The 183rd Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army following the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of September 13, 1939, and utilizing the personnel of two divisions of the Latvian Army (renamed the People's Army of Latvia at the time).
At the outbreak of war with Germany it was still in Soviet-occupied Latvia, part of the 24th Rifle Corps of Northwestern Front's 27th Army. It quickly lost strength, both due to combat losses and to the release of some Latvians who were believed to be politically unreliable. In mid-July to took part in 11th Army's counterstroke at Soltsy, which briefly encircled the 8th Panzer Division and delayed the German advance on Leningrad by a week. Following this, the division fell back to the Staraya Russa area. By October it was back in 27th Army and was partly rebuilt with replacements, some coming from the 181st Rifle Division, another Latvian division, which had been disbanded. Later in the month, as part of the new Kalinin Front, it took part in the successful counterstroke against XXXXI Panzer Corps along the road to Torzhok. It was then transferred to 29th Army, in the same Front, and defended against German 9th Army. During the first Rzhev-Vyasma Offensive in January 1942 the 183rd advanced to the outskirts of Rzhev but failed to take it, before being partly and then fully encircled with its Army in early February and suffering heavy casualties. In breaking out its commanding officer was killed.
Through the remainder of the division's service in the Rzhev area it was on the defense, apart from briefly attacking with 30th Army in July/August. In September it left the fighting front for a much-needed rebuilding. Following an extended stay in the Moscow area it was railed south to join 40th Army in Voronezh Front in January 1943. It took part in the encirclement operation of most of German 2nd Army near Kastornoye during that month before being directed to the southwest, liberating the town of Prokhorovka in early February. It remained in this general area through the spring, and defended it during the Battle of Kursk, as part of 69th Army. It saw heavy fighting south of Prokhorovka during the climax of the battle on July 11–12, and was nearly encircled in the following few days when Army Group South attempted to destroy the Russian 48th Rifle Corps. During the following counteroffensive it was part of Steppe Front, and in late August it was awarded a battle honor for its part in the final retaking of Kharkiv.
In September the division was again removed to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding, and returned in November as part of 1st Guards Army in 1st Ukrainian Front. It played a minor role in defending against the German offensive to retake Kyiv, and in late December it went over to the counterattack as part of 38th Army, reaching to just north of Vinnytsia. When the offensive recommenced in March 1944 the 183rd was recognized for its part in the battle for that city with the award of the Order of the Red Banner. In April it returned to 1st Guards Army, but just before the Lviv–Sandomierz Offensive it was again assigned to 38th Army, where it remained for the duration of the war. During this offensive several of its subunits would be awarded battle honors or decorations for the capture of Lviv. Following this, it moved into the Carpathian Mountains, and took part in the fighting for the Dukla Pass.
In November the division was moved, with its Army, to 4th Ukrainian Front, where it would remain for the rest of the war. In January 1945 it began advancing again into southern Poland and Slovakia, winning the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Degree, while several of its subunits were given honors for the capture of Jasło. During March and April the 183rd was involved in difficult fighting through Czechoslovakia, including battles for Opava and Ostrava, before ending the war advancing toward Prague. In the immediate aftermath it became one of the most decorated rifle divisions of the Red Army. Despite this, it was finally disbanded in early 1947.
Formation The division was formed in September - October 1940, based on the and the of the People's Army of Latvia (the name of the Latvian Armed Forces after the occupation of Latvia in June 1940). The soldiers continued to wear Latvian uniforms, but with Red Army insignia. It was soon assigned to the 24th Rifle Corps, which also contained the 181st Rifle Division, also of Latvians. Its order of battle on June 22, 1941, was as follows: 227th Rifle Regiment 285th Rifle Regiment 295th Rifle Regiment 623rd Artillery Regiment 624th Howitzer Artillery Regiment (until September 15, 1941)Charles C. Sharp, "Red Legions", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed Before June 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. VIII, Nafziger, 1996, p. 90 18th Antitank Battalion 22nd Reconnaissance Company 304th Sapper Battalion (until September 29, 1941); 490th Sapper Battalion (from September 20, 1941, until October 8, 1943); 304th Sapper Battalion (from October 8, 1943) 609th Signal Battalion (later 350th Signal Battalion, 171st Signal Company) 13th Medical/Sanitation Battalion 259th Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company (later 4th) 31st Motor Transport Company (later 364th) 267th Field Bakery (later 208th) 141st Divisional Veterinary Hospital 314th Field Postal Station (later 595th) 687th Field Office of the State Bank (later 692nd) Maj. Gen. (Andrei Nikolaevich Krustins), who had been in command of the Latvian Army's Latgale Division, was given command of the 183rd,David M. Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1998, p. 31 having been transferred to the Red Army in August. On June 3, 1941, he was dismissed from his post, being replaced by Col. Pyotr Nikolaevich Tupikov. Krustiņš was arrested by the Soviets on June 22, the day the German invasion began, and a week later he was condemned to death for "participation in a counter-revolutionary conspiratorial organization." The sentence was carried out by a firing squad on October 16. He would be posthumously rehabilitated on November 30, 1957.
