194th Rifle Division

194th Motorized Division (September 30, 1939 – May 15, 1940) 194th Mountain Rifle Division (May 15, 1940 – August 26, 1941) 194th Rifle Division (August 26, 1941 - July 1946)
Active	1939–1946
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Division
Role	Motorized Infantry, Mountain Infantry, Infantry
Engagements	Winter War Operation Typhoon Battle of Moscow Kaluga Offensive operation Battles of Rzhev Operation Kutuzov Operation Suvorov Orsha offensives (1943) Gomel-Rechitsa offensive Operation Bagration East Prussian offensive
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner
Battle honours	Rechytsa
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col. Ivan Maksimovich Shutov Col. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Siyazov Maj. Gen. Pavel Andreevich Firsov Col. Sergei Ivanovich Iovlev Maj. Gen. Pavel Prokofevich Opyakin

The 194th Rifle Division was a Red Army division active from 1939 to 1946 under several designations. It was first formed as a motorized rifle division in the autumn of 1939, part of the first group of such divisions created by the Red Army. After brief service in the war against Finland it was moved to the Central Asian Military District where it was reorganized as a mountain rifle division. It was still in this configuration when the German invasion began on June 22, 1941, and it was soon moved into 49th Army of Reserve Front west of Moscow where it was again reorganized as a regular rifle division, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of September 13, 1939, before seeing any combat. When the final German offensive on Moscow began the 194th was caught flat-footed in the process of being transferred by rail behind the front toward Bryansk. As a result its various subunits became separated as they were forced to disembark at several points along the route. Following this split, a lead group of about 4,500 men took part in the defense of Tula, eventually being incorporated into 50th Army's 258th Rifle Division, while the main body remained in 49th Army, defending in the area of Serpukhov. When the winter counteroffensive began on December 6 the first task assigned to 49th Army was to encircle and destroy the German forces between the Upa and Oka rivers. Subsequently, the 194th advanced on Medyn and Yukhnov before the offensive ground to a halt in early March. The division was not involved in any further major actions until the summer of 1943.

194th Mountain Rifle Division

The 194th Motorized Division was originally formed in September and October of 1939 in the Siberian Military District. After serving briefly against Finland during December 1939 - March 1940, it was moved to the Central Asian Military District and began reorganizing as a mountain rifle division at Tashkent on May 15. As of June 22, 1941, its order of battle was as follows:

• 377th Mountain Rifle Regiment
• 405th Mountain Rifle Regiment
• 470th Mountain Rifle Regiment
• 616th Mountain Rifle Regiment
• 299th Artillery Regiment
• 389th Howitzer Artillery Regiment
• 279th Antitank Battalion
• 179th Antiaircraft Battalion
• 137th Cavalry Squadron
• 158th Sapper Battalion
• 114th Signal Battalion
• 34th Artillery Park Battalion
• 108th Medical/Sanitation Battalion
• 107th Motor Transport Battalion
• 107th Field Bakery
• 487th Field Postal Station
• 213th Field Office of the State Bank

The division was led by Col. Ivan Maksimovich Shutov, who had been in command since October 1940, and would remain in the post until it became a regular rifle division. It had the four rifle regiment structure (without rifle battalions) of mountain rifle divisions, but had several departures from the normal shtat, mostly in regards to the artillery. It appears that the conversion to rifle division standard was already underway.

At the start of Barbarossa the 194th was still located in the Central Asia District near Tashkent as part of the 58th Rifle Corps, which also contained the 68th and 83rd Mountain Rifle Divisions, but it had been detached from the Corps by July 1. It officially began mobilizing to wartime strength on June 23 (all the mountain divisions had about 8,800 personnel and 3,160 horses compared to full complement of 14,100 and 6,740 respectively). Already on June 28 it received orders to move to the front. From July 5 to 14 it moved by rail, first to Kubinka, then to Mozhaysk, where it joined the 49th Army of Reserve Front by July 19.

On August 1 the division was part of the 23rd Rifle Corps of 24th Army in Reserve Front. Some days later the 405th Mountain Rifle Regiment was detached, converted to a regular rifle regiment, and reassigned to the 7th Mechanized Division to convert that division to a standard rifle division. The 954th Rifle Regiment was added to the division to replace the 405th, and finally, on August 26 the 194th was officially redesignated as the 194th Rifle Division.

