The 392nd began forming on August 19, 1941 at Gori, Georgia, in the Transcaucasus Military District,[1] Its order of battle, based on the first wartime shtat (table of organization and equipment) for rifle divisions, was as follows: Lt. Col. Mikhail Vasilevich Evstigneev was assigned to command of the division on the day it formed, and he would remain in command until March 3, 1942.

"The Army had pulled back to the Baksan River before the German XXXX Panzer Corps began its drive on Mozdok on August 16.

On September 23 - 24 the 23rd Panzer advanced southward and captured two towns on the Terek, badly damaging the 295th and 11th NKVD Divisions on the right wing of 37th Army in the process.

The German offensive was renewed on October 25 in the directions of both Nalchik and Ordzhonikidze, targeting the 37th Army which was the weakest of those in the Northern Caucasus Group and had no armor whatsoever.

III Panzer Corps began with a powerful artillery preparation and heavy air strikes which, among other things, hit the Army headquarters, killing many staff officers and destroying its communication system.

[7] It was listed for 1 October and 1 November 1943 in 12th Rifle Corps in the Front reserve, but moved near the end of December, now in 45th Army along the Turkish border.