| 315th Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942–1947, 1951–1955 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Red_Army_flag_(Fictitious).svg){kind=small} Red Army (1942-1946) Soviet Army (1947-1955) |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Battle of Stalingrad Operation Uranus Operation Winter Storm Operation Little Saturn Battle of Rostov (1943) Donbas Strategic Offensive Melitopol Offensive Crimean Offensive |
| Decorations | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Order_of_Red_Banner.svg){kind=small} Order of the Red Banner |
| Battle honours | Melitopol |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Mikhail Knyazev Dmity Kuropatenko Askanaz Karapetyan |
The 315th Rifle Division was a standard Red Army rifle division formed for the first time on February 12, 1942, in the Siberian Military District before being sent to the vicinity of Stalingrad, where it was engaged in the futile efforts to break through to the besieged city from the north near Kotluban. After rebuilding, it was part of the southern thrust of Operation Uranus in November, helping to encircle the German 6th Army and also to hold off its would-be rescuers. During 1943 and early 1944 the division advanced through the southern Donbas and into Ukraine, where it was honored for its role in the liberation of Melitopol, before taking part in the liberation of the Crimea in April and May 1944. The men and women of the 315th ended their war on an anticlimactic note, serving for the last year as part of the garrison of the Crimea. However, the unit, and its successors, continued to serve well into the postwar era.