On 5–6 July 1941 the division attacked across the Dnepr River at Zhlobin as part of the 63rd Rifle Corps and 21st Army.

By early September when the German 2nd Panzer Group struck south the division, along with most of the Central and Southwestern Fronts in the Kiev Pocket and annihilated.

[1] The second formation was formed on 7 January by redesignating the 308th Rifle Division at Ivanovo in the Moscow Military District.

In late February the division left the Moscow Military District and moved to the Kalinin Front reserves.

In February 1944 the division briefly served in the 1st Baltic Front's 43rd Army and then went into STAVKA reserves and moved south.