Soviet THE SOVIET QUIZ - 2011 - QUIZ CLOSED

[kapten_windu]

...easy to say when you know the answer...

[JimZ]

Not sure the hint makes things any easier and I hope that the person in question is actually reserachable online.....

But lets try

I am not sure of the link with Rokossovsky as a "friend" - Rokossovsky once commented that he was considered as being Polish by the Russians and Russian by the Poles - perhaps not an ideal situation that led to too many friends. One Lieutenant General Mikhail Grigorevich Efremov however does fits the dates:

Born Feb. 27 (Mar. 11), 1897, in Tarusa; died Apr. 19, 1942, near the village of Zhary, Smolensk Oblast. Soviet military leader; lieutenant general (1940). Member of the CPSU from 1919.

Born into a worker’s family, Efremov was drafted into the army in 1915. He graduated from a school of ensigns and took part in World War I (1914–18). During the October Revolution he joined the Red Guards and took part in the October armed uprising in Moscow. He joined the Soviet Army in February 1918 and commanded a battalion and a railroad regiment during the defense of Astrakhan. During the Baku operation of 1920 he commanded a detachment of armored trains. At the end of 1920 he became commander of a rifle division. In 1927 he was a military advisor in China. He completed courses at the Military Political Academy in 1930 and graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1933. Subsequently he commanded a corps and the troops of several military districts. In January 1941 he became first deputy inspector general of the infantry of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. During the Great Patriotic War he was commander of troops of the Twenty-first Army (July-August 1941) and of the Central Front and deputy commander of troops of the Briansk Front (August-October 1941). In October 1941 he became commander of the Thirty-third Army. He took an active part in the Battle of Moscow in 1941–42 and in the Viaz’ma operation of 1942. Finding that he and part of the forces of the Thirty-third Army were en-circled, he directed their combat actions in the enemy’s rear and their breaking out of encirclement. He was gravely wounded in combat and, not wanting to be taken prisoner, shot himself. He is buried in Viaz’ma, where a monument by E. V. Vuchetich has been erected in his honor (1946). A deputy to the first convocation of the Supreme Soviet, Efremov was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Red Banner of the Azerbaijan SSR, and a medal.

Edited July 25, 2011 by JimZ
spelling error

[JimZ]

Vasily Ivanovich Kuznetsov 15 January 1894 also fits the bill....and again, not sure he was a "friend" of Rokossovsky.

Born to a working class family, he was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army at April 1915, taking part in World War I. On March the following year he completed officer training in Kazan, attaining the rank of a Podporuchik at July. On August 1918, after the October Revolution, he joined the Red Army, serving in the Russian Civil War first as a company commander and later as a deputy regimental commander. On October 1923 he was appointed commander of 89th Rifle Regiment. He joined the Communist Party at 1928. During 1929 he undertook advanced officers' training, and graduated from the Frunze Academy at 1936. On October that year he became the 99th Rifle Division's commander. At July the following year, he was transferred to head the 16th Rifle Corps. During September 1939, Komkor Kuznetsov participated in the Invasion of Poland as chief of the Vitebsk and Polotsk Army Groups. on 4 June 1940, with the indroduction of new ranks, he became a Lieutenant General

[kapten_windu]

None of above Jim..

One last clue for today: he died far after WW2 ended..

windu

[JimZ]

It cannot be THE Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (born 1 December 1896) can it....

He also joined the Russian Army in 1915, and was promoted to general in 1940, died in 1974.

He was also a "friend" of Rokossovsky...and here quote marks are really required in terms of the rivalry between the two!!!

Nah why did I bother suggesting...young zhukov looks nothing like our man......

:anmatcat:

Edited July 25, 2011 by JimZ

[Harvey]

Yeah, can't be Zhukov - here's a picture of him that appears to be from around the same time:

[JimZ]

Yes Harvey, in fact that is the same picture that I came across for young Zhukov..... two different people.

Any one else have any ideas - according to Windu its easy.......

