Bobruisk division battle on the Kursk Bulge. Combat path Personal belongings of Krivonogov P.M.

Alexander Petrushin

FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

June 22, 2011 marks 70 years since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. It so happened that in the Red Army formations that were the first to take on the enemy attack, there were many of our fellow countrymen who were called up for military service in 1939, 1940 and the spring of 1941. Many served in the 137th Infantry Division.

The best of the best

This formation was formed in September 1939 in Arzamas on the basis of the 51st Ivanovo-Voznesensky regiment of the 17th Nizhny Novgorod named after the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR rifle division.

This city, according to the writer Arkady Gaidar, who was born there, “was quiet, all in gardens, surrounded by shabby fences. In those gardens grew a great variety of cherries, early apples, thorns and red peonies. The gardens, adjacent to one another, formed continuous green massifs, restlessly ringing with the whistling sounds of tits, goldfinches, bullfinches and robins... Quiet, blooming ponds stretched across the city, past the gardens. The small river Tesha flowed under the mountain.”

The division included three rifle regiments (771st, 624th, 409th) and two artillery regiments - 497th howitzer and 278th light, as well as special units: anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery divisions, communications battalions , sapper, reconnaissance, automobile, medical and sanitary.

All units were staffed by conscripts - Volzhans and Siberians.

The division distinguished itself at the summer maneuvers of 1940, indicative of the high command of the Red Army: Marshals Timoshenko, Budyonny, Shaposhnikov, Army General Meretsky, Army Commissar 1st Rank Mehlis.

For well-planned and conducted People's Commissar exercises, the commander of the 137th Infantry Division, Colonel Grishin, was awarded the Order of the Red Star.*

The archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense contain Colonel Grishin’s speech at a meeting with People’s Commissar of Defense Timoshenko in December 1941:

“... The inspection exercises you carried out in our division laid a solid foundation for the training of units and created conditions for our fruitful work in the future. True, I do not have the same experience in commanding a division as the commander of the 99th division said...”

The front line in the Red Army, the 99th Infantry Division, was commanded by Colonel Vlasov. The same one who on July 12, 1942, already with the rank of lieutenant general, commanding the 2nd Shock Army surrounded in the Novgorod forests and swamps, surrendered and began to collaborate with the invaders “to conduct an armed struggle against Soviet power.”**

Alarmed

The peaceful life of the Gorokhovets camp, where the 137th Infantry Division was located in the summer of 1941, was interrupted by the war. Former head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 20th Rifle Corps, which included the 137th, I.A. Suetin recalled: “On the night of June 22, I was on duty at the corps headquarters. Early in the morning, a message was received from the Moscow Military District that Nazi Germany had attacked our country. So in Gorky I was the first to find out that the war had begun. The commanders were immediately alerted. We just finished the meeting, opened the mobilization package, and Molotov speaks on the radio.”

Signalman of the 771st Infantry Regiment A.M. Samoilenko: “... The general formation of the regiment was scheduled for the morning of June 22. We all stood in a line of two, waiting for a drill review by some big boss. More than an hour passed, but not a single commander, not even a junior lieutenant, appeared. I volunteered to find out what was going on. “Run,” someone in the ranks said, “you are the winner of our regimental and divisional competitions. Indeed, I took first place in the regiment and second in the division in running. I quickly ran to the regimental headquarters and saw silent, preoccupied commanders emerging from it and turning their heads towards the loudspeaker dish. I listened to Molotov’s speech and ran to the battalion. All the fighters stood in formation: discipline was strict then. But when people listened to my confused retelling of what they heard on the radio, where did the discipline go? Everyone began to disperse, and soon small fires appeared near the tents - they burned letters, papers, some things that they could not take to the war, even suitcases.”

Telephone operator of the 246th separate communications battalion of the division A.A. Korobkov: “And at twelve o’clock we ended up in the dining room. When we heard that there was war, we lost spoons...”

After meetings, rallies, party and Komsomol meetings, an order came from the corps headquarters to return to the place of permanent deployment.

Signalman of the 771st Infantry Regiment A.M. Samoilenko: “On the evening of June 22, our regiment from the Gorokhovets camps went on foot to Gorky, to the Red Barracks. At first they marched in an organized manner with the entire regiment, but gradually they spread out. The commanders hurried, but no one reacted: everyone withdrew into themselves, thinking about the outbreak of war.

They walk slowly hour after hour, and fatigue builds up along the way. Some fell asleep while walking, others fell anywhere during short rests, and others began to invent diseases. There were other guys among us - hardy, strong, burning with the desire to get to the front as soon as possible. A village appeared, on its outskirts there was a well. One or two Red Army soldiers rushed to the water, but they were stopped: “Comrades, have restraint, the people are watching us.” Indeed, half the village had gathered at the last house - women and children. Fellow soldiers who were lagging behind appeared in the distance. The closer they came, the more unsightly the picture: many could barely trudge, but such good fellows! Someone had rubbed their feet and was now kicking up dust with their bare heels. And then they rushed to the well - the whole crowd, climbing their heads into the trough. Others approach from behind, pushing even more. The first signs of war, with its difficulties and decline in morals."

From June 26, 1941, echelon after echelon from Gorky, Arzamas, Murom and Saransk sent regiments of the 137th Infantry Division to the west.

Veterinarian of the 624th Infantry Regiment N.A. Nabel: “The tension of the dispatch increased every hour. When loading into the carriages, most of the soldiers and commanders said goodbye to their relatives and friends. There was crying and wailing everywhere. To the command “On the carriages!” Not everyone responded. The locomotive puffed and whistled, calling for landing, but the farewell continued. Finally, the train started moving and moved forward. Women run to the carriages, many are crying bitterly. I have never heard such universal crying before; it seemed to hang in the air for a long time.”

The 137th Infantry Division then numbered over 14 thousand people, about three thousand horses, up to 200 guns and mortars, hundreds of cars, tractors, and carts. To transfer this formation to the front, 36 echelons were required.

First fight

At rare stops, everyone eagerly listened to the reports of the Sovinformburo, and they became more and more alarming. Grodno, Baranovichi, Minsk were abandoned. More and more ambulance trains are coming our way. The front is getting closer.

