Alexander Fyodorovich Kazankin (russian: Александр Фёдорович Казанкин; 15 April 1900 – 20 March 1955) was a
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
Lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
who commanded the
Soviet airborne
The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno-Parachuting, desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a military branch, separate troops branch of the Soviet A ...
.
He fought in the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
and graduated from the
Frunze Military Academy
The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...
in 1934. Kazankin led the
4th Airborne Corps The 4th Airborne Corps was an airborne corps of the Red Army in World War II. It fought in the Vyazma airborne operation, an unsuccessful landing during the Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive.
History
The corps was formed in the spring of 1941 in the Weste ...
during the
Vyazma airborne operation
The Vyazma Airborne Operation was a Red Army airborne landing in the rear of German lines during the Battles of Rzhev. It took place from 18 January to 28 February 1942. The objective of the airborne landing was to help troops of the Kalinin Fr ...
. He later commanded the
1st Guards Airborne Division,
16th Guards Airborne Division,
12th Guards Rifle Corps and
39th Guards Rifle Corps. Kazankin became the Soviet airborne commander in October 1947, but was demoted to deputy commander in December 1948. After briefly becoming airborne forces commander again between January and March 1950, Kazankin successively became inspector general of the airborne forces and then deputy airborne forces inspector general before his death on 20 March 1955.
Early life
Kazankin was born on 15 April 1900 in
Buinsk Buinsk (russian: Буинск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Buinsk, Republic of Tatarstan, a town of republic significance in the Republic of Tatarstan
* Buinsk, Ibresinsky District, Chuvash Republic, ...
,
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan (russian: Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan; tt-Cyrl, Татарстан Республикасы), or simply Tatarstan (russian: Татарстан, tt ...
.
His father was a tailor.
He studied at an ecclesiastical parochial school, but his father died and Kazankin had to begin tailoring at 13.
In June 1919,
he joined the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
.
Kazankin first served in the
3rd Volga Regiment. In February 1920, he studied at infantry courses. In January 1921, Kazankin was sent to the
Turkestan Front The Turkestan Front () was a front of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, which was formed on the territory of Turkestan Military District by Order of the Republic of Turkestan on February 23, 1919. It was formed a second time by the directiv ...
and served with the
5th Rifle Regiment and
28th Rifle Regiment, fighting against the
Basmachi movement
The Basmachi movement (russian: Басмачество, ''Basmachestvo'', derived from Uzbek: "Basmachi" meaning "bandits") was an uprising against Russian Imperial and Soviet rule by the Muslim peoples of Central Asia.
The movement's roots l ...
.
Interwar
Kazankin was sent to the Petrograd Command Courses in October 1923. In April 1924, he was the assistant commander of a platoon in the
78th Rifle Regiment. He entered the
Omsk Infantry School in August 1925. In 1927, he graduated from the
Omsk Infantry School. In September, Kazankin was appointed a platoon commander in the
18th Rifle Division's
53rd Rifle Regiment.
In April 1930, he was transferred to become the chief of ammunition supply for the 23rd Separate Rifle Battalion. Between April 1931 and June 1934, Kazankin studied at the
Frunze Military Academy
The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...
.
After graduation, he became the assistant chief of the 5th department of the headquarters of the
16th Rifle Corps
The 16th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army, formed twice.
It took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 and destroyed in the Baltic Operation during Operation Barbarossa. Reformed in 1942, the corps fought through the rest ...
. In September 1935, he was the assistant to the chief of courses for
junior lieutenants and in February 1936 became the assistant chief of the 1st department of corps headquarters.
In September, Kazankin led the operations department of the
47th Special Purpose Aviation Brigade. In February 1939, he became the chief of staff of the
214th Airborne Brigade, with which he fought in the
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
. From March to May 1940, Kazankin studied at the higher commanders refresher courses. In May 1941, he was transferred to Belarus and became the chief of staff of the
4th Airborne Corps The 4th Airborne Corps was an airborne corps of the Red Army in World War II. It fought in the Vyazma airborne operation, an unsuccessful landing during the Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive.
History
The corps was formed in the spring of 1941 in the Weste ...
with the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
.
World War II
After the beginning of
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, Kazankin continued as chief of staff and became corps commander on 28 June. The corps fought in battles on the
Berezina River
The Berezina or Biarezina ( be, Бярэ́зіна; ) is a river in Belarus and a right tributary of the Dnieper. The river starts in the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. The length of the Berezina is 613 km. The width of the river is 15-20 m, the ...
