Matvei Usenko
| Matvei Alekseevich Usenko | |
|---|---|
Usenko in 1941 - 42
|
|
| Born | August 9, 1898 |
| Died | May 12, 1943 (aged 44) Bobrov, Voronezh Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Buried | Bobrov |
| Allegiance |
 Soviet Union (1918–1943) |
| Years of service | 1918–1943 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held |
31st Cavalry Division 1st Airborne Corps 2nd Cavalry Corps 226th Rifle Division 343rd Rifle Division 97th Guards Rifle Division |
| Battles/wars |
Russian Civil War World War II |
| Awards |
Order of the Red Banner 1919 Order of the Red Star 1921 Order of Alexander Nevsky 1943 |
Matvei Alekseevich Usenko (Russian: Матвей Алексеевич Усенко; August 9 [O.S. November 19] 1898, – May 12, 1943) was a major general of the Red Army during the Second World War.
In 1918 he joined the Red Army, and during the Civil War served with enough distinction to be awarded both the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star. During the interwar years he commanded the 63rd Cavalry Regiment for more than two years in 1933 - 35, then was transferred to serve two years as the assistant commanding officer of the prestigious Special Cavalry Division named for I.V. Stalin. He went on to the position of acting commander of that division for the following year. In 1938 he spent three months as Inspector of Cavalry for the Far Eastern Separate Red Banner Army, during which time he was promoted to the rank of Kombrig. He went on to take command of the 31st Cavalry Division for over a year. From December, 1939, until the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War he attended the Military Academy of the General Staff. On June 4, 1940, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.
At the outbreak of war, Usenko was given command of the 1st Airborne Corps (a division-sized unit) in Southwestern Front. He bravely and skillfully led this unit through July and August, participating in the defense of Kiev. He escaped from the Kiev encirclement with a portion of his troops, and, after a brief assignment as deputy commanding officer of 26th Army in December he was assigned to command of the 2nd Cavalry Corps in Southern Front.
On April 9, 1942, Southern Front headquarters sent a telegram to the Soviet High Command stating that, in accordance with the Ukrainan SSR criminal code, Usenko had been sentenced to 'depravation of his freedom' for 10 years for commission of a military crime. However, given the shortage of experienced senior officers, Usenko's sentence was delayed until after the war. After examining the legal process, the USSR People's Commissariat for Defence annulled the sentence, but reduced Usenko to the rank of Colonel. It further recommended that Southwestern Front, at its own discretion, appoint Usenko to command of a rifle division.
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