I. S. Lazarenko, was killed a few days later; despite this loss it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its successful crossing of the Dniepr River and the liberation of Mogilev.

The division continued to advance through Belarus and into Poland and eastern Germany over the following months, but despite a fine record of service was disbanded soon after the German surrender.

By this time, after nearly a month of counteroffensive against German Army Group Center, the rifle divisions of Kalinin Front averaged less than 3,700 men, so the 369th was a welcome reinforcement.

[2] Beginning on January 8, 1942, 39th Army took part in the Sychevka-Vyasma Offensive Operation, which was planned "to encircle, and then capture or destroy the enemy's entire Mozhaisk - Gzhatsk - Vyasma grouping",[3] that is, what later became known as the Rzhev salient.

Although the 369th was counted as destroyed by German intelligence in February, enough men escaped that it was not officially disbanded, but it would spend months recovering from the ordeal.

While this offensive did gain some ground east of the city, Rzhev never fell, and the August fighting cost 30th Army more than 80,000 casualties.

[citation needed] In April the division was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for a further rebuilding, assigned to 11th Army.

In the last week of that month, the 3rd and 50th Armies, and part of the 10th, began the Novyi Bykhov - Propoisk Offensive across the Sozh River.

By late on November 30, 50th Army had closed up to a new defense line from Chavusy diagonally to the Dniepr River at Novyi Bykhov.

While important gains were made, there was no breakthrough, in part due to the rifle divisions of all three armies numbering roughly 3,500 men each, and the 369th saw little action before the attack was suspended on January 8.

In late March the commander of what was now designated 1st Belorussian Front, Army Gen. K. K. Rokossovsky, produced a plan to eliminate the German bridgehead over the Dniepr, based on Mogilev.

50th Army formed a shock group based on 46th and 121st Rifle Corps, but the 369th was assigned a flank support role.

During heavy fighting near the village of Kholm, Lazarenko, who had been promoted to major general earlier in the year, was killed in action.

[18] The battle continued on June 27, during which 2nd Belorussian Front cleared the entire east bank of the Dniepr, while 49th Army crossed the river both north and south of Mogilev.

A gap opened between the German 110th Infantry Division and the city's defenders, allowing the Army's engineers to build a 16-tonne and 30-tonne bridge across the Dniepr.

The 369th and 290th Rifle Divisions, along with 50th Army's 121st Corps, followed the 23rd Guards Tank Brigade and the 1434th Self-Propelled Gun Regiment (SU-85s[19]) across the river and struck Mogilev from the northwest, which led to street fighting during the night.

[23] The 1227th Rifle Regiment was awarded the Order of Aleksandr Nevsky on September 1 for its role in the fighting for Osowiec and its fortifications.

[28] After a brief halt and a regrouping 70th Army was ordered to resume the offensive on February 22 in the direction of Konarzyny, Reinwasser and Bartin.

During April 18-19 the Front launched intensive reconnaissance efforts in preparation for the crossings, including the elimination of German advance parties in the lowlands between the East and West Oder.

On the following day 70th Army beat off eight German attacks, captured Penkun, and advanced 15 km (9.3 mi), completing the breakthrough of the Oder defensive line, while 96th Corps reached the northern outskirts of Blumberg and Kasekow.

[32] 70th Army resumed its offensive on the morning of April 26 and forced a crossing of the Randow River, the German second defensive zone, along its entire front.

On May 3 contact was made with British Second Army east of Wismar and the next day reached the Baltic in the Warnemunde sector, where the 369th ended the war.