Colonel Gorokhov's group

Group Commander - Sergey Fedorovich Gorokhov

On August 23, the Wehrmacht’s XIV tank corps , having made a throw of 60 kilometers, reached the Volga near the village of Akatovka ^[3] - the village of Latoshinka ^[4] - the village of Rynok ^[5] , being 2-3 kilometers from the Stalingrad tractor factory . There was a direct threat to the plant. To cover the plant, the national militia detachments , fighter battalions , workers detachments, the 99th Separate Tank Brigade (commanded by Major P.S. Zhitnev), a gun artillery regiment, a Marine Battalion of the Volga Military Flotilla , the 282nd Regiment of the 10th Rifle divisions of the NKVD . A northern sector of defense was created under the leadership of Major-General N. V. Feklenko . For 5 days, the group of Fecklenko restrained the enemy at the turn of the river Dry Mechetka ^[6] .

By August 29, instead of the group of Fecklenko, a group of Colonel Gorokhov was created with the subordination of parts of the northern sector ^[7] .

At about noon on August 28, 1942, the commander of the 124th Osbr, Colonel S.F. Gorokhov, was tasked: “Tomorrow, 08.29.42, in the morning go on the offensive from the Tractor Plant to the north along the Volga. At the turn of Erzovka, a meeting with the upcoming 64th division of the army nominated by Kamyshin R. Ya. Malinovsky is possible " ^[2] The order was given personally by the commander of the South-Eastern Front, Colonel-General A. I. Eremenko, in the presence of N. S. Khrushchev , a member of the Military Council of the Front, secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B.) G. M. Malenkov , Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR V. Malyshev , Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army A. M. Vasilevsky , Chief of the Armored Directorate of the People’s Commissariat of Defense Ya. N. Fedorenko , commander of the 10th division of the NKVD colonel A. A. Sarayev ^[2] .

The order ordered S.F. Gorokhov to form a group consisting of: the 124th separate rifle brigade, the 282nd rifle regiment of the internal troops of the NKVD of the 10th division of the NKVD, the 99th tank brigade , the 32nd battalion of the marines of the Volga military flotilla, separate shooting repair battalion, battalion of the Traktorozavodsky district of Stalingrad ; the group was given about forty slow-moving tanks of a separate tank battalion of the Stalingrad tank factory , dug into the ground along the right bank of the river Mokraya Mechetka. The offensive of the group should have been supported by fire from the Volga ships of the Volga military flotilla ^[2] .

By the order of the Commander of the South-Eastern Front of August 28 ^[8] , the Northern Group of Colonel Gorokhov was defined as the formation of front-line submission. The group was included in the 62nd Army after the deployment of the army directly in Stalingrad ^[2] .

At 2:00 on August 29, Colonel S.F. Gorokhov reported to the Front Military Council about readiness for an offensive: 124th Osbr redeployed from the south of Stalingrad (area of ​​Sadovaya station) to the northern edge of the tractor plant, taken under command of the unit that defended the plant, combat mission developed and brought to the attention of commanders of parts and chiefs of services ^[2] .

The preparation of the offensive was carried out in a hurry. Part of the forces of the 124th Osbre did not have time to complete the march through Stalingrad, and some units (the logistics service, the autoroot and the artillery of the brigade) had not yet crossed the Volga. Already after the war, S.F. Gorokhov estimated the task set by this: “obviously impracticable. We had nothing uncovered shore. And even if it is possible to clear the coast from the enemy, then it will be impossible to keep him ... especially since it was stipulated that the 282nd regiment of the NKVD I can only use until Latoshinka " ^[2] .

At the time of the order, the front headquarters was not well aware of the situation north of the tractor factory. In the area of ​​the German units' breakthrough to the Volga, no reconnaissance of the enemy forces was organized, and Gorokhov was recommended to connect the workers of the tractor factory who knew the terrain well ^[9] . An important role in acquaintance with the situation was played by the commander of the 99th Tbr, Lieutenant Colonel P. S. Zhitnev, who had fought in the area since August 23 ^[10] .

The battle order given by Colonel Gorokhov at 10:00 pm on August 28, aimed the 124th assault on the attack along the bank of the Volga in the direction of Erzovka , on the left the brigade was supported by the 282nd infantry regiment of the NKVD. In addition, the tasks of the 99th Tank Brigade and the ships of the Volga Military Flotilla were set ^[11] .

The battle of August 29 began with the strikes of Soviet aviation against the location of parts of Lieutenant General Hube . This was followed by an infantry attack, which ended with the seizure of the Market. Lieutenant-General Ya.N. Fedorenko, who was present at the command post of Gorokhov ( Nizhny Village STZ , house 624), ordered to keep the Market at any cost. At around 5:00 pm the motorcycle battalion of the 16th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht, supported by 11 tanks, counterattacked the Soviet units. The attack was unsuccessful, and the Germans, having suffered significant losses, retreated ^[11] . A major role in repelling the counterattack was played by four armored boats of the Volga River Flotilla, commanded by Lieutenant Commander S. P. Lysenko ^[12] , which was also noted by the enemy ^[13] . Losses on the basis of the battles for the Market amounted to killed - 112 people, wounded - 523 people, missing - 3 people ^[14] .

On the same day, the 282nd jV climbed to a height of 135.4, but could not make it further, on the northern slope, swept by German artillery, ^[15] . In general, the group occupied the Rynok line - southeastern slopes of height 101.3, 4 kilometers east of Orlovka ^[16] .

At the end of the day, parts of the 16th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht were driven out of the villages of Spartanovka , Rynok, Latoshinka and rejected 8 kilometers from the Wet Mechetka for the chicken farm. Thus, the defense sector was formed, which was held by a group of Colonel Gorokhov until November 24, 1942 ^[7] .

