25th Red Banner Tank Division

25-я танковая Краснознамённая дивизия

Military Unit: 61000

Activated 24.6.45 in Szombathely, Hungary, from the 25th Tank Corps.

Organisation 1946:

• 111th Tank Regiment
• 162nd Tank Regiment
• 175th Tank Regiment
• 20th Motorised Rifle Regiment
• 77th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment
• 459th Guards Mortar Regiment
• 1702nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 000 independent Howitzer Artillery Battalion
• 16th independent Guards Mortar Battalion
• 53rd independent Motorcycle Battalion
• 194th independent Sapper Battalion
• 459th independent Communications Battalion
• 232nd independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion
• 000 independent Auto-Transport Battalion
• 00 independent Tank Training Battalion

6.5.54 re-organised:

• 20th Motorised Rifle Regiment was renamed 125th Mechanised Regiment
• 117th Artillery Regiment was activated from the 459th Mortar Regiment and the 000 independent Howitzer Artillery Battalion
• 53rd independent Motorcycle Battalion was renamed 53rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was activated

In 4.55 the 1702nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment was renamed 447th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.

25.6.57 reorganised (ordered 12.3.57):

• 125th Mechanised Regiment was renamed 250th Motorised Rifle Regiment
• 111th Tank Regiment was disbanded
• 77th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment was renamed 335th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment

12.2.58 re-organised as a heavy tank division, and was renamed 25th Heavy Tank Division:

• 162nd Tank Regiment was renamed 162nd Heavy Tank Regiment
• 175th Tank Regiment was renamed 175th Heavy Tank Regiment
• 250th Motorised Rifle Regiment was disbanded
• 117th Artillery Regiment was reduced to a battalion
• 00 independent Tank Training Battalion was disbanded

Organisation 1960:

• 162nd Heavy Tank Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 175th Heavy Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 335th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 447th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 00 independent Motorised Rifle Battalion (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 000 independent Artillery Battalion (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 000 independent Reconnaissance Company (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 000 independent Sapper Company (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 000 independent Communications Company (Vogelsang, East Germany)

In 1961 the 665th independent Missile Battalion was activated.

19.2.62 the 14th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated.

In 11.67 converted to a regular tank division, and was renamed 25th Tank Division:

• 162nd, 175th and 335th Guards Heavy Tank Regiments were renamed 162nd, 175th and 335th Guards Tank Regiments
• 400th Motorised Rifle Regiment was activated
• 000 independent Artillery Battalion was renamed 117th Artillery Regiment

22.2.68 awarded the Red Banner.

In 1968 the 196th independent Sapper Battalion was renamed 196th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion.

In 11.68 the 400th Motorised Rifle Regiment and the 117th Artillery Regiment were transferred to the 12th Guards Tank Division, and were replaced by the 803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment and the 843rd Guards Artillery Regiment, from the same division.

Organisation 1970:

• 162nd Tank Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 175th Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 335th Guards Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Drögen, East Germany)
• 843rd Guards Artillery Regiment (Schönwalde, East Germany)
• 447th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 665th independent Missile Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 16th independent Reactive Artillery Battery (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 53rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 196th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 459th independent Communications Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 14th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 232nd independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 687th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany) - 1980? moved to Britz

In 1972 the 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was renamed 519th independent Chemical Defence Battalion.

In 1980 the 687th independent Motor Transport Battalion was renamed 1076th independent Material Supply Battalion, and the 16th independent Reactive Artillery Battery was absorbed by the Artillery Regiment.

Organisation 1980:

• 162nd Tank Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 175th Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 335th Guards Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Drögen, East Germany)
• 843rd Guards Artillery Regiment (Schönwalde, East Germany)
• 447th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 665th independent Missile Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 53rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 196th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 459th independent Communications Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 159th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 14th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 232nd independent Medical Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 1076th independent Material Supply Battalion (Britz, East Germany)

In 1985 the 519th independent Chemical Defence Battalion was renamed 000 independent Chemical Defence Company.

Organisation 1988:

• 162nd Tank Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 175th Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 335th Guards Tank Regiment (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Drögen, East Germany)
• 843rd Guards Artillery Regiment (Schönwalde, East Germany)
• 447th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 665th independent Missile Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 53rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion (Prenzlau, East Germany)
• 196th independent Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 459th independent Communications Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 14th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 232nd independent Medical Battalion (Vogelsang, East Germany)
• 1076th independent Material Supply Battalion (Britz, East Germany)

In 8.88 the 665th independent Missile Battalion was transferred to the 464th Missile Brigade.

1.7.89 the 803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 90th Guards Tank Division, and were replaced by the 215th Guards Tank Regiment, from the same division - thus the 25th Tank Division left East Germany with four tank regiments and no motorised rifle regiment.

Disbanded 11.89.

Headquarters:

• Szombathely, Hungary, 6.45 - 5.47
• Vogelsang, East Germany, 5.47 - 10.89 [53 03 48N, 13 22 08E] - transfer to Chuguev began 6.89
• Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast, 10.89 - 11.89

Subordination:

• 4th Guards Tank Army, 6.45 - 7.46
• 4th Guards Mechanised Army, 7.46 - 4.57
• 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, 4.57 - 6.64
• 2nd Guards Tank Army, 6.64 - 5.83
• 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, 5.83 - 10.89
• Kiev Military District, 10.89 - 11.89

Equipment 5.74:

• 1974: 325 T-62
• 1979: T-64 (all TP), 122mm 2s1 (803 Gv.MSP), 152mm 2s3 (artillery regiment), 122mm D-30 (artillery regiment), SA-6 (SAM Regiment)
• 12.85: 9500 men, 279 T-64A, 40 T-64B, 218 BMP-1, 15 BMP-2, 17 BTR-60, 7 BTR-60 or 70, 36 122mm 2s1, 36 122mm D-30, 36 152mm 2s3

Divisional coordinates:

• Vogelsang barracks (Lager) [US designation: Templin Army Barracks 223]: 53 03 30N, 13 22 03E (Divisional HQ and all other units, except listed below)
• Prenzlau barracks (Panzer Kaserne) [US designation: Prenzlau Army Barracks 241]: 53 18 12N, 13 49 14E (175th Tank Regiment, 53rd independent Reconnaissance Battalion and 16th independent Reactive Artillery Battery)
• Prenzlau barracks (Artillerie Kaserne) [US designation: Prenzlau Army Barracks 242]: 53 17 53N, 13 49 25E (335th Guards Tank Regiment)
• Fürstenberg barracks (Drögen Kaserne) [US designation: Fuerstenberg Army Barracks 281]: 53 09 08N, 13 08 40E (803rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Schönwalde barracks (Flugplatz Kaserne) [US designation: Schoenwalde Army Barracks 281]: 52 37 30N, 13 09 16E (843rd Guards Artillery Regiment)
• Britz barracks: 52 52 07N, 13 48 04E (1076th independent Material Supply Battalion from 1980)

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