194th Rifle Division

Once reformed, the division had the following order of battle:

• 470th Rifle Regiment (from 470th Mountain Rifle Regiment)
• 616th Rifle Regiment (from 616th Mountain Rifle Regiment)
• 954th Rifle Regiment (later 405th)
• 299th Artillery Regiment
• 175th Antitank Battalion
• 137th Reconnaissance Company
• 158th Sapper Battalion
• 114th Signal Battalion (later 29th Signal Company)
• 108th Medical/Sanitation Battalion
• 304th Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company
• 401st Motor Transport Company
• 316th Field Bakery
• 385th Divisional Veterinary Hospital (later 705th)
• 487th Field Postal Station
• 213th Field Office of the State Bank

Col. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Siyazov immediately took over command of the division. This officer had been arrested on April 30, 1938 during the Great Purge, but released on April 8, 1940 and reinstated to the Red Army. In August of that year he had been appointed chief of staff of the 194th Mountain Division.

Operation Typhoon

During August the 194th returned to 49th Army, still in Reserve Front. At the beginning of October, when Operation Typhoon began, it was still under these commands, along with the 220th, 248th and 303rd Rifle Divisions plus the 29th and 31st Cavalry Divisions. The army was occupying a defensive line between Vyazma and Rzhev with its divisions spread along very wide sectors. As an example the 194th was deployed on the banks of the Dniepr from Shabrykino to Sopotov. Owing to the advance of 2nd Panzer Group to the south, which began on September 30, the Army received orders the next day to entrain for redeployment to this sector; the 194th was to begin loading at Semlevo at 1800 hours on October 2. Meanwhile, the 140th Rifle Division of 32nd Army was to take over its sector. The previous day, Colonel Siyazov had left the division; he would be named commander of the 258th Rifle Division in November. He was replaced by NKVD Col. Pavel Andreevich Firsov, who had been serving as an instructor at the Frunze Military Academy. This officer would be promoted to the rank of major general on January 2, 1942.

Operation Typhoon. Note positions of Reserve ond Bryansk Fronts.

The redeployment plan, which had been prepared as a contingency, was entirely overtaken by events when 3rd Panzer Group began its own part of the offensive on the same day. The redeploying divisions were taken by surprise when German tanks of 6th Panzer Division seized two intact bridges over the Dniepr east of Kholm-Zhirkovskii on October 3. At 0530 that morning the entrained 194th and 303rd Divisions were ordered to concentrate in the Karachev area in the Bryansk Front sector.

2nd Panzer Group's 4th Panzer Division was well on its way to Oryol by midday, and Soviet communications with the city were lost by 1800 hours. Marshal B. M. Shaposhnikov of the STAVKA twice called the headquarters of Bryansk Front, but was only able to speak to the chief of staff, Maj. Gen. G. F. Zakharov; contact with the Front commander, Lt. Gen. A. I. Yeryomenko, had been lost 48 hours earlier. Zakharov asked Shaposhnikov for operational control over the 194th; the first two trains carrying lead elements of the division had arrived in Bryansk. Another 30 trains with the remainder of the personnel and equipment was due to arrive by October 6. Shaposhnikov, more concerned with finding Yeryomenko and putting him in touch with the overall situation, did not give a firm answer. With the fall of Oryol the commandants of railroad stations were given instructions to hasten the movements of the trains of several formations, including the 194th, toward Tula and Kaluga.

At 1835 hours on October 5 the acting commander of Bryansk Front, Lt. Gen. F. A. Yershakov, received approval from the STAVKA for his proposed plan of action. It included withdrawing 50th Army to the second defensive belt west of Bryansk, taking 3rd Army back 35-45km to the Desna River line, while 13th Army would pull back a total of 100-110km. The STAVKA indicated that:

...the general aim of the Front's operations is, first of all, to cut off the enemy that had broken through toward Oryol from their supply sources, and secondly, firmly to keep Bryansk and Karachev in our hands.

