Аннотация: A happiness and a luck of the defender of Rostov-on-Don (in November 1941), 56 Army commander Remezov. A historical essay.
A happiness and a luck of the defender of Rostov-on-Don (in November 1941), 56 Army commander Remezov. A historical essay.
Those who are interested in the defense (in November 1941) of Rostov-on-Don may see the name of Fyodor Nikitovich Remezov, commander of the 56th Separate Army.
You can look at this figure from different angles.
Let's look at Fyodor Remezov as an example of happiness and luck that a specific person (a major military leader) has gained.
Fyodor Remezov - he is a military man. Consequently, the question is natural: did a military happiness accompany him?
Fyodor Remezov could not boast the special military successes.
He began his career as an ordinary Red Army soldier during the Civil War, climbed the "military ladder", studied a lot, and was engaged in staff work.
An interesting period begins in his life: on July 22, 1938, he becomes the head of the Zhytomyr Military Group, located in the west of the USSR. This group of troops was to move to the aid of Czechoslovakia. But Czechoslovakia did not ask for help from the USSR, and gave Germany the Sudetenland. The march to Czechoslovakia was cancelled.
Meanwhile, the successful commander, who performed many important military operations, who repeatedly achieved victory, who had several orders following the results of the First World War, a man who was accompanied by military happiness, left the stage ... On June 11 [12], 1937, Mikhail Tukhachevsky was shot ...
Fyodor Remezov continued to serve ...
The Great Patriotic War began...
Fyodor Remezov in the west of the USSR is trying to defend the Homeland from the invasion of fascist troops ...
Not everything went smoothly at this direction, some military leaders suffered - they were accused of various deeds ...
Remezov took an unusual path. His car was shot at. He was badly injured...
He spent almost two months in the hospital ... The risk of falling under the "skating rink" - under the German one or under some other - has sharply decreased ...
After the hospital, having received an appointment on September 4, 1941, Comrade Fyodor Remezov appears in the city of Rostov-on-Don. Here he is faced with the task of forming the 56th Separate Army.
According to the directive of the Stavka of October 15, 1941 (paragraph 4), the main task of the 56th Separate Army is the defense of Rostov.
It may seem to an uninitiated person that Comrade Fyodor Remezov is in a most dangerous position - after all, the offensive of the Nazi troops continues.
Yes, the situation is not easy...
However, the situation somehow remotely resembles the period of 1938, when Comrade Remezov led a group of troops intended to help Czechoslovakia ...
Somewhere in the distance and Great Britain, and France (Free France), and the USA ...
However, the UK is not so far away. On August 25, 1941, the USSR and Great Britain sent troops to Iran. This ensured the supply of the USSR, entered the war, from the south - from the side of the Persian Gulf. The Caucasus has become a separate geopolitical region with a relatively autonomous security and supply system...
The most intense military operations are being conducted north of Rostov-on-Don.
The Nazi troops are advancing from Taganrog to Rostov-on-Don, but this is by no means the main direction of the invasion...
Chief of the General Staff Boris Mikhaylovich Shaposhnikov orders Fyodor Remezov not to give Rostov-on-Don to the enemy. But Shaposhnikov acts not only through an order, but also with a kind of a courtesy - he calls Remezov "my friend" [batenka - батенька - jokingly friendly address - respected, experienced person] ... ("Your main task, my friend [batenka], is to keep the gates to the Caucasus locked!").
And why should Rostov-on-Don be given to the enemy?
Fyodor Remezov has a numerical and geostrategic advantage. There are significant human and other resources in the Caucasus, British troops in the strategic rear ... On August 14, 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter ... Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) has not happened yet, but the strategic alignment of forces - she is in favor of Fyodor Remezov.
But one thing is human, 'strategic' luck, and quite another thing is a military luck (a military happiness). On November 21, 1941, Rostov-on-Don was occupied by Nazi troops.
The order and the courtesy of Marshal Shaposhnikov did not work.
The command of the Stavka representative Marshal Grigory Ivanovich Kulik, who actively intervened in command and control of the troops, did not help ... This activity of Marshal Kulik helped the 56 Army Commander Remezov a lot ...
But Fyodor Remezov was lucky again.
The Germans troops broke into Rostov "suddenly". However, they were shown noticeable resistance by completely insignificant forces. Dozens, hundreds of defenders of Rostov held out very staunchly against the relatively numerous enemy columns equipped with tanks and other types of military equipment.
There was panic and chaos...
But, nevertheless, the troops - at the same time - managed to retreat in a comparative order beyond the Don River. "Berezina" did not happen.
Command post of Fyodor Remezov (according to the sources) was located in the selo of Samarskoye.
Looking around a little, both the General Staff and the command of the 56th Separate Army saw that the Red Army had a significant numerical advantage over the enemy. Probably, there was also a geostrategic advantage in this theater of operations.
And why did they hand over Rostov to the enemy?
Well, it will be analyzed later...
Thanks to the few defenders of Rostov! They delayed the "sudden" enemy offensive and made it possible for the Red Army troops to withdraw in relative order.
In general, Rostov needs to be liberated - Comrade Fyodor Remezov has almost twice the numerical advantage over the enemy. And technically, his Army is not badly equipped.
The northern "neighbors" also helped.
In general, a week later they knocked out the enemy from Rostov-on-Don.
But this is not enough. Taganrog must also be liberated.
The troops of the 56th Separate Army advanced towards the city of Taganrog for a relatively long time and with significant difficulties. But in 1941 they failed to recapture Taganrog from the enemy...
Comrade Remezov was relieved of his post as commander of the 56th Army, awarded an order and transferred to a position (post) where there was no direct confrontation with the enemy.
Not only in the position (post) of Fyodor Remezov there have been changes. Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky becomes the actual (and then formally) Chief of the General Staff.
An example of Comrade Fyodor Remezov shows that human luck can be more valuable than military luck - even for a major military leader.
March 29, 2022 12:20
Translation from Russian into English: March 29, 2022 19:04.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Счастье и удача защитника Ростова-на-Дону (в ноябре 1941 г.), командующего 56-й армией Ремезова. Исторический очерк'.
{ 2882. Счастье и удача защитника Ростова-на-Дону (в ноябре 1941 г.), командующего 56-й армией Ремезова. Исторический очерк.
MMDCCCLII. A happiness and a luck of the defender of Rostov-on-Don (in November 1941), 56 Army commander Remezov. A historical essay. }