15 km-wide and 12 km-deep and there was virtually nothing they could do to plug it. While the two Soviet armies continued to advance, the 354th remained held up at Ozarichi until January 25. A few days later the division was transferred to the 95th Rifle Corps and moved north from the still-contested town. The division remained in much the same positions through February, during which it was transferred again, this time to the 105th Rifle Corps, where it would remain for the duration. On February 14, Colonel Krimskii was replaced by Col. Nikolai Vasilievich Smirnov, who would hold command for the next two months. On the night of March 16, the LVI Panzer Corps began withdrawing from its forward positions, including those just west of Ozarichi. The divisional history describes the pursuit: The 354th, with its Corps, reached German 9th Army's new defenses along the Tremlia River late on March 17. All this came at a cost and during this month the rifle units in the division were at about 1/3rd their authorized strength. For example, on March 24 the 1201st Rifle Regiment consisted of: 1 rifle battalion 1 mortar battery with 3 120mm mortars and 30 men 1 regimental gun battery with 3 guns and 40 men 1 antitank battery with 2 45mm guns and 15 men 1 reconnaissance platoon with 20 men 1 submachine gun platoon with 15 men 1 antitank rifle platoon with 25 men 1 sapper platoon with 12 men 1 signal platoon (30 men); 1 transport platoon (12 men) and 1 medical platoon. Accordingly, from early April until early June the division was withdrawn to the reserves of 65th Army for rebuilding, after which it returned to the 105th Rifle Corps in the renamed 1st Belorussian Front. On April 15, Col. Sergei Andreevich Vdovin took command of the division, which he would hold until just after the start of the coming summer offensive. Operation Bagration At the start of that offensive, Operation Bagration, the 105th Rifle Corps was in the first echelon of 65th Army, with the 354th in second echelon of the Corps, behind the 75th Guards and 193rd Rifle Divisions. The 1st Guards Tank Corps was assigned to support the rifle divisions. They faced the German 36th Infantry Division of XXXXI Panzer Corps, a division that been badly battered during Operation Kutuzov a year earlier. The offensive opened at 0200 hrs. on