View source for 45th Rifle Division

{{refimprove|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = 45th Rifle Division
| dates                         = 1919–1932<br/>1935–1943 (1st Formation)<br/>1943–1957 (2nd Formation)<br/>1957–1997 (as 131st MRD)
| country                       = {{Flag|Soviet Union}}
| branch                        = {{Army|USSR}}
| type                          = [[Infantry]]
| battle_honours                = [[Volyn]] (First formation)<br>
[[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]] (Second formation)
| battle_honours_label          = Honorifics
| decorations                   = {{Order of Lenin Decoration}} (First formation)<br>
{{OrderRedBanner}} (First formation)
| battles                       = [[Russian Civil War]]<br>
[[Polish-Soviet War]]<br>
[[Soviet invasion of Poland]]
[[World War II]]
*[[Battle of Stalingrad]]
*[[Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive]]
| notable_commanders            = [[Iona Yakir]]<br />
[[Vasily Pavlovich Sokolov|Vasily Sokolov]]
}}

The '''45th Rifle Division''' was a [[Red Army]] [[infantry]] [[division (military)|division]] formed originally during the [[Russian Civil War]] that fought in [[World War II]] and then served through the [[Cold War]] in the [[Leningrad Military District]].

The division was originally formed 16 June 1919 in the Odessa raion from the 5th Ukrainian Rifle Division.

==Civil War service==
The 45th Rifle Division was formed from the 5th Ukrainian Rifle Division around [[Odessa]]. In August 1919, during the [[Odessa Operation (1919)]], it was cut off and retreated between the White armies and the [[Ukrainian People's Army]] to reach Bolshevik-held territory near [[Korosten]].

==Second World War service==

===First Formation===
It was attached to the Kiev Special Military District/[[Soviet Southwestern Front]] at the outbreak of [[World War II]], as part of the 15th Rifle Corps, [[5th Army (Soviet Union)|5th Army]]. Under Colonel V.P. Solokov, it was earmarked to defend the mid-Volga River islands behind the hard-pressed [[62nd Army (Soviet Union)|62nd Army]] on 7 October 1942. However it was deployed in the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] proper on 26 October 1942, being ferried over from the east to the west bank of the Volga River to take up positions between the [[Red October (factory)|Red October]] and the [[Barrikady factory|Barrikady factories]].<ref>pp. 420, 443, [[John Erickson (historian)]], The Road to Stalingrad, Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2003</ref>

On 1 January 1943 the division was re-designated the [[74th Guards Rifle Division]].

===Second formation===
The division was re-formed on 5 May 1943 in the [[Republic of Karelia|Kareliya]] territory from the [[67th Naval Rifle Brigade]] of the [[Karelian Front]], on defensive boundaries at [[Loukhi]] Stations of the [[Kirov, Kirov Oblast|Kirov]] railway. After its formation the division was concentrated towards [[Kestenga]] (Kiestinki), and from 6 May until 19 August 1943 was retained in the reserve of the [[31st Rifle Corps]] in defensive positions. The division's first combat was on 9 August 1943 with the [[61st Rifle Regiment]] and [[85th Naval Rifle Brigade]] were supported by the [[178th Artillery Regiment (Soviet Union)|178th Artillery Regiment]]. On 20 August 1943 the division replaced the 85th Motor Rifle Brigade and 205th Rifle Division in the first echelon, and on 7 September 1943 conducted defensive operations against the Nazi [[7th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|7th Infantry Division]] and [[6th SS Mountain Division Nord]]. On 8 September 1944 the division had gone over to the offensive and on 10 September seized the Kestenga settlement. It was later relocated in the [[Kandalaksha]] direction to the area of Nyamozero Station. From 24 September till 28 September 1944, the 45th Rifle Division attacked the settlement of [[Alakurtti (rural locality)|Alakurtti]].

By 3 October 1944 the division had been relocated in the Murmansk direction and was a part of the army operations group, having the task to attack an auxiliary direction as part of the [[14th Army (Soviet Union)|14th Army]]. On 10 October 1944, 45th Rifle Division had broken through defense of its opponent on the [[Zapadnaya Litsa River|Zapadnaya Litsa]] River near the [[Lake Chapr]] area. On 13 October 1944 the division joined [[131st Rifle Corps]] (probably part of 14th Army) and on October 15 in cooperation with elements of 131st Rifle Corps seized [[Territories ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union|Petsamo]] (as part of the [[Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation]]).

From 16 October until 25 October 1944 it conducted operations for seizing the village of [[Tornet]] and the Norwegian city of [[Kirkenes]]. On 25 October 1944 the 61st Rifle Regiment and the 253rd Rifle Regiment of the division helped seize the port and city of Kirkenes. On 1 November 1944 it was part of [[131st Rifle Corps]] (with [[14th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|14th]] and [[368th Rifle Division]]s) as part of 14th Army, [[Karelian Front]].

For actions on clearing [[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]] (Petsamo) the divisional staff was thanked officially by the Supreme Commander in Chief [[Joseph Stalin]], and the division was given the honourable name "Pechenga". For taking Kirkenes, the staffs of the 61st Rifle Regiment and 253rd Rifle Regiment were given the honorary name "Kirkenes". On 6 January 1945 for valour and courage in combat with fascist aggressors the 61st Rifle Regiment of the division was awarded the [[Military Order of the Red Banner]]. On 27 September 1945 parts of the division, following a decision of the Soviet government were withdrawn from Norway and billeted in Murmansk and the Pechenga area.

==Cold War service==
In 1957 the division was renamed the 131st Pechenga Motor-Rifle Division. In 1968, in days of celebrating the 25 anniversary of its second formation, the division was awarded the [[Order of Kutuzov]], 2nd class.

==Russian Federation service==
On 1 December 1997 the 131st MRD was reorganised as the [[200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade|200th Pechenga Independent Motor-Rifle Brigade]]. The division, as the 200th Brigade, has been based for many years at [[Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast|Pechenga]] in [[Murmansk Oblast]]. However, Michael Holm lists the reorganisation date as June 1997.<ref>Michael Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/131msd.htm</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==Sources==
*Machine translated from Russian official site 
*V.I. Feskov et al. 2004, Lenskii et al.
*https://archive.today/20070920210558/http://www.contract.mil.ru/56/226/1719/index.shtml (200th Pechenga Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, Pechenga, Murmansk Oblast)
*http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/954462/Main/954462 – [[Google Earth]] link
{{Soviet Union divisions before 1945}}
{{Soviet Union divisions 1945–57}}
{{Soviet Union divisions}}

[[Category:Infantry divisions of the Soviet Union in World War II|045]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1919]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1957]]
[[Category:1st Cavalry Army]]