It spent much of the next year in the same general area, west of the capital, taking part in the mostly futile battles against the German-held salient at Rzhev during late 1942.

It took part in the summer offensives through western Russia and into eastern Belarus during the fall and winter, earning a battle honor in January, 1944.

It was considered to be ready for combat by the end of October, and shipped out to the west as part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command in the first days of November.

The division was specifically assigned to defend the sector from Sidorenki to Burinovskii station and prevent German tanks and infantry from breaking through in the direction of Burinovo and Kalugino.

General Aleksandrov was ordered to prepare antitank strongpoints near Terekhun, the wooded area east of Burinovo, in the woods near Burinovskii station, Stanki station and near Kalugino; in addition a switch position was to be constructed along the northern bank of the Nara River along the sector from Dubrovka to Butyrki and a rear position along a line from Shakhlovo to Kalugino.

[5] The 415th encountered the heaviest resistance along the Alozha River about 1 km west of Makarovo and after forcing a crossing its offensive developed more successfully.

The Army was directed be fighting for the Medyn area by the end of January 10 and have possession of Myatlevo 24 hours later, and committed an airborne corps, four rifle divisions and two tank brigades to the effort.

The advance continued on January 12 and during the next day the 5th Airborne encircled the garrison in Medyn, which broke out in small groups overnight towards Myatlevo with the loss of about 2,000 men and substantial equipment.

As of January 15 the division was fighting unsuccessfully for the villages of Bogdanovo and Ivanishchevo along the Shanya River and the Army's drive bogged down along this line.

In the final attack plan the 415th was to demonstrate an envelopment from the left flank as a distraction, allowing the 1st Guards to mount a quick frontal blow and break in.

On December 11 the relatively-fresh 415th made an attack on a 4km front between Bolshoe Kropotovo and Zherebtsovo alongside the 243rd, 247th and 30th Guards Rifle Divisions in the first echelon.

The combined forces of the rifle divisions made scanty gains of 500 - 1,000 metres at significant cost, and failed to capture a single German-held fortified village.

The Soviet offensive against the German-held salient centered on the city of Oryol began with limited, local reconnaissance thrusts on July 11 with the full assault beginning the next day, just as Hitler was deciding to shut down Operation Citadel.

On the same day Gen. W. Model gave the order for his combined 2nd Panzer and 9th Armies to prepare to withdraw to the Hagen position at the base of the salient.

[13] Shortly after Bolkhov was taken the 415th was subordinated to the 46th Rifle Corps[14] and on August 1 Col. Pavel Ivanovich Moshchalkov took over command of the division, where he would remain for the duration of the war.

[15] Later that month the 415th was reassigned to 89th Rifle Corps, and was advancing on Bryansk in the late summer before the entire 61st Army was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command by the beginning of September.

In late September the Army arrived along the Dniepr River on a broad front extending from Loev to south of Liubech, but the 89th Corps was unable to gain any footholds on the west bank due to strong German resistance and well-organized artillery and mortar fire.

In preparation for the Gomel - Rechitsa Offensive Central Front underwent a major regrouping from October 8–14, during which 89 Corps was redeployed into new positions south of Liubech.

In heavy fighting over the next week the Soviet attackers forced elements of German 2nd Army to make a phased withdrawal to new positions in the rear and advanced as much as 20 km, but neither of the primary objectives were taken.

As a result of this fighting the division had to be replenished with what the Germans called "booty Ukrainians"; for example, on December 17 the 415th received 550 new riflemen of all ages from Kiev and Zhitomir, with less than two months training in the 21st Reserve Regiment stationed at Chernobyl.

Meanwhile, the 415th, in cooperation with local partisans, opened a gap on the German flank allowing the two cavalry corps and begin a raid deep into the rear in the direction of Mozyr.

On January 13 the 415th arrived to mount a joint assault with 7th Guards Cavalry but this "struck thin air" because Corps Detachment E had already begun its withdrawal, with just rearguards remain to delay the Soviet troops.

The troops who participated in the liberation of Mozyr and Kalinkovichi, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 14 January 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns.

In danger of encirclement, the German grouping was falling back to the west before the Army's right flank and center but was otherwise stubbornly defending the approaches to Luninets and Pinsk.

The outer line was held by the 216th Divisional Group and three worker battalions while the city itself was occupied by remnants of the 35th Infantry Division and the 17th Special Designation Brigade.

On the night of July 13/14 the Army made a turning maneuver to attack the city from the north, south and east, with the help of the Dniepr Flotilla, and crushed German resistance, clearing the center by 0600 hours.

[27] For its role in the liberation of Pinsk the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on July 23,[28] while the 1323rd (Maj. Georgii Andreevich Molchanov) and 1326th (Maj. Nikolai Pavlovich Kleshchin) Rifle Regiments were both granted its name as a battle honor.

[30] Shortly after these victories the entire 61st Army was moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command, where the division was again assigned to the 9th Guards Rifle Corps.

[38] For its actions in the capture of the north German towns of Stargard, Naugard, and Polzin the division received its final decoration, the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree, on April 26.