8th Guards Rezhitskaya order of Lenin Red Banner order of Suvorov Motorised Rifle Division imeni Major-General I.V. Panfilov

8-я гвардейская мотострелковая Режицкая ордена Ленина Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия имени генерал-майора И. В. Панфилова

Military Unit: 20636

Activated 25.6.57 in Klooga, Estonian SSR, as the 36th Guards Elninskaya Red Banner order of Suvorov Motorised Rifle Division, from the 36th Guards Mechanised Division.

Organisation 1957:

• 254th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 284th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 81st Tank Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 14th Guards Artillery Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR) - see notes below
• 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 32nd independent Guards Sapper Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 00 independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 000 independent Motor Transport Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)

23.5.60 renamed 8th Guards Rezhitskaya order of Lenin Red Banner order of Suvorov Motorised Rifle Division imeni Major-General I.V. Panfilov, inheriting the traditions, awards and name from the original 8th Guards Motorised Rifle Division in Haapsalu, which was disbanded 18.3.60.

During the same time both the 284th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment and 81st Tank Regiment were disbanded, and was replaced by the 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment and the 50th Guards Tank Regiment, both from the disbanded original 8th Guards Motorised Rifle Division. It is also probable that the 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment originates from this division.

Organisation 1960:

• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)*
• 254th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 50th Guards Tank Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)*
• 14th Guards Artillery Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Klooga, Estonian SSR)*
• 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 32nd independent Guards Sapper Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 00 independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)
• 000 independent Motor Transport Battalion (Klooga, Estonian SSR)

* it is possibly that the units from the original 8th Guards Motorised Rifle Division remained in Haapsalu, Estonian SSR - see below for coordinates

19.2.62 re-organised:

• 300th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated
• 965th independent Missile Battalion was activated

18.2.67 ordered to Frunze, Frunze Oblast - the transfer took place 5.67. The 254th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment remained behind, and was used to activate the new 144th Motorised Rifle Division. The regiment was replaced by the new 4th Motorised Rifle Regiment.

In 1968 the 32nd independent Guards Sapper Battalion was renamed 32nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion.

Organisation 1970:

• 4th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Frunze, Frunze Oblast)
• 50th Guards Tank Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 14th Guards Artillery Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 965th independent Missile Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 32nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 300th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 00 independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 000 independent Motor Transport Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)

15.11.72 re-organised:

• 689th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated
• 00 independent Guards Reactive Artillery Battalion was activated - absorbed by the Artillery Regiment in 5.80

In 1980 the 000 independent Motor Transport Battalion was renamed 0000 independent Material Supply Battalion.

Organisation 1980:

• 4th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Frunze, Frunze Oblast)
• 50th Guards Tank Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 14th Guards Artillery Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 965th independent Missile Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 689th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 32nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 300th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 00 independent Medical Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 0000 independent Material Supply Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)

Organisation 1988:

• 4th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast) - equipped with BTR
• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast) - equipped with BMP
• 282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Frunze, Frunze Oblast)
• 50th Guards Tank Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 14th Guards Artillery Regiment (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 965th independent Missile Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 689th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 32nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 300th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast)
• 00 independent Medical Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)
• 0000 independent Material Supply Battalion (Rybachye, Issyk-Kul'skaya Oblast)

24.8.89 the 30th independent Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Kurday, Dzambul Oblast) joined the division, replacing the 4th Motorised Rifle Regiment, which was disbanded.

6.92 taken over by Kirgizistan.

Headquarters:

• Klooga, Estonian SSR, 6.57 - 5.67
• Kurday, Dzambul Oblast, 5.67 - 6.92

Subordination:

• 4th Guards Army Corps, 6.57 - 5.60
• Baltic Military District, 5.60 - 5.67
• 17th Army Corps, 5.67 - 6.92

Divisional coordinates:

• Frunze barracks [US designation: Frunze Army Barracks AL 5]: 42 43 44N, 74 40 13E (282nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Kurday barracks [US designation: Pereval Kurday Army Barracks AL 1]: 43 18 51N, 74 56 48E (Divisional HQ, 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, 50th Guards Tank Regiment, 1059th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and 300th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion)
• Rybachiy barracks [US designation: Rybachye Army Barracks AL 1]: 42 28 21N, 76 11 44E (4th Motorised Rifle Regiment, 14th Guards Artillery Regiment, 965th independent Missile Battalion, 689th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion, 793rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion, 32nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion, 41st independent Guards Communications Battalion, 000 independent Chemical Defence Company, 00 independent Medical Battalion and 0000 independent Material Supply Battalion)
• Paldalski (Klooga) barracks: 59 19 32N, 24 12 27E
• Haapsalu barracks: 58 56 26N, 23 34 56E - no traces left today

The division was maintained as a Not Ready Division - Low-Strength Cadre (US terms: Category III) - with one regiment maintained as a Ready Regiment but with reduced strength.