page_title: 252nd Rifle Division
section_title: Kirovograd to Prague
hierarchical_section_title: 252nd Rifle Division / Kirovograd to Prague
caption_attribution_description: English: Positions of the 252nd Rifle Division from the Danube to Székesfehérvár, 30 November 1944 to 1 January 1945
context_page_description: The 252nd Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army during World War II.
  It was raised in June 1941, within days of the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, based on the prewar rifle division Shtat 04/400, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. The 252nd's first experience of battle was when it took part in the fighting north of Smolensk in the summer of 1941. It was forced eastward in the autumn, especially under the impact of Operation Typhoon. After helping to defeat an offensive by Third Panzer Group at Kalinin in October, and serving through the winter counteroffensive west of Moscow, the division was sent south where it participated in the Battle of Stalingrad.
  In the summer of 1943 the 252nd distinguished itself in the final liberation of Kharkov, for which it received its first battle honor, as well as the Order of the Red Banner. Following this the division continued to fight through eastern and western Ukraine and into Moldova, receiving further distinctions along the way.
context_section_description: The division remained in 53rd Army for the rest of the year, then transferred to 4th Guards Army in 2nd Ukrainian Front on January 9, 1944. It remained in this front through the spring and summer, in either 4th Guards or 52nd Army. The division fought in the Kirovograd Offensive during the first half of January and the Korsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive between late January and February. It was transferred to the 52nd Army on February 13. During the Uman–Botoșani Offensive, on March 19 the 252nd was recognized for its role in the liberation of Uman with the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd degree. After crossing the Dniester, it helped capture the key rail junction and city of Beltsy on March 26. For these actions, in addition to its reaching the Soviet border, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class, on April 8. From April 10 the division participated in defensive actions at Bursuceni and Teșcureni in Bessarabia with the 78th Rifle Corps of 52nd Army. With the corps, it returned to the 4th Guards Army on August 16 to fight in the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive. In the latter, it helped to defeat the German-Romanian forces around Jassy and Kishinev, and took part in the capture of Ungheni on August 22. From September 9 to October 5 it was once again withdrawn to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding at Lutsk, then relocated to Arad with the army. As part of this, the 110th Antitank Battalion was re-equipped with 12 SU-76 self-propelled guns.
  With the 4th Guards Army, the division was transferred to the 4th Ukrainian Front on November 3 and reconcentrated in Hungary, where it fought in the Budapest Offensive. During this, the division crossed the Danube on December 1, establishing a bridgehead on the right bank, allowing for the ferrying of other units to it. The division went on to participate in the capture of Székesfehérvár on 23 December.
  The division held positions north of Lake Balaton in mid-January, with the 1st Guards Fortified District to the south, as part of the 135th Rifle Corps. The main attack of Operation Konrad III, a  counterattack launched by the German IV SS Panzer Corps in an attempt to relieve the Siege of Budapest. The brunt of the attack was borne by the 1st Guards Fortified District and the 928th Rifle Regiment, which held a front of 5 km (3.1 mi) on the left flank of the division. The German attack began at 06:30 on January 18, and broke through the 1st Guards Fortified District, whose anti-tank capabilities proved too weak to stop Tiger II tanks. As a result, the 1st Panzer Division bypassed the left flank of the 252nd and entered its rear, surrounding the 928th, whose men broke out in small groups. To the right of the 928th, the 932nd Rifle Regiment retreated under German pressure to the line of a canal south of Székesfehérvár. The collapse of the Soviet lines allowed the German forces to reach the corps headquarters, disrupting command and control. 
  Elements of the 252nd, along with the 93rd Rifle Division, formed a defensive line on the Sárvíz Canal, where demolished bridges stopped the advance of the IV SS Panzer Corps' left flank. The lines of communication of the division were disrupted by Messerschmitt Bf 109 strafing and bombing attacks on January 19 due to temporary clear skies. By 10:00 on January 22, the 252nd, whose sector was now relatively calm, took up positions behind the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps in the strip of land between Lake Velence and the Danube. On January 24 the 5th Guards retreated in the face of the German attack back to the line of the 252nd, which had suffered heavy losses at the beginning of Konrad III, but the defense in the sector held due to the introduction of Soviet mechanized forces and Ilyushin Il-2 air attacks on the German advance.
  With the 46th Army from February 3, 1945 the division repulsed German attempts to break the siege in the Esztergom area. The division was transferred to the 23rd Rifle Corps on February 19. With the 46th Army, it transferred back to the 2nd Ukrainian Front on February 21. The 252nd fought in the Vienna Of
caption: Positions of the division during the advance from the Danube to  Székesfehérvár
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