409th Rifle Division

rdf:langString 409th Rifle Division

rdf:langString 409th Rifle Division (August 19, 1941 – July 1945)

rdf:langString Kirovograd

rdf:langString Col. Artashes Arshakovich Vasilyan

rdf:langString Col. Gavriil Stepanovich Sorokin

rdf:langString Col. Mikhail Ignatevich Dobrovolskii

rdf:langString Col. Vasilii Fedorovich Gladkov 10px

rdf:langString Kombrig Mikhail Ivanovich Zaporozhchenko

rdf:langString Maj. Gen. Evstafii Petrovich Grechanyi

rdf:langString Infantry

rdf:langString Division

rdf:langString The 409th Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served in that role for the duration of the Great Patriotic War. It was officially considered an Armenian National division, and initially almost all its personnel were of that nationality. After forming it remained in service along the border with Turkey until nearly the end of 1942, when it was redeployed to the 44th Army in Transcaucasus Front, assisting in driving the German 17th Army into the Kuban peninsula. Following this the division was moved to the 46th Army in Southwestern Front and took part in the summer offensive through the Donbas and eastern Ukraine. In October it was moved again, now to the 57th Army in 2nd Ukrainian Front; it would remain in that Front for the duration of the war, moving to the 7th Guards Army in December. After crossing the Dniepr the 409th won a battle honor in January, 1944, then spent the spring and summer in the battles around Jassy and Kishenev in Moldova. After the defeat of Romania the division advanced into Hungary as part of the . In October it rejoined the 7th Guards Army, where it remained for the duration, mostly in the . After the fall of Budapest the division joined the final advances on Vienna and Prague in the spring of 1945, and was disbanded shortly thereafter.