The directive issued on August 19, 1939 by the People’s Commisariat for Defence constituted grounds for manning the division. Its core was the 4th Bashkir separate rifle regiment. On the 13th of June, 8 days before the war, TASS published a special address refuting the rumours about the imminent war of the USSR and Germany. Simultaneously, the 186th division, which was part of the 26th corps of the 22nd army, received an order to redeploy to the western military district. Loading onto the military trains occurred right from the camp at Yumatovo. On June 20 the division was already in Velikie Luki, on June 21 it unloaded in Idrtitsa and deployed along the former border with Latvia. Personnel changed clothing and put on new uniforms and leather high boots instead of kersey boots, armament was also upgraded and the ammunition reserve was fully replenished.
The division was ordered to move forward and consolidate on the line Sebezh-Drissa-Vitebsk. The front-line area was ridden with confusion, units had no time for entrenchment in the new positions and organize the defence and had to move away and return to Idrtitsa. On the way the military train came under bombing and was fully destroyed.
Only as late as July 5 the division engaged the Germans at last and defeated their march column despite the fact that two rifle battalions of the 238th regiment, the 446th howitzer artillery regiment and other units had not yet arrived at the new disposition site. But their absence enabled the enemy to seize a bridgehead on the right bank of the Western Dvina. For three days the division was withdrawing to the north having lost contact with the corps command. In July and August it was fighting its way back to Velikie Luki. Along with the 22nd army it was encircled, but broke through and concentrated at the station of Skvortsovo.
In 1943 the division distinguished itself in the battle for Oryol and it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Its units broke though the defence, drove a deep wedge into the combat formations of the enemy during execution of the Bagration operation, but were encircled and just a day later the second echelon broke through the ring. The title Brest was awarded to the division in 1944 for seizing it during the Lyublin-Brest offensive operation. As part of the 6th army led by General Batov the division stormed Warsaw, Gdynia and Gdansk.
The glorious path of the 186th division continued in Berlin. It was responsible for the most critical sector of the front. On April 15, 1945 the reconnaissance battalion made a rapid rush to make a forced crossing of the Ost Oder and seized the dam. The defenders tried thrice to get back the strategic objective but were repulsed. Five days later the remaining units of the division crossed the river and consolidated on the beachhead captured by the reconnaissance men. On April 25 Stettin was seized, in the course of the offensive the divisional units reached the cities of Rostock, Barth and Schwerin.
The division was ordered to move forward and consolidate on the line Sebezh-Drissa-Vitebsk. The front-line area was ridden with confusion, units had no time for entrenchment in the new positions and organize the defence and had to move away and return to Idrtitsa. On the way the military train came under bombing and was fully destroyed.
Only as late as July 5 the division engaged the Germans at last and defeated their march column despite the fact that two rifle battalions of the 238th regiment, the 446th howitzer artillery regiment and other units had not yet arrived at the new disposition site. But their absence enabled the enemy to seize a bridgehead on the right bank of the Western Dvina. For three days the division was withdrawing to the north having lost contact with the corps command. In July and August it was fighting its way back to Velikie Luki. Along with the 22nd army it was encircled, but broke through and concentrated at the station of Skvortsovo.
In 1943 the division distinguished itself in the battle for Oryol and it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Its units broke though the defence, drove a deep wedge into the combat formations of the enemy during execution of the Bagration operation, but were encircled and just a day later the second echelon broke through the ring. The title Brest was awarded to the division in 1944 for seizing it during the Lyublin-Brest offensive operation. As part of the 6th army led by General Batov the division stormed Warsaw, Gdynia and Gdansk.
The glorious path of the 186th division continued in Berlin. It was responsible for the most critical sector of the front. On April 15, 1945 the reconnaissance battalion made a rapid rush to make a forced crossing of the Ost Oder and seized the dam. The defenders tried thrice to get back the strategic objective but were repulsed. Five days later the remaining units of the division crossed the river and consolidated on the beachhead captured by the reconnaissance men. On April 25 Stettin was seized, in the course of the offensive the divisional units reached the cities of Rostock, Barth and Schwerin.