ON THE. Nabel: “It’s six o’clock in the morning, a fine summer morning, almost everyone is still sleeping. Suddenly a sharp roar shook the train. I jumped out of the car, and, falling to the ground, I noticed two German planes in the sky. One bomb hit a carriage where seventy-five people were traveling, the second hit a horse trailer, the third hit the rail of the second track, so much so that a piece of the rail was torn out and the ends were bent like a sled. Soldiers jump out of the train and run scattered into the forest. When the planes took off, I went to the head of the train where the bombs fell. In the carriage with people, a bomb pierced the roof and floor, with mutilated corpses all around. The horse carriage is a mess of meat and bones. One horse was thrown onto the rails by the explosion, its front leg was missing and its stomach was torn apart. I need to shoot the poor guy, but I can’t. The lieutenant approaches: “Well, look, shoot!” - “Yes, the gun is stuck!” Finally he fired. I still remember the eyes of this horse, full of tears.”

On the evening of June 29, the first echelons with units of the 137th Infantry Division began to arrive at Orsha station.

Chief of Staff of the 771st Infantry Regiment A.V. Shaposhnikov: “Orsha was burning. German planes appeared in the air every now and then. It was necessary to unload the train. It was difficult to find the station commandant. He did not know the situation, where the front was was unknown. The commandant was completely tormented by the military and civilians who surrounded him. He just waved his hand at me: “Unload as you wish.” He returned to the train and reported the situation to the regiment commander. Colonel Malinov ordered to unload.”

Assistant Chief of the Operations Department of the 137th Infantry Division Headquarters V.K. Reutov: “The hassle and tension were terrible. Imagine the situation of Colonel Grishin: the unknown, the front is approaching, you need to gather the division into a fist, and its echelons stretched for hundreds of kilometers - the head was in Orsha, and the tail had just left Saransk.”

The situation on the Western Front was very difficult. In the Orsha-Mogilev sector, General Guderian's 2nd Tank Group, consisting of eight tank and motorized divisions, operated. Having completed operations in the Minsk region on July 3, these formations crossed the Berezina and in five days covered the distance to the Dnieper, approximately 90 kilometers. Here they were opposed by the divisions of the 13th Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Pyotr Filatov, who were retreating in battle from Minsk and suffered heavy losses. He died under enemy bombs on July 8, when Guderian's tanks had already reached the Dnieper. Lieutenant General Fedor Remezov took command of the 13th Army. By his order, the 137th Infantry Division was to withdraw from its positions near Orsha, march on foot to the area of ​​the village of Sukhari, east of Mogilev, and take up defense along the Resta River. Lieutenant Skvortsov, commander of the communications platoon of the 771st Infantry Regiment, wrote in his diary about this transition: “Terrible heat, dust, airplanes. Despite two days of insomnia, the fighters feel cheerful. Oh, and a Russian soldier!”

At 5 a.m. on July 10, the Germans began crossing the Dnieper in the Bykhov area—the countdown to the Battle of Smolensk began. The headquarters of the 13th Army was not ready to repel the enemy crossing. The counterattack of our troops was scheduled for the morning of July 12. Colonel Grishin received the order to move from Sukhari only on the evening of July 11. We had to walk over 30 kilometers. The riders drove teams of horses with guns. The infantry began to run every now and then. All excess property and equipment, even overcoats and duffel bags, were left in Sukhari. There were only a few hours left before the fighting began, and the division could not be assembled into a full-fledged combat unit. Some of the batteries of artillery regiments and rifle battalions unloaded on the Krichev-Orsha stretch were subordinated to the commanders of other divisions. A separate anti-aircraft artillery division was bombed by German aircraft and suffered such losses that it virtually ceased to exist. Even before the war, the sapper battalion was taken for training camp in Maloyaroslavets, and never arrived at the 137th Infantry Division. On the way to the front, the medical battalion got lost - it only got to Roslavl, where it ended up in another army. Disruption of the smooth operation of railways and enemy air raids - all this led to confusion and mixing of military units.

Army Commander-13 Remezov went to personally lead the counterattack. At dawn on July 13, his car was fired upon by German motorcyclists. The wounded general was sent to the rear. Lieutenant General Vasily Gerasimenko, the third commander in a week, took command of the 13th Army.

At the same time, the battalions of the 1st 37th Infantry Division reached the starting line for the attack. There was only the enemy ahead.

Section commander of the 624th Infantry Regiment A.K. Kuchinsky:

“We went to approach the enemy. Through the grove along the road we ran further, and suddenly machine guns hit us. One shell exploded, then another. We lay down, trying to observe, but we can’t see anything, and the German machine gun is firing so hard that we can’t raise our heads. We decided to change position and moved to the rye field. We dug in. So the day passed - dashes, shootouts. I still have a notebook: “First battle. Of the 53 people in our platoon, 19 remained alive...”

Marshal Biryuzov, who commanded the 132nd Rifle Division in those battles, recalled: “It was much more difficult for our left neighbor, the 137th Rifle Division, at the junction with which the enemy struck the main blow. Here the battle reached its highest tension. The entire area seemed to be drenched in blood and engulfed in flames. Everything was burning: villages set on fire by the Germans, destroyed tanks, cars...”

On the day of its first battle - July 13, 1941 - the division repulsed all enemy attacks and did not retreat a single step.

Then the enemy increased pressure on the flanks, on the neighbors to the right and left. By nightfall, the roar of tank engines and the roar of guns could be heard in the rear. Having broken through the defenses of the 13th Army, Guderian's tanks rushed along the dusty roads to Propoisk (now Slavgorod) and Chausy. So the 137th Infantry Division found itself surrounded.

Missing

There was no order to withdraw, and the division continued to occupy its positions. It began to get dark when our fighters captured a German vehicle that drove straight into the battle formations. The Nazis either lost their way, or considered that there could no longer be Soviet troops here. Important passengers were carrying valuable documents.

A.V. Shaposhnikov: “The briefcase also contained a map indicating the frontiers where the Germans were to be, and even dates, right up to Gorky. And, I must say, the Germans adhered to the schedule for moving to the east.”

