high passes of the Caucasus mountains towards the Black Sea port of Tuapse. At this time the 328th was in 18th Army reserves, along with 11th Guards Cavalry Division, 145th Naval Infantry Regiment and 40th Motorized Rifle Brigade. The German attack made fairly slow progress through this difficult terrain, but by September 29 had made gains that forced command changes in the Soviet forces and the commitment of the 328th and the 40th Brigade to shore up 18th Army's center and right flank. Further instructions from the STAVKA on October 2 ordered: Meanwhile, the balance of the division was to continue to help defend the Khadyshenskii - Tuapse road. In the event this attack was preempted by a German attack on the day before, but the Soviet defenses brought the German advance to a halt on October 9, barely short of the road. A renewal of the offensive on October 21 smashed the 408th Rifle Division and forced its remnants to break out and retreat; by this point 17th Army's leading troops were just 30km from their goal. On October 24 the Slovak Motorized Division of LVII Panzer Corps attacked westward north of the Tuapse road towards Mount Sarai, and captured it from 68th Rifle Brigade. However, a counterattack by the 328th and the 32nd Guards Rifle Division against the Slovaks' flanks broke up their advance, and the positions of the 68th Brigade were retaken. The complex fighting in this region went on until early November until it was brought to a halt by attrition, exhaustion, and the onset of winter weather. At the end of the year the division was withdrawn from 18th Army to the reserves of the Black Sea Group. On January 13, 1943, as the German forces withdrew from the Caucasus and the Red Army advanced, the 889th Artillery Regiment was "swapped" for the 687th Artillery Regiment from 236th Rifle Division. The regiment continued as the 687th until August, when it was redesignated back to the 889th. From February to May 1943, the division was in the reserves of North Caucasus Front, eventually being assigned to the new 10th Rifle Corps. It was in this Front and this Corps when it was assigned to 56th Army in May. Into Ukraine and Belarus On May 6, Colonel Petunin handed his command over to Col. Ivan Grigorevich Pavlovskii, who would remain in command for the duration of the