7th Guards Kievsko-Berlinskaya order of Lenin twice Red Banner order of Suvorov Tank Division

7-я гвардейская танковая Киевско-Берлинская ордена Ленина дважды Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия

Military Unit: 53569; from 3.47: 58391

Activated 10.7.45 in Hradec Kralove(?), Czechoslovakia, from the 7th Guards Tank Corps.

Organisation 1946:

• 54th Guards Tank Regiment
• 55th Guards Tank Regiment
• 56th Guards Tank Regiment
• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment
• 79th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment
• 467th Guards Mortar Regiment
• 287th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 000 independent Howitzer Artillery Battalion
• 440th independent Guards Mortar Battalion
• 4th independent Guards Motorcycle Battalion
• 121st independent Guards Sapper Battalion
• 146th independent Guards Communications Battalion
• 186th independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion
• 680th independent Auto-Transport Battalion
• 00 independent Tank Training Battalion

18.11.46 reduced to 7th Guards Tank Regiment (mobilisation) - all attached units remained, but were downsized (regiment to battalion, battalion to company), but 11.48 again expanded to full size.

6.5.54 re-organised:

• 23rd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was renamed 23rd Guards Mechanised Regiment
• 670th Guards Artillery Regiment was activated from the 467th Guards Mortar Regiment and the 000 independent Howitzer Artillery Battalion
• 4th independent Guards Motorcycle Battalion was renamed 4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was activated

In 6.57 re-organised (ordered 12.3.57):

• 54th Guards Tank Regiment was disbanded
• 79th Guards Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment became 79th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment - one battalion was renamed 110th independent Battalion of Tank Destroyers
• 23rd Guards Mechanized Regiment was renamed 202nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment

8.6.58 to 14.9.61 the 52nd Guards Tank Regiment was attached to the division from the 6th Guards Tank Division - it is unclear what regiment it replaced during this period, but it might have been the 55th Guards Tank Regiment.

In 1960 the 00 independent Tank Training Battalion was disbanded.

Organisation 1960:

• 52nd Guards Tank Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 56th Guards Tank Regiment (Zerbst, East Germany)
• 79th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany) - from 1962 79th Guards Tank Regiment
• 40th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Bernburg, East Germany)
• 670th Guards Artillery Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 287th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany) - 1962 transferred to Dessau-Kochstedt
• 110th independent Battalion of Tank Destroyers (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 121st independent Guards Sapper Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 146th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 186th independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Dessau, East Germany)
• 680th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)

3.5.61 the 110th independent Battalion of Tank Destroyers was detached, and renamed 119th independent Tank Regiment.

14.9.61 re-organised:

• 202nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 6th Guards Tank Division, and was replaced by the 200th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment
• 52nd Guards Tank Regiment returned to the 6th Guards Tank Division
• 650th independent Missile Battalion was activated

19.2.62 the 58th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated.

In 11.67 the 200th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was replaced by the 40th Motorised Rifle Regiment.

In 1968 the 121st independent Guards Sapper Battalion was renamed 121st independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion.

Organisation 1970:

• 55th Guards Tank Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 56th Guards Tank Regiment (Zerbst, East Germany)
• 79th Guards Tank Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 40th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Bernburg, East Germany)
• 670th Guards Artillery Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 287th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 650th independent Missile Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 440th independent Reactive Artillery Battery (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 121st independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 146th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 58th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 186th independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Dessau, East Germany)
• 680th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)

In 1972 the 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was renamed 165th independent Chemical Defence Battalion.

In 1980 the 680th independent Motor Transport Battalion was renamed 183rd independent Material Supply Battalion, and the 440th independent Reactive Artillery Battery was absorbed by the Artillery Regiment.

