Jakow Grigoryevich Kreiser

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Jakow Grigoryevich Kreiser

Jakow Grigorjewitsch Kreiser ( Russian Яков Григорьевич Крейзер ; born November 4, 1905 in Voronezh , † November 29, 1969 in Moscow ) was a Soviet army general .

Life

Early career

Kreiser was born on November 4, 1905 in Voronezh into a Jewish family. Because his grandfather had served as a cantonist in the Imperial Russian Army , Kreiser's parents were allowed to settle outside the pale of settlement intended for Jews . Kreiser joined the Red Army in 1921 . He attended the infantry school in Voronezh and achieved the rank of platoon leader after graduation. From 1928 Kreiser served in the 1st Moscow Proletarian Infantry Division, where he went through all levels of the command hierarchy: from company to regimental commander.

In the years 1939-1940 he was first deputy commander and later commander of the 172nd Infantry Division. After completing a course at the Frunze Military Academy , on March 1, 1941, he was appointed commander of the 1st Moscow Proletarian Infantry Division.

In World War II

At the beginning of July 1941, Kreiser's 1st motorized rifle division stopped the advance of the German 18th Panzer Division along the Minsk- Moscow motorway for ten days . Kreiser's division was well-trained and equipped with T-34 tanks, and he successfully relied on mobile defense tactics. This gave the Red Army the time it needed to establish the advancing forces of the second squadron in new defensive positions along the Dnieper . During the defense of the Berezina line in the Borissow area , Kreiser was able to hold up the advance of Heinz Guderian's tank units for two days and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. This mission is seen as an important contribution to the weakening and slowing down of the advancing German troops and thus to the rescue of Moscow. When the German superiority made further holding impossible, Kreiser's division withdrew along the motorway to Orsha . By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 22, 1941, Kreiser was awarded the honorary title Hero of the Soviet Union , the Order of Lenin and the medal with the gold star for his bravery and effective leadership of his troops .

On July 25, Kreiser was wounded during the Battle of Smolensk and had to transfer his command to Colonel Alexander Lisjukov . Kreiser was recalled to Moscow and promoted to major general on August 7, 1941 . From August 25 to December 13, 1941, he led during the battle of encirclement of Bryansk in the Association of Bryansk Front , the 3rd Army , whose remains on Efremov retreated. In February 1942 he completed an accelerated leadership course at the Frunze Military Academy , now the Military Academy of the General Staff . In May 1942 he was appointed to the southern front and deputy commander of the 57th Army, which got into the Kharkov pocket. In September 1942 he was appointed commander of the 1st Reserve Army, which was renamed the 2nd Guard Army in October and found a new commander in General Malinowski in November . Kreiser remained as a deputy in this army and was wounded in the fighting south of Stalingrad. After his recovery, in February 1943, he again took command of the 2nd Guard Army, which was now part of the Southern Front . Under General Fyodor Tolbuchin , his troops took part in the Rostov operation and in the attack against the Mius position (July 17 to August 2, 1943). Due to heavy losses and unsuccessfulness, Kreiser was replaced by Lieutenant General GF Sakharov on July 30, 1943. On August 2, he was given the command of the 51st Army , which was involved in the Donbass Offensive (August 13 - September 22, 1943). Kreiser's 51st Army distinguished itself in the battles for Melitopol and in the battle for the Dnieper bridgehead at Krivoy Rog . In spring 1944, after breaking through the isthmus at Perekop , his troops recaptured large parts of the Crimean peninsula and took part in the retaking of Sevastopol . In July 1944, the 51st Army intervened in the Battle of Polotsk , was deployed in the Schaulen area against the German company Doppelkopf and was also involved in the reconquest of Riga . At the beginning of 1945, Kreiser's troops broke up the German bridgehead at Memel and were then part of the blockade troops that attacked the German Army Group in Kurland .

post war period

In July 1945, Kreiser was raised to the rank of colonel general and appointed commander of the 45th Army in the Transcaucasus Military District ( Tbilisi headquarters ). From April 1946 to April 1948 he was commander of the 7th Guard Army. In April 1949, he completed higher academic leadership courses at the Voroshilov Military Academy. In April 1949 he took over the leadership of the 38th Army in the Carpathian Military District . From 1955 to 1958 he commanded the Southern Urals Military District, Transbaikal from 1958 to 1960, the Urals Military District from 1960 to 1961 and the Far East Military District until 1963 . In July 1962 he rose to the rank of army general. From November 1963 to May 1969 he was the head of the “Wystrel” course institute, a higher-level rifle training facility for commanders. From 1962 to 1966 he was also a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, at the same time he was a member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU.

Kreiser died in 1969 and was buried in Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery.

Awards (selection)

swell

personal data
SURNAME Kreiser, Jakow Grigoryevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Крейзер, Яков Григорьевич (Russian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION soviet army general
DATE OF BIRTH November 4, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Voronezh
DATE OF DEATH November 29, 1969
Place of death Moscow