Despite the Front's difficult situation, Moscow could not manage to decide on the abandonment of the Bryansk area. The German plan was to encircle the Front with a double envelopment from the north and south. Units of the 108th Tank Division (20 tanks) and the largest part of the 194th were continuing to hold the Karachev area, with their front facing east. The two partial divisions were under command of Lt. Gen. M. A. Reyter, the Front's deputy commander for logistics. This part of the division consisted of the 405th Rifle Regiment, one battalion of the 470th Regiment, two battalions of the 299th Artillery Regiment, plus the anti-tank and anti-aircraft battalions.

Reyter reported on October 5 at 1525 hours that fighting was going on south of Karachev with German tanks and motorized infantry, consisting of up to 40 armored vehicles and two regiments with motorcyclists. The 108th Tanks had already lost four of its own vehicles. The German force was from the 18th Panzer Division and its commander had no intention of getting bogged down in protracted fighting. During the evening, German troops captured the eastern portion of the city; the 194th now took up a defense on the west bank of the Snezhet River, with its front facing east. The panzers continued their main attack to the north and by the end of October 6 had linked up with elements of German 2nd Army in an area southeast of Zhizdra. 18th Panzer also seized Bryansk with an attack from the east. Bryansk Front was now encircled from the rear.

With Yeryomenko still missing and Yershakov out of contact, the STAVKA ordered Maj. Gen. M. P. Petrov, commander of 50th Army, to take acting command. Shaposhnikov directed him, after "having smashed the enemy's Oryol grouping," to take up a line from Mtsensk to Ponyri to Lgov, covering the direction toward Tambov and Voronezh. Oryol fell on October 7. By now, Yeryomenko had turned up at the headquarters of 3rd Army and immediately retook his command, ordering his three Armies, plus Reyter's group, at 1400 hours, to reverse front and fight back through to much the same line given by Shaposhnikov. Group Reyter was to hold a line from Karachev to Naryshkino until October 10 before withdrawing toward Oryol and Zmiyovka, which was clearly no longer possible. Also, there were no practical means to deliver these orders to any but 3rd Army.

The main effort to break out of the encirclement did not begin until October 9, by which time Yeryomenko had extended his control to 13th Army as well. The group of the 194th that had been under Reyter managed to break through to Belyov and then further to Tula. Another group, which had detrained between Sukhinichi and Kozelsk and consisted of one battalion and a regimental gun battery of the 470th Regiment, the 114th Signal Battalion, and the rear units of 405th Regiment, linked up with it at Belyov on October 18. During November, both groups were attached to the 258th Rifle Division and fought under that command for 15 days.

The core of the division (616th Rifle Regiment, one battalion of the 470th, one battalion of 299th Artillery, reconnaissance, sappers and the rear services) was still under 49th Army in Reserve Front and operating on the Kaluga axis. On October 7 it was fighting in cooperation with 31st Cavalry Division, which had failed to occupy Sukhinichi and Kozelsk. These were both seized by German forces on October 8 and 9. Urgent measures had to be taken to form a new defensive front. Army Gen. G. K. Zhukov was taking over command of the Front, and reported to the STAVKA:

1. The enemy in a strength of 50 tanks and 2-3 infantry regiments throughout the day of 10 October attacked from the direction of Yukhnov and attempted to take Medyn.
... An assembly of tanks and 400 vehicles has been spotted 30 kilometres west of Kaluga. Both of these groupings will be struck with aviation on the morning of 11 October.
The 31st Cavalry Division, reinforced with an infantry detachment, will attack toward Kozelsk.

There was not enough strength to create a defense on the Oka River. The next day Zhukov moved to command of Western Front when Reserve Front was disbanded.

Battle of Moscow

Kaluga was captured on October 12, after which 49th Army began withdrawing to the east and northeast. After conducting holding actions on intermediate lines, by October 23 the Army had concentrated; the 194th was on the right flank and had two regiments on the line from Stremilovo to Butyrki to Kalugino to Drakino, covering Serpukhov from the west. The third (incomplete) regiment was in reserve in the Proletarskii area. This sector was close to 35km wide and constituted a screen more than a line, leaving Serpukhov vulnerable. The sector also formed the boundary with 43rd Army to the north. A German breakthrough along this boundary could separate the two Armies and cut the Moscow road, which would threaten the Soviet forces around Tula.

