Arzhavkin, Alexander Fedorovich

Pre-war time

Born on April 18, 1909 in the city of Yartsevo , now Smolensk region , until 1922 he was named Zaichenkov.

In 1931 he joined the CPSU (b) .

From June 1932 to April 1936, the young man studied at the School of Coastal Defense of the Naval Forces of the Red Army of the LKSMU in Sevastopol.

After graduation, he was sent to the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR Navy , commanded the battery of the Storm patrol ship (August 1936 - March 1937 ) and the leader of the destroyer destroyer Kharkov (March - July 1937 ).

In July 1937 - April 1938 he served as the head of the department of the command and command structure of the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet .

In April-October 1938, he was the commander of the BS-2 and temporarily acted as assistant commander of the destroyer Bystry .

From March 1939 to June 1941 he studied at the command faculty of the Naval Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov and was released ahead of schedule with the outbreak of World War II .

World War II

1941 year

In June-July 1941, the commander for the mobilization unit of the 1st division of the mobilization department of the 2nd Directorate of the Main Naval Headquarters of the Navy.

In July-December 1941 he commanded the gunboat "Fedoseenko" training unit of the ships of the Volga military flotilla .

1942 year

Later, until July 1942, he was the chief of staff and commander of the armored battalion division of the 2nd Brigade of River Ships of the Volga Military Flotilla . At the beginning of the Germans' breakthrough to the Volga north of Stalingrad , a detachment of armored boats and minesweeper boats was created under the command of Lieutenant Commander Arzhavkin. The detachment provided significant support to the left flank of the Don Front .

On September 1, 1942, Captain-Lieutenant Arzhavkin arrived with a detachment of armored boats of the Volga Military Flotilla to interact with units of the 66th Army . On September 18-19, a squad of armored boats Arzhavkina supported the advance of the 451st Infantry Division.

From July 1942 until May 1943, the commander of a separate division of minesweepers, then the division of minesweepers of the 2nd trawling brigade.

1943 year

Since May 1943, he commanded the 6th division of the 2nd brigade of minesweepers of the Volga Military Flotilla .

Flotilla commander Yu. A. Panteleev wrote in his memoirs about the events of the summer of 1943: “I especially remember the commander of the 6th division, captain-lieutenant A.F. Arzhavkin. He spent the night and slept on the river, moving from ship to ship. Upon learning of the approach of enemy aircraft, Arzhavkin managed to pull his ships to the raid, and they also took part in repelling the raid. "

In the battles on the Stalingrad Front he proved himself to be an exceptionally brave and initiative commander who trained dozens of fearless fighters. He boldly repelled the repeated attacks of enemy aircraft on ships accompanied by his minesweepers. In the Gorny Balykley region of the Balykleysky district, under his leadership, over 500 mortars and a huge amount of army uniforms were saved from sunken barges. During fierce battles near Stalingrad, he led the armored boats attached, carried out a series of fire raids on the enemy near the village of Tomilino and threw parts of the Red Army across the Volga, and rendered great assistance to the advancing units.

By order of Rear Admiral Rogachev, commander of the Volga Military Flotilla, No. 2 / n dated January 29, 1943, the commander of the 2nd division of minesweeper boats of a separate trawling brigade, Captain Lieutenant Arzhavkin was awarded the Order of the Red Star (No. 74730)

Participating in the Battle of Stalingrad , minesweepers under his command neutralized 143 enemy mines, for which Captain 3 ranks Arzhavkin, by order of Rear Admiral Panteleev , commander of the Volga Military Flotilla, dated August 13, 1943, was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War I degree

