In 1945, May 6 became especially significant, because three holidays were united in one day: the Bright Resurrection of Christ, the memory of the Great Martyr George and the end of the war with Germany, because it was then that the first Act of surrender of this fascist state was signed.
In a few days, Marshal Georgy Zhukov will sign the second Act of Germany's surrender, but in this article we would like to talk about another Georgy - a man of unique destiny and military talent, the only general who personally flew around the entire western border before the war, the only soviet pilot, who fought on an airplane with the image of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. A warrior who was hunted by enemy pilots - Major General of Aviation Georgy Nefedovich Zakharova.
Over the course of several months, my native village has passed from hand to hand more than once. The way of peasant life broke down. In 1920, due to a raging famine in the Volga region, George's parents died, and his older brother went to serve in the Red Army - the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Subsequently, Georgy Zakharov wrote: “... the most difficult year in my memory, the twentieth year, a once strong village has long been ravaged to the ground .... Starvation began, and in a fierce winter, father and mother died of hunger for several days. Then my grandmother died. There are no adults left at home. For several days we lived by cutting off strips from the horse hide, which was used to upholster the door, and the older sister Vasilisa made us a decoction of these scraps. The skins did not last long, and so Vasilisa got a job as a nanny in a wealthy family. The younger brother was temporarily taken in by distant relatives. They could no longer feed my sister Sasha and me. Then I wrapped everything that could serve as clothing on myself and my sister, barred the doors of the house with boards, and in the early frosty morning we walked away from our home, in which we were awaited by the inevitable death of starvation.
It is unlikely that we would have lived that winter if one day we had not met two of the same ragamuffins - a brother and a sister. They were the same age as us. We walked together all day collecting alms, and at night they brought us to their house. It was a ramshackle and neglected widow's house. An emaciated woman rose to meet us. Sasha and I stood on the doorstep, ready at her first sign to leave or stay.
The woman began to cry, and we stayed.
We lived in this house until spring. Then I worked as a laborer, was in an orphanage, and worked again. Many months passed like this - we survived ... "
And when Georgy was 16 years old, he became the chairman of the Staro-Seminkinsky village committee. The "cross" here is from the word "peasant": the village peasant committees were artels created to provide mutual assistance. This was in 1924. And in 1928, after working in this position for four years, twenty-year-old Georgy went to study at the Ryazan Agricultural Technical School. During his studies, Georgy worked as a combine operator. How would this guy's life have been if he had stayed in "civilian life"? God knows. But Georgy Nefedovich abruptly changed direction: without completing his studies for two months, he dropped out of his technical school and went into the army. The Melevis military enlistment office sent him to 7 V.Sh.L. - Military pilot school.
In December 1933, he graduated from the High School of Flight and entered the flight commander courses, after which he went to Ukraine, to Kiev - to the 109th Aviation Squadron, to serve as a senior pilot, flight commander.
In March 1936, he was already in the rank of lieutenant. And in October Zakharov flies to Spain to fight. There was a civil war: the Second Spanish Republic fought against the fascists. There, an account of the planes he shot down was opened.
In October, the Germans were preparing for a general assault on Madrid. After each departure, all "our" pilots refueled their cars and, having loaded the ammunition load, next to their cars waited for a new departure.
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They rushed to the plane at once in a crowd, interfering with each other. Their first "hello" was a burst from a large-caliber machine gun at Zakharov's car. Saved a practiced skill: automatically spun the car into a deep bend, preventing it from aiming fire on its own. The car is full of holes, but Zakharov is alive. Enemy planes hit the sight of his machine gun three times, and he shoots three times. There is no other way out but to lead the enemy to his own airfield - there are our own, there is help. The last turn, already during landing, smashes the dashboard, but the plane landed. The technician pulls Zakharov out of the car and they hide in a hiding place.
In general, as they say, he was lucky. Even at the beginning of his service in the 109 aviation squadron, he had to participate in the tests of the new I-15 aircraft. Then, having decided to climb to the maximum height, at an altitude of 7000 meters, he suddenly lost consciousness, fell into a "tailspin" and began to fall. He came to himself at an altitude of three thousand meters and, having come out of the "spin", managed to land the car. To all the questions, how he did it, he could not give an intelligible answer even to himself.