To develop the success of the 124th separate rifle brigade, on August 30, the 149th separate rifle brigade and the 38th separate motorized rifle brigade were entered into battle (ombsbr). While the new units relocated, the 124th Osbr continued the offensive. By the end of August 30, a height of 101.3 was captured ^[14] .

On August 31, the combat missions were set on behalf of the headquarters of the Northern Combat Division, although they proceeded from the headquarters of the 124th Osbr. By the end of the day, the Soviet units were to go "to the front Vinovka , ITF, bushes north of Orlovka 3.5 km." In accordance with this, the 124th and 149th ^October , the 38th Ombra have received offensive tasks ^[14] .

At 11:00 on August 31, the group of Gorokhov went on the offensive. However, the interaction between the advancing brigades was not up to par, which led, in particular, to unnecessary losses when the 4th separate rifle battalion was replaced by units of the 149th Osbr. The main success of the day was the capture by the battalions of the 149th osbr of the northern slopes of height 135.4, which were held until September 18, 1942 ^[14] .

According to the results of offensive battles, on August 29–31, a combat sector was formed north of the tractor factory, which successfully defended itself for 89 days ^[14] .

The core of the group of Colonel Gorokhov was the 124th separate rifle brigade. So, the chief of artillery of the 124th separate rifle brigade, Major Arkady Markovich Motsak, became the commander of the artillery of Colonel Gorokhov's group ^{[17] [18]} . The supply of logistical and other types of food allowance to the 124th ASC, as well as the group of Colonel Gorokhov as a whole, was provided through the Volga River and partially through the air ^[7] . In this case, the collection of weapons and ammunition abandoned in the battle zone was actively used. For example, the senior gunsmith of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 124th Osbr, Technical Service Chief Aleksey Ivanovich Popov, after the battle on August 29, under several enemy machine gun fire, collected his and captured weapons and ammunition, moving away from their trenches to 1 kilometer ^{[19] [20]} .

On September 2, the 38th ombsbr was withdrawn from the group, and on September 3, the 99th tbr. ^[21] . On September 5, the group of Colonel Gorokhov was officially reassigned to the 62nd Army ^[21] , which at that moment was commanded by Major-General A. I. Lopatin , and from September 12, by Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov . The order lists the 149th Osbr, cannon boats and armored boats under the command of Captain 3rd rank S. P. Lysenko, a detachment of marines and the 99th Tank Brigade ^[22] . On the same day, part of the workers' militia units was withdrawn from the front to the rear, and part was introduced into military units ^[23] . The remains of the fighter battalion of the Traktorozavodsky district returned to the factory on September 9 ^[24] .

On September 7, the 1st Battalion, the 124th Osbr. Under the command of Captain S. P. Tsybulin (approximately 800 men) was transferred to the defense of a height of 112.6 (about 6 km from the Gorokhov group).

On September 11, 1942, the number and armament of the units belonging to Colonel Gorokhov’s group were as follows ^[25] :

Were in the group of Gorokhov and tanks. For example, on September 14, in the 149th AE, there were 5 T-70 tanks ^[26] .

The strength of the units of Colonel Gorokhov’s group during the Battle of Stalingrad:

On September 14, by order of the 62nd Army headquarters, a consolidated battalion was formed from units of the second echelon, thrown to the line south of height 102.0 ( Mamayev Kurgan ) along the Banny ravine line, at the disposal of Major General N. M. Pozharsky . The battalion consisted of a rifle company with a machine-gun platoon and a platoon of PTR 124th Osbr and one rifle company with a machine-gun platoon and a platoon of PTR 149 th osbr. ^[34] . As a result of the detachment of the consolidated battalion, the group was left almost without reserve ^[35] . The combined battalion returned to the location of the Gorokhov group only on September 24, consisting of only 60 people ^[34] .

From September 5, 1942, the 66th Army conducted offensive operations against the northern wing of the 16th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht in order to break through from the north to Stalingrad and unite with the 62nd Army. On September 17, a group of Colonel Gorokhov was tasked with forming a strike force and conducting an offensive against the 99th Division of the 66th Army. The shock group consisted of the 3rd Osb 124th Osbr, units of the 149th Osbr, 32nd Separate Battalion of the Marine Corps Detachment of the Volga Military Flotilla and the 282nd Infantry Regiment of the NKVD ^[36] .

On September 18, units of the 3rd and 4th Osb 124th Osbr, having advanced 700-800 meters, reached the north-eastern slopes of height 101.3. The divisions of the 149th Osbr failed to organize interaction and did not advance. The 282nd junction of the NKVD, having advanced 400-500 meters, was able to reach the north-western slopes of height 135.4 and barrows at its summit ^[36] .

September 19 was less successful. Motorized riflemen of the 16th Panzer Division conducted counterattacks involving 15 tanks. Despite this, the 3rd Osb 124th Osbr was able to walk 50–100 meters at an altitude of 101.3. The 2nd Osb of the same brigade advanced 350-400 meters from the Market to the north-west. The 2nd aug. The 149th ack could pass on 100–300 meters. The 282nd jV of the NKVD was entrenched in the area of ​​two mounds at an altitude of 135.4, but did not go further. During the day, 1 enemy tank was hit and 1 set on fire ^[36] .

Subsequently, Lieutenant General S.F. Gorokhov rather lowly rated the offensive plans of the command of the 62nd Army: “The Germans were considered more stupid than us, but, as life has shown, it was all a waste of forces and means. A vain idea, without serious preparation from the north. " Chief of Staff of the 62nd Army N. S. Krylov noted after the war: “Assumptions that the actions of the Soviet troops north of the city would force the enemy to withdraw some forces from Stalingrad, that time, unfortunately, did not materialize ...” ^[36]

In the period from August 29 to September 20, the loss of personnel in the 124th OSB amounted to 1,667 people: 360 killed, wounded 975, missing 332. Over the same period, 1,040 replenishment people arrived ^[37] .

