Mikhail Mikeladze
Mikhail Gerasimovich Mikeladze | |
---|---|
Born | 22 October 1899 Kilda, Tiflis Governorate, Russian Empire |
Died | 5 July 1975 Tbilisi, Soviet Union | (aged 75)
Allegiance |
|
Service/ |
|
Years of service |
|
Rank | Major general |
Commands held |
|
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Order of Lenin |
Mikhail Gerasimovich Mikeladze (Russian: Михаил Герасимович Микеладзе, Georgian: მიხეილ გერასიმეს ძე მიქელაძე; 22 October 1899 – 5 July 1975) was a Soviet Army major general of Georgian ethnicity who held divisional and corps command in World War II.
Conscripted into the
Early life and World War I
A
In late September, he was sent to the
Mikeladze was wounded in action in the region of
Interwar period
Mikeladze joined the
Mikeladze was admitted to the
World War II
After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Mikeladze, by then a colonel, was placed at the disposal of
On 17 June, Mikeladze was appointed commander of the 195th Rifle Division. He arrived to take command of the division on 7 July as it was being sent to the front. Mikeladze led the division in the
Colonel Comrade Mikeladze acting together with the group of forces led by Colonel Comrade Piyashev, thanks to his energetic and correct actions in difficult combat conditions organized the offensive of flanking columns on the Gudauta pass and captured it. Further, through across a lake to the Anuchkha pass, he secured its seizure from the north with his group of forces, surrounding the enemy and taking the settlement of Pskhu, after which Colonel Comrade Mikeladze organized and developed the offensive further to the passes of Chmakhara and Adzapsh.
For the actions displayed by Colonel Comrade Mikeladze, he is deserving of the Order of the Red Banner.
Mikeladze served as army chief of staff from October while it defended the Main Caucasian Range. He was promoted to the rank of major general on 14 October.[6] After the German retreat from the North Caucasus in March 1943 the army was withdrawn to the reserve, and in May Mikeladze was appointed deputy commander of the 21st Guards Rifle Corps of the Steppe Military District.[1][2]
A month later he took command of the
Guards Major General Mikeladze, commanding the division, showed himself to be a tactical versatile, energetic general.
In the offensive battles for the breakthrough of the strongly fortified enemy defense in the region northeast of Krivoy Rog, the division in four days of combat operations broke through the defense and developing the offensive, joined battle to take the city of Krivoy Rog. As a result of his skillful leadership of the battle, the division guaranteed the seizure of the city and on 22 February 1944 the city of Krivoy Rog was taken.
In bitter fighting with enemy infantry and tanks, thanks to the skillful leadership of Major General Mikeladze, the division inflicted a strong blow on the enemy, during which it destroyed 19 enemy tanks and exterminated up to 2,400 German soldiers and officers.
For its conduct of the battle to break through the strongly fortified enemy defense northeast of Krivoy Rog, the division was recommended for the Order of the Red Banner and for the taking of the city of Krivoy Rog received the Krivoy Rog designation.
For his excellent carrying out of the orders to break through the strongly fortified enemy defense zone in the region northeast of Krivoy Rog and the taking of the city of Krivoy Rog, I recommend Major General Mikeladze for the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class.
During the Odessa Offensive that began on 26 March, the division took part in fighting for Razdelnaya, in which Mikeladze was wounded again on 5 April.[7] Evacuated to a hospital, he was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class on 3 June, for his command performance. The recommendation read:[9]
The 10th Guards Krivoy Rog Red Banner Airborne Division, liberating Soviet Ukraine from the German invaders, fought from Kharkov to Tiraspol, forcing major rivers: the Dnieper, Southern Bug, and Dniester.
For its merits in battle for the Homeland, the division was conferred the Krivoy Rog title and awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Under the command of Major General M. G. Mikeladze, the division liberated the mines of Krivoy Rog, forced the Southern Bug and in the April battles of 1944 took the town and major rail junction of Razdelnaya by storm, for which it was commended by Supreme High Commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Stalin and received a state award.
In the period he commanded the division, Major General M. G. Mikeladze showed himself to be a courageous and strong-willed commander, able to fulfill combat objectives set by the command. In battles for Razdelnaya, directly leading with battle orders, he was wounded and evacuated for hospital treatment.
For his exemplary fulfillment of command orders, for skillful command of a formation and displaying personal heroism in the battles for the liberation of Soviet Ukraine he is deserving of a state award, the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class.
After recovering, Mikeladze was appointed commander of the 13th Rifle Corps of the Transcaucasus Front in October, spending the rest of the war covering the Soviet–Turkish border and the Black Sea coast.[1][2]
Postwar
After the end of the war, Mikeladze commanded the corps until he was moved up to deputy commander of the 18th Army on 11 December. In June 1946 he took command of the 414th Rifle Division, then from March 1947 served as deputy chief of the rear of the Transcaucasus Military District. In May 1953 he was appointed chief of the military department of the Georgia Polytechnic Institute. He was transferred to the reserve on 13 December 1955, and died on 5 July 1975 in Tbilisi.[1][2]
Awards
Mikeladze was a recipient of the following awards:[1][2]
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner (3)
- Order of Suvorov, 2nd class
- Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tsapayev & Goremykin 2015, pp. 804–806.
- ^ a b c d e f g Vozhakin 2006, pp. 368–369.
- ^ "История 195 сд". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian). pp. 14, 21, 25.
- ^ "Директива Ставки ВГК № 994172 командующему войсками Закавказского фронта о смене командования 46-й армии. 27 августа 1942 г." docs.historyrussia.org. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Микеладзе Михаил Герасимович: Орден Красного Знамени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian). 13 December 1942.
- ^ "О присвоении воинских званий высшему начальствующему составу Красной Армии". Vechernyaya Moskva (in Russian). 15 October 1942. p. 1.
- ^ a b Tatarchevsky & Moskvin 1946, pp. 3, 5.
- ^ "Микеладзе Михаил Герасимович: Орден Суворова II степени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
- ^ "Микеладзе Михаил Герасимович: Орден Богдана Хмельницкого II степени". Pamyat Naroda (in Russian).
Bibliography
- 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.
- Vozhakin, Mikhail Georgievich, ed. (2006). Великая Отечественная. Комкоры. Военный биографический словарь [The Great Patriotic War: Corps Commanders: Military Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Moscow: Kuchkovo Pole. ISBN 5901679083.
Military documents
- Tatarchevsky; Moskvin (1946). "Краткая история 10 гв. вдд /переименованной в 126 гв. сд/" [Short history of the 10th Guards Airborne Division, renamed the 126th Guards Rifle Division]. Pamyat Naroda (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. (Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, fond 1343, opus 0000001, file 0006)