343rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

rdf:langString 343rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

rdf:langString 343rd Rifle Division

rdf:langString Col. Pyotr Pavlovich Chuvashev

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Lvovich Kronik

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Anton Ivanovich Yakimovich

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Matvei Alekseevich Usenko

rdf:langString Infantry

rdf:langString Division

rdf:langString The 343rd Rifle Division was first formed in late August, 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Stavropol, in the Caucasus region. Its first major operation was in the liberation of Rostov in December, 1941. Following this, it was nearly caught up in the debacle near Kharkov in May, 1942, but managed to evade the German spearheads during Operation Blue to join the forces defending the Stalingrad region during the summer and fall. Following the German surrender at Stalingrad, on May 4, 1943, it was re-designated as the 97th Guards Rifle Division. Over a year later, a new 343rd Rifle Division was formed, based on the personnel and equipment of a Fortified Region, just after the start of Operation Bagration, the destruction of German Army Group Center. This new division went on to distinguish itself by helping to liberate the Polish city of Białystok, and ended the war in East Prussia, near Königsberg.