[JimZ]

OK Guys - lets recap and put all the info together to Windu's "easy" question

OK, an easy question from me:

I'm a close friend of Marshall Rokossovsky,

I became a Lt. General in 1940..

and this my my photo when i was young:

who am i? when i was born?

another clue: in 1915 he enlisted on Russian Army..

One last clue for today: he died far after WW2 ended..

Could virtually be any one of many who fit that profile..... buy its NOT any of the following:

Semyon Timoshenko

Vasily Ivanovich Chuykov

Stanislav Gilyarovich Poplavsky

Andrey Ivanovich Yeromenko

Alexander Rodimtsev

Mikhail Grigorevich Efremov

Vasily Ivanovich Kuznetsov

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov

Anyone got any ideas before Windu has to give some other clue (that's actually a clue and not something so general to keep us chasing our tails ) - we've got a bone to chew on here....

Jim :cheers:

Edited July 25, 2011 by JimZ
: added original picture

[Hauptmann]

Grasping at straws here... as it seems we all are. It couldn't be Vasily Sokolovsky could it? He was promoted to Lt. General in 1940, lived till 1968... but I can't find anything saying he was part of the Imperial Russian Army.

Dan

[JimZ]

Hi Dan,

According to wiki:

"Sokolovsky was born into a peasant family in Kozliki, a small town in the province of Grodno, near Białystok in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). He worked as a teacher in a rural school, where he took part in a number of protests and demonstrations against the Tsar. He joined the Red Army in February 1918."

Places him out of the Red Army in 1915.......

Jim :cheers:

[kapten_windu]

OK, 2 clue for today:

1. he died in 80' decade

2. his decoration:

[kapten_windu]

sorry, i can't attach the photo..

OK, the 2nd clue: he got 5 Order of Lenin..

come on Gentlemen.. :cheers:

[kapten_windu]

I think i have to add one more clue, so this question can be answered, and we can continue to the next question..

a big clue: HE INVOLVED IN SPANISH CIVIL WAR..!! :cheers:

[Harvey]

Gentlemen, the answer has been found!

The picture is of Pavel Ivanovich Batov (June 1, 1897 – April 1985).

The commander of 65th Army, General Batov was born June 1, 1897 in the village of Filisovo in the Rybinsk district of the Yaroslavl region. A poor man from a peasant family, he graduated from the two-class rural primary school and at age 13 traveled to St. Petersburg where he worked as a loader and a peddler.

In November 1915 he was drafted into the Russian Imperial Army and served in the 3rd Guards Rifle Regiment. Wounded in WWI and awarded the cross of St. George for valor. Served as a machine-gun platoon commander, assistant director at the Rybinsk recruiting office, and as assistant director of the military Reserve officers and officers of the Moscow Military District during the Russian Civil War in 1918. He participated in the suppression of counter-revolutionary actions and rebellions in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, and Poshekhonye. In 1919, he was assistant commander and then commander of a rifle company.

He graduated from the Red Army's infantry tactical commanders advanced course in 1927 and two years later joined the Communist Party. In 1934, he served as commander of a rifle regiment in the 3rd Moscow Proletarian Infantry Division of the Moscow Military District. From December 1936 - August 1937 under the pseudonym "Pablo Fritz" he participated in a Spanish Civil War as a military adviser to the 12th International Brigade, and an adviser to the commander Teruelskim front.

Upon his return in August 1937 he was assigned as commander of the 10th Rifle Corps, then a year later reassigned as commander of the 3rd Infantry Corps. From 1939-1940 he participated in the Russo-Finnish War, commanding a rifle corps of the 13th Army on the Karelian Isthmus. From April to November 1940 he served as Deputy Commander of the Transcaucasus Military District, then commanded the 9th Special Rifle Corps in the Crimea, and June 20, 1941 at the same time was appointed commander of ground forces in the Crimea. Promoted to Lieutenant-General on 04/06/1940.

