The Western Rifle Division (Polish: Zachodnia Dywizja Strzelców) was formed during the Russian Civil War,[1][2] and later redesignated the 52nd Rifle Division on 9 June 1919.[3] Most of its members were Poles until mid-1919.[4] It was reduced to a brigade and disbanded after the end of the Russian Civil War in 1921.
The division sustained heavy losses during the fights at Baranavichy against forces of Gen. Stanisław Szeptycki (part of the Polish Vilna offensive).[6] In February, according to Polish intelligence, the division had 5,067 soldiers and 15 machine guns.[7]
Following these losses, in June 1919 the division was heavily reinforced with Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians and lost its Polish character; it was then (9 June) renamed as 52nd Rifle Division of the Red Army. Commanders of the division were commissars Stanisław Bobiński and Stefan Żbikowski.[6]
Between March and July, the division fought against Polish troops in the area of Minsk and Maladzyechna. In August it fought in the direction of Baranavichy, then in the area of Barysaw and Byerazino in September and October, and in the area of Lyepyel in November.[5]
In August and September the 52nd fought in the defense of the Kakhovka bridgehead. In September it was transferred to the 6th Army, fighting in the Northern Taurida Operation of the Southern Front in October and November. During the operation, the 52nd fought in the area of Agayman and Nyzhni Sirohozy, and was temporarily directly subordinated to the front command in November. Between 7 and 17 November, the division fought in the Perekop–Chongar operation, crossing the Sivash and helping to capture the Ishun fortified position. The operation concluded with the final defeat and evacuation of the White Army in Crimea.[5]
In December, the 52nd protected the Black Sea coast in the estuaries of the Dnieper and Bug. On 13 December it received the honorific Yekaterinburg.
1921
In early 1921, the division participated in the suppression of anarchist leader Nestor Makhno's Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine in the Nikolayev area. In accordance with orders of the Kharkov Military District of 23 April and 11 June and a 6th Army order of 29 April, the 52nd was reorganized as the 52nd Separate Rifle Brigade, directly subordinated to the district headquarters. It was soon renumbered as the 136th and by a district order of 12 October was used to form the 1st Brigade of the 25th Rifle Division.[5]
12M. K. Dziewanowski, The Foundation of the Communist Party of Poland, American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 11, No. 2. (April 1952), pp. 106-122. p.115 JSTOR
↑Andrzej Leszek Szcześniak, Wojna polsko-radziecka 1918-1920 [Polish-Soviet War 1918–1920], pp. 27–28. Wydawnictwo ODISS, Warszawa 1989, ISBN83-7012-045-8.
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