193rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 193rd Rifle Division (1941-45)
22nd Mechanised Division (c.1945-57)
36th Tank Division (1957-65)
193rd Tank Division (1965-91)
193rd(?) Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (1991-disbandment)


caption=
dates= 1941 - 1990s
country= Soviet Union, Belorus
allegiance=
branch= Red Army, Soviet Army
type= Division
role= Infantry, Armored
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison= Bobruysk (post World War II)
march=
motto=
mascot=
battles= Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Stalingrad
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=The 193rd Rifle Division was a Red Army infantry division that was reorganised after World War II as a mechanised and finally a tank division of the Soviet Army.

1st Formation

Originally the 193rd Rifle Division was established at Korosten in the Ukrainian SSR in May 1941. It comprised the 685th, 883rd, and 895th Rifle Regiments, 384th Light Artillery Regiment, and 393rd Howitzer Regiment on 22 June 1941. [ [http://orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/012_ussr/41_organ/41_rifle_div_04.html Niehorster: Soviet Rifle Divisions Nos.150-199] , accessed February 2008] Fighting with 5th Army under 31st Rifle Corps under Colonel A.K. Berestov, it took part in the counterstroke north from Berdichev in early July 1941. The division was destroyed at Kiev in September 1941 and disbanded.

2nd Formation

The division was reformed at Sorotschinik during May 1942, and fought during the Battle of Stalingrad under 62nd Army, commanded by Colonel Smekhotvorov, where it was ferried from the east to the west bank of the Volga. On 22 September 1942 the first regiment was sent over and five nights later, on the 27th, the other two regiments went. The two reinforcing were deployed in the Red October factory complex. On 1 October, in a fierce German attack, the Division was mauled and pushed back. On 2 October 1942, the division, defending the western part of the Red October Factory - the kitchens, bath house and workers' flats - counter-attacked Hill 107.5 [Chuikov, 1963; Fowler, 2005, via http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/scenarios/stalingrad.htm] . The regiments, down to 200 men, were unequal to the task and were pushed back by German tanks and infantry. Chuikov, writing in 1963, said between 13 and 20 November all the survivors of the 193rd Rifle Division (Smekhotvorov) were consolidated into the 685th Rifle Regiment - the grand total was 250 men. [Chuikov, V. I. (1963). The Beginning of the Road: The story for the Battle for Stalingrad (Macgibbon and Kee) via http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/scenarios/stalingrad.htm] However John Erickson says that by 11 November 1942 the Division was reduced to 1,000 personnel. [John Erickson (historian), The Road to Stalingrad, Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2004, p.460-1] Rebuilt again, the division fought in Belorussia and Poland. By May 1945 it was operating with the 105th Rifle Corps, 65th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front. [http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/batov/index.html Batov, P.I., In campaigns and battles, Moscow, Voenizdat, 1974, 3rd ed. (amended and expanded) ( _ru. Батов П.И. В походах и боях. — М.: Воениздат, 1974. Издание 3-е, исправленное и дополненное)]

Cold War service

By 1955 the division was reflagged as the 22nd Mechanized Division, and in 1957 was reflagged again as the 36th Tank Division. In 1965 the division was restored to its Second World War number and became the 193rd Tank Division.

In 1991-2 the 193rd Tank Division incorporated the 251st, 262nd, 264th Tank, 297th Motor Rifle, 852nd Artillery (Self-propelled), 929th Anti-aircraft Missile artillery regiments and smaller supporting units.

The 193rd Tank Division was stationed at Bobruisk in the Belarussian Military District with the 5th Guards Tank Army. In 1991 it became the 193rd Base for Storage of Weapons & Equipment (though the number needs confirmation) and in 1992 it came under Belarussian control. It was disbanded some years later.

Division honorifics were - Russian: "Днепровская краснознаменная, орденов Ленина, Суворова, Кутузова".

Order of Battle, 1989-90

*251-й Order of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Tank Regiment (Bobruisk): 37 Т-72; 10 БМП (8 БМП-2, 2 БРМ-1К), 10 БТР-70; 2 БМП-1 КШ, 2 РХМ; 2 Р-145 БМ, 1 ПУ-12, 2 МП-31; 3 МТУ-20
*262nd Tank Regiment (Bobruisk): 31 Т-72; 10 БМП (8 БМП-2, 2 БРМ-1К), 2 БТР-70; 2 БМП-1 КШ, 2 РХМ; 3 - 1В18, 1 - 1В19; 2 Р-145 БМ, 1 ПУ-12, 2 МП-31, МТП, 3 МТУ-20
*264-й танковый Барановичский Краснознаменный ордена Суворова полк (Бобруйск): 31 Т-72, 10 БМП (8 БМП-2, 2 БРМ-1К), 2 БТР-70; 2 БМП-1 КШ, 2 РХМ, 2 Р-145 БМ, 1 ПУ-12, 2 МП-31, 1 МТП-1, 3 МТУ-20
*297-й мотострелковый Плоньский орденов Суворова и Богдана Хмельницкого полк (Бобруйск): 9 Т-72; 6 БМП (4 БМП-2, 2 БРМ-1К), 2 БТР-70; 2 БМП-1КШ, 2 РХМ, 4 РХМ-4, 1 ПРП-3, 2 Р-145 БМ, 2 ПУ-12, 2 МП-31, 2 МТП, 1 МТУ-20
*852-й Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Бобруйск): 12 БМ-21 "Град"; 3 ПРП-3,4; 9 - 1В18, 3 -1В19; 1 БТР-70
*929th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Бобруйск): 7 ПУ-12, 1 Р-156 БТР
*52nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Бобруйск): 17 БМП (10 БМП-2, 7 БРМ-1К), 6 БТР-70; 2 Р-145 БМ, 1 Р-156 БТР.
*381st Separate Signals Battalion (Бобруйск): 7 Р-145 БМ, 1 Р-156 БТР, 1 Р-137Б
*4th Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Бобруйск): 2 ИРМ, 2 УР-67
*1023rd Separate Material Maintenance Battalion
*103rd Separate Repair Battalion

On 19 November 1990 the Division was equipped with:
*108 tanks (Т-72);
*53 BMPs (38 БМП-2, 15 БРМ-1К);
*23 БТР (БТР-70);
*12 РСЗО BМ-21 "Grad".

ources

*Feskov, The Soviet Army during the Period of the Cold War, Tomsk, 2004
*Lenskiy
*http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/scenarios/stalingrad.htm
*see also (Russian) http://samsv.narod.ru/Div/Sd/sd193/default.html