343rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
| 343rd Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1945 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Battle of Rostov (1941) Barvenkovo-Lozovaia Operation Second Battle of Kharkov Operation Blue Battle of Stalingrad Operation Koltso Operation Bagration Minsk Offensive Belostok Offensive Lublin–Brest Offensive Vistula-Oder Offensive East Prussian Offensive Battle of Königsberg |
| Decorations | Order of the Red Banner 2nd Formation Order of Suvorov 2nd Formation Order of Kutuzov 2nd Formation |
| Battle honours | Belostok |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Pyotr Pavlovich Chuvashev Maj. Gen. Matvei Alekseevich Usenko Maj. Gen. Anton Ivanovich Yakimovich Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Lvovich Kronik |
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.