Zhukov and the STAVKA appreciated this weakness in a timely manner. The 7th Guards and 415th Rifle Divisions were transferred to 49th Army from the Reserve of the Supreme High Command, to be followed by several rifle brigades. The Army's right flank and center faced the German 17th, 137th, 260th, and 52nd Infantry Divisions, but these were not particularly active during October 22-23, with small groups, supported by intensive artillery and mortar fire, attempting to cross the Oka in the Aleksin area. All of these were beaten back.

During the next two days the German grouping increased its pressure to push through the boundary, and expanded its crossing efforts to take in the town of Tarusa. While failing again at Aleksin, the attack at Tarusa, supported by aviation, pushed back the 60th Rifle Division and captured the town before continuing toward Serpukhov. This was countered by reinforcements and counterattacks, and during the remainder of October combat on the Army's front was largely positional. During November 1-10 the 194th continued to defend along the line Borovna–east of Kremyonki–Drakino, 10-15km west of Serpukhov.

Defense of Tula

Previously, on October 29, the roughly 4,500 personnel of the division in the Belyov area were attempting to cover Tula from the west. They were deployed along the line Pavshino–Bredikhino, but then moved forward to the Upa River. This strength was greater than that of most of the nominally complete divisions in 50th Army. Army Group Center was now planning to resume its offensive toward Tula. 2nd Panzer Army was to advance from the south on November 10, take it, and then move east with its main forces. XXXXIII Army Corps was to attack to the northeast, and help encircle the Tula group of forces between the Upa and Oka rivers. This effort was to be directed at the boundary between 43rd and 49th Armies.

To counter this, 50th Army was assigned a series of tasks. During the first stage the detached 194th grouping was to launch a counterblow from the area of Intyushevo and Khlynovo in the general direction of Mikhailkovo, some 2.5km southwest of Tula. This was to be carried out in conjunction with a similar blow by the 413th Rifle Division from the Volokhov area. The attack was to begin at dawn on November 7. Before this could begin there was an increase in German activity on the division's front during the period from November 2-6. On the afternoon of the first date an attack in greater than divisional strength attempted to turn the 194th's right flank, while at the same time frontal attacks tried to gain the eastern bank of the Upa at Pavshino and Voskresenskoe. These attacks were beaten back, but a rifle battalion and two guns were moved up to Ilino to secure the right flank. The next day the 413th arrived and consolidated on its assigned sector.

The counterblow began at dawn on November 7 following an overnight regrouping and a 30 minute artillery preparation. The main forces consisted of the 413th in coordination with the 32nd Tank Brigade, the 260th Rifle Division and the 290th Rifle Division. The 194th and the 258th provided cover for the regrouping. The offensive developed slowly due to active resistance; in addition the 32nd Tanks was late in arriving and its coordination with the 413th was poor. It continued the next day, but still did not yield the expected results.

On November 9, 50th Army was moved from the command of Bryansk Front to Western Front. The next day, 2nd Panzer Army launched its blow against the boundary of 49th and 50th Armies and broke through in the area of Spas-Kanino, advancing in the direction of Kleshnya and Sukhodol. The two Soviet armies were given orders to eliminate the breakthrough by joint flank attacks. This fighting began on the morning of November 12 and soon involved the 258th and the 31st Cavalry. While the breakthrough was not liquidated, the German force was prevented from reaching the Moscow–Tula road and was forced to go over to the defensive on several sectors. The next day the two divisions, plus the attached portion of the 194th, were assigned the task of eliminating German groupings in the Nikulinskie settlements and the White Woods. At 0400 hours on November 15 the village of Yesipovo was retaken, while the 194th fought for Glebovo. This battle continued the next day against strong resistance and counterattacks from the 31st Infantry Division. Not long after this the group of forces of the 194th was incorporated into the 258th.

