Alexander Fada's heroism was shown in the provision of resistance to German troops in February 1944. His crew alone figured out with enemy technique under Saille Dashukovka. It is about his feat and will be speech.

Clock from Colonel

Alexander Mikhailovich Fadin was born in 1924 in the family of ordinary peasants. When the war began, he was only 16 years old, so he decided to advertise the extra two years to go to fight to the front. The initial place of his service was the 2nd Gorky Auto-Motorcycle School, but in the future it changed to the tank, which the cadets were unheardly glad. Since the Soviet tanks had a serious resistance to the fascists.

Young people only rejoiced service in tank troops, but the older people did not understand their decisions at all and rumored that they would burn in these boxes from iron.

Now everything depended on the passing exams. It was necessary to pass not only the theory, but also firing training. At the same time, both normatives have given the right to receive a junior lieutenant, and excellent results - lieutenant. With the theory of Alexander the problems did not arise, but firing preparation was the small difficulties with which he coped well. He decided to do a non-standard manner and fired at the moving target on the go, which caused the storm of emotions and delight from the colonel. For excellent results, he received hours from him.

However, fighting for Fada began only in June 1943. His debut was marked by a chopped German PZ-4 and an enemy truck.

No man is an island

But the main feat of Alexander Mikhailovich was still ahead. February 1944 - Around Tank of Fada Many of the enemy's power units. But here he did not knock.

Fadin was dumbfounded on top of the order to contain the approaches to the village. But he understood that his life was only in his hands, so they booted with two ammunition with two ammunition and went to battle.

But not everything was so simple in this task. The first obstacle was a huge ravine, but due to the use of the rear tank, he was overcome.

Then, when the tank entered the village, the crew discovered many fascist points. But at the expense of the chamaker commander of the tank and favorable circumstances managed to cope with them. Due to accurate fragmentation lights, a column was broken from German trucks.

But perhaps the most unusual military achievement of Fada was a baked aircraft. This happened very rarely, but Alexander Mikhailovich managed to calculate the approximate speed of the aircraft, and he brought it with a fragmentation fire.

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Fadin Alexander Mikhailovich

(10.10.1924 - 10.11.2011)

Born on October 10, 1924 in the village of Knyazevka Arzamas district Nizhny Novgorod region. In 1940 he graduated from an incomplete high school and entered the Gorky River Technical School.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, adding for two years, came to the draft board volunteer and was enrolled in the 2nd Gorky Automatic School, in the 9th Road of the Third Motorcycle Battalion. After an eight-month-old training course, the third battalion continued to study on the program of automotive platforms commanders.

At the end of August 1942, the school was renamed to the 2nd Gorky Tank School, and Alexander Mikhailovich, among the selected from graduates, 100 people continued to study in it. April 25, 1943, after graduating course, he was awarded the title of Lieutenant. Graduates were sent to the 3rd Pan Tank Regiment at Plant No. 112. Crews were formed there, which were trained in the Marsey Company, received new tanks and echelon from the factory were sent to the front to the area Kursk Dougi.where the 207th battalion of the 22nd Guards tank Brigade The 5th Guards Stalingrad Tank Corps of the Voronezh Front. Here and accepted the battle baptism Lieutenant Fadin. In the first battles, he, as stated in the combat characteristic, "showed samples of courage and fearlessness."

Alexander Mikhailovich began to fight the T-34 tank commander. The first battle began on July 12 and ended on July 16, when his tank was shot down. Of the sixty-two graduates of the school who came to the corps, after four days of the offensive, there were only seven, and by the fall of the fourth year there were only two of them. After the first battle, in which Alexander Mikhailovich was able to prove that he was able to fight, he became a guardsman. In the future, Alexander Fadin participated in Belgorod-Kharkiv offensive operation, distinguished himself in battles for Kiev in November 1943.

But the war continued. There were new battles, new victories over the enemy, experience gained every day, grew confidence in themselves and faith into success, in victory. Here are just some examples of how fearlessly and skillfully fought a graduate of the Gorky Tank School.

In December 1943, in battle for stone brods on Right-Bank Ukraine Alexander Fadin personally brought a heavy tank "Tiger" and provided the main forces of the brigade favorable conditions for deploying and entering the battle. And four days later, in battle for the village of Chernihov, his tank, already being hit, reflected his fire before the adversary infantry platoon trying to capture the tank. The crew of Alexander Fada was destroyed to 20 and captured 13 Nazis.

In the battles of the city of Tarabia in February 1944, Alexander Fadin at his tank with the go attacked and captured the enemy battery, without giving her even to turn around, first broke into the city, in a street battle destroyed the heavy self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" and a bus with soldiers and opponent officers .

Heroism and personal courage showed Alexander Fadin and with the defeat of the surrounded Korsun-Shevchenko group of the enemy in February 1944. His only tank with the support of the platoon of infantry in the night attack captured Dashukovka village and held it for more than five hours before the main brigade forces approach. In this battle, the crew of Fada destroyed 3 tanks, 1 armored personnel carrier, 2 mortars with calculations, 12 machine guns of the enemy, as well as the fire of the tower machine gun shot down a German aircraft. The Tank of Fada was also shot down, all crew members were injured, the tower of the shooters died, but the wounded did not come out of the battle before the reinforcement approach.

Then Alexander Fadin participated in the Yasko-Chisinau operation, in the battles for the liberation of Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Austria, where his victory was found. Finished War Alexander Fadin in the Far East. The position of the tank company commander at the Trans-Baikal Front participated in the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army, successfully overcoming the Mountain Hingan mountain ranges on his tested combat vehicles, rushed the enemy on the expanses of Manchuria and when mastering Port Arthur.

The brave tank commander was revealed twice to assign the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. For the first time he was represented to the heroic rank in November 1943, for the difference in the battles for the liberation of Kiev. Presentation reached the Military Council of the 38th Army. Commanderm and member of the Military Council of the Army decided to reward A.M. Byadada Order of the Red Banner.

The second time he was presented to the heroic rank in February 1945, for the difference in the battle for Dashukovka in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky offensive operation. This time the view came to the Military Council of the Front. A written decision commander and member of the Military Council of the Front at a premium sheet did not leave. The assignment of the heroic title did not take place.

Decree of the President Russian Federation of September 6, 1996 "For courage and heroism, manifested in the fight against german fascist invaders In the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 " Fadina Alexander Mikhailovich It was assigned the title of Hero of the Russian Federation With the presentation of the medal "Golden Star" (Medal No. 346).

After the war, the brave tanker served in the positions of the commander of the tank battalion, the deputy head of the headquarters and headquarters of the tank regiment, deputy commander of the tank regiment, officer of the combat training department of the Civil Defense Ministry of the USSR. In 1964, Alexander Mikhailovich was transferred to the service at the Military Academy armored troops to the position of chief of the Academy of the Academy. In 1967, he was appointed to the post of teacher of the Tactic Department, in which he worked until 1975, transmitting his combat experience to new generations of tankers' officers. In 1975, he successfully defended his thesis in his specialty with awarded him scientific degree Candidate of Military Sciences. By the decision of the Higher Attestation Commission in 1981, he was awarded the academic title of associate professor, and then professors of the Academy of Military Sciences.

In 1976-1978 He was in a business trip in the Syrian Arab Republic, where he organized the preparation of officers of tank troops.

During work at the Tactic Department, Nig-6 and Nig-4 engaged in military-scientific research in the field of operational art and tactics, the development of armored vehicles, training scientific personnel. He is the author or co-author of more than 40 military-scientific works.

In 1996, Colonel A.M. Fadin resigned. Continued to work at the Marshal Armed Forces of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky as a researcher of the Academy's Research Teaching and Methodological Group. Since 1998 - Senior Researcher Center information technologies Commissar Academy of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Act has already participated in military-patriotic work.

He lived in Moscow. He died on November 10, 2011. He was buried at the Troyekovsky cemetery in Moscow.

Alexander Mikhailovich was awarded six orders and twenty three medals. Among the awards of the Order of the Red Banner, Alexander Nevsky, Red Star, Patriotic War of the 1st and 2nd degree, for the service of the Motherland in Armed Forces USSR 3rd degree.

Slovak state awards: the Order of the Double White Cross 2 Class (April 7, 2010).

During the battle in February 1944, when capturing the village of Dashukovka, the crew of the tank under the command of Alexander Fada alone destroyed three tanks, an armored personnel carrier, two mortars with calculations, 16 machine guns of the enemy, as well as a shot from the main tool knocked down a German aircraft. About the hero and his feat - our material.

Clock from Colonel

Alexander Mikhailovich Fadin was born in 1924 in a simple peasant family. At the time of the beginning of the war he was only 16 years old, and he did not belong to the call, but he wanted to fight passionately, therefore, like many adolescents, added for two years. He was enrolled in the 2nd Gorky Auto Motor School, where he soon became one of the best. In August 1942, the school retrained into tank. Naturally, the cadets met this change in flavor - the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks were rooted at the front, and to fight them was a tempting offer.

Fadin himself recalled: "We, youth, yelling:" Hooray! "And those who are older who fought on Chalchin-goal and on Finnish, liberated Western Ukraine, say Belarus:" What are you happy? You will burn in these iron boxes. "

It is time to take exams, the theoretical part and fire preparation were among them the most important and defining. We share both on "good" and here you are a junior lieutenant, on "excellent" - a whole lieutenant. Alexander's theory passed on "5", but the main difficulties were associated with shooting. Tests took place at the landfill. During the exam, the tractor moves the target on the cable - a wooden tank mockup, and cadets should have hit it from 1500 meters. At the same time, the T-34 rides the examiner to a certain point, stops for a few seconds and makes a shot, and the less seconds the student spent on the aimation, the better.

During the shooting, Fadin decided not to slow down and make a shot - unprecedented at that moment, especially since such a distance.

"I was allowed to shoot with the go, but the examiner warned:" I mean, if you don't get all three shells, you will not get the younger lieutenant, but you will get a senior sergeant "... just came to a fire line, the mechanic says:" Wait, wait, now there will be a "track" (place for stopping and shooting - approx. Ed.). And I caught the target, a shot - no feed! It was a furor! Returned to the original, the colonel runs up, taking a hand, removes and gives me his watch, "he recalled.

Martial baptism had to wait until June 1943. During the debut, Fadin was shot down the first German PZ-4, and after a couple of minutes, the truck with an enemy retreating infantry took off.

