Grigory Sergeevich Grintser (Gorchakov) (; ЦГИА СПб. Фонд 58 Оп. 1 Д. 787 Л. 6+об. 15+об. 16+об. (1888)В советских метрических документах дата рождения персоны указана как 25 января 1888 г (или 8 февраля 1888 по старому стилю, соответствующая дате его крещения) – 1 September 1963) was an officer of the Imperial Russian Army who participated in World War I. He served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War as a military specialist, later participating in World War II, as lieutenant colonel (1944).
Biography Grigory Sergeevich Grintser was born on 29 October 1886 in Novomoskovsk,Ныне — в Днепропетровской области, Ukraine. to the family of the district zemstvo veterinarian ; they were of the Russian Orthodox faith. From 1892, his family lived in Yekaterinoslav where he was sent to the city real school. In 1898, his family moved to Orenburg, where the realist continued his further education at the local city real school. At the end of 1901, after his father received an appointment to St. Petersburg, he transferred to another school, which became the 3rd real school of the capital. At first, his academic performance and behavior dropped, but later, having shown diligence, he completed the full course of the real school, including its additional 7th grade, which allowed admission to higher educational institutions.
Grigory chose military service and submitted documents to the St. Petersburg Infantry Cadet School in 1908 where he was refused without explanation. Nevertheless, that same year, he entered the junior class of the Kazan Infantry Cadet School. On 7 August 1909, he transferred to the senior class of the school. After completing his full course of study in 1910, he was released in the 2nd category with the rank of second lieutenant, with seniority from 6 August 1910 in the 88th Petrovsky Infantry Regiment,Правительственный вестник, 1910, № 171 от 10 августа, Высочайший приказ от 06 августа 1910 г., стр. 1 taking the position of assistant regimental adjutant and platoon commander in the regimental training team. The junior officer's service regiment was part of the 2nd Brigade of the 22nd Infantry Division and located in the Arakcheyev barracks of the Gruzino estate.
World War I On 18 July 1914, the 268th Poshekhonsky Infantry Regiment of the second line was formed from the cadre of the 88th Petrovsky Infantry Regiment, where he was sent to serve (VP from 25 October 1914). In November 1914, the regiment arrived at the Northwestern Front in the Skierniewice area of the Warsaw Governorate. By the highest order of 15 November 1914, he was awarded the next rank of lieutenant with seniority from 6 August 1914. On 14 November 1914, in a battle near the Bielawa settlement of the Lodz Voivodeship, he lieutenant was wounded twice, and evacuated to the officer's hospital of the Page Corps.Летопись войны 1914—1915 гг. № 32 от 28 марта 1915 г. Стр. 520
At the end of January 1915, he returned to service and reassigned to the 267th Dukhovshchinsky Infantry Regiment, to the position of regimental adjutant. For distinction in the battle near the village of Piotrovice, he was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 4th Class, with the inscription "for bravery" (VP 28.06.1915). For distinction in the battle near the village of Valevice, he was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 3rd Class, with swords and a bow (VP 08.09.1915).
By the end of 1915, the failures of the Imperial Russian Army at the front had caused widespread anti-German sentiment in Russia, and people with foreign surnames, like Grigory's father, filed petitions with the Senate to change their surnames. On 31 October 1915, his family received the highest permission to be renamed Gorchakov (Highest Order of 31 October 1915). On 14 November 1915, "for distinction in actions against the enemy," he was promoted to staff captain (seniority from 25 August 1915).«Русский Инвалид» 1915 г. № 273
On 3 April 1916, he was officially reassigned to the 267th Dukhovshchinsky Infantry Regiment.ВП от 3 апреля 1916 г. On 21 April 1916, he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd Class, with swords and a bow.ВП 21.04.1916 «Русский Инвалид» № 118 от 21.04.1916 г. He participated in the Lake Naroch and Baranovichi offensives and was shell-shocked. For his distinctions he was awarded the orders: St. Stanislaus, 2nd Class with swords,ВП 18.11.1916 and St. Vladimir 4th Class with swords and bow (for distinction in the battle near the settlement of Belyava).
He was promoted captain on 11 December 1916.ВП 11.12.1916 стр. 4; старшинство с 20.06.1916; на сон. приказа по ВВ 1915 г. № 563 ст. 1 He successively held the positions of regimental adjutant, chief officer for assignments of the headquarters of the 67th Infantry Division (as of October 1916). At the headquarters of the Western Front in Minsk, he completed courses for senior officers, and was appointed to the newly formed 170th Infantry Division, senior adjutant of the headquarters. In the spring of 1917, he was transferred to the 35th Army Corps as head of corps intelligence. Later, he held the position of acting senior adjutant of the headquarters of the same corps. In August 1917, as one of the three best officers of the corps, he attended the General Staff Academy for accelerated training courses of the 3rd stage.А. В. Ганин. Корпус офицеров Генерального штаба в годы Гражданской войны 1917—1922 гг. 2010 г. стр. 200
However, at the end of December 1917, he was unable to complete his studies at the academy, and dropped out due to illness.
Russian Civil War
On 15 December 1917, he was dismissed from the army and received a job in the Railway Construction Directorate (NPKS) as a secretary. On 1 January 1919, he joined the Red Army as a military specialist and was assigned to the headquarters of the 8th Army.А. В. Ганин: РГВА. Ф.100 Оп.3 д.498 л.
