Semyon Bogdanov | |
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| Native name | Семён Ильич Богданов |
| Born | 10 September [O.S. 29 August] 1894 |
| Died | 12 March 1960(1960-03-12) (aged 65) |
| Allegiance |
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| Branch |
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| Years of service |
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| Rank | Marshal of tank forces |
| Commands |
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| Battles / wars | World War I Russian Civil War Polish–Soviet War World War II |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (twice) |
Semyon Ilyich Bogdanov (Russian:Семён Ильи́ч Богда́нов; 10 September [O.S. 29 August] 1894 – 12 March 1960) was aSovietMarshal of tank forces, and twiceHero of the Soviet Union.[1]
Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was deputy commander of the5th Army (1941–1942), commander of the6th Mechanized Corps (1942–1943), and later commander of the 2nd Tank Army, which transformed into the2nd Guards Tank Army in November 1944.
Units under Semyon Bogdanov's command took part in theBattle of Moscow, in theKorsun-Shevchenkovsky,Uman-Botoshany,Belarusian,Vistula-Oder,East Pomeranian andBerlin operations.[1] His 2nd Guards Tank Army was the first Soviet Army to enter Berlin during combat operations.
Bogdanov was born to a peasant family on 10 September 1894 in Nikolo-Khlavitsky volost ofKholmsky Uyezd,Pskov Governorate. He worked at thePutilov Factory inPetrograd and as a mechanic at the Vickers Factory inReval. DuringWorld War I Bogdanov was mobilized into theImperial Russian Army on 13 January 1915 andvolunteered to be sent to the reserve aeronautical battalion of the 1st Aviation Park of theNorthern Front, and in 1916 completed driving courses at the park. In the same year he was sent the study at the Northern Front School of Ensigns (praporshchiks) inGatchina and upon graduation in May 1917 Bogdanov was appointed a platoon commander in the 2nd Reserve Infantry Regiment atFredrikshamn in Finland. As a platoon commander of a Russian and Finnish detachment, selected from the regiment, he fought in the suppression of a White uprising atKuopio. After being demobilized in February 1918, Bogdanov became commander of a platoon guarding theNikolayevskaya Railroad.[2]
During theRussian Civil War, Bogdanov joined theRed Army at Petrograd in June 1918. He was appointed a platoon commander in the 4th Kostroma Regiment, and from April 1919 commanded a company of the 2nd Reserve Regiment. From January 1920 he served as a company and battalion commander of the 502nd Rifle Regiment of the56th Rifle Division, fighting in thePolish–Soviet War in battles inVitebsk,Minsk, andVilna Governorates. For his "exceptional courage in battle," Bogdanov was awarded theOrder of the Red Banner. He returned to the 2nd Reserve Regiment to command a platoon in October 1920 and in January 1921 transferred to command a company at the 40th Kostroma Infantry Courses for Command Personnel. Between 10 May and 20 July, he participated in the suppression of theTambov Rebellion as a company and battalion commander and acting chief of the course.[2]
After graduating in October 1923 from the one-year Higher Military-Pedagogical School in Moscow, Bogdanov became a company commander at the 14th Poltava Infantry School for Command Personnel. Transferred to the 135th Rifle Regiment of the45th Rifle Division of theUkrainian Military District in September 1925, Bogdanov served as a battalion commander, assistant regimental commander for supply units, and assistant regimental commander for personnel. Upon completion of theVystrel course in October 1930, he was appointed commander of the 134th Regiment of the division, which was converted into the 134th Mechanized Brigade in May 1934 when the division became the45th Mechanized Corps.[2]
Transferred to theMilitary Academy of Mechanization and Motorization in October 1935 to serve as commander of the school training mechanized regiment, Bogdanov graduated from Courses of Improvement for Commanding Personnel at the school in 1936, and in January 1937 became commander of the9th Mechanized Brigade. He was under investigation between 1 May 1938 and 27 October 1939, sentenced to two years of imprisonment for "negligence." However, Bogdanov was quickly released under an amnesty and reinstated into the Red Army. After being at the disposal of the Personnel Directorate, he was appointed chief of the infantry of the29th Motorized Division in March 1940. Bogdanov became commander of the32nd Separate Light Tank Brigade in November 1940, and continued in command of30th Tank Division of the14th Mechanized Corps, stationed in Belarus with theWestern Special Military District, formed from the brigade in March 1941.[2]