Vividly showed itself the crew of Fada closer to the end of the 43rd year, freeing Kiev. Two T-34 and self-propelled Self-propelled ISU-152 overlap strategically important in the forest when they are unexpectedly late German "Tiger". There was a couple of seconds, and, flashing, he illuminated a moonless night as a hundred torches. A few moments, and the flame covers the next tank with a cross on the side. Both tanks were chopped by Fadin personally. When his car moved forward, he discovered the third sacrifice - faded in the bushes and remaining self-propelled self-propelled artillery installation from the Stug III assault tool.

No man is an island

The most important feat of Alexander Mikhailovich committed in February 1944. Its only his tank with the support of infantry contained many times superior enemy forces. However, the word "held back" does not show how bold and bright was that fight.

The order of the authorities is practically alone to hold the approaches to the village found Fada surprise. But there was no help to wait for the help, and since only his tank was on the go, it means that he had to go for a suicide mission. Loaded two ammunition into the car and moved to the road.

The first problems appeared before the battle. Before the village, which was to capture, was deep ravine, the congress in which the tank was crazy acceleration. However, this speed was lacked to overcome the obstacle. Several times the T-34 fondly rolled back, and then the commander, together with the crew, came up with a solution: first, to use special nozzles on the cams, secondly, the movement should be reversed. Succeeded!

At night, tired and exhausted tankers climbed to another edge of the ravine and found a profog - 45-50 people of infantry. A little rested, the Red Army fell into the attack. They immediately heard the strott of machine-guns of the enemy, and the tank just managed to twist the tower, on the move by the Fugasic shells fortified fascist points in the village.

When the first part of the night battle approached the end, in the account of T-34 Alexander Fada such points turned out to be 16. But from 50 infantrymen left no more than 20, and German trucks and armored personnel carriers appeared on the road. The situation seemed catastrophic, only luck and the wonderful eye of the tank commander dramatically changed the fight.

In the dark, the fascist cars always moved with headlights included. So they revealed themselves, but at the same time they minimized the loss of cars on the races of roads. This also took advantage of a lonely Soviet tank. "Splitty, fire!" - And the first truck scattered to smithereens, still shot - shove the very last.

"I am saying the mechanic:" Lieutenant, do not shoot all the cars, trophies need to be scored. "-" Okay ". The terrain lit up, as day. Were visible in the reflections of the flame running figures of the fascists, for which I released some more fragmentation shells and completely short queues Dimmed a disc from a paired with a gun of a tank degtyarevsky machine gun, "said the hero tanker.

We barely managed with this problem, as two German PZ IV seduced along the neighboring field. Once again - shots into the enemy, and once again - the car is shot down. True, all the shells remained anything - the pieces of 15 out of 150. It took a few minutes, and above the road with a knockdown van, right above the telegraph pillars, the German aircraft flew.

Alexander Mikhailovich recalled: "The plane rushed along this line and, knowing about the distance between the columns, I calculated his speed. She was small, about 50-60 kilometers per hour. When the plane dropped the cargo and flew past us, I decided that if It will unfold, I will try to knock him down. I give the Fetisov team to unscrew the cap and charge a trap. The plane turns out, I take the protection - shot. The shell pleased him right in the engine, and the plane broke out. "

This on the battlefield happens not every day, machine-gun points and armored personnel carriers - the case is usual, but to knock the plane from the tank?! But it was not all. As if the conspiracy T-34 notes 100 meters from himself, and fascinating the immediate shell on the other side. And because of the smoke curtain, German automatic gunners will run away by flames, and the terrible explosion rattles them in the back - Fada's projectile I set up a "tiger", and the fire blew the buzz of the tank.

The fight lasted more than five hours. In his final finals, the enemy shell fell into the T-34 building, destroying charging. The rest of the crew was injured, but held before the arrival of help and the main forces. For that fight, the entire crew was presented to awards, and the commander of Fadin himself - to the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. True, he was awarded for unknown reasons was not and only in 1996 received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Help "RG"

In the post-war time, Alexander Mikhailovich served in the military academy of armored troops, then he was preparing tankers in Syria. Since 1998 served in the Commissal Academy of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He was the author and co-author of more than 40 scientific papers. The hero tanker died on November 10, 2011.

True, the Germans did not know that only the infantry battalion of machine gunners and one tank remained from the whole brigade at that time. Just one Tank of Lieutenant Fada to the front of the front of three kilometers long. This is the only tank and threw the command to plugging the bare. The task was made deadly and actually suicide: to master Dashukovka, go to her northern outskirts, to hold out as long as possible before the provision reserves approach and exclude the opponent's breakthrough from the environment ring.

Thirties were loaded by double shells, one hundred and fifty pieces instead of a regular seventy seven. It is this number of shells allowed the crew to continue to withstand a German breakthrough and enter the history of the Second World War. In the story began with the fact that in the night attack, with the support of the company, the infantry was captured by a village, while the guns were destroyed more than a dozen machine-gun points, scattered enemy and crushed the hexoligious mortar caterpants.

The strategic importance of a small village Dashukovka was that the only possible way for a breakthrough was held through it, as the entire terrain in the district was disturbed by deep ravines. And on this road, the Germans tried deeply at night. Fada surprised a bright flow of light headlights - a long column of cars with infantry moved along the way. We did not expect our tankers of such a gift from the enemy! From the first shell of a head truck turned into a fireball. From the second Fougas, the closing car scattered into parts. And then for the Germans began a nightmare. Like tin figures in the dash of the city park of culture and recreation Lieutenant Alexander Fadin Shot the technique of enemy - cars and armored personnel carriers. According to them, as they calculate, 11 units will be.

Reached the fact that the mechanic driver Peter Doroshenko asked his commander: "Lieutenant, do not shoot all the cars, we need to dial trophies" . The whole districts covered the bright light of fires. In the reflections of the flame, running figures were clearly visible, several more fragmentation shells were released and the disc of the tower machine gun was fully discharged.

After that, until the very morning, the opponent no longer tried to break through Dashukovka. Germans just did not know that their promotion is holding back just one tank of Russian. At dawn for exploration, two Pantsev T-4 crawled out, received their portion of shells from our tankers, stalled and stopped. Their unsuccessful balancing has not revealed a disguised thirty-seater of Fada. He very successfully installed his car to the left side to a big hut on the outskirts of the village. To understand what the Russian forces do not give them to pass, the German officers came to distant hillocks, and began to consider the village of binoculars. And it was their rock mistake. Lieutenant Fadin in his binoculars saw that one of the officers the collar coinelles was cut off on a friable fox fur, and this is, by the way, the distinctive sign of the general. Looking at the hill some very important bird rose with his staff retinue. Ask the name of the high guests from Alexander Fada, you yourself understand, there was no possibility, and therefore he, without any ceremonies and renerests, so to speak in a simple way, took and shrugged in their direction a fragmentary projectile. Fugas got exactly in the middle of a group of curious invaders. On the other side there was a panic and bustle, to save his general and pull out his wounded stabystela on all sides, about four-sided figures in white masking coats rushed. To calm this turmoil, Alexander Fadin released another fifteen fragmentation shells. After that, the restless runner of the enemy on that hillone stopped.

After the execution of General with his headquarters, the Germans found out the location of our tank, and most likely guessed that he was the only one. Radio in the thirty consistent was silently and did not answer the call sign. Where help, and how soon she comes - unknown ... There are only 14 shells in the amp. Let's remind you that they are at the very beginning it was 150.. The crew of Fada did not even guess - what these remaining ammunition will be spent.

On the morning of February 19, 1944, the transport aircraft of Italian production of the company "Caprony" flew to help the hungry German surroundings. He flew low above the ground, threw a large box to Earth (most likely with provisions), turned around and began to enter the second round for the next reset. "Caprony" flew right above the road, strictly along the telegraph line, and the distance between the telegraph pillars - it is standard - usually 50 meters. Knowing this interval, Lieutenant Alexander Fadin estimated the distance, calculated the speed of the aircraft, took the control, shot a fragmentary ... and for the first time in the history of the Second World War, he hit the aircraft from a tank gun!

Fugas fell "Capro" directly into the engine, the plane broke into the air, and collapsed to the ground. What happened here! Where did just take so many Germans! On all sides, the Field of Saved from the opponent's born on the snow! They rushed to the remnants of the aircraft. Seeing very hungry superhumans during the surroundings under Corsun. So they rushed to pick up the food scattered on the field. Forgetting that they have little shells, the Fadin tent times tested with fragmentation into this running mass of Fritz.

Let me remind you that the Tank of Fada was covered by a wall of the house, he stood left to him. The decision from the commander was instantly. He told the mechanics driver Peter Doroshenko: "Petya, to leave the engine and not the wilderness of him, let's give" Tiger "closer, jump out because of the hut and at the expense of" four ", without waiting for my team, hand over."

So they did. They jumped out of the house, Fadin shot on the move to the armorbeat in the forehead "Tigro", and the Mehower immediately knead the rear transmission and hid the car into the shelter. On everything - about everything - a few seconds. Shooting with the move in the forehead of a heavy tank - a chance for success mi-ni-mal-shelter! However, "Tiger" caught fire and exploded. After a few seconds, the last fragmentary shell was sent for German car masters, and in the ammunition tank remained only one charge - podkalibern.

Half battle and numerous successes spoke Lieutenant Lieutenant Fadina, and when Samozhod "Ferdinand" came against him, he climbed on the Rogger. Alexander decided to duel with this monster. And completely in vain. It hurts fat armor from this German beast.

Let's bring the result of this heroic battle. The crew of just one tank, the only one abandoned to hold Dashukovka, in half a day destroyed: 18 machine guns, two mortars with calculations, one of which was a six-story mortar, a column of vehicles from 11 cars and armored transporters, two middle tank T-4, Heavy tank "Tiger", and what is the most incredible and amazing - the transport aircraft "Capro". Think away! To knock down the aircraft from the tank gun - it's still like hitting the arrow into the apple on the head, and shooting on the run with your eyes closed! The live infantry of the enemy with fugasic shells and machine-gun fire was destroyed. The whole field on the outskirts of the village was devoted to the bodies of enemies. IN premium sheet Then the figure of confirmed enemy losses was introduced - 50 soldiers and officers.

Video about Fadin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dTTAWHOX6GNY.

Roller about Corsun-Shevchenkovsky Operation No. 1- (reconstruction) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003d5jzv_qnd6og.

Roller about Corsun-Shevchenkov Operation No. 2 (chronicle in color) -

On Sunday, June 22, 1941, I woke up late, somewhere at ten in the morning. Washing around and with Lenza breakfast with black bread, drinking it with a circle of tea, I decided to go to my aunt. Arriving to her, I saw her crying. Inappropriate, I learned that the war began, and her spouse Paul went to the draft board to sign up volunteer in the Red Army. As soon as goodbye, I decided not to linger and headed into the hostel of the Gorky river school, where I studied at that time. On the road in the tram, the conversation was about the war, that she would not last for a long time. "Attacle a pug to an elephant," said one of the passengers.

