Andrei Grigoryevich Kravchenko | |
---|---|
Native name | Russian: Андре́й Григо́рьевич Кра́вченко |
Born |
Sulimivtsy, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) |
November 30, 1899
Died | October 18, 1963 Moscow, Soviet Union |
(aged 63)
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Service/branch | Red Army |
Years of service | 1918–1955 |
Rank | Colonel General |
Battles/wars |
Russian Civil War Soviet Finnish War Great Patriotic War |
Awards |
Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin (5) Order of the Red Banner (4) Order of the October Revolution Order of Suvorov, 1st Class (3) Order of Kutuzov, Order of the British Empire |
Andrey Grigoryevich Kravchenko (Russian: Андре́й Григо́рьевич Кра́вченко; 30 November 1899 – 18 October 1963) was a tank army commander in the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of the Soviet Union and recipient of several other awards.
Kravchenko was born in a farming family in the village of Sulimivtsy near Poltava, Ukraine. He was an ethnic Ukrainian. Kravchenko fought in the Russian Civil War. He was educated at the Poltava infantry Academy (1923) and the Frunze Military Academy. He subsequently served with the infantry and taught at the Saratov Tank Warfare school. From 1939 he was attached to the Volga Military District as chief of staff of the 61st Rifle Division. Kravchenko fought in the Soviet Finnish War as chief of staff of the 173rd Motorized Division. In 1940 Kravchenko was appointed chief of staff of the 16th Tank Division and later the 18th Mechanised Corps.
Kravchenko commanded the 2nd Tank Corps, 4th Tank Corps, 5th Guards Tank Corps and 6th Guards Tank Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk at the Battle of Prokhorovka, the Battle of the Dnieper, the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky Offensive, the Uman–Botoșani Offensive, the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive, the Vienna Offensive and the Bratislava–Brno Offensive. After the German surrender, Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army was transferred to the Far East and fought in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria as part of the Transbaikal Front.