24th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

24th Mechanized Brigade
(2003–present)

24th Mechanized Division
(c. 1992 – 2003)

24th Motor Rifle Division
(1957 – c. 1992)

24th Rifle Division
(Nov 1918 – 1957)

1st Simbirsk Infantry Division
(26 Jul – Nov, 1918)
Ukrainian: 24-та окрема механізована бригада імені короля Данила
24th Mechanized Brigade shoulder sleeve patch
Active 26 July 1918 – present
Country  Soviet Union
(1928–1991)
 Ukraine
(1991–present)
Branch Ground Forces
Type Mechanized Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of Operational Command West
(1 July 2006-present)
13th Army Corps
(before 1 July 2006)
(formerly Soviet 13th Army)
Garrison/HQ Yavoriv
MUN A0998
Nickname(s) Iron Brigade (removed)
Iron Division (removed)[1]
Motto(s) "In Iron Division - iron soul, iron will and iron step."
Equipment BMP-2, T-64
Engagements Russian Civil War
Winter war
World War II
War in Donbas[2]
Decorations  Order of the October Revolution (removed)
 Order of the Red Banner(3) (removed)
 Order of Suvorov (removed)
 Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (removed)
Battle honours King Danylo
Berdichev(removed)
Iron(removed)
Prince Danylo of Halych(removed)
Samara (removed)
Ulyanovsk (removed)
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel Anatoly Shevchenko

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.

History

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[3] it was disbanded on December 27, 1941.

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.

2nd formation

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).

Cold 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.[4]

In Ukrainian Armed Forces

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.[5] In 2003 the division was redesignated as 24th Mechanized Brigade.

The brigade fought in the War in Donbass in 2014 and 2015. Part of the brigade deserted from the battlefield[6]. 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.[7] On 23 August 2017, the honorifics were changed, with the brigade dropping the remaining Soviet titles and becoming the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade "King Danylo of Halych".[8]

In February 2016, soldiers of the brigade's 1st Battalion conducted training with American, Canadian and Lithuanian instructors at Lviv.[9]

In 2018 the brigade fought again in the War in Donbass, stationed on the frontline near Horlivka.[10]

Order of Battle

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[4]
  • 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

  • 181st Separate Armor Regiment
  • 7th Mechanized Regiment
  • 274th Mechanized Regiment
  • 310th Mechanized Regiment
  • 56th Signal Battalion
  • 29th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 30th Chemical Battalion
  • 306th Engineer Battalion
  • 849th Artillery Regiment
  • 396th Combat Service Support Battalion

2017

  • Headquarters & Headquarters Company, Yavoriv
  • 1st Mechanized Battalion
  • 2nd Mechanized Battalion
  • 3rd Mechanized Battalion
  • Tank Battalion
  • 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion "Volya"
  • Brigade Artillery Group
  • 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

Well-known people who served with the Division

In the division served:

Commanders

  • Gai G. D. - July 27 – November 20, 1918[1]
  • 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[12][13]
  • Colonel Pyotr Yevgenyevich Veshchev - June 1938 – December 6, 1939 (KIA)[14]
  • Major General Kuzma Galitsky - December 23, 1939 – July 1941[15] Galitsky's order of withdrawal of command was dated on 26 December 1941, but he had been in other positions since July.[16]
  • Major General Terenty Batsanov - 15 July – 20 September, 1941[17][18]
  • 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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 24-я "Железная" дивизия
  2. ↑ (in Ukrainian) 0 troops from Lviv killed near Slavic - Sekh, Ukrayinska Pravda (19 June 2014)
  3. ↑ Viktor Suvorov, Inside the Soviet Army, Rear Supplies, Hamish Hamilton
  4. 1 2 Holm, Michael. "24th Motorised Rifle Division". ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  5. ↑ Про присвоєння почесного найменування "імені князя Дани...| від 19.04.2001 № 268/2001
  6. ↑ Від початку АТО у дезертирстві звинуватили щонайменше три батальйони
  7. ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №646/2015" [Ukrainian Presidential Decree No. 646/2015]. Website of the President of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  8. ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №234/2017" [Ukrainian Presidential Decree No. 234/2017]. Website of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 23 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "На Львівщині інструктори НАТО навчають українців протистояти агресору" [In Lviv NATO instructors teach Ukrainian soldiers to confront the aggressor]. mil.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  10. ↑ Turchynov declares escalation of tensions in Donbas conflict zone, Interfax-Ukrainian (25 May 2018)
  11. ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №234/2017" [Ukrainian Presidential Decree No. 234/2017].
  12. ↑ "Страница военно-патриотического клуба "Память" Воронежского госуниверситета". samsv.narod.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  13. ↑ "Biography of Major-General Flipp Fedorovich Aliabushev - (Филипп Федорович Алябушев) (1893 – 1941), Soviet Union". generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  14. ↑ "Вещев Пётр Евгеньевич". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  15. ↑ "Галицкий Кузьма Никитович". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  16. ↑ Соединения сухопутных войск Западного фронта к 22 июня 1941 года
  17. ↑ "24-я мотострелковая Железная дивизия". zeldiv24.narod.ru. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  18. ↑ "БАЦАНОВ Терентий Кириллович". myfront.in.ua. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
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