Aleksandr Maykov
Aleksandr Glebovich Maykov | |
|---|---|
 Maykov in the late 1940s | |
| Born | 17 October 1902 Maykovo, Tomsk Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | January 1977 (aged 74) Volgograd, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Service/ | Red Army |
| Years of service | 1924–1953 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Order of Lenin |
Aleksandr Glebovich Maykov (
Early life and prewar service
A Russian, Aleksandr Glebovich Maykov was born on 17 October 1902 in the village of
Maykov was at the
World War II
Five days after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, on 27 June 1941, Maykov, then a captain, was appointed commander of the 7th Reserve Rifle Regiment, a replacement unit at Gorky. Maykov was in the reserve of the district cadre department between August and October, before being appointed deputy commander of the 95th Reserve Rifle Regiment at Yefremov. In November, another reserve regiment was formed from this unit, after which both took part in the defense of the city. In early December, both regiments were evacuated to Cheboksary, and Maykov, then a major, was appointed commander of the 1st Separate Rifle Battalion of the 113th Separate Rifle Brigade, forming at Sarapul.[1][3]
The brigade was sent to the North Caucasus in April 1942 and tasked with defending the coast in the region of Anapa. In early August, the brigade and its parent 1st Separate Rifle Corps were relocated by rail to positions near Armavir, assigned to the 9th Army of the Southern Front, to stop the advance of the German 13th Panzer and 16th Motorized Divisions and the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking during the Battle of the Caucasus.[4] Maykov's battalion was tasked with defending the stanitsa of Krasnaya Polyana, entering battle on 3 August. Communications with the brigade headquarters were immediately lost and its battalions fought on their own. In the bloody fighting, Maykov's battalion was forced to abandon the stanitsa and retreat to the city of Kropotkino.[3] Maykov was seriously wounded on 4 August and evacuated to a hospital in Kutaisi.[1] His battalion was almost entirely killed in three days of combat, and the brigade suffered heavy losses.[3] The organizational disruption was such that Maykov was incorrectly reported missing.[5]
After recovering, Maykov was appointed commander of the 276th Rifle Regiment of the
Lieutenant Colonel Comrade Maykov has served as brigade deputy commander for combat units since February 1943.
During the bitter battles with the German invaders, which the units of the brigade waged in the spring of this year in the regions of Chernoyerkovskaya and Svistelnikovo and the stanitsa of Krymskaya, Lieutenant Colonel Comrade Maykov, constantly with the operational units, displayed decisiveness and boldness, ensuring that all missions assigned to subordinates by the brigade commander were carried out.
He is a tactically competent commander, able to make decisions and carry them out in the most difficult situations of modern battle to secure success. Comrade Maykov in every way possible makes strict demands of unit commanders.
Under his direct leadership units of the brigade, breaking through sustained enemy resistance, took Chernoyerkovskaya, Svistelnikovo and other settlements on the Kuban.
He is deserving of a state award: the Order of the Red Banner.
In July, the
Comrade Maykov, in the battles to hold the bridgehead in Crimea, and also during the breakthrough of the strongly fortified German defenses on the Urzhino axis, showed himself in battle to be a brave, decisive and fearless officer. After the seizure of a bridgehead in Crimea a solid defense was erected, the bridgehead expanded, and positions improved. Comrade Maykov made every effort to create a strong defense.
During the conduct of a local operation on 27 January 1944 to take Hill 17.4, two kilometers west of Urzhino, Krasnoperekopsky District, Comrade Maykov personally and the entire division showed high combat qualities – the height was taken by surprise, rapidly.
Based on the experience of the local operation Comrade Maykov prepared the division for the decisive offensive to break through the strongly fortified German defense.
Between 8 and 11 April 1944, during the offensive, bloody battles for Crimea, the division fulfilled its assigned missions: it destroyed the opposing enemy and reached positions in the Ishunsky District in cooperation with the 2nd Guards Army and pursued the enemy. On the most critical and weakest sectors of the fighting, Comrade Maykov displayed personal and rapid correction of shortcomings.
For the seizure and solid holding of a bridgehead in Crimea, for the accomplishment of the breakthrough of strong fortified German defenses in the division sector, that brought about the common defeat of the enemy in Crimea, he is deserving of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class.
After the end of the fighting in Crimea, the 257th and its parent 51st Army were withdrawn to the
In the position of division commander from March 1944.
The division was assigned to the corps on 5 February 1945. During the defensive battles of the division in the Baltic from October 1944, Colonel Maykov managed to organize the defense, impregnable to the enemy, despite the difficult terrain conditions of the Baltics.
The enemy repeatedly tried to break through to unite with his forces in East Prussia. Thanks to fine intelligence work the plans of the enemy were found out and suffered failure. The enemy suffered great losses in personnel and equipment. Colonel Maykov personally was brave and valiant, in difficult moments of the battle often appeared in forward lines, raising the personnel to feats.
For personal courage and organization of impregnable defenses with the infliction of heavy losses on the enemy, he is deserving of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class.
Postwar
Postwar, Maykov continued to command the 257th Rifle Division. The division was disbanded at
Awards
Maykov was a recipient of the following decorations:[1]
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner (2)
- Order of Suvorov, 2nd class
- Order of Aleksandr Nevsky
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
- Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) (1944)[2]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tsapayev & Goremykin 2015, pp. 671–673.
- ^ a b c "Майков Александр Глебович: Орден Александра Невского". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ a b c Doluda 2000, p. 15–17.
- ^ Kartashev 2021, pp. 23–24.
- ^ "Майков Александр Глебович: Донесение о безвозвратных потерях". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ "Майков Александр Глебович: Орден Красного Знамени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ "Майков Александр Глебович: Орден Суворова II степени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ "Майков Александр Глебович: Орден Отечественной войны I степени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ "Некролог" [Obituary]. Volgogradskaya Pravda (in Russian). January 1977.
Bibliography
- Doluda, Aleksandr (2000). Дважды рождённая [Twice Born] (in Russian) (2nd ed.). Kemerovo: Kemerovo Poligrafkombinat. ISBN 5-7489-0066-1.
- Kartashev, А. V. (2021). Бои на Ставрополье: жаркий август сорок второго [Battles in the Stavropol region: The Heated August of '42] (in Russian). Stavropol State Medical University. ISBN 978-5-89822-720-3.
- Tsapayev, D.A.; et al. (2015). Великая Отечественная: Комдивы. Военный биографический словарь [The Great Patriotic War: Division Commanders. Military Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). Vol. 4. Moscow: Kuchkovo Pole. ISBN 978-5-9950-0602-2.