In August 1919, he was at the headquarters of the 8th Army, and as part of Vladimir Selivachyov's army, participated in the Southern Front counteroffensive against Denikin's forces. The offensive was successful, and by 25 August the cities of Volchansk and Kupyansk were occupied, but by 26 August the situation had changed. Under the threat of encirclement, Kupyansk was abandoned, followed by Voronezh. During the time, the rear of the 8th Army of the Red Army came under attack from Konstantin Mamontov's cavalry units from 10 August to 19 September 1919.
On 7 September 1919, Selivachyov decided to transfer control of the military group to military specialists A. I. Rataysky and Gorchakov, appointing the latter as its chief of staff. Selivachyov himself went to the 8th Army, which found itself in the most difficult situation, where he assumed temporary command. Communication with the headquarters of the Southern Front was lost, and under threat of encirclement, parts of the military group began to retreat to the Novy Oskol area. During these events (September 16), the headquarters of the Southern Front received a telegram from Lenin, in which he shared his fears of possible betrayal on the part of Selivachyov and his division commanders. On 17 September, Selivachyov suddenly died of typhus, and the very next night, Nashtarm A. S. Nechvolodov and his wife defected from the 8th Army headquarters to the Whites. On 20 September, units of the 8th Army abandoned Kostomarovka and Kursk. By 30 September, the Whites had reoccupied Voronezh and Liski. At the same time, Mamontov's corps made its second raid on the Red rear. The 8th Army was under threat of complete defeat, and many high-ranking military specialists left their service. Only from 2 October to 6 October 1919 did the following defect to the Whites: the head of the army intelligence department, V. A. Zheltyshev, the acting chief of staff of the army, V. F. Tarasov, the head of the army operations department, B. P. Lapshin, and the chief of the army rear staff, V. V. Vdovyev-Kabardintsev.
On 24 October 1919, units of the 8th Army with the support of Budyonny's Cavalry Corps, finally occupied Voronezh. Gorchakov was finally granted leave to improve his health, but by the of end December 1919 returned to staff work, taking up the post of chief of the operational department of the 8th Army. The military specialist's further combat path was associated with the Rostov-Novocherkassk, Don-Manych, and North Caucasian operations, ending with the complete defeat of the Whites in Novorossiysk.
Turkestan Front In the autumn of 1920, Gorchakov was transferred to Central Asia to the Turkestan Front. From 18 September 1920 to 3 October 1921, he held the position of 1st assistant to the chief of staff of the Turkestan Front under the chief of staff of F. P. Shafalovich. The commander of the Turkestan Front at that time was his former colleague from the 8th Army, Grigory Sokolnikov, followed by V. S. Lazarevich. Gorchakov took an active part in the development and implementation of military operations of the Red Army units against the Basmachi.
Polish–Soviet War
At the end of May 1920, Gorchakov took up the post of Chief of the Operations Directorate of the 4th Army of the Western Front of the RSFSR. He was part of the lead army group during the July offensive operation. On 10 July and 13 July 1920, he signed operational orders for the 4th Army. On 14 July 1920, the Army's troops occupied Vilnius. On 19 July 1920, during a deep outflanking maneuver, Gai's 3rd Cavalry Corps, also part of the 4th Army, occupied the fortress city of Grodno. This event was a big surprise for both the enemy and the Red Army leadership. The next day, the 9th and 17th Infantry Divisions and 3 Uhlan Regiments of the enemy were sent from Bialystok to help the besieged garrison. Despite this, the 4th Army headquarters needed to be made aware of the events due to the lack of communication with G. D. Gaia. The 4th Army Commander, E. N. Sergeev, was in Vilnius and was conducting diplomatic negotiations with the Lithuanian authorities at the time to determine the latter's further actions. By 22 July, there was still no communication with G. D. Gaia,Н. Какурин, В. Меликов «Гражданская война в России: Война с белополяками 1920 год» АСТ Москва 2002, Стр. 306 and the soldiers of the cavalry corps left without support, were engaged in the heaviest street battles in dismounted formation. Then, units of the corps began to lose the positions they had occupied, gradually retreating to the Neman River.
At the same time, the main forces of the 4th Army stopped at the distant approaches to Grodno, fulfilling the directive of the 4th Army Commander No. 1058. Concerned about the prolonged lack of communication with the cavalry corps, the 4th Army Commander sent his trusted and authoritative person to Grodno. The head of the Operations Directorate, Gorchakov, became the head of the Operations Directorate and immediately left for Grodno by car. He arrived at the headquarters of the 3rd Cavalry Corps on horseback. In the area of Grendychi, his car got stuck in the sand and was then fired upon by enemy artillery. Directive to the troops No. 1058/20.06.1920 was no longer relevant to the situation that had developed at that time. After a meeting at the headquarters of the Cavalry Corps, Gorchakov took responsibility for the regrouping of the divisions of the 4th Army. As a result of the regrouping of the units, strategic success was achieved. On 23 July 1920, after heavy fighting, Grodno was recaptured from the Polish forces. For the successful conduct of the Grodno operation, the Chief of the Operational Directorate of the 4th Army, Gorchakov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of the RSFSR No. 97 (Order of the Revolutionary Military Council No. 458/1920) and Certificate No. 1564.