The names of a number of divisional commanders have been erased from history and forgotten because of their condemnation by the tribunals. Based on archival investigative and court documents, the book tells the tragic stories of twenty commanders who were arrested and convicted in the first months of the war. Almost all of them were posthumously rehabilitated. This means that they are innocent and have the right to be remembered - among those front-line soldiers who took upon themselves the first blows of the Wehrmacht.
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The following excerpt from the book Tribunal for commanders. 41st (Vyacheslav Zvyagintsev) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.
4. For surrender without resistance
Major General Tsirulnikov Pyotr Gavrilovich(1900-1985) - born. in the village Kirillovka, Kaluga province. In the Red Army - since 1919. Member of the civil, Soviet-Polish and Soviet-Finnish wars. In 1939 he was appointed commander of the 51st Rifle Division. In October 1941 he was taken prisoner, but soon fled. On February 18, 1942, he was arrested on charges of criminal leadership of the troops and loss of division control. On January 29, 1944, he was dismissed from the ranks of the Red Army. He was imprisoned for ten years without trial or investigation. In 1952 he was convicted by the Military Collegium under Art. 193-17 p. "b" of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR for 12 years in prison. In August 1953 - rehabilitated, reinstated in rank and in the ranks of the Armed Forces.
The biggest problem that the command of the Red Army faced in the initial period of the war was a stampede from the battlefield, the mass desertion of fighters and commanders. They fled alone, in groups and entire units.
What happened in June 1941 came as a shock to many fighters and commanders. For many years it was not customary to talk about it. The words of G.K. Zhukov are known that newspapers are embarrassed to write about the instability and flight of our troops, replacing everything with the term “forced withdrawal”. This is not so, the marshal said, the troops were also unstable, they fled, fell into a panic59. In the first edition of the memoirs of another marshal, K. K. Rokossovsky, censorship removed from the text the words about the “shock” our troops underwent in 1941, and that it took a long time to bring them out of this state. Let's add - not only time, but also extraordinary repressive measures. Their spectrum was quite wide. Those who fled from the battlefield were shot in pursuance of the verdicts of military tribunals, decisions of the command or military councils, soldiers of the barrage detachments fired, employees of special departments were active. Unauthorized and unreasonable executions were widely distributed in general.
Tsirulnikov Arnold Solomonovich
(1908, Dnepropetrovsk---1938.03.28) Jew, resident: Dnepropetrovsk Arrest: 1936 Convicted. 1938.03.23 troika at the UNKVD for the DS. Rev. 58 Discord 1938.03.28 Reab. April 1966 [Book of memory of the Magadan region]Tsirulnikov Vasily Pavlovich
(1905, Tomsk province --- 1937.11.18) Russian, Melnik k-za, resident: Altai district, village of Saras Arrest: 10.1937.08 Convicted. 1937.11.03 troika at the UNKVD for AK. Rev. under Art. 58-10, 11 Distr. 1937.11.18. Place of execution: Biysk Reab. 1960.04.09 by the Altai Regional Court, grounds: The case was dismissed for lack of corpus delicti [Book of Memory of the Altai Territory]Tsirulnikov Georgy Andreevich
(1875, Pitelinsky district, Nesterovo village, native --- 12/1937/23) collective farmer - watchman. Condemned. 1937.12.06 troika at the UNKVD in the Ryazan region. Obv. 58-10 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR 1937.12.23 Reab. Ryazoblprosecutor's office, foundation: by Decree of the PVS of the USSR of 1989.01.16 [Book of memory of the Ryazan region]Tsirulnikov Zakhar Stefanovich
(1886, Monastyrshchin district, Zheleznyaki village --- 12/1937/04) Russian, unnamed, to-z, resident: Monastyrshchin. district, Zheleznyaki village Arrest: 11/1937/14 Convicted. 1937.11.28 troika at UNKVD Smol. region. 58-10, 11 Distr. 1937.12.04 [Book of memory of the Smolensk region]Tsirulnikov Ivan Osipovich
(1907, Tomsk province--, 1933) Russian, Sole proprietor, resident: Baevsky district, village of Sitnikovo Arrest: 1933.01.05 Convicted. 01/1933/24 a special troika at the OGPU PP in Zapsibkrai. Rev. under Art. 58-10, 11 Sentence: 5 years. Reab. 1989.10.18 Rehabilitated by the prosecutor's office of the AK [Book of memory of the Altai Territory]Tsirulnikov Ivan Timofeevich
(1880, Vinnitsa region, Ostolopol village -, 1937) Ukrainians, education: secondary military, worked as a paramedic, resident: Alma-Ata region, Alma-Ata st. Arrest: 1937.09.04 Arrest., UNKVD in the Alma-Ata region. Reab. 1939.11.03 Transport Collegium of the Turksib Court of Alma-Ata, reason: Due to lack of evidence of the corpus delicti [Information from the DKNB of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Almaty]Tsirulnikov Ivan Fyodorovich
