The 352nd Rifle Division started forming in August 1941, as a standard Red Army rifle division, at Bugulma in Tatarstan. When it entered the fighting it was assigned to the Western Front before Moscow, and it would remain in that Front for most of the war; when Western Front was dissolved the division went to one of its successor Fronts and served there until the last few weeks. It took part in the first Soviet winter counteroffensive, then played peripheral roles in the battles around the Rhzev salient, before advancing in the offensive that liberated Smolensk in the summer of 1943. After a series of frustrating attempts during the autumn and winter of 1943-44, the city of Orsha was finally liberated in the opening days of Operation Bagration, and the 352nd was recognized for its role in the battle. Soon after it was further decorated for its part in the liberation of Grodno. In the winter of 1945 the 352nd took part in the invasion of East Prussia and the capture of Königsberg, but in April it finally was swung off its very straightforward combat path when it and its 31st Army were transferred to 1st Ukrainian Front advancing into Czechoslovakia. Soon after the German surrender the division was slated as one of those to be disbanded in place in central Europe.
Formation
The division began forming on August 1, 1941, in the Volga Military District at Bugulma. Its first commander, Col. Yurii Mikhailovich Prokofev, was assigned the same day. Its basic order of battle was as follows: 1158th Rifle Regiment 1160th Rifle Regiment 1162nd Rifle Regiment 914th Artillery Regiment At the time it was forming the division's personnel was noted as containing a "high percentage of Tatars", which is unsurprising, given the location. The 352nd remained in Volga District until November 28, when it was ordered by STAVKA to join the 20th Army in the Moscow region. It departed Bugulma the next day and covered 1,250 km by rail over three days, arriving in Khimki early on December 2, an average of 400 km per day despite conditions of enemy air attack during the latter stages.
Battle of Moscow
As the division concentrated in the Khimki area on December 2, Western Front ordered 20th Army to go over to the offensive to seize the area of Krasnaya Polyana, Vladychino and Kholmy. Over the course of the next day the 331st Rifle Division and two rifle brigades advanced up to 2 km towards Krasnaya Polyana. The fighting for this village went on through December 6 against a stubborn defense by a battalion of the 106th Infantry Division, with tanks. The next day the 352nd was ordered to withdraw from this fight and concentrate in the area of Marfino in order to continue the offensive to the west. On December 11 the commander of 20th Army, Maj. Gen. A. A. Vlasov, ordered his forces to take Solnechnogorsk, where the division was to concentrate along with the 7th Guards Mortar Battalion. In the event encircling moves by other elements of the Army forced the enemy to abandon this town, and by evening the division had reached Peshki, helping to capture four tanks, 13 motor vehicles, seven mortars and 13 artillery pieces. Over the following week the 352nd continued to act as the Army reserve and on December 17 was concentrated in the area of Shapkino and Stegachevo.