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Petr VolohSoviet military leader, participant in the Great Patriotic War
Date of Birth: 30.12.1896
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Content:
- Early Life and Military Service
- Civil War and Early Military Experience
- Cavalry Service and the Polish-Soviet War
- Against Wrangel, Makhno, and Bandits
- Interwar Period
- Great Patriotic War
- Honors and Awards
- Order of Lenin
Early Life and Military Service
Born on December 30, 1896, in Pokrovskaya Sloboda, Saratov Governorate, Pyotr Vasilyevich Volok began his military career in August 1915 when he was drafted into the Russian Imperial Army. He served as a senior non-commissioned officer in the 1st Turkestan Regiment on the Southwestern Front during World War I.
Civil War and Early Military Experience
In December 1917, Volok joined the Red Guard and was appointed platoon commander, suppressing an uprising in Novozensky Uyezd. In 1918, he enlisted in the Red Army and participated in the Ural Front, serving as head of a special detachment and assistant to the head of the Pokrovsky Communist Detachment.
Cavalry Service and the Polish-Soviet War
In March 1920, Volok was appointed military commissar of the 4th Cavalry Division of the 1st Cavalry Army. He fought in the North Caucasus, participating in the Yegorlyk Battle, the liberation of Maikop, and the capture of Tuapse. From April to May 1920, the division was transferred to the Southwestern Front, where Volok took part in the Polish-Soviet War on the Zhitomir, Novograd-Volynsky, and Lviv directions.
Against Wrangel, Makhno, and Bandits
In October 1920, Volok faced off against the forces of General P.N. Wrangel in Northern Tauria and Crimea. From November 1920, he fought against the troops under N.I. Makhno in Ukraine. In May 1921, he joined the campaign against banditry in the North Caucasus, earning the Order of the Red Banner for his bravery.
Interwar Period
After the end of the conflicts, Volok continued his service in the 4th Cavalry Division. He attended the Leningrad Military-Political School in 1924, after which he was appointed assistant military commissar of the 94th Peasant Regiment.
In October 1925, Volok enrolled in the Cavalry Courses for Advanced Command Training in Novocherkassk. Upon completion, he served in the 76th Cavalry Regiment in various positions, including squadron commander and head of the regimental school.
In December 1930, he attended the Technical Advanced Courses for the Command Staff at the F.E. Dzerzhinsky Military-Technical Academy. After graduation, he became commander of the 1st Separate Tank Battalion and later, in March 1934, of the 12th Mechanized Regiment.
In 1936, Volok received the Order of the Red Star. He assumed command of the 38th Tank Brigade in August 1937, the 11th Tank Division in June 1940, and the 18th Mechanized Corps in March 1941.
Great Patriotic War
Under Volok's leadership, the 18th Mechanized Corps fought in the border battles on the Southern Front, the Uman Defensive Operation, and the defensive battles near Vinnytsia, supporting the retreat of the 6th, 12th, and 18th Armies. During the defense of Dnepropetrovsk, the corps destroyed numerous enemy artillery pieces, earning Volok the Order of the Red Banner.
In October 1941, Volok was appointed head of a directorate within the Main Auto-Armored Directorate. He later became deputy head for troop formation and training and then head of the Main Directorate for the Formation and Combat Training of Tank and Mechanized Troops. In June 1943, he took command of the armored and mechanized forces of the Southwestern Front.
Tragically, Lieutenant General of Tank Troops Pyotr Vasilyevich Volok was killed in an enemy air raid on August 25, 1943. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Honors and Awards
Volok's valor and achievements earned him numerous decorations, including:
Order of Lenin
Two Orders of the Red BannerOrder of Suvorov, 2nd degree
Order of the Red Star
Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"
