The 145th Rifle Division was originally formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in August 1939 in the Byelorussian Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of the following month. Less than a month after forming it took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland. At the outbreak of the war it was in the Oryol Military District, attempting to build up to wartime strength as part of the 33rd Rifle Corps, but by the beginning of July it had been assigned to 28th Army, soon being made part of a shock group known as Group Kachalov. Beginning in the third week of July this Group, under Western Front, started a combined arms drive to the north from the Roslavl area toward Smolensk. This push made very poor progress in a week of fighting before the Group was struck on the left flank by the XXIV Panzer Corps and quickly encircled. The men of the 145th were forced to break out as individuals and small groups, taking heavy losses in the process, and were then moved to the rear of Reserve Front, but it was decided to disband the division to reinforce its "sister" 149th Rifle Division.
A new 145th was designated in the Moscow Military District in January 1942, and was soon sent to the 4th Shock Army of Kalinin Front in the salient around Toropets which had recently been retaken. In April fighting near Velizh it was badly shot up and spent several months rebuilding on the defense. In October it was reassigned to 43rd Army of the same Front. During the summer offensive of 1943 that liberated Smolensk 43rd Army saw action against the left flank of German 4th Army, eventually helping to take the city before advancing to the western border of Belarus, where the 145th became involved in a months-long slog which threatened, but never quite broke the German hold on the city of Vitebsk. During this fighting it also served briefly in 39th Army, in what was now the 1st Baltic Front. Returning to 43rd Army it fought in the 1944 summer offensive that destroyed Army Group Center, for its part breaking into and clearing Vitebsk itself, for which it received a battle honor. During July it advanced into Lithuania and Latvia, the "Baltic Gap" that had formed between Army Groups Center and North, and distinguished itself in the fighting south of Riga in early October so as to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Shortly after it helped to lead the Army's advance on Memel, but this came to a halt outside the walls of the heavily fortified city. By now the Red Army was disbanding formations that were surplus to remaining requirements, and after moving to 2nd Guards, 4th Shock, and 51st Armies in Lithuania in early 1945 the 145th was written off in March in 2nd Baltic Front, with its remaining personnel and equipment going to the 158th Rifle Division.
1st Formation The 145th officially formed on August 19, 1939, at Roslavl in the Byelorussian Military District, based on the 191st Rifle Regiment of the 64th Rifle Division. It was considered a "sister" unit to the 149th Rifle Division.Charles C. Sharp, "Red Legions", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed Before June 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. VIII, Nafziger, 1996, p. 74 It immediately came under command of Kombrig Aleksandr Alekseevich Volkhin, who would remain there until it was disbanded, with his rank being modernized to major general on June 4, 1940. The division was barely formed when it served in a supporting role during the invasion of eastern Poland. In the summer of 1940 it was moved to Belgorod in the Oryol Military District to take the place of the 185th Rifle Division. At the outbreak of war with Germany it was still in this District as part of the 33rd Rifle Corps, with the 89th and 120th Rifle Divisions.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 11 Its order of battle was as follows: 403rd Rifle Regiment 599th Rifle Regiment 729th Rifle Regiment 277th Artillery Regiment 516th Howitzer Artillery Regiment 255th Antitank Battalion 327th Antiaircraft Battalion 123rd Reconnaissance Battalion 213th Sapper Battalion 255th Signal Battalion 123rd Medical/Sanitation Battalion 151st Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company 300th Motor Transport Battalion 109th Field Bakery 165th Divisional Veterinary Hospital 257th Field Postal Station 273rd Field Office of the State Bank At the end of June the division moved with its Corps to the Moscow Military District, where it was assigned to 28th Army, which was one of the separate armies of the STAVKA Reserve.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 18 This Army was under command of Lt. Gen. V. Ya. Kachalov.
Battle for Roslavl By July 10 the composition of 33rd Corps had changed to the 149th, 217th and 222nd Rifle Divisions.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 26 On July 17 the 145th was ordered to build defenses near its native Roslavl and to be prepared "to conduct active operations toward Smolensk." Later in the month, when 28th Army was incorporated into Western Front, most of its divisions were reassigned and it was being referred to as Group Kachalov. The Group consisted of the 149th and 145th Divisions plus the 104th Tank Division on July 21 as Army Group Center was trying to eliminate the Soviet forces that were partly encircled near Smolensk. The Group was ordered to "concentrate in the Krapivenskii, Vezhniki and Roslavl' region [110km south-southeast of Smolensk] by day's end" before attacking toward the city in the morning.David M. Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 1, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2010, Kindle ed., chs. 4, 5
Marshal S. K. Timoshenko was in command of the Western Direction (the Fronts facing Army Group Center) and was charged by the STAVKA with counterattacking, especially to rescue the 16th and 20th Armies that were pocketed near Smolensk. German forces had already reached Yelnya, and Group Kachalov was ordered to protect its flank in that direction while advancing toward Pochinok as its intermediate objective. The 145th was supported by the 643rd and 364th Cannon Artillery Regiment and one battalion each of the 649th Cannon Artillery Regiment, the 489th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, and the 753rd Antitank Regiment. Volkhin was ordered to attack at dawn on July 23 to force German troops from the line of the Stomet River, take Vaskovo Station (17km south of Pochinok), and to cross the Khmara River on the RoslavlSmolensk road. the 149th was to capture a line from Chernavka to Likhnovo, 25km southeast of Pochinok, before also crossing the Khmara. 104th Tanks was to conduct combined operations with both rifle divisions to seize Pochinok.