On Tuesday, June 24, I went to the draft board. The square in front of him was clogged by people. Everyone sought to get to the military commissar. I do not know how, but I managed to penetrate the corridor of the military registration and enlistment office, where I was met by Politruk. For his question, why did I come, I replied that I want to the front. Having learned how old I am, he told me: "You know, the guy, go and continue to learn, the wars are still enough for you, but for now, you see how much people we have, whom to call." About a month later I went to the draft board again. After listening to the Council of his friend, I added for two years. He received a medical card, and, having passed the Medical Commission, was enrolled in the 2nd Gorky Automatic School.

We were sent to Ilyino, where after dinner announced that we were part of the 9th company of the third motorcycle battalion. On the other day, classes began. We studied military statutes, learned to walk with songs in the company. Rifles made of boards were made personally each. On August 7, 1941 we led us to the oath, for the first time washing in the bath and giving out the summer military uniforms. Soon we were handed over combat weapons.

We started the study of motorcycles from the AM-600 model from the wheelchair and IL-9, and then transferred to the study of M-72 motorcycles just adopted. After conducting several exercises on theory, we were lucky on a road driving. At that time, the bike was a luxury, affordable not every boy, and many could not skate. Therefore, they first taught to ride bicycles, and then then planted on a motorcycle.

Winter in 1941 was very harsh. In December, frosts often reached 42-45 degrees. The chorement was terrible. The temperatures in the classes were not much higher, but if we could warm up in the field on tactical classes and shooting, dancing, then in the class it was necessary to sit, not moving, listening to the teacher. In addition, we were pretty easy: Budenovsky helmet, cotton uniforms, overcoats, kerz boots with warm sphew, summer underwear and mittens with one finger.

By this time, the road from the railway station, listed by Snow Purga, was made of non-coming, which was excluded during the period of December. Therefore, the whole month we were given two croutons instead of the gram of grams of bread and five pieces of sugar per day, and breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of a bowl soup bowl. And, nevertheless, we did not lose, being confident that these are temporary difficulties.

At the end of November 1941, when the Germans approached Moscow, the entire composition of the 2nd Gorky automotive school wrote a letter to the commander-in-chief Stalin with a request to send us to the front. After just two days later, the response telegram came from him, in which he thanked the whole composition of the School for his readiness, however, he pointed out that we still need my homeland later, but for now I demanded that we study and better prepare for future fights. From this telegram, we realized that Moscow would not surrender, and this was the most important thing. And indeed, in a few days our counteroffensive began.

In March, after an eight-month-old course of study on commander of motorcycle platforms, the school sent about four hundred people to the front. To us, the cadets of the 3rd motorcycle battalion, it was ordered to continue their studies, but already under the program of automotive platoon commanders.

We finished the training course only in June 1942, and at the end of July they were taken to practice in Moscow at the MARZ-3 plant, from where, having passed an internship, we returned to the school and began to prepare for final exams.

At the end of August, in the middle of the night, they declared combat alarm, and all the chimes were sent to the Summary of the school to the next medical examination. Covered hundred people, among whom I were, read the order Supreme Commander About renaming the school in the 2nd Gorky Tank School. Non-past medical examination were produced by motorists. We, youth, shout: "Hurray!" And those who are older who fought on Khalhin-goal and on Finnish, freed the Western Ukraine, say Belarus: "What are you happy? Will burn in these iron boxes." We have already been well prepared under the program of motorists, and the transition to the study of the tank is easy for us.

In early April 1943, the State Commission arrived to accept the first graduation of the school. Examinations on firing preparation and material part were considered basic, and if you passed them on "well", then they were assigned the younger lieutenant, and if "excellent", then Lieutenant. I passed the material part to "excellent." There was a fire training exam. The program was supposed to shoot with short stops. "Excellent" put if the shot was produced in less than eight seconds, "good" - for nine, "satisfactory" - for ten, well, and if more delayed - "Nood". But I, probably, the first in the school began to shoot with the go. At first, we trained to bring the gun on a primitive rocking simulator, which the cadets themselves swayed. Then we were displayed on a landfill with a firing frontier equipped on the collective farm field. The target for firing from the gun was dragging the tractor on the cable of long three hundred meters. And I shot 1200-1500 meters. Everyone was afraid, no matter how to get into the tractor. We had a major, front-line, without his right hand. He taught us: "There must be shorter stops, and it is better not to stop." When I first told the guys that I would shoot with the go, the company's commander warned that I would not bother, but I still decided to try. Happened! From the first shot struck the tank! I was stopped. The commander of the company, the senior lieutenant of the eyes, runs: "Well, that, ragged, I told you! And if it were not?" I started to report me. The battalion commander approaches: "Who shot?" - "Yes, here is the cadet of Fadin, frivolous." - "What ?! Yes, he is well done! This is how the commander of the company is interested in shooting, as he shot, with the go!"

And on the exam, I was allowed to shoot with the go, but the examiner, the colonel warned: "Having in mind, if you do not get all three shells, you will not get the youngest lieutenant, and you will get a senior sergeant." Fell in tank. Mechanic is an experienced instructor. Having received the team "To battle!", I immediately sat down at sight. Only came to a fire line, the mechanic says: "Wait, wait, now there will be a" walkway ". And I caught the target, the shot - there is no food! The second goal, the infantry, also covered. It was a furor! Returned to the original, the colonel runs up Hand, removes and gives me his watch. But from the cadets no one began to shoot like me, is the same risk.

On April 25, 1943, I was awarded the title of Lieutenant, and in early May we were sent to the 3rd spare tank regiment at factory No. 112.

In my crew, except me, the commander, the driver, the driver - Senior Sergeant Vasily Dubovitsky, born in 1936, was a personal driver M.I. Kalinin (when I began to ask him how he was listed here, he replied: "Lieutenant, everything in the card is recorded there," and said nothing); Commander tools - Junior Sergeant Golubneko, born in 1925, and a machine gunner - Junior Sergeant Raziyk Vasily, Odessa, born in 1919.

By the end of May 1943, the preparation of our marching company approached the end. Approximately May 30, we received newly demonic tanks at the factory. Marsh passed on them to our landfill, where a target setting was installed in advance for us. Quickly turned into a battle order and carried out an attack from the move with combat shooting. In the collection area, they led themselves in order and, stretching out into the hiking column, went to the loading to follow the front.

At dawn one of the nights, somewhere at the end of the second half of June, Echelon unloaded at the station of the Maryino Kursk region. Marsh passed a few kilometers to some grove, where they joined the 207th battalion of the 22nd Guards Tank Brigade of the 5th Guards Stalingrad Tank Corps in the defensive battles of the 207th Battalion.

July 14th around noon, having breakfast and watching the fighting vehicles, we got the team to build a ball. Here in our ranks on the list read by the headquarters of the battalion, began to enter the warriors who have already had combat experience, and those who arrived with the echelon did not participate in the battles and were sent to the reserve. As a result of such a reservation, I became the T-34 tank commander. And the next July 12 went to the offensive.

Three red rockets swayed. Having passed a few hundred meters, we saw nominating German tanks. Both sides opened fire. Through our heads, Katyush rockets and German defense were shrouded with a dust cloud. Here we agreed. I could not imagine that you could get into such a stupid, but at the same time a meat grinder organized on two sides. Just not to get lost and not to jump on one of the neighboring tanks! After the first two shots, Azart appeared: to catch an opponent's tank sight and destroy it. But only in the afternoon I managed to hit T-IV, who immediately caught fire after my hit. And a little later, I climbed an armored personnel carrier with a flag on the right wing and shrugged him two fragant-fruit shells, from which fiery splashes scattered. Great happened! And again movement in the attack forward, trying not to break the combat lines of our company. To the end of July 12, the Germans began organized withdrawal and already at dusk we mastered Chapaev. For dawn, we have eighteen out of sixty five tanks in the brigade. Washed, snapped, although there was no particularly wanted, and again into battle.

For me, the offensive ended on July 16, when our tank received two hit and caught fire. By this time, four or five serviceable tanks remained in the brigade. We walked the edge of the sunflower field. Imagine: the fourth day of the offensive, almost without sleep, exhausted ... The first shell fell into the support roller, knocking it out, and followed the engine. We jumped up and disappeared in sunflowers. Returning to his, I saw meters in three hundred four T-34 tank. Just wanted to go to them towards them, the mechanic grabs me: "Stop, lieutenant, stand! You see, crosses on them! This is the Germans on our tanks." "Your mother, for sure! Probably, these tanks and crumble us." Floored. Waited until they pass, and went further. Chagal hour and a half. Accidentally stumbled upon the headquarters of the battalion, he then died near Kiev: "Well done, Lieutenant, I already introduced you to the rank of guardsman" ... And what did you think?! If in the Guards Corps - so immediately Guardsman?! Not! After the first battle, if you could prove that you can fight, only then assigned the title.

Of the sixty-two graduates of the school who came with me in the corps, after the four days of the offensive, only seven were left, and by the fall of the forty-fourth year we had only two.

We fell into the reserve of the battalion, where a few days were pretensed and, most importantly, it was selected, although in 1943 it was fed more or less in the school, but the accumulated malnutrition forty-first - forty-second anniversary let me know about yourself. I see how in my bowler the cook pours the first and imposes a second so much that in peacetime I never ate so much, and it seems to be the eyes that let him put more - still eat.

And then prepared for the Belgorod-Kharkiv offensive operation. The tank was not given to me, but was appointed officer of the Communications headquarters. In this post, I was running until October 14, when I was ordered to take the tank of the deceased Guard Lieutenant Nikolai Alekseevich Polyansky. It must be said that I am very grateful to the head of the headquarters of the Guard Major Mikhail Petrovich by Major Mikhail Petrovich, who made me from me for two months of an officer who knows how to work with a card, mastered the tasks of the company, battalion and even brigades. And this is not only a tank commander, platoon, but also the commander of the company who did not work in the headquarters could not do.

Having found a tank, I went to the crew. At this time, the driver-driver of Vasily Semillets was digging in the transmission office, the rest lay near and, as I noticed, all three of me carefully looked at me. All of them were much older than me, with the exception of the charging Golubochko, who was a member of my first crew and my one-year one. I understood immediately that they did not like. Clear: or I will immediately become a commander, or I will never become in this carriage, which means that in the first real battle the crew with the tank can die, but, most likely, old people will begin to simulate and not participate in every pretext battles.

