General Aleksandr Gorbatov

Discussion in 'The Eastern Front' started by Thomas McCall, Jun 2, 2004.

  1. Thomas McCall

    Thomas McCall Senior Member

    General Aleksandr Gorbatov was one of the victims of the Soviet Union's Great Purges of the Red Army of 1937-38 he was sent to a Gulag camp either Vorkuta or Kolyma where he was serving his sentence for a counter revolutionary crime.

    But after Nazi Germany's invasion in June 1941 he was released and derved again as a General in the Red Army. The only other detail I know about him is that his unit was envolved in the attack on Berlin in 1945. And that's the limit of what I know about him so has anyone got any information on his career in the Red Army that they can post.

    Thanks.
     
  2. BlackSeptember1918

    BlackSeptember1918 Junior Member

    Thomas
    I only have one index reference I can find to General A.V. Gorbatov . It's from a Russian perspective of the Battle of Kursk . It states :
    The Stavka accorded a critical role in collapsing the Orel salient to Colonel General M.M. Popov's Briansk Front , whose 3d , 61st , and 63d Armies would all play an important role in the operation . Lieutenant General A.V. Gorbatov'e 3d Army crouched opposite the nose of the German Orel salient ready to strike Westwards towards Orel from the Novosil region . A World War and Civil War veteran , Gorbatov rose through division and corps command during the first two years of the war to assume command of the 3d Army in june 43 . He led this Army until wars end , in the process earning the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his Army's supurb performance in the 1945 East Prussian operation . In July 43 Gorbatov's Army counted a single rifle corps headquarters , a total of six rifle divisions , and supporting armour and artillery , for a strength of about 60,000 men and 100 tanks and self-propelled guns .
    Although not much information , perhaps you can trace this army's progress . Possibly I have some stuff on them , and when I have a chance i'll take a look and see if i can add anything .
    Phil.
     
  3. BlackSeptember1918

    BlackSeptember1918 Junior Member

    Thomas
    I found that Gorbatov wrote a book about his experiences of the Russian purges . It's called " Years off my Life " by A.V. Gorbatov . It was translated into english in 1965 by Gordon Clough and Anthony Cash . It dosen't seem to be an easy book to get hold of , but there are copies for sale around the world .
    Phil.
     
  4. Thomas McCall

    Thomas McCall Senior Member

    Thanks a lot BlackSeptember I ll take your advice and try to track Gorbatov's army.
     

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