57th Rifle Division
The 57th Rifle Division (Russian: 57-я стрелковая дивизия) was an infantry division of the Red Army and the Soviet Army.
| 57th Rifle Division (1946–1947) 57th Motor Rifle Division 57th Rifle Division (1921–1940) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1921–1947 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army (Soviet Army from 1946) |
| Type | Infantry (Motorized Infantry 1940–1946) |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements |
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| Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Ivan Galanin |
The division was originally formed in late 1920 as the 24th Rifle Division of the Internal Service Troops (VNUS) in the closing stages of the Russian Civil War. It was transferred to the Red Army in early 1921 as the 57th Rifle Division. The division served in the Urals as a territorial division during the 1920s and early 1930s. Transferred to the Transbaikal in 1932, it fought in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol in mid-1939 and was reorganized as the 57th Motor Rifle Division in 1940. Having spent much of World War II on garrison duty in the Mongolian People's Republic, the division participated in the August 1945 Soviet invasion of Manchuria, but did not see combat. It was converted into a rifle division again in 1946, before being reduced to the 55th Separate Rifle Regiment in early 1947.