Recovered me self-confidence, which developed during the work in the headquarters, and I strictly asked: "What is this tank? Why is the crew lies?" Junior by age sergeant Golubneko and reported: "Comrade Lieutenant! The tank crew completed the repair and expects a new commander." - "Olyu, comrades! I ask everyone to approach me." The team slowly, but was performed. Nearby approached me, slightly dressed and with trees in their hands. Having put a hand to the pilot, I introduced myself and said that I heard a lot about the deceased commander, but the crew doesn't look like something. Then, going up to the frontal part of the tank and, stopping on the right of the meter from him, I suddenly filed the team: "Become!" Everyone got up, but the cygars did not quit. Gave the team: "Stop smoking!" Throw reluctantly. Coming out to the middle of the building one step from them, he said that I was unpleasant to go into battle on such a sluddy, dirty tank and with a stranger crew. "I see that I did not satisfy you, but if my homeland needs, I will defend her as I was taught, and as I can." I look, the smirk in the old people came down with persons. I ask: "Machine is good?" "Yes," the driver's mechanic replied - that's just an electric motor turn of the tower does not work and not in the reserve of slave tracks: all three are workers. " - "We will fight on it. By cars!" The command was performed more or less. Having risen to the tank, said that we were going to the company Avetisyan. After feeding the card and focusing on it, I led the tank in the village of Valki. On the road on the outskirts of new Petrisians fell under the fire of artillery. I had to hide the tank behind the stone wall of the building dilapidated from the bombing and wait for the darkness. When the tank was put as follows and muffled the motor, I explained the crew where we should arrive and the goal of my maneuver. The charging Golubneko expressed: "Yes, you're great oriented on the map, Lieutenant!" "Yes, and in tactics, apparently, you understand no worse," said Radiste Razny. Only the driver of the sevenieves was silent. But I realized that the cold reception was already behind - they believed in me.

As soon as they began to darken, we moved and soon accompanied by an enemy's artillery and mortar fire arrived in the company. Almost all nights, we, in pairwise replacing each other, two shovels were digging a trench by throwing up to 30 cubic meters of soil, and putting a tank there, carefully disguised him.

Our preparing for the Sturm of Kiev, in which our brigade was to participate, began with the call of all the commanders of tanks, platforms and mouth on November 2, 1943 in the dugout of the battalion commander. It was dark enough, drizzled fine rain. We were thirteen people and three commander of self-propelled guns. The head of the Political Label of the Brigade Lieutenant Colonel Molokanov very briefly set the task of the battalion commander. From his words, I realized that the beginning of the assault - tomorrow at 8 o'clock.

On this night, with the exception of duty observers, everyone slept firmly. At 6 hours and 30 minutes November 3, we were invited to have breakfast. Having received breakfast, we decided to eat it not in the dugout, but in the fresh air. Here, before the battle, meters in twenty-five - thirty, I am afraid of the smoke and couples, our battalion cuisine. As soon as we rushed, the enemy opened an artillery fire. I only managed to shout: "Lit!" One of the shells fell behind us for meters in seven-ten, but no one bore nobody. The other hit me at ten from us and, without having broken down, liking, dreamed on his way of a gone soldier, touched the wheel of the kitchen, tipping her overnight along with a cook, crushed food, dropped the corner of the house and calmed down in the gardens on the opposite side of the street. After releasing two or three shells, the enemy calmed down. We were no longer before breakfast. Having gathered his small belongings, we moved to the tank in anticipation of the assault. Nerves to the limit.

Soon the firefall began, and I filed a team: "Creek!", And after seeing three green rockets in the air: "Forward!" Ahead of solid smoke and outbreaks from shells, occasionally visible explosions from the launches. The tank jerked greatly - we were the first trench. Gradually calm down. Suddenly discovered on the right and to the left of the tank running, shooting on the course of the infantry. Going on the right and left of the tanks lead the fire with the go. I go down to the sight, I do not see anything except daddy trees. I give the team charging: "Drugs charge!" "There is a fragmentation", - clearly answered Golubneko. I make the first shot on bulk logs, deciding that this is the first trench of the enemy. I watch my gap, I calm down at all, I felt like a landfill when you shoot targets. Shooting from the gun on the mouse-color figures running. I fond of fire according to the swollen figures and give the team: "Enlarge speed". And here is the forest. The seventels sharply slowed down. "Do not stop!" - "Where to go?" - "Go-go!". Old tank engine scrolls while we give one after another several trees. On the right Tank Vanyushi Abashin, my platoon commander, also breaks the tree, but moves forward. Looking out from the hatch, I saw a little bit, walking deep into the forest. I direct the tank on it.

Ahead of the left heard shots of tank cannons and a response tanking sound of anti-tank fascists. On the right I only hear the noise of tank engines, but I do not see the tanks. And my tank goes on promise ahead. I think: do not yawai, brother, opening alternately along the perishes fire from the gun and machine gun. In the forest it becomes lighter, and suddenly - the glade. Noticing the gytlerovtsev's swollen on the glade, I give a shot. And immediately I see: because of the hilly on the other end of the glade there is a strong machine-gun and automatic fire. A group of people flashed between the Khlolov, and suddenly - a flash: anti-tank gun. Gave a long line from the machine gun and shouted the charging: "fragant!" And then I felt the blow, and the tank, as if to jump to a serious barrier, I stopped for a moment and went ahead again, sharply handing out on the left side. Again, as at the landfill, I found a group of trampling about the tools of people and gave a shot on them. I heard a cry of Fedi Review: "The gun and servants - in the sins!" The mechanic shouts: "Commander, we have a right caterpillar!" - "With a radist to go through the landing hatch and restore the caterpillar! I hide you with fire." And a few more tanks have already entered the clearing, and then the arrows. For the repair of the caterpillars by working speak (for we did not have), we left for about an hour. In addition, during the rotation of the tank on the left caterpillar, it was supened in a swampy soil, and the mineral field was put to the left in front of meters in ten, put the fascists on a large dry paradise. Therefore, the tank self-drawing had to be carried out backwards. It took about two hours.

It was possible to catch up with his battalion only with the onset of darkness, when the Germans managed to stop our tanks before the second defensive line. During the night from 3 to 4 November, we made refueling machines with combustible and ammunition and rested a little. At dawn on November 4, the battalion commander assembled commanders for reconnaissance. From thirteen people who began the offensive day ago, nine remained in the ranks. There are still three self-propelled installations with us. We went to the trenches of the shooters, and Chumachenko showed: "You see, ahead of us in three hundred meters arranged solid forest roasters from logs?" - "Yes, we see." - "That's the enemy sits behind these ruffles and does not give rise to our arrows. Now, push this clearing, turn on the line and attack the enemy." Why did the Germans not shoot and did not kill us who were in growth in front of their defense? I do not know…

Tanks went to the edge, turned around and went to the attack. We managed to scat out the log logs and, having pursuing the Germans on the bosoms and the forest chat, would still fall into the forest edge to the state farm "Vinogradar". Here we were met by counterattack before the battalion of German tanks, including the "Tigers". I had to retreat in the forest and organize defense. The Germans, approaching the forest, put forward three medium tank forward, and the main forces were built into two columns and moved into the depths of the forest. Already rall, but here they decided to get involved in so unloved night battle.

I was ordered to overlap the central sequence with my tank. To the right and a little behind me was to cover the Tank Vanyushi Abashin, on the left I was covered with self-propelled installation of the ISU-152. Entrietary intelligence missed by us deepened into the forest. Fit the main forces. The noise of motors was clear: a heavy tart "Tiger" was ahead.

I order the mechanics of the driver Semilatov: "Vasya, in small turns a little give ahead, and then I interfere with ahead of the tree beat on the enemy in the forehead." For two days, we began to friends, and the crew understood me with a half-clow. By improving the position, I saw the enemy. Without waiting for the driver, the driver finally stops the tank, I gave the first shot of a podkaliber's head tank, which was already fifty meters from me. Instant flash in the frontal part of the fascist tank, and suddenly he caught fire, illuminating the entire column. The mechanic-driver of the sevenieves shouts: "Commander, your mother! Why did you shoot? I still did not closed the hatch! Now I don't see anything from the gases." But during this period I forgot about everything, except for the enemy tanks.

Golubneko without my team already reports: "Podkaliban ready!" I killed the second shot from the first burning tank of the second tank opponent because of the first burning tank. He also flashed. In the forest, it was light as day. I hear the shots of Tank Vanyushi Abashin, a deaf and a long shot on the left of 152 mm self-propelled. I see a few burning tanks in the sight. I scream with the mechanics: "Vasya, come closer to burning tanks, and then Fritz managed." Approaching almost close to the first burning tank because of his right side, I find the next living goal - "Arshturm". Shot - ready. We are pursuing the enemy to the state farm "Vinogradar", where they stopped leading themselves in order. As they could have read, preparing for the decisive storm of the city.

On the morning of November 5, the commander of the Guard's Brigade Colonel Koshelev and the head of the Political Longowel Molokanov arrived in our location. The remaining crews of seven tanks and three self-propelled lines were lined up in front of the machines. Turning to us, the commanders set the task to master the city, adding that the first crews that burst into the city will be awarded the title of heroes of the Soviet Union.

After thirty minutes, built in the battle line, we went to the attack and quickly mastered the southern outskirts of the forest, and the sacrahino crossed, and then the Kiev-Zhytomyr highway. The road was blocked by anti-tank ditch, dug back in 1941, which was necessary to overcome to get into the city. Going down in the moat, the tank is stuck: the motor was rooted on the maximum turnover, half-meter beams of fire, who spoke about its extraordinary worn, did not get out of the exhaust pipes, but did not get out. To increase traction effort, shouting the mechanics: "overcome the reverse move!". And here is the first street. And again not enough! The working truck, which we put in the woods instead of the broken slave, now, when entering the potted streets, the body of the tank was raised with its ten-pasted tooth on the right side, excluding the maintenance of fire. Stopped and, borrowing the slave trash, began to repair.

The battalion got a task to move towards the city center. The head tank has reached a T-shaped intersection and suddenly, an embraced by a flame, rushed to the right, hanged into one of the corner houses. Scouts on it were reset. Lieutenant Abashin and I opened fire on the enemy's surprise self-propelled installation. I got into the stern part, stopping her movement. A small hitch that came up with a rapid step by the battalion commander prescribes Lieutenant Abashin's head tank. On the signal "Forward!" We moved further, and soon went to Khreshchatyk. The city is taken.

