351st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

rdf:langString 351st Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

rdf:langString 351st Rifle Division

rdf:langString Shepetovka

rdf:langString Col. Nikolai Ustinovich Gursky

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Ilya Fyodorovich Dudarev

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Yemelyan Vasilevich Kozik

rdf:langString Infantry

rdf:langString Division

rdf:langString The 351st Rifle Division first formed in September 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Stalingrad. It was assigned to the newly formed 57th Army in the same area shortly after forming, and remained in that Army for the duration of its existence. It helped to carve out the bridgehead north of Rostov known as the Izium Salient, but was encircled and destroyed during the Second Battle of Kharkov. A second 351st began forming in July 1942 in the North Caucasus, and went into combat in October, liberating the town of Alagir in January 1943. During the rest of that year and on into 1944 the division participated in the liberation of Ukraine under several Corps and Army headquarters and under command of a bewildering series of divisional commanders until Maj. Gen. I. F. Dudarev took command in April 1944, and held the post for just over a year. During its second formation the division compiled an enviable record of service and was recognized with several unit decorations and honors, but was disbanded shortly after the end of hostilities in Europe.