On September 27, a battalion of the people's militia, replaced by Gorokhovets ^{[38] [39],} was withdrawn from the area of ​​the Mountain settlement.

The crisis of the group management system of Colonel Gorokhov

On September 13, the Military Council of the 62nd Army analyzed the defense of Stalingrad. By the resolution of the Military Council, the city was divided into sectors, the responsibility for defense of which was assigned to the respective commanders. Responsibility for the northern sector of defense was assigned to Colonel S. F. Gorokhov ^[40] . In combat orders, for example, on September 17 and 18, orders are given "to the comrade group. Gorokhov. In the order of Commander V.I. Chuikov No. 70 of September 28 (known as “The army fights at the last frontier”), the tasks for the parts of the Gorokhov group are set separately ^[40] , however, no formal order was given to abolish the Gorokhov group. Already in the political communication of the 62nd army of October 18, "The actions of units of the 62nd army and party political work from October 17-18, 1942" again mention "the group of Colonel Gorokhov as part of the 124th, 149th, 115th th rifle brigades, 2 nd mscr and 112th division ” ^[40] .

In the post-war correspondence of V. A. Grekov and S. F. Gorokhov, the reasons for the dismemberment of the northern sector during one of the critical periods of the defense of Stalingrad were discussed. Grekov suggested that representatives of the headquarters and political directorate of the 62nd Army were involved in this decision, for a long time the 149th Osbr. Gorokhov answered the direct question: “I didn’t have a dispute with Bolvinov and his other successors. I would not allow to argue. But, as you can see, there were complaints to the “aliens” from the 62nd Army. And for what? What they got was shared equally, and the glory of the “Gorohovtsevs” was shared equally, and no one was offended. But there are always and will be envious people, especially those who don't do a damn thing, but envy everyone ” ^[40] .

According to V. A. Grekov, V. I. Chuikov was too jealous of the situation in which a large group of troops, formally subordinate to him, was directly associated with the front command for solving problems. During the entire period of command of the 62nd army, neither the commander, nor the army chief has ever visited the location of Colonel Gorokhov's group. At the same time, the front “strengthened with all its strength, supported the stability of its flank and at the same time the flank of the 62nd Army that was part of it with ships, artillery, aviation” ^[40] .

October was the most difficult month for the defenders of Stalingrad. For the group of Colonel Gorokhov, October was primarily associated with the battles for the Stalingrad Tractor Plant and the villages around it. The German offensive in October began with the liquidation of the Orlovsky bulge, which covered the Gorokhov group from the west ^[42] .

Liquidation of the Oryol projection

From 8 pm on September 28 to 6 am on September 29, the enemy conducted a bombardment of troops defending Orlovka. Soviet units reported that about 1,700 bombs were dropped on the position. At 8 am on September 29, the enemy hit the positions of the 115th Infantry Brigade . The 51st Army Corps (from the south-west) and the 16th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht from the XIV Tank Corps (from the north-east) participated in the offensive ^[43] . In the official history of the 16th Panzer Division, positions defended by Soviet units are called fortresses ^[44] . In this area, all enemy attacks were unsuccessful.

In the offensive zone of the LI Army Corps, German units were able to deliver a serious blow to the 1st Battalion of the 115th Rifle Brigade and the 2nd Motorized Rifle Brigade. On September 30, the 3rd battalion of the 115th UDF and the combined battalion of the 2nd ISC were surrounded. However, despite all the efforts of the enemy, his strike groups could not connect, and approximately 1600 meters remained between them ^[44] .

On September 30, the headquarters of the Gorokhov group was unable to contact the headquarters and subunits of the 115th Osbr. After reconnaissance, it turned out that in the area of ​​the village of Orlovka and the height of 97.7 at the position of the 115th Osbr, 2nd MSSR, 282nd Joint Venture and the 1st Battalion of the 124th Osbr, part of the 16th Panzer Division, 60 th mechanized division , the 389th and 100th infantry divisions of the Wehrmacht ^[45] .

At 11 o'clock on October 1, the enemy attacked Orlovka in the north and southeast direction. Parts of the Gorokhov group, which were defensive in the Market – Orlovka sector, repelled the enemy’s attacks ^[46] . However, on October 4, the enemy managed to break through the defense section of the 282nd joint command and close the encirclement around the 115th rifle brigade and the remnants of the 2nd motorized rifle brigade that fought north-west and southeast of Orlovka. The remnants of the 282nd joint venture, which kept the height of 135.4, were surrounded. In his memoirs, S. F. Gorokhov wrote: “The 115th brigade occupied Orlovka until the October days, covering our left flank (282nd joint team). They fought before that well. But she retreated in a panic, although she had the opportunity to withdraw in order to the combat positions of the 282nd joint command ” ^[47] .

On October 2, in the Informational Report of the High Command (the German equivalent of the Soviet Sovinformbureau reports), it was announced that a “strong Orlovka stronghold” was taken ^[48] .

On October 7, having spent the ammunition, the security officers were able to break into the location of the group of Gorokhov. All those who remained from the 282nd joint venture were merged into a joint battalion and a joint company under the command of captain FK Ryabchevsky and P. S. Oleinik respectively ^[15] . By 8.00 on October 8, a total of 220 people left the encirclement from the 115th UFB and the 2nd MSR ^[49] . The remains of the 115th Security Council and the 2nd MSBR were transferred to the STZ defense sector ^[47] .