In the evening we got a task to get out of the city in the direction of the city of Vasilkov. However, overcoming a small river, our tank is stuck, and by virtue of the engine worn, could no longer get out. I had to pull it out with a tractor and drive to repair. Repair brigades that tried to restore my tank, after unsuccessful seven-day work, they declared me that my tank is not subject to repair in the field, adding that I can only fight on it only in 1944. That's how the battles for Kiev ended for me. For these battalion, the command of the battalion also presented me and six more commanders by the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the preparation for further fighting, I was allowed to form your crew on our own, since the old crew had to part. Without false modesty, I will say that people asked for me. True, I didn't change anyone from the driver's crew appointed to me. A radio lane was a young mite guy (I don't remember him), and the Basner is a foreman-Evenk, the name and surname of which also erased from the memory. Several experienced mechanics of the battalion persuaded me to take the mechanic-driver of Peter Tyurin.

On December 27, 1943, the brigade received an order to step in the direction of Chekovichi, Guta-Dobrynskaya, Stone Brod, Andreev. For the first time I was entrusted to go in the head dose.

Moved to the front line at night. The weather was frosty, the ground was solid. In the morning snow, the snow softened a knock of tank caterpillars. The engine of the new tank pulled very well, we moved at high speed. I was nervous, because it is not clear where and how the opponent will meet you. Soothing what we moved fields, bypassing settlements by reducing the route. Passing kilometers twenty, we entered some kind of village. Stopped. Soon we caught up with a column of the brigade. The rest was very short, after which we got the task move forward, but I have no hope. My mechanic-driver Peter Tyurin said that he could not lead a tank because he did not see in the dark. We have drowned. It was some kind of replacing it. The crew was not interchangeable. Could lead the tank, except for the driver, only me. Twenty minutes forced us to worry. Here I felt that he was lying: if he really was blind, he would behave differently. Just the guy passed the nerves: to go first, not knowing what would happen to you next second, very hard. Skipiev, I shouted at him: "Why did you ask for my crew?" "And he added, referring to the Komander of Battalion Arsenyev:" Comrade Guard Senior Lieutenant! Replace me in the near privala. " And turning back to the mechanic driver, ordered in a rough form: "And now I sit behind the levers and lead the tank." I gave the team: "Forward!" And, straining eyesight, trying in the dark through the flying snowflakes to see at least something, began to control them through the TPU10. I often distracted on the orientation on the map, bending the inside the tank, which is weak, but lit, and soon I forgot about Peter, who quite confidently led the tank.

A stone ferrod appeared in the dawn in the distance, and in front of him, meters in five hundred from herself, I saw a dark item, which in the predestal twilight took for a tank. Gave on it twice by armorish shell - I see sparks from hits and flying black pieces in different directions. I realized that I was confused, and driving, I saw a big boulder. Suddenly, two German tank T-IV jumped out of the village on all pairs and surprised from us to the right, towards the city of Chernyakhov. I scream: "Tyurin, catch up, catch up." And he Stroyl, stopped. Before them is already one and a half or two kilometers. I released a couple of shells - by. Damn with them, you need to take the village.

Without reaching the extreme houses of three hundred meters, met an old man who showed me a pass in a minefield and said that there were no Germans in the village, but there are many German tanks in the neighboring. Thanking a grandfather, entered the village and moved down the street on his opposite outskirts. The houses stood in one line along the road, and the wide fields were visible on the right and left on the left. I caught up with two more of our tank, including the tank of the platoon commander Vanyushi Abashin. Going to the opposite outskirts, I saw a neighboring village in one and a half kilometers, located along the road. I did not have time to look at the map to determine his name, as suddenly noticed next to the far salty, a little to the right, cruising by the German middle T-IV tanks, painted in white. Following them, because of the houses began to carry tanks "Tigers" and "Panthers", which were built into a combat line. Counted them seven pieces. They were also built into the second line T-IV tanks, which were about one and a half dozen. Thille thinking, filed a team: "armorbeat charge!" - "Armored - ready". Shooting on the right-hand "Tigro" - by! What?! I look at the sight - he is hit by five divisions to the right. That is why they left me two tanks when approaching the village. I clarify the sight, I hear how our radio commanders and the second company deploy tanks in combat order. Stayed from the tank tower, saw the entire battalion is deployed in the right houses in a combat order to meet the opponent's tanks. It was the illiterate decision of the battalion commander, which was expensive to us, but I will tell about it next.

I do not know what he jerked, but I decided to attack the Germans. One against twenty German tanks! I lost my head! I give the team mechanics: "Forward! To that village!" Following me, the second tank of our platoon, which was commanded by Vanyusha Abashin. To the left of the road saw the skate to the river. Therefore, you can turn off the road and imperceptibly approach the enemy. And just managed to think about it, as an extreme "tiger" from the distance, one kilometer gave me a shot for me. He would kill me, but the dwarf fell behind the handle left from the autumn and frozen in the land of Sokh, changed the flight trajectory, flew in several centimeters from the tower of my tank. Lucky! If they were saturated for me, I would not have a wet place, but for some reason they did not shoot. I shouted Tyurina: "Running to the left and go on a hollow along the river to the extreme house of the village!" For me, this maneuver repeated Vanyusha Abashin.

Having drove up to the extreme house, thinking that he closed me from the deployed German tanks, decided to see from behind the corner of this hut, which they make the Germans, and report the situation commander of the company on the radio. Only I ran up, stealing, to the corner of the house and I wanted to laugh, as a projectile, released from a tank, who was standing at a stack of hay in a half kilometers from the village, apparently, in order to ensure the deployment of the main forces and supporting their attack, the angle of this hut and Threw me to my tank. It rose with difficulty, for the legs of the smelled and did not want to obey, I go to your tank, the hands are shaking. And here meters in three hundred and four hundreds before us crawled from the trench of a heavy tank T-VI "Tiger", yellow. We stand in an open place. Why didn't he shoot? I do not know ... I still didn't drink a tank, I scream Vanya: "Shoot, races **** yay, shoot !!! Shoot it, your mother!" And he stands, looks. Looking down, stupid. Honestly, I was higher by its level of training, especially after the service officer service at the headquarters.

With difficulty got into his tank and brought the gun on this crazy "tiger." However, apparently, due to shock and great unrest, it could not determine exactly the distance to him. Decided to retreat. I give Turin's team to turn around and return to the stone ferrod the same way that came. And the German tanks, completing the deployment, went to the attack on the battalion, shoot, our tanks are burning. I am in parallel with them to the right meters of two hundred go at a speed of 50-60 km / h.

He overtook them, drove to the extreme hut, sharply turned around and got up between the house and the barn, near which the hay stack was standing: "Now I will click you in the board." And the tanks went around the village on the right and move past me. I look at the sight - I prevent a bunch of manure. I moved forward, deployed the tower and see the extreme right-handed enemy "Tiger" going to me, ready for the shot on one of our tanks standing on his way. I have not seen your hit, but "Tiger" jerked and got up, and he threw the smoke out of it. The tank of the commander of the 2nd platoon of the bones of the crust, he had to be for another hut and beat him, and he picks me. Apparently, the tank that from afar covered the deployment and shot for me when I was at the next house, cut him. The tower was sipped, and she flew off the roof of the neighboring house. Kostya jumped up ... Rather, the upper part of the body jumped out, and the lower in the tank remained. Hands on the ground scraper, eyes clap. You understand?! I shout mechanics: "Back!" Just unfolded. Hit! And the tank was twisted and rushed at the other side of the street. The dwarf, hitting the right side of the transmission, torn off a large armored piece, a barbed gear of the transmission, but did not bring the tank almost damage. German tanks turned to the left and began to quickly fold for exiting battle.

We burned four tanks, of which one "tiger", but also lost eight cars. In the forehead met! It was necessary to hide behind the huts, skip them and burn in the board. We would join them all there! And so the company lost! Basically, of course, youth - just come to replenishment, without experience. The main thing they jumped out. Already later, it turned out that this grouping with our exit to Stone Bard came to the environment, which was why the Wa-Bank was going to break through our battle order.

Quickly regrouping, the brigade began pursuit. It was getting dark. The mood is disgusting: so many people have lost, but now the main thing is not to give them to entrenched and go to the defense.

For hours to nine darkness and frozen small rain with snow completely blinded me. The movement slowed down. I caught up with other tanks, turning into a combat line, go, looking around at each other. Night blades, attack at nowhere, the enemy is not visible. Began to shoot with fragoration-fugasic shells along the move. Soon a large village passed.

Dawn imperceptibly came, the dirt road appeared. I hear on the radio in the open text: "Fadina to take its place." Speakeling and go ahead in readiness to act as a combat watch. For me, two more tanks are put forward. With dawn, the soul was more fun, but for a short time. Through the haze, leaning on the chest from the tank, saw the outlines of the big settlement. It seemed to me that this is the city of Chernyakhov. And just managed to think about how heavy enemy artillery struck us.

Deployment and attack from the go began rapidly. On the left, two hundred meters from me, the battery of new SU-85 self-propelled installations has unfolded and opened fire from the spot. An evenhest unfightering the fighten-tank battery of our brigade. We are three tanks ataking, leading fire on extreme huts.

I look at the sight and see the advanced perpendicular to us in two kilometers a column of tanks included in the city on the other side. And then the artillery hits for them and on us from the right. The thought flashed as well established interaction on the seizure of this settlement. And then I noticed how a person runs to us from the far house in a white serrated coat, runs up to the commander of the anti-tank battery and beats him in the face. It turned out that the 21st Guards Tank Brigade already entered the city, and we, it turns out, we are fire in your own. Quickly focus and turn to the city center. I hear on the radio in the open text: "Fadina and Abashin go to the railway station." Turning to the right and see a two-story stone building station.

By turning the tower for a shot along the street, and suddenly the tank shudders from a powerful explosion of a large-caliber fragmentation projectile, which fell into the right side of the stern. The tank continues to move, slowly turning on the right side.

The driver-driver screams: "The commander, finished our onboard transmission." - "Can you move?" - "With difficulties". We drove up to the extreme from the station home. I jumped out of the tank to see damage. The remaining part of the armored leaf, covering the gear gear, as a knife cut off. Two gears are broken, while others have cracks. I do not understand so far, as we still continued to move. At that moment, the commander of the battalion D. A. Chumachenko drove on his tank, who ordered to take defense and wait for the repairmen.

