Vasily Alexeyevich Koptsov (; 1 January 1904 2 March 1943) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

major general of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

and a

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. Koptsov joined the Red Army during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

and by the late 1930s rose to command a

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

battalion. His unit fought in the

Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (; ) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolian People's Republic, Mongolia, Empire of Japan, Japan and Manchukuo in 1939. The conflict wa ...

, for which he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his actions where he defended his immobilized tank for eight hours until Soviet forces could relieve him. In March 1941, Koptsov became deputy commander of the 46th Tank Division of the 21st Mechanized Corps, taking command on the day after the

German invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along a ...

, and leading the first in failed counterattacks against the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

advance. In September 1941, Koptsov was transferred to the

Karelian Front The Karelian Front ) was a front (a formation of Army Group size) of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia. Wartime The Karelian Front was created in August 1941 when Northern Front was split into Karelian ...

where he defended against Finnish attacks, and then to the

Volkhov Front The Volkhov Front () was a major formation of the Red Army during the first period of the Second World War. It was formed as an expediency of an early attempt to halt the advance of the Wehrmacht Army Group North in its offensive thrust towards L ...

where he fought in the Tikhvin Defensive Operation and Tikhvin Offensive, for which Koptsov's brigade became a

Guards unit Guards units () were elite units and formations in the Soviet Armed Forces that continue to exist in the Russian Armed Forces and other post-Soviet states. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in wartime service ...

. In May 1942, Koptsov became commander of the newly formed

15th Tank Corps The 15th Tank Corps (, ''15-y tankoviy korpus'') was a Tank corps (Soviet Union), tank corps of the Soviet Union's Red Army. It formed in 1938 from a Mechanised corps (Soviet Union), mechanized corps and fought in the Soviet invasion of Poland, ...

, which he led during the summer in unsuccessful Kozelsk Offensive. In January 1943, he fought in the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh Offensive, completing the encirclement of Hungarian troops. Koptsov's corps then fought in the

Third Battle of Kharkov The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by Nazi Germany's Army Group South against the Soviet Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February ...

, in which it was surrounded and nearly destroyed by the

counterattack. Koptsov died on 2 March 1943, during the

when his corps was surrounded and nearly destroyed by the German counterattack, and was briefly captured by German troops before he died of his wounds in captivity.

Early life and Russian Civil War

Vasily Alexeyevich Koptsov was born on 1 January 1904, in

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(now Tbilisi,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

) to a working-class family. He graduated from primary school and worked in a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

. In March 1918, Koptsov joined the

and fought in the

, serving with the 450th North Kuban Regiment of the 3rd Taman Brigade of the Taman Army, with which he fought in the escape from encirclement of the Taman Army, fictionalized in

Alexander Serafimovich Alexander Serafimovich (born Alexander Serafimovich Popov; ; O.S. January 7 ( N.S. January 19), 1863 – January 19, 1949) was a Russian and Soviet writer and a member of the Moscow literary group Sreda. Biography He was born in a Cossack v ...

's ''The Iron Flood''. Koptsov later fought on the Southern Front.

Interwar period

In October 1922, Koptsov entered the 46th Machine Gun Course at

Stavropol Stavropol (, ), known as Voroshilovsk from 1935 until 1943, is a city and the administrative centre of Stavropol Krai, in southern Russia. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 547,820, making it one of Russia's fastest growing cities. E ...

and

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () or Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek (river), Terek River. ...

. He later transferred to the United Higher Military School named for the Central Executive Committee in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. In 1925, Koptsov became a

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

member. He graduated from the school in 1926. In August of that year, Koptsov took command of a platoon of the 49th Rifle Regiment, part of the 17th Rifle Division at

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...

. Between March 1927 and September 1928, he served as an instructor platoon commander for preinduction training at the

Bronnitsy Bronnitsy () is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located southeast of central Moscow and west of the Bronnitsy station on the Moscow–Ryazan railroad. The town is surrounded by Ramensky District but is administratively incorporated as a town ...

Military Enlistment Office. Koptsov then entered a year-long military and political training course in Moscow, from which he graduated in September 1929, after which he became a company political officer in the 3rd Verkhneudinsk Rifle Regiment of the 1st Pacific Rifle Division in the

Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army The Special Far Eastern Army, later the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army () was a military formation of the Red Army, active from 1929 to 1938 and under command of Vasily Blyukher. It was activated on 6 August 1929, originally with the 18th a ...

. Koptsov fought in the 1929 Sino-Soviet conflict during his service with the division. In 1931 Koptsov graduated from the Leningrad Armored Refresher Courses for Red Army Commanders. He became a company and then battalion commander in the 1st Tank Regiment of the

Belorussian Military District The Byelorussian Military District (; alternatively Belarusian; ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces. Originally formed just before World War I as the Minsk Military District out of the remnants of the Vilno Military District an ...