(1915.03.25--, 2002) for 2002 resident: Moscow region Stupinsky district, West 54Tsirulnikov Moses Filippovich
(1870--, 1937) breeding state farm, resident: Buranny district. Condemned. 1937.10.08 Troika at the UNKVD in Orenb. region. Reb. 1989.06.12 [Book of memory of the Orenburg region]Tsirulnikov Nikolay Ivanovich
(1914.02.10--, 1996) as of 1996.12.19 resident: Crimea, EvpatoriaTsirulnikov Osip Egorovich
(1877, Mogilev province -, 1933) Russian, Sole proprietor, resident: Baevsky district, village of Sitnikovo Arrest: 1933.01.05 Convicted. 01/1933/24 a special troika at the OGPU PP in Zapsibkrai. Rev. under Art. 58-10, 11 Sentence: to 10 years of exile to the north. Reab. 1989.10.18 Rehabilitated by the prosecutor's office of the AK [Book of memory of the Altai Territory]Tsirulnikov Petr Alekseevich
(1871--1939.06.05, Shipka, Bulgaria) Former Mayor of Vladikavkaz. A land surveyor by profession. In Constantinople, on the instructions of the United Council of the Don, Kuban, Terek, he made a large map of the southeast of Russia. During the reorganization of the Military Government in 1920, he was invited to its composition as a representative from other cities. In exile, he participated in the work of the committee and in the committee for the economic revival of the south-east of Russia. In Bulgaria, a specialist land surveyor in government offices. Here he helped his compatriots, teaching them his specialty. Member of Tersky Farm in Sofia. In recent years, he lost his hearing and was forced to leave the service. Settled with disabled Terts on Shipka. He died at the age of 68 from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried at Shipkinsky Square [Unforgotten graves ... M., 2007. T.6. Book 3.]Tsirulnikov Petr Gavrilovich
(1900---1985) major general, member of the CPSU (b) since 1921, com. 51st shooter. divisions, repressed.Tsirulnikov Petr Gavrilovich
(1940) Major General (1940.06.04)Tsirulnikov Petr Semyonovich
(1910, Akmola region, Demyanovsky district, village of Kasma--, 1937) Stalinsk, KMK, locksmith, resident: Stalinsk, DOZ, st. Brick, 66 Arrest: 11/29/1937 Convicted. 1937.12.01 Troika at the UNKVD in the NSO. Rev. under Art. 58-10-11 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR Sentence: to 10 years in labor camp with disqualification for 5 years. [Book of memory of the Kemerovo region]Tsirulnikov Petr Frolovich
(1889, Western region, Baryatinsky district, and resident of the village of Krasny Kholm --, 1936) b/p, worked as a handicraft spinner, resident: Western region, Baryatinsky district, ur. and a resident of the village of Krasny Holm. Condemned. 1936.03.08 Troika at the PGPU of the Western Region. Obv. under Art. 58 p. 10 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR Sentence: 3 years labor camp. [Book of memory of the Kaluga region]Tsirulnikov Petr Yakovlevich
(1885, Chernihiv province--, 1937) Russian, Carpenter, resident: Kosikhinsky district, village of Nalobikha Arrest: 11/1937/13 Convicted. 1937.11.26 troika at the UNKVD for AK. Rev. under Art. 58-10, 11 Sentence: 8 years followed by disqualification for 5 years. Reab. 1957.03.16 by the Altai Regional Court, grounds: The case was dismissed due to the lack of corpus delicti [Book of Memory of the Altai Territory]Tsirulnikov Prokhor Yakovlevich
(1896, Tomsk province--, 1930) Russian, Sole proprietor, resident: Biysk district, village of Stan-Bekhtemir Arrest: 1930.02.10 Convicted. 03/1930/15 a special troika at the OGPU PP in Sibkrai. Rev. under Art. 58-11 of the Criminal Code Sentence: 10 years with the deportation of the family to the north and confiscation of property. Reab. July 1989 Rehabilitated by the prosecutor's office of the Altai Territory [Book of Memory of the Altai Territory]Tsirulnikov Samuil Iosifovich
(1909, Gorki, BSSR, p.--, 1937) Jew, responsible executor of the OKS plant named after. Molotov, resident: Khabarovsk. Arrest: 1937.01.29 Arrest. UNKVD for DVK 1937.05.04 OU UNKVD for DVK. Rev. under Art. 58-10 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR. Sentence: the case was dismissed due to the lack of corpus delicti, rehabilitated [Book of Memory of the Khabarovsk Territory]Tsirulnikov Solomon Vulfovich
(1905, Odessa province, Zinoviev district district, village of Abramovka--, 1927) Jews, education: secondary Arrest: 1927.02.22 Arrest., Uralsky Provincial Department of the OGPU. Condemned. 1927.07.29 Special meeting of the OGPU. Rev. 58-10 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR Sentence: 3 years of exile (exile) Reab. 1999.08.24 Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, grounds: Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 1993.04.14 [Information from the Department of National Security of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the West Kazakhstan region]Pyotr Gavrilovich Tsirulnikov(1900-1985) - Soviet military leader, major general (1940), participant in the Civil, Soviet-Polish, Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars. In 1941 he was taken prisoner by the Germans and escaped from it. In 1944 he was repressed, rehabilitated in 1953.
