Soviet senior officers (commander) casualties in WW2

[taurus]

On soldat.ru forum I read that it is only available in military unit bookshelves. Is that still true?

Yes it's true. The book did not come in wide sale. It can not be bought anywhere.
I could only get an electronic copy from the authors.

[Dann Falk]

The book "Fallen Soviet Generals" by Aleksander A. Maslov is available on Amazon.

It was translated by David M. Glantz. 285 pages. A good book.

[taurus]

Thank you for reminding me about this book. I'm not going to buy it. Yes, and I think there is still incomplete information on killing Soviet generals.

[taurus]

"Kombrigi" (Moscow, 2018, 682 p.).

"Комбриги".

Volume 2. Commanders of rifle, ski, airborne, fighter, scooter-motorcycle, motorized rifle and mechanized brigades.

[taurus]

"Комбриги" (Moscow, 2019, 800 p.).

Volume 3. Commanders of tank and self-propelled artillery brigades.

"Комбриги" (Moscow, 2020, 700 p.).

Volume 4. Commanders of artillery brigades, railway brigades, engineering brigades, automobile and motor transport brigades, signal brigades.

[Art]

A. Pechenkin's article on casualties of senior officers (generals and admirals):
https://liewar.ru/o-nashikh-poteryakh/2 ... vojny.html

Pechenkin counted 458 casualties (22.6.1941-9.5.1945). That includes:
182 men killed in action
62 died of wounds
15 missing in action
23 died in captivity
4 committed suicide on the battlefield
9 killed by mines
1 killed by "saboteurs" (?)
53 executed
6 committed suicide
19 killed in car and airplane accidents
2 other accidents
82 died of sickness

By rank:
1 Marshal
4 army generals
6 colonel generals
66 lieutenant generals
2 vice admirals
372 major generals
7 rear admirals

By year:
1941 - 107
1942 - 100
1943 - 94
1944 - 108
1945 - 49

By position:
Front commanders - 4
military district commanders - 2
deputy and assistant front and district commanders - 6
army commanders - 22
deputy army commanders - 8
corps commanders - 55
deputy corps commanders - 21
divisional commanders and deputy commanders - 129
brigade commanders - 8
group commanders - 4
Chief of staffs and deputy Cos of fronts, armies, corps and divisions - 26
Commanders of fronts, armies, corps artillery - 32
commanders of armored forces of fronts, districts and armies - 11
commanders of air forces of fronts, districts, armies and their deputies - 13
political officers of fronts and armies - 8
chiefs of supplies, engineers, signals o fronts and armies and their deputies - 20
generals of central apparatus of the People's Commissariat for Defense - 25
research institutes and military schools and academies - 38
admirals and generals of the navy - 17
Others - 9

These numbers include only generals and admirals in the strict sense of the world and don't include equivalent ranks. NKVD and other generals and equivalent ranks are not counted either. Finally, the count includes and dead and missing and doesn't include surviving prisoners, arrests, discharges etc.

[Art]

Of particular interest are casualties in the year 1941. Combining Pechenkin's data with the known information on Soviet generals taken prisoners by Axis forces we arrive to approximately 160 generals and admirals who died for all reasons, went missing or became POWs until the end of 1941. For comparison, the number of generals and admirals in the Red Army and Navy by the start of the war was 1076 ("Military cadres of the Soviet state..."). So casualties (not counting arrests and discharges) made about 15% of the initial number. Surprisingly, they were not as catastrophic as pre-war purges.

[mars]

Why those 9 killed by mines was not counted as Killed in action ?

[Art]

In September 1943 alone two army commanders (LG Zygin and LG Korzun) were killed in Ukraine when their cars ran over mines.
You can find a list of Soviet generals/admirals casualties in the Russian wiki:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0 ... 0%BD%D1%8B
Can't say how much it is complete.

[taurus]

Generals of the Red Army who were blown up by mines during World War II

Lieutenant General Pyotr Stepanovich Pshennikov - 28.12.1941.
commander of the 3rd Army.

Lieutenant General Pavel Petrovich Korzun - 09/16/1943.
commander of the 47th Army.