. Koptsov became a battalion commander in the 11th Mechanized Corps school for junior command personnel, part of the

Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District () was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 17 May 1935 and included the Buryat Republic, Chita Oblast, and Yakutia. Chita was ...

. Future

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. was the Party leader, leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). From 1924 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, country's dissoluti ...

Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...

was one of the students in the training battalion. In August 1937 he became commander of the 1st Tank Battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade, which became the 6th Light Tank Brigade. Koptsov's brigade fought in the

in 1939. On 22 August, he personally led his battalion in a night attack, and after defeating Japanese troops moved into the Khaylestin-Gol river valley, cutting off Japanese escape routes. He positioned two companies for an ambush and in this action killed more retreating Japanese. On 25 August, Koptsov received orders to destroy an advancing Japanese regiment. During this action, his tank was badly damaged. Koptsov defended his immobilized tank behind Japanese lines for eight hours until relieved by Soviet troops. On 17 November, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

. He was also awarded the Mongolian People's Republic's Order of the Red Banner during the year. In June 1940, Koptsov became a battalion commander in the 8th Red Banner Light Tank Brigade, and in November became the brigade commander. In March 1941, he was appointed deputy commander of the 21st Mechanized Corps' 46th Tank Division in the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

World War II

Koptsov took command of the 46th Tank Division on the day after the German invasion of the Soviet Union began on 22 June. The division and its corps were transferred to the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-c ...

and unsuccessfully counterattacked at

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

on 25 June. The division fought in the retreat to the

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

area. During the

Baltic Operation The Baltic strategic defensive operation () encompassed the operations of the Red Army from 22 June to 9 July 1941 conducted over the territories of the occupied Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in response to the offensive launched by the Wehrm ...

Koptsov was wounded, but remained in command. On 31 August, Koptsov was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

. In September, the division was converted into the 6th Tank Brigade and transferred to the 7th Separate Army, fighting in battles against Finnish troops on the

Karelian Isthmus The Karelian Isthmus (; ; ) is the approximately stretch of land situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva. Its northwestern boundary is a line from the Bay of Vyborg to the we ...

. On 11 September Koptsov was promoted to the rank of major general. Between November and December, the brigade fought in the Tikhvin Defensive and Offensive operations. During the Tikhvin Offensive Operation, the brigade was reported by Soviet sources to have killed 1,500 German soldiers and destroyed eight tanks, six armored vehicles, eleven guns, and large amounts of other military equipment. Koptsov was wounded again in the fighting and received a second Order of the Red Banner on 27 December. On 16 February 1942 the brigade was converted into the 7th Guards Tank Brigade for its actions. On 21 May Koptsov became commander of the 15th Tank Corps, part of the 3rd Tank Army. Aged 38, he was one of the youngest tank corps commanders at the time. In August 1942, the corps fought in the

counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "Military exercise, war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objecti ...

against German troops at

Kozelsk Kozelsk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kozelsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Zhizdra (river), Zhizdra River (a tributary of the Oka (river), Oka), southwest of Kaluga ...

. In 1943, Koptsov was awarded the

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet Union, Soviet award established on ...

, 2nd class. From January 1943 the corps fought on the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...

, fighting in the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh Offensive. On the first day, 14 January, the corps attacked the XXIV Panzer Corps, overrunning its command post and killing its commander during a 20-kilometer advance. Operating in conjunction with the 12th Tank Corps, the 15th broke through German defenses and on 17 January closed the encirclement ring, linking up with troops from the 40th Army at Alexeyevka. This cut off the retreat for the Italian Alpini Corps and thousands of Hungarian and German troops. After the end of the offensive, the corps continued its advance against stiffening German resistance, suffering increasingly heavy losses. On 16 February it recaptured Kharkov. The corps fought in the Third Battle of Kharkov. On 23 February a German counterattack encircled a large Soviet force south of Kharkov. As a result, the 3rd Tank Army was ordered to relieve the trapped force, and the 15th Tank Corps was itself surrounded, defending a pocket around Kegichevka. Koptsov ordered his remaining troops to break out, and he was seriously wounded on 28 February.

Death

On 2 March 1943, Koptsov and his

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

were captured by German troops while they were sleeping. A few hours later, Koptsov died of his wounds and was buried by the German troops south of the Krasnyi State Farm.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Koptsov, Vasily 1904 births 1943 deaths Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Soviet major generals Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class Military personnel from Tbilisi Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet prisoners of war World War II prisoners of war held by Germany