| 306th Rifle Division (September 1941 – ?) 306th Rifle Division (June 16, 1942 – 1945) | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:%D0%97%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F_306_%D0%A1%D0%94.jpg) A copy of the division's banner in a museum in Dukhovshchina | |
| Active | 1941–1945 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Red_Army_flag_(Fictitious).svg){kind=small} Red Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Battle of Smolensk Vitebsk-Orsha Offensive Šiauliai Offensive Riga Offensive Courland Pocket |
| Decorations | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Order_of_Red_Banner.svg){kind=small} Order of the Red Banner |
| Battle honours | Ribshevo |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Stepan Ivanovich Chernyak Col. Georgii Matveevich Kostik Col. Vasilii Tikhonovich Gnedin Maj. Gen. Mikhail Ivanovich Kucheryavenko |
The 306th Rifle Division began its combat path under unusual circumstances. It was partly formed for the first time as a standard Red Army rifle division a few months after the German invasion, but the formation process appears to have been abandoned and the unit was never assigned to the front. A second formation began in April 1942 and was completed on June 16, after which it was sent to the Kalinin Front. Assigned to 43rd Army, it remained in that Army until November 1944, and in that Front (renamed 1st Baltic Front) until March 1945. It ended the war in Leningrad Front, helping to contain the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket. The division had compiled a solid record of service and won a unique battle honor by this time, and was disbanded shortly after hostilities ended.