As a result of the defeat of the Oryol ledge, the configuration of the sector on which the group of colonel Gorokhov defended changed. On October 4, under the pressure of the enemy, the 149th Osbr and 282nd Joint Ventures retreated from the Tractor State Farm to the south-western outskirts of Spartanovka ^[50] , covering the flank of the 124th Osbr in the area of ​​the Orsa Plantations of the Tractor Plant. The remnants of the Gorshkov battalion and the 282nd infantry regiment of the NKVD were withdrawn from the Gorokhov group on the left bank of the Volga ^[47] .

On October 7, the enemy launched the last offensive from the south to the workers' settlement of the STZ, and from October 8 to 14 carried out a regrouping of forces for a new assault on the city ^[47] .

On October 9, the group of Gorokhov occupied Rynok, the settlement of Spartanovka, a grove to the west of it, and the village of the Tractor Plant ^[51] .

Sturm October 14th

The calm between October 8 and 14 was used by the command of the 62nd army to plan offensive operations. In the order given at 1:20 on October 14, the tasks are set until October 20: “firmly hold the occupied lines, prevent the enemy from entering the Volga and private operations by 20.10 clearing the factory villages from the enemy and seize Mamaev Kurgan, create a solid and deep defense”. By 12 o'clock the commanders of the units were to submit plans for offensive actions ^[52] .

However, the enemy was preparing his own offensive and, on October 13, he began an intensive bombardment: during the day, 600-700 sorties were registered at the positions of the Gorohovists. On this day, the assault bridge was destroyed, and it was not possible to restore it, which greatly complicated the connection of the group with the “big land”. Intensive bombing forced to move the headquarters of Colonel Gorokhov ^[52] . The Germans launched an offensive, targeting the tractor factory and the villages around it.

One of the elements of the defense of the Gorokhov group was the Separate Tank Battalion of the Stalingrad Tank Plant consisting of three companies. The material part of the battalion was the corps of off-tank tanks, turned into long-term firing points ^[53] .

On October 14 all the cars from the T-60 company were lost. As a result of the fighting on October 15, 2 KV remained in the ranks. By the end of October 16, both KVs were surrounded by the enemy (the infantry from the Gorokhov group moved away from the vehicles) and after the ammunition ran out, the tank crews blew up the vehicles and went to the location of the Gorokhov group ^[54] .

By order of the commander-62, the 1st Separate Battalion of the 124th Osbr, reinforced by a company of machine gunners, was thrown to the defense of the FCZ with an order to subjugate all the units encountered and organize the defense. On October 16, 12 people returned to the location of the group, who were merged into the 4th battalion of the brigade. Among the survivors was DF Staroshchuk - the future chief of staff of the brigade. Among the dead was the assistant on the Komsomol of the political department chief of the 124th Sytov Brigade: he was captured and was hanged in one of the STZ shops ^[55] .

By October 15, the situation around the Gorokhov group had deteriorated sharply: the enemy occupied the plant, the Lower Village and the southern shore of Mokra Mechetka, except for its mouth at the confluence of the Volga ^[55] . The new commander of the 16th Panzer Division, Major General Gunter Ungern, ordered Spartacus and Market to be taken. Colonel Krumpen, who had extensive experience in fighting against Gorokhovtsy, dissuaded from an attack in the afternoon ^[55] .

On October 15, at 4 o'clock in the morning, part of the 16th Panzer Division , with a blow from the village of Latoshinka to Rynok, attempted to break through to the mouth of the Wet Mechetki and cut off the 124th Osbr and the whole group of Gorokhov from the ferries. Separate enemy groups reached the mouth of the river and the group of Colonel Gorokhov was for the time being completely surrounded ^[31] . At the same time, the 389th Infantry Division attacked from the west along Wet Mechetki, and the 94th Infantry Division struck from the south of the tractor factory ^[56] . According to the results of the day, the situation looked very alarming: the 124th Osbr repulsed several attacks, having knocked out more than 30 tanks, but the 94th Division managed to cut off the 149th Osbr from the Gorokhov brigade and, having captured the pier, go to the rear of the 124th Osbr ^{. 57]} .

In addition to direct enemy actions, the situation was complicated by the large number of retreating disarray from the territory of the FCZ and the adjacent villages of Soviet soldiers and officers. Colonel S.F. Gorokhov and the group headquarters officers tried to stop the flow of the retreating forces. A “troika” was created as part of the Commissar of Staff Drimchenko and representatives of the special department and the prosecutor's office. Doctors were connected to the “troika” to identify the wounded. Military specialists (tankers, gunners, and others) were transported to the left bank, and the infantrymen were left at the disposal of Colonel Gorokhov. Passes to the left bank were signed by the group commander personally ^[58] .

To support the group of Gorokhov, a special division of the 62nd Army created a task force that brought together the remnants of special squad divisions and the personnel of the 3rd army frontier detachment. The group was headed by senior security officer lieutenant of state security Ignatenko. The task force detained deserters, cowards and alarmists who tried to cross to the eastern bank of the Volga without good reason. For 15 days, up to 800 officers and privates were detained. The bulk was returned to their units, but 15 people were shot in front of the line. Among the wavering was the platoon commander of the PTR 149th Osbr junior political officer Shilkin, who gave such testimony: “I confess that I deserted from the battlefield, leaving the fighters on the line of defense. He deserted because he was not sure of the strength of the resistance of the men of his platoon. It seemed to me that the Red Army men would not withstand the pressure of the Germans and flee, but it turned out differently - the Red Army men defended themselves, and I chickened out and fled from the battlefield ” ^[59] .

On October 16, an entry appeared in the battle log of the 124th Osbr: “... From the remnants of manpower, the 115th Osbr formed the first battalion of the 124th Osbr, and the 2nd battalion of the fourth battalion formed the 124th Osbr. The remnants of the 112th division were poured into the 149th osbr ” ^[58] . By the end of the day, the Gorohov residents continued to fight surrounded, being cut off from the Volga ^[60] . In the news bulletins of the Wehrmacht’s High Command, it was stated: “As a result of a strike to the north, enemy troops are cut off from their communications north-west of Stalingrad and will soon be destroyed” ^[60] . But Gorohovtsy did not flinch and continued to fight.