And he did not like the parachute very much, he said that it was the most terrible thing - to jump with a parachute. Throughout his career as a pilot - only three times and jumped when he studied at the Higher School of Pilots.
But back to Spain, in the sky over which for 11 months Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov shot down 10 aircraft. In April 1937, he was promoted to senior lieutenant. And he was sent to the other end of the world - to China as the commander of a fighter air group.
During one of the most powerful battles with the Japanese, when there were three opponents for each of our fighters, Zakharov's colleague Nikolai Smirnov, who flew into battle on Zakharov's plane, died. This aircraft, as the commander's car, did not have a number, but was marked with a large zero on the fuselage. The pilots called it “zero”. So, as it turned out later, two links of Japanese fighters had a clear task to shoot down this particular aircraft - the Japanese were well aware of who was flying this plane. They even announced their "victory" in the press!
Here's another case. When transporting an I-96, a captured Japanese aircraft to the USSR, during a flight over a mountain ridge at an altitude of 4000 meters, the engine failed, and the aircraft began to quickly lose altitude. You can't lose a car - it was too hard to get it. So, we must plant. And where to? To descend in the mountains of thick clouds ... But the plane emerged from the clouds exactly between two mountains, in a small gorge with a rocky stream at the bottom. It was there that Zakharov began to put the car. From the blow he lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he saw that left hand became soft and pliable. Still not understanding what was wrong with her, I tried to straighten it with a strong jerk, as they do in case of dislocations. From this operation he almost lost consciousness a second time. Subsequently, the doctors explained to him that with this jerk he saved his hand: it was broken in two places, and he put it in the only position in which the fractures subsequently healed so that the hand did not lose mobility. Again "luck"?
On a Chinese business trip, Zakharov added two more downed aircraft to his account. And in July 1938 he returned to the USSR - and immediately became a colonel. In 1940, the rank of Major General was restored in the Red Army, - Georgy Nefedovich immediately received it.
He met the Great Patriotic War as the commander of the 43rd Fighter Aviation Division. One of the few, if not the only, 43rd IAD turned out to be an organized and efficient fighter division on the entire Western Front, which met the enemy with dignity and fought on equal terms.Here are just a few examples of the fantastic heroism of the pilots of this division, which covered Minsk and took part in the defense of Mogilev. German bombers went to Minsk only under strong cover: given the general unfavorable situation for us, the daily result of victories and losses in air battles was in our favor. One I-16 from the 163rd regiment dispersed 15 bombers and did not allow them to drop bombs accurately. This fighter was Junior Lieutenant Akhmetov. The squadron commander from the same regiment, Senior Lieutenant Plotnikov, at the head of six I-16s, fought 26 enemy fighters. The enemy lost 6 aircraft in this battle, but ours had no losses ...
In one day in June, the 163rd regiment shot down 21 enemy aircraft. It was not always possible to shoot down such a number of combat vehicles even with the whole division in the second half of the war, although the planes would be much better! Zakharov himself on the first day of the war shot down two German planes near Minsk. In the first month and a half alone, pilots of the 43rd IAD (289 people in total) made 4638 sorties and shot down 167 enemy aircraft!
But already in October 1941, Zakharov was transferred as the head of the fighter pilot school in Ulan-Ude: such an unexpected turn of events was associated with a small skirmish between Zakharov and General Headquarters, who arrived at the front for inspection.
In April 1942 - another translation: Zakharov became the head of the Tashkent school of bomber shooters. And in less than a year he finally returns to the front. Now he is the commander of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division, just formed by order of the People's Commissar of Defense. It consisted of 5-6 Fighter Aviation Regiments, including the famous Normandy squadron.
“From February 22 of this year to September 15 of this year, the division made 7695 successful sorties ... in which 234 enemy planes were shot down and 34 destroyed.
