86th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

The 86th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II.

The 86th Kazan Rifle Red Banner Division in the name of Presidium of Higher Soviet of Tatar ASSR (86-я стрелковая Краснознаменная дивизия имени Президиума Верховного Совета Татарской АССР) (1st formation) — Was formed as the 1st Rifle Division from the 1st Separate Kazan Rifle Brigade on 22 May 1922 at Saransk. The 1st Division was subsequently renamed 1st Kazan Rifle Division, and became a territorial division in December 1923. Awarded the name TzIK Tatar ASSR in 1930, it was renamed as the 86th Kazan Rifle Division (86 Казанскую сд им. ДИК Татарской АССР) on 21 May 1936. From 3 October a part of the personnel of the division was used to form the 111th Rifle Division while the rest was reformed as a motor-rifle division.

During January-March the division participated in the war with Finland, for which it was awarded the Order of Red Banner before being transferred to the Western Special Military District and stationed in Proskurov from second half of 1940. It was engaged on 22 June 1941 in border battles, being almost completely destroyed in the process of defending the sector of the 64th Fortified Region of the 5th Rifle Corps, 10th Army, at Tzekhanovo in the Belostock area against five Wehrmacht infantry divisions. The division was disbanded soon after, but in 1943 partisans found all the divisional standards in a hide, and the units were reinstated on the RKKA rolls.

Comprising 169th, 284 and 330 Rifle Regiments, 248 Artillery Regiment, 383 Howitzer Artillery Regiment, 128 Separate Anti-tank Destroyer Divizion, 342 Separate Anti-aircraft Divizion, 109 reconnaissance battalion, 120 Sapper Battalion, 95 Separate Communications Battalion, 14 Motor-rifle Battalion, 20 Auto-transport Battalion, 31 Field Auto-bakery, 32 Divisional Artillery Workshop, 366 Field Mail Station, 626 Field branch of GosBank.

The 86th Rifle Division (2nd Formation) was established at Lavrovo February 1941 from the Leningrad's 4th People's Militia Division as part of the 7th Army. The Division fought near Leningrad in extremely difficult weather conditions at the Nevsky Pyatachok at which time it was renamed as the 86th Rifle Division. When formed it included 1st, 3rd and 4th Separate Special Rifle Brigades, 50th, 111th and 112th Separate Rifle Battalions and Special Sailor's Battalion. From January 1942 the division fought in the 8th Army sector of the Leningrad Front. The division later served in the liberation of Yuriev-Derpt (Tartu) on 25 August 1944 as part of the 67th Army (3rd Baltic Front), and in East Prussia. With 2nd Shock Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front May 1945.