Vasily Afanasyevich Khomenko (30 March 1899 – 9 November 1943) was a Soviet army commander, and

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 ...

Biography

Vasily Afanasyevich Khomenko was born on March 30, 1899 in a Ukrainian family in the village of Petrovsky, now in the Borisoglebsky District, Voronezh Oblast. He fought in the Red Army since 1918. In 1920 he graduated as military commissioner. During the Russian Civil War, he was platoon commander, military officer and commander of a regiment. After the war he commanded a regiment in the fight against the Basmachis on the Turkestan front. Since 1924, he was commissioner of the fortified district around the fortress of Kushka. In 1928, he graduated from KUVNAS at the Military Academy of M.V. Frunze. Since 1935 he served in the border troops of the NKVD, as chief of the department of staff, then as chief of staff of the border and internal troops of the NKVD LVO. In November 1940, he headed the border troops of the NKVD of Moldova and the Ukrainian USSR. On June 12, 1941, he was deputy commander of the Kiev Special Military District troops.

World War II

After the outbreak of World War II, he became on July 12, 1941, the commander of the 30th Army, which at the end of July is included in the Western Front. Under his command, the army participated in the Battle of Smolensk, defensive battles in the

Rzhevsky District Rzhevsky District (russian: Рже́вский райо́н) is an administrative and municipalLaw #4-ZO district (raion), one of the thirty-six in Tver Oblast, Russia. It is located in the south of the oblast and borders with Staritsky District ...

and in the Kalinin defensive operation. In early December 1941, he was appointed deputy commander of the

Moscow Defence Zone The Moscow Defence Zone was a front of the Red Army during World War II, to defend Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The cit ...

. In August 1942 he briefly served as commander of the 24th Army, then appointed commander of the newly formed 58th Army as part of the Transcaucasian Front. In this position, he led the troops in the pacification of the area around Makhachkala. On November 21, 1942, he was appointed commander of the 44th Army. Under his leadership, the army participated in the Battles of the Caucasus, Rostov, Miusskaya, Donbass, Melitopol offensive operations and liberated the cities of Voroshilovsk (now Stavropol), Taganrog, Yudanov (now Mariupol) and Azov. At the end of October 1943, the army was withdrawn to the front reserve and occupied the defense of the line Zavadivka - Kakhovka - Dniprjany. He was killed in action on 9 November 1943, when his vehicle mistakenly rode into enemy lines.

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

mistakenly believed he had defected to

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and disbanded his army. He was a recipient of 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 ...

, the

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established du ...

and the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khomenko, Vasily 1899 births 1943 deaths Soviet lieutenant generals Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class