The historiographer of the 137th Bobruisk Order of Suvorov Rifle Division, Valery Kiselev, visited the site of the first battle near the village of Chervonny Osovets in July 1976: “... Everything was overgrown with weeds. On the outskirts of the village there is a monument: a bronze figure of a soldier, a fence, and inside there are four wide mass graves. How many of our soldiers are lying here? The old-timers count: “There are about two hundred people. But not everything is here, there are many graves in the forest. Like sheaves of them lay on the field, like sheaves.” How many times later did I hear this expression from old women on the long route of the division - “like sheaves.”

On the night of July 14, the 137th Infantry Division received an order to withdraw - in four columns in the general direction of Chausy.

Hitler's command hoped that the Soviet troops encircled to the south of Chaus would begin to quickly disintegrate, and transferred their main forces to the Krichev area, where reserve units of the Red Army were hastily taking up defensive positions along the Sozh River.

Gunner of the 45-mm battery gun of the 409th Infantry Regiment F.E. Petrov: “When they approached Krichev, the battalion commander ordered to take up defense here. Our crew took a position on the main street, on the right side of the roadway, the second gun was installed on another street, as they were waiting for tanks on the road from the Chausy station. Several minutes passed, the shelling began, a semi-truck rushed by, and an unfamiliar commander standing on the running board shouted that German tanks were following him. I saw how the shells hit the guns in front, and how the soldiers fell there. Our platoon commander, seeing this, ordered a retreat. They fired the last shell and ran down the street amid the whistling of bullets. There were three of us, we ran into the yard, from there through the garden into the ravine. I no longer saw the gun commander and platoon commander; I also don’t know what happened to the second gun.

We passed through gardens and in holes in a ravine we met and raised several more fighters. There were seven or eight of us gathered. The sun was setting. We were lying under a linden tree, a woman came up and asked her about the situation in the city. She said that Krichev is full of German cars. Early in the morning one of us went to look for somewhere to drink in the ravine, and he was stopped by a German with a machine gun. We had to get up too. He led us all through the owner’s yard; she still managed to give us a mug of milk. There were about twenty of us, they took us to the river, and forced us to build a pontoon bridge across the river. At first we were kept in the yard of a general store, then they moved us to the territory of a cement plant. At the beginning of August we drove to Mogilev. Before the movement began, the Germans announced that there were five thousand of us here. It took several days to get from Krichev to Mogilev. Those who lost their legs and could not walk were shot by the Germans. In Mogilev we were kept near the Red Army House near the Dnieper. Officers captured in uniform were kept separately. Some junior commanders disguised themselves as privates. After Mogilev - Orsha, Novo-Borisov, then Germany. At the beginning of October we were taken to the south of Germany, to the Black Forest. We worked under the mountain, made a tunnel. Here I was severely beaten, but miraculously I survived. In February 1942, swollen, I was sent to the infirmary. In May, after a correctional camp, he was sent to agricultural work, then ended up in Lorraine, in the coal mines. The Americans liberated us on April 14, 1945..."

Medical instructor of the 497th GAP V.P. Gaev:

“Before the breakout from the encirclement, we had a lot of wounded. It was impossible to evacuate them, so they placed everyone in the forest village of Kamenka, north of the Warsaw highway, six kilometers from the Veremeiki station. They left me and medical instructor Grigory Malichev with the wounded. The regiment went on a breakthrough, and we... hid in the school. The locals helped us in every way they could. In three months, 107 people recovered and went into the forest. Only one political worker died. And on October 14, 1941, 23 seriously wounded people and us doctors were captured by the Germans. First there was a camp in Krichev, on the territory of a cement plant. Horrors and nightmares began. Then the camp in Mogilev, and then the 326th penal camp in Alsace-Lorraine. In December 1944, the Americans liberated us..."

The division continued its journey to the east: it crossed the Pronya River north of the city of Propoisk and on July 18 reached the Warsaw Highway. In anticipation of the remnants of the 132nd, 137th and 160th rifle divisions breaking out from encirclement, enemy ambushes had already been set up there.

Assistant Chief of Logistics of the 20th Rifle Corps I.I. Zwick: *** “According to the plan for breaking through the highway, the 137th Infantry Division was placed in the vanguard of the main forces, the 132nd on the right, and the 160th on the left. I was sent to Colonel Grishin for observation and assistance. Personally, Grishin looked better than other division commanders. It was clear that this man had an iron will...”

A.V. Shaposhnikov:

“At that moment, the corps commander’s car drove up to us. Major General Eremin came to personally check the implementation of the breakthrough plan. He was all dusty, unshaven, mortally tired, so it was difficult to recognize him. I reported the situation. He: “We need to straddle the highway, make a gap to Sozh and take up defense on the other side of the river. If you do it, well done, if you don’t do it, I’ll shoot you.” He sighed and left. I never saw him again."

The entire 771st Infantry Regiment, part of the 278th LAP, a battalion of the 409th Infantry Regiment, and the division command led by Colonel Grishin reached the Sozh River. Other units were unable to cross the Warsaw Highway. The commander of the 20th Rifle Corps, Major General Sergei Illarionovich Eremin, and many staff members were killed.

Commander of the armored vehicle company of the reconnaissance battalion of the 137th Infantry Division V.G. Bakinovsky: “Before the war, our battalion was a serious force: about five hundred people, twenty motorcycles, ten armored vehicles, a company of amphibious tanks. During the first week of the war, they practically did not engage in reconnaissance, having no contact with the intelligence chief, Major Zaitsev. We were the first to cross the Warsaw highway; the regiments were not yet there. We went there in a passenger car, came under machine-gun fire, the car and its entire crew were shot, and we had to return alone. I returned to the battalion - everything was burning there: cars, tanks. "What's the matter?" - I ask. “Battalion commander Solomin ordered to destroy everything and leave.” He himself did not leave the encirclement. A well-groomed officer, he was a cavalryman and did not understand anything about technology. And he didn’t like his horse: he kicks first, and then sits down.

The commander of the 238th OIPTD, Major Makov, also disappeared, but they said that when a German column was walking along the highway, he jumped out and got into their tank. After breaking out of the encirclement, our reconnaissance battalion was disbanded, and I was transferred to the 771st regiment.”