The flight personnel have grown significantly stronger, discipline and prudence in the air, collective solidarity and mutual assistance in battle have increased, which was taught a lot by Comrade. Zakharov .... ", - wrote in early October 1943 in the combat characteristics of the commander of the 303 Smolensk fighter aviation division, commander 1 Air army Aviation Lieutenant General Gromov.
In 1944, Zakharov received the Yak-3, an aircraft he considered the best combat vehicle of the time, at his disposal. At the same time, an image of St. George the Victorious piercing a snake with the head of Goebbels appeared on the fuselage of the commander's YAK-3.
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“... In battle, he is bold, decisive and unrestrainedly assertive, which constantly serves as a model of courage and courage for his subordinates. ... With skillful leadership, General Zakharov amassed his division into a large fighting unit. ... The division always includes a regiment of French pilots "Normandy", among whom General Zakharov enjoys unlimited respect and authority. ... General Zakharov skillfully transfers his vast combat experience to young flight personnel and constantly teaches them the art of air combat, for which he enjoys great well-deserved authority ...
For the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the displayed valor, courage and courage in 153 combat missions, in which 48 air battles were conducted and 10 enemy aircraft were shot down - Major General of Aviation Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov deserves the highest awards of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union ".
The order was signed on April 19, 1945. In total, during his service, Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov was awarded: during his stay in Spain - three orders Red Banner; in the Great Patriotic War, with the title of Hero Soviet Union, he was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
In addition, he was awarded orders: Alexander Nevsky, Kutuzov II degree; medals: "For Konigsberg", "For Berlin", "For Victory over Germany", the French order "Officer's Cross of the Legion of Honor" and "Military Cross".
But that's not all. Zakharov was three times awarded the order "Red Star" - in 1945, 1951 and 1955. He also received the Order of Lenin in 1955 - and above this award in Soviet times was only the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
For all three wars in which he happened to participate, Zakharov shot down 22 enemy aircraft and was never shot down himself. A street in the village of Staroe Semenkino is named after the Hero. Zakharov is an honorary citizen of France.
And after the war, Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov continued to serve in the USSR Air Force.
He ended his service at Far East... This is how the honored military pilot of the USSR, Lieutenant General of Aviation Pyotr Nikolaevich Masalitin recalls this: “Sometimes tasks were set to escort General Zakharov's Il-28 aircraft with a MiG-15rbis (reconnaissance aircraft - ed.) some airfield of the Kuril Islands. Having secured the landing of the division commander, the link returned to our airfield. It should be noted that the intelligence and the US Air Force, based on about. Hokkaido (Japan), always closely followed the flights and flights of General G.N. Zakharova ... "
In October 1960, Zakharov was forced to resign, but continued to work, writing two books - "Stories about fighters" and "I am a fighter".
It is known that Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov asked especially to pray for the pilots who did not return from missions. Georgy Nefedovich himself departed to the Lord on January 6, 1996, two years before his 90th birthday.
Eternal memory to the glorious Hero of the Fatherland!
Used materials from the archive of the school museum of military glory and international friendship 303 IAD and I OIAP "Normandie-Neman" GBOU Secondary School No. 712 in Moscow:
- Combat characteristics for the commander of the 303rd Smolensk Fighter Aviation Division, Major General of Aviation, Comrade Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov (10.16.1943);
- Autobiography of Colonel Zakharov Georgy Nefedovich (10/25/1938);
- Personal file 26 VA Zakharov Georgy Nefedovich with autobiography (20.12.1951);
- Service record of the Military Ministry of the USSR Zakharov Georgy Nefedovich;
- Presentation for conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - Commander of the 303rd Smolensk Red Banner Order of Suvorov Fighter Aviation Division, Major General of Aviation Georgy Nefedovich Zakharov (04/14/1945),
- The book by G.N. Zakharova "I am a fighter"
Boris Gennadievich Zakharov was born on January 31, 1947 in the Ural region of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
After 7 classes, he entered the Ural Agricultural College, after which in 1966 he received the specialty of an agrochemist and worked at the Semipalatinsk zonal agrochemical laboratory, studying at the same time at the agricultural institute. He also graduated from an evening driving school.
