Soviet The Bottom Half Of A Rear Admiral

[Guest Rick Research]

One of the first partial groups I ever got, 10 years ago, was this "everything BUT" Orders group to WW2 Engineering Rear Admiral Grigory Gennadievich Kaidanov.

I've been hoping all these years that his Orders would show up at some point, but no such luck. Once groups are broken, they virtually always STAY broken.

But here is the BOTTOM of his two rows of medals, with pinbacks worn separately.

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This is a typical retired officer's assortment.

[Guest Rick Research]

I also got "both armpits," for badges worn at opposite sides away from medal bars and any screwback Orders.

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For the document to this Twice Red Banner Northern Fleet Veterans badge (1973) see

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=964&...findpost&p=6269

Kaidanov's Victory Over Germany Medal was issued 9 August 1945, signed by Vice Admiral Volosatov as Chief of Administration of Northern Fleet Base Murmansk.

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I can only wonder if Kaidanov was in charge of repairing the damaged Allied Murmansk run freighters that made it past the German Uboat wolfpacks. More clues as to his career will be revealed by other medals documents.

[Guest Rick Research]

As his second row medal bar shows, Admiral Kaidanov was on active duty in 1948 but NOT in 1958. Subsequent Jubilees were as given to all WW2 veterans.

His 1948 Armed Forces Jubilee bears no rank, but was issued 21 July 1948 by Engineering Vice Admiral Isachenkov, Chief of Administartion of Soviet Naval Shipbuilding.

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So Kaidanov was involved in the earliest stages of the Soviet Union's Cold War naval expansion.

His 1965 Victory Jubilee refers to him as "Rear Admiral," but we know he had left the navy before 1958. Note that this medal was issued by Major General Khilinsky of Kiev Province Military (Veterans) Commissariat.

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Admiral Kaidanov had retired to the capitol of the Ukraine.

[Guest Rick Research]

When Soviet officers were retired, they were normally referred to as "in the reserve" until all obligations to be recalled to active duty ended at age 60.

Kaidanov's 1968 Armed Forces Jubilee Medal document, with nominal date of 19 February as issued by Shevchenkovsky Local of Kiev's MilCom, refers to him as "Engineer Rear Admiral of the Reserve," by which we can deduce that he was born no earlier than 1908/09.

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But when, as a retired general/flag rank officer, he received the military version of the 1970 Lenin Centenary Jubilee Medal, his status has changed to "Engineer Rear Admiral, Retired." So a birth year between 1908 and 1910 is probable. Same issuing authority as the 1968, dated 7 May 1970.

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[Guest Rick Research]

1975 found him in the same district of Kiev.

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Although I have seen earlier Veteran of the Armed Forces Medal documents, Kaidanov did not reecive his until 17 February 1977, as Engineer Rear Admiral, Retired, and from the Kiev MilCom.

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That required at least 25 years of service. Born circa 1909 and gone from the navy by 1958, this leaves the years roughly between 1928/32 and 1952/57 for that quarter century of active duty to have accumulated. Since he retired while Orders and the MMM were still being used as long service awards, Kaidanov must have received an Order of Lenin at the time for 25 years service, and at least one Order of the Red Banner for 20 years service. Because he had not yet completed 20 years when the November 1944 long service Orders were first awarded, he must have received an Order of the Red Star 1944/47 for 15 years service.

Thus, although none were included with this group, it is possible to know by what IS here that he received all three 1944-1957 long service Orders, in addition to any other decoration(s) earned.

[Guest Rick Research]

His rather sloppily filled in 1978 Jubilee was from the same residence district of Kiev.

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As a long time resident (from at least 1965, as seen above), he was eligible for the Kiev Jubilee Medal, issued to him 1 November 1982, on this universal pre-printed form with only his name and the date filled in.

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The final document in this group was the 1985 Victory Jubilee. Admiral Kaidanov was still living in Shevchenkovsky district, Kiev on 29 April 1985. The only non-Order of his missing is the 1970 Ministry of Defense Victory Jubilee Badge.

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As a WW2 general/flag rank retiree, he would have received the 1985 jubilee version Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class-- missing along with all his actual decorations.

Born circa 1909, in the navy circa 1929-55, survivor of the 1937-38 Great Purge (which fell harder on the navy than any other armed service), Rear Admiral by age 36 and then frozen in that grade for perhaps over a decade, Grigory Gennadievich Kaidanov presumably died in Kiev 1985-1988.

This is as much of his life as these pages can tell us.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Grigoriy Gennad'evich Kaidanov (01.10.1903-01.04.1990). Additional information will follow.

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp, MLI.Sc.

The Generals of World War II

www.generals.dk

[Guest Rick Research]

You have information on ADMIRALS too????

I have had this group since April 1996 and never knew anything beyond what is on the documents!

Fantastic!!! many thanks, Rick

[Bob Hunter]

Interesting Rick and a very catchy subject title!

[Steen Ammentorp]

Sorry for the delay. Below you will find the senior career of Engineer-Rear-Admiral (31st March 1944) Grigoriy Gennad'evich Kaidanov (01.10.1903-01.04.1990). He joined the Navy in 1923.