Commander of the communications battalion of the 137th Infantry Division F.M. Lukyanuk: “The commissioner and chief of staff of the reconnaissance battalion were demoted to rank and file by the decision of the tribunal. These were not the only cases of cowardice and betrayal. Then there was talk in the division that the chief of artillery of the division and the deputy head of the political department for the Komsomol were traitors. The division commander had many complaints about intelligence. Its chief, Major Zaitsev, showed himself to be a competent and trained commander in peacetime, but at the front he was a coward and an alarmist. According to intelligence, he did not carry out a single order from Colonel Grishin; moreover, he misled him with his lies. Zaitsev was tried by a tribunal, he crawled on his knees and asked for forgiveness.”

When we crossed the Sozh, it turned out that the headquarters of our corps was almost completely destroyed. The division was left without senior leadership. Then we went to the nearby village council and achieved a direct connection with Moscow. Colonel Grishin spoke, as far as I know, with one of his comrades at the General Staff, reported the situation and received an order, together with the airborne corps, to recapture Propoisk from the Germans. I was instructed to find the commander of this corps and agree with him on joint actions. When I found him, he told me: “I can’t help you with anything, I have nothing but people...”

While covering the crossing of the division's units across the Sozh, the 2nd battalion of the 771st Infantry Regiment was killed.

A.V. Shaposhnikov:

“All the following days, as soon as the wind blew from the Germans, it became impossible to breathe from the stench. No one removed the corpses, and it was hot.

Signalman of the 771st Infantry Regiment A.M. Samoilenko:

“I, wounded, was sent from the battalion command post to the regimental medical center. Having moved 20-30 meters away, I heard that the shooting suddenly stopped. I looked around, and then I was overcome with such shame and horror that I involuntarily screamed: 15-20 people from the second company - I could see - were standing tall in their cells with their hands raised. This is the last thing I saw in the battalion."

All the Red Army soldiers who died in that battle and were captured are still listed as missing. The remains of those who remained forever at the site of the breakthrough from the encirclement lay unburied for decades next to the Warsaw Highway, where the Pobeda and Zhiguli cars rushing past were replaced by Mercedes and Audis.

The fate of the commander of the 771st Infantry Regiment, Colonel Ivan Malinin, remained unclear. Either he died or was captured?.. The answer from the archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense is short: “Missing on July 19, 1941.” That is, on the day the 137th Infantry broke out from encirclement. In the “Book of Memory” of the Nizhny Novgorod region there is another date of “disappearance” - “September 1942”.

Veterans of the division considered the relationship between Malinin and Grishin not just difficult, but hostile. The regiment commander was much older than the division commander, in the same rank as him, and considered himself worthy to command the division. Why did Colonel Grishin appoint Captain Shaposhnikov as acting commander of the 771st Infantry Regiment on the afternoon of July 19, when Malinin was still at the unit’s location? Shaposhnikov himself did not believe that Malinin had gone over to the enemy’s side: “He was very afraid of captivity, because in the First World War he was captured by the Germans. Returning from captivity, warrant officer Malinin went to serve in the Red Army. They also said that Malinin was somehow connected with the NKVD: he quickly rose through the ranks and escaped repression in 1937.”

F.M. Lukyanuk recalled another very strange case: “In the spring of 1941, the division moved to new states that were considered secret. And suddenly, these documents disappeared after one of the meetings at the division headquarters. And they found it from Malinin, who, according to his explanation, took them by mistake...”

After the mysterious disappearance of the commander of the 771st Infantry Regiment, the heads of the special departments of the NKVD and the divisions and regiments, Gorshkov and Potekhin, lost their positions as “not providing operational supervision in the units assigned to them.”

Ten battalion commanders (out of twelve who went to the front from Gorky), many company and platoon commanders, two regiment commanders - 624th and 771st, heads of artillery and the operational department of the division headquarters did not emerge from the encirclement in the basins of the tributaries of the Dnieper, Pronya and Sozh. . In August-September 1941, German patrols and local police caught the encirclement who had lagged behind the main breakthrough forces. The names of Tyumen residents born in 1919-1921, drafted into the 137th Infantry Division before the war and survivors of German captivity can be found in the book “Forbidden Soldiers.” All of them were also considered missing.

The units of the 137th that fought their way out of encirclement received reinforcements from Tyumen residents mobilized for the war, born from 1885 to 1918. Then they did not yet know that they would find themselves in a different environment. Larger and more brutal.

The essay uses documentary materials from the book by V.K. Kiseleva "Fellow Soldiers".

* Grishin Ivan Tikhonovich was born in 1901 into a peasant family in the village of Vnukovichi, Roslavl district, Smolensk province. In the Red Army since 1920, he participated in the suppression of Antonovism. Graduated from the Frunze Military Academy. He commanded the 137th Infantry Division during the most difficult period of its history, until March 1942. Then until the end of the war he headed the 49th Army. For crossing the Dnieper and capturing Mogilev, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, Colonel General Grishin was on diplomatic work in Albania. His life was cut short in 1950.

** Vlasov served as commander of the 99th Infantry Division (it was stationed in the Kiev Special Military District) for only one year. On January 17, 1941, he was appointed commander of the 4th Mechanized Corps.

*** Before the war, the 20th Rifle Corps included the Gorky 137th and 160th and the Vladimir 144th rifle divisions. But on the way to the front, the 144th ended up in another sector of the defense. Instead, the Poltava 132nd Infantry Division under Major General Biryuzov arrived in Chausy.

Nizhny Novgorod. April 30. NTA-Volga region - The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation intends to take the battle flag of the 624th Infantry Regiment from the Arzamas gymnasium (Nizhny Novgorod region) to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.

The director of the gymnasium, Nadezhda Gulyalova, reported this to the NTA-Privolzhye agency.

“The Museum of the Armed Forces refers to the fact that battle flags should be kept in state museums, but we have a school museum, which, of course, does not have such protection. But those banners that are in the Museum of the Armed Forces “do not work.” This banner lives for us. It lives with the children, it raises the children. It is no coincidence that in the 80s a lot of our graduates went through military schools - it was thanks to this banner, thanks to the great patriotic work that was carried out at the school," said the director of the gymnasium .

According to her, the veterans of the 624th regiment themselves once turned to the Museum of the Armed Forces with a request to leave the banner for eternal storage at the school.

“I sent a response to the last request for the return of the banner, which came from the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, in mid-March. My response, in particular, said that the gymnasium is a municipal educational institution, and all property is assigned to it with the right of operational management, therefore, I cannot make an independent decision on the return of the banner, especially on the procedure for its transfer,” said N. Gulyalova.

