16th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
| 16th 'Lithuanian' Rifle Division (May 1918-1947; Dec 1950-Jul 1956) 44th Rifle Brigade (1947-Dec 1950) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | May 1918 – July 1956 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Soviet Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 10,250 |
| Nickname(s) | 'Lithuanian' |
| Engagements |
World War II Battle of Kursk Operation Bagration Baltic Offensive |
| Decorations |
 Order of the Red Banner (2nd formation) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Major General Feliksas Baltušis-Žemaitis (1943) Major General Vladas Karvelis (1944–1945) Major General Adolfas Urbšas (1945) |
The 16th Rifle Division (Russian: 16-я 'Литовская' стрелковая дивизия, Lithuanian: 16-oji 'Lietuviškoji' divizija) was a formation in the Red Army created during World War II. The division was formed twice, and was given the title 'Lithuanian' during its second formation. It was originally established at Tambov in May 1918. It was wiped out at Mga in July 1941. Reformed and given the title 'Lithuanian', the division participated in several battles against Nazi Germany, including Kursk, Belarus, and the Baltic. The division became a brigade postwar but became a division again in 1950. It was disbanded in 1956.
The division was originally formed in 1918. At the beginning of Operation Barbarossa the 16th Rifle Division (I Formation) was part of North-Western Front's 27th Army, reporting directly to Army headquarters along with the 67th Rifle Division and 3rd Rifle Brigade. It was destroyed at Mga amid the first German drive on Leningrad.
When the 16th Division was reformed after its destruction, it was given the name 'Lithuanian' largely for political purposes. After Lithuania, along with Estonia and Latvia, was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940, the Lithuanian Army was reorganized into the 29th Rifle Corps of Red Army. However, at the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Lithuanians massively deserted, joined anti-Soviet June Uprising, or surrendered to the Germans. The corps was officially disbanded in August 1941. Despite this failure, Lithuanian communists, including Antanas Sniečkus and Mečislovas Gedvilas, sought to establish a new Lithuanian unit. Similar national military units were created by Estonians (8th Estonian Rifle Corps) and Latvians (130th Latvian Rifle Corps).
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