99th Rifle Division ( Soviet Union ) The 99th Rifle Division ( Russian : 99 - я стрелковая дивизия " 99 - ya strelkovaya diviziya " ) was an infantry division of the Soviet Union ' s Red Army which fought in World War II . It was first formed in 1924 , destroyed , reformed and raised to Guards status , and then reformed once again . First Formation . It was first formed in April 1924 at Cherkassy in the Ural MD on the basis of the 44th Rifle Division as the 99th ( territorial ) Rifle Division . In 1926 it consisted of the 295th , 296th , and 297th Rifle Regiments . In 1931 it was translated ( transferred ) on a personnel basis . In 1939 it took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland as part of the 13th Rifle Corps , 12th Army , Ukrainian Front . On 29 September 1939 the division entered Przemyśl . Recognised as one of the best divisions in the Army under Andrey Vlasov ' s command in 1940 . On 22 June 1941 it was serving with 8th Rifle Corps , 26th Army , Southwestern Front , and participated in a counterstroke at Przemyśl ( Перемышль ) . During the German - Soviet War , on 27 June 1941 the division left Przemyśl for Нижанковичи , Рудня , Комарно , Nikolaev , and then Vinnitsa . On 22 July 1941 the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its actions at Przemyśl . In the Uman encirclement in July – August 1941 , most of the division was lost or was taken prisoner , with only a part of the division artillery and rear services avoiding capture ; in total , from the Uman ' kessel ' only about two thousand soldiers broke free , though carrying with them the divisional banner , and also the banners of its units . On 1 May 1942 the division was part of the 57th Army alongside the 14th Guards Rifle Division , 150th , 317th , and 351st Rifle Divisions preparing to fight what became the Second Battle of Kharkov . During the battle the division was practically wiped out at Izyum in mid - May 1942 , when it was surrounded at Barvenkovo ( place ) , with only 1067 of the unit ' s personnel managing to evade capture . From 8 to 15 June 1942 the division was transferred out of the Southern Front , and from the Redkovskiye Peski area the division was sent to Balashov to be reorganised . During this period it was part of the 6th Reserve Army . From 10 July 1942 the division was transferred to the 8th Reserve Army , though it may have stayed at Balashov , reforming , until as late as August 1942 . The division then fought at Stalingrad . On 1 September 1942 the division was part of the 66th Army , preparing for its part in Operation Uranus , and 1 December 1942 the division was still with the 66th Army but the Army had been transferred from the Stalingrad Front to the Don Front . By 10 March 1943 , as part of the 62nd Army the division was loaded on a train at station Panshino and sent to the disposition of the Southwestern Front at Dvurechnaya station ( literally two - rivers ) . On 18 April 1943 it became the 88th Guards Rifle Division . 2nd Formation . The division was recreated from 99th Rifle Brigade in May 1943 . Fought near Zhitomir and in Carpathians . With 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front 5 . 45 . The division was disbanded in 1945 – 46 . Awards and honours . The division won four awards and an honorific title . On 22 July 1941 the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its fighting at Przemyśl . On 14 October 1943 the division was awarded the honourable name " Zaporozhye " . On 19 . 09 . 1944 it was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky . On 9 August 1944 it was awarded the Order of Suvorov , and on 26 May 1945 the Order of Lenin . On 18 May 1945 , its commander , Colonel Derzian , decorated members of Major General Paul ’ s 26th Infantry Division in Upper Austria " for illustrious fulfillment of battle orders of the Command in the war against the German invader " .