142nd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

142nd Rifle Division (August 1939 - 28 May 1945)
Active	1939 - 1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	Winter War Siege of Leningrad Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive Vistula–Oder Offensive East Pomeranian Offensive Battle of Berlin
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner
Battle honours	Graudenz
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kombrig P.S. Pshennikov Col. G.L. Sonnikov

The 142nd Rifle Division began service in August, 1939 as a standard Red Army rifle division, which participated in the Winter War against Finland. It remained on the Karelian Isthmus and had a relatively uneventful war facing the Finns until the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive began on June 10, 1944, from which point it saw much more active service. Following the end of the Continuation War, the division was transferred to 2nd Shock Army in 2nd Belorussian Front. Its soldiers distinguished themselves in the capture of the German city of Graudenz and ended the war fighting through Pomerania.

The division began forming in August, 1939, north of Leningrad, where it would spend most of the war. On Nov. 30 the Winter War with Finland began, and the division performed creditably enough that it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

On June 22, 1941, the division was in 19th Rifle Corps of 23rd Army near the Finnish border in Leningrad Military District. Its order of battle was as follows:

P.S. Pshennikov, who had commanded the division in the Winter War, had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and was now in command of 23rd Army. On July 31 the Finnish Army began its offensive against 23rd Army and over the following month pushed south down the Karelian Isthmus as the Russian forces conducted a fighting retreat. On Aug. 31 the front had reached general line of the 1939 Finnish-Soviet border, and the Finns halted. The 142nd would remain along this line, fighting a static war, until June, 1944.

The German forces to the south of Leningrad were driven away in January, 1944. In early June, the Soviet 23rd and 21st Armies were reinforced for a reckoning with Finland. The 142nd, now in 115th Rifle Corps and under command of Col. G.L. Sonnikov, was on the extreme right flank and in first echelon of 23rd Army on the shores of Lake Ladoga.The offensive began on June 10. After initial attacks, the division advanced 9km on June 14 against the Finnish 19th Infantry Brigade, piercing the first Finnish defensive belt.

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Wikipedia