At the end of 1966, he was drafted into the army, where he served for two and a half years and was the released secretary of the unit's Komsomol organization. Now Boris Gennadievich recalls that his comrade was demobilized six months earlier and found a job in the Moscow police. Once he came to his home unit and asked to fill out a questionnaire, since for each potential candidate they were given time off. To help out comrade Zakharov filled out a questionnaire, but soon forgot about it. After demobilization, in July 1969, he returned home and wondered where to go to work. In management agriculture, having looked at his letters, including those issued by the Central Committee of the Komsomol, they offered the post of collective farm chairman. But on the same day he received a letter from Moscow. He is invited to serve in the internal affairs bodies. Boris Gennadievich did not hesitate to go to the capital, and from August 1, 1969 he already worked as a policeman-driver of a special mech regiment, which was then located on Nagornaya Street.
Soon he moved to the 95th police department of the Sovetsky district department of internal affairs, where he worked as a district commissioner. Since 1977 - he is the deputy head of the 136th police department, since 1981 - the commander of the patrol-guard service battalion, since 1983 - the head of the department of public order protection of the Soviet police department. And soon he became the first deputy of the police department for prevention.
I remember Boris Gennadievich, when he moved to the 95th police station, one of the leaders called him late in the evening and asked him to set an ambush in one of the apartments on Chertanovskaya Street. According to the information there may appear a criminal who committed a murder in a shooting gallery in the North Caucasus and stole two boxes of weapons. The address of this apartment was written in his notebook. I had to put up the precinct. Soon there was a command that people stay on duty until the morning - only then they will be replaced. I had to go to warn my subordinates. The guys, having heard about the night ambush, said that they would have to sit in vain, since the owners of the home have no relatives and friends in the Transcaucasus. BG Zakharov himself went to check the information - and it was already the first hour of the night. The man who opened the door was unhappy and grumbled that employees had already arrived. The representative of the internal affairs bodies found out that this is a three-room apartment and that three people live in it: husband, wife and daughter. They confirmed that they had no acquaintances in the North Caucasus.
But then Zakharov had an idea - they could not give for three people
a three-room apartment - according to Soviet standards, such housing was given only for four people. The owners did not deny - they also have a son, this year he entered military school, where it is now in the barracks position.
Law enforcement officers found out the son's friends, talked to them and it turned out that shortly before entering the military school, the company met in a cafe with a man from Transcaucasia, who treated them to dinner. For the service, he asked for the addresses of the guys in case he came to Moscow - he would be where he would stay. Here everything fell into place.
The owners of the apartment were warned about what had happened, they asked not to drive the guest away, but on the contrary - to invite him into the house and immediately call the police. And indeed, soon a guest appeared from the Transcaucasus, who was detained and a box of weapons was confiscated in his presence.
From 1987 to 1991, B.G. Zakharov was the deputy head of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of Moscow, and from August 1991 to January 10, 1998, B.G. Zakharov was the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Central Administrative District. It was from this position that he retired with the rank of Major General, having on his chest the Order of Courage for the October events of 1993, the Orthodox Order of St. Daniel of Moscow, departmental medals "For Impeccable Service" of all three degrees.
Zakharov 001
Zakharov is also a laureate of the Academician V.N. Chelomey Prize for the fact that he supervised the export of a special new device for the space industry, made at the M.V. Bauman (the current territory of the Basmanny District).
Zakharov considers his achievement as the head of the Central Administrative Directorate of Internal Affairs that the unit headed by him has always been among the top three in the Central Internal Affairs Directorate. The Central District is the only one in Moscow where the police department system has been preserved for a very long time, and, as all veterans of the internal affairs bodies believe, was the most effective.
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Born on April 23, 1897 in the village of Shilovo, now the Saratov region. In military service since 1915, in the Red Army since 1919. He graduated from the school of warrant officers (1916), infantry courses (1920), courses "Shot" (1923), the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze (1933), Military Academy General Staff (1939).