On October 17, the enemy conducted five attacks, was able to occupy part of the village of Rynok, but by evening the Soviet troops knocked out the Germans to their original positions ^[61] . On this day, the information bulletins of the Wehrmacht High Command announced: "The Bolshevik troops, surrounded north-west of the urban district of Spartakovka, were destroyed" ^[62] .

On October 18, the enemy broke through to the headquarters of the Gorokhov group; all staff officers took part in repelling the attack. By evening, the enemy was abandoned ^[63] . In two days of fighting, the Gorohov residents destroyed more than two thousand German soldiers and officers, knocked down and burned 58 tanks ^[61] . On this day, parts of the group received long-awaited ammunition and food ^[64] .

On October 19, the situation stabilized, and the environment was avoided. On that day, Colonel S.F. Gorokhov was under the command of 3953 people, 15 heavy machine guns, 95 light machine guns, 57 anti-tank guns, 22 45-mm cannons, 20 76-mm cannons, 21 120-mm mortars, 48 ​​82-mm mortars , 23 50 mm mortar. At the same time 2640 people were from among the 124th osbr. There was an acute shortage of 120-mm-min, 76-mm shells and sniper rifles ^[31] .

On October 19, an entry appeared in the service diary of Colonel-General Aviation Rihtgofen : “Our planes are already bombing at a distance of a grenade attack in front of their infantry, but aviation cannot do anything with the Russians entrenched in Spartacus ...” ^[65]

October 22–28

On October 22, the 149th Osbr was tasked with “seizing the lost south-western outskirts of Spartacus to the gardens”. To perform the task, the brigade was assigned the 1st battalion of the 124th Osbr. Art preparation began at 23:00. At 24:00, the offensive was supposed to start, but due to poor organization, it began only at 2:00, and by 8:00 the task was completed. However, Lieutenant Colonel Bolvinov did not organize the securing of the occupied territory: the personnel did not dig in, the firing means were not advanced. At 10:00, the enemy, with the support of tanks, counterattacked and, by 20:00, not only took up their lost positions, but also advanced significantly east ^[66] .

October 24, at 18:15, S. F. Gorokhov requested assistance, addressing Chuikov, Gurov , Eremenko. On October 25, at 10:15, an answer was received signed by Chuikov and Gurov: “Do not count on replenishment in the near future” ^[66] . At the end of the day, the Wehrmacht General Command announced the seizure of Spartacus ^[67] . In the diary of military operations of the General Staff of the Ground Forces it was more truthfully stated: “To the north of Stalingrad, the 94th division captured a group of buildings in the eastern outskirts of Spartacus” ^[68] .

From October 25, artillery placed on the island of Disputable began to provide fire support to the Gorokhov group ^[69] .

On October 26, at 10:20, the enemy launched an offensive in the northwestern part of Spartacus. The battle lasted 7 hours, and the Germans retreated. However, Colonel Gorokhov decided to leave the position to level and seal the line of defense. On this day, the chief of staff of the 62nd Army Krylov promised 200 replenishment men in a radiogram. On October 27, Gorokhov radioed that 89 people arrived, are aimed at strengthening the 149th osbr. On this day, the enemy launched an offensive at 10:50, at 16:00 he was able to break into the trenches. The battle in the trenches lasted until 22 o'clock - the attack was repelled. Despite the constant pressure of the enemy, the Gorohovtsy not only defended, but also counterattacked. By October 28, they managed to return the previously lost observation post on the prison building. On October 28, at 6:00, the Germans again launched an offensive, but were unsuccessful at the end of the day. Until November 2, there was a lull ^[66] .

On October 30, Gorohov residents were able to break through to the working squad of the tractor factory, which, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Seleznev, fought for nearly three weeks surrounded ^[70] .

November 2 at 7 am, after shelling, German bombing began, which lasted 10 hours ^[71] . Total losses were small, but in the 149th separate rifle brigade a direct bomb hit the dugout almost all of the headquarters was destroyed and the brigade commander, lieutenant colonel V. Bolvinov was killed. In order to avoid losing control in combat, Colonel S.F. Gorokhov appointed his deputy, Major KF Zelenin, 149th Osbr, as temporary commander. At 17:00 the Germans launched an offensive. Despite the breakthrough of the first Soviet trench, the enemy failed to gain a foothold, and the attack was repelled ^[41] .

On November 6, the newspaper Gorokhovtsy, an article devoted to the events of the first days of November, appeared in the newspaper “ Guarding the Motherland ” (the organ of the political directorate of the 62nd Army). The uniqueness of this article was that, for reasons of secrecy, military censorship did not miss the numbers of military units and the names of their commanders. During the Battle of Stalingrad, only the men of Colonel Gorokhov’s group and the 13th Guards Rifle Division of Rodimtsev , who fought under similar conditions a little to the south ^[41] , were honored to be called.