In the fall of 1943, a detachment of mine boats, patrol boats and half-gliders headed by Arzhavkin was created to support the troops of the North-Western Front on Lake Ilmen , and later several armed sailing schooners were attached to them. The Ilmensky detachment should have carried out active defense of the coast of the lake, attacks on enemy communications and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. The flotilla was based at the mouth of Lovat . She immediately had an impact on the transport of the enemy. The Germans had 16 armed high-speed motor schooners. Enemy sailing vessels moved freely along the lake and even corrected the fire of field artillery. However, already in September the enemy had to reduce transportation: the sailors captured several schooners, and on October 8 the flotilla struck the base of the enemy flotilla in Ustrek. According to intelligence, 43 sailing ships and several boats were destroyed in the base. After that, the enemy began to conduct ships under the coast, in the area of ​​his artillery. The 3rd-rank captain Arzhavkin from August 1943 to June 1944 commanded the 25th separate division on Lake Ilmen. In October, several reconnaissance groups landed on the shore of the lake. The sailors last disembarked on November 7th. In winter, sailors who repaired ships were repeatedly involved in land operations. In January 1944, the troops of the Volkhov Front crossed the Volkhov River and liberated Novgorod. In February, the sailors of the Ilmensky formation of ships helped clear the southern shore of the lake from the enemy.

For participation in this operation, by Order of the Commander of the 1st Shock Army of the Guard, Lieutenant General Korotkov No. 030 of January 28, 1944, the commander of the 2nd division of minesweeper boats of a separate trawling brigade, Captain 3 ranks was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky .

1944 year

In the spring of 1944, a detachment of ships of the captain of the 2nd rank Arzhavkina moved from Lake Ilmen along Lake Ladoga and Neva to Leningrad . In May, boats of the Ilmensky detachment were transferred by rail to Lake Peipsi . Soon, the boat division of Arzhavkin was transformed into a brigade of river ships. The brigade was tasked with helping the troops expel the enemy from the northern and western parts of the lake and from the island of Piirisar , a key point on the way from Lake Peipsi to Lake Pskov . From June 1944, the brigade boats began sentinel service and actively acted on enemy communications. In the first battle with 4 enemy boats, 2 boats, the sailors sunk and took prisoners. The prisoners reported that the Germans had up to 20 high-speed landing barges, 6 armored boats, over 30 high-speed boats, boat minesweepers and dozens of smaller vessels on Pskov and Peipsi lakes. From August 18 to November 14, 1944, the brigade operated jointly with the troops of the Leningrad Front, having a main base in Gdov .

The book “The Combat Path of the Soviet Navy” says: “During the preparation of the Tallinn offensive operation, the 25th separate brigade of river ships, commanded by A.F. Arzhavkin, reinforced by ferry facilities of the engineering forces of the front, secretly transported through the strait between Chudsky and Pskov Lakes more than 100 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 1 thousand guns, up to 4 thousand cars and many other cargoes of the 2nd shock army. The operational grouping of forces and assets of the army was the main of the main conditions for the successful conduct of the offensive operation to free Estonia.

On August 23, 1944, by order of the commander of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, Admiral Tributs No. 98 for two landing operations, the commander of the river ship brigade on Lake Peipsi, Captain 3rd rank Arzhavkin was awarded the Order of Nakhimov II degree .

On October 5, 1944, by order of the commander of the Leningrad Front , Army General Govorov No. 01408, the commander of the river ship brigade on Lake Peipsi, Captain 2nd rank Arzhavkin was awarded the Order of the Red Banner .

Further, Arzhavkin served on the Danube flotilla at a time when the ships of the flotilla helped Soviet troops liberate the countries of Europe.

Since November 1944, Arzhavkin was the commander of the 2nd brigade of river ships. The name of the 2nd-rank captain Arzhavkin was mentioned three times in orders by which the Supreme High Command declared gratitude to the distinguished sailors.