Lieutenant General Alexey Zygin - 09/27/1943.
commander of the 4th Guards Army.


Major General Timofey Vasilyevich Lebedev - 01/26/1942.
commander of the 193rd Infantry Division.

Rear Admiral Khoroshkhin Boris Vladimirovich - 08/01/1942.
commander of a separate trawling brigade of the Volga military flotilla.

Major General Usenko Matvey Alekseevich - 05/12/1943.
commander of the 97th Guards Rifle Division.

Major General of Artillery Chudin Vladislav Dmitrievich - 05/22/1943.
commander of the artillery of the 22nd army.

Major General of the Medical Service Petr Mironovich Zhuravlev - 08/08/1943.
chief of medical supplies and sanitary-economic property of the Main Military-Sanitary Directorate of the Red Army.

Major General Kosonogov Lev Vasilievich - 11/17/1943.
commander of the 117th Guards Rifle Division.

Major General Ilyin Alexander Mikhailovich - 05/28/1944.
commander of the 61st Rifle Corps.

Major General Babakhin Nikolai Ivanovich - 06/29/1944.
commander of the 9th Guards Rifle Division.

Major General Klyaro Ignatiy Vikentievich - 07/13/1944.
Deputy commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Corps.

Major General Ivan Alexandrovich Gavrilov - 08/23/1944.
member of the Military Council of the 4th Guards Army

Major General Yakimovich Anton Ivanovich - 08/25/1944.
commander of the 343rd Infantry Division.

Major General Perkov Stepan Pavlovich - 09/27/1944.
commander of the 132nd Rifle Corps.

Major General Sherstnev Grigory Ivanovich - 10/23/1944.
commander of the 79th Rifle Corps.

[Art]

Out of curiosity I've compiled a list of top pre-war Red Army commanders who became casualties in the 1941 campaign.

On the top level there were 17 military district commanders and 20 army commanders by June 1941.
Of them 12 became casualties by the end of the year.
1. Lieutenant general V.Ya.Kachalov (Arkhangelsk Military District) - killed in action on 4.8.41 (as commander of the operational group)
2. Army general D.G. Pavlov (West Special Military District, then the West Front) - sentenced and executed on 22.7.41
3. Colonel general M.P. Kirponos (Kiev Special Military District) - killed on 20.9.1941 (as commander of the South-West Front)
4. Lieutenant general F.A. Yershakov - taken prisoner on 2.11.41 (as commander of the 22 Army)
5. Lieutenant general A.K. Smirnov (Kharkov Military District) - killed on 8.10.41 (as commander of the 18 Army)
6. Major general A.A. Korobkov (4 Army) - sentenced and executed on 22.7.41
7. Major general M.I. Potapov (5 Army) - taken prisoner in September 1941
8. Lieutenant general I.N. Muzychenko (6 Army) - taken prisoner on 6.8.1941
9. Major general P.G. Ponedelin (12 Army) - taken prisoner on 7.8.1941
10. Lieutenant general P.M. Filatov (13 Army) - died of wounds on 14.7.41
11. Lieutenant general M.F. Lukin (16 Army) - taken prisoner on 14.10.1941 (as commander of the 19 Army)
12. Lieutenant general P.S. Pshennikov (23 Army) - killed by a mine explosion on 28.12.41 (as commander of the 3 Army)

Total 4 men killed, 1 died of wounds, 5 taken prisoners, 2 executed
In addition 1 general (major general P.P Sobennikov - 8 Army) was arrested and later in February 1942 was court-martialed and demoted to the colonel rank.

