Researching Red Army/Navy Units

[Al-muell]

There was a unit called Tamanskya (Tumanskaya?) division.
Does anyone know anything about this unit?
Many thanks in advance

[Simon]

2nd 'Tamanskaya' Guards Motor Rifle Division usually participates in Red Square parades.

Here is a link to a Russian Defence Ministry article on this division. It is in Russian but it has many photos.

http://www.mil.ru/articles/article4563.shtml

Also, wikipedia encyclopedia mentions this unit in the "Russian Guards" article.

During 1991 coup, Yeltsin climbed on top of a tank and made a speech. It was a tank of Tamansky division.

[desantnik]

Simon, you could be and are probably correct, but one needs to be careful with honorific titles. "Taman" was a city in Crimea or in Russia just butting up to the Crimean penninsula (if memory serves me correct) and several units could have been granted that title.

Also, the Motorized Rifle Division you refer to would not have actually earned the title, an earlier unit from which the MRD was formed would have actually earned it and it would have had a different designation.
Thus, unless we have a more defined instance where the title is used, "Taman" or "Tamanskaya" could refer to either the legacy unit which originally earned the title, the MRD you refer to, or possibly even another unit which earned the title and chose to refer to itself as such. Confusing?

I am writing a book on Soviet veteran znachki and unfortunately many units just referred to themselves by honorifics, such as "Uzhgorod". Memory is fading as to which units these sometimes beautiful badges belonged and often my Russian collector friends scratch their heads.

[Al-muell]

Many thanks!
One of my friends once told me that he served in this unit and that he participated in some October Revolution anniversary parade in Moscow, so I guess it's this unit

[DougD]

Is it possible to research a unit of the Red Army by simply knowing the name of the unit and the award it was given? I want to research an NKVD Border Troops unit that was awarded the Red Banner, but I lack the serial number of the award.

DougD

[Dave]

Doug-

I always think of myself as research savvy, but I'm at a loss with this one... Desantnik might know, but I can't remember a time that anyone I know of ever researched the award to a unit without the award number. It MIGHT be possible if you know roughly when the award was given, and even (better yet) the Ukaz date/number for the award. Otherwise, I think it might be fairly difficult.

On another thought, what might be easiest is to try and find a unit history or order of battle which might list what they recieved the award for. For example, in some of Sharpe's books, he lists the unit awards for some of the units and what they received them for (not a verbatim citation, but just "for the liberation of XXXX town")

What's the unit name/number?

Dave

[DougD]

Dave-

I tried the unit ID / history first (though my Sharpes are packed right now) but its a small unit, an 'otryad' so its tough. Also, it being NKVD I have limited resources to draw upon.

Its the 39th 'Red Banner' NKVD Border "Otryad". The flag is from 1943, so I have to assume that the award was given in 1941, but can't be sure.

DD

[desantnik]

Doug, I've never heard of this, I guess ask the guy that does it. As you are probably aware, he can do an individual's name, but a unit, and an NKVD unit at that might be a no-go. I was able to find about 30 awards' serial numbers listed to units, but the reverse of how you're trying to do it - I started with the numbered award being on the unit banner.

[DougD]

I know its probably a dead end, but maybe its possible. I don't think that there were many red banners to early NKVD Border units, so maybe someone has a mention of it. -DD

[matteti]

Hello All!
I am looking for any information possible about the 878th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 8th Guards Army for the years 1943-45.

Obviously, It's so easy to find about ther 8th Guards Army, and even for some regiments within the divisions composing the army, but I cannot find anything about the air defense artillery (zenap).

I would like to know more about their integration in the 8th Army, under which corps, division it was from. Also, if there are any maps out there showing their location/progression toward Berlin would be appreciated.

So, far, I was able to google and find that the regiment freed Odessa and was awarded the title "Odessa" ... (878th "Odessa" Air Defense Regiment) and received the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov III as well, but I don't know why and when.