During the Budapest operation, the 2nd brigade of river ships of the captain of the 2nd rank Arzhavkina was left in the Novi Sad area to support the 68th Rifle Corps of the 57th Army in the interfluve of the Sava and Danube . The battalion of the 83rd Separate Marine Rifle Brigade, the Marine Corps Company and the 122 mm battery were transferred to the operational subordination of the brigade. On November 24, 1944, the Danube Flotilla received from the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front the task of facilitating the advance of the 4th and 57th armies by landing assaults and artillery support. The sailors should have been provided with expeditious crossings and longitudinal transport of troops on the Danube . The 2nd brigade of river ships of the captain of the 2nd rank Arzhavkin was to support the advance of the divisions of the 68th Rifle Corps, the 1st Guards Fortified Region and units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia from the line Komenitsa - Ruma to Osijek, to liquidate the coastal strongholds of Ilok , Sotin , Opatovac , Vukovar . The advancing forces were to join the 57th Army north of the mouth of the Drava.

From December 1 to December 9, troops of the 68th Rifle Corps advanced on the Vukovar direction with the support of artillery of the 2nd Brigade of River Ships. Since the troops could not break through the enemy’s defenses for 3 days, the 2nd brigade was tasked with landing troops in Ilok and Opatovac in order to disorganize the enemy’s river defenses and divert part of the enemy’s forces. Arzhavkina was appointed to command the landing. According to the plan, the advance detachment (305th separate battalion of the marine corps) and the 2nd echelon were to be delivered to 9 armored boats, 5 mortar boats and coastal artillery had to provide fire support. Since the 2nd brigade had already been preparing troops for landing since November, almost no training time was required. On the evening of December 3, troops were landed on boats and headed for the target. In order to distract the enemy’s attention and drown out the noise of the engines, coastal artillery fired at enemy positions. On the morning of December 4, the paratroopers landed in Opatovac and Ilok , since the advance of the 68th Rifle Corps was delayed by 6 hours, the landing party had to withstand a counterattack and at the same time expand the bridgehead. Since the German command organized the defense on the outskirts of Vukovar and delayed the advance of the ground forces, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front set the Danube Flotilla to land troops in Vukovar . The flotilla commander Rear Admiral Gorshkov entrusted this task to Arzhavkin. On the night of December 8, the 2nd Brigade, with the support of coastal artillery, should have landed the same troops as in Opatovac . An armored boat and 5 mortar boats constituted a detachment of artillery support. For the convenience of managing the operation, the brigade commander located his auxiliary command post near the landing area. On the night of December 8, with the support of coastal artillery, the landing was landed above Vukovar . The appearance of one and a half thousand paratroopers with artillery near the road junction was unexpected for the enemy. 2nd tier delivery has already been met by fire. The ships crushed the resistance. But the troops of the 68th Rifle Corps were not able to break through the enemy’s defenses, and the paratroopers had to fight on the defensive for 3 days. On December 9, the enemy, concentrating groups of tanks and infantry on the flanks, tried to cut off the landing from the river and defeat it. However, Arzhavkin sent 9 armored boats and 4 mortar boats to the flanks. 2 boats were lost, but the sailors allowed the paratroopers to hold a small bridgehead. Since in the evening it became clear that the ground forces were not able to break through to Vukovar , on the night of December 10, 5 armored boats and 4 mortar boats of the 2nd brigade of river ships brought 988 paratroopers under fire. This operation was called the Opatovsk landing and Vukovarsky landing .

For participation in this operation, by order of the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Tolbukhin No. 063 dated February 22, 1945, the commander of the 2nd Sulinskaya River Brigade Brigade Captain 2nd rank was awarded the Second Order of the Red Banner .