Biography
Pyotr Tsirulnikov was born on September 3, 1900 in the village of Kirillovka, Mosalsky district, Kaluga province, in the family of a carpenter. After graduating from a rural school, he worked as a shepherd, carpenter, laborer. In February 1919, Tsirulnikov volunteered to serve in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. He took part in the Civil War, in the fighting against the Finnish troops in the area of Lake Ladoga. In 1920, Tsirulnikov took part in the Soviet-Polish war, was wounded in the arm.
In 1924, Tsirulnikov graduated from an infantry school in Tambov and commanded a number of infantry units. In 1930 he graduated from the higher command courses "Shot", after which until 1936 he commanded various rifle units. In 1937-1939, Tsirulnikov commanded a rifle regiment of the 51st rifle division of the Leningrad Military District. August 16, 1938 he was awarded the rank of colonel, November 4, 1939 - brigade commander. In 1939, Tsirulnikov was appointed commander of this division. In this position, he took part in the Soviet-Finnish war. On June 4, 1940, he was promoted to the rank of major general.
In October 1941, during the Great Patriotic War, he was taken prisoner, but soon fled from a camp in the Dnepropetrovsk region. November 11, 1941 Tsirulnikov went to the location of the Soviet troops. On February 18, 1942, he was arrested on charges of criminal leadership of the troops and loss of control. During interrogations, the general admitted his guilt not only in what he was accused of, but also in the fact that, while in captivity, he collaborated with the enemy, giving him official information. However, the fact that he was recruited by German intelligence, Tsirulnikov categorically denied. On January 29, 1944, he was dismissed from the Red Army. For ten years, Tsirulnikov was imprisoned without trial or investigation, after which he was sentenced to 12 years in prison under Article 193-17, paragraph “b”.
On August 28, 1953, Tsirulnikov was rehabilitated and reinstated in rank and in the ranks of the armed forces. In 1954 he graduated from the Higher Academic Courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff. In 1955-1957 he was the head of the military department of the Moscow Aviation Institute. January 9, 1957 Tsirulnikov retired due to illness. He died on January 28, 1985 in Moscow.
Awards
- Order of Lenin (1954)
- 2 orders of the Red Banner (1938, 1940).
- Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"
On June 22, 1941, with the support of German aviation, Romanian troops began shelling the Soviet Danube cities: Izmail, Chilia, Renia and the main base of the Danube Flotilla. Almost simultaneously with the start of the shelling, the Romanians made an attempt to cross the Danube in several places and secure bridgeheads for themselves. On the path of the attackers there was only one division - the 51st Perekop Rifle Division, staffed according to peacetime states. The division was commanded by Major General Pyotr Gavrilovich Tsirulnikov.
Here, at the confluence of the Prut with the Danube, not far from the port city of Reni and near the village of Giurgiulesti, there was a railway bridge - the only one on the entire 170-kilometer section of the border entrusted to the 79th border detachment. Rails stretched along this bridge - they connected the territory of Romania with the Soviet Union. And next to it was a wooden bridge for horse-drawn and motor transport. All together - the most important road junction, the key to the entire southern Bessarabia.
The enemy tried to immediately capture both bridges. Bombed all the approaches to them. He fired at the outpost with cannons and mortars, at the same time he landed troops on boats - he could not pass over the bridges. The outpost barracks were on fire, shells were exploding around, but the border guards did not leave their posts.
However, the Romanians were driven back and went on the defensive.
