Cleansing of Russian naval officers according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië daily edition dated 25 October 1937

In a news item dated Moscow 22 October described the newspaper the effects of the so-called latest cleansing in the officer corps of the Soviet navy. Nobody could knew what the long term effects were as the Second World War wasn’t started yet. Almost two years later (on 23/24 August 1939) was the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop pact signed with Germany a treaty of non-aggression between both countries. And indeed this treaty was some years working until 22 June 1941 when German troops attacked the Soviet Union. One effect of the cleansing was the lacking of experienced officers.

According to the above mentioned item were the supreme commanding officer and several other chief officers removed from their duties while the brothers Mikhail and Lazarus Kaganowitsj (1) and Iejoff became initiates of Stalin.

No one supplied any details about the fate of admiral Orloff who was replaced by admiral Victoroff as supreme commander of the navy. Orloff was also deputy commissioner of Defence but an official announcement of his resignation was lacking. Admiral Kireëff replaced admiral Victoroff as commanding officer of the Far East Fleet while the vice admirals Isakoff and Smirnoff were appointed as commanding officers of the Baltic and the Black Sea Fleet. Who their predecessors were and what their fate was keep secret.

Note

1. This must be Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich or Mossjewitch Lazar Kogan (22 November 1893-25 July 1991) a politician and administrator, nicknamed Iron lazar in 1937-1939 responsible for the heavy industry and known for his execution of Stalins orders. His brother Mikhail was director of an aviation plant in Kazan since 1940. When the results of the plant were less than the planned committed Mikhail suicide to prevent any worse possibility. Iejoff was according to the news item their brother.