The remaining 24 generals occupied the following positions by the start of 1942:
7 front commanders
2 deputy and assistant front commanders
11 army commanders
1 operational group commander
3 military district commanders

[Art]

Corps commanders by June 1941: 62 commanders of rifle corps, 4 cavalry corps, 5 airborne corps (formally appointed after the war start), 29 mechanized corps. Of those 100 men casualties by the end of the year were 28:

1. 1 Rifle Corps CO major general M.G. Rubtsov - taken prisoner on 19.9.1941 (as 66 Rifle Corps commander)
2. 4 Rifle Corps CO major general Ye.A. Yegorov - taken prisoner on 29.6.41
3. 5 Rifle Corps CO major general A.V. Garnov - missing in action in June 1941
4. 7 Rifle Corps CO major general K.L. Dobroserdov - taken prisoner on 14.10.41 (as CoS of the 37 Army)
5. 8 Rifle Corps CO major general M.G. Snegov - taken prisoner on 7.8.41
6. 13 Rifle Corps CO major general N.K. Kirillov - taken prisoner on 10.8.41
7. 20 Rifle Corps CO major general S.I. Yeremin - killed on 28.7.41
8. 21 Rifle Corps CO major general V.B. Borisov - killed on 30.6.41
9. 24 Rifle Corps CO major general K.M. Kachanov - sentenced to death and executed on 29.9.41 (as commander of the 34 Army)
10. 25 Rifle Corps CO major general S.M. Chestokhvalov - went missing 17.7.41
11. 27 Rifle Corps CO major general P.D. Artemenko - taken prisoner on 27.9.41
12. 36 Rifle Corps CO major general P.V. Sysoyev - taken prisoner 11.7.41
13. 37 Rifle Corps CO kombrig S.P. Zybin - killed 7.8.41
14. 45 Rifle Corps CO komdiv E.Ya. Magon - killed 14.8.41 (as major general)
15. 49 Rifle Corps CO major general I.A. Kornilov - taken prisoner 7.10.41
16. 62 Rifle Corps CO major general I.P. Karmanov - went missing in October 1941
17. 63 Rifle Corps CO komkor L.G. Petrovskiy - killed 17.8.41 (as lieutenant general)
18. 66 Rifle Corps CO major general F.P Sudakov - killed 2.10.41 (as commander of the 49 Rifle Division)
19. 6 Cavalry Corps CO major general I.S. Nikitin - taken prisoner 6.7.41
20. 5 Mechanized Corps CO major general I.P. Aleskeyev - died of wounds 3.8.41
21. 6 Mechanized Corps CO major general M.G. Khatskilevich - killed in June 1941 (date and place are unknown)
22. 12 Mechanized Corps CO major general N.M. Shestopalov - taken prisoner on 27.6.41 and died of wounds in captivity on 12.7.41
23. 13 Mechanized Corps CO major general P.N. Akhlyustin - killed 28.7.41
24. 14 Mechanized Corps CO major general S.I. Oborin - sentenced to death and executed on 28.7.41
25. 16 Mechanized Corps CO komdiv A.D. Sokolov - taken prisoner in August 1941, died of wounds 17.8.41
26. 17 Mechanized Corps CO major general M.P. Petrov - died of wounds 10.10.1941 (as commander of the 50 Army)
27. 22 Mechanized Corps CO major general S.M. Kondrusev - killed 24.6.41
28. 24 Mechanized Corps CO major general V.I. Chistyakov - died of natural cause (heart disease) 18.8.41

Total 9 men killed, 2 died of wounds, 1 died of disease, 11 taken prisoners, 3 missing in action, 2 executed.

In addition 1 general (former CO 41 Rifle Corps major general I.S. Kosobutskiy) was sentenced to jail term, 3 generals were under arrests (former CO 2 Rifle Corps major general A.N. Yermakov, CO 6 Rifle Corps major general I.I. Alekseyev, CO 30 Rifle Corps lieutenant general I.V. Selivanov)

The remaining 68 men occupied the following positions by the start of 1942:
1 front commander
4 assistant and deputy front commanders, chiefs of front HQ sections
22 army commanders
10 deputy army commanders, chiefs of the army staffs, chiefs of the army services
9 corps commanders
1 operational group commander
5 divisional commanders
9 occupied various positions in the Red Army's central headquarters
1 instructor of the training courses
3 were recovering after heavy wounds
3 without certain positions or unidentified

[Art]

Let's continue with casualties of senior commander in 1941.