The director of the gymnasium explained that the final decision on the transfer of the banner will be made by the mayor of Arzamas, Anatoly Migunov.

“In this significant year 2010 - the year of the 65th anniversary of the Victory - we honor the banner of the 624th regiment, as in many previous years, starting in 1975. In the city, on the basis of the gymnasium, ceremonies are held to honor veterans of the Great Patriotic War, home front workers, In 2009, a ceremonial meeting dedicated to the Day of the Armed Forces was held, and the city military sports game "Eaglet" was held with the participation of young people.

Perhaps in connection with this, the mayor of our city has not yet made a final decision on the date of the return of the battle flag to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces,” N. Gulyalova said in her response.

According to the director of the gymnasium, under the banner of the 624th regiment, a lot of work is being done related to military-patriotic work throughout Arzamas.

“The combat path of the 624th Infantry Regiment began in Arzamas. In 1939, the 51st Infantry Regiment was transformed into the 624th Regiment, from the Gorokhovets camps it went straight to the front and went to the Polish city of Elbing. After the war, many veterans (from those , who survived) returned to Arzamas. On the 30th anniversary of the Victory, at the request of the City Party Committee, they brought this banner from the Museum of the Armed Forces to Arzamas,” said N. Gulyalova.

She also noted that the gymnasium has a copy of the regiment's banner, which has been used at ceremonial events for the last three years. “The banner of the 624th regiment is a relic not only of our school, but of the entire city. More than one generation of Arzamas residents were raised on it. The original is kept in a case in a display case, we take great care of it. But if we give the banner away now, we won’t even have the right to make a copy,” N. Gulyalova emphasized.

“Perhaps we are the only example in Russia that the battle flag of the Great Patriotic War has been kept in a school for so many years. And we would like it to remain with us in the future,” added the director of the gymnasium.

The Museum of Military Glory has been operating in the Arzamas gymnasium since 1985. Most of the exhibition is dedicated to the history of the 624th Infantry Regiment.

In 1939, the 137th Infantry Division was formed in the city of Arzamas. Before the start of the war, the division headquarters and its units were stationed in the Gorky region, and the 624th Infantry Regiment was in Arzamas. The regiment's personnel consisted of Arzamas residents and residents of adjacent areas.

The 624th Order of Kutuzov rifle regiment as part of the 137th Red Banner Bobruisk Order of Suvorov rifle division fought over 2 thousand km, crossed 25 rivers and 5 canals, liberated more than 400 settlements, including 10 cities. The regiment destroyed about 20 thousand soldiers and officers of Nazi Germany, 4 thousand were captured, over a hundred tanks and self-propelled guns, about 150 armored personnel carriers, and more than 2 thousand vehicles were destroyed and captured.

(photo from the school museum website)

On June 29, the first echelons of the 771st Infantry Regiment arrived at Orsha station, where they began the defense of the Dnieper. In the following days, units of the 137th Infantry Division continued to arrive.

On July 8, the division received an order to join the army reserve in Sukhari, east of Mogilev. During the day, units of the division covered about 70 kilometers on the Orsha - Gorki stretch.

On July 10, the enemy crossed the Dnieper in the Bykhov area. The division was ordered to destroy the enemy bridgehead.

On July 13, the division entered into a counter battle with units of the enemy’s 4th Tank Division in the area of ​​the villages of Chervony and Pustoy Osovets, southwest of the city of Chausy. This was the first battle of the 137th Infantry Division. After a day of fierce fighting, the division pushed the enemy back 5-7 kilometers. The main result of the battle: the enemy was unable to get into the operational space south of Chausy, suffered heavy losses and lost a whole day. And the 137th Infantry Division was unable to destroy the enemy’s bridgehead, since it was inferior to the enemy in strength and means. By the evening of the same day, the division was surrounded.

July 19 - breakthrough to the Sozh River. Two days later the main forces were on the other side.

July 24. The Nazis destroyed the 497th Gap and the 2nd Battalion of the 771st Regiment. As a result of the Nazi attack, only about 30 people survived, and all material support was destroyed.

At the end of July, units of the 132nd Infantry Division were transferred to the division, which completely restored all rifle battalions.

At the beginning of August, the division was transferred to the right flank with the goal of cutting the Warsaw Highway in the Krichev-Roslavl section.

On August 7, near the village of Miloslavichi, the division went on the offensive against the Nazi 7th Infantry Division. The fighting lasted for three days. Particularly fierce battles took place in the cemetery of the village of Miloslavichi. It was led by the 771st Infantry Regiment. Units of the division captured Kiseleva Buda and Kazkan, but did not complete the main task, since the enemy received large reinforcements.

On August 9, in the morning, the enemy went on the offensive. Because of this, the 624th and 409th joint ventures were surrounded. The strike was in the direction of Rodnya - Kostyukovichi. The 771st joint venture, 277th paw, 497th gap escaped from the attack in the direction of the village of Kostyukovichi. The enemy was resisted at advantageous positions.

On August 16, units of the 137th Rifle Division that were not encircled crossed the Besed River near the town of Belynkovichi. From this city, units began to retreat to the city of Surazh.

Near Surazh, the units were again surrounded. The 278th paw was lost.

On August 28, units emerged from encirclement into the forests south of Trubchevsk. Units defended the city for several days.

By the end of the month, the division had regained combat capability.

On September 30, the Germans launched an attack on Moscow. As a result, the 137th Infantry Division was surrounded in the Trubchevsk area.

In November, parts of the division were transferred from near the city of Shchigrov to the city of Yelets. The number of troops was 806 people.

On November 5, the division was transferred to the city of Efremov. The task was to defend the river and the highway leading to Tula.

On November 20, the Germans managed to find a gap in the city’s defenses. The 137th Infantry Division was forced to retreat to the east.

On December 12, units of the division went on the offensive with the goal of capturing the enemy stronghold in the village of Burelomy.

During the two-week battles, the units advanced more than 80 kilometers and reached the approaches to Mtsensk.

By the end of December, only one and a half thousand people remained in the division, and the division operated on a front 30 kilometers wide.

By the New Year, the 491st joint venture did not reach Mtsensk by only 700 meters.