Putting the tank in the thick of the apple orchard, adjacent to the house, we soon waited for a repair feet sent by the battalion commander. Speaking a little with the repairmen, I ordered that the instrumenhip of the gun and the shooter Radist to be in the tank and led the observation, and he himself decided to go to the building station and watch him outside the city. Suddenly heard screams, automatic queues and a shot of my tank. Turned and rushed back from all the legs. It turned out that the Germans remained in the rear attacked the tank. The repairmen and the crew occupied the defense, and the charging shot with a fragmentation projectile practically in the focus on the attacking infantry. As a result, the Germans lost about ten people, and the remaining thirteen surrendered.

The restoration of the tank took about a day, and then I had to catch up with the leading fighting day and night my brigade. I can not remember now, when we slept. All this was done by some workers from one to two hours a day. Fatigue provoked the appearance of indifference, which led to losses.

Already at night entered the city of Skvira. Everyone was summed up to the fact that no one noticed the arrival of the new 1944. Relaxered three-four hours. I woke up from shocks in the tower of a stick - workers of a hiking kitchen called for breakfast. During breakfast, we were called to the battalion commander. Eleven people were gathered near the battalion car, of which three - commanders of self-propelled installations. Eight tanks remained in the battalion - it is still not bad - plus two branches from the platoon of brigade intelligence. Coming from the booth, the battalion commander first introduced us to the new commander of the company Lieutenant Technique Carabut, and then set the task to walk to the city of Tarabach, to master them and keep them before the crew's main forces approach.

Put forward climbed. I am with five scouts again I had to move in the head of the column on a kilometer-half ahead. Soon the "Rama" hung over us. So we wait for the guests. And for sure! Eighteen Yu-87 appear. By turning into a combat line, keeping the intervals between machines 100-150 meters, we went ahead at high speed. The bombing was intense, but unsuccessful: no car suffered. Ahead seemed a small village, where the shots of field cannons and automatic queues came. We were very evil and came out of the fire, forcing a small garrison to flee.

We continued to move in combat order, as if something prompted to us that the enemy was completely close, and we are about to meet it. Two more groups of eighteen aircraft appeared to change the bombing and left eighteen aircraft, who, making a big turn, began to bomb us. This confirmed my assumption that the enemy was completely close. Soon, a large village opened before our gaze, through which black was moving against the background of white snow, solid, the unbarrous magnitude of the opponent's column.

The head of this column, in which there were cars, horse harms, had already left the village and began to increase the speed to leave. As it turned out, it was put forward the rear of the 148th Infantry Division of the enemy again. Seeing an almost defenseless enemy in front of him, we, shooting from the go, began to crumble out of the combat order in the width of the column, so as not to give to leave and part of it. Here on our misfortune, the population of the village of Berezanka came out of the houses to meet us, praying and calling us faster to enter the village, interfere with the fire in the Germans. I had to fire through their heads on the Germans running into the field, throwing out the ovens and cars. Going along the column, shooting running Germans from machine guns. Suddenly saw a group of Fritz on the outskirts of the village, who had been breathing near some wagons, straightened horses and distinguished them aside. I give a shot with a fragmentary in their thick and see: the shell scattered them aside, and only here I noticed the to the gun that they tried to deploy directly on the road.

Stayed from the tower, I saw three more the same groups trying to free themselves from the horses that wearing guns. I managed to make three or four shots, and all shells went to the location of this artillery battery. Jumping to the first tool, I ordered Tyurin to drive it around, myself was shot from machine gun calculations. Having come a little from a speed fight, I dried out of the tower, examining the battlefield. It was terrible. Along the road stood abandoned German carts and cars, broken and whole, loaded with food and ammunition, the corpses of the killed Germans and horses ... The same number of beds lying in the snow I had to see about a week in the area of \u200b\u200bthe breakthrough of the German defense at the city of grapes, but this There were already our infantrymen ...

The prisoners were about two hundred people and we did not know what to do with them, because only the platoon of intelligence was on the tanks. It was necessary to allocate several people to protect and conjunction. We focused in the village, bent by trophies. Tyurin and Kleschye brought pork to the large carcass, putting them on the transmission: "We will give the owners of houses where we will stop." And then Tyurin filed new leather officer boots, saying that in the boots all the time cannot be walking, but such boots, they say, lieutenant will not be given anyway. Yes, the boots turned out to me in size, and I still remember their strength, urgency.

Soon the commander of the company Senior Lieutenant Volodya Carabuta approached me, set the task to move forward to the city of Tarashch, which was somewhere in ten kilometers west of the village of Berezanka. The frozen dirt road allowed to go at high speed. Passing a few kilometers, we approached the village of Lesvichi. The Germans were not there.

There was only about three kilometers to the city, which we easily overcome. At dusk at high speed, watching guns, I break into the street. Residents no one can see. This is a bad sign - it means somewhere ambush. I see an intersection ahead, but at that moment a woman runs out of one house and waves with her hand. I stop the tank, I am aligning from Luke and shouting her, but I can't hear her answer for the roar of the engine. I get out of the tank and ask: "What's the matter?" She screams that ahead of meters in three hundred, at the crossroads, are German tanks. Thank you and go to my tank. At that moment, the commander of the company Vladimir Karabuta who jumped out of the next tank, having learned about the opponent from me, said: "Fadin, you're already a hero of the Soviet Union, so I'll go first," and began to go around my tank. Jumping into the tank, shouting Peter Turina: "Go behind him, as soon as it is like, immediately pop up and go ahead!" Tyurin behind him. So it happened. Having passed the meters of a hundred, clock tank gets a headile to the forehead and lights up. I woof him and, shooting anywhere, break forward. Only here I saw a meter in front of a hundred -selft self-propelled installation "Ferdinand", which, resting the feed in a small stone structure, controlled the intersection. Seeing "Ferdinanda" and hitting him in the forehead with an armor-piercing projectile, I give the team Tyurina to try it. Tyurin approached, hit the Ferdinand and began to crush it. The crew tried to jump out, but got under the automotive fire of charging. Four remained lying killed on the roof of the housing, but one German managed to escape. Soothing Tyurina and give the team back. I see the rest of the tanks and SAU moving down the street, leading fire.

I calm down, put the scouts on the tank and put forward on the street leading to the city center. Shooting stopped, and some sinister silence came. The commander of the company with his crew died (as it turned out, he remained alive), and wait for the team "Forward!" Not from whom someone must show an example. And I walked first and so easily dealt with "Ferdinand", then God himself ordered to go on. Deploying at the crossroads left and moving down the street, which goes down to the river. Went to the bridge. Just thought: "It would not be collapsed," as on the other side of the river, a heavy truck with a large body seemed from the turn of the street. In the dark, the Germans did not notice our tank stopped on the opposite shore at the opposite shore and, having left for the bridge with the go, rested the bumper in the forehead. The chauffeur quickly realized and jumped out of the cabin right under the bridge. I could only click on the descent of the gun, and a fragantive-fuza shell, breaking through the cabin, exploded inside the body stuck in the Germans. Fireworks! The remains of people fall on the ice, on the bridge. I say: "Petya, Forward." The front and the motor dropped from the bridge and, by drums, drove through the bridge, climbed down the street. Scouts jumped off the bridge from the tank, apparently, going to marauding - to collect hours, pistols. Then there was no clock. Only the commander of the tank had a tank clock with a large dial.

Slowly moving forward, turned and, giving a shot along the street, rushed at full speed to the city center. Approached the T-shaped intersection. The crossbar of this "T" formed a house to whose wall, in the shadow, I pressed the tank. The Germans are not visible. His tanks too. Motor muted, attached, observe. Go ahead at night along the well-lit moon streets without intelligence and the landing on the tank is terrible, but also standing out without affairs. Circle sinister silence. And suddenly hear: the engines of several tanks earned, and instantly past me on the street at high speed, three of our tank were held. Immediately on the side where they went through, explosions and gun shots were heard. The battle broke out on the eastern outskirts of the city, where the basic forces of the brigade remained. I wait. On the side where the three of our tank slipped, the fight gradually freezes - apparently, they were burned.

After 15-20 minutes, I heard from there a German tank goes. I decided to let him down closely and destroy meters from a hundred. And then I was painted wild thought. It is necessary to destroy it so that it is beautiful, then to write in chalk on it: "He brought Lieutenant Fadin." What a fool! To do this, it should be let it into the intersection, that is, 15-20 meters from myself and cut it to him an armor-piercing projectile aboard when it will turn left (for some reason I am convinced that he will turn to the left street). And I keep the enemy tank on the sight. The tank is small: T-III or T-IV. He went to the intersection, turned left, I am in chatting the tower to the right ... and it does not turn. The enemy tank rushed along the street. I scream Tyurina: "Creek and go out on this street, shoot it in the same time!" But the tank did not immediately start. We missed! I jumped out of the tower on the stern. To the back of the tank tower was rearranged tarpaulin. Scouts sitting on the stern pulled his edges to raise on cold armor. The released edge of the tarpaulin fell under the teeth of the turning mechanism of the tower, encoffining it. He could not get there, just could not !!! I still can not survive that I missed this tank! After the war, I told this episode of the mother. I say: "I could not get a tarp under the tower." What she replied: "God saved you how many times? - 4 times. God is alone. Apparently, there are honest people sitting there. So he slipped the tarpaulin under the tower."

I pull out the tarpaulin and jumping into the tank, I order Tyurin to go out on which the tank was gone, in the hope of catching up with it. At this time I hear on the radio: "Fadina, Fadina, urgently go back". Deploy your tank in the opposite direction and move to the bridge. The fight clearly sacing. The Germans, who underlined losses, began the withdrawal of their units. That's how on the night of 4 to January 5, we freed the city of shutter.

During the first half of the day, on January 5, we put ourselves in order, a little slept. And at 14 o'clock on January 5, 1944, a nomination was launched through the entire city to the West in the direction of the city of Bald Mountain. As before, I planted four scouts - and ahead, in the head of the column.

We enter the suburb of the Bald Mountain. On the right I see Ukrainian white huts in the dark, and ahead darkens the fishing line. Commander Tyurin increase speed. Slipping the Bald Mountains through the streets, I get three or four shells from a semi-automatic gun to my left side. The tank is right to the right to some pit, so it is possible to shoot it only in the air. Stop. I open the hatch, get out of the tank and see that my left side transfer is broken, and the tank is not only to move, but also turning to be more convenient to shoot, can not. The battalion's commander of the battalion ordered to wait for the repairmen, leaving for the protection of the rifle department headed by the platoon commander.

