I have the exact dates.
I should be able to post them tomorrow morning (maybe tonight if I can get my computer working .

Regards,

M.A.Reyter had command over Reserve Front (2nd Formation) from 12 March to 23 March 1943.
Thereafter Kursk Front and Orel Front before he took over Bryansk Front (3rd formation) on 28 March 1943 and kept command until 5 June 1943. Replaced by M.M.Popov.
Konev did not have any command designated Reserve Front. And during March 1943 he was appointed new commander of North-West Front, which he kept until he took over Steppe Military District.

Further info
In Krivosheyev "Grif sekretnosti snyat" the commands
Reserve Front (2nd formation) - Kursk Front - Orel Front - Brjansk Front (3rd formation) is the same command (thus it just changed it designation) and it existed for 213 days from March to October 1943. Before Reserve Front Reyter had held command of Bryansk Front Front (2nd formation), which ended to exist in March 1943 according Krivosheyev. One has probable to go Boevy Sostav Sovetskoy Armii to check how divisions changed places to find the importance of changes designations, if they had any real meaning.

According to Konev was Steppe Military District formed on 15 April 1943 and from 10 July 1943 Steppe Front.

On 10 April 1943 M.M.Popov took command over Reserve Front (3rd Formation) and until 15 April 1943. Thus it is probable this formation that becomes nucleus for Steppe Military District. And not Reyter´s command. Popov had been commander of Northern Front och Leningrad Front during 1941but had no front command thereafter until 10 April 1943.

I really have to apologize about not getting back sooner. (work and problems with new computer).
I have a book at home listing every Front and Military District commander, Political COmmissar and Chief of Staff and when they served.
I will definitely attempt to get the information on Reserve/Bryansk/Steppe Fronts/Military Districts during the weekend.

Regards,

Understand that life interfers with history. We've all got others things we should be doing. What book are you refering to?

M.A.Reyter held command of
Reserve Front (2nd formation) - Kursk Front - Orel Front - Brjansk Front (3rd formation) from 12 March 1943 until 5 June 1943, replaced by M.M.Popov.

M.M.Popov held command of over Reserve Front (3rd Formation) which become Steppe Military District on 15 April. Held command from 10 April 1943 until 5 June 1943, replaced by ???.

I.S.Konev took command of Steppe Military district 23 June 1943, which later on 10 July 1943 was Steppe Front. Before Steppe NorthWest Front commander.

Thus remain who commanded Steppe Military District from 6 June to 22 June 1943?
Vassilevski just write that Popov replaced Reyter. And later in the book that Konev got the command of Steppe Military District.
Perhaps Zakharov temporary assume command or did Reyter and Popov switch positions?

This is the information I have from “Military Cadre of the Soviet State in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945”, copy no. 456, Main Directorate of Cadre, Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1963)

General-Lieutenant M. A. Reiter assumed command of Bryansk Front (II Formation) on
28 September 1942.
Promoted to General-Colonel on 30 January 1943

Bryansk Front renamed to Reserve Front (II Formation) on 12 March 1943

Reserve Front renamed to Kursk Front on 23 March 1943

Kursk Front renamed to Orel Front on 27 March 1943

Orel Front renamed to Bryansk Front (III Formation) on 28 March 1943

M.A. Reiter relieved of command by General-Colonel M. M. Popov on 6 June 1943

Bryansk Front renamed to Steppe Military District on 10 June 1943

M. M. Popov relieved of command by Colonel-General I. S . Konev on 12 June 1943

Steppe Military District becomes Steppe Front on 9 July 1943.

Hope this helps,

Craig

quote:

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Originally posted by craig:
Hope this helps

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Thanks for help, but it seems to generate new questions.

Are you sure that they changed the name of the exact same Front HQ 4 times in 14 days....starting as the Bryansk Front and ending as the Bryansk Front (3rd Formation)?

Most sources state the the Reserve Front became the Steppe Military District and was under command of Popov for part of that time (for example Glantz, page 44). If the Bryansk Front became the Steppe Military District in June 1943, does that mean there was a 4th formation of the Bryansk Front, with two of the formations (3rd and 4th) caused entirely by name changes? Something seems cross-wired here.

quote:

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Originally posted by Anders E.Frankson:
According to Konev was Steppe Military District formed on 15 April 1943 and from 10 July 1943 Steppe Front.

On 10 April 1943 M.M.Popov took command over Reserve Front (3rd Formation) and until 15 April 1943. Thus it is probable this formation that becomes nucleus for Steppe Military District. And not Reyter´s command.

