The 308th Rifle Division first started forming on 25 December 1941 at Ivanovo in the Moscow Military District.

The 308th Rifle Division (2nd formation) was formed in accordance with Order Number 0044 of the Siberian Military District dated 21 March 1942.

[2] It was formed at Omsk in the Siberian Military District, using 20% Red Army men (active duty), 25% returning wounded veterans, 25% reservists from industry, and 30% new recruits from the classes of 1922-23.

The enemy forces unleashed on the division powerful artillery fire, mortars, aircraft and tanks.

In the fighting at Stalingrad the division arrived came on the night of October 2, 1942, under Colonel Leontii Gurtev.

Reassigned to the Volga Military District to be rebuilt, the division spent the next several months reconstituting its strength.

Colonel Leontii Nikolaevich Gurt'ev[4] took over the division on 1 March 1942, was promoted to major general on 7 December 1942, and was killed in action at Pamanlovo on 3 August 1943.

His successor as division commander was Colonel Nikolai Kuz'mich Maslennikov,[4] who took over officially on 4 August 1943 and was promoted to major general on 22 September 1943.

Maslennikov was commander until the 308th became the 120th Guards Rifle Division in September 1943 in accordance with NKO Order Number 285.

This division was organized as a Red Army national unit from 5 June to 7 July 1944 from the 1st Latvian Riflemen Reserve Regiment at Gorkiy in the Moscow Military District.