Defense of Serpukhov

Meanwhile, west of Serpukhov, Army Group Center was putting together a group of forces with the goal of attacking toward that place as well as Lopasnya in a small-scale pincer action. This was met with a countermaneuver by 2nd Cavalry Corps and the 112th Tank Division. This led to a series of meeting engagements which foiled the German plan but at considerable cost, especially to the 112th's T-26 tanks. On November 28 the 49th Army commander, Lt. Gen. I. G. Zakharkin issued order no. 015, which laid out the Army's defensive posture for the expected last German effort to reach Moscow. The core 194th was to hold the line Borovna–Gurevo–Drakino and prevent a breakthrough by infantry and tanks in the directions of Kremyonki, Pavlovka, Shatovo, and Kalinovo, having prepared strongpoints near Borovna, Kremyonki and Drakino. Front-line defensive works were to be completed by December 1, with second-line works completed four days later. In the artillery plan the 299th Artillery Regiment was to be ready to support a rifle regiment of 60th Division on a crucial sector with no less than two battalions.

On the same day these orders were issued, large German forces, supported by air strikes, resumed the offensive along the 238th Rifle Division's sector. This fighting continued through November 30 without any appreciable German gains. These were reversed on December 1 and from then until December 5 the situation remained stalemated.

The Winter Counteroffensive

Moscow counteroffensive, December 1941 to February 1942. Note advance of 49th and 43rd Armies. Yukhnov is spelled "Juchnoff".

By now the German forces had exhausted their reserves and most of their supplies while also being increasingly affected by the severe cold. On December 6, the 49th Army had roughly 40,000 men, with 250 field guns, 100 antitank guns, 350 mortars and 40 tanks, making it one of the stronger armies in Western Front. On the same date, General Zhukov launched a counteroffensive against the German shock groups on the flanks. In the course of the first two weeks Zakharkin's troops advanced only slightly from their initial positions from the eastern bank of the Protva River and then along the Oka as far as Sotino, then through Nikulino to the boundary with 50th Army. The first task assigned to the 49th was to encircle and destroy the German grouping between the Oka and Upa Rivers in the Aleksin area. For this purpose two divisions and 20 tanks were transferred from 50th Army.

At the outset the 194th was holding a bridgehead over the Oka centered on Tarusa, facing the 260th Infantry Division, and largely remained on the defensive through December 16. At this point 49th Army went over to the general offensive, launching its main blow with the 194th and 133rd Rifle Divisions, plus four rifle brigades and two tank brigades, in the center. The tank brigades were directly attached to the two divisions, taking orders from the division commanders. The advance was to be in the direction of Saltykovo and Gostishchevo, with the Army's right wing forces launching a supporting attack. The offensive encountered resistance everywhere, particularly along the right flank. The 194th advanced and by noon on December 17 had occupied Novoselki and Yershovo and was fighting for Troitskoe, which had been made into a German strongpoint. This defense was overcome during the morning of December 19 and the division continued in the direction of Gostishchevo.

The defeated German forces along the Protva and Oka began to fall back, for the most part, to the Vysokinichi, Nedelnoe, and Kaluga areas. On December 19, General Zakharkin issued Order No. 018/op, which stated in part:

... the 49th Army, while tying down the enemy along the Burinovo-Maleeva (2km east of Vorontsovka) sector with part of its forces (415th and 5th Guards rifle divisions), is to continue the offensive with the remainder of its formations with the objective of eliminating the enemy's Vysokinichi and Aleksin groups...

The 194th was to operate in the direction of Gosteshevo and Novaya Slobodka, bypassing Vysokinichi from the south and by the end of the day was to take Nikonovo and Karpovo with its main body; meanwhile its forward detachment was to take Novaya Slobodka. In the event, after routing a large unit belonging to the 268th Infantry Division, late in the day and throughout December 20 the division was engaged in fighting for the fortified village of Ostrov, surrounding it from the north and south.

The battle for Ostrov (and Galchatovka, 1,000m to its south) continued into December 22. Zakharkin now adopted new guidelines for the offensive. 50th Army had reached Kaluga, which would be liberated on December 30. This gave him the opportunity to strike deeper with his left flank forces than previously planned, partially encircling the German Vysokinichi group, while the 194th and other center forces continued to carry out their previous missions. In addition, he again ordered that commanders at all levels avoid head-on attacks on fortified positions and seek to bypass them. Using such tactics the 60th Rifle Division captured Vysokinichi on the morning of December 27 following stubborn fighting. At the same time, the 194th, having crossed a wooded area to the south, was developing the offensive in the direction of Ivanovskoe, 3km to the west. Small covering detachments were operating in front of the division. After this, the Army was directed to attack in the direction of Detchino and Kondrovo and west, aiming for the German Myatlevo–Kondrovo–Yukhnov grouping, in cooperation with 50th and 43rd Armies. Throughout this period, both sides were slowed by heavy, drifting snow.

