Admiral Cherokov: biography, combat way

Admiral Cherokov is one of the most famous and significant personalities of the times of the Great Patriotic War. Heroically defended Leningrad. Most of his life Viktor Sergeyevich gave his country and defense, fought for freedom and independence. He remembered his contemporaries as a man of honor and courage. The outstanding commander took part in many significant military operations of the Second World War and the post-war construction of the new world.

Youth

Viktor Cherokov was born on November 10, 1907 in the territory of modern Azerbaijan, in the village of Ordubad. The head of the family Cherokova was a judge, and her mother a housewife. In total, the couple had three children: Victor - the elder. Before the revolution, the family often moved because of the work of his father. They spent a long time in Georgia and Poland. In 1917, Victor's father was assigned to Baku, where he was sent. But on the way he gets sick with typhus and dies suddenly. Without a breadwinner, the family has to move to Tiflis. After the war, the devastation, as well as the death of his father, struck heavily in Cherokov's finances. With three young sons, Xenia Ivanovna is literally trying to survive. Therefore young Victor has to work from the very childhood porter, loader, assistant at the mill. Despite the terrible situation of the family, the eldest son still manages to enter the Naval School.

Getting Started

It was quite difficult to study Victor, because he had a good school base. The hardest things were given him the exact sciences: physics, mathematics, drawing. But in 1930 he was graduated from the school in the rank of commander-driver. He is sent to serve in the Baltic Fleet. There, just 2 years after his arrival, he becomes the division commander.

Six years later, Victor improves his qualification by enrolling in the command faculty at the Kliment Voroshilov Academy. Her graduation allows you to take the post of commander of the brigade.

The Beginning of the Great Patriotic War

With the beginning of the war, Cherokova, along with his unit, are being transferred to the Ivanovo rapids on the Neva. Already in the summer of the 41st the brigade is fighting, supporting the defense of the Red Army with fire. In the autumn of the same year, Cherokova was transferred to the Ladoga Flotilla. It was created for the first time only in 1939 and covered the offensive of Soviet troops to Finland. After the end of the Finnish war , a peace treaty was concluded, according to which the USSR pledged not to deploy its weapons on Lake Ladoga.

After the outbreak of the Patriotic War, the flotilla was restored. It consisted mainly of mobile ships and boats, which were supposed to protect the lake and the surrounding areas. Almost all of 1941 the Red Army retreated under the onslaught of German troops. Cherokova's ship supported the infantry with fire, and later evacuated the surrounded parts. At the end of summer, the Nazis launched an operation to destroy the Ladoga flotilla. More than a month continued bloody battles on the water and adjacent islands, the pressure of the Germans forced to leave occupied positions. On September 10, the evacuation of fighters began. Surrounded on the island of Rahmansaari soldiers were not able to evacuate. The enemy offered to surrender, but the Red Army decided to fight to the last and died only when all the ammunition was over.

At the same time, Schlisselburg fell, and the Germans completely surrounded Leningrad. The command required an urgent rupture of the ring. The besieged in the city were in desperate situation, so the plan for the operation was prepared in record time. The weather conditions, as well as the total superiority of the enemy, were not taken into account. Attack on the siege troops of the Germans was supported by the Ladoga Flotilla. But for the reasons listed above, it was unsuccessful. The landing party suffered huge losses, and the ships had to retreat.

Leningrad blockade

During the siege of the city, the only way to supply was Lake Ladoga. Admiral Cherokov described in his memoirs the terrible situation of the "road of life". His flotilla delivered supplies to the city and evacuated the civilian population. In severe weather conditions and under constant raids of fascist aviation, each sortie could become the last. Nevertheless, the ships delivered tons of products daily and took out hundreds of people.

Six months later, in addition to air raids, attacks began with water. The Ladoga flotilla showed its resilience, repulsing many attacks of German, Finnish and Italian ships. In January 1943, Cherokova participated in the offensive, the goal of which was the unblocking of Leningrad, which ended in success. For military merit and demonstrated qualities in the winter of 1944, Admiral Cherokov is awarded the Ushakov Order.

Further Operations

In the spring and summer of 1944, an offensive began on Finland. Ladoga flotilla participated in the landing operations. It had a very important goal - to seize the bridgehead on the coast, so that one could develop a further offensive. The operation was extremely successful for the Soviet fleet. During the unexpected landing for the enemy and subsequent battles, the Navy lost only two boats.

After that, the flotilla surrounded the enemy's Kurland grouping in Latvia. Many operations were led by Admiral Cherokov. The Navy played an important role in the heavy fighting that lasted until the end of the war.

After the war

After the victory over Nazi Germany, Cherokek was transferred to Arkhangelsk, where the White Sea military flotilla was based. After 10 years, Vice-Admiral Cherokov retired. He lived in Moscow and taught at the university. Later he wrote a well-known book "For you, Leningrad!", Where he described in detail the heavy battles for the city. Viktor Sergeyevich died on February 21, 1995.