39th Guards Rifle Division - Refit and Ukraine, 1943

Refit and Ukraine, 1943

Following the victory at Stalingrad the remnants of the 62nd Army, including the 39th Guards, was placed in reserve and became the basis for the newly-formed 8th Guards Army, receiving the honorific 'Guards' in honor of their heroic defense of Stalingrad. The army was placed under the command of Lieutenant General Vasily Chuikov. Through 1943 the 8th Guards Army fought across Ukraine, crossing the North Donets River, establishing a bridgehead south of Isyum, and in cooperation with adjacent armies, advanced on the Don Basin and ultimately liberated it. They fought across the Don, through Dnepropetrovsk, continuing to Zaporozhe, and participated in the fighting on the Zaporozhe bridgehead across the Dnepr on October 10–14.