Lieutenant General Mikhail Grigoryevich Yefremov (russian: Михаи́л Григо́рьевич Ефре́мов; March 11 1897, Tarusa, Kaluga Governorate – April 19 1942, Vyazemsky District) was a Soviet military commander. He took part in the October Revolution, joined the Russian Communist Party (b) in 1919, and became a division commander in 1921. He also became a military advisor to the National Government of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 1928. During World War II, he commanded the

Central Front The Central Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War formed on July 24, 1941. The Central Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first entity existed for just a month during th ...

in August 1941, and the Soviet 33rd Army from October 1941. "Lt.-Gen. Yefremov decided to personally lead the striking force of his army" when Zhukov decided to take Vyazma in early February 1942. Gen. Belov's Cavalry Corps was able to join them before the Germans cut them off from other advancing Soviet forces. Operating in the German rear next to Soviet partisans, they were supplied by air until April when they were given permission to link up with the main Soviet forces. Most of Gen. Belov's Cavalry Corps made it to the Soviet 10th Army. However, Yefremov decided to take a shorter route which was detected by the Germans. Subsequently, the 33rd army was destroyed and he committed suicide to avoid being taken prisoner by the Germans. "Most of his heroic men fell alongside him." Yefremov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. A monument is dedicated to him in Vyazma.

References

1897 births 1942 deaths People from Kaluga Oblast People from Tarussky Uyezd Bolsheviks Communist Party of the Soviet Union members First convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Soviet lieutenant generals Imperial Russian Army officers Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Heroes of the Russian Federation Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Soviet military personnel who committed suicide Suicides in the Soviet Union {{Russia-mil-bio-stub