As the offensive continued into January, 1942 the 49th and 50th Armies were to continue in Yukhnov direction, which provided the shortest routes to Roslavl and Vyazma. Army Group Center attached great significance to retaining Yukhnov and had concentrated parts of eight divisions along a 75km front. By December 31 the 194th had overcome the German mine obstacles and covering detachments and reached the line Kanshino–Vasilchinovka; it would subsequently continue to attack to the west. On January 4, in cooperation with the 415th Division, it reached the line Afonasovo–Starosele, having captured those points. The next day, Zhukov subordinated the 194th to 43rd Army, where it operated on its left flank.

Medyn Operation

By January 5 it was clear that the most powerful German group facing the left flank of Western Front was the one in the Kondrovo–Yukhnov–Medyn area. If this could be rapidly defeated the road to Vyazma would be opened. According to Front directive No. 269 of January 9 this would be the objective of 43rd, 49th and 50th Armies, as well as 1st Guards Cavalry Corps. 43rd Army was specifically instructed to defeat the German forces in the Myatlevo–Voronki area no later than January 11 and then assist 49th Army with the destruction of those forces around Kondrovo. It would then attack in the general direction of Ugryumovo station, outflanking Gzhatsk from the west. For the operation the 194th would have the 18th Tank Brigade in support. Altogether, taking into account preceding losses, the five divisions and two tank brigades of the Army had roughly 15,000 riflemen, 400 machine guns, 100 mortars of all calibres, 50 artillery pieces, and up to 40 tanks. This worked out to about 600 rifles and proportionate numbers of arms per kilometre of front, quite small for a breakthrough of a fortified zone. However, the German XX Army Corps, with remnants of 29th Motorized and 10th Panzer Divisions, were demoralized to a significant degree, striving to simply win time to evacuate their rear echelons before continuing to retreat under cover of rearguards.

43rd Army's drive on Medyn began on January 10, jumping off from a line along the Luzha River. Almost immediately a gap began to develop to its north where the 33rd Army was fighting in the Vereya area. To address this, the 194th was force-marched all the way from the 43rd's left to fight flank to the area Aleksandrovka–Kolodesi–Sorochino. From here it was to move to the Shanskii Zovod to engage and destroy an number of small German groups along the Shanya River. This was to secure the flanks of both armies. While the division redeployed the remainder of the 43rd continued to advance on Medyn. The town was encircled on January 13 and overnight the garrison withdrew in small groups; some of these ran into the forward detachment of 5th Airborne Corps and were killed or captured, while others managed to escape toward Myatlevo.

Advance to Yukhnov

The Army commander, Maj. Gen. K. D. Golubev, issued his Order No. 50/op on January 15 which laid down the next tasks:

The 43rd Army, for the purpose of defeating the enemy's Yukhnov group, is to bypass the enemy's main centers of resistance along the Medyn'-Yukhnov highway on 16 January and through a flank attack is to support the 49th and 50th armies' units in destroying the enemy's Yukhnov group.

The 194th, which had reached the Shanskii Zavod and cleared it, received orders to attack to the southwest in the direction of Yukhnov, with the goal covering the maneuver toward Myatlevo. It began moving the same day. On January 16, overcoming insignificant resistance, one rifle regiment occupied Iznoski, another took Bekleshi, and the third Domantsevo. The next day, while pushing back small German groups, the regiments pushed on to Izvolsk, Tetevo, and Iznoski.

The attack continued on January 18-19. By 1500 hours on the latter date one regiment had captured Pupovka, another blockaded Khvoshchi, while the third was approaching Bolshoe Semyonovskoe. As it moved, General Firsov was forced to leave a rifle battalion each in Kuzovo and Izvolsk to guard against contingencies. It reached Yukhnov in a weakened state. On the same day Firsov was wounded and hospitalized. After his recovery about a month later he took command of the 49th Rifle Division before becoming deputy commander of 6th Army. He was leading the 26th Guards Rifle Corps on April 6, 1945, when he was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. He continued to command the Corps postwar and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. After serving as an instructor and in several staff positions he retired in October 1952. He died in Moscow on February 15, 1964. Col. Sergei Ivanovich Iovlev, another NKVD officer, took over the 194th on January 20. He had served in the Winter War, and had led the remnants of his 64th Rifle Division from near the frontier back to Soviet lines near Bely during Operation Barbarossa. He had commanded three other divisions, most recently the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division, before being appointed to the 194th.