Jul 1938 ? May 1939: Flagman Engineering-Mechanical Staff Black Sea Fleet

May 1939 ? Sep 1939: Head of ? (исполн. должн.) Technical Directorate

Sep 1939 ? Nov 1945: Head of Technical Department Northern Fleet

Nov 1945 ? Feb 1948: Head of Technical Department Black See Fleet

Feb 1948 ? April 1950: Representative of Main Shipbuilding Directorate, Military-Naval Forces, at Factory No. 201 at Poti

April 1950 ? March 1952: Controller of Repair & Technical Supply, Operation Directorate

March 1952 ? Sep 1952: Controller at Ship Repair Directorate, Military-Naval Forces

Sep 1952 ? Jul 1953: Head of Armaments & Ship Repair Danube Flotilla

Jul 1953: Transferred to the reserve

I have made a translation from: Lure, V.M.

Admiraly i generaly Voenno-Morskogo Flota SSSR v period Belikoj Otechestvennoj i Sovetsko-Yaponskoj Vojn (1941-1945). Not knowing Russian so please bear with me in case of any mistakes.

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp, MLI.Sc.

The Generals of World War II

www.generals.dk

[Guest Rick Research]

EXCELLENT!!!! Thanks!

"Soviet-speak" is often the worst sort of bureaucratic jargon. I'd say that assignment is something like Испoлнитьный Дoлжнocть for Executive Office.

My problem with Soviet assignments is abbreviations.

Did this book-- I assume it is recent, with his 1990 death date-- have portrait photos of the Admirals, or mention their decorations? I've always wondered what the "missing half" of his awards were. From his length of service, he received an Order of Lenin at 25 years and Orders of the Red Banner for 30 and 20 years, and he would have gotten a 1985 jubilee version Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.

I am delighted and grateful for his biographical information!!! Rick

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi Rick,

Sorry forgot to mention the publication data for the book.: Saint Petersburg : Russian-Baltic Information Centre, 2001.

It does include a small traditional portrait photo and a small list of awards. I give them here in Russian. I won't try to translate them as I have very little knowledge on Soviet orders.

Награжден орд. Ленина (1949)

Красноро Знамени (1944)

2 орд. Отечественной войны I ст. (1942, 1985)

Красной Звезды (1944, 1945)

Then it just says medals (very useful ).

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp, MLI.Sc.

The Generals of World War II

[Guest Rick Research]

That would be his long service Order of Lenin in 1949 (for 25 years) and 20+ years long service award Order of the Red Banner 1944 (November 3, when over 100,000 were awrded for the first time for long service), 2 Orders of the Patriotic War 1st Class (the 1942 one was a "real" award, the 1985 version was simply a junk "jubilee" badge for surviving WW2 veterans), and 2 Orders of the Red Star in 1944 and 1945.

"Medals" IS really "helpful!"

Who sells that book, and how much does it cost? I'd just love to see the usual horribly air-brushed newspaper cartoon type face of my only WW2 Soviet Admiral...

but really, this sounds like an essential reference work, like the Biblio Verlag series on GERMAN generals and Admirals.

I am such a research for research's sake fanatic, I even have the biographies of pre-1900 American admirals.

Because one never knows when one will "need" information! Rick

[Guest Rick Research]

I just received my copy of "Admirals and Generals of the Navy of the USSR" and here is himself, with additional detail that he was born in Kraslava, Latvia, was Jewish, a member of the CPSU since 1927, and died in Kiev. The format is much like the German biographies of generals and admirals, with additional information on years each Order was bestowed and references "in print," alphabetical lists by some (Nakhimov etc) awards, academic degree and State Prize holders, and all promotion lists 1940 to 1945, as well as the military archives "fund" references.

?V.M. Lur?e, ?Admiralyi I Generaly Voenno-Morskogo Flota SSSR v Period Belikoi Otechestvennoi i Sovietskogo-Yaponskoi Voin (1941-1945)," Russian Baltic Information Centre, St Petersburg, 2001:

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the portrait photos are all unfortunately stamp-sized (rather like the originals in personnel files), hence the "newspaper" quality enlargement-- but quite good enough for a view of the Man Himself.

[Guest Louis]

I have a picture that my grandfather inscribed "to my granddaughter Anna and grandson Michael for long time to remember" on the back. I am also enclosing a small picture. We have several more photos at home somewhere. The photos is all that remains from my grandpa. My father did not wish to part with anything when my mother brought us to the US from Ukraine.

I will attempt to get grandfather's story from my mother. She says that there are several books in russian that were in the house that mention grandfather Kaidanov's name and had picture. I remember seeing them. Also, there was a newpaper clipping of grandfather's picture beside Lenin. I would love to get my hands on that some day, if it still exists...

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a way to post the picture. The file is too big. Contact me if you can help.

skripkai@hotmail.com

Anna Kaydanov Anderson

Edited December 9, 2005 by Louis

[Digger Doug]

Rick,

Does this book include post war admirals too? I'm looking for information on Admiral Sergei Stepanovich Vorkov. His record card say he bacame a rear admiral in 1953. During the GPW, he commanded the destroyer Soobrazitelny. After the war, he took command of the German cruiser Nurnberg in Copenhagen as a war reparation. It was later renamed the Admiral Makarov. I have one of his red banners but, unfortunately, no detailed citation came back on it.

[Guest Rick Research]

I do not have any ability to resize other people's scans without profound loss of image quality since my computer does not have all those bells and whistles.

The Lure book only covers those who held Admiral rank during WW2. Victims purged before 22 June 1941 aren't shown, or anyone promoted afterwards. (My own obscure post-war Admiral shows up in the Sino-Soviet Friendship Medal thread in the back pages.