24th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

The 24th Mechanized Brigade is a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, based at Yavoriv in the west of Ukraine. The brigade, the oldest in continious service within the Ground Forces, traces its origins back to the 1st Simbirsk Infantry Division, formed in 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The unit was soon renamed the 24th Rifle Division. It fought in the Winter War and World War II. The division became a motor rifle division in 1957. The full name of the division was the 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Motor Rifle Berdychivska, Iron, Awards of October Revolution, three times Red Banner, Suvorov's, Bogdan Khmelnytsky division. In 1992, it was taken over by Ukraine and became the 24th Mechanized Division. In 2003, it was downsized to a brigade.

Formation and Early Wars
The division was formed on the order of the Revolutionary Military Council on July 26, 1918, from voluntary groups under the name 1st Simbirsk Infantry Division. In November 1918 it was renamed as the 24th Simbirsk Rifle Division. It actively participated in the Russian Civil War in the Volga region, in the Southern Urals Mountains, and in Polissya and Volhynia. At this time one of its regimental commanders was a future Army General Maksim Purkayev.

In 1922 it was renamed as the 24th Samaro-Simbirsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1924 it was again renamed as the 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1939-1940, during the Russo-Finnish War the division distinguished itself during the breaking of the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian isthmus.

World War II
The division participated in fighting from the first days after the German invasion of the USSR in 1941. The division staff showed mass heroism when the German opponents arrived in the Lidy area. It also took part in the Kiev defensive operation, and as part of the 21st Rifle Corps and 13th Army, was involved in heavy defensive fighting in Belarus. Reportedly because the division's banner (unit colours) were lost in the Minsk area it was disbanded on December 27, 1941.

In February 1942 in the Vologda area a new 24th Rifle Division (2nd formation), with new traditions, was formed in Volgograd Oblast as part of 17th Guards Rifle Corps. During war this division was part of armies in the Western, Kalinin, Stalingrad, Don, and Southwest fronts, from April till May 1944. The division fought at Velikiye Luki, Stalingrad, Kiev, in the Carpathians, and at Morava Ostrava. In 1945 it was part of the 18th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front.

The Division participated in Battle of Stalingrad, the Donbass offensive operation, clearing of Left-bank Ukraine, in Zhytomyr - Berdychiv, Khmelnytskyi - Chernivtsi, Lviv - Sandomierz, East - Carpathian, Western - Carpathian, Moravia - Ostrava and the Prague offensive operations.

The division's combat actions finished on June 24, 1945, 100 km away from Prague. The last platoon of the division, led by Captain Klyuyev, took part in the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945.

On July 10, 1945, the division was disbanded, and its number given to the 294th Rifle Division which became the 24th Rifle Division (3rd formation).

After the war
In 1957, the 24th Rifle Division became the 24th Motor Rifle Division. The redesignation occurred at Yavorov, Lvov Oblast, Carpathian Military District, and the division, later brigade, has been based there since that date. On 21 February 1968, it was awarded the Order of the October Revolution. In 1982, the division was to be upgraded to an army corps (on the lines of the 5th Guards and 48th Guards in Belorussia and the Transbaikal), but the plans were cancelled. The division was used as a testbed for new equipment.

Under Ukrainian Control
After disintegration of Soviet Union the division became part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. On April 19, 2001, by the decree of Leonid Kuchma N 268/2001, division was awarded Danylo of Halych designation. In 2003 the division was redesignated as 24th Mechanized Brigade.

The brigade fought in the War in Donbass in 2014 and 2015. On 18 November 2015, the brigade's full title was shortened to remove Soviet awards and honorifics and it became the 24th Separate Berdichev Iron Mechanized Brigade named for Prince Danylo of Halych. On 23 August 2017, the honorifics were changed, with the brigade dropping the remaining Soviet titles and becoming the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named for King Danylo of Halych.

In February 2016, soldiers of the brigade's 1st Battalion conducted training with American, Canadian and Lithuanian instructors at Lviv.

Loss of its Banner
At the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the division was disbanded, apparently following the loss of its Banner (divisional colours).

As it was made known later, that the instructor of the political department of the division, senior Commissar A. V. Barbashev had the Banner while the division was trying to break out of the German encirclement. Barbashev died on August 6, 1941, near Anyutino village Cherykaw Raion Mogilev Oblast. Local farmer D.N. Tyapin later found the stained Banner on the officers corpse. He buried the body and the Banner in the local cemetery.

After clearing village of Anyutino by the Soviet armies the Banner was taken out of the cemetery and directed on to restoration. On February 20, 1944 the restored Banner of the former division was handed over to the 24th Rifle Division (2nd formation). For his finding of the division's Banner, D.N. Tyapin has been honoured by being forever listed on the rolls of the 1st company of one of the division's regiments.

