238th Rifle Division
The 238th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed in the months just before the start of the German invasion, based on the shtat of September 13, 1939. It was the highest-numbered rifle division to be formed prior to the war. After forming in Kazakhstan it did not begin moving west until later September and arrived in 49th Army southwest of Moscow just after the first phase of Operation Typhoon. During October and November it took part in the defense of Tula before going over to the counteroffensive in early December. The division assisted in the liberation of Aleksin before pushing on toward Kaluga. After the latter place was taken on December 30 it was committed to the attempted encirclement of a large portion of Army Group Center by Western and Kalinin Fronts, and while this ultimately failed the 238th distinguished itself sufficiently to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner and to be redesignated as the 30th Guards Rifle Division in May 1942.
A new 238th was formed in the Moscow Military District on June 15, 1942. After a period for training and a couple of preliminary assignments in Kalinin Front it was moved to 22nd Army before the start of the Second Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive operation. This Army was to conduct a supporting attack up the valley of the Luchesa River and while it gained some ground this was at significant cost and proved to be of no value after the main attacks failed. After a period in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding the 238th returned to the fighting front in time to take part in Operation Kutuzov, during which it was awarded a battle honor. Following this victory it advanced through western Russian into Belarus as part of 50th Army, gradually gaining ground toward the Dniepr River through the winter of 1943/44. During the Soviet summer offensive in June it crossed this river and assisted in the liberation of Mogilev and other places and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, along with all three of its rifle regiments. During the pursuit into Poland the division was transferred to the same 49th Army the 1st formation had fought under, winning further distinctions in the process. As part of 2nd Belorussian Front it drove into Poland and Pomerania, assisting in the liberation of Gdańsk before moving west to play a secondary role in the final campaign in Germany. Along with many successful rifle divisions it was surplus to peacetime requirements and was disbanded in July 1945.
1st Formation
The 238th began forming on March 14, 1941 at Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan in the Central Asia Military District, based on the 499th Reserve Rifle Regiment, and so began with personnel mostly of Kazakh nationality. When completed it had the following order of battle:- 830th Rifle Regiment
- 837th Rifle Regiment
- 843rd Rifle Regiment
- 693rd Light Artillery Regiment
- 74th Antitank Battalion
- 494th Mortar Battalion
- 312th Reconnaissance Company
- 409th Sapper Battalion
- 616th Signal Battalion
- 397th Medical/Sanitation Battalion
- 238th Chemical Defense Company
- 707th Motor Transport Company
- 254th Field Bakery
- 690th Field Postal Station
- 563rd Field Office of the State Bank
Battle of Moscow
49th Army had been in Reserve Front in the earlier stages of Operation Typhoon, but both that and Western Front had been severely damaged during the offensive's first ten days. By October 15 the Army had been forced to retreat from Kaluga and was retreating to the east and northeast. By October 23 the 238th had relieved the 5th Guards Rifle Division in the Aleksin area. The division was defending on the east bank of the Oka River to the south of Tarusa, along a line from Bunyrevo to Shchukino, repulsing efforts of the German XXXXIII Army Corps to cross the river using its artillery and mortar fire. Over the next two days German pressure increased and while the division continued to beat back all attacks on Aleksin, Tarusa was taken from the 60th Rifle Division at 1600 hours on October and the attackers continued to advance on Serpukhov.In the following period up to November 1 combat activities along 49th Army's front were characterized by separate collisions for the purpose of improving the position along the occupied lines. By the end of October the Army was solidly holding the line of the woods east of BurinovoVoroninoBorovna, and then along the northern and eastern banks of the Protva and Oka as far as Aleksin. Over the next 10 days the 238th continued to hold it positions, repulsing various attempts to force the Oka, while the 60th, with the help of the 5th Guards, managed to retake some lost ground. This greatly aided the defense of Tula as it prevented the Moscow road from being cut near Serpukhov.
On November 9 the 50th Army, which was responsible for the direct defense of Tula, was reassigned from Bryansk Front to Western Front. On the same day a German force struck the boundary of the 49th and 50th Armies and broke through to the area of Spas-Kanino. The two Armies were ordered to liquidate the breakthrough by joint flank attacks. In accordance with this directive the 49th Army commander, Lt. Gen. I. G. Zakharkin, assigned Colonel Korotkov the following mission on November 10:The time for the attack was set for 0800 on November 11 but this resulted in a meeting engagement as the German force continued its advance. Over the following night further units on the left flank of 49th Army were regrouped to reinforce the counterattack. On the morning of the 12th the 238th attacked and occupied Sukromna, Danilovka and Sukhodol while units of 50th Army pushed into the German flank and rear near the latter place. The division continued the battle the next day along it left flank, fending off German counterattacks. Particularly stubborn fighting occurred on November 14 in the area of Sukromna and Kolyupanovo when German units managed to retake the latter place. The flank forces of the two Soviet Armies continued to contest the area During November 15-16. As a result the XXXXIII Corps was prevented from reaching the Tula-Moscow road and was forced to go over to the defensive on several sectors.
