Pyotr Koshevoy
Pyotr Koshevoy | |
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Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |
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| Years of service | 1920–1969 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union |
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Pyotr Kirillovich Koshevoy (Ukrainian: Петро Кирилович Кошовий; Russian: Пётр Кириллович Кошевой; 21 December [O.S. 8 December] 1904 – 30 August 1976) was a Soviet military commander and a Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Koshevoy was born to a Ukrainian peasant family and joined the
24th Guards Rifle Division, fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad and the North Caucasus
.
Koshevoy commanded the
East Prussian Offensive. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice – in 1944, for the taking of Mount Sapun during the Crimean Offensive and in 1945, for his part in the capture of Königsberg
.
Following the war, Koshevoy commanded the
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
in 1965. Koshevoy was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1968, but was dismissed from command of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany in late 1969.
Early life, Russian Civil War, and interwar period
Koshevoy was born on 21 December [
Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine.[3]
After the end of the war, in August 1922, Koshevoy was sent to study at the Crimean Cavalry Courses, and upon graduation in October 1923 was appointed a squadron
VTsIK Combined Military School as an assistant machine gun squadron commander.[3]
After attending the Armored Commanders' Advanced Training Courses (KUKS) in
Leningrad between March and May 1932, he returned to the school to briefly become a platoon commander in the mechanized battalion. From September of that year, Koshevoy served as head of the regimental school of the 61st Regiment, part of the Special Cavalry Division (formed from the Special Cavalry Brigade). He became assistant chief of the 1st (operations) section of the staff of the regiment in May 1935, and from October of that year was regimental chief of staff. Koshevoy entered the Frunze Military Academy in May 1936 and upon graduation in January 1939 was appointed chief of staff of the 15th Cavalry Division, stationed in the Transbaikal Military District. He was transferred to command the 65th Rifle Division of the district in February 1940.[3] Koshevoy was assigned the rank of colonel on 29 February when the Red Army adopted personal military ranks.[2]
World War II
After
Donbass Offensives.[3]
During the Donbass Offensive, Koshevoy was appointed commander of the
Pillau. During the offensive, according to his superiors, Koshevoy personally organized the attacks of the corps and led from the front, in the "most critical and dangerous" areas of Insterburg. For his "skillful leadership" in the offensive, "courage and heroism", he received the title Hero of the Soviet Union a second time on 19 April.[3]
Postwar
After the end of the war, Koshevoy continued to command the corps. He commanded the
5th Army of the Primorsky Military District, which became part of the Far Eastern Military District in April 1953. Promoted to colonel general on 31 May 1954,[2] Koshevoy was transferred to command the 11th Guards Army in the Baltic Military District in June 1954 and became first deputy commander-in-chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) in July 1955. He commanded the Siberian Military District from July 1957 and the Kiev Military District from April 1960, being promoted to army general on 13 April 1964. Koshevoy became commander-in-chief of the GSFG in January 1965. Although promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union on 15 April 1968, he was transferred to the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense as an inspector general in October 1969, a retirement post for aging senior officers. Koshevoy lived in Moscow, where he died on 30 August 1976. He was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.[3][2] His memoirs of his World War II service, In the war years (Russian: В годы военные), were published in 1978 by Voenizdat.[4]
Honors and awards
Koshevoy was a recipient of the following awards and decorations:[2]
- Hero of the Soviet Union, twice (16 May 1944, 19 April 1945)
- Five Orders of Lenin(17 December 1941, 16 May 1944, 30 April 1945, 9 December 1964, 22 February 1968)
- Order of the October Revolution (4 December 1974)
- Order of the Red Banner, three times (3 November 1944, 15 November 1950, 21 February 1969)
- Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 1st class (5 May 1945)
- Order of Suvorov, 2nd class (31 March 1943)
- Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class, twice (17 September 1943, 4 July 1944)
- Eleven campaign and jubilee medals
- Ten foreign orders and medals
Koshevoy was a candidate member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1971, and a sixth and seventh convocation delegate of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.[3]
A bronze bust of Koshevoy was installed in Oleksandriia. In 1976, the Omsk Tank School was named in his honor.[3]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Sergeyev, Igor, ed. (1999). "Кошевой Пётр Кириллович" [Koshevoy Pyotr Kirillovich]. Военная энциклопедия в 8 томах [Military Encyclopedia in 8 volumes] (in Russian). Vol. 4. Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 249. ISBN 5-203-01876-6.
- 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.
- Vasilevsky, Alexander (December 1974). "От красноармейца до Маршала Советского Союза" [From Red Army man to Marshal of the Soviet Union]. Voyenno-istorichesky Zhurnal (Military-Historical Journal) (in Russian) (12). Moscow: Krasnaya Zvezda: 25–28.
- Yermakov, Viktor Fyodorovich, ed. (1996). Маршалы Советского Союза. Личные дела рассказывают [Marshals of the Soviet Union: Personal files reveal] (in Russian). Moscow: Lyubimaya kniga. ISBN 978-5-7656-0012-2.
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