97th Rifle Division

97th Rifle Division (February 1936 - December 27, 1941) 97th Rifle Division (December 8, 1941 - April 10, 1943) 97th Rifle Division (May 1, 1943 - 1946)
Active	1936–1946
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	Soviet invasion of Poland Winter War Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Operation Kutuzov Battle of Smolensk (1943) Dukhovshchina-Demidov Operation Polotsk-Vitebsk Offensive Operation Bagration Vitebsk-Orsha Offensive Minsk Offensive Goldap-Gumbinnen Operation Vistula-Oder Offensive East Prussian Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket Soviet invasion of Manchuria
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner (3rd Formation)  Order of Suvorov (3rd Formation)  Order of Kutuzov (3rd Formation)
Battle honours	Vitebsk (3rd Formation)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Komdiv Yurii Vladimirovich Sablin Kombrig Aleksandr Vasilevich Katkov Maj. Gen. Gavriil Ignatovich Sherstyuk Col. Nikita Mikhailovich Zakharov Col. Fyodor Vasilievich Maltsev Col. Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Shchennikov Col. Denis Protasovich Podshivailov Maj. Gen. Yakov Stepanovich Vorobyov Maj. Gen. Pyotr Mikhailovich Davydov Col. Boris Semyonovich Rakov Col. Gavriil Alekseevich Bulanov Col. Fyodor Fyodorovich Shishov Col. Samuil Ilich Tsukarev Maj. Gen. Aleksandr Konstantinovich Makarev

The 97th Rifle Division was thrice formed as an infantry division of the Red Army, first as part of the prewar buildup of forces. The first formation was based on the pre-September 1939 shtat (table of organization and equipment) and the division was initially intended to serve in the fortifications along the border with Poland in western Ukraine. Beginning on September 17, 1939 it took part in the invasion of eastern Poland and then was moved north to join the 7th Army and later the 13th Army on the Karelian Isthmus during the Winter War against Finland where it saw action in the latter part of the struggle. Following this it returned to western Ukraine where it was on the border at the time of the German invasion in June 1941. At considerable cost it was able to retreat back to the Dniepr River south of Kiev during July and was still there as part of 26th Army when the Soviet forces in eastern Ukraine were largely surrounded and wiped out in September. The division was finally disbanded in late December.

Meanwhile a new division was being formed in the Transbaikal Military District based on the shtat of December 6, 1941 which was soon renumbered as the second formation of the 97th. It was quickly assigned to the 16th Army in Western Front and saw limited action in the last stages of the winter counteroffensive west of Moscow before holding the line on this sector into the spring of 1943, making limited holding attacks against units of Army Group Center. The division performed well enough that it was redesignated as the 83rd Guards Rifle Division in April, about the time the 16th Army was renamed 11th Guards Army.

A third 97th Rifle Division was raised in late April 1943 in Bryansk Front under the shtat of December 10, 1942, based on a pair of rifle brigades. It was immediately assigned to 61st Army and saw limited action in the July offensive towards Oryol before being moved northward, becoming part of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps of 39th Army in Kalinin Front (soon 1st Baltic Front) and saw combat in the slow and bloody battles east and north of Vitebsk through the winter. Early during the summer offensive against Army Group Center, now as part of 5th Army, the 97th distinguished itself in the capture of that city and received its name as an honorific. It then took part in the advance through Lithuania, winning the Order of the Red Banner at Vilnius, and then into East Prussia, remaining in 5th Army of 3rd Belorussian Front, mostly in the 65th Rifle Corps. In April 1945 it was moved along with the rest of its Army to the far east where it took part in the invasion of Manchuria in August, winning further distinctions in the process. The division was disbanded in 1946.