Ivan Chernyakhovsky

Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, also Cherniakhovsky, (Russian: Ива́н Дани́лович Черняхо́вский; Oksanyna, Uman, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire (today Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine)), (29 June [O.S. 16 June] 1906 – Mehlsack, today Pieniężno, Poland, 18 February 1945) was the youngest ever Soviet general of the army, twice Hero of the Soviet Union and commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. He died from wounds received outside Königsberg at age 38.

Ivan Chernyakhovsky was born in 1906. His father was a railwayman who died of typhus when his son was nine. He was a railway worker until joining the Red Army in 1924. In 1928 he finished the officer's school in Kiev. Due to the rapid pre-war expansion of the RKKA and 1937–1938 military purges, he quickly rose in rank. In 1938 he became commander of the 9th Light Tank Brigade. In March 1941 he became the commander of the 28th Tank Division in the Baltic Military District. In July 1942 promoted to the commander of the 18th Tank Corps defending Voronezh.

On 8 February 1943, elements of Chernyakhovsky's 60th Army hoisted a victorious Red Banner over the city of Kursk after a fast advance to the city from Voronezh, which was retaken some two weeks before.

Operation Bagration was launched after a four-month break in activities because of the spring thaw. The Soviets launched their attack on June 22 on four fronts with 146 infantry and 43 armored divisions. General Bagramyan's 1st Baltic Front and General Chernyakhovsky's 3rd Belorussian Front struck to the north and south of Vitebsk and took the city on June 27. Chernyakhovsky's left wing then took Orsha – this meant that the Moscow–Minsk highway could now be used to threaten the German rear. To the south, General Zakharov's 2nd Belorussian Front, north of the Pripet Marshes, destroyed a force of 33,000 at Babruysk on that day. Chernyakhovsky's army now headed for Minsk. On July 2 his mobile forces reached Stolbtsy, 40 miles away. General Rotmistrov's tanks entered Minsk on 3 July and 50,000 Germans were trapped.

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