In June 1941 there were 303 commanders of combat divisions (198 rifle, mountain rifle and motorized rifle, 13 cavalry, 61 tank, 31 motorized). Of them 101 or exactly 1/3 became casualties by the end of the year according to my calculations. 37 men were killed, 7 died of wounds, 17 went missing in action, 32 were taken prisoners, 5 sentenced and executed, 3 committed suicide. The rough list goes as follows:

1. 6 Rifle Division – colonel Mikhail Antonovich Popsui-Shapko – sentenced and executed on 31.7.41 (? or killed/missing in August 1941 according to alternative version)
2. 8 Rifle Division – colonel Nikolay Isofovich Fomin – went missing on action in June 1941
3. 13 Rifle Division – major general Andrey Zinovievich Naumov – taken prisoner on 19.9.41
4. 14 Rifle Division – major general Aleksandr Afanasievich Zhurba – killed on 30.6.41
5. 17 Rifle Division – major general Terentiy Kirillovich Batsanov – killed 22.9.41
6. 19 Rifle Division – major general Yakov Georgievish Kotelnikov – killed 10.41
7. 23 Rifle Division – major general Vasiliy Fedotovich Pavlov – killed 26.6.41
8. 27 Rifle Division – major general Aleksandr Mikhailovich Stepanov – killed 11.08.41
9. 30 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Sergey Gavrilovich Galaktionov – sentenced and executed on 21.7.41
10. 37 Rifle Division – colonel Andery Yevseyevich Chekharin – went missing 20.10.41
11. 41 Rifle Division – major general Georgiy Nikolayevich Mikushev – died of wounds 11.9.41
12. 43 Rifle Division – major general Vladimir Vasilievich Kirpichnikov – taken prisoner 1.9.41
13. 44 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Semyon Akimovich Tkachenko – taken prisoner 7.8.41
14. 48 Rifle Division – major general Pavel Vasilievich Bogdanov – taken prisoner 17.7.41
15. 50 Rifle Division – major general Vasiliy Pavlovich Yevdokimov – went missing 7.41
16. 53 Rifle Division – colonel Ivan Yakovlevich Bartenev – taken prisoner 12.7.41
17. 55 Rifle Division – colonel Dmitriy Ivanovich Ivanyuk – went missing 26.6.41
18. 58 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Nikolay Igantievich Proshkin – taken prisoner 6.8.41
19. 60 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Markis Bikmulovich Salikhov – taken prisoner 24.8.41
20. 61 Rifle Division - colonel Nikolay Andreyevich Prischepa – died of wounds 18.8.41
21. 62 Rifle Division – colonel Mikhail Pavlovich Timoshenko – killed 9.9.41
22. 67 Rifle Division – major general Nikolay Andreyevich Dedayev – killed 26.6.41
23. 70 Rifle Division – major general Andrey Yegorovoch Fedyunin – committed suicide in encirclement
24. 72 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Pavel Ivlianovich Abramidze – taken prisoner 8.8.41
25. 80 Rifle Division – major general Vasiliy Ivanovich Prokhorov – taken prisoner 15.8.41
26. 83 Mountain Rifle Division – major general Sergey Artemievich Baidalinov – sentenced and executed on 12.7.41
27. 87 Rifle Division – major general Filipp Fyodorovich Alyabushev – killed 25.6.41
28. 88 Rifle Division – major general Andrey Ivanovich Zelentsov – killed 15.8.41
29. 89 Rifle Division – colonel Tit Fedorovich Kolesnikov – went missing 10.10.41
30. 90 Rifle Division – colonel Mikhail Ivanovich Golubev – killed 27.6.41
31. 97 Rifle Division – colonel Nikita Mikhailovich Zakharov – went missing 27.6.41
32. 111 Rifle Division – colonel Ivan Mikhailovich Ivanov – killed 11.7.41
33. 113 Rifle Division – major general Khristofor Nikolayevich Alaverdov – taken prisoner 1.7.31