1942

At the beginning of January, the division was transferred to the village of Kuznetsovo. During the first two weeks, the division received reinforcements, which restored its combat effectiveness.

On January 23, during an unsuccessful reconnaissance operation, the 771st rifle regiment suffered heavy losses; later, on January 30, for the same reason, the 409th rifle regiment suffered losses.

On February 4, the Third Army launched an attack on the city of Bolkhov. The offensive was carried out by five divisions and one tank brigade. The 137th Infantry Division suffered heavy losses at the very beginning of the battle. During four days of unsuccessful battles, the division lost about a thousand people.

At the end of April, the division was sent to capture Mtsensk and directly assault the city. Due to a lack of weapons, only one combined regiment was active. On April 29 this operation began.

The next day, the operation was stopped, since there were not enough weapons and ammunition even for this one combined regiment.

1943

In January, the division was transferred to the 48th Army. This army was supposed to advance in the direction of Pokrovka - Zmievka - Orel.

In 16 days, the division covered more than 80 kilometers, liberating 53 settlements along the way.

The division suffered heavy losses. About 560 people out of one and a half thousand.

In mid-March, the division tried to advance in the same direction, but these attempts were also unsuccessful.

After this, the division continued its journey north all the way to a large enemy defensive point - Almazny.

By August 18, the forces of the Red Army approached the German defensive line "Hagen", but no offensive followed, since the Germans strengthened their resistance and the Red Army did not have enough forces left.

The 137th Infantry Division made a significant contribution to Operation Kutuzov. Zmievka is a key stronghold on the southern approaches to Orel. The division covered more than ninety kilometers, and liberated more than seventy settlements.

On August 26, the 137th Infantry Division was transferred to Sevsk. The first battle began on September 1st. The division was tasked with seizing a bridgehead on the Desna.

In October, the division was transferred to the area southwest of Gomel. The division was ordered to cross the Sozh River and create a bridgehead for the attack on Gomel.

On October 10, the division crossed the Sozh and took a bridgehead near the village of Zherebnaya, but attempts to expand it led nowhere.

On October 16, the division was transferred to the bridgehead of the 65th Army near the city of Loev. The goal was to cross the Dnieper.

On December 4, units of the division took the village of Velikiy Bor and reached the Zhlobin - Kalinkovichi railway at the Mormal station.

Until December 15, the division fought there, but it was not possible to cross the station and the offensive was stopped due to shortages and severe fatigue of personnel.

At the end of 1943, the division consisted of four and a half thousand people.

1944

On January 16, the division was sent into battle in the Parichi direction. In 12 days she advanced more than 20 kilometers.

On February 19, the division was re-entered into battle. There were grueling battles. On February 22 alone, in the village of Velikiy Bor, units of the division repelled more than twenty enemy counterattacks.

From March 1 to 11, the division was in the second echelon of the 48th Army, then it was sent to the 50th Army, which was advancing on Mogilev. The division made a march of 60 kilometers, but due to the failure of the attack on Mogilev, it was not brought into battle and was sent back to the 48th Army.

On April 15, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front went on the defensive by order. According to the Bagration plan, the 1st Belorussian Front was supposed to encircle and destroy the Bobruisk group of enemy forces with the forces of four armies. The 137th SD was part of the 48th Army and stood in the second echelon near Rogachev.

From June 23, from the beginning of the offensive, the division was in the second echelon of armies, but on June 27, after a 20-kilometer march, it was brought into battle.

On June 29, at 5 a.m., two battalions of the 771st Infantry Regiment and the entire 409th Infantry Regiment crossed the Berezina River and began the battle in Bobruisk, near the railway station. Heroism in these battles acquired a massive character.

By the first of July, the enemy's Bobruisk group was completely destroyed. For this battle, the division was given the honorary name "Bobruisk".

In four days, the division covered more than 30 kilometers and liberated 86 settlements.

On August 8, the offensive continued, and the division advanced at the forefront of the main attack of the 48th Army.

On August 21, the offensive was stopped, and the division was withdrawn to the second echelon for replenishment, but the next day the division was again brought into battle.

On August 28, the division reached the State Border of the USSR in the area northeast of the city of Ostrów Mazowiecki.

On October 24, the division crossed the Pelta River near the village of Przemyarovo with the support of two heavy artillery regiments.

In four days the division advanced only 10 kilometers.

In November, enemy activity in this sector decreased, so the division was sent to the second echelon for replenishment.

Sirichenko Nikolai Trofimovich - commander of the anti-tank battery of 45-mm guns of the 624th Rifle Regiment (137th Rifle Division, 29th Rifle Corps, 48th Army, 1st Belorussian Front), senior lieutenant.

Born on December 9, 1921 in the village of Mandrovo, now Valuysky district, Belgorod region, in a peasant family. Russian. In 1936 he graduated from 7 classes of junior high school in this village. He began his career in 1937 as a student and then as a mechanic in the mines of Donbass.

In the ranks of the Red Army since March 25, 1941. In the active army since August 1, 1941. In 1942 he completed courses for junior lieutenants and retraining courses for battery commanders.

On July 23-28, 1943, supporting the combat operations of rifle units in the battles for the villages of Vasilievka and Lykovo (Oryol region), N.T. Sirichenko’s battery suppressed the fire of six machine guns and an enemy anti-tank gun. The battery commander, under enemy fire, personally cleared the bridge and removed 25 anti-tank mines, thereby ensuring the timely crossing of his battery and the completion of the combat mission. By order of the commander of the 137th Infantry Division No. 053/n dated September 12, 1943, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

On the night of September 11-12, 1943, the 624th Infantry Regiment began crossing the Desna River near the village of Rogovka. N.T. Sirichenko promptly transported the battery across the river, selected firing positions and clarified the combat missions of all fire weapons. On the morning of September 12, the regimental artillery opened sudden and accurate fire on the enemy. As a result, three guns, 12 machine gun points with crews, and 30 German soldiers holed up in the school were destroyed. The accurate fire of the artillerymen contributed to the successful actions of the rifle battalions, which quickly captured the enemy stronghold of Rogovka. By order of the artillery commander of the 48th Army No. 34/n dated October 17, 1943, Senior Lieutenant N.T. Sirichenko was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

On December 5, 1943, near the village of Dobrogoshcha, Zhlobin district, Gomel region, the fire of his battery destroyed 4 enemy firing points and about a platoon of enemy personnel, which made it possible for the regiment's units to cross the swamps and capture an advantageous height. The artillerymen transported the guns through the swamp and took up firing positions in a timely manner. Repelling the enemy counterattack, the battery destroyed 2 self-propelled guns and more than 60 fascists. In the following days, when the enemy pushed back the rifle units, the artillery battery fought courageously in its previous firing position, without retreating a single step. Thanks to the tenacity, perseverance and courage of the battery commander, the counterattacks were repulsed and up to 200 Nazis were killed. N.T. Sirichenko was wounded in both legs, but did not leave the battlefield and continued to control the battery fire.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 16, 1944, senior lieutenant Sirichenko Nikolai Trofimovich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 3925).

Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1944.

Since 1945, captain N.T. Sirichenko has been in reserve. Lived in the city of Valuiki, worked in DOSAAF. Then he moved to the city of Kopeisk, Chelyabinsk region, and worked as a commandant at the Chelyabshakhtstroy residential complex. Died April 30, 1949. He was buried at the Central Cemetery in Kopeisk.

Awarded the Orders of Lenin (05/16/1944), Alexander Nevsky (10/17/1943), Red Star (09/12/1943), and medals.

Busts of N.T. Sirichenko were installed in the cities of Valuiki and Kopeisk, and a memorial plaque was installed on the building of the Kopeisk city military registration and enlistment office. A street in the village of Mandrovo is named after him.

From the award list for N.T. Sirichenko:

“Comrade Sirichenko, a participant in repeated battles with the German invaders, showed himself to be a persistent, courageous, strong-willed officer in the battles for his homeland, always fulfilling his assigned combat missions.
Under the command of Comrade Sirichenko, a battery of 45 mm guns during the battles with the German invaders in 1943 destroyed: 7 tanks, 4 Ferdinand self-propelled guns, 2 guns, 2 cannons, 3 mortars, 8 heavy and 9 light machine guns, 8 fortified in buildings firing points and 854 enemy soldiers and officers.
In October 1943, in the battles for the village of Zherebnaya, Gomel Region, when our infantry was pushed back by superior enemy forces, only the battery under the command of Comrade Sirichenko repulsed 4 infantry counterattacks and three counterattacks by enemy infantry and tanks.
On December 5, 1943, in the battles for the village of Dobrogoshcha, Gomel Region, for the height of 152.0, which served as the enemy’s exit line for defense and, in turn, upon the capture of our troops, which was a springboard for our further offensive, the battery destroyed 4 firing points and to a platoon of enemy infantry, which made it possible for our infantry to advance.
Our rifle units, having successfully crossed the swamp, quickly went on the offensive to height 152.0.
The enemy had a crossing through the swamp (a road going through the swamp from the village of Dobrogoshcha to the village of Yaschitsy).
The swamp was impassable. To quickly cross the artillery, Comrade Sirichenko personally carried out a thorough reconnaissance of the swamp and used available means (brushwood, straw, etc.), quickly paved the way for the advancement of the guns. Due to the fact that the road for horses was impassable, Comrade Sirichenko’s fighters literally dragged the guns on their hands and took up the indicated firing positions in time.
Soon the enemy launched a counterattack with superior forces supported by tanks and self-propelled guns. The battery under the command of Comrade Sirichenko, with well-aimed group fire, knocked out two self-propelled guns and destroyed 63 German soldiers and officers. The enemy could not stand it and rolled back.
On December 8, 1943, at dawn, the enemy, supported by tanks and self-propelled guns, resumed a counterattack with superior forces with a frontal attack and an approach from the flank and rear through the junction of neighboring units. The enemy managed to push back our infantry, but the battery held firm in its occupied firing positions.
Comrade Sirichenko quickly ran from gun to gun, inspiring soldiers and commanders by personal example, showing an example of perseverance and courage.
And when the crew of one of the guns was completely disabled, Comrade Sirichenko instantly jumped up to the gun and began point-blank from the gun to shoot the Germans pressing from all sides.
Comrade Sirichenko was wounded in both legs, but did not leave the battlefield and, inspiring the fighters with his personal heroism, continued to shoot the advancing German invaders at point-blank range.
Unable to withstand the destructive fire of Comrade Sirichenko’s battery, the enemy, having lost up to 200 soldiers and officers, rolled back. The counterattack was repulsed.

Comrade Sirichenko is a fearless warrior, a faithful son of the Motherland, and for his heroic, selfless act he is worthy of the highest government award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Neruch River

By the beginning of the Battle of Kursk, the 137th Rifle Division was part of the 42nd Rifle Division of the 48th A and stood in the second echelon in the area of ​​​​the village of Alekseevka and the Korsun forest. The division received reinforcements and numbered up to 6 thousand personnel. From the beginning of the Battle of Kursk until July 23, the 137th Infantry Division was in the second echelon of the army. The division was brought into battle on July 23, with orders to cross the Neruch River and capture the Zmievka station. Extremely bloody battles broke out for Vasilievka, Nakhlestovo, Bogodukhova, Stepanovka, Pirozhkovo. On July 25, in cooperation with the 170th Infantry Division, the division captured the Zmievka station.

From a letter to the Council of the Museum of the 137th Infantry Division from retired senior lieutenant Alexander Kirillovich Nigruts.

Dear friends! I have a photograph of the best mortar crew of the first platoon of the 120 mm mortar battery of the 624th Infantry Regiment. I had the opportunity to command this platoon from June 1942 to January 1944. The composition of the crew remained almost unchanged. They were photographed by a photojournalist of the divisional newspaper “For the Motherland” in early August 1943, when a large group of soldiers, sergeants and officers of our battery were awarded orders and medals for military exploits. Among those awarded the medal “For Courage” were the crew commander, Sergeant Shchegolev (in the photo he is holding a notebook in his hands and wearing a cap), and the gunner, Corporal Nechaev (standing by the mortar and holding the aiming handle) and Corporal Gubaidullin (he is inserting a mine into the barrel of the mortar). Surnames Unfortunately, I don’t remember three more soldiers who were awarded medals “For Military Merit.” This mortar crew accounted for 4 vehicles with enemy infantry, two armored personnel carriers, two bunkers, 6 machine gun nests, up to a company of fascist soldiers. In the autumn of 1943 We accompanied Corporal Nechaev, who had a general secondary education, to the artillery school. I don’t know the further fate of my dear brothers-in-arms, whom I had the opportunity to command in the hot days of 1943. Former platoon commander of the 120mm mortar battery of the 624th Infantry Regiment, retired senior lieutenant Alexander Kirillovich Nigrutsa. Let this photocopy add to your museum.

