The 143rd Rifle Division was formed as an infantry division of the Red Army in early September 1939 in the Byelorussian Military District, based on the shtat (table of organization and equipment) of September 13. It took part in the invasion of eastern Poland later that month, and the occupation of Lithuania in 1940. At the time of the German invasion on June 22, 1941, it was in 47th Rifle Corps, a reserve corps of Western Special Military District. In the initial chaos it moved west and quickly collided with advancing German forces, becoming encircled in the Minsk pocket, but emerging with enough strength to be subordinated to 4th Army. Shortly before that Army was disbanded the division was transferred to 13th Army, soon part of Central Front, and barely escaped being encircled again in early August, falling back to, and then beyond the Desna River. When Bryansk Front was established 13th Army was subordinated to it. Through September it was involved in fighting along the Desna which further weakened it, and it was then encircled with its Army in Operation Typhoon, forcing it to break out with catastrophic losses. During November the division was forced back past Livny in the last gasps of the German offensive, but joined the counteroffensive in early December, helping to retake that town as well as Yelets before making modest gains to the southwest during January 1942. It remained in the same area throughout the year, recovering its strength as the German summer offensive moved south and east of its positions. Following the victory at Stalingrad, now as part of 48th Army, still in Bryansk Front, it pushed through the weak German 2nd Panzer Army toward Kursk. This advance was halted in March 1943 and the 143rd remained in positions near Pokrovskoye during the buildup to the fighting for the Kursk salient, being transferred to the recreated Central Front. The division did not see much fighting during the German offensive but joined the following counteroffensive into the Oryol salient, and at the end of July was pulled back to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rest and rebuilding. When it returned to the front in late August it was assigned to 60th Army, and very soon won a battle honor for its part in retaking Konotop, after which it advanced to the Dniepr River. During October, now as part of 1st Ukrainian Front, it attempted to enlarge the existing bridgeheads north of Kyiv with little success, but made much greater progress when the offensive was renewed in early November. As it pushed west of the city it took part in the capture of Korosten; this was lost to German counterattacks later in the month, but retaken in late December, giving the 143rd its second battle honor. It was further distinguished with the Order of the Red Banner as a result of the advance on Lutsk in February 1944. Following this it took up positions south of the Pripet Marshes as part of 47th Army. During the second stage of Operation Bagration in July, as part of the 1st Belorussian Front, it helped break the German defense around Kovel, earning the Order of Suvorov. From there it advanced with its Army toward Warsaw and several of its subunits won awards in the fighting for Praga. When the winter offensive began in January 1945 the 47th outflanked the German units still holding in the city, then headed east toward Pomerania, before regrouping for the final offensive on Berlin. Along with its Army it helped encircle the city from the north, linking up with 1st Ukrainian Front near Potsdam, and then marched west, meeting US Army forces along the Elbe River. Postwar, it was part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, and was disbanded there in June 1946.
Formation The division was formed on the basis of the 98th "Samara" Rifle Regiment of 33rd Rifle Division at Gomel in the Byelorussian Military District during September 6–11, 1939. Given this experienced cadre it was able to take part in the invasion of eastern Poland later that month. Kombrig Dmitrii Potapovich Safonov was given command of the 143rd on May 9, 1940, and would have his rank modernized to that of major general on June 5. As an artillery officer he had previously led the artillery of 24th Rifle Corps. Under his command the 143rd would participate in the occupation of Lithuania beginning on June 15. At the start of the German invasion the division was deployed in positions southwest of Baranavichy.Artyom Drabkin and Alexei Isaev, Barbarossa Through Soviet Eyes, trans. C. Summerville, Pen & Sword Books Ltd., Barnsley, UK, 2012, p. xii It was in the 47th Rifle Corps of the Western Special Military District (soon redesignated Western Front), which also contained the 55th and 121st Rifle Divisions.