In late October and early November, Soviet intelligence stopped receiving data on the presence of the Wehrmacht’s 16th Panzer Division at the front of the group. The headquarters of the 62nd Army mistakenly took it for weakening enemy forces in the northern sector of defense. Part of the 16th Panzer Division at that time underwent a re-formation and received winter uniforms in the upper reaches of the Dry Mechetki. Not knowing this, on November 10, the front command set an offensive task for the Gorokhov group: on November 11, to advance from Spartacus through Wet Mechetka to the area of ​​a brick factory. To accomplish this task, the Gorohov residents were reinforced by a rifle company (200 men) of the 1051st rifle regiment of the 300th rifle division . Gorokhov offered to perform the task in two stages, but Chuikov categorically disagreed and demanded that the order be carried out. Here's how V. Grekov appreciated this attempt: “As was to be expected ... the operation was performed poorly, with great losses for us. The task was not completed ... " ^[41]

November 17: Last German offensive at Stalingrad

On November 17, 1942, the enemy made a last attempt to overturn the residents of Gorokhov. On the night of November 16-17, a detachment (5-7 soldiers) from the company of Lieutenant P. T. Kashkin (2nd separate infantry battalion of the 124th obrd) from the eve of the replenishment arrived ^[72] crossed over to the enemy’s side. The offensive began at about 5 am About the German company leaked for the second trench in the location of the command posts of the 2nd Osb and 3rd Company. Fighters and commanders of the headquarters and rear of the battalion took part in repelling a surprise attack: signalers, cooks, gunsmiths, liaison officers, etc. and the northern edge of Spartacus. At about 7 o'clock the enemy began to penetrate into the Market. The situation worsened due to heavy fog. By 8 am, the enemy (before the company) moved directly to the brigade command post. S.F. Gorokhov brought the last reserve into battle: a sapper battalion of the brigade, reconnaissance and a platoon of anti-tank guns — altogether about 300 people ^[73] . By 14 o'clock the enemy was knocked out of the village of Rynok. At 15:30 and at 18:00, the Germans tried unsuccessfully to attack. The battle ended by 23 o'clock. The main blow of the enemy fell on the 2nd osbr. From the German side, the 64th and 79th motorized regiment, the 16th motor battalion, the 2nd tank regiment, the 16th artillery regiment and the sapper reinforcement participated in this battle. The total loss of the enemy was 650 people killed and 17 tanks, of which nine were burned. Losses of the 2nd osb amounted to two hundred people ^[72] . In the intelligence report of the General Staff of the ground forces, the day was summed up: “North of the city, in the Rynok area, the enemy was forced to leave the terrain as a result of the attack of our units” ^[74] .

On November 22 and 23, the brigade led successful offensive battles with the aim of freeing Spartacus. However, due to the small number of strike groups, by the end of the day only a part of the village was liberated ^[73] . At 1 p.m. ^[75] On November 24, the 124th separate rifle brigade joined the 197th rifle regiment of the 99th rifle division of the 66th army coming from the north in the direction of Latoshinka. The isolation of the group of Colonel Gorokhov ended ^[73] .

On November 28, Chief of the General Staff A. Vasilevsky raised before the Stalingrad Front the question of reassigning the Gorokhov group to the Don Front . The Chief of Staff of the Stalingrad Front, Major-General I. S. Varennikov, gave the following answer: “The front commander is not inclined to hand over Gorokhov, since he does not want to convey his good history connected with the defense of Stalingrad. He asks to leave Gorokhov with us, but instruct the Don Front to provide materially for Gorokhov ” ^[76] . Formally, the group of Gorokhov remained in the Stalingrad Front until January 10, 1943 ^[77] , while from November 30 all the logistical support was ordered by the Don Vasilievsky order.

After joining the units of the 66th Army, the Gorohovtsy went on the offensive. At 6:00 on November 25, the shelling of the enemy who occupied Spartacus began; at 8:00 the infantry went into battle. The battle lasted until 4:00 the next morning and broke out again at 9:00. At 14:00 on November 26, Spartakovka was released by the forces of the Gorokhov group. By the end of the day, the front of the group was passing along the left bank of the Wet Mechetki. On November 27, the Germans, with the support of tanks, tried to regain lost ground, but by the middle of the day rolled back with heavy losses ^[78] . Until the beginning of December there was a lull.

In early December, heavy fighting began for a height of 64.7 ^[79] , which was a key element of the German defense in the area of ​​the tractor factory. The multi-tiered defensive system defended the prevailing height, which was often called the “height with a locomotive”. The then Chief of Staff of the 3rd Battalion, I. N. Chernov, described the situation in his memoirs in the following way: “It was the culmination. The German was holding on to her to death, we needed her to a cut. So they fought ” ^[77] .

Violent battles for the height of 64.7 continued until December 11. Repeatedly Gorokhovtsy occupied the ridge of height, but the enemy invariably knocked them down from their occupied positions. At the same time heavy losses were on both sides. On December 8, two orders were received: on the assignment of the rank of Major General to Colonel S. F. Gorokhov and on the appointment of Gorokhov as Deputy Commander of the 51st Army . December 9 S.F. Gorokhov left the location of the group and departed to a new duty station. Despite the absence of S.F. Gorokhov, the group retained its name until the termination of its activity on January 6, 1943 ^[77] . In the second half of December, attacks on heights resumed, but were unsuccessful. After the war, Colonel-General Grekov studied aerial photographs of the Don Front’s aerial reconnaissance and came to the conclusion that the defense of the height of 64.7 was supported by a strong mobile tank group of the motorized division and the group of art-batteries, which were opposed by the extremely weakened 124th and 149th October ^[80] . The failure of the group of Gorokhov in the attack on the “height with a steam locomotive”, according to I. N. Chernov, was the reason why the 124th osbr did not become the guards ^[77] .

On January 2, 1943, the last combat record of the Gorokhov group was made in the journal of hostilities of the 62nd Army. On January 3, in the 66th Army's combat log, it was written: “... at 13.15, by order of the commander of the Don Front, the Gorokhov group consisting of the 124th and 149th separate infantry brigades was transferred to the 66th Army from 6.00.43” ^[80] .

On January 6, the group actually ceased to exist, since at 6 pm on January 6, the 124th separate rifle brigade was withdrawn from the defense sector, and its place was taken by the 311st battalion of the 159th fortified area. Subsequently, the brigade participated in the destruction of the encircled 6th enemy army in another sector of the front. The 149th separate rifle brigade remained at the Wet Mechetka frontier until the end of the Battle of Stalingrad ^[80] .