34. 118 Rifle Division – major general Nikolay Mikhailovich Glovatskiy – sentenced and executed 3.8.41
35. 124 Rifle Division – major general Filipp Grigorievich Suschiy – died of wounds 14.7.41
36. 125 Rifle Division – major general Pavel Petrovich Bogaychuk – killed 21.12.41
37. 126 Rifle Division – major general Mikhail Gavrlilovich Kuznetsov – died of wounds 6.8.41
38. 128 Rifle Division – major general Andrey Semyonovich Zotov – taken prisoner 27.7.41
39. 134 Rifle Division – kombrig Vladimir Kuzmich Bazarov – killed 27.7.41
40. 139 Rifle Division – colonel Nikolay Logvinovich Logvinov – taken prisoner 8.8.41
41. 141 Rifle Division – major general Yakov Ivanovich Tonkonogov –taken prisoner 9.8.41
42. 143 Rifle Division – major general Dmitriy Potapovich Safonov – killed 26.6.41
43. 146 Rifle Division – major general Ivan Mikhalovich Gerasimov – taken prisoner 12.9.41
44. 151 Rifle Division – major general Vasiliy Ivanovich Neretin – killed 30.8.41
45. 159 Rifle Division – colonel Ivan Ananievich Maschenko – killed 23.6.41
46. 160 Rifle Division – major general Ivan Mikhalovich Skugarev – taken prisoner 5.9.41
47. 161 Rifle Division – colonel Aleksey Iosifovich Mikhailov – taken prisoner 7.41
48. 162 Rifle Division – colonel Nikolay Fedorovich Kolkunov – killed 2.10.41
49. 165 Rifle Division – colonel Ivan Vasilievich Zakharevich – taken prisoner 27.9.41
50. 166 Rifle Division – colonel Aleksey Nazarovich Kholzinev – killed 2.10.41
51. 169 Rifle Division – major general Ivan Yevdokilovich Turunov – died of wounds 5.8.41
52. 170 Rifle Division - major general Tikhon Konstantinovich Silkin – went missing 10.41
53. 171 Rifle Division – major general Aleskandr Yefimovich Budykho – taken prisoner 22.9.41
54. 172 Rifle Division - major general Mikhail Tomofeevich Romanov – taken prisoner 22.9.41
55. 173 Rifle Division – major general Sergey Vladimirovich Verzin - committed suicide in encirclement 9.8.41
56. 175 Rifle Division – colonel Semyon Mikhailovich Glovatskiy - went missing 9.41
57. 179 Rifle Division – colonel Aleksandr Iosifovich Ustinov – killed 13(14).7.41
58. 183 Rifle Division – colonel Pyotr Nikolayevich Tupikov – killed 2(4).07.41
59. 196 Rifle Division – major general Konstantin Yefimovich Kulikov – taken prisoner 21.9.41
60. 197 Rifle Division – colonel Stepan Dmitrievich Gubin – killed 6.8.41
61. 199 Rifle Division – colonel Aleksandr Nikolayevich Alekseyev – went missing 9.41
62. 217 Rifle Division – colonel Mikhail Alekseyevich Grachev – taken prisoner 12.10.41
63. 227 Rifle Division – colonel Fyodor Vasilievich Maltsev – went missing 22.9.41
64. 233 Rifle Division – colonel Grigoriy Federovich Kotov – went missing 8.41
65. 36 Cavalry Division – major general Yefim Sergeyevich Zybin – taken prisoner 22.8.41
66. 2 Tank Division – major general Yegor Nikolayevich Solyankin – killed 24(26).6.41
67. 4 Tank Division – major general Andrey Gerasimovich Potaturchev – taken prisoner 7.41
68. 7 Tank Division – major general Semyon Vasilyevich Borzilov – killed 28.9.41
69. 8 Tank Division – colonel Pyotr Semuonovich Fotchenkov – killed 8.41
70. 10 Tank Division – major general Sergey Yakovlevich Ogurtsov – taken prisoner between 7 and 10.8.41
71. 12 Tank Division – major general Timofey Andreyevich Mishanin – killed 28/6/41
72. 13 Tank Division – colonel Fyodor Ustinovich Grachev – killed 7.41
73. 16 Tank Division – colonel Mikhail Ivanovich Myndro – taken prisoner 8.41
74. 21 Tank Division – colonel Leonid Vasilievich Bunin – went missing
75. 22 Tank Division – major general Viktor Pavlovich Puganov – killed 24.6.41
