109th Motorized Division (January, 1940 – July 19, 1941) | |
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Active | 1940–1941 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Red Army |
Type | Division |
Role | Mechanized Infantry |
Engagements | Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Col. Nikolai Pavlovich Krasnoretskii |
The 109th Motorized Division was formed from the 109th Rifle Division in January, 1940, in the Transbaikal Military District. It was one of the first Red Army mechanized divisions formed and also one of the first to be fully equipped with motor vehicles and tanks. Shortly before the German invasion, in late May, 1941, it began moving west by rail, arriving in western Ukraine on June 18. The division went into action on June 26, but by early July had lost most of its tanks and trucks. It was soon pulled back into the reserves of Southwestern Front and converted into the 304th Rifle Division.