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Anders,

This all tracks with what I have (also probabably from Konev or similiar Soviet era sources). I had no indications that Reyter had been it the command between Popov and Konev, but that is what was shown in the Juke's book.

quote:

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Originally posted by Anders E.Frankson:
Status after checking Vasilevskii memoirs:

M.A.Reyter held command of
Reserve Front (2nd formation) - Kursk Front - Orel Front - Brjansk Front (3rd formation) from 12 March 1943 until 5 June 1943, replaced by M.M.Popov.

M.M.Popov held command of over Reserve Front (3rd Formation) which become Steppe Military District on 15 April. Held command from 10 April 1943 until 5 June 1943, replaced by ???.

I.S.Konev took command of Steppe Military district 23 June 1943, which later on 10 July 1943 was Steppe Front. Before Steppe NorthWest Front commander.

Thus remain who commanded Steppe Military District from 6 June to 22 June 1943?
Vassilevski just write that Popov replaced Reyter. And later in the book that Konev got the command of Steppe Military District.
Perhaps Zakharov temporary assume command or did Reyter and Popov switch positions?

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Anders,

Sorry, was responding to your previous post before I got to this one. It could be that maybe Jukes was right (for once) and Reyter could have been in there from 5 June to 22 June 1943

Your construct matches with everything I have seen. This of course, all disagrees with what Craig just posted.

I'll check the list tonight to make sure, but I'm pretty sure there was a Bryansk Front (IV Formation).

Now that I have my password, I'll post the information from home.

Ooops.

Reserve Front becomes Steppe Military District on 15 April 1943 while Bryansk Front (III Formation) continues until October 1943.

Sorry about that.

quote:

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Originally posted by craig:
Reserve Front becomes Steppe Military District on 15 April 1943 while Bryansk Front (III Formation) continues until October 1943.

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So....the Orel Front is renamed to Bryansk Front (III Formation) on 28 March 1943 with M.A. Reyter in command. He continued until relieved of command by General-Colonel M. M. Popov on 6 June 1943 (or was that on 5 June).

The Reserve Front is renamed to Steppe Military District on 15 April 1943, with M. M. Popov in command.

Now, M. M. Popov takes over Bryansk Front 6 June (or 5 June)....where does Reyter go? Who commands the Steppe Military District between the time that Popov leaves and Konev arrives?

We also seem to have contradictory dates for Konev's arrival (12 June 1943 or 22 June).

We also have two dates for when the Steppe Military District becomes the Steppe Front (either 9 July 1943 or 10 July).

Isn't military history fun?

Happy, happy, joy, joy!!!!

I'm not sure on the fate of Reiter. I would have to database every command to see if his name pops up again.

Does the TDI Kursk database list when Steppe Front is ordered forward? Usually that would be a good indication when it went active.

I'll check a couple forums I know to see if anyone knows about Reiter.

quote:

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Originally posted by craig:
I'm not sure on the fate of Reiter.

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According to Jukes, Reyter took over the Reserve Front between Popov and Konev. That is actually what I am trying to confirm.

quote:

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Does the TDI Kursk database list when Steppe Front is ordered forward?

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Do you have a date for the transfers?

I found out that General-Colonel Reiter must have really screwed up because from March 1943 to September 1945 he did nothing and from September 1943 to August 1945 he was the commander of the South-Urals Military District.

quote:

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Originally posted by craig c:
I found out that General-Colonel Reiter must have really screwed up because from March 1943 to September 1945 he did nothing and from September 1943 to August 1945 he was the commander of the South-Urals Military District.

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Again, from the Goeffrey Jukes story I had, he was in command of the Reserve Front/Steppe Military District in June, between Popov and Konev, and during that time he ran the Front staff and 53rd Army staff through basic military training (in the story in Jukes, the training is even more assinine than that).

This story caught my eye, in part becuase it clearly had to come from some Soviet secondary source, and it is rare that there is something in those sources pointing out such an embarrasing incompetence in their commanders.

So my first goal was to determine if Reyter was actually where Jukes said he was in June (which I now suspect is the case as we have a gap between Popov and Konev).

My second goal is to figure out where the story came from.

I have finally time to go to a library which have book called:
Kto Byl Kto v velikoi otechestvennoi voine 1941-1945 (Moskva 2000). On page 209
about Reyter the book states that he was commander of Steppe Military District in June 1943. Reiter born in 1886 died in 1950 according to same source. Also he become Colonel-General in 1943.

quote:

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Originally posted by Anders E.Frankson:
). On page 209 about Reyter the book states that he was commander of Steppe Military District in June 1943.

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Thanks. Much to my embarrassment, I have that book. Didn't think to check it. Next time you have a question, feel free to save youself a trip to the library and just ask me.

So clearly Jukes was correct about the person and date. While this does not confirm that the story is correct, it does increase my confidence in it.