The offensive in the Budapest direction was resumed on December 20, 1944 . The Danube Flotilla , which was commanded by Rear Admiral Kholostyakov from December 12 , was to support the advancing troops with fire. While the 1st brigade of river ships provided an attack on Budapest , the 2nd brigade fought in the Vukovar area. On December 12, the command of the brigade and the 68th Rifle Corps developed a joint action plan. By decision of Arzhavkin, 6 armored boats and 2 mortar boats constituted a detachment of artillery support; correctional posts were deployed in the positions of the troops. From December 14 to 18, the brigade supported the troops trying to take Sotin. Since the 68th Rifle Corps was withdrawn to another section of the front on December 19, the brigade command had to establish relations with the command of the troops of the 1st Bulgarian Army, who arrived to replace them. The ships of the flotilla transported Bulgarian troops to the bridgehead. A joint action plan was developed against Sotin and other coastal sites. Arzhavkin allocated an artillery support detachment of 7 armored boats and 3 mortar boats. With the support of the artillery of ships and coastal batteries, Bulgarian troops launched an offensive. But the enemy himself went into counterattacks, which were repelled with the help of sailors. The fighting continued until December 29 , after which the Soviet and Bulgarian troops on the outskirts of Budapest went on the defensive.

1945 year

In January, they had to withstand the powerful blows of enemy troops, which managed to break through to the Danube . Soviet troops on the right bank of the river were in a difficult position, because in one night the bridges were demolished by ice drift. In this situation, the Danube flotilla had to take over the crossing. The 2nd brigade was responsible for the crossing in the Ilok, Opatovac area and 6 armored boats were allocated in support of the 1st trawling brigade. Despite the difficult ice conditions, the sailors successfully transported troops and cargo across the Danube . In mid-February, the enemy’s Budapest group was defeated and Soviet troops began preparations for an attack on Vienna. The enemy was also preparing for battle. In order to prevent the Danube flotilla from moving freely along the river, the Germans mined the Danube , blew up the Esztergom bridge and concentrated the river flotilla near Bratislava. Bratislava-Vienna direction became the main for the flotilla. In this direction Kholostyakov concentrated the main forces, leaving some of the ships in the Vukovarsky direction. The 1st and 2nd brigades of river ships took an active part in the struggle for Eszterg, which was taken on May 21, 1945 . Ships of the 2nd brigade fired at enemy crossings across the Danube in the Esztergom-Schütte section from a position on the left bank and on the move when breaking through up the river. In the order of the Supreme High Command dated March 25, 1945 on the occasion of the defeat of the enemy near Esztergom and Tat among the distinguished sailors Arzhavkina are also indicated.

With a further offensive along the Danube, Arzhavkin led the landing of a marine corps battalion on the left bank of the Danube. He had 15 armored boats of the 1st and 2nd brigades of river ships and 2 minesweeper boats. With the support of 4 mortar boats, coastal artillery and aviation, the landing detachment broke through the Esztergomsky bridge on the night of March 28, 1945 and entered the crossing area. True, due to the fact that the command of the 59th Guards Rifle Division was not informed of a breakthrough, both minesweeper boats were sunk by their own artillery, and the armored boats were damaged. On the eve of the landing, Arzhavkin invited commanders to coordinate actions. 9 armored boats took the battalion of the marine corps, which after the fire training of coastal batteries, artillery support boats and air strikes headed for the target. Despite enemy fire, the battalion was landed. Part of the boats left for support. The rest engaged in the transfer of the main parts of the 83rd Separate Marine Brigade. The landing party weakened the enemy’s resistance and allowed the Soviet troops to advance 25 kilometers on the left bank by March 28, 28 . Subsequently, from March 30 to April 4, sailors of the 2nd Brigade transported 7,537 soldiers and officers, 124 guns and a mortar, 128 vehicles, and other cargoes from the left bank of the Danube to the right, which contributed to the attack on Bratislava . March 30, a detachment of armored boats landed in Komarno. On the night of April 4, the ships of the brigade supported the assault on Bratislava with fire. In the orders of the High Command of March 30 and April 4, along with others who distinguished themselves in the battles for Komarno and Bratislava , sailors of the 2nd rank captain Arzhavkin, who was awarded the Order of Ushakov II degree for these battles, were mentioned.

The 2nd Brigade of River Ships and its 1st Division were given the honorary name Bratislava. The Bratislava National Committee awarded the title of honorary citizens of the city to a group of sailors, including Arzhavkin.