Participated in the First World War as a second lieutenant. In October 1917 he was elected commander of the regiment. During the Civil War, from August 1919, he became a company commander, took part in the battles on the Eastern Front. After the end of the war, he commanded a battalion, a regiment, was the chief of the military-economic supply of the division. Since March 1933 he has been teaching at the Military Engineering Academy of the Red Army. In 1939-1941 - Chief of Staff of the Ural Military District.
In the early days of the Great Patriotic War - Chief of Staff of the 22nd Army Western Front, which repelled the onslaught of superior enemy forces near Vitebsk, Velikie Luki and Nevel. From August 1941 - chief of staff, in October-November - commander of the Bryansk front, covering the Oryol-Tula and Lvov-Kursk areas, from December - deputy commander of the Western Front, which took part in the counteroffensive near Moscow. From April 1942 - Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian direction, from May - Commander of the North Caucasian Front, from August - Commander of the Southwestern (Stalingrad) Front. Since October 1942 G.F. Zakharov - Deputy Commander of the Stalingrad Front, successfully leads the armies of the left wing of the front during the counteroffensive soviet troops... From January 1943 - Deputy Commander of the Southern Front, and from February - Commander of the 51st Army.
Since July 1943 G.F. Zakharov commanded the 2nd Guards Army, which distinguished itself in breaking through the enemy's defenses at the border of the Mius and Molochnaya rivers. Under his leadership, army troops broke through powerful fortifications on the Perekop isthmus in April 1944 and took part in the liberation of Sevastopol. From 1944 he commanded the 2nd Belorussian Front, from November - the 4th Guards Army, which crossed the Danube and took part in the encirclement of the enemy's Budapest grouping. From April 1945 he commanded the 4th Ukrainian Front.
After the war, he commanded the troops of the South Ural (1945-46) and East Siberian (1947-50) military districts, was the head of the "Shot" courses (1950-53). Since September 1954, Deputy Head of the Combat Training Directorate Ground forces.
Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the III convocation.
He was awarded the Order of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov I degree, Orders of Kutuzov I degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky I degree, Suvorov II degree, medals.
Birthday 04 May 1897
army General
Biography
early years
Born in 1897 in the village of Shilovo (now the Zolotovsky district of the Saratov region) in the family of a poor peasant. Russian.
His childhood in a family of 13 souls was bleak. He was barely 11 years old, one autumn morning, his father took the boy to the city of Saratov. An apprentice at a nail factory, an "errand boy", in a shoe and tailor shop, a packer in a warehouse — this is how George spent his childhood and youth. Georgy Zakharov worked as a packer for about 5 years. At the same time, he studied at Sunday school.
On military service since 1915. Graduated from the Chistopol school of warrant officers (1916). During the First World War, he fought on the Western Front, with the rank of second lieutenant, commanded a half company.
Revolution, interwar period
Arriving from the front in Saratov, he is assigned to command the local partisan detachment and soon went to the Ural front. Member of the RCP (b) since 1919. In the RKKA since 1919.Since August 1919 he fought with the White Guards on Eastern Front, commanding the 4th rifle company of the 51st separate battalion of the 4th army. Graduated from the Saratov Infantry Courses (1920). In one of the battles in the Urals, G.F. Zakharov was wounded. Upon recovery, he was sent to the city of Vladikavkaz, where he was entrusted with the command of the 1st rifle battalion.
In 1922 he was sent to Moscow to study at the courses "Shot", In 1923 he, as a graduate of the courses in the first category, was appointed battalion commander. Assistant to the head of the combat department (from November 1926) of the United Military Kremlin School named after All-Russian Central Executive Committee. For several years, Zakharov commanded a battalion and then a regiment of cadets.
In 1923, G. F. Zakharov met with V. I. Lenin. Lenin summoned the regiment commander and inquired in detail about the life of the cadets.