Having deposited, we took a pork carcass, which they captured in the defeated weapon and since then they took a tank, raised the owner of the house of Santa Ivan with the hostess and asked for pork to fry us. Good dinner. But we were not to sleep. Began to prepare for the protection of a beaten tank. To do this, they removed the paired machine gun and a submachine machine gun, prepared grenades, automatic. We were joined by seven shooters with their commander. So the forces to reflect the adversary offensive was enough. With dawn, taking a circular defense, I waited for fascists to capture our tank. Somewhere at nine in the morning, four local came running and reported that the Germans were coming to us a group of people to twenty, and maybe more. By sending local not to bear extra losses, we climbed and prepared for battle.

Literally through three or four minutes, the Germans in white coats with automata inorganized by the group, almost a crowd, appeared because of the houses, heading in our side. According to my team, we opened a squall fire on them and killed, apparently, the man ten. They lay down, and then folebed their killed and no longer bothered us. For hours to 14, the main forces of the brigade were approached, which defeated the Germans opposing us, left the repair fellow and, taking my infantry, moved towards the city of Medvin for our battalion.

From January 6 to January 9, 1944, repair brigades were restored by my tank, leading it to a combat condition. We Corotali free time In conversations with local beauties who lived next door. In the evenings gathered together, told about their childhood or played cards. On the morning of January 9, the commander of the battalion Dmitry Chumachenko arrived to us, who,, praising me for my actions in the city of Tarabach, ordered at the end of the work to accept the command of the tanks, arrived, like mine, from repair, and the story of their liberation village a few kilometers from the city Grapes that we did.

Somewhere on January 17, we were ordered to transfer several preserved tanks in the 20th Guards Tank Brigade of our Corps and to go out into the reserve of the Corps to replenish it with arriving crews of tanks from the depths of the rear. Dowcomplete near the city of Medvin just a few days. For the first time, the brigade officers gathered together after the dunklement, which was in November. I missed many guys. First of all, of course, crews died, arriving in the Marshemy Roth, who received weak preparation when putting into a deep rear. The greatest losses of the brigade carried in the first battles. Withstand the first battles quickly mastered and then constituted the backbone of units.

In the return period, I was appointed commander of the tank of the battalion commander. The crews had very experienced tank workers who had no less than a year, and more: the driver-driver Guard Starin Peter Doroshenko, awarded the orders of the Patriotic War I and II and the Order of the Red Star, the commander of the guard gunner Sergeant Fetisov, awarded two medals "for courage "And the router Guard's radio gunner Sergeant Elsukov, awarded the Order of the Patriotic War II and the Order of the Red Star. In addition, all of them were awarded the medal "For Defense Stalingrad". Even by 1944, when rewarded became more often, it was very high awardsAnd there was no such crew in the brigade anymore. The crew lived separately and did not pumped with other thirty crews, and when, after declaring the order, I arrived at the house where they settled, the reception was wary. It is clear that to accept the supremacy over yourself the youngest lieutenant of the brigade, which grew literally for three or four months of battles, it was difficult for them, especially since Peter Doroshenko and Elaskov were much older than me. I also understood that I still need to prove my right to command these people.

Already on January 24, the brigade was introduced into a breakthrough made by the 5th mechanized corps in the direction of the town of grapes. Entering into battle was carried out at dawn with practically rolling through just attacked the enemy of the 5th mechanized hull arrows. The whole field in front of the German defense was devoted to the corpses of our soldiers. How so?! This is not 41-42, when I lacked shells and artillery to suppress the firing points of the enemy! Instead of a rapid attack, we crawled in arable land, circling or leaving the corpses of our soldiers between the right and left tracked ribbons to not be crushed. After passing the first line of rifle chains, sharply, without the team increased the speed of attack and quickly captured the town of grapes.

Somewhere on the morning of January 26, the battalion commander received an order to send his tank along with the crew at the disposal of the commander of the Guard's team Colonel Zilina Fedor Andreevich, who lost the tank in the January battles. So in the last few days of January 1944, I became the commander of the tank of the commander of the 22nd Tank Brigade.

To fight in the spring of forty-fourth in Ukraine was solid torment. Early thaw, drowning raw snow turned the road to the swamp. The supply of ammunition, fuel and food was carried out on horseback, because the cars were all stuck. Tanks have somehow moved somehow, and the motorized rifle battalion lagged behind. I had to ask the population - women and adolescents - who from the village of to the village carried on their shoulders one by one projectile or together dragged the box with cartridges, tightening almost knee-deep in the mud.

At the end of January, we, surrounding Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya grouping, they themselves went to the environment, from which we barely escaped, drowned eight tanks in the mountain tick river. Then they reflected attacks trying to break out the fascists. In short, by February 18, when we ordered to focus in the area of \u200b\u200bthe village Dashukovka, one tank of the brigade commander was left in the brigade - my tank - and a motorized rifle battalion of automatic gunners. True, 60-80 people left the battalion and two guns of 76-mm cannons, and they were behind, bothering on the road in the mud. The management of the brigade focused on a village near Dashukovka, Moti-strokes were to come about 5-6 hours. The opponent has just knocked out our parts from Dashukovka, thus, practically breaking the ring of the environment. The climb and the head of the political waste, we arrived at the deep ravine, which separated us from Dashukovka, and to which the approximately kilometer remained. The village stood on the hillock, stretching out from the north to south, forming a street with a length of about one and a half or two kilometers. On three sides, it was surrounded by ravines, and only the northern, the distant out of us the outskirts had a gentle descent to the dirt road, sown from Lyzyanka. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe village there was a sluggish fight. It can be seen, both sides have exhaled, there are no reserves. Occasionally, six-natal enemy mortars somewhere from the northern outskirts of Dashukovka spread mines in our infantry. We returned to the village located in front of the ravine.

Putting a tank from the chosen hut combine, I entered it to warm up and sucking the wet boots. Entering the hut, I heard a conversation on the radio between the team of the Brigade and the commander of the building, the hero of the Soviet Union, by General Alexeyev: "Zhilin, close the breech" - "Yes, I have one tank." - "Here is this tank and close." After the conversation, he turned to me: "Did you hear my son?"

The task was clear. Support the infantry of the 242th rifle regiment, left Dashukovka thirty minutes ago and thereby discovered three-kilometer shaver. Send Dashukovka, go out onto her northern outskirts and before the provision reserves approach, exclude an approach and a breakthrough of the enemy to surrounded by the only ditchway, passing out 500-600 meters north of Dashukovka.

I quickly jumped out of the hut. My crew calmly chewed bread with stew. The hut hut made a milk crinke and offered to drink. And I was not a white white light. I don't know what's there, in Dashukovka, what kind of opponent and how to knock it out.

Shouted the crew: "To battle!" The crew first looked at me in bewilderment, letting a couple of jokes about my acumes, but seeing that I was not kidding, I threw me, and everyone darted to the tank. I ordered to reset the tarpaulin so that the incident happened, as it was in the shutter, throw everything from the inside of the tank, which was not necessary for the battle, and make an ammunition. Thus, I went into battle with two ammunition of shells: one hundred fifty pieces instead of a regular seventy seven. Minutes for 20 tank prepared for battle. All bosses came out to accomplish us. I waved with all your hand and ending on the seat, holding hands for the commander hatch, I gave the team: "Forward!"

For the first time, I remember myself, it was not hard on the soul, as it always happened before the attack before the first shot. The words of the head of the political waste of Molokanova Nikolai Vasilyevich, said for goodbye: "It is necessary, Sasha!" - worked encouraging.

Driving up to the bending of the ravine, from where it was closest to the village of Dashukovka, we began to slowly go down the slope. The output was only one: overcome the ravine and start an attack on the southern outskirts of Dashukovka. It was easy to rolled down, but we failed to climb on the opposite direction. Reaching from the course of half the opposite skate, the tank at high speed rolled back down. We made several attempts to climb, and every time the tank fell down. The farm started with the onset of the darkness made more difficult for our rise. Having got out of his strength, I remembered how I overcame the ditch near Kiev at the rear gear. There were also twelve spikes on the caterpillars "Zipa", which we secured six to each tracked tape. Having managed in half an hour, we turned the tank as a tank and all three: I, charging and the machine gunner - clinging to the ledge of the frontal armor, began to push the tank up. We have already extended so much that they did not give the report that our effort for the twentieth-mimaton car - Ugh! And if the tank, as before, rolled down, then there would be little from us. However, our anger, will, the skill of the driver mechanic and the attached spikes did their job. Tank, sparkly, slowly, but plenty up. It seemed that he was about to stand, we struck him with all my might, tried to help the engine. Having climbed the feed over the edge of the ravine, the tank for a moment was frozen, but, clinging for the soil, turned over the side. Looking at the top, the mechanic began to unfold, and I darkened in my eyes. Having heard the loud work of the engine, the Germans began to let the lighting rockets, the rifle-machine-gun fire was intensified. Looking around on the sides, gave the crew team: "In the tank!" And ordered to give a tank to relax half an hour. By closing the hatch, I immediately fell into oblivion. Apparently, the same happened with the crew.

From forgetting me brought a loud knock on the tower. I ask who. I answered the commander of the 242nd Rifle Shelf. He opened the hatch, introduced himself. He said that I was well done that I had overcome such a deep ravine: "Look, moving lights. It goes German cars. I think that several enemy units have already passed on the road. On this site, the remnants of my regiment are assembled - about the company. You need, Using the night, maintain the attack of my infantry, go to the northern outskirts and close the road. SME of your brigade is already on the way, so help is close. "

Ahead of meters in two hundreds you visited flashing cigarette lights - the infantry was lying on the wet in the snow. I order the mechanics to approach the infantry and give the team: "To battle!" Charging showed a spread palm - "fragmentation!"

Stopping the tank in ten meters from the shooters, inspected lying on the snow fighters armed with rifles. Only some were armed with automatic machines. See, collected them from all the regiment units. Evaluating their composition with a quick look, in the chain, stretched meters for 300-400, I saw about fifty people. Arriving from the commander hatch, turned to them: "Guys, we will now choose an opponent from the village and go to her opposite outskirts, where we will do defense. Therefore, the blades during the battle do not lose. And now you are short-ranges, push the meter tank to 20 25 And bring the fire on the enemy. Do not be afraid of my shots, for I shoot above your goals. " One of them shouted to me: "When did these tanks go behind the infantry?" I replied that the question was correct, but today it is necessary to act like this. I will destroy the firepoints of the enemy, and how come meters for two hundred to the village, I will come forward, and you throw for me. Now look at my team - ahead! The engine roared - the Germans released several missiles and immediately earned seven machine guns. Putting an eye on the night shooting, I started shooting them from right to left. My shells for one and a half or two minutes left three or four points at once. Leaning out of the tank, I give the team: "Forward!" Seeing my excellent shooting, the infantry rose at first uncertainly, but went to the attack. The enemy opened fire from four or five points again. I shot three more of them, and then gave the team a mechanics to move forward by another 25-30 meters, while shooting the outskirts of the village with two shells, then slowly moving, destroyed another firepoint. From the tank I see how my infantry is moving forward with short fuses. The enemy only leads a rifle fire. Apparently, the Germans, mastering the villages, left in her a small barrier by force to one platoon, without even a single anti-tank gun, having threw the main forces on a breakthrough to the surrongations. The decisive minute came - the infantry believed in me, seeing how I dealt with the machine guns of the enemy, and continued to make fuses, leading fire from the go and lying. But it is impossible to lose this favorable moment. Therefore, I am supervised from the tank and shout: "Well done guys, and now in the attack!" Heated the chain and leading fire with the go, I break into the village. I focused on the moment, gave two shots from the cannon along the street on the runaway Germans and a long machine gun. I noticed how some construction tries to turn out from behind the house on the street. Without thinking, shouted Peter: "Davi! "The mechanic pulled the tank forward, hitting the right side of this large monster, which later turned out to be a six-power mortar.

