The battle for the Kostenki bridgehead — a heroic fight that laid the foundation for the liberation of the entire Khokholsky District of Voronezh Oblast.
In early December 1941, by order of the Military Council, the second formation of the 141st Rifle Division began in the city of Alatyr, Chuvash ASSR. The process took several months — from December 1941 to April 1942. Young soldiers, full of determination and patriotism, underwent military training, preparing for future battles. In May 1942 the division was included in the 3rd and then the 6th Reserve Armies. Training continued.
In early June 1942 the division was sent to an important strategic sector — the area of Povorino station in Voronezh Oblast. There they were to take up defense on the eastern bank of the Don River. On June 23 the division was ordered to occupy defensive positions along the Don, covering the sector from the mouth of the Voronezh River to the Podlesny khutor. The soldiers' task was serious: to prevent the enemy from crossing the Don.
On July 5 units of the division began moving to the front line. After unloading at several stations, they fought to hold their positions. By July 13 it was possible to completely clear the eastern bank of the Don of German forces. From that moment the 141st Rifle Division took up defense on a sector 47 kilometers long between the villages of Semiluki and Dukhovskoye. On the western bank the enemy had concentrated significant forces — the 2nd Hungarian Army numbering up to 6,000 men, supported by artillery. The enemy constantly tried to break through the positions, but our fighters steadfastly held the defense.
Events of August 1942.
The commander of the 40th Army, Lieutenant General Markian Mikhailovich Popov, personally visited the division's headquarters and gave the order to prepare an operation to seize a bridgehead on the western bank of the Don. The operation was to become a crucial stage in holding the front line.
Markian Mikhailovich Popov — a Soviet commander of the Great Patriotic War, Army General, Hero of the Soviet Union.
On the night of August 7–8 units of the 141st Division, consisting of the 687th and 745th Rifle Regiments, began to cross the Don River. Despite the heaviest losses, the soldiers heroically overcame enemy fire lines and repelled numerous counterattacks. By August 9 elements of the 687th Regiment had broken into Kostenki and taken several dozen enemy soldiers prisoner.
The Nazi forces were not going to surrender. The enemy pulled up reserves and launched a massive counterattack. The strength of the Soviet fighters was being exhausted, but their spirit remained unbroken. Many enemy firing positions and soldiers were destroyed in the battles for the Kostenki bridgehead. The operation lasted several days, each attack accompanied by fierce fighting. Despite heavy losses and the need to retreat, the division managed to hold a small bridgehead until the start of the Red Army's winter offensive — until January 13, 1943. On January 19, 1943, the village of Kostenki was liberated from the occupation of the Nazi invaders.
The heroism of the soldiers of the 141st Rifle Division, their steadfastness and selflessness will forever remain in the memory of the people of Russia. These events are a vivid example of how, even in the most difficult conditions, results can be achieved when the fighters have faith in a just cause and the determination to defend their Motherland.