AfterOperation Barbarossa began on 22 June, Bogdanov led the division as part of the4th Army of theWestern Front in fighting against the German2nd Panzer Group in theBrest sector, attempting to limit the German advance to the line of theBerezina River. During theBattle of Moscow, he commanded theMozhaysk Fortified Region of theMozhaysk Defense Line from October 1941, then was deputy commander of the5th Army for tank forces, and between March and May 1942 served in the latter position with the10th Army. In May, he was appointed commander of the12th Tank Corps, forming in theMoscow Military District. After the completion of its formation, the corps became part of the3rd Tank Army of theWestern Front. In November, Bogdanov became commander of the6th Mechanized Corps, which as part of the2nd Guards Army fought in theKotelnikovo Offensive. For its actions, the corps was converted into the5th Guards Mechanized Corps in January 1943 and awarded theZimovniki honorific. Bogdanov transferred to command the9th Tank Corps in March 1943. As part of the13th Army of theCentral Front, the corps fought in theBattle of Kursk.[2]
From September, Bogdanov commanded the2nd Tank Army, which became the 2nd Guards Tank Army on 20 November 1944. In January 1944, the army fought in the repulse of the German counterattack towardsVinnytsia as part of the1st Ukrainian Front, then in theKorsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive, theUman–Botoșani Offensive, theLublin–Brest Offensive, theVistula–Oder Offensive, theEast Pomeranian Offensive, and theBerlin Offensive. In the Uman–Botoșani Offensive, the army and the27th Army formed the mobile group of the front and broke through Axis defenses north Uman. Together with the29th Tank Corps of the5th Guards Tank Army and the73rd Rifle Corps of the52nd Army they captured Uman. Despite difficulties caused by the spring thaw, the army pursued the Axis forces and advanced 240 km, crossing theSouthern Bug,Dniester, andPrut and reaching the approaches toJassy by the end of the operation. For his leadership of the army, Bogdanov was awarded the titleHero of the Soviet Union on 11 March 1944. He received the title a second time on 4 June 1945 for his command of the army in theVistula–Oder Offensive, the crossing of theNeisse andOder, and advance to theBaltic coast. On 1 June 1945 he was promoted toMarshal of Tank Forces.[2]
After the end of the war, Bogdanov continued in command of the 2nd Guards Tank Army, and in May 1947 became commander of the Armored and Mechanized Forces of theGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany. In August 1948, he became first deputy commander of the Armored and Mechanized Forces of the Soviet Army, rising to command the latter in November. On 28 April 1953 he became commander of the7th Mechanized Army of theBelorussian Military District, then in May 1954 chief of theMilitary Academy of the Armored Forces. On 21 May 1956 Bogdanov retired for health reasons, dying in Moscow on 12 March 1960.[2]
Bogdanov was a recipient of the following awards and decorations:[2]
 | Hero of the Soviet Union, twice (11 March 1944, 6 April 1945) |
 | Order of Lenin, twice (11 March 1944, 6 April 1945) |
 | Order of the Red Banner, four times (30 November 1920, 27 August 1943, 3 November 1944, 1 June 1949) |
 | Order of Suvorov, 1st class (23 August 1944) |
 | Order of Suvorov, 2nd class (7 February 1943) |
 | Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" (22 December 1942) |
 | Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" (1 May 1944) |
 | Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" (9 June 1945) |
 | Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (9 June 1945) |
 | Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (9 May 1945) |
 | Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" (22 February 1938) |
 | Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (22 February 1948) |
 | Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (18 December 1957) |
 | Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" (1947) |
 | Knight's Cross of theVirtuti Militari (Poland) |
 | Cross of Grunwald, 2nd class (Poland) |
 | Medal "For Warsaw 1939-1945" (Poland) |
 | Medal "For Oder, Neisse and the Baltic" (Poland) |
_Ribbon.svg) | Honorary Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the British Empire (United Kingdom) |
 Marshals of the Artillery | |
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 Marshals of the Aviation |
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 Marshals of Tank Troops | |
 Marshals of Engineering Troops | |
 Marshals of Communications Troops | |
 Category:Soviet marshals of the branch[1]Demoted and conferred again[2] Stripped/Demoted | |
