Sozh River
In spite of this, on September 28 the 1203rd Rifle Regiment, reinforced by the 257th Separate Army "Shtrafnaya" (Penal) Company, made a successful assault crossing of the Sozh River at Novaya Tereshkovichi. On the following day, the rest of the division crossed the river, and General Batov reinforced this bridgehead with a handful of tanks from the Army's 255th Tank Regiment. Shortly thereafter he ordered the 37th Guards and 140th Rifle Divisions to reinforce the bridgehead as well. On October 1 the three divisions attacked the German 6th Infantry Division's positions, and having breached them, fanned out to liberate the villages of Noyve and Starye Diatlovichi in heavy fighting. From October 18 to November 21 the division was temporarily under the command of Maj. Gen. Porfyrii Sergeevich Furt, until Alekseev returned to command.