The division landed in eastern Crimea as part of the 51st Army during the Kerch–Feodosiya landing operation, which occurred in late-December 1941 and set off the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula. The landing operation sought to relieve Soviet forces trapped in Sevastopol in southwestern Crimea, but a German counterattack in mid-January forced the Soviets, including the 390th division, to retreat eastward; they eventually were cornered in the Kerch Peninsula. As a result of language problems due to lack of Russian speakers in the division, the 390th was made into an Armenian national division in February and given an Armenian commander. The division was destroyed in the final German offensive, Operation Bustard Hunt, in May, and officially disbanded soon afterwards.