Defense of Leningrad On June 22 the 183rd was still in 24th Corps, which was now in 27th Army.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 7 It was making a road march from near Zosēni and Sobari to camps near Riga, as reported by the commander of the newly designated Northwestern Front, Lt. Gen. F. I. Kuznetsov.Artyom Drabkin & Alexei Isaev, Barbarossa Through Soviet Eyes, trans. C. Summerville, Pen & Sword Books, Ltd., Barnsley, UK, 2012, p. 45 There was no source of mobilized reinforcements to bring the division up to full strength, and in fact the Soviet authorities quickly began to send home those Latvians who were judged to be politically unreliable. Colonel Tupikov left the division on July 1 and was replaced by Col. Sergei Isaevich Karapetyan, who had been serving as his deputy. By July 10 the 183rd had left 24th Corps and was serving directly under command of 11th Army, still in Northwestern Front;Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 23 at this point it had less than 2,000 personnel remaining.Sharp, "Red Legions", p. 90
Counterstroke at Soltsy At this time the LVI Motorized Corps of 4th Panzer Group, supported by infantry of the I Army Corps, was advancing along the Luga axis through Soltsy toward Novgorod. The 8th Panzer Division, in the vanguard, penetrated 30–40 km along the Shimsk road and reached the town of Soltsy late on July 13. Here it was halted by spirited resistance from the 177th Rifle Division and the 10th Mechanized Corps, skilfully exploiting the difficult terrain. By nightfall the panzers found themselves isolated from the 3rd Motorized Division to its left and the 3rd SS Totenkopf Division lagging in the rear.Glantz, The Battle for Leningrad 1941 - 1944, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2002, p. 42
Alert for opportunities to strike back, the STAVKA ordered a counterstroke against the overexposed German force. This was communicated to Marshal K. Ye. Voroshilov, who in turn directed 11th Army to attack along the Soltsy-Dno axis with two shock groups. The northern group consisted of the 10th Mechanized's 21st Tank Division and the two divisions of 16th Rifle Corps, with reinforcements. The southern group consisted of the 183rd, 182nd, and 180th Rifle Divisions, gathered together under 22nd Rifle Corps, and was to attack 8th Panzer from the east, with Karapetyan's men moving directly on Soltsy. The assault, launched in oppressive 32 degree C summer heat and massive clouds of dust, caught 8th Panzer and 3rd Motorized totally by surprise. The two divisions were soon isolated from one another and 8th Panzer was forced to fight a costly battle in encirclement for four days. It also disrupted the German offensive plans by forcing 4th Panzer Group to divert 3rd SS from the Kingisepp and Luga axes to rescue the beleaguered panzer division. In his memoirs the commander of LVI Corps, Gen. E. von Manstein, wrote:The Soltsy counterstroke cost 8th Panzer 70 of its 150 tanks destroyed or damaged and represented the first, albeit temporary, success achieved by Soviet forces on the path to Leningrad. It also cost the German command a precious week to regroup and resume the advance. However, the cost to the Soviet forces was high.Glantz, The Battle for Leningrad 1941 - 1944, pp. 42-45
The 183rd had returned to 24th Corps, now in 11th Army, by the beginning of August.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 30 Colonel Karapetyan left the division on August 4, being replaced by Col. Aleksandr Nikolaevich Afanasev. After furthering his military education Karapetyan would be promoted to the rank of major general and command three other divisions, most notably the 46th Guards Rifle Division. Afanasev had led the 126th Rifle Division all through 1940 before being demoted to deputy commander. By the middle of the month the division had almost disappeared,Sharp, "Red Legions", p. 90 and only 50 percent of its personnel were of Latvian nationality.Glantz, Colossus Reborn, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2005, p. 593 These remnants were in the vicinity of Staraya Russa, as of the beginning of September again under direct command of 11th Army.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 40 On September 28 Colonel Afanasev left the division to take over combat training in 34th Army; he would be promoted to major general on November 10, 1942, and would serve in many other roles during and after the war. He was replaced by Maj. Gen. Konstantin Vasilevich Komissarov, who had led the 65th Rifle Corps before it was disbanded. At the beginning of October the 183rd was back in 27th Army, still in Northwestern Front.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 50 and during the month it absorbed the remaining personnel of the 181st when that division was disbanded. Between these and other replacements the division was rebuilt to a strength of 7,898 men, 232 automatic weapons (heavy and light machine guns plus submachine guns), 12 mortars and 15 artillery pieces, but no antitank guns.Sharp and Jack Radey, The Defense of Moscow 1941 - The Northern Flank, Pen & Sword Books Ltd., Barnsley, UK, 2012, p. 25
Battle for Kalinin