The defense of the group Gorokhov relied on a developed system of fortifications. The main distinctive feature of the defended territory was the almost complete absence of capital buildings, which served as the basis for the defense of the 62nd Army in the city. Almost the entire perimeter of the Gorokhov group was connected by a solid trench of a complete profile. Two sites were built in separate areas, and in the Rynka area - three full profile trenches. In total, about 20 kilometers of trenches and passages were opened. This allowed, unnoticed by the Germans, to move a reserve company of machine gunners to any area in a maximum of one hour and ten minutes. In addition, company strong points and anti-tank areas were created, which housed 10–12 45-mm anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns . Dozens of reserve positions, more than a hundred shelters for personnel and more than twenty observation points have been prepared ^[81] . Since August, the command post of Colonel S. F. Gorokhov was located in the Lower Village of the Tractor Plant , and in early October was transferred to the village of Spartakovka ^[7] .

An important role was played by the relatively high saturation of the defense with automatic weapons and PTR . Part of the armament was obtained from the Stalingrad factories, for example, DT tank guns ^[82] . Significant damage to the enemy was caused by snipers from the Gorokhov group, who destroyed 2,740 German soldiers and officers ^[83] .

In early October, with the permission of the commander of the 62nd army, the main part of the artillery and mortars was transported to Zaitsevsky Island for three nights. Only anti-tank guns remained on the right bank. The entire territory in front of the group’s defense line was divided into sectors, and the fire was brought from the island along these sectors. This decision allowed to save artillery ^[84] . Until October 3, in the territory of the Upper Settlement of the STZ, there were observation points of attached artillery units ^[85] .

The brigade’s fire support was also provided by the ships of the Volga military flotilla : the Usykin and Chapayev gunboats , 4 armored boats and 2 floating batteries ^[86] . Gorokhovtsy highly appreciated this help. For example, on October 26, Colonel S.F. Gorokhov thanked the sailors of the Volga Military Flotilla: “Your enemy’s artillery fire repelled a counterattack of the enemy at a occupied altitude, three enemy emplacements were destroyed. Thank you very much for your support. ” ^[87] The gunboat “Usykin” supported the days of Gorokhovo with fire for 68 days ^[61] .

The management of the Gorokhov group was carried out from several command posts , which were successively created in accordance with the requirements of the situation. The first command post was located in the Lower village of STZ , house 624 ^[11] . This command post acted during offensive battles on August 29–31. The second command post was located in an unfinished building (later the Palace of Culture of the Tractor Plant) ^[88] and operated until October 5 ^[21] . The next command post was created on the territory of the Spartak village - after the war, the Komsomolets cinema was built at this place ^[47] . In mid-October, S. F. Gorokhov and K. M. Andryusenko suggested that the headquarters of the 62nd Army move the command center of the group to Sporny Island, but Chuikov replied: “Leaving the right bank is equivalent to fleeing from the battlefield” ^[83] .

An important role in the material support of the Gorokhov group was played by a close relationship with the management of the tractor plant and the Traktorozavodsky district of Stalingrad. The STZ Director allocated 4 STZ-NATI tractors at the disposal of the artillery commander of the Gorokhov group ^[82] , and the administration of the Traktorozavodsky district organized tailoring of underwear and warm clothing for the personnel of the group ^[89] .

The connection with the left bank of the Volga was carried out in two steps: by boats from the shore to the Zaitsevsky and Spore islands, and then through the Volozhka Money via three cable-ferry crossings and with the help of a floating bridge (the design of the head of the engineering service 124th osbrr A. G. Pichugin ) on the right bank. The floating bridge had a width of one meter and maintained buoyancy at the expense of empty drums and fuel tanks from tanks and tractors. The bridge was built 5 days, and on October 9 it was ready ^[90] . The width of the Volozhka Money at the construction site of the bridge was 150 meters ^[91] . The bridge was successful in the sense of survivability, the sappers quickly restored it when bombs or shells hit ^[92] . Movement on the bridge was carried out at night. October 18 in the newspaper " Red Star " about him was published a note "Assault bridge on the Volga" ^[92] .

An important role in ensuring the group of Gorokhov was played by water transport. The main supply point on the left bank was the village of Priverhead. On October 15, on the right bank, cargo was taken on the wharf of the Tractor Plant at the mouth of the Wet Mechetki. The enemy tried to break this supply line, and it was difficult and dangerous to deliver the goods. On October 5, A. S. Chuyanov wrote in his diary: “Late at night it became known that the ships of Captain 3rd Rank S. Lysenko managed to break through” ^[93] . After the Germans seized the Lower Traktorozavodsky settlement, the vessels began to unload on an unequipped shore near Spartakovka. On the night of October 29, armored number 53 and number 62 delivered 476 people, 5 mortars and 24 tons of ammunition and other cargo. While unloading, the Germans fired boats, and one of the shells exploded on the deck of armored boat No. 62. During the explosion, 9 sailors were wounded and killed, and the mines on the deck caught fire on the deck. Thanks to the decisive actions of the foreman of the 2nd article of V. I. Tsurkan, who threw the crates overboard, the fire was extinguished. The return flight of the armored trooper took 745 wounded ^[94] . With the onset of cold weather (for example, November 11, the daytime temperature —10 ° C, nighttime to –15 ° C ^[95] ), the water supply was almost interrupted — a continuous ice drift began on the Volga. At the same time, the enemy from the right bank swept through the Volga. The situation became so complicated that the southern neighbor of Gorokhov, I. I. Lyudnikov, established a reward system: those who were able to make two successful voyages across the Volga by boat were awarded the Medal of Courage medal, and the Order of the Red Star for four flights in a row ^[96] . The northern group of ships under the command of Captain 3rd Rank S. P. Lysenko, in addition to supporting fire, provided for the transportation of cargo and personnel ^[61] . A direct ferry operated from Skudri, and a transit one through Zaitsevsky Island ^[97] .

