150th Motorized Rifle Division

The 150th motorized rifle division of the Southern Military District (Southeast Military District), deployed in the Rostov Region, is fully formed, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov, Commander of the Southeast Military District, said at a ceremony 18 January 2020. �On December 1, 2019, a motorized rifle regiment was formed and began combat training as part of the 150th motorized division. This military unit is the assignee of the 121st Plastunskoy Rifle Red Banner Regiment, which was part of the 1st Ukrainian Front, which participated in the liberation of Polish cities, Germany and Czechoslovakia, " he said. The commander also noted that the entire command staff of the regiment was provided with official housing. More than three hundred families of military personnel received the keys to new apartments.

The case of the 150th Division, demonstrates significant quantities of armored hardware, with insufficient staff numbers of soldiers and contract servicemen, recruitment of troops without adequate training or experience, lacking in motivation. With the size not as large as regular motorized rifle division, it is capable to provide greater firepower than the tank division.

In the initial stages of development, the Russian Ministry of Defense suggested that new divisions will be formed from contract based troops. To some extent this happened in practice, but under more detailed analysis the facts demonstrate a different profile of the Division staffing. Many contract servicemen of the Division consider they are treated unfairly. The major issue relates to the financial compensation for servicemen, that differs from the proposed amount of 35 thousand rubles (US$585) and actual paid � 14800 (US$247).

The new 150th Motorized Rifle Division in the Rostov region will be fully developed by December 2016, in October it began to receive arms and military equipment. This was reported 21 September 2016 by a TASS source in the Russian Defense Ministry. "Already appointed commanders of its units and subunits is their acquisition of contract servicemen in the final stage is the construction of infrastructure facilities in the cantonments In October, the compound will begin receiving samples of modern weapons and equipment..", - Said the source. "There is no doubt that the division will be fully formed by 01 December 2016.

The source said that the division will have armed modernized tanks T-72B3, infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3, BTR-82A, self-propelled howitzers "Coalition-SV", anti-aircraft missile and gun complexes "Carapace-C." The interviewee said that in the new units will include three motorized rifle, tank and anti-aircraft missile regiment, as well as self-propelled artillery regiment. The number of divisions will be about 10 thousand people.

"Now, as it was in Soviet times, each tank division will have three tank regiments, motorized infantry regiment, self-propelled artillery regiment and anti-aircraft missile regiment, and each infantry division - three motorized infantry regiment, tank regiment, self-propelled artillery regiment and anti-aircraft missile regiment. In addition, he said, each division will receive intelligence units, communications, logistics, electronic warfare, radiological, chemical and biological protection, and so on.

The Headquarter (Administration, military unit 22179) is located in the Persianovka village of Rostov region. The structural composition of the Division is made of: two motorized rifle regiments � 102nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (military unit 91706) and 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment, with main armor (weapons arsenal) � IFV-3; two tank regiments � 68th tank regiment (military unit 91714) and 163rd tank regiment (military unit 84839) with main armor of tanks type T-72?3. The stationing locations are the village of Persianovka, and nearby training ranges � Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky.

The newly formed 150th motorized rifle division received a unique maneuverability and firepower. The Ministry of Defense of Russia is completed the formation of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division (MSD). This military unit received a unique organizational and staff structure. In the conventional motorized rifle division there are three motorized rifle divisions (SMEs) and one tank regiment (TP). But in the 150th MSD, there are two tank and two motorized rifle regiments. Also, there are reinforced tank battalions in every SME. Thanks to this structure, the new division received a unique maneuverability and firepower, and the number of personnel and auxiliary equipment significantly decreased. At the military, the new military unit has already received the nickname "steel monster".

According to experts, the new division is an effective tool of modern high-tech maneuver warfare. Its regiments can equally effectively stop the enemy, break his defense, make breakthroughs and lead battles in his rear.

As "Izvestia" was told by the Southern Military District, the formation of the 150th MSD had already being completed by the end of 2016. In addition to the two motorized rifle and two tank regiments in its composition, artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, reconnaissance battalion, communication battalion and other units and subunits. Armored tank regiments of the new division will be upgraded tanks T-72B3 with additional protection.

The classic motorized rifle division is well suited for defending and breaking through enemy defenses. A tank is effective in maneuvering: encirclement, coverage, marches, "military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia. "But the new 150th division is a universal tool. It can effectively solve the problems of both conventional motorized rifle and tank divisions. The new connection is intended for a modern high-tech war. Its units and subunits will effectively operate under the conditions of the use of precision weapons and electronic jamming. It is not as big as a conventional motorized rifle, and superior to a tank division in terms of firepower.

According to the expert, the maneuverability and mobility of the division is determined by the number of personnel, as well as the technology of combat and rear units. The more of them, the less mobile the connection, but at the same time it has a great firepower. The new 150th MSD is a reasonable compromise.

The first experiments on the formation of universal divisions were made in the Soviet Army in the late 1980s. In 1989, three tank divisions deployed in the GDR were transferred to the new state (9th, 16th Guards and 90th Guards). But in the 1990s, after the withdrawal from Germany, one compound was disbanded, and the rest were transferred to the ordinary state.

The second attempt to form universal divisions was undertaken on the initiative of the former chief of the General Staff, General of the Army Yuri Baluyevsky. Three new units were transferred to the new state: the 10th Guards Tank, 3rd and 34th Motorized Rifle Divisions. It is noteworthy that the servicemen of the 3rd MSD called their union a "division of the XXI century". But during the reform of former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov, they were disbanded.

Earlier it was reported that deployed in the Rostov region compound called in honor of the 150th Infantry Division, which took the Reichstag in 1945. Connection gets a number, the name of honor and combat award his illustrious predecessor and become the 150th Idritsa Berlin - Kutuzov Order of the Second Degree Motorized Rifle Division.

The Division was formed in September 1943, based on the 151-th separate infantry brigade, 127th cadet and 144th. Originally it included in the 34-th army . Then, as part of the 6th Guards Army and the 3rd Shock Army was fighting way from Nevel to Berlin. Order of the Supreme Commander of number 207 of July 23, 1944 for the liberation of the village Idritsa 150th Division was given the name "Idritsa". By Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 26, 1945 for fight night at the lake Voshvanzee 150th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov of II degree.

On April 22, 1945 in the Berlin offensive division adopted by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army is one of the nine special banners, designed for hoisting over the Reichstag. During the battle for the Reichstag assault flag of the 150th Division, was installed above the main entrance to the building lieutenant Rakhimzhanov Koshkarbayev and ordinary Gregory Bulatov . Subsequently, these banners were installed in different parts of the building, including the Banner of Victory, hoisted on the dome of the Reichstag soldiers Infantry Regiment 756 Division: Alexei birch bark , Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria . Short name of the division is indicated on the Banner of Victory. By Order of the Supreme Command of 11 June 1945, it was given the name "Berlin".

At the end of the Great Patriotic War, the division became part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In December 1946, the division was disbanded.

For the distinction in combat, the division received the honorary names Idritskaya and Berlin, and was also awarded the Order of Kutuzov. But in 1946 the unit was disbanded, and rewards, battle flag and documents were put in the archive.