262nd Rifle Division

rdf:langString 262nd Rifle Division

rdf:langString 262nd Rifle Division

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rdf:langString Khingan

rdf:langString Demidov

rdf:langString July 1941–1946

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rdf:langString Rifle division

rdf:langString The 262nd Rifle Division (Russian: 262-я стрелковая дивизия) was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II. Formed as an NKVD unit in mid-1941, the division saw its first combat on the Northwestern Front at Staraya Russa and in the Valdai Hills. It was transferred to the Kalinin Front for the Soviet counteroffensive in the Battle of Moscow in late 1941. The 262nd remained in the Kalinin area until 1943, when it was moved to the Demidov area to fight in the Battle of Smolensk later that year. After the Battle of Smolensk, the division advanced west into eastern Belarus, and fought near Vitebsk in late 1943. In June 1944 it broke through the German lines around that city during Operation Bagration, and advanced into Lithuania during the summer. The division moved into East Prussia in early 1945, fighting in the East Prussian Offensive and the Battle of Königsberg. In April, it was withdrawn from the front and relocated to Mongolia in May and June to fight in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, which began in early August. After the end of the invasion, the division garrisoned Port Arthur until its disbandment in the summer of 1946.