219th Rifle Division

rdf:langString 219th Rifle Division

rdf:langString 219th Rifle Division (January 14, 1942 - July 1945)

rdf:langString 219th Rifle Division (September 9, 1941 - November 16, 1941)

rdf:langString 219th Motorized Division (March 11, 1941 - September 9, 1941)

rdf:langString Idritsa

rdf:langString Col. Vasilii Grigorevich Kovalenko

rdf:langString Col. Vasilii Nikolaevich Varichev

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Pavel Petrovich Korzun

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Vasilii Petrovich Kotelnikov

rdf:langString Motorized Infantry, Infantry

rdf:langString Division

rdf:langString The 219th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army after a motorized division of that same number was redesignated about 10 weeks after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Due to a chronic lack of vehicles, and especially tanks, the division had been effectively serving as a motorized rifle brigade since June 22, so the redesignation was a formality and it was soon destroyed in the encirclement battle east of Kiev. A new 219th was formed in January 1942, based on the 441st Rifle Division and the rifle division shtat (table of organization and equipment) of December 6, 1941. It spent several months forming in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command before it was sent to the active front as part of 6th Army near Voronezh. During the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh Offensive in January 1943 it took part in the destruction of the 2nd Hungarian Army and was soon after moved to the Kursk region and defended the south face of the salient as part of 40th Army. It then moved north to join Kalinin Front and fought through the winter in the battles west of Nevel. After the summer offensive in 1944 began it was granted a battle honor and within weeks the Order of the Red Banner as well. The 219th fought through Latvia and in early 1945 was part of 22nd Army containing the Courland Pocket. Before the German surrender it was moved south to the Odessa area where it was disbanded later in the year.