Bashkir Cavalry Division No. 112 lasted from November 1941 till April 1942 by human and tangible means of the republic.
The division was led by colonel Minnigali Shaimuratov.
The private staff was formed by draftees from agricultural regions. Collective farms provided horses, bread and feed for the cavalry division. The enterprises of the republic were producing machine-gun carts, field kitchens, saddles, outfit and shoes.
In April or May 1942 Bashkir cavalry division set off to the front. It entered Cavalry corps No. 2 of the Third Army of Bryansk front, the Fifth Tank Army, Cavalry corps No. 8 later on renamed Guard Cavalry Corps No. 7 of the First Belarus front. The division took part in battles in Kursk region, battle of Stalingrad, Chernigov as well as different towns and villages in Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. They participated in East Pomeranian and Berlin Offensives. Their deeds earned them an honour name of Guard Cavalry Division No. 16 (on 14th of February 1943).
Guard Cavalry Division No. 16 was a part of Kalinkovich-Mozyr Offensive late 1943 - early 1944.
The division was awarded with the Order of Lenin (in 1945) for brave retaking of Polish towns, with the Order of Red Banner (in 1944) for defeating Mozyr group and retaking Mozyr town, with the Order of Suvorov II class (1944) for impeccable completion of missions in battles of Chelm and Lublin; with the Order of Kutuzov II class (1945) for profound actions during Berlin Offensive and taking Brandenburg. 3 860 division soldiers were awarded with orders and medals, 78 of them became Heroes of the Soviet Union, five of them received Orders of Glory.
After Minigali Shaimuratov had died the division got the new leader Grigoriy Belov.