In 1929, Zakharov - commander-commissar of the second regiment of the Moscow proletarian division... At the same time, he enters the evening course of the Military Academy of the RKKA. M. V. Frunze. After graduating from the academy in 1933, G.F. Zakharov was appointed deputy commander of the 17th rifle division, which was then commanded by the future Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S.Konev. Head of the military-economic service of the division, then from August 1932 - assistant to the head of the logistics department.
From March 1923 - head of the department of tactical and technical management of the operational-tactical cycle, then from May 1935 - the department of engineering support for combat and operations of the operational-tactical cycle of the Military Engineering Academy named after V.I. V.V. Kuibyshev.
In 1936 he was appointed chief of staff of the 1st rifle corpscommanded by the future Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I.Tolbukhin. Since March 1937 - Assistant Chief of Staff of the 19th Rifle Corps. In 1937, by decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b), G.F. Zakharov was sent to study at Military Academy General Staff. After graduating from the academy, from April 1939 he worked as chief of staff of the Ural Military District, where he remained until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
During the Great Patriotic War
From June 1941 - Chief of Staff of the 22nd Army. According to the memoirs of Marshal A.I. Eremenko:
Since August 1941 - Chief of Staff of the Bryansk Front. From October 1941 - Commander of the Bryansk Front.
Since December 1941 - Deputy Commander of the Western Front. According to the head of intelligence of the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps, Colonel A.K. Kononenko, the illiterate actions of General G.F. Zakharov at the corps headquarters led to unjustified numerous casualties during the breakthrough of the German defenses along the Warsaw highway during the Rzhev-Vyazemskaya operation, as well as to the slamming of the breakthrough line by the German troops after the breakthrough group of General Belov. Moreover, GF Zakharov himself did not participate in the breakthrough, but remained in the second echelon (325th rifle division, rear services, artillery, anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition), which, on his initiative, did not go into the breakthrough. "The tasks that were set before Belov's group of forces by GK Zhukov, whose deputy, General Zakharov, with a pistol in his hands," pushed "it into the rear of the enemy, were erroneous, operatively illiterate, and the actions of Zakharov himself were simply criminal."
Since May 1942 - Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian Front.
Since August 1942 - Chief of Staff of the Stalingrad Front. According to the memoirs of General of the Army S.P. Ivanov:
From October 1942 to February 1943 - Deputy Commander of the Stalingrad and Southern Fronts.
From February 1943 - Commander of the 51st Army.
From July 1943 - Commander of the 2nd Guards Army.
Since July 1944 - Commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front. On July 28, 1944, he was awarded the rank of General of the Army.
From November 1944 - Commander of the 4th Guards Army. According to Lieutenant General A.I.Semenovich:
Since April 1945 - Deputy Commander of the 4th Ukrainian Front.
In the postwar years
After the war, he was appointed commander of the South Ural and East Siberian military districts. Then - the head of the courses "Shot".
In 1950-1954 he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From September 1954 - Chief of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Ground Forces.
Awards
- the order of Lenin
- 4 Orders of the Red Banner
- 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree
- order of Suvorov, 2nd degree
- order of Kutuzov 1st degree
- Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 1st degree
Zakharov Georgy Fedorovich (in the service record of officers of the imperial army, stored in the RGVIA, the surname Zakharov-Tyurin is indicated [See: RGVIA, f. 409, op. 1, file 110273, p / cn 58-071 (1917) ; p / c. 38-640 (1917)], Soviet military leader, army general (1944).
Born into a peasant family. Elementary education received in a Sunday school in Saratov and passed the test at the 1st Saratov real school for a volunteer 2nd grade. In March 1916 he was drafted into the army. Graduated from the training team of the 133rd reserve infantry regiment. After graduating from the Chistopol school of warrant officers in 1917, he was promoted to warrant officer and appointed a junior officer in the 240th infantry reserve regiment. In July 1917 he was seconded to the command of the head of the 1st Infantry Division to staff the 1st infantry regiment, in its composition he served as a junior officer and commander of a half company. In October 1917 he was elected commander of the regiment, second lieutenant. IN Civil war from August 1919 he commanded a company as part of the 51st separate infantry battalion 4th Army. He took part in the battles on the Eastern Front with the Ural White Cossacks.