In these battles, the following distinguished themselves: the platoon commander of the 624th rifle regiment, Lt. O. Stepanov, posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Komsomol organizer of the battalion of the 624th regiment, Lt. Yu. Gorchakov, awarded the Order of Lenin, the adjutant of the commander of the 409th regiment. t M. Spivak, posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as hundreds of other soldiers and commanders.

The 137th Infantry Division made a worthy contribution to Operation Kutuzov. Zmievka was a key enemy stronghold on the southern approaches to Orel. The 137th Infantry Division defeated units of the enemy's 299th, 283rd, 92nd and 78th Infantry Divisions. In two weeks of fighting, 90 km were covered in battles, more than 70 settlements were liberated, 4,100 Nazis were destroyed, about 200 were taken prisoner, 20 tanks and self-propelled guns, 30 guns, dozens of mortars, and 142 machine gun emplacements were destroyed. For these battles, only 250 people in the division were awarded the medal “For Courage,” and dozens of soldiers and officers were awarded orders.

The 409th joint venture of Major Grebnev destroyed up to 1 thousand enemy soldiers, 9 tanks, 19 guns, 23 vehicles in these battles. Particularly distinguished in this regiment were the battalions of A. Siryakov, A. Komkin, officers Grishishin (chief of the regiment headquarters), Melnik (chief of the regiment artillery, battery commanders Ratin and Postavnichy, company and platoon commanders Belostotsky, Bobunov, Andreev, Stepanov , Skipochka, Reznik, Povedsky, Chernikov.

The 624th joint venture of Lieutenant Colonel Sushchits destroyed more than 1,350 Nazis and 6 tanks. Major Y. Beshkok (chief of regiment headquarters), battalion commanders N. Uvarov, V. Lagodny, S. Vlasov, officers Kurpas, Sirichenko, Gorchakov, Stepanov, Danshin, regiment party organizer Alekseev, regiment Komsomol organizer Pilipenko, battalion party organizer especially distinguished themselves in battles Aleksandrovsky, battery commander Krylov, company commander Khramov.

The 771st Regiment in this operation destroyed 850 Nazis and 8 guns. Scouts of the 176th Ord Art. Lieutenant P. Kurusya captured 76 “languages” in the first week of the offensive alone. During this operation, communications worked uninterruptedly, the head of which in the division was Major V. Kachkalda.

During the two weeks of the offensive, the 137th Infantry Division lost more than 900 people killed and over 2 thousand wounded.

On August 26, the Central Front launched a new offensive. The 137th Infantry Division, as part of the 48th A, was transferred to the Sevsk area and entered into battle on September 1, with the task of capturing a bridgehead on the Desna River. Pursuing the retreating enemy, Captain Komkin's battalion from the 409th rifle regiment was the first to cross the Desna on the night of September 8 and captured a bridgehead near the village of Rogovka. The 771st rifle division captured a bridgehead near the village of Leskonogi. From September 9 to 17, exceptionally stubborn fighting took place on the bridgehead. Units of the division repelled dozens of enemy attacks. The companies of the 409th infantry regiment especially distinguished themselves in these battles.

For the successful battles to hold the bridgehead and for the fact that the 137th Infantry Division was the first of the troops of the Central Front to cross the Desna, she was thanked by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Hundreds of soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals. The division commander, Colonel A. Alferov, was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class, and the Order of Suvorov, 3rd class. the commanders of the 771st and 624th regiments Kadiro and Sushchits, the chief of artillery of the division Yavorsky, the commander of the 17th ap Savchenko, the head of the engineering service Major Danchich were awarded, the Order of the Red Banner was awarded to the party organizer of the battalion of the 624th regiment A. Aleksandrov, the Order of Alexander Nevsky - battalion and company commanders Medvedev, Alimov, Uvarov, Vlasov, Antonov, Kaun, Lisitsyn, Ilchenko, Mikhin, Skulsky. The heroism of the division's soldiers on the Desna was massive. These battles went down in the history of the 137th Infantry Division as the brightest and most heroic page.

From July 23 to December 12, 1943, the 137th Infantry Division lost more than 2.5 thousand people in killed alone. From the beginning of the summer offensive to the end of December 1943, 2,320 people were awarded in the division, including the Order of the Red Banner - 44 people, Alexander Nevsky - 19, the Order of the Patriotic War - 27, the Red Star - 390, about 1,880 people were awarded medals. Six people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On New Year's Day 1944, the 137th Infantry Division received 3 wagons of gifts from the Gorky chefs. At the end of 1943, the 137th Infantry Division had 4.5 thousand personnel.

Gorchakov Yu. M.

From the memoirs of veteran Yu. M. Gorchakov, Komsomol organizer of the 1st battalion of the 624th Infantry Regiment, later Komsomol organizer of the regiment, senior lieutenant:

At first we launched the attack together, but the Germans fired so terrible that the closer we got to the river, the more we had to crawl. The Germans hit especially hard on the descent to the river - machine gunners from the trenches, and a self-propelled gun, it’s good that it was quickly knocked out by someone from Senior Lieutenant Yudin’s battery. During this attack, I was in the company of Lieutenant Kodin, together with the Komsomol organizer of the company Danshin, in the platoon of Lieutenant Oleg Stepanov. We had already approached the river, but the fire was so dense that the company lay down... - Everything happened very quickly, and we didn’t even notice what we were doing and how. We burst into the trench - a line of fire left and right, threw a couple of grenades and continued forward. Danshin ran into a machine gun burst - it literally cut him off, Oleg Stepanov threw grenades, destroyed two machine guns with the crew, Azelkhanov threw a grenade into the dugout, Intagaliev immediately fired at the Germans in the trench. Some of them are running, some are hitting us, some are already raising their hands. A German jumped out of the church - I shot him with a machine gun, he also had a sniper rifle and a Parabellum in his belt...