On April 6, 1945, the 2nd brigade of river ships was instructed to ensure the crossing of the Danube by the 46th Army and to assist its advance on the left bank of the river, ships of the 1st brigade operating in the Vienna direction were given operational control to Arzhavkin. Kholostyakov instructed the captain of the 2nd rank to deploy a command post in the vicinity of Vienna . On the morning of April 7, Arzhavkin’s ships began crossing the Danube . With 9 armored boats and 12 mortar boats, Arzhavkin advanced some of the forces to the flanks to support the advancing troops. Despite the attacks from the air, the sailors successfully completed the task of transporting troops. From April 6 to April 14, the flotilla transported more than 100 thousand soldiers of the 46th Army with their weapons. Arzhavkin was also instructed to land an assault south of Hort in order to capture a road junction behind enemy lines. As the crossing continued, the 2nd-rank captain Arzhavkin formed an amphibious squad of 4 armored boats and 3 mortar boats with the support of coastal artillery. On the night of April 8, the landing was landed. His actions helped to break the enemy’s defenses and advance to Vienna . Sailors participated in the battles for the capital of Austria . In particular, when on April 9 and 10 it was not possible to take the bridge across the Danube , Arzhavkin suggested landing a landing on two banks of the river at once and capture the bridge. To walk along the fairway, where the debris of another bridge and the flooded vessels were the obstacles, Arzhavkin decided to land on April 11 in the afternoon with the support of land artillery. The following were formed: a landing squad and a cover squad (5 armored boats), a detachment of artillery support ships (8 mine boats). The landing was a reinforced company. On April 10, the landing documents were prepared. Arzhavkin agreed with the commander of the 80th Guards Rifle Division, Colonel Chizhov, joint actions. The sailors and paratroopers were explained the situation and tasks of the landing. On the afternoon of April 11, paratroopers landed at the ends of the bridge under fire, cut the wires to the charges and prevented the explosion, after which they held the only crossing for two days. Boats further participated in the struggle for Vienna . On April 13, the enemy’s Vienna group was defeated, and on April 14–15, a group of troops trying to leave Vienna . The actions of the sailors of the flotilla noted the orders of the Supreme High Command. For military successes in the Vienna direction of the 2nd Order of Ushakov, the river ship brigade received the Order of the Red Banner .

After the battles for Vienna, the boats of the 1st and 2nd brigades of river ships were sent to combat trawling of the Danube section from Komarno to Vienna , they were used to tow trawl barges. Inspection of the General Staff of the Navy in the summer of 1945 noted the high level of work of the headquarters of the flotilla.

Participated in the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945 .

On June 28, 1945, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Captain 2nd rank Arzhavkin was awarded the Order of Nakhimov, 1st degree .

The historian of the Danube Flotilla Loktionov noted in the conclusions about the actions of sailors in the Vienna operation : “ Rear Fleet Commander Rear Admiral G. N. Kholostyakov , commanders of the 1st and 2nd brigades of river ships, captains of the 2nd rank P. I. Derzhavin and A. F. Arzhavkin promptly and with operational foresight reacted to the situation and its changes, promptly offered the command of the ground forces the most rational ways to solve problems with the forces of the flotilla in the interests of developing an offensive by armies, corps and divisions that attacked the riverine flats Angah. "

Post-war time

After the war, Arzhavkin commanded the same 2nd brigade of river ships, from May 1947 to April 1949 - the 1st brigade.

In April-November 1949, the sailor was the chief of staff, and then until December 1950 - the commander of the Danube military flotilla .

On January 27, 1951, Arzhavkin was awarded the military rank of Rear Admiral .

In 1951, he graduated from the main faculty of the K.E. Voroshilov Naval Academy .

In May 1951 - February 1953, Arzhavkin commanded the Training Unit of the Navy ships.

From February 1953 to March 1956 he was an assistant commander of the Northern Fleet on the combat front.

