MASLOV O. O. New facts about the death of generals V. Khomenko and S. Bobkov

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     No war has caused greater human suffering than the Second World War on Germany's Eastern Front. Victory in the war cost the Red Army over 29 million casualties, whose collective fate is only now being properly documented. Among the many millions of soldiers who made up that gruesome toll were an unprecedented number of Red Army general officers. Many of these perished on the battlefield or in prison camps at the hands of their German tormentors. Others fell victim to equally terrifying Stalinist repression. Together these generals personify the faceless nature of the war of the Eastern Front - the legions of forgotten souls who perished in the war. 

    Covered up for decades, the saga of these victims of war can now be told and in this volume, O. Maslov begins the difficult process of memorializing these warrior casualties. Using formerly secret Soviet archival materials and personal interviews with the families of the officers, he painstakingly documents the fate of Red Army generals who fell victim to wartime enemy action

    Circumstances of death in November, 1943 on the 4th Ukrainian front of the general -lieutenant V. Homenko ordering 44 armies and his deputy on artillery of the major general of S. Bobkov are considered. Both dead are referred to category of irrevocable losses of the highest of the command commanding structure of the Soviet armed forces of the period of the 2nd world war at special circumstances.

    The source study analysis of earlier classified documents of military intelligence of Romania (1943), by won of counterintelligence of the USSR (1944) and memoirs of the Soviet military leader D. Lelyushenko is for the first time carried out. It is specified a number of mistakes and doubtful statements in these materials. The reasons which led to a tragic situation (carelessness, rashness of generals, lack of a continuous front line, etc.) are described. It is told about reaction of the Soviet military management to emergency, on character very rare for 1943 and the next years of war (disbandment of 44 armies), its conclusions after completion of investigation (a ban to military leaders, in positions the commander above personally to take the wheel of the car in areas of military operations, etc.) . On the basis of not published documents of archives of Russia (Moscow, Podolsk) for the first time made an attempt of writing of the scientific biography of S  Bobkov. It is emphasized that circumstances of death of generals remain up to the end not found out because of quality of the sources bearing on themselves an ideological shade. Questions and problems which should be solved for elimination of contradictions in the studied documents, full and comprehensive clarification of circumstances of death of generals are designated. It is indicated the need of publication of all documents on business which are stored in archives of Russia, and especially, protocols of interrogations of the German prisoners of war involved in a tragic case.

Keywords: source study analysis, major general S. A. Bobkov, lieutenant general V. A. Homenko, counterintelligence, investigation, "Smersh".