At the beginning of World War II, Batov was commander of the 9th Special Rifle Corps in the Crimea in August 1941, then served as Deputy Commander of the 51st Army of the Southern Front, directing the defensive battles at Perekop and around Kerch. From November - December 1941, he commanded the 51st Army Transcaucasian Front (located on the reorganization on the Taman peninsula). From January - February 1942 he was the Commander of the 3rd Army, Bryansk Front, before being promoted to serve as assistant commander of the Bryansk Front from February to October 1942.

From 14 to 23 October 1942 - commander of the 4th Panzer Army, which was later renamed the 65th Army. While serving as commander of 65th Army, Batov fought to the end of the war as part of the Don, Stalingrad, Central, Belorussian , 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts. The troops under the command of Batov in the Stalingrad battle heroically defended Stalingrad north of the Don, and participated in the destruction of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. From February - March 1943, his Army was heavily engaged in offensive and defensive battles in the area of Sevsk. In the battle of Kursk his Army was active in the defensive operations of the Central Front. In the battle of the Dnieper River in August - September 1943, the 65th Army fought its way swiftly up to 300 miles, crossing the Desna, Sog, and Dnieper Rivers, liberated Sevsk, and fought heroically on the Dnieper bridgeheads.

For his personal bravery and courage in the defense of the Dnieper bridgehead, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on October 30, 1943 awarded Lieutenant-General Pavel Ivanovich Batov the title Hero of the Soviet Union (№ 56) and the Order of Lenin.

In the winter campaign of 1943 - 1944 Batov's troops again distinguished themselves in the Gomel-Rechitsa and Kalinkovichi-Mozyr Offensive operations. Batov used skillfully combined infantry and tank attacks in the 1944 Bobruisk operation which played a decisive role in destroying enemy forces at Bobruskoy. He later distinguished himself by defeating the enemy forces north of Brest, crossed the river Bug, and captured and held a strategic bridgehead in the region of Serock.

In the East-Prussian operation, the 65th Army distinguished itself in the defeat of the 2nd and 4th German Armies, reduced several fortified areas, and then successfully attacked through East Pomerania, crossing the Oder and occupying large areas of northern Germany. He was promoted to Colonel-General on June 29, 1944.

On June 2, 1945, Colonel-General Batov was awarded a second "Gold Star" (№ 1726) by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet for his initiative and courage in organizing the crossing of the Oder River and the subsequent capture of the city of Stettin. The military successes of the 65th Army under Batov's command were recorded 23 times in the orders of the Supreme Commander. In the course of numerous combat operations, Batov proved to be decisive, energetic commander.

After the war he commanded the 7th Mechanized Army and in October 1946 he took command of the 7th Separate Armored Division. In March 1950 he served as commander of the 11th Guards Army, then in June 1954 was the first Deputy Commander of Soviet Forces in Germany.

In March 10, 1955 Batov was promoted to "General of the Army," and in the same month he was appointed commander of the Carpathian Military District. From April 1958 to November 1959 he commanded the Baltic Military District and was then assigned as senior military adviser to the People's Liberation Army of China. In January 1961, Batov was assigned the honorary post of inspector-adviser of the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defence, but soon returned to military duty and in August 1961 he was appointed commander of the Southern Group of Soviet Forces in Hungary.

On September 1962 he was appointed First Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR and in October 1965 he again served in the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defence. From 1970 - 1981 he served as the chairman of the Soviet War Veterans Committee. He also served as a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1938-1950, and again from 1954-1966.

He died April 19, 1985 in Moscow and was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery.

In addition to his two awards of Hero of the Soviet Union, he was awarded eight Orders of Lenin (dated 04/07/1937, 3/11/1940, 10/30/1943, 02/21/1945, 31/05/1957, 05/31/1967, 05/31/1977, and 5/31/1982), the Order of the October Revolution (№ 1730 dated 31/05/1972), three Orders of the Red Banner (dated 01/03/1937, 03/11/1944, and 20/06/1949) , three Orders of Suvorov 1st Class (№ 10 dated 28/01/1943, № 49 dated 16/09/1943, and № 299 dated 10/04/1945), the Order of Kutuzov 1st Class (№ 266 dated 23/07/1944 city), the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 1st Class (№ 309 dated 18/02/1956), the Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st Class (06/04/1985), the Order for Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces 3rd Class (30/04/1975), and the Order of Honor (№ 2624 from 14.05.1936).