After the failure on June 22, the enemy significantly increased the artillery shelling of Soviet territory. According to the insistent demands of the commander of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, Captain (!) Sirota, who was urgently promoted to the rank of Major, on June 23, General. Tsirulnikov gave permission to land troops in the area of the city of Kiliya-Veke on the Romanian bank of the Danube and destroy the artillery batteries stationed there.
In the photo: Commander of the 51st Perekop Rifle Division, Major General Pyotr Gavrilovich Tsirulnikov. The decision of the division commander was supported by the command of the Southern Front, and the ships of the Danube Flotilla were allocated to land and support the landing.
The main striking force of the Danube flotilla was the monitors of the SB-37 project "Shock", "Zheleznyakov", "Pearls", "Martynov" and "Rostovtsev", built at the Kyiv shipyard "Lenin's Forge". The landing squad consisted of 4 armored boats. The monitors also provided artillery support to the landing force. A combined company of border guards under the command of Captain Vasitsky, one machine-gun and rifle company each, were allocated to the landing force, and three batteries on the eastern coast were added to the artillery support forces. The concentration of landing forces was carried out in the Kislitskaya channel of the Danube.
On the morning of June 24, after artillery preparation at the designated point, the landing force was landed. In a swift battle, the Romanian troops in this area were defeated, and 70 soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. To develop success, one rifle battalion of the 51st division was immediately landed on the captured bridgehead. Cape Satul Nou has been completely cleared. No one was killed on our side, up to 10 people were injured.
Among the Romanian troops, fermentation began - the Romanians thought that the war was lost and whole units were going to surrender to us. So on the Kiliya farm in full strength, an entire company of the 17th separate Romanian battalion, led by its commander, captain Eftimiy Kroatoru, surrendered. A camp for Romanian prisoners of war was formed on the occupied territory. Private Ivan Furs, who knew the Romanian language, became the head of the camp. Subsequently, the prisoners were evacuated, and in 1943 they were included in the formation of the division named after Tudor Vladimirescu.
The Soviet command immediately decided to build on the success achieved and began preparing for the landing of the second landing directly in Kiliya-Vek. Landing detachment - 4 armored boats, 10 border boats. The landing commander is the commander of the Kiliya group of ships, Lieutenant Commander I. K. Kubyshkin. For artillery support, significant artillery forces were allocated. Landing forces - three battalions of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
The battle to capture Kiliya-Veke began late in the evening of June 25. Due to the small number of ships, the landing force landed in echelons, 1 battalion in each echelon. The night attack was sudden for the enemy. The Romanians noticed the approach of the Soviet boats too late. Despite open artillery fire (two boats were damaged), the landing force managed to land on the Romanian coast. The garrison could not provide organized resistance, there was a panic. During the night battle the city was occupied. By 10 a.m. on June 26, the landing force had completely captured the fortified area and occupied a bridgehead up to 3 kilometers deep and up to 4 kilometers along the front. An infantry battalion reinforced with artillery and a frontier post were defeated, the enemy lost more than 200 soldiers and officers killed, about 500 (according to other sources even 720) people surrendered, 8 guns, 30 machine guns, over a thousand rifles were captured. In this battle, the landing party lost 5 people killed and 7 wounded.
During the day on June 26, on the Romanian coast, small units of the 51st division were landed by flotilla boats, occupying militarily important villages and islands, which made it possible to combine both bridgeheads into one. As a result, both banks of the Kiliysky arm from the mouth of the Rapida River to the Crossing (about 70 kilometers long) were in the hands of the Soviet troops. The Izmail group of ships received freedom of action and could provide effective support to ground units. Since the general situation on the Soviet-German front was in favor of the enemy, it was impossible to count on the arrival of reinforcements and the development of an offensive deep into Romanian territory. The division commander gave the order to firmly hold the occupied bridgehead and gain a foothold on the achieved lines. To strengthen the defense in Kiliya-Vek, several more units of the 23rd Infantry Regiment were transferred.
The paratroopers held the captured bridgehead on Romanian territory until July 24. It was a month of intense battles, continuous repulsion of attacks by superior enemy forces, a month of daily, hourly heroism of each landing party, each member of the warship crews. The actions of the paratroopers and the Danube Flotilla thwarted the offensive against Odessa on the coastal flank. During this period, 24 enemy attempts to land troops on the Soviet coast were repulsed. Monitors "Shock", "Zheleznyakov", "Zhemchuzhin", "Rostovtsev", armored boats and minesweepers destroyed enemy landings, preventing the enemy from breaking through to Izmail.
