120th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
Wikimedia disambiguation page
The 120th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, formed three times. Its first formation became the 6th Guards Rifle Division for its actions in the Yelnya Offensive. Its second formation became the 69th Guards Rifle Division for its actions in the Battle of Stalingrad. The division was reformed a third time in late April 1943. It was disbanded "in place" with the Central Group of Forces in the summer of 1945.
First Formation
The 120th Rifle Division was formed in July 1940 in the Orel Region from the 35th Reserve Rifle Brigade under the command of Major General Konstantin Petrov, part of the 33rd Rifle Corps. The 120th Rifle Division was composed of the following units:
401st Rifle Regiment
474th Rifle Regiment
540th Rifle Regiment
606th Artillery Regiment
180th Separate Antitank Battalion
105th Separate Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
150th Intelligence Company
193rd Sapper Battalion
224th Separate Communications Battalion
208th Medical Battalion
50th Separate Chemical Defense Company
187th Motor Transport Battalion
113th Field Bakery
164th Corps Veterinary Hospital
84th Field Post Office
81st Field Cash Office of the State Bank
On 28 June 1941, it was transferred to Bryansk. On 10 July it was concentrated in the Novoselki area west of Bryansk to establish a defensive line, including antitank ditches. The division became part of 24th Army on 15 July and was moved to the area 20 kilometers southeast of Yelnya. It went into combat on 30 July.
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