39th Guards Barvenkovskaya order of Lenin twice Red Banner order of Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Motorised Rifle Division

39-я гвардейская мотострелковая Барвенковская ордена Ленина дважды Краснознамённая орденов Суворова и Богдана Хмельницкого дивизия

Military Unit: 38865; from 1957: 35100

Activated 17.5.57 in Ohrdruf, East Germany, from the 39th Guards Rifle Division.

Organisation 1960:

• 29th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Plauen, East Germany)
• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 15th Guards Tank Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 87th Guards Artillery Regiment (Plauen, East Germany)
• 915th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 45th independent Guards Sapper Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Saalfeld, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 33rd independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 569th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)

In 1961 the 1563rd independent Missile Battalion was activated.

19.2.62 the 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated.

In 5.62 the 23rd independent Tank Battalion was activated.

In 5.65 the 29th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was replaced by the 172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment.

In 1968 the 45th independent Guards Sapper Battalion was renamed 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion, while the 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated.

Organisation 1970:

• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 15th Guards Tank Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 87th Guards Artillery Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 915th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 23rd independent Tank Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 1563rd independent Missile Battalion (Gotha, East Germany)
• 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 00 independent Reactive Artillery Battery (Gotha, East Germany)
• 11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 000 independent Chemical Defence Company (Meiningen, East Germany) - 1977 to Gotha
• 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 33rd independent Medical-Sanitary Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 569th independent Motor Transport Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 000 independent Helicopter Detachment (Weimar-Nohra, East Germany) - activated 1969

In 1972 the 000 independent Chemical Defence Company was renamed 514th independent Chemical Defence Battalion.

In 1980 the 569th independent Motor Transport Battalion was renamed 1128th independent Material Supply Battalion, and the independent Reactive Artillery Battery was absorbed by the Artillery Regiment.

Organisation 1980:

• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 15th Guards Tank Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 87th Guards Artillery Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 915th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 23rd independent Tank Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 1563rd independent Missile Battalion (Gotha, East Germany)
• 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany) - 1981 to Gotha
• 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 514th independent Chemical Defence Battalion (Gotha, East Germany)
• 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 33rd independent Medical Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 1128th independent Material Supply Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 000 independent Helicopter Detachment (Weimar-Nohra, East Germany)

In 1982 the 000 independent Helicopter Detachment was renamed 241st independent Helicopter Squadron, and moved to Haßleben.

In 1986 the 1563rd independent Missile Battalion was transferred to the new 449th Missile Brigade.

In 1987 the 514th independent Chemical Defence Battalion was renamed 228th independent Chemical Defence Company.

Organisation 1988:

• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 15th Guards Tank Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 87th Guards Artillery Regiment (Gotha, East Germany)
• 915th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 23rd independent Tank Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (Meiningen, East Germany)
• 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Gotha, East Germany)
• 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 228th independent Chemical Defence Company (Gotha, East Germany)
• 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 33rd independent Medical Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 1128th independent Material Supply Battalion (Ohrdruf, East Germany)
• 241st independent Helicopter Squadron (Haßleben, East Germany)

1.2.89 the 241st independent Helicopter Squadron was used to activate the 486th independent Helicopter Regiment.

In 6.89 the 15th Guards Tank Regiment was renamed 585th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment.

11.91 united with the 5198th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base, and was renamed 5001st Guards Weapons and Equipment Storage Base.

• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 93rd Guards Motorised Rifle Division, and renamed 529th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment
• 585th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 128th Guards Motorised Rifle Division, and renamed 820th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment

1.92 taken over by Ukraine.

Headquarters:

• Ohrdruf, East Germany, 5.57 - 10.91 [50 50 12N, 10 44 26E]
• Belaya Tserkov, Kiev Oblast, 10.91 - 1.92

Subordination:

• 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, 5.57 - 10.91
• Kiev Military District, 10.91 - 1.92

Equipment:

• 1974: 255 T-54/55
• 1979: T-64 (15 Gv.TP), T-62 (all MSP), 122mm 2s1 (172 Gv.MSP), 152mm 2s3 (artillery regiment), SA-6 (SAM regiment)
• 12.85: 11400 men, 177 T-62, 94 T-80, 230 BMP-1, 45 BMP-2, 160 BTR-60, 72 122mm 2s1, 24 122mm D-30, 54 152mm 2s3

Equipment 19.11.90 (CFE treaty holdings):

• Divisional HQ: 1 PRP-3, 3 R-145BM and 1 R-156BTR
• 117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 56 BMP-2, 87 BMP-1, 6 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 9 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 3 RKhM, 3 PU-12, 1 MT-55A and 7 MT-LBT
• 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 151 BTR-60, 2 BMP-2, 3 BMP-1, 4 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 9 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 9 R-145BM, 3 PU-12, 2 MT-55A and 1 MT-LBT
• 172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 48 BMP-2, 96 BMP-1, 5 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 9 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 3 RKhM, 1R-145BM, 2 PU-12, 1 MT-55A and 7 MT-LBT
• 585th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment: 31 T-80, 146 BTR-60, 5 BMP-2, 4 BRM-1K, 18 2s1 Gvozdika, 18 2s12 Sani, 9 BMP-1KSh, 3 PRP-3/4, 9 R-145BM, 2 PU-12, 2 MT-55A and 1 MT-LBT
• 87th Guards Artillery Regiment: 52 2s3 Akatsiya, 18 BM-21 Grad, 5 PRP-3/4, 3 1V18, 1 1V19, 1 R-145BM, 1 R-156BTR and 3 MT-LBT
• 915th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment: ZRK Kub (SA-6), 1 R-145BM and 1 R-156BTR
• 23rd independent Tank Battalion: 31 T-80, 1 BMP-2, 1 BMP-1, 1 BMP-1KSh, 1 BREM-2 and 1 MT-55A
• 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion: 1 PRP-3 and 7 MT-LBT
• 11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion: 15 BMP-1, 7 BRM-1K, 1 R-145BM, 1 R-156BTR and 1 BMP-1KSh
• 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion: 10 R-145BM, 1 R-156BTR and 1 R-2AM
• 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion: 3 UR-67
• 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion: 1 BREM-2

Divisional coordinates:

• Ohrdruf barracks (Lager) [US designation: Ohrdruf Army Barracks 221]: 50 50 01N, 10 45 07E (Divisional HQ, 120th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, 15th Guards Tank Regiment, 915th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, 154th independent Guards Communications Battalion, 49th independent Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion, 33rd independent Medical Battalion and 1128th independent Material Supply Battalion)
• Gotha barracks (Heeresflak Kaserne) [US designation: Gotha Army Barracks 281]: 50 56 24N, 10 40 22E (172nd Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, 87th Guards Artillery Regiment, 1563rd independent Missile Battalion, 272nd independent Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion, 514th independent Chemical Defence Battalion and 00 independent Reactive Artillery Battery)
• Meiningen barracks (Barbara Kaserne) [US designation: Meiningen Army Barracks 201]: 50 35 37N, 10 25 18E (117th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment)
• Meiningen barracks (Haupt Kaserne) [US designation: Meiningen Army Barracks 202]: 50 34 41N, 10 25 11E (11th independent Guards Reconnaissance Battalion, 23rd independent Tank Battalion and 489th independent Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion)
• Weimar-Nohra airfield [US designation: Weimar Airfield 602]: 50 58 35N, 11 14 46E (000 independent Helicopter Detachment)
• Haßleben airfield [US designation: Hassleben Airfield]: 51 06 48N, 11 00 52E (241st independent Helicopter Squadron)

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