One can see from the 1953 performance that he “... is characterized as an initiative, competent naval officer. He is personally disciplined, energetic and courageous ... In a difficult environment, he is not lost, knows how to make the right decision and persevere in his implementation, he is not afraid of responsibility for the decision. Demanding and fair to subordinates. He is efficient, has good organizational skills ... ”

From March 1956 to August 1958, Arzhavkin was the commander of the 17th combined training detachment (UO), then until January 1959 - the commander of the 30th UO aviation of the Navy , served as deputy rear commander - chief of logistics of the Leningrad Naval Base (January 1951 - December 1960) and Deputy Commander of the Leningrad Naval Forces for Logistics - Chief of Logistics (December 1960 - September 1965 ).

September 16, 1965 Arzhavkin died in Leningrad .

Obituaries were placed in the newspapers Krasnaya Zvezda and Sovetskiy Sailor on September 18, 1965 .

Alexander Fedorovich was buried at the Serafimovsky cemetery in Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

USSR

• three orders of the Red Banner (10/05/1944, 02/22/1945, 1953)
• Order of Nakhimov I degree № 46 (06/28/1945)
• Order of Ushakov, II degree, No. 249 (1945)
• Order of Nakhimov, II degree, No. 37 (08.23.1944)
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (01/28/1944)
• Order of the Patriotic War I degree (08/13/1943)
• two orders of the Red Star (01/29/1943, 1947)
  • Medals of the USSR:
  • “For Military Merit” (11/03/1944)
  • “For the defense of Stalingrad”
  • “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.”
  • “Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.”
  • “For the capture of Budapest”
  • “For the capture of Vienna”
  • "30 years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
  • "40 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
  • “In memory of the 250th anniversary of Leningrad”

Orders (thanks) of the Supreme Commander in which Arzhavkin A.F. is noted ^[1]

• For the breakthrough of the strong German defense in the mountains of Wörötshedsheg, west of Budapest, and the capture of the cities of Esztergom, Nesmey, Felsche Gall, Tata. March 25, 1945. No. 308
• For forcing the Gron and Nitra rivers, breaking through the enemy’s defense along the western banks of these rivers and taking possession of the cities of Komarno, Nove-Zamky, Surany, Komyatice, Vrabla — strong German defense strongholds in the Bratislava direction. March 30, 1945. Number 318
• For mastering the important industrial center and the main city of Slovakia, Bratislava - a major communications hub and a powerful stronghold of the Germans' defense on the Danube. April 4, 1945. Number 330

Foreign Awards

• Order of Courage ( BNR )
• Order of the Red Banner ( Hungary )
• Medal "For Courage Before the Enemy" ( Czechoslovakia )

Honorary Citizen of Bratislava (1946)

A dry cargo vessel is named after Arzhavkin.

• CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE EARTH OF SMOLENSK
• Central Naval Portal
• HISTORICAL LIBRARY

• Lurie V.M. Admirals and generals of the Navy of the USSR. 1946-1960 .. - M .: Kuchkovo field, 2007 .-- 672 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9950-0009-9 .
• Loktinov I.I. Volga flotilla in the Great Patriotic War.— M., 1974;
• Tributs V.F. The Baltics are fighting, - M., 1985. - S. 378-384;
• Chkheidze A. A. Notes of the Danube intelligence officer. - M., 1984. - P. 128-132;
• Belyaev I.N. Smolyan in the history of the Russian fleet. — Smolensk, 2000. — S. 229—236.

• List of admirals, vice admirals, rear admirals of the USSR Navy (1946-1960)
• List of admirals, vice admirals, rear admirals of the USSR Navy (1940-1945)
• List of engineer-admirals, engineer-vice-admirals, engineer-rear-admirals of the USSR Navy (1940-1945)
• List of engineer-admirals, engineer-vice-admirals, engineer-rear-admirals of the USSR Navy (1946-1960)