Russo-Finnish War

 * 7th Rifle Regiment
 * 168th Rifle Regiment
 * 274th Rifle Regiment
 * 246th Guards Artillery Regiment
 * 160th Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 315th Separate Armor Battalion

Late Soviet Period ~1988

 * 181st Tank Regiment
 * 7th Motor Rifle Regiment (Lvov)
 * 310th Motor Rifle Regiment (Рава-Русская)
 * 274th Motor Rifle Regiment
 * 849th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
 * 257th Guards Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment

2000

 * 181-й танковий полк.jpg 181st Separate Armor Regiment
 * 7-й механізований полк.jpg 7th Mechanized Regiment
 * 274-й механізований полк.jpg 274th Mechanized Regiment
 * 310-й механізований полк.jpg 310th Mechanized Regiment
 * 56-й батальйон зв'язку.jpg 56th Signal Battalion
 * 29-й розвідувальний батальйон.jpg 29th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 30-й батальйон РХБ захисту.jpg 30th Chemical Battalion
 * 306-й інженерно-саперний батальйон.jpg 306th Engineer Battalion
 * 849-й артилерійський полк.jpg 849th Artillery Regiment
 * 396-й батальйон тилового забезпечення.jpg 396th Combat Service Support Battalion

Current Structure
As of 2017 the brigade's structure is as follows:


 * 24th Mechanized Brigade, Yavoriv
 * Headquarters & Headquarters Company
 * 1st Mechanized Battalion
 * 2nd Mechanized Battalion
 * 3rd Mechanized Battalion
 * Tank Battalion
 * 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion "Volya"
 * Brigade Artillery Group
 * Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
 * Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S3 Akatsiya)
 * Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S1 Gvozdika)
 * Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
 * Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (MT-12 Rapira)
 * Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Battalion
 * Engineer Battalion
 * Maintenance Battalion
 * Logistic Battalion
 * Reconnaissance Company
 * Sniper Company
 * Electronic Warfare Company
 * Signal Company
 * Radar Company
 * CBRN-defense Company
 * Medical Company

Awards

 * 1918 - awarded Honorable banner of Supreme Soviet
 * On September, 28th 1918 awarded the Honorable Revolutionary Red Banner
 * On December, 13th 1920 was given the honorable name "Samara"
 * On October, 25th 1921 was given the honorable name "Iron"
 * 1928 awarded the Honorable Revolutionary Red Banner
 * On February, 1st 1933 received the Order of the Red Banner
 * On April, 11th 1940 received the Order of the Red Banner (for operations in Winter war)
 * January 1944 has received the honorable name «Berdychivskaya»
 * 1944 received Order of Suvorov of 2-nd class (for clearing of the city of Chernivtsi)
 * 1944 received Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2-nd degree (for an output(exit) in foothills of Carpathian mountains)
 * October 5, 1967, received the Order of the Red Banner
 * 1978 received the Order of the October Revolution
 * 17 soldiers of a division were awarded ranks of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
 * About 9,000 of the Division's soldiers received awards and medals
 * On May 19, 2001, awarded Danylo of Halych designation.
 * On August 23, 2017, awarded King Danylo designation.

Well-known people who served with the Division
In the division served:
 * Chairman of the Supreme body of USSR Shvernik, Nikolay Mikhajlovich
 * The marshal of Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich Konev
 * 6 generals of army, 2 commanders of 2-nd rank, 11 general-colonels, 25 general-lieutenants, 68 general-majors.
 * Igor Rodionov, later Russian Defence Minister - during Soviet period as 24th Motor Rifle Division
 * Defector 'Viktor Suvorov' (Viktor Rezun)

Commanders

 * Gai G. D. - July 27 – November 20, 1918
 * Pavlovskiy V. I. - November 20, 1918 – February 2, 1919
 * Vilymson E. F. - February 2 – April 25, 1919
 * Myretov M. V. - April 25 – April 30, 1919
 * Pavlovskiy V. I. - April 30, 1919 – July 21, 1920
 * Myretov M. V. - July 21, 1920 – January 11, 1921
 * Colonel Vasiliev - January 1938 -
 * Major Filipp Fedorovich Alyabushev - August–December 1936
 * Colonel Pyotr Yevgenyevich Veshchev -  June 1938 – December 6, 1939 (KIA)
 * Major General Kuzma Galitsky - December 23, 1939 – July 1941 Galitsky's order of withdrawal of command was dated on 26 December 1941, but he had been in other positions since July.
 * Major General Terenty Batsanov - 15 July – 20 September, 1941
 * Major General Fedor Alexandrovich Prohorov January 1, 1942 – May 11, 1945
 * Lieutenant Colonel Lendar Kharakhalil - July 12, 2007
 * Colonel Volodymyr Trunovskyi July 12, 2007 – 2010
 * Colonel Oleksandr Pavyluk 2010-2015
 * Colonel Anatoly Shevchenko February 2015 – present