The Zimovniki Museum of Local History houses a badge “302nd Rifle Division Veteran”. It was given to the veterans of the 302nd Rifle Tarnopol Red Banner Division of the Order of Kutuzov. The badge has the shape a circle inscribed in a polygon, and it is covered with red and white enamel. The inscription “Division Veteran” is at the top and bottom, and the unit number is in the center.
The 302nd division was formed on July 18, 1941. It consisted of young soldiers who had been just drafted into active service from the north of the Stalingrad region. Most of them were born in 1905–1917, that is, they were 24–36 years old.
The Soviet Army had a tradition — each division was assigned to a patron chief who would support the unit. It could be people, factories, and cities. The 302nd Infantry Division was patronized by active residents of the Stalingrad region. The chiefs of the division maintained a constant correspondence with the soldiers. Now, these letters are in the Book of Condolences of Volgograd region.
The 302nd Rifle Division participated in several battles of the Great Patriotic War, its combat fate was complex. At the end of July 1942, Nazi troops went on the offensive, and the division met them with defensive battles. On July 28 two tank corps of Wehrmacht hit the Soviet troops near the Nikolaevskaya and Konstantinovskaya villages. The Germans broke the whole front line and our units were torn apart.
The next day another fight awaited the 302nd Division. The Germans disrupted the upcoming offensive of our army and entered the village of Bolshaya Martynovka, where they destroyed the headquarters of the separate cavalry corps and deprived the Soviet troops of their command. Major-General Boris Pogrebov and many officers of the headquarters were killed that day. Later that evening the Germans broke through the front at the division section, and the Soviet troops suffered heavy losses.
In mid-December 1942 the German operation “Winter Storm” began, led by general field-marshal Erich von Manstein. The Germans attacked swiftly, and the 302nd Division found itself in the center of the attack. The division quickly dispersed through the area, and the front line was not whole anymore. Hitler’s troops were able to advance with fighting. The German command did its best to destroy this military unit, and the German media even reported on the success of the operation. However, reports of Sovinformbureau (Soviet Information Bureau) refuted this information — the 302nd Division was not destroyed.
The 302nd division was formed on July 18, 1941. It consisted of young soldiers who had been just drafted into active service from the north of the Stalingrad region. Most of them were born in 1905–1917, that is, they were 24–36 years old.
The Soviet Army had a tradition — each division was assigned to a patron chief who would support the unit. It could be people, factories, and cities. The 302nd Infantry Division was patronized by active residents of the Stalingrad region. The chiefs of the division maintained a constant correspondence with the soldiers. Now, these letters are in the Book of Condolences of Volgograd region.
The 302nd Rifle Division participated in several battles of the Great Patriotic War, its combat fate was complex. At the end of July 1942, Nazi troops went on the offensive, and the division met them with defensive battles. On July 28 two tank corps of Wehrmacht hit the Soviet troops near the Nikolaevskaya and Konstantinovskaya villages. The Germans broke the whole front line and our units were torn apart.
The next day another fight awaited the 302nd Division. The Germans disrupted the upcoming offensive of our army and entered the village of Bolshaya Martynovka, where they destroyed the headquarters of the separate cavalry corps and deprived the Soviet troops of their command. Major-General Boris Pogrebov and many officers of the headquarters were killed that day. Later that evening the Germans broke through the front at the division section, and the Soviet troops suffered heavy losses.
In mid-December 1942 the German operation “Winter Storm” began, led by general field-marshal Erich von Manstein. The Germans attacked swiftly, and the 302nd Division found itself in the center of the attack. The division quickly dispersed through the area, and the front line was not whole anymore. Hitler’s troops were able to advance with fighting. The German command did its best to destroy this military unit, and the German media even reported on the success of the operation. However, reports of Sovinformbureau (Soviet Information Bureau) refuted this information — the 302nd Division was not destroyed.
