Pavel Rotmistrov
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2013) |
Pavel Rotmistrov | |
---|---|
Battle of the Lower Dnepr Operation Bagration | |
Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Other work | Deputy Commander of the mechanized forces of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany Assistant Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union |
Pre-War
Rotmistrov joined the Red Army in 1919, and served during the
Second World War
Rotmistrov commanded his first tank battalion during the Soviet-Finish war. He started the war against Germany with the
almost in a point-blank range of 100–200 meters. As the German advance was noticed, spearheaded by the three most elite Waffen SS divisions towards Prokhorovka advancing in force, Rotmistrov ordered direct counter-attack from the army that was prepared to go by radioing "Steel, Steel, Steel" against the Germans to get close to them as possible to make up for the better guns the German tanks had. In the ensuing battle, a close-quarter open field tank battle ensued so that most shots from both sides were a direct hit. The distance between the forces was such that tanks were shooting each other from left and right one after another and close enough to ram the German tanks to disable their relatively powerful guns from turning.As the battle ended, significant losses were reported from the 5th Guards Tank Army. He was removed from command following Bagration and became deputy head of armored troops at the General Staff. The manner in which he conducted the battle including the heavy losses the 5th Guards Tank Army took was not unnoticed by Joseph Stalin that he planned to have Rotimstrov court-martialed and sacked for the heavy losses. This did not occur since Aleksandr Vasilevsky interceded. It is possible that the high losses incurred by the 5th Guards Tank Army at the
Post-War
Following the war he commanded the mechanized forces of the
Awards and decorations
- Soviet Union
- Foreign
Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (Poland) | |
Medal "For Oder, Neisse and the Baltic" (Poland)
| |
Medal "For Warsaw 1939-1945" (Poland)
| |
Medal of Victory and Freedom 1945 (Poland) |
References
- ^ Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О присвоении генерал-полковнику бронетанковых войск Ротмистрову П. А. военного звания маршала бронетанковых войск» от 21 февраля 1944 года // Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1944. — 29 февраля (№ 12 (272)). — С. 1
External links
- (in English) Biography on Generals.dk
- (in Russian) Biography