. On 10 August, he was awarded the
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
for his leadership during the battles on the Berezina. In late August, the corps was withdrawn for reformation to
Saratov
Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
, where a new commander was found for the corps and Kazankin became chief of staff again.
Beginning in January 1942, the corps fought in the
Vyazma Airborne Operation
The Vyazma Airborne Operation was a Red Army airborne landing in the rear of German lines during the Battles of Rzhev. It took place from 18 January to 28 February 1942. The objective of the airborne landing was to help troops of the Kalinin Fr ...
. Between 27 January and 2 February, three battalions of the corps'
8th Airborne Brigade
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
, the
201st Airborne Brigade
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
of the
5th Airborne Corps and the
250th Separate Rifle Regiment were paradropped in the German rear near the village of Ozrechnya. The rest of the 4th Airborne Corps, composed of the
9th Airborne Brigade and
214th Airborne Brigade was dropped from 18 to 24 February west of
Yukhnov
Yukhnov (russian: Ю́хнов) is a town and the administrative center of Yukhnovsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Kunava River (Oka's basin) northwest of Kaluga, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:
Histor ...
with its objective to cut the
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
road and link up with the
50th Army.
During the airdrop on 23 February, 4th Airborne Corps commander
Alexei Levashev was killed when his aircraft was shot down. Kazankin became the acting commander. Due to the dispersal of paratroops in landing, the operation did not achieve its objectives. On 13 May, he was promoted to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
. During the breakout on 25 June, he was wounded.
On 15 July, he was recommended for the title
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
but instead only received the
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...
. In August, the 4th Airborne Corps became the
38th Guards Rifle Division. After recovering in the hospital, Kazankin took command of the corps' second formation in
Ivanovo
Ivanovo ( rus, Иваново, p=ɪˈvanəvə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Russia. It is the administrative center and largest city of Ivanovo Oblast, located northeast of Moscow and approximately from Yaroslavl, Vlad ...
, where it conducted parachute training. On 8 December, the corps became the
1st Guards Airborne Division. In February 1943, the division became part of the
68th Army on the
Northwestern Front
The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-cre ...
. In March, the division broke through German lines on the
Lovat River
The Lovat ( be, Ловаць ''Łovać'', ; russian: река́ Ло́вать) is a river in Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus, Usvyatsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts, as well as of the city of Velikiye Luki, of Pskov Oblast and Kholmsky, ...
. In June, the division was transferred to the
34th Army, with which it fought around
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa ( rus, Старая Русса, p=ˈstarəjə ˈrusːə) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased ov ...
in July and August. In September, the division was transferred to the
Steppe Front
The Steppe Front (russian: Степной фронт) was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War which existed from July to October 1943.
History
On 9 July 1943, Stavka designated a new Reserve Front in the Voronezh region, that had ...
's
37th Army, where it fought in the
Battle of the Dnieper
The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 in Ukraine on the Eastern Front of World War II. One of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost 4,000,000 troops at a time stretched on a front.
Over four ...
, advancing towards
Krivoy Rog
Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. Kr ...
.
He became the commander of the
16th Guards Airborne Division on 23 December 1943.
In November 1944, he became the head of training for the
Separate Airborne Army, which was dissolved in December. On 11 February 1945, Kazankin was transferred to command the
12th Guards Rifle Corps, part of the
3rd Shock Army
The 3rd Shock Army (russian: Третья ударная армия) was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The "Shock" armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces ...
. It fought in the
East Pomeranian Offensive and
Berlin Offensive
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major Offensive (military), offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
...
. Kazankin was seriously wounded on 28 April while fighting in Berlin.
Postwar
In June 1946, Kazankin became the commander of the
39th Guards Rifle Corps.
Between October 1947 and December 1948, he commanded the
Soviet airborne
The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno-Parachuting, desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a military branch, separate troops branch of the Soviet A ...
. In December 1948, he became the airborne forces deputy commander. He replaced
Sergei Rudenko in command of the airborne troops from January to March 1950. In June 1950, Kazankin studied at the
Military Academy of the General Staff, from which he graduated in June 1951. Afterwards, he became the inspector general of the airborne troops. He became the deputy inspector general in May 1953.
On 20 March 1955, Kazankin died and was buried in
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery ( rus, Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Novodevichye kladbishche) is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist ...
.
Awards and honors
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazankin, Alexander
1900 births
1955 deaths
Soviet lieutenant generals
Soviet military personnel of World War II
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class
Recipients of the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union), 1st class
Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class
Frunze Military Academy alumni
People from Tatarstan
Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War
People nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union