winter months the division organized a ski battalion from its own personnel, which was fairly common among rifle divisions serving north of Moscow. It was authorised to have 417 men but by January 18 it had only 60 on strength.[34]

The next phase of the offensive began on February 10. By this time the 1st Belorussian Front had reached the Oder River and appeared poised to advance on Berlin but the STAVKA was concerned about the potential of German counteroffensive action driving south from Pomerania and ordered the commander of 2nd Belorussian Front, Marshal K. K. Rokossovsky, to complete the isolation of East Prussia and eliminate this flank threat. Prior to the start most of the 114th Corps was transferred to 65th Army but the 200th was moved to 96th Corps, still in 70th Army.[48][49] On February 14 Colonel Asafev was placed at disposal of the Front command; in early March he would be given command of the 313th Rifle Division. He was replaced by Col. Yosif Ilich Melder, who would lead the division until it was disbanded.

After a brief halt and a regrouping 70th Army was ordered to resume the offensive on February 22 in the direction of Konarzyny, Reinwasser and Bartin. Later in the month the main objective of 2nd Belorussian Front was the group of German forces in Gdańsk and Gdynia. On March 23, 70th Army, with the help of flanking forces of other armies, broke through the German defenses and captured the town of Sopot and reached the shore of Gdańsk Bay. 96th Corps was then directed northwards, towards Kolibken, south of Gdynia.[50] In the course of the fighting the 200th was shifted yet again, now to the 121st Rifle Corps of 49th Army.[51] On May 17 the 642nd Rifle Regiment would be awarded the Order of Suvorov, 3rd Degree, in recognition of its part in the battle for Gdańsk.[52]

As the division redeployed to the west for the final campaign against the German heartland its subunits received several honors on April 5. The 648th Rifle Regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the capture of Chojnice and Tuchola.[53] The 661st Rifle Regiment was granted the same decoration and the 400th Sapper Battalion was given the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 3rd Degree, both for their roles in the battles for Baldenburg and several other towns in Pomerania.[54] On April 26 the 650th Artillery Regiment would be awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the battles for Bytów and Kościerzyna.[55]

Prior to the outset of the Berlin Operation the 200th was still in 121st Corps along with the 191st and 330th Rifle Divisions but these were soon regrouped as the 70th Rifle Corps, which served as 49th Army's second echelon. After the German defenses were breached along the lower Oder five battalions of the 200th were crossed to the west bank on April 25, along with a battalion of the 191st. On May 3 the forward detachments of 49th Army established contact with the British 2nd Army along the Elde River.[56]

• Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1967b). Сборник приказов РВСР, РВС СССР, НКО и Указов Президиума Верховного Совета СССР о награждении орденами СССР частей, соединениий и учреждений ВС СССР. Часть II. 1945 – 1966 гг [Collection of orders of the RVSR, RVS USSR and NKO on awarding orders to units, formations and establishments of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Part II. 1945–1966] (in Russian). Moscow.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Grylev, A. N. (1970). Перечень № 5. Стрелковых, горнострелковых, мотострелковых и моторизованных дивизии, входивших в состав Действующей армии в годы Великой Отечественной войны 1941-1945 гг [List (Perechen) No. 5: Rifle, Mountain Rifle, Motor Rifle and Motorized divisions, part of the active army during the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945] (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 95
• Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1964). Командование корпусного и дивизионного звена советских вооруженных сил периода Великой Отечественной войны 1941–1945 гг [Commanders of Corps and Divisions in the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945] (in Russian). Moscow: Frunze Military Academy. p. 203