In addition to water transport, aviation was used to deliver goods. Next to the above recording, A. S. Chuyanov wrote: “Guards pilot, Lieutenant D. A. Bushuev, made five trips at night, dropping cargo to a precisely designated place from a height of 20-25 meters” ^[98] .

• The 124th Separate Rifle Brigade - from August 29, 1942 to January 6, 1943;
• The 149th Separate Infantry Brigade - from August 30 to January 6, 1943;
• The 115th Infantry Brigade - on October 20, 1942, the brigade's command was transferred to the left bank of the Volga, and the remnants of the personnel were transferred to the 124th Osbr ^[99] ;
• The 282nd Infantry Regiment of the Internal Troops of the NKVD - August 29 to October 8, 1942;
• The 99th Separate Tank Brigade under the command of Major Pavel Semenovich Zhitnev - from August 29 to September 3 ^[21] ;
• The 32nd Marine Battalion of the Volga Military Flotilla under the command of Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vasilyevich Gorshkov, Commissioner MI Skidan (Marine Corps Detachment of the Volga Military Flotilla) from August 29 to October 8, 1942;
• separate rifle repair battalion;
• the fighter battalion of the Traktorozavodsky district and other militia units (about 1,800 people in total) ^[100] - from August 29 to September 9 ^[24] ;
• The 38th separate motorized rifle brigade of Burmakov - from August 29 to September 2 ^[21] ;
• rifle company of the 1051st rifle regiment of the 300th pr of November 10 ^[41] ;

•   Khachin, Georgy Andreevich - Hero of the Soviet Union (February 8, 1943) ^[101] , senior sergeant, gunner of an anti-tank gun of a separate anti-tank anti-tank division of the 149th separate rifle brigade.

In the Traktorozavodsky district of the city ​​of Volgograd, a memorial plaque was installed on the building of School No. 88 ^[102] with the words: “The units of the 62nd Army — the 124th and 149th brigades heroically fought. August 1942 - February 1943 ” ^[103] .

Near the stop "New Spartanovka" (Nikolai Otrady St., 20B) a memorial sign "T-34 tank tower" was installed on a granite pedestal with the inscription: "Here in September-November 1942 the front line of the defense of the group of Colonel S.F Gorokhova ” ^{[103] [104]} .

On the street Columbus, house 1, on the territory of school No. 87, the “Tower of the T-34 tank” was installed, on the granite pedestal it was written: “The front edge of the defense of the 124th infantry brigade, cut off from the main forces of the 62nd army, passed here” ^105] .

Until 1995, the Tower of the T-34 tank stood at the mouth of the Mokraya Mechekka River, which was moved and is now on Traktorostroiteley Street, 1A / 2 (near the men's pedagogical lyceum). The following words were carved on the pedestal: “Here in August 1942 - January 1943, 124 and 149 rifle brigades and other parts of the 62nd Army heroically fought” ^[106] .

In the settlement of Spartanovka on the embankment of the name of the Volga Flotilla (dispensary of the aluminum plant) a memorial plaque opened on August 1, 1973, marked the place where the command post of the 124th separate rifle brigade and the group of troops of Colonel Gorokhov was stationed. The text on the board is stamped: “In the slope of the Volga bank, near this building, the command post of the 124th rifle brigade and the group of troops of Colonel Gorokhov SF was housed. October - December 1942” ^[107]

Another memorial plaque, opened on February 2, 1963 (at Spartanovka village, Gramsci street, 30), marked the place where units of the 124th and 149th separate rifle brigades fought. The text was stamped on a cast-iron board: “Here the units of the 62nd Army heroically fought - the 124th and 149th brigades. August 1942 - February 1943 " ^{[107] [108]}

On February 2, 1972, a marble plaque was opened on the house 16 on Gorokhovtsev Street, on which it is written: “This street is named after the valiant soldiers of the 62nd Army Group of troops under the command of Colonel S.F. Gorokhov. In the days of the Battle of Stalingrad they fought bravely invaders and won ” ^[107] .

On April 26, 1985, a granite memorial plaque was installed on the administrative building of the Volgograd Aluminum Plant (Shkiryatov St., 21) with the text: “In August-September 1942, the northern line of the defense of Stalingrad passed here, which selflessly defended by fighting the German fascist invaders : 1077th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, 21st and 28th Training Tank Battalions, 282th Infantry Regiment of the 10th NKVD Division, part of the people's militia and fighter battalions, 738th Fighter-Antitank Artillery Regiment, consolidated battalion and the ships of the Volga Flotilla, 115, 124, 149th Separate Infantry Brigade, 249th convoy NKVD Regiment, 724 th Infantry Regiment 315 th Infantry Division , consolidated Infantry Regiment 196 th Infantry Division , 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade " ^{[107] [109]} .

At the junction of the group of Colonel Gorokhov SF with the troops of the Don Front (fork of the Volzhsky - Kamyshin highway ) in 1970 a stele was installed. The monument was designed by architect E.I. Levitan from gray granite in the form of a flying banner with the text: “Here on November 24, 1942, after three months of fierce fighting with the Nazi invaders, the troops of Colonel Gorokhov's group of the Stalingrad Front united with the forces of the Don Front General Rokossovskogo. Glory to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad ” ^{[110] [111]} .

In the Volgograd School of Secondary School Secondary School No. 61, on May 5, 1985, the Museum of Military Glory named after Gorokhovtsy was opened, telling about the battle path of the 124th separate rifle brigade and its commander SF Gorokhov ^[112] .