The 7th Siberian Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Siberian Rifle Corps of the Imperial Russian Army that participated in World War I.
History[]
The 7th Siberian Rifle Division was formed in 1903. The division had the following structure during its existence:
- Divisional Headquarters
- 1st Brigade
- 25th (General Lieutenant Kondratenko's) Siberian Rifle Regiment
- 26th Siberian Rifle Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 27th Siberian Rifle Regiment
- 28th Siberian Rifle Regiment
- 7th East-Siberian Rifle Artillery Division
During the division's entire existence, the division was only stationed in the Siberian town of Irkutsk.
In 1903 the 7th East Siberian Rifle Brigade was formed in the town of Port Arthur in Eastern China. Upon formation, the former Port Arthur Fortress Regiments became the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th East-Siberian Infantry Regiments. Upon formation, the regiment joined the division. Upon formation the former Port Arthur Artillery Brigade joined the division and renamed as the 7th East-Siberian Rifle Artillery Division. By 1904 the regiments of the division were expanded to 2 regular battalions and one reserve. Upon moving to Irkutsk in 1906, the division joined the new formed 3rd Siberian Army Corps also stationed in the same city. By 1910, the regiments removed the "East" out of their names but retained their numbers.
When World War I started the division was shipped out to the Eastern Front and operated under the 3rd Siberian Corps and most notably fought at their first battle at the Battle of Lyk and Battle of Augustow later the Siege of Letzen. During the battles, the division captured 13 guns and 6 Machine-Guns. By late 1914 the division was strongly under strength. In December the 26th Siberian Regiment was surrounded but fought very ferociously to finally break out in two months. The 26th's defense helped to kept the 3rd Siberian Army Corps being completely surrounded and destroyed.
From March 7th—21st 1916, the division lost 21% of their personnel killed or wounded. By August 1918, the division was disbanded due to low strength and almost being captured when under the 2nd Army.
Commanders[]
- Commander-in-Chiefs
- 1907—1910 Lieutenant General Dmitrievich Butovsky Nikolai
- 1910—1912 Lieutenant General Alexander Alexandrovich Dushkevich
- 1912—1914 Lieutenant General Ilyich Sulimov Nikolai
- 1914—1914 Lieutenant General Onofrievich Trofimov Vladimir
- 1914—1915 Lieutenant General Nikolayevich Bratanov Vasily
- 1915—1917 Major General Sergey Ilyich Bogdanovich
- 1917—1917 Major General Alexander Ivanovich Nesterovsky
- 1917—1917 Major General Joseph I. Viven de Chateaubren
- 1917—1918 Major General Nikolay Stepanovich Stasyuk
- Divisional Commanders
- 1914—1915 Colonel Victor Lukich Popov
- 1915—1916 Colonel Pavel Pavlovich Dyakonov
- 1916—1916 Major General Vladimir Ivanovich Voskresensky I
- 1st Brigade Commanders
- 1904—1905 Major General Nikolayevich Gorbatovsky Vladimir
- 1906—1914 Major General Onufrievich Trofimov Vladimir
- 1914—1914 Major General Vladimir Kirillovich Zubov
- 1914—1916 Major General Vasily Emelyanovich Myasnikov
- 2nd Brigade Commanders
- 1906—1909 Major General Olgert Viktorovich Rypinsky
- 1910—1914 Major General Maksimovich Ivanov Nikolai
- 1914—1914 Lieutenant General Onofrievich Trofimov Vladimir
- 1916—1917 Major General Andrei Ivanovich Panafutin