The division included headquarters, the political department, logistics and other services, three brigades of three infantry regiments each (numbered from 450th to 458th), communications and engineering battalions, and armored car detachments.

Blyukher himself arrived in Tyumen on 19 August and established his headquarters in the house of the merchant Kolokolnikov.

After the defeat of the White Army led by Alexander Kolchak, the division was relocated to Novonikolayevsk.

[3] The division was tasked with the repair of the Siberian railway and the Cheremhovsky coal mines, destroyed during the Russian Civil War.

[4] On 4 July, the division received orders to transfer to the Southern Front to fight against White Army units led by Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel.

On 3 August, the division was included in the group of forces on the right bank of the Dnieper and concentrated near Berislavlya.

On the night of 7 August, the 52nd and Latvian divisions crossed the Dnieper, captured Kakhovka and Alyosha, and began to advance on Melitopol.

Firmly entrenched in the bridgehead, the division routed opposing forces during 13th Army's second offensive on 21 August.

During battles in the Serogozy area on 28–29 August, the division reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the White units and conducted an orderly retreat back to the bridgehead.

The 51st Rifle Division was ordered to firmly defend the Kakhovka bridgehead from the planned White Army attack.

On 14 October, the White Army made a last desperate attack to capture the bridgehead and throw the 51st back across the Dnieper.

At the same time, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour of the Ukrainian SSR by the Central Election Commission.

Five soldiers of the division were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for their actions during the war.

[5] In June 1940, the division participated in the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia as part of the 14th Rifle Corps.

[6]On 22 June 1941, the division was part of the 14th Rifle Corps of the 9th Army in the Odessa Military District.

The division then was forced to retreat back to the Southern Bug and the Dnieper at Kakhovka and Kherson.

[5] The division was relocated to Makhachkala and became part of the Baku Military District's 124th Rifle Corps in the winter of 1945–46.