The counterattack developed in a staggered fashion on a 226km-wide front from Roslavl through Yartsevo to Bely in the north; coordination was impossible over such distances and many of Timoshenko's forces were not fully assembled. Group Kachalov struck the defenses of 18th Panzer Division. This division had lost a great deal of equipment over the preceding month but was quite capable of holding ground. Western Front reported at 2000 hours that:Kachalov's headquarters was located at Stodolishche. The general was distraught over the failure of his force to accomplish much of anything and directed his chief of staff, Maj. Gen. P. G. Yegorov, to issue a scathing order to his forces criticizing their performance. Acknowledging the crossing of the Stomet, the order pointed out that the German forces had been able to withdraw, which was put down to an "inadequate tempo of advance" and reliance on frontal attacks, poor artillery support, and lack of reconnaissance. Kachalov ordered that these deficiencies be eliminated and that the two rifle divisions return to the attack at 0400 the next day to fulfill the original mission.
These sorts of problems, stemming from lack of training and experience, could not be solved overnight, and Group Kachalov again only scored local successes, largely by the 145th along one line of advance. On the other hand, the 149th had not only failed to advance but had lost some ground taken the day before. Kachalov threatened: Both divisions were to replace losses in the rifle companies with "detained stragglers" (men of the many formations defeated farther west who had evaded capture) and rear-area personnel.
The attack continued toward Pochinok with the 145th capturing Maslovka Station and Dmitrievka within 10km of the town. The 149th faced the stiffest resistance, reaching 20km south-southeast of Pochinok, while At 0100 hours on July 26 an exasperated Kachalov continued to press his forces to take the crossings over the Khmara. Volkhin was to reach the river on the Tsygankova Commune and Kiselevka sector by the end of the day. By 2100 Kachalov reported to Timoshenko that the 145th had reached a line from Osinovka to Poluevo to Barsukovskie Farm after minimal gains. Effectively admitting that his attack was stalled his orders for July 27 called for his Group to tie down the German forces near Osinovka and Barsukovskie Farm and continue to press to the Khmara. Volkhin was to keep at least two companies near Novyi Derebuzh while preparing to advance with the 149th. The attached 31st Composite Rifle Regiment was to assign one company to the 145th for reconnaissance purposes. As his overall counteroffensive wound down Timoshenko excused the failure of Group Kachalov to the arrival of German reinforcements, and emphasized that Yelnya had to be retaken.
At 2030 hours on July 27 Kachalov ordered his attack to continue the next day, but essentially with the same goals. Volkhin was told to protect a line from Dumanichskie to Novyi Derebuzh with one battalion while pushing to the Khmara. A composite regiment was to be released by the 222nd Division at Roslavl to reinforce the Group. Kachalov's force gained some 5km as German forces, now largely of the 263rd Infantry Division, fell back to more defensible lines. In fresh criticism he wrote:He then issued orders virtually identical to those previous. The 145th was to echelon two battalions of the 403rd Rifle Regiment behind its left wing, while holding two battalions of the 599th Regiment in divisional reserve. In addition, Volkhin was informed that an armored train would be arriving to support his attack. This was followed by more remedial tactical advice from General Yegorov. All of this was for naught as the offensive was effectively suspended. Guderian's counterattack 2nd Panzer Group, and its commander, Gen. H. Guderian, had been watching events and looking for an opening. In the morning of August 1 the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions began a counterattack aimed at Roslavl with the intention of linking up with IX Army Corps attacking south from Pochinok. Late that day Timoshenko was still chiding Kachalov for his failure and demanding the drive on Pochinok continue, unaware of the danger approaching. The panzers immediately penetrated between the 8th and 148th Rifle Divisions of 13th Army on Kachalov's left flank, then turned east along the Roslavl road, with the 3rd taking up blocking positions on the road from that place to Krychaw, and the 4th moving straight on Roslavl. The left flank of the 222nd Division was turned, and IX Corps struck southward, threatening both flanks of Group Kachalov with envelopment.