On January 20 the German forces began more serious efforts to break through the developing encirclement in the Yukhnov area. Large numbers attacked the division near Pupovka, while also pressing against the units of 50th Army southwest of Yukhnov. The German goal was to hang on to the Warsaw–Moscow highway and cover the flank being attacked by 43rd Army. The division was forced to abandon Pupovka and to organize a defense along the line from Prisele to Kunovka. Having a local superiority in forces, German troops were breaking out and falling back to the west in small groups. In order to complete the mission it was necessary to take Myatlevo as quickly as possible, and this was carried out by the 415th and 1st Guards Motor Divisions on January 29. These units immediately pursued along the Warsaw highway, but ran into strong resistance in the Voronki area, which effectively brought the Medyn-Myatlevo operation to a halt.

The fighting for Yukhnov continued through February, during which time both sides were severely depleted. The town was finally liberated on March 5, and roughly half of the defenders were killed or captured while breaking out of the encirclement. In late February the 194th returned to 49th Army, where it remained until October. Earlier in February the 33rd Army had been encircled near Yukhnov, and throughout March, in accordance with orders from the Front, the 43rd, 49th and 50th Armies fought to relieve the pocket but the general exhaustion of the Red Army after months of counterattacking, plus the onset of the spring rasputitsa, doomed these efforts to failure. In early April the 33rd was finally authorized to withdraw through forests under partisan control in the direction of Kirov, a distance of up to 180km. Only a few thousand men managed to filter out to friendly lines.

Although plans were made for 49th Army to take a role in the summer offensives around the Rzhev salient these proved abortive. The 194th spent the summer and fall holding its lines on the salient's southeastern shoulder, rebuilding from the winter battles. Colonel Iovlev was relieved on October 8 for "inaction and insufficiently demanding command" and appointed deputy commander of the 19th Rifle Division. Before taking up this post he was reassigned to take command of the Vadinsk Partisan Group behind German lines, and later led the 215th Rifle Division, being promoted to the rank of major general January 27, 1943. Col. Pavel Prokofevich Opyakin took over the 194th on October 10. He had been in command of the 99th Rifle Division shortly after the German invasion and had briefly been a PoW before escaping.

References

Bibliography

• Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1967a). Сборник приказов РВСР, РВС СССР, НКО и Указов Президиума Верховного Совета СССР о награждении орденами СССР частей, соединениий и учреждений ВС СССР. Часть I. 1920 - 1944 гг [Collection of orders of the RVSR, RVS USSR and NKO on awarding orders to units, formations and establishments of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Part I. 1920–1944] (in Russian). Moscow.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1967b). Сборник приказов РВСР, РВС СССР, НКО и Указов Президиума Верховного Совета СССР о награждении орденами СССР частей, соединениий и учреждений ВС СССР. Часть II. 1945 – 1966 гг [Collection of orders of the RVSR, RVS USSR and NKO on awarding orders to units, formations and establishments of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Part II. 1945–1966] (in Russian). Moscow.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.
• Grylev, A. N. (1970). Перечень № 5. Стрелковых, горнострелковых, мотострелковых и моторизованных дивизии, входивших в состав Действующей армии в годы Великой Отечественной войны 1941-1945 гг [List (Perechen) No. 5: Rifle, Mountain Rifle, Motor Rifle and Motorized divisions, part of the active army during the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945] (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 93
• Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (1964). Командование корпусного и дивизионного звена советских вооруженных сил периода Великой Отечественной войны 1941–1945 гг [Commanders of Corps and Divisions in the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945] (in Russian). Moscow: Frunze Military Academy. p. 200

External links

• Pavel Andreevich Firsov
• Sergei Ivanovich Iovlev
• Pavel Prokofevich Opyakin