88th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

88th Rifle Division (1 September 1939 - 17 March 1942) 88th Rifle Division (29 April 1942 - 29 May 1945)
Active	1939–1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Winter War Battle of Salla (1939) Operation Silver Fox Battles of Rzhev Operation Mars Rzhev-Vyasma Offensive Operation Battle of Smolensk (1943) Orsha offensives (1943) Operation Bagration Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive Minsk Offensive Vilnius-Kaunas Offensive Gumbinnen-Goldap Operation Vistula-Oder Offensive East Prussian Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket Prague Offensive
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner (2nd Formation)  Order of Suvorov (2nd Formation)  Order of Kutuzov (2nd Formation)
Battle honours	Vitebsk (2nd Formation)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Maj. Gen. Andrei Ivanovich Zelentsov Col. Vladimir Aleksandrovich Solovyov Col. Andrei Filippovich Bolotov Col. Fyodor Trofimovich Kovtunov Maj. Gen. Nikita Sergeevich Samokhvalov

The 88th Rifle Division was twice formed as an infantry division of the Red Army, first as part of the prewar buildup of forces. In its first formation in the far north it had an unusual shtat (table of organization and equipment) probably to facilitate its movement in the roadless tundra and forests of that region. During the Winter War against Finland it saw action in the fighting around Salla. Its organization again proved beneficial in the spring of 1942 during the first stages of the Great Patriotic War. It played a large role in holding and then pushing back the Finnish III Army Corps during Operation Silver Fox and for this success was redesignated as the 23rd Guards Rifle Division.

A new 88th began forming in April 1942 based on the first formation of the 39th Rifle Brigade, mostly in the Moscow Military District and was soon assigned to the 31st Army of Western Front; it would remain in that Army for the duration of the war. It took part in the savage and mostly fruitless fighting around the Rzhev salient into the winter of 1942/43 and then in the summer offensive that liberated Smolensk. During the following fall it became badly depleted as Western Front repeatedly attempted to batter its way through the German defenses to Orsha. After rebuilding in the spring of 1944 it served as part of 3rd Belorussian Front during Operation Bagration, soon being awarded a battle honor as well as the Order of the Red Banner. During this offensive it reached the border of East Prussia and won a second decoration in the unsuccessful Gumbinnen-Goldap Operation. During the East Prussian Offensive in January 1945 it made steady progress, eventually earning its third Order after the battle for the Heiligenbeil Pocket. After the East Prussian campaign the 31st Army was railed south to Czechoslovakia where the 88th ended the war marching on Prague. Despite a fine record as a fighting unit the division was soon disbanded.