9th Tank Division The 9th Tank Division was the designation of two separate formations of the Soviet Army . The original 9th Tank Division was formed in 1940 and later reorganized into a different division . During World War II , the Soviet Army formed the 9th Tank Corps , which was renamed the 9th Tank Division after the defeat of Germany in 1945 . This second instance of the 9th Tank Division served with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany from 1945 until about 1991 , when it was disbanded . 9th Tank Division ( 1940 ) and follow on units . The " 9th Tank Division " was a formation of the Red Army that saw action briefly in 1941 . It was formed in Mary , Turkmenistan , Central Asian Military District in the summer of 1940 . In April 1941 the division joined the newly formed 27th Mechanised Corps . However on 28 June 1941 the division was separated from its parent corps and re - designated the 104th Tank Division ( ) . The 104th Tank Division underwent its own organizational evolution , becoming first the 145th Tank Brigade and later the 43rd Guards Tank Brigade ( which was later designated a " heavy tank brigade " in 1945 ) . 9th Tank Corps . The " 9th Tank Corps " was formed on 12 May 1942 in the Moscow Military District . It fought in Russia , Poland , and Germany until 1945 . In 1945 the 9th Tank Corps was redesignated the 9th Tank Division . 1942 . Initial Composition : The 9th Tank Corps participated in the offensive of the left wing of the Western Front in the summer of 1942 . On 7 June the corps was stationed in the area of Voymirovo , Barankovo ( Kaluga Oblast ) , Kochukovo and Sukhoy Sot ( east of Kirov ) . On the orders of the commander of the 16th Army , the corps had the task , by 6 July 1942 , to enter into the breach ' Black ' to exploit the advantageous situation in the direction of Oslinka , Zhizdra , and Orlya . The corps entered combat only on the evening of 7 July . Due to poor reconnaissance and the movement of the first echelons , the corps became mired in a swamp . The corps suffered heavy losses , such that one of the brigades lost 50 % of its tanks . The entire night of 7 – 8 July was consumed by the recovery of mired vehicles . In general , commitment of the corps did not influence the battle , and on 14 July , the corps went on the defence . In August 1942 , the corps took part in a counterattack against the enemy in the area of Sukhinichi and Kozel ' sk . In September 1942 the 10th Motorized Brigade was removed to form a mechanized unit . The brigade was finally replaced in November 1942 with the assignment of the 8th Motorized Brigade from the 8th Tank Corps . The corps remained in reserve until February 1943 . During this time the 187th Tank Brigade left the corps and was replaced by the 108th Tank Brigade . 1943 . In March 1943 the corps was transferred to the Central Front , on the northern edge of the Kursk Salient in the area of Arseniyevsky , Trubitsyn , and Sergeevskie . On 7 May 1943 the corps was reinforced by the 133rd Guards Mortar Battalion ( eight BM - 13 ) and the 730th Antitank Battalion ( 12 85mm towed AT guns ) . It was sent to the front line on 7 July 1943 reinforced with the 1454th ( SU - 122 ) and 1455th ( SU - 76 ) Assault Gun Regiments . On the afternoon of 8 July , the corps entered combat . On 15 July , the leading elements fought their way into Buzuluk , not far from Maloarkhangelsk . On the same day , the corps broke into Maloarhangelsk . On 1 August , the corps led the offensive 14 kilometers south of Kromy in the settlements of Gostoml ' ( 15 kilometers south of Kromy ) and Shosse . On 2 August the corps reached the area of Parnyy , nine kilometers south of Kromy . By the end of 3 August , the fighting was at the Kolki - Sharikino road bend . On 4 August the corps crossed the Kroma River and was fighting to expand a bridgehead near Glinki - Leshnya 11 kilometers southwest of Kromy . The corps was temporarily reinforced by the 1540th ( SU - 152 ) Heavy SU Regiment during August . During the Chernigov - Pripyat Offensive the corps was introduced into battle in a surprise attack on 27 August south of Sevsk . On 30 August the 9th Tank Corps took part in the liberation of Glukhov , then continued the offensive in a south - westerly direction until 7 September , with the corps located on the Desna River . 9th Tank Corps was finally withdrawn for rest , reequipping , and reorganization in November 1943 . 1944 . The corps remained in STAVKA Reserves until April 1944 when it return to action with the following organization : On 24 June 1944 the corps began to take part in the Belorussian Offensive , stepping on the direction of Bobruisk district Rogachev Zhlobin . On 26 June , the hull broke forward and went to the Bobruisk in the east , went on the east bank of the Berezina river near Titovka , and by the next morning , he grabbed all the roads and crossing the north - east of the city . On 1 July is on the march from the vicinity of Osipovichi ( 8th Motorized Brigade in the area of settlement Shishchiny , The 95th Tank Brigade near the village of Lev , 23rd Tank Brigade - at the crossing in the village Zhitniy ) . On 4 July , the corps was included in the Cavalry - Mechanised Group of General Issa Pliyev and launched an attack on Baranavichy , which was taken on 8 July . Then was sent to Minsk , but was redirected to the southwest napravoenii , participated by the 23rd Tank Brigade in the release of Berezino participated in the liberation of Slonim a , Novogrudok and during the Lublin - Brest Operation Brest . In October 1944 the corps received its final reinforcement of the war with the assignment of the : were added to the unit . 1945 . On 14 January 1945 , the corps attacked as part of the offensive out of the Pulawy bridgehead on the west bank of the Vistula River , south of Warsaw . On 23 January , the corps took part in the capture of Bydgoszcz . During the East Pomeranian Offensive the corps was subordinated to the 3rd Shock Army and from 1 March 1945 the tank brigades were used to support infantry formations . During the Battle of Berlin the corps again was subordinated to the 3rd Shock Army as a mobile group and on 16 April 1945 was sent into action at 10 : 00 AM , advancing on the Seelow Heights , but did not have a significant impact on the offensive . On 18 April , in support of the 79th Rifle Corps , 9th Tank Corps crossed the Frielander waterway , the 23rd and 95th Tank Brigades in cooperation with the 150th Rifle Division captured Kunersdorf , and at the end of April 1945 , stormed the Reichstag building . 1945 - 1957 9th Tank Division . In common with all other Soviet tanks corps , the 9th Tank Corps was reorganised as the 9th Tank Division in mid - late 1945 . As part of the occupation forces , the 9th Tank Division was assigned to the 1st Guards Tank Army ( Known from 1946 - 1957 as the 1st Guards Mechanized Army ) . 1957 - 1965 13th Heavy Tank Division . In 1957 , it was reorganized and re - designated as the 13th Heavy Tank Division . It reverted to its original 9th Tank Division designation in 1965 . 1965 - 1991 9th Tank Division . The division retained this designation until the Soviet withdrawal from Germany in 1991 when it was moved to Smolensk and disbanded . Its divisional headquarters during the Cold War was based at Riesa . At the beginning of 1991 , the division included two tank and two mechanized infantry regiments ( both BMP ) . It was equipped with T - 80 tanks . On 19 November 1990 the 9th Tank Division had : Honorifics . " 9th Tank Bobruisk - Berlin Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division "