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 8 Its order of battle was as follows: 487th Rifle Regiment 635th Rifle Regiment 800th Rifle Regiment 334th Artillery RegimentCharles C. Sharp, "Red Legions", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed Before June 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, Vol. VIII, Nafziger, 1996, p. 71 186th Antitank Battalion 135th Reconnaissance Company 209th Sapper Battalion 165th Signal Battalion (later 24th Signal Company) 206th Medical/Sanitation Battalion 203rd Chemical Defense (Anti-gas) Company 34th Motor Transport Company (later 154th) 340th Field Bakery 229th Divisional Veterinary Hospital 794th Field Postal Station 298th Field Office of the State Bank The division which, as part of the "6000 class", had under that number of personnel, was supposed to be brought up to full strength with men and vehicles from the Volga Military District, according to the mobilization plan. In the event, little of this actually arrived before the division was swept up into the fighting;Sharp, "Red Legions", p. 71 the 487th Regiment also failed to arrive near Baranavichy and was forced to serve under other commands, eventually forming part of the garrison of Mogilev under 172nd Rifle Division.David M. Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 1, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2010, Kindle ed., ch. 6
Minsk Pocket Maj. Gen. S. I. Povetkin, whose 47th Corps was headquartered at Babruysk, quickly began moving his remaining divisions and other elements toward Baranavichy and Slonim, where they met advancing German forces. Heavy fighting developed around the latter place in which the understrength 143rd suffered heavy casualties, soon being encircled in the Minsk pocket with the remnants of 3rd, 4th, and 10th Armies. While attempting to lead his men out of the encirclement on June 26 General Safonov was killed in action near Baranavichy, and his place of burial remains unknown. By June 30 about one-third of the original strength of the division had managed to escape,Aleksander A. Maslov, Fallen Soviet Generals, ed. & trans. D. M. Glantz, Frank Cass Publishers, London, UK, 1998, pp. 2-4. Note this source misspells the general's name as "Safronov". and it, plus the rest of 47th Corps, now with the 155th Rifle Division in place of the 121st, was officially subordinated to 4th Army.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 16
In the uncertainty around Safonov's fate, he was not officially replaced until July 16, when Col. Georgii Alekseevich Kurnosov was brought in from his position as chief of the Combat Training Section of 13th Army. This officer had been in command of a rifle regiment in September 1937 when he was removed from this post; in June 1938 he was dismissed from the Red Army and then arrested as part of the Great Purge. He was released and reinstated in February 1940 and had then mostly served as an instructor and inspector.
By the start of July the leaderless and partly disarmed 143rd was positioned along a line from Degtianov to Yalovka to Kruglitsa in eastern Belarus.Sharp, "Red Legions", p. 71 Around dusk on July 3 Western Front reported to the STAVKA that while remnants of 4th and 13th Armies had managed to cross the Dniepr River, few from 3rd and 10th Armies had done so. 4th Army units included the Army headquarters and those of 28th and 47th Corps, 14th Mechanized Corps, and six rifle divisions including the 143rd, 55th, 155th, and 121st. The Front commander, Marshal S. K. Timoshenko, ordered 21st Army to consolidate a defense along the river and send out advance detachments to stop or delay the advance of 2nd Panzer Group, which proved surprisingly effective.Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 1, Kindle ed., ch. 2 By July 10 the 143rd had been resubordinated to 4th Army's 28th Rifle Corps.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1941, p. 23
Battle of Smolensk The commander of 2nd Panzer, Gen. H. Guderian, was searching for a crossing point over the Dniepr, and believed he had found two, on either side of Mogilev. At this time the 28th Corps was recuperating along the Sozh River south of Krychaw with the rest of 4th Army, now under command of Maj. Gen. L. M. Sandalov. On July 10 2nd Panzer and 3rd Panzer Groups began twin thrusts over the Dniepr, with Smolensk as the intermediate objective. By the end of the next day Guderian's XXXXVII Motorized Corps was across at Kopys, XXXXVI Motorized at Shklov, and XXIV Motorized at Bykhaw. The Sozh was the next obstacle in his path as XXIV Corps advanced on Krychaw.Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 1, Kindle ed., chs. 2, 3
The operational summary of Western Front issued at 2000 hours on July 13 made clear that Timoshenko was losing control of the situation as the German advance continued. 13th Army was threatened with encirclement near Mogilev. Despite this, the STAVKA ordered counterattacks, including, "Conduct active operations along the Gomel and Bobruisk axis to threaten the rear of the enemy's Mogilev grouping." This effort would largely involve 21st Army, but 13th and 4th Armies were to clear the German bridgeheads east of the Dniepr, which was in no way feasible. The 13th was withdrawing to the Sozh with panzers deep in its rear areas. Late in the day Timoshenko reported that 28th Corps was continuing to "fill out and reorganize" its divisions, now along the Pronia River in the area of Chavusy and Propoisk. On July 14 Sandalov was directed to "destroy the enemy mechanized grouping penetrating toward Gorki by attacking from the Riasna, Shirki, and Osinovka region" with the 143rd, 42nd, and 55th Divisions, in cooperation with 13th Army. Over the next two days Timoshenko dialed back on such overoptimistic goals. On July 15 the 29th Motorized Division entered Smolensk.Glantz, Barbarossa Derailed, Vol. 1, Kindle ed., ch. 3