In the days following November 18 the 238th took up a defense along the line BunyrevoAleksinNikulino. It was ordered to maintain a mobile reserve of no less than a rifle battalion in strength. On November 24, following a powerful preparation with mortar and machine gun fire, German reconnaissance parties attempted to pierce the forward edge of the division's defense but were repelled with losses. On the morning of November 27 more than three regiments of the 52nd and 31st Infantry Divisions attacked the entire front of the 238th and captured Bunyrevo, Pogiblovo, and four other villages. A divisional counterattack retook the first two places but was otherwise unsuccessful. The German effort, now supported by air attacks, continued the next day, pressing the division's left flank. In response Zakharkin subordinated a battalion of the 5th Guards, plus a battalion of a howitzer regiment, to Korotkov's support. During November 29-30 the division remained under attack by up to four regiments, particularly in the area of the woods north of Abryutino. By the end of November 30 a turning point had been reached along 49th Army's left flank. The 238th, having been reinforced, attacked on the morning of December 1 in order to restore the situation. During December 2-5 fighting occurred with variable success on both sides, although the division retained the offensive initiative.
Tula Offensive Operation
By December 7 the divisions of 2nd Panzer Army, which had advanced to the north and east of Tula, began to fall back. To the northwest of the city German forces were attempting to hold in the Aleksin area. 49th Army, now with six rifle divisions under command, was occupying a line from the woods east of Burinovo to along the east bank of the Protva to Podmoklovo, then along the east bank of the Oka as far as Sotino, from where it swerved to the southeast and passed through Nikulino to the boundary of 50th Army. As of December 7 the 238th's frontage was roughly wide. Deep snow cover of up to 80cm added to the difficulty of offensive operations. In accordance with a Front directive of December 10 the 49th was tasked with encircling and destroying the German grouping operating between the Oka and Upa Rivers in the Aleksin area. For this purpose it was reinforced with two more divisions from 50th Army plus 20 tanks. The main blow was to be in the direction of Shchukino while the 238th would team up with the two reinforcing divisions to strike the 31st and 131st Infantry Divisions near Aleksin.On the night of December 4/5 the 238th attacked German units along the sector SavinoKaznacheevoMorgen Rot and occupied these places. From December 6 it was waging defensive battles along its entire front, beating off attacks from the Aleksin area. In response to Front Order No. 093/op General Zakharkin formed a separate operational group from the 238th, 173rd and 340th. The group was assigned the following general tasks on December 12:The division was supposed to reach the line KashcheevoShelepino by day's end on December 15. The security of its right flank was entrusted to a specially-selected reinforced company, which would cross the Oka in order to get into the German rear on the western outskirts of Aleksin. The offensive was to begin at 0700 hours on December 14. In the morning the division retook Bunyrevo and Pogiblovo, encircled Botnya, and began fighting for Goryanovo despite stubborn resistance and the presence of tanks. As German reserves arrived the 238th was again forced to relinquish Bunyrevo and Pogiblovo. The next day it held off numerous counterattacks and had to face flamethrower attacks in the Botnya area.
A further Front Order was issued on December 13. In accordance with this, Zakharkin ordered a general offensive to begin on December 16; the left-flank divisions were again directed to destroy the German Aleksin grouping before developing the success to the northwest in the Petrishchevo direction. The three divisions broke through the German defense along the line BunyrevoNaryshkinoPopovka, reached the Oka at 1530 hours on December 17, captured Aleksin and pushed on to the northwest as German units abandoned equipment and withdrew under the cover of rearguards. By now the divisions were advancing up to per day in the direction of Vysokinichi and Nedelnoye. On the night of December 18/19 Zakharkin was directed to send part of the forces of 5th Guards and 60th Divisions south of the Protva to reinforce the shock group's right flank. Meanwhile, the 238th and 173rd were to reach the line LatyninoBogorodskoeYelkino with their main forces.
As the offensive continued the 238th encountered strong resistance on December 19 and did not capture Petrishchevo until near the end of the next day, after which it continued in the direction of Kareevo. During December 20-22 the division crossed its main forces over the Tarusa River along the PimenovoLotrevo sector. It was then ordered, along with the 173rd, to continue the pursuit and by the end of December 23 to reach the line AfanasevoDetchinoTorbeevo. By December 25 the division was being backed up by the 30th Rifle Brigade as it fought for the line NedelnoeBashmakova. The 5th Guards and 23rd Tank Brigade were also moved up to form part of the second echelon. The battle for Nedelnoe continued through the 27th, in large part because the German command considered it the key to the KalugaMaloyaroslavets railroad. Opportunities to bypass Nedelnoe and Bashmakova were not fully taken advantage of by the Army and divisional commands.