Rifle Division No. 170 was formed in 1939 as a part Ural military district. Division headquarters and most of units were located in Sterlitamak.
The staff of the division was formed in peaceful time; designated personnel was brought up to full strength by human resources from The Bashkir ASSR.
On the 22nd of June 1941 the division was included into rifle corps No.62 of High Command Reserve Army.
On the second day of the Great Patriotic War the division units started setting off to the front. On the 29th of June first echelons arrived in Kuznetsovka and Sebezh in Pskov region.
Late June-early July 1941 the division gathered in Sebezh fortified area and replaced the rifle division No. 186.
Since the 3d of July the division got down to combating “T” SS motorised division of Sebezh fortified area. By the end of the 5th of July, the division had been pushed back for 5-6 km.
By the 10th of July rifle division No. 170 of rifle corps No. 51 had stopped the advancing opponent on the line Krementsy - Kuznetsovka station - eastern shore of the Sebezh lake - Selyava - Skorobovo - Dolgonovo - Teplyaki.
On the 13 of July the division was ordered to advance. The movement forward was optimistic in the beginning. The enemy was pushed back to Kuznetsovka station, but in the evening, they had to reverse to Idritsa, since the Germans outperformed them in human forces and fire capacity.
Major General T.K Silkin was appointed to command the defence of Velikiye Luki and was killed on his duty. His chore was layed on colonel Nikolay Laskin (living 16.07.1941-04.10.1941).
On the 17th of July in a violent fighting near Pustoshka the division was cut in two bearing huge losses.
On the 20th of July the division appeared near Ustavna village in North-West from Nevel. It was ordered to attack the enemy in the direction of Nevel town. But they faced strong resistance and stopped near Telnoye and Khamchino. The division formed by rifle corps No. 51 had been separated from the main front by the Leningradskoye highway and from the rear by the 21st of July. The corps commander ordered to the division to hold restless battle and try to break through the enemy’s front on Begunovo - Zabolotye line aiming at relieving the besiege. All efforts were thrown to accomplish this task, yet it didn’t pay off.
On the 26th of July 1941 the division was heading to gathering and formation area (Dokukhino - Dubnyaki - Ushytsa collective farm). By the end of the day they had reached the destination. At night following the order the new rifle division No. 170 was formed with the remains of rifle divisions No. 98, 112 and 170.
By the 1st of August the division had stood up for defence on the shore of the Dolgoye lake near Plaksino. They were in the permanent state of a counter-attack.
On the 4th of October the division stood down.
It's worth noting that Army No. 22 disrupted Nazis plan for Blitzkrieg.
