21st Taganrogskaya Red Banner order of Suvorov Motorised Rifle Division

21-я мотострелковая Таганрогская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия

Military Unit: 58369

Activated 17.5.57 in Perleberg, East Germany, as the 18th Motorised Rifle Division, from the 18th Mechanised Division.

Organisation 1960:

• 60th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 239th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 240th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 33rd Tank Regiment (Parchim, East Germany)
• 1054th Artillery Regiment (Rathenow, East Germany)
• 1079th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 348th independent Sapper Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 921st independent Communications Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Parchim, East Germany)
• 4th independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 729th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)

In 8.60 the 18th independent Tank Battalion was activated.

In 1961 the 298th independent Missile Battalion was activated.

19.2.62 the 34th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated.

1.1.65 renamed 21st Motorised Rifle Division.

In 11.67 the 60th Motorised Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 16th Guards Tank Division, and was replaced by the 283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, from the 94th Guards Motorised Rifle Division.

In 1968 the 348th independent Sapper Battalion was renamed 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion, while the 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated.

Organisation 1970:

• 239th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 240th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Hagenau, East Germany)
• 33rd Tank Regiment (Parchim, East Germany)
• 1054th Artillery Regiment (Rathenow, East Germany)
• 1079th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 18th independent Tank Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany) - 1976 transferred to Parchim
• 298th independent Missile Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 32nd independent Reactive Artillery Battery (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 921st independent Communications Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Parchim, East Germany)
• 34th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 4th independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 729th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)

In 1972 the 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was renamed 518th independent Chemical Defence Battalion.

In 1980 the 729th independent Motor Transport Battalion was renamed 1125th independent Material Supply Battalion, and the 32nd independent Reactive Artillery Battery was absorbed by the Artillery Regiment.

Organisation 1980:

• 239th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 240th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Hagenau, East Germany)
• 33rd Tank Regiment (Parchim, East Germany)
• 1054th Artillery Regiment (Rathenow, East Germany)
• 1079th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 18th independent Tank Battalion (Parchim, East Germany)
• 298th independent Missile Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 921st independent Communications Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 518th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Parchim, East Germany)
• 34th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 4th independent Medical Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 1125th independent Material Supply Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)

In 4.87 the 298th independent Missile Battalion was transferred to the new 458th Missile Brigade.

Organisation 1988:

• 239th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 240th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Hagenau, East Germany)
• 33rd Tank Regiment (Parchim, East Germany)
• 1054th Artillery Regiment (Rathenow, East Germany)
• 1079th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 18th independent Tank Battalion (Parchim, East Germany)
• 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 921st independent Communications Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)
• 518th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Parchim, East Germany)
• 34th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 4th independent Medical Battalion (Ludwigslust, East Germany)
• 1125th independent Material Supply Battalion (Perleberg, East Germany)

In 5.89 the 33rd Tank Regiment was renamed 568th Motorised Rifle Regiment.

In 1992 renamed 180th independent Motorised Rifle Brigade.

In 1997 renamed 139th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base.

Disbanded 2007.

Headquarters:

• Perleberg, East Germany, 5.57 - 8.92 [53 03 57N, 11 49 01E]
• Omsk, Omsk Oblast, 8.92 - 2007

Subordination:

• 3rd Combined Arms Army, 5.57 - 6.64
• 2nd Guards Tank Army, 6.64 - 8.92
• 41st Combined Arms Army, 8.92 - 1997

Equipment:

• 1974: 255 T-62 and T-54/55 (T-62 in the motorised rifle regiments and T-54/55 in the tank regiment)
• 1979: T-64 (all MSP and TP), T-55 (few in 33 TP), 122mm 2s1 (239 MSP), 152mm 2s3 (artillery regiment), SA-6 (SAM regiment), SA-9 (all MSP and TP)
• 12.85: 11200 men, 228 T-64A, 43 T-64B, 149 BMP-1, 1 BTR-60 or 70, 305 BTR-70, 54 122mm 2s1, 18 122mm D-30, 36 152mm 2s3

Equipment 19.11.90 (CFE treaty holdings):

• Divisional HQ: 1 PRP-3, 2 R-145BM and 2 R-156BTR
• 239th Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 58 BMP-2, 87 BMP-1, 7 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 5 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 3 RKhM, 2 R-145BM, 2 PU-12, 2 MT-55A and 12 MT-LBT
• 240th Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 140 BTR-70, 11 BTR-60, 6 BMP-1, 4 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 3 PRP-3/4, 9 R-145BM, 2 PU-12, 2 MT-55A and 15 MT-LBT
• 283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 142 BTR-70, 6 BTR-60, 6 BMP-1, 4 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 3 PRP-3/4, 7 R-145BM, 3 PU-12 and 7 MT-LBT
• 568th Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 57 BMP-2, 88 BMP-1, 7 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 12 2s12 Sani, 5 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 3 RKhM, 1 R-145BM, 3 PU-12, 1 MT-55A and 12 MT-LBT
• 1054th Artillery Regiment: 53 2s3 Akatsiya, 18 BM-21 Grad, 5 PRP-3/4, 3 1V18, 1 1V19 and 2 R-145BM
• 1079th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment: ZRK Kub (SA-6), 2 R-145BM and 1 R-156BTR
• 18th independent Tank Battalion: 31 T-80, 2 BMP-2 and 1 BMP-1KSh
• 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion: 1 PRP-3, 1 R-145BM and 20 MT-LBT
• 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion: 17 BMP-2, 7 BRM-1K, 1 BMP-1KSh, 1 R-145BM, 1 R-156BTR and 2 MT-LBT
• 921st independent Communications Battalion: 8 R-145BM, 1 R-156BTR and 1 R-2AM
• 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion: 1 IRM and 2 UR-67

Divisional coordinates:

• Perleberg barracks (Fiegerhorst Kaserne) [US designation: Perleberg Army Barracks 242]: 53 03 50N, 11 49 08E (Divisional HQ, 1079th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, 34th independent Reconnaissance Battalion, 921st independent Communications Battalion and 729th independent Motor Transport Battalion)
• Perleberg barracks (Artillerie Kaserne) [US designation: Perleberg Army Barracks 241]: 53 04 46N, 11 51 21E (239th Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Ludwigslust barracks (Reiterkaserne) [US designation: Ludwigslust Army Barracks 261]: 53 19 21N, 11 30 08E (240th Motorised Rifle Regiment, 348th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion, 32nd independent Reactive Artillery Battery)
• Ludwigslust barracks (Fliegerhorst Techentin) [US designation: Ludwigslust Army Barracks 262]: 53 18 23N, 11 30 52E (298th independent Missile Battalion, 480th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion, 34th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion and 4th independent Medical Battalion)
• Hagenow barracks (Fliegerhorst Kaserne) [US designation: Hagenow Army Barracks 261]: 53 26 32N, 11 13 17E (283rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Parchim barracks (Neue Kaserne) [US designation: Parchim Army Barracks 222]: 53 25 19, 11 50 27E (33rd Tank Regiment, 18th independent Tank Battalion and 518th independent Chemical Defence Battalion)
• Rathenow barracks (Zieten Kaserne) [US designation: Rathenow Army Barracks 244]: 52 36 07N, 12 20 52E (1054th Artillery Regiment)

The division was maintained as a Ready Division - First Line (US terms: Category I) - manning was almost 100%.