3rd Motor Rifle Division
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The Soviet Army's 3rd Rifle Division was formed 5. 06. 1921 in the Ukraine Military District. Involved in Sungari Army Group Operation with 2 Red Banner Army. Immediate post war 3 RD was in 1 'Red Banner' Combined Arms Army, Transbaikal-Amur VO, 136th Rifle Corps, alongside 12 RD, 396 RD and 101 UR/MGAD. It was disbanded between 20.6.46 and 30.8.46.
Crofoot, Armies of the Bear, states that 3 MRD was reformed 1955 in the Moscow Military District from 413 RD, taking its honours - 'Brest' and awards from 413 RD. 'However like all the divisions formed in 1955 it didn't last and was disbanded in 1956.' Feskov et al (Tomsk) has no mention of the 413 RD in the immediate post war period or 1955.
3 MRD reformed as 3rd 'Vislenskaya Red Banner Order of Suvorov i Kutuzova' Motor Rifle Division by amalgamation of 31st and 47th Tank Divisions at Novyy in the Moscow Military District in 1997-98 (June 1998 report by Duncan in JIR), gaining honours from 31 TD. The Division was in 2004 under the command of General Major Aleksandr Konnov. (RusMilDir 04)
3 MRD should not to be confused with 3 Guards RD which was in Voronezh MD with 11 Guards Rifle Corps in 1945/6, and later in 1955 and 1957. A later formation of 3 Guards MRD was listed by Feskov et al (Tomsk) in the Baltic Military District in 1979, and in 1988 - at Klaipeda.
[edit] Sources
- Craig Crofoot, Armies of the Bear
- June 1998 report by Andrew Duncan in Jane's Intelligence Review
- Feskov et al, The Soviet Army in the period of Cold War, Tomsk University 2004
- Scott and Scott, Russian Military Directory 2004
