Second World War
On 18 September 1942 the division saw combat for the first time, at Stalingrad, where it fought for more than 4 months as part of the 62nd Army with the Stalingrad Front and South Eastern Front, in heavy street fighting. For courage and the heroism in this fighting, on 1 March 1943 the Division became 75th Guards Rifle Division (212, 231 and 241st Guards Rifle, 159th Guards Artillery Regiments and other smaller units).
In July - August 1943, as part of the 13th Army of the Central Front the Division fought in the Battle of Kursk. Facing one of the main German thrust (the Ponyri 2 area), several divisional units resisted the German attack effectively and persistently. For its exemplary fighting performance the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 21 July 1943. The division's soldiers then successfully helped clear left-bank Ukraine during the Chernigov-Pripyatsk (Черниговско-Припятской) operations of the Soviet Central Front. For helping clear Bakhmach the division was given the honourable name Bakhmach (Бахмачской) on 9 September 1943. On 25 September 1943 parts of the division forced the River Dnepr in the Tarasovichi area, seized a bridgehead and during October, fought intensely to expand it. For courage shown in battle, 63 soldiers of the division were made Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 829 recognised with awards and medals.
thumb|290px|Воины дивизии принимают гвардейскую клятву. У знамени генерал-майор Горишний В. А., слева — полковник Власенко И. А. 1943 год.
In November 1943, the division as part of the 60th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front took part in the Kiev offensive operation. From January to July 1944 the division fought as part of the 65th Army of the Belarus (from 17.2.1944 1st Belarussian) Front, and for exemplary fighting performance it was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class, on 15 January 1944. In the Belarus operation of 1944, operating as part of the first echelon of the 65th Army, the division together with other formations broke the German defense and in persistent fighting seized Parichami (Паричами). The division then participated in the destruction of the German pocket in the Bobruisk area, cleared the city of Baranovichi and was given the Order of the Red Banner for a second time on 5 July 1944. Since August 1944 the division operated most of the time with 61st Army. As part of the 3rd and 1st Baltic Fronts, the division participated in clearing the Soviet Baltic region, and then fought in in the Vistula-Oder and East Prussian operations and the Battle of Berlin as part of the 1st Belorussian Front.
During the war years, about 14,000 of the Division's soldiers were awarded awards and medals, including 74 which were made Heroes of the Soviet Union. Colonel V.A.Gorishny (made General-major on 1.3.1943) commanded the division throughout the war.
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