76. 23 Tank Division – colonel Timofey Semyonovich Orlenko – died of wounds 14.10.41
77. 25 Tank Division – colonel Nikolay Matveyevich Nikoforov – taken prisoner 6.41
78. 29 Tank Division – colonel Nikolay Petrovich Studnev – killed 2.7.41
79. 34 Tank Division – colonel Ivan Vasilievich Vasilyev – killed 1.7.41
80. 36 Tank Division – colonel Sergey Zakharovich Miroshnikov – went missing 6.41
81. 38 Tank Division – colonel Sergey Ivanovich Kapustin – taken prisoner 9.41
82. 39 Tank Division – colonel Nikolay Vasilievich Starkov – killed 10(12).12.41
83. 44 Tank Division - colonel Vasiliy Petrovich Krymov – taken prisoner 6.8.41
84. 48 Tank Division – colonel Dmitriy Yakovlevich Yakovlev – sentenced and executed 5.9.41
85. 49 Tank Division – colonel Konstantin Federovich Shevtsov – taken prisoner 4.8.41
86. 52 Tank Division – colonel Grigoriy Mikhailovich Mikhailov – went missing 10.41
87. 56 Tank Division – colonel Ivan Dmitrievish Illarionov – killed 10.41
88. 58 Tank Division – major general Aleksandr Andreyevich Kotlyarov – committed suicide 20.11.41
89. 7 Motorized Division – colonel Aleksandr Vasilievich Gerasimov – killed 19(22).9.41
90. 15 Motorized Division - major general Nikolay Nikanorovich Belov – killed 9.8.41
91. 29 Motorized Division – major general Ibragim Paskayevich Bikzhanov – taken prisoner 25.7.41
92. 81 Motorized Division – colonel Pyotr Mikhailovich Varypayev – went missing 24.6.41
93. 109 Motorized Division – colonel Nikolay Pavlovich Krasnoretskiy – killed 22.10.41
94. 204 Motorized Division – colonel Aleksey Mikhailovich Pirov – went missing 8.41
95. 205 Motorized Division – colonel Filipp Fyodorovich Kudyurov – killed 21.12.41
96. 209 Motorized Division – colonel Aleksey Ilyich Muraviyov – went missing 25.6.41
97. 212 Motorized Division – major general Sergey Vasilyievich Baranov – taken prisoner 7.41
98. 213 Motorized Division – colonel Vasiliy Mikhailovich Osminskiy – taken prisoner, died in captivity 24.8.41
99. 215 Motorized Division – colonel Pavlin Andreyevich Barabanov – killed 9.9.41
100. 216 Motorized Division – colonel Ashot Sarkisovich Sarkisyan – killed 16.7.41
101. 218 Motorized Division – major general Fyodor Nikolayevich Shilov – died of wounds 3(4).9.41

In addition to these casualties 15 men were recovering after wounds, 7 stayed on the occupied territories (some as partisan leaders), 1 man was sentenced to jail term, 1 was under arrest, 3 escaped from German captivity and were going through filtration/investigation. Total 27.

The remaining 175 officers occupied the following positions at the start of 1942:
6 in Red Army central directorates and administration
4 in the fronts’ HQs
2 in the military districts’ HQs
3 army commanders
16 in the field armies’ HQs
3 operational groups commanders
5 corps commanders
84 divisional commanders
1 divisional chief of staff
22 brigade commanders
2 fortified region commanders
1 regimental commander
9 – various positions in training units and establishments (replacement units, schools, academies, courses etc)
2 - attended the General Staff Academy
15 – without positions or unidentified

[taurus]

Hello Art!
Thank you for your great work and detailed analysis of losses among the senior and senior command personnel of the Red Army in 1941.
I'll look at the entire list. I think most likely there will be some amendments, clarifications.

[Art]

You are welcome. That's only a rough list, and in many cases information was quite controversial or lacking.