ers , ▁including ▁Colonel ▁S ime on ▁G . ▁Zak yan ▁( who ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁action ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁during ▁military ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁Ker ch ▁pen ins ula ), ▁Lieutenant - Col onel ▁And ran ik ▁S args yan , ▁Colonel ▁Art ash es ▁Vas ily an , ▁and ▁finally ▁Colonel ▁ ▁G . ▁Saf ary an , ▁who ▁took ▁over ▁command ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁would ▁eventually ▁att ain ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Major ▁General . ▁It ▁published ▁its ▁own ▁week ly ▁Armen ian - language ▁newspaper ▁called ▁the ▁Red ▁Sold ier ▁( <0xD4> <0xBF> ա ր մ ի ր ▁ <0xD4> <0xB6> ի ն վ ո ր ). ▁ ▁The ▁C au cas us ▁and ▁the ▁Crime a ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁ 8 9 th ▁Division ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁toward ▁the ▁North ▁C au cas us ▁Front , ▁where ▁it ▁took ▁up ▁def ensive ▁positions ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁German ▁drive ▁toward ▁Gro z ny . ▁From ▁November ▁to ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁unit ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁several ▁fier ce ▁batt les ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁Ele k hot vo , ▁Mal g ob ek , ▁and ▁V oz nes ensk aya ▁and ▁helped ▁bring ▁the ▁German ▁pen etr ation ▁into ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁to ▁a ▁halt . ▁As ▁the ▁Soviet ▁arm ies ▁shift ed ▁to ▁the ▁off ensive ▁during ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 2