Komkor


Komkor is the syllabic abbreviation for corps commander. It was a military rank in the Red Army and Red Army Air Force of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation for officers appointed to command a corps sized formation.
Until 1940 it was the fourth highest military rank of the Red Army. It was equivalent to corps commissar of the political staff in all military branches, flag officer 1st rank in the Soviet navy, or to commissar of state security 3rd rank. With the reintroduction of regular general ranks in 1940, the designation komkor was abolished, and replaced by Colonel general.

History

This rank was introduced by a decision of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935.
The new rank structure was as follows:
A total number of 146 military personnel were promoted to Komkor. However, 59 were purged during the Great Purge. As a result of the reintroduction of the regular military rank system in 1940, one Komkor was promoted to General of the Army, 51 to Lieutenant general, and six to Major general. Finally, Komkor Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky was promoted to lieutenant general in 1941.

Assignments and promotions

1935

The following officers were assigned the rank of Komkor by Order No. 2395 of the People's Commissar of Defence dated November 11, 1935, pertaining to the "personnel of the Army":
By Order No. 2398" of the Minister of Defence from November 21, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:
By Order No. 2412" of the Minister of Defence from November 23, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:
By Order No. 2484" of the Minister of Defence from November 26, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:

1936

1937

1938

On 8 January 1938, the following officers were promoted:
On 4 February, two officers received the rank:
On 19 February, the following officer was promoted:
On 20 February, the following officer was promoted:
On 22 February, the following officers were promoted:
On 4 April, the following officer was promoted:
On 13 April, the following officer was promoted:
On 14 June, the following officer was promoted:
  • Pyotr Filatov, converted to lieutenant general, killed in World War II
On 15 July, the following officer was promoted:
  • Filipp Yershakov, converted to lieutenant general, captured and died in captivity in World War II

1939

The following officer was promoted to the rank on 5 February:
On 9 February, fourteen officers were promoted to Komkor:
Two coastal troops officers received the rank on 9 April:
On 31 July, the following officer was promoted to Komkor:
On 13 August, two officers were promoted to the rank:
  • Vladimir Grendal, promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank, converted to colonel general, died of lung cancer in 1940
  • Markian Popov, converted to lieutenant general;
Fourteen officers received the rank on 4 November:
On 23 December, the following officer was promoted to Komkor:
On 31 December, two more officers received the rank:

1940