Active 1932 - c.2009 Engagements Harbin-Kirin Operation | Country Russia/Soviet Union | |
Branch Red Army, Soviet Army, Russian Ground Forces Part of Far East Military District | ||
The 127th Order of Kutuzov Second Degree Machine-Gun Artillery Division (127 пулемётно-артиллерийская дивизия) was a division of the Russian Ground Forces, which traced its history to the 66th Rifle Division of World War II.
The division was originally formed on 14 May 1932 in village Lutkovka-medical in the Veditsky Shmakovsky raion of the Ussuriisk Oblast, Far Eastern Military District, as the 1st or 2nd (sources differ) Collective Farm Division. It was renamed the 66th Rifle Division on 21 May 1936.
The division formed part of the 35th Army of the Independent Coastal Group in the Far East in May 1945. In August 1945 the division, as a part of 1st Far East Front, participated in the Soviet operation against Japan. On 9 August 1945 the division began operations as part of 35th Army, advancing 12 kilometers, having forced the Songacha River in northern Heilongjiang. The division fought on the Ussuri River at Khotunsky (Хотунского), Mishansky (Мишаньского), Border (Пограничного), and Duninsky (Дунинского) fortified districts, capturing the cities of Mishan, Jilin, Jantszy, and Harbin. For its valour in combat and courage on 19 September 1945 the 66th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, Second Degree. Three Hero of the Soviet Union medals, 1266 awards, and 2838 medals were given to the division's personnel.
On 29 November 1945 it was reorganised as the 2nd Tank Division, but was renamed again in 1957 as the 32nd Tank Division and in 1965 as the 66th Tank Division. On 30 March 1970 the division became the 277th Motor Rifle Division.
In May 1981 the division headquarters was relocated to Sergeevka (Сергеевка). On 1 June 1990 the 277th Motor Rifle Division was reorganised as the 127th Machine Gun Artillery Division. The 702nd Motor Rifle Regiment was disbanded and replaced by the 114th Machine-Gun Artillery Regiment. It incorporated the 114th and 130th Machine Gun Artillery Regiments, the 314th Motor Rifle Regiment, 218th Tank Regiment, 872nd Artillery Regiment, and 1172nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment.
In mid-2008 the division, under a new commander, Sergey Ryzhkov, replaced some of its former cadre units with higher-readiness units. A regiment arrived from Sergeevka and two regiments of constant readiness from Kamen-Rybolov (438th Motor Rifle Regiment?) on the western shore of Khanka Lake, and Ussuriysk (the 231st Motor Rifle Regiment). These changes effectively made the division a motor rifle formation though its designation was still that of a static defence formation.
In 2009, as part of the Russian Ground Forces' transition to brigades, the division appears to have been reorganised as the 59th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade at (Sergeevka, Primorsky Krai), from the main body of the division, equipped with BMPs, and the 60th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (п. Lipovtsy, Primorsky Krai), from the 218th Tank Regiment of the division, also equipped with BMPs.