In April 1920 he graduated from the 1st Saratov Infantry Course. Then he commanded a company and a battalion at 2 Vladikavkaz command communications courses. After the war, from July 1922, he was studying at the Higher Tactical and Rifle School of the Red Army commanders named after I. ΙΙΙ Comintern, after graduation from August 1923 he served at the United Military School. All-Russian Central Executive Committee in Moscow: battalion commander, assistant chief and head of the combat department of the school. In March 1931 he was appointed commander and commissar of the 2nd rifle regiment of the Moscow Proletarian rifle division. In November of the same year he was transferred to the 17th Nizhny Novgorod rifle division Of the Moscow Military District for the post of chief of the military-economic supply of the division. In September 1932 he was sent to serve in the Military Engineering Academy of the Red Army, where he held the position of assistant to the head of the MTO department, from March 1933 - a tactics teacher. From April 1937 - assistant chief of staff, then chief of staff of the 19th rifle corps. In April 1939 he graduated from the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army and was appointed chief of staff of the Ural Military District. In November 1939 he was awarded the rank of brigade commander, and in June 1940 he was promoted to major general. In June 1941, the 22nd Army was formed on the basis of the troops of the district, and Major General G.F. Zakharov was appointed her chief of staff. From June 16 to June 21, the army was redeployed to the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Idritsa (Pskov region).
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the army was in the reserve of the Headquarters of the Main Command, and from July 1941, as part of the Western Front, it participated in battles with the enemy. Since October, Zakharov has been Chief of Staff of the Bryansk Front. He took part in the Oryol-Bryansk defensive operation, during which the plans of the Nazi command to deeply cover Moscow from the south were thwarted. In the second half of October, he assumed command of the front forces instead of Lieutenant General A.I. Eremenko. In difficult conditions of the situation, he managed to organize the troops of the front in the Tula direction that had escaped the encirclement and suffered heavy losses. In December 1941, he was appointed deputy commander of the Western Front, in this position he participated in. Since May 1942 - Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian direction, then the North Caucasian Front. Since August of the same year - Chief of Staff of the South-Eastern Front (since September 28 - Stalingrad) Front. Since October, he held the posts of deputy commander of the Stalingrad Front troops, and successfully led the armies of the left wing of the front during. From February 1943 - Commander of the 51st Army, which took part in the liberation of Rostov-on-Don. In July 1943, Lieutenant General G.F. Zakharov was appointed commander of the 2nd Guards Army, which took part in the Donbass offensive operation, the crossing of the Dnieper, which distinguished itself in the battles for the Crimea and Sevastopol.
Since June 1944, he was the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front, and in July he was awarded the rank of General of the Army. Front troops under his command carried out the Mogilev operation, then participated in the Minsk and Bialystok offensive operations... In the course of further offensive operations in August-November, together with the troops of other fronts, Western Belarus was cleared of the enemy, the front troops reached the borders of Poland and East Prussia, captured the Ruzhansky bridgehead on the left bank of the river. Narew, north of Warsaw. Since November 1944, General of the Army G.F. Zakharov commanded the 4th Guards Army, which forced the river. Danube and took part in the encirclement of the enemy's Budapest group. From April 1945 he served as deputy commander of the 4th Ukrainian Front.
After the war, General of the Army G.F. Zakharov since July 1945 commanded the troops of the South Ural Military District. From June 1946 at the disposal of the Main Personnel Directorate, then Inspector General of Rifle Forces of the Main Inspectorate of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces. In February 1947, he was appointed commander of the East Siberian Military District. Since September 1950 - the head of the Higher Tactical Shooting Courses of Improvement of the Command Personnel "Shot" them. B.M. Shaposhnikov, since September 1954 - head of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Ground Forces. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 3rd convocation. Buried on Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Awarded: Order of Lenin, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st and 2nd Art., Orders of Kutuzov 1st Art. and Bohdan Khmelnytsky 1st century, medals.