Organisation 1980:

• 55th Guards Tank Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany) - 1980 to Wittenberg
• 56th Guards Tank Regiment (Zerbst, East Germany)
• 79th Guards Tank Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 40th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Bernburg, East Germany)
• 670th Guards Artillery Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 287th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany) - 1983 transferred to Quedlinburg
• 650th independent Missile Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 121st independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 146th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 58th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 165th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 186th independent Medical Battalion (Dessau, East Germany)
• 183rd independent Material Supply Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)

In 9.87 the 650th independent Missile Battalion was transferred to the 448th Missile Brigade.

Organisation 1988:

• 55th Guards Tank Regiment (Wittenberg, East Germany)
• 56th Guards Tank Regiment (Zerbst, East Germany)
• 79th Guards Tank Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 40th Motorised Rifle Regiment (Bernburg, East Germany)
• 670th Guards Artillery Regiment (Dessau-Kochstedt, East Germany)
• 287th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Quedlinburg, East Germany)
• 121st independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 146th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 58th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 165th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)
• 186th independent Medical Battalion (Dessau, East Germany)
• 183rd independent Material Supply Battalion (Rosslau, East Germany)

7.90 renamed 4214th Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base.

3.1.92 taken over by Ukraine and renamed 121st Guards Weapons and Military Equipment Storage Base.

Headquarters:

• Hradec Kralove(?), Czechoslovakia, 7.45 - 3.47
• Rosslau, East Germany, 3.47 - 7.90 [51 54 07N, 12 16 25E]
• Piryatin, Poltava Oblast, 7.90 - 1.92

Subordination:

• 3rd Guards Tank Army, 7.45 - 4.7.46
• 3rd Guards Mechanized Army, 4.7.46 - 29.4.57
• 18th Guards Combined Army, 29.4.57 - 6.64
• 1st Guards Tank Army, 6.64 - 5.83
• 3rd Combined Arms Army, 5.83 - 7.90
• Kiev Military District, 7.90 - 1.92

Equipment:

• 1974: 325 T-62
• 1979: T-62 (all regiments), T-64 (79 gv.TP only), SA-6 (SAM regiment), 122mm 2s1 (40 MSP), 152mm 2s3 (670 gv.AP)
• 12.85: 9500 men, 279 T-64A, 40 T-64B, 188 BMP-1, 45 BMP-2, 24 BTR-60, 54 122mm 2s1, 18 122mm D-30, 36 152mm 2s3

Equipment 19.11.90 (CFE treaty holdings):

• 187 T-64, 11 BMP-1, 15 BRM-1K, 12 BM-21 Grad, 30 R-145BM, 3 RKhM-4, 2 UR-67, 6 MT-55A and 22 MT-LBT

Divisional coordinates:

• Rosslau barracks (Meinsdorf Kaserne) [US designation: Rosslau Army Barracks 201]: 51 54 10N, 12 16 24E (Divisional HQ and all units, except below)
• Wittenberg barracks (Flak Kaserne) [US designation: Wittenberg Army Barracks 283]: 51 53 19N, 12 41 23E (55th Guards Tank Regiment from 1980)
• Zerbst barracks (Wilhelminische Kaserne) [US designation: Zerbst Army Barracks 221]: 51 58 27N, 12 05 31E (56th Guards Tank Regiment)
• Bernburg barracks (Infanterie Kaserne) [US designation: Bernburg Army Barracks 241]: 51 48 01N, 11 43 13E (40th Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Dessau barracks (Kochstedt Kaserne) [US designation: Dessau-Cochstedt Army Barracks 241]: 51 47 52N, 12 11 29E (55th Guards Tank Regiment to 1980 and 670th Guards Artillery Regiment)
• Quedlinburg barracks (Quarmbeck Kaserne) [US designation: Quedlinburg Army Barracks 221): 51 45 20N, 11 08 18E (4th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion from 1983)
• Dessau barracks (Dessau Serum Institut): 51 50 24N, 12 13 49E (186th independent Medical Battalion)
• Piryatin barracks/storage: 50 12 54N, 32 29 02E

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