For Bravery,0141586,Assistant Head Of The Department Of Military Education

[Tommy]

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Likhoshvai, Filipp G. was born October 29, 1902 in the village Kostiantynivka (now Sahnovschinskogo in the Kharkov region). In 1918 he graduated from the Law Faculty of the Kiev Imperial University and volunteered for the Red Army.

From January 1919 - He was an adjutant on special purpose assignments for the Cavalry Regiment of the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine. From April 1919 (only 16 years old) - he was the deputy commander of a cavalry regiment of special designation. In August of the same year he was seriously wounded and six months spent in hospitals. After treatment - he held various positions in the 1st Cavalry Division. From May 1921, he was the commander of the special forces to eliminate banditry in Poltava, Kharkov and Ekaterinoslavskaya.



"By May 1921 the insurgency in Ukraine gradually degenerated into criminal gangs. Among the operating bands, most were small, a few tens - rarely a hundred people. In one of the reports of outbreaks of banditry in Ukraine on April 7, 1921 it was noted that there were gangs of Makhno who all acted on the borders Ekaterinoslavskaya, Poltava, Kharkiv and Donetsk provinces. At this time, on the right bank were up 30 different gangs, whose numbers ranged from 25 to 300 people. The most dangerous among them were considered detachments of Bogatirenko? chieftains, Litho, Mordalevicha & Khmara.

VF Verstiuk. "Ukraine in the 1917-1921 period."

A particularly intense struggle against political gangsterism, which the comunist troops actively took part in, was conducted in 1921-1922 in the Poltava, Donetsk and Ekaterinoslavskaya provinces. In April 1921, martial law was declared in six counties in the province of Poltava in the campaign against criminality. The Provincial Committee Party allocated 150 chonovtsev? Communists, who were divided into several mobile units and assigned units of the Red Army to operate against the counterrevolutionary gangs. During this time they participated in 41 combat operations on the territory of the province.

In February 1921, the Board announced that the kulak gangs fighting on the Ekaterynoslavsky province territory were of special importance. Mobile units were created, into whose ranks 200 Communists and 500 union members were sent. All the units were well uniformed and armed. Particularly acute in this struggle reached Ekaterinoslavskaya province in June and July 1921. Tattered, but not yet finished, the kulak gang chieftains of Petlyura, Tsusya and Musienko sought refuge from the blows of the Red Army in the territory of the province, but here they found death. More than 130 gangsters were killed and 56 captured.
VL Krotov "Chonovtsy"



In December 1922, Likhoshvai was discharged. From October 1925 he was a cadet 1st Moscow Infantry School. After graduation in February 1928 - he was in the reserves. He was drafted into the army in 1939 and participated in the march of Soviet troops in the Western Ukraine. In June 1941 Captain Likhoshvai was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff of the 283rd Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division and from July 1941 - Chief of Intelligence of the 87th Infantry Division.



By the beginning of the war of the 87th Infantry Division (16, 96 and 283rd Infantry Regiments and the 212th howitzer artillery regiment) were in the divisional camp near Kogilno (15 km east of Vladimir-Volyn and 30-40 km from the border). Near the boundary of the engineering works were three infantry battalions and the 212th Division of the howitzer artillery regiment.


The 87th Infantry Divisions were deployed to defend the State border against the onrushing German Assault.

At dawn on June 22, 1941, after the first German air raids, the division commander, Maj. Gen. Alyabushev introduced a plan to cover the border. Regiments of the divisions based in camps at Kogilno rushed to the state border. In the south-western outskirts of Vladimir-Volyn the 96th Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel EI Vasilenko immediately attacked the advanced German units of the 298th Infantry Division, pushing them back to the river and launched an offensive in the direction Novosyolki - Ustilug.

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Maj. Alyabushev, finding that the Germans seek to capture Vladimir-Volyn, decided to focus his division in that area and to eliminate the enemy in the Ustilug bridgehead area. So fierce was the fighting, the combat was conducted largely with bayonets and by the end of the day on June 22, the 87th Infantry Division had pushed the Nazi troops back 6-10 km west of Vladimir-Volyn.

At the same time, parts of the German 44th and 299th Infantry Divisions managed to break into the gap formed south of Vladimir-Volyn. Consequently, the 87th Infantry Division was deeply surrounded by the enemy from the left flank. Since there were no forces available to fill the gap - on June 23rd the order was made to counterattack fascist troops in the Ustilugskom direction.

Carrying out these tasks, parts of the 87th Infantry Division in the morning of June 23 continued their stubborn fighting against overwhelming odds. The Germans 96th Infantry Regiment with a tank regiment belonging to the 41st Panzer Division launched an offensive from the area Hotyacheva at 1-2pm on June 23, taking control of the the southeastern part Ustilug.

To this point, in the battle for Vladimir-Volyn the Germans lost 45 tanks, 20 guns, 500 officers and men.


However, as early as 1600 hours on June 23, the main force of the 298th, 44th Infantry and 14th Panzer divisions attacked part of the 87th Infantry Division and captured Vladimir-Volyn. The 16th Infantry Regiment moved to the east and joined forces with the 27th Infantry Corps.

The main forces of the division were bypassed by enemy troops on both flanks and rear. They were cut off from the troops of the 5th Army and suffered heavy losses. Their ammunition was running out, the communications between the headquarters of the 27th Infantry Corps and the 5th Army, as well as with neighboring divisions were interrupted. Seeing the situation they were in, the commander of the 87th Infantry Division, Major-General Alyabushev decided that at nightfall they would start removal of the division to the east - to link up with the troops of the 5th Army.

On the night of June 24, the division moved out. The 283rd Infantry Regiment, covering the retreat was attacked at dawn on June 24 by German tanks in the area of Sukhodil and was almost completely destroyed. The residues o the Division along with the 44th Infantry Division were engaged in heavy fighting for the rest of June 24th. On the night of June 25, they escaped from the enemy encirclement and the surviving Red Army commanders plunged their troops into the wooded and swampy area between the rivers and Turyi Stokhid.

It was an extremely difficult situation, with almost continuous forest fighting for eight days, the remains of 96th and 283rd Regiment were now under the command of division chief of staff Colonel Blanca, to replace those lost at dawn on June 25th. Major-General Alyabusheva's troops, made ​​their way to link up with the troops of the 5th Army. On their way out of the forest they attacked small enemy units, destroying communication lines, burning warehouses. On July 1, 1941 about 200 commanders of the Red Army and the 87th Infantry Division finally escaped immediate danger. Despite the difficulties, the regiments never lost their Unit banners.

After replenishment, in August 1941, the division became part of the 37th Army and participated in the defense of Kiev. On September 18, 1941, after the order of abandonment of Kiev, while covering the withdrawal of troops to the Dnieper river crossings, it was completely destroyed in these battles.



On August 26, 1941, during the battle for Kiev, now Captain Likhoshvai was seriously wounded and contused.
From September 1942 - he was appointed Assistant Chief of military educational institutions for the Red Army for the Transcaucasian Front. In December 1942, he was promoted to "Major".

In July 1943, Major Likhoshvai was appointed as military commander of Armavir and in August 1944 - the military commander of Sochi. From December 1944 - Military Commandant of Novocherkassk.

For years of service in the Red Army he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (02.21.1945) and the Red Banner (06/05/1946). In August 1946, Major Likhoshvai was discharged due to age. He worked as director of the sugar-briquette plant in Poltava region of Zolotonosha (now Cherkasy) area.