Among his foreign orders: Commander's Cross of the Order of the British Empire (UK), Virtuti Militari (Poland), Order of Grunwald Cross 2nd Class (Poland), Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland), two orders of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the Order of Tudor Vladimirescu (Romania), Order of Red Banner (Hungary), the Order of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia), Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia), Order "For Merit" in gold (the German Democratic Republic).

[Valter]

I got it!!!

Pavel Ivanovich Batov (20.5.(1.6.)1897 — 19.4.1985)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Batov

But accoreding to Soviet wikipedia, he got 8 (!!) Lenins, not "only" 5.

[Harvey]

In case you're wondering how I found all this, I came across a website (http://www.warheroes...main.asp/page/1) that lists all awardees of the Hero of the Soviet Union - starting with those with the most awards and continuing down to the single awardees. It conveniently lists the dates of birth/death, so it was relatively simple to cross-check those double awardees who were born before the turn of the 20th century and died in the 1980s. Although the biographical data is in Russian, Google converts it to English, but I still had to re-write most of it so that it made some sort of sense.

For the record, here's the picture that Windu posted in its entirety:

Edited July 26, 2011 by Harvey

[Valter]

...And I was checking the list of Spanish civil war participants:

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F:%D0%A3%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B_%D0%B2_%D0%98%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8

but was just 2 minutes short... Nevertheless, this chase was fun and very informative. Thank you, Captain Windu!

[Harvey]

Ok, to keep this thread moving, here's my next question:

Who is this well-known Soviet soldier? What was he famous for?

[kapten_windu]

OK, Harvey got it first, your point, just 2 minute before Valter..

Well done all..!!

p.s.: sorry, i read in a website that he just got 5 Order of Lenin..

Thank you for the correction.. :)

[kapten_windu]

Harvey's question: Vasily Zaytsev!!

Famous as a sniper with 242 virified kills, especially during battle of Stalingard (225)..

His story insiring a film: Enemy at the Gates

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Zaytsev

:cheers:

[Harvey]

Good job, Windu - your point.

Here's the other picture I had ready to post in case y'all needed a hint:

[Harvey]

Ok Windu, it's your turn again - but this time no obscure Wikipedia biographies! :shame:

[JimZ]

Well done Harvey and Valter. However Harvey scored the point on the Batov Question.

Also well done Windu on the Zaystev question....

The score is presently as follows with Windu asking question 8.

2 points - Hauptmann (Dan)

2 points - Harvey

1 point - JimZ

1 point - Valter

1 point - kapten_windu

As a general rule, please 1) make sure that the question is not hidden away and is in an area of common knowldge. Also 2) when posting pictures try to give some hints other than the picture, unless of course, there is a ribbon bar or a uniform or a location which in itself is a hint.... Remember that any questions that cannot be answered tend to kill of quizes like this (of course - the questions do not have to be easy and its good to sweat a bit to find the answer!!!).

As a matter of courtesy, before moving on to the next question, we should always wait for the person asking the last question to confirm the answer, and only move on if there is any delay in confirmation.

But well done to all who have participated so far. The Soviet quiz is up and running again :cheers:

[kapten_windu]

Thank you Harvey, but I think I'll pass the honor of posting a question to Valter..

I have to prepare for Tax 1 final exams tomorrow (i take short semester)..

Wish me luck on this final exams..

Windu :cheers:

[kapten_windu]

JimZ, i'm sorry if my question was hard..

I choose Batov as my question because I think Batov is a very very famous man; got a lot of award (from Soviet itself and foreign), participate on Spanish Civil war, became the chairman of Soviet Veteran, etc..

And of course he's a well respected officer too..