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.
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.
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.