The 140th Rifle Division was a Red Army rifle division that saw service during the Great Patriotic War. Originally formed during the prewar buildup of the Red Army, the 140th might be regarded as the unluckiest division in the Army, as it, uniquely, had to be completely, or almost completely, re-formed three times between 1941 and 1943, being destroyed in the Uman pocket during Operation Barbarossa, the Vyasma pocket during Operation Typhoon, and on the Caucasian steppes in the face of the German summer offensive of 1942. In spite of this, the fourth formation of the 140th went on to have a very distinguished record in combat, a testament to the resiliency of the Red Army in World War II. 1st Formation The division was first organized on August 16, 1939, at Uman in the Ukrainian (later: Kiev Special) Military District. Col. Luka Gerasimovich Basanets was appointed to command the division on the same day, and he would lead it through its entire 1st formation. On June 22, 1941, it was still in that District, and had the following order of battle: 445th Rifle Regiment 637th Rifle Regiment 798th Rifle Regiment 309th Light Artillery Regiment 371st Howitzer Regiment 181st Reconnaissance Battalion When the German invasion began, the 140th was assigned to the 36th Rifle Corps in Kiev Military District (Southwestern Front) reserves, and by June 27 it was in 6th Army, facing elements of the German XXXIV Army Corps north of Khmilnyk. On June 29 the Front commander, Col. Gen. M. P. Kirponos, criticized the performance of 36th Corps, stating in part: By late July the division was in 49th Rifle Corps, still in 6th Army, near Monastyryshche, but was later relocated to Southern Front. In early August the division was trapped in the encirclement at Uman, and was destroyed by the middle of the month. The division number was finally deleted from the Soviet order of battle on September 19. 2nd Formation On July 2 the 13th Moscow Militia Division began forming in the Rostokino District of Moscow. Its order of battle was as follows: 37th Militia Regiment 38th Militia Regiment 39th Militia Regiment Artillery Battalion (76mm) Artillery Battalion (45mm) Sapper, Reconnaissance and Signal Companies By July 6 the division had 11,000 personnel assigned, including 1,000 members of the Communist Party and 700 Komsomols. Three days later the division had 13,000 personnel, but some were reassigned to other militia