We continue to move, shooting running out of houses that are fantastic from the German cars. Many of them managed to go down to the ravine and run away, and those who fled along the street, fearing the patterns and the unknown of ravines, received their bullet. Soon, going to the northern outskirts, began to choose a convenient position for defense. For two hundred meters from the main array of houses stood a separate hut. I summed up my tank to her, putting it with a left side to the wall of the house. Ahead, meters in eight hundred and on the road are lonely cars. The task is completed - the road under the gun.

By this time, my infantrymen began to approach me. They are left about two dozen. I give the team to occupy a circular defense - because the enemy could bypass us on ravines - and turn. But, as I expected, the infantry has no blades, and they are interpreted near my tank, looking for protection in it. Seeing this, I recommend it to all dispersed, choose each convenient position and be ready to reflect the counterattack of the enemy with the onset of dawn. A few minutes later, because of the grove, he grew up to the left across the road, a whole city of light was put forward - a column of cars with infantry, going with burning headlights (the Germans during the whole war at night made movement only with the headlights included). I define the speed of movement on the sight - about 40 km / h - and waiting for them to come to the front of our defense. I did not expect such a gift from the fascists and, by defining the range, took the amendment to the first car. In one moment, my projectile turns her body into a fireball. I translate the sight on the last car (it turned out to be the eleventh), which after my shot jumped and, flashed, falls apart. And then the nightmare began on the road. The second armored personnel carrier running in the column of the first sparkling car, and immediately sat down in the dirt immediately. The rest of the cars tried to move from the road to the right and left and immediately buried in the mud. From my third shot, and he followed no more than six to eight seconds, the armored personnel carrier broke out. My mechanic says: "Lieutenant, do not shoot all the cars, you need to dial trophies." - "Okay". The terrain light up like during the day. They were visible in the reflections of flame running figures of the fascists, according to which I released a few more fragmentation shells and completely short queues discharged a disc from a twin with a gun of a tank degtyarem machine gun.

Gradually, the night began to give up the dawn. There was a fog, and even raped, although rare, but raw snow. The enemy did not counteratactic, but engaged in pulling out the wounded battlefield. The infantrymen of my Incess and warm as they could. Some of them left to warm up in extreme huts.

The crew did not sleep. Experienced warors, they understood that the German would soon climb us. And exactly, soon the young soldier approached the tank and shouted to me: "Comrade Lieutenant, tanks of the enemy!" I made an attempt to open a hatch to look around, but did not have time to raise my head, as I felt the blow of the bullet on the hatch cap, a tiny fragment of the breakaway armor scratched me into the neck. Closing the hatch, I began to look into triplexes in the direction indicated by the soldier. On the right in one and a half kilometers, two tank T-IV collapsed in a passage: "Well, it begins ..".

I give the team of infantry and its crew: "To battle!" Ordered to charge a fragmentary, because the tanks were far and the shooting was required. The shell burst into five to ten meters from the front tank. The tank stopped - the second shell I shrugged him aboard. The second tank tried to go away, but from the second shot, and one of the crew members, jumping out of the tower, ran in the field.

The beginning of the morning on February 19, 1944 was good, I relaxed and hardly he was punished: the bullet was hit by the Rube Luke when I tried to open it to look around. The soldier who pointed me on the tanks came up and shouted that there was some German officers to the left for the ravine, they consider our positions in binoculars. Having said it, he turned to move away from the tank, suddenly swayed and fell back. Looking at the triplex, I saw how the blood trickle flows out of his head. Slocked to remove it, I ordered the mechanics: "Petya, pass the tank as a back and win the house ready to return to the place." On the small run, the tank is crazy because of the hut. I turned the tower, and I saw four figures lying in the snow immediately at the ravine meters in four hundred from me. Apparently, a group of officers led by the general who has a collar of Sineli was cut off fox, conducted a reconnaissance of the terrain and my position. Shouted: "Fetisov, shell of fragment!". Fetisov turned the cap, reported: "Drugscoping is ready!" I ate, and the shell burst into account exactly in the middle of this groups. I immediately saw no less serunted figures in white coats, which rushed from all sides to save the wounded. Here I was played for a boy-soldier, having released fifteen fragmentation shells in them. Thus, the "reassuring" of the Germans, we returned to our place (right side of the house) and began to wait for further actions from the enemy. Radio has not answered our callslutes. And I have only fourteen shells. Of these, one podcastberry, one armor and twelve fragmentation, in addition, on one incomplete machine-gun disk I and Elsukov.

And suddenly because of the groves, which was the left of our position, the plane jumped across the road (on the front we called "Capokronic" - Italian production, which dicked well). It turned around and at an altitude of 50-70 meters flew along the ravine, which was the left of the village, on the opposite slope of which I destroyed the group of German officers. The mechanic again brought the car because of the house, and I began to watch the plane. Expanded, the plane again flew along the ravine in our side. The Germans released green rockets, he also answered them with a green rocket. Once again turned around, threw a large box and flew further. It must be said that along the opposite edge of the ravine behind a small shrub, apparently, the road was walking, perpendicular to the one that we blocked, and along it - the telegraph line. The plane rushed along this line and, knowing about the distance between the columns, I calculated its speed. She was small, about 50-60 km / h. When the plane dropped the cargo and flew past us, I decided that if he turns out, I would try to knock him down. I give the Fetisov team to unscrew the cap and charge the fragmentation. The aircraft unfolds, I take the protection - a shot. Shell pleased him right in the engine, and the plane broke. What was there! Where did just take so many Germans! On all sides, the field of signs from the enemy's born in the snow, which rushed to the remains of the aircraft. Forgetting that I have little shells, I fledged ten times with a fragmentary mass of Fritz.

Putting the tank to his place, to the right of the house, I could not calm down. Anything, but to bring down the plane?! Radio was still silent, I have ammunition - for two goals and cartridges - on the reflection of one attack of the platoon of the opponent's automatic gunners. As time went. On our site - dead silence, which foreshadowed a junction. I heard, as one of the infantrymen shouts to me lying, not climbing: "Comrade Lieutenant, to the left of the grove for the ravine came out" Ferdinand ". I give Peter the team:" Feed a little back into a hut nearby, as before. "

Leaving because of the house, I saw Ferdinand with a gun aimed at me, but, apparently, he did not have time to take me to the sight, and I quickly hid behind the house. However, the path of retreat was blocked. It is clear that in the next few minutes they will go to the breakthrough.

Attack of Nazis began right in the forehead, from the road. There was up to hundreds of machine gunners in maskhalats, leading the fire with long queues, being from me at about three hundred and four hundred meters. At first I did not understand where this determination from where. If I had at least a dozen fragmentation shells and four or five machine guns, I would calm them in a few minutes. Behind the crash of automotive queues, I heard the noise of a heavy tank motor: "Tiger" or "Panthers". So, that's what their determination was determined. They have a heavy tank. I scream with the remaining three-four infantrymen, so that any of them looks out of the house and looked that I have left on the road. No one responded.

The solution was instantly: let it with a "tiger" for two hundred meters and shipped into his forehead with the last sub-caliber projectile, jumping out of the house. The command of the mechanics: "Petya, to leave the motor and not the wilderness of him, let's drink a" tiger ", jump out because of the house and at the expense of" four ", without waiting for my team, hand over." Dali with a radio lane for two short queues from machine guns, putting several attacking figures.

The noise of the engine has now heard quite close. I shouted the mechanics: "Forward!" And, jumping out of the house, saw ahead, meters in a hundred and fifty "tiger" with a landing, just driving forward after a short stop. It was necessary for me. Without giving your tank to repay oscillations from a sharp stop, I take a German car in the sight and shooting the forehead of the German tank. No consequences! Peter sharply jerked the tank back, and I shouted the charging fetisov to charge the fragmentation. And then I saw that German car guns stopped. I fired on them to stop the last fragmentation projectile and saw they ran. Jumping out of the house for an instant, we froze from what he saw. "Tiger" slowly covered the flame. One of his crew members half fluttered from the tower. An explosion thundered. The fascist tank was not. We won again.

Forgetting that I had one armor projectile, I ordered him to charge him and decided to destroy self-propelled in the Ferdinand in a duel. Instead of calming down, I climbed on the Rogon.

Peter just as it did before in this battle, according to my team, I filed a tank back because of the house left and brought me to the eye on the eye with Ferdinand, who was waiting for me, visiting his instrument. He gave me time to take him into the sight, however, in a shot, he was ahead, putting me a pursuit of the towers. Steel Double, broke the cast-iron counterweight cannons, killed fetisov and stuck in the back wall of the tower. The second shell smashed the gun mask and turned the tank tower, whining her hatch. I shouted: "jump off," - and I tried to open the jammed hatch. After the third attempted, hardly opened it and, almost with the third shot, "Ferdinanda", having pulled into his arms, jumped out of the tank, falling near him to the ground. In the field bag right aboard the tower, I kept English diagonal pants and a gymnaster - a gift of the English Queen by Soviet officers. I thought if you had to jump, I would fight them with my hand. What are the pants here! It would be very whole! I saw my radio driver Sergeant Yelsukov, running meters fifteen ahead. Wrapped and saw the Germans who fleeing earlier were again transferred to the attack. They were just meters in a hundred fifty from me.

I rushed at a radio system to the nearest homes, but, running a few meters, I heard a cry of Peter Doroshenko: "Lieutenant, help!" Wrapped and saw Peter, who was hung in the hatch of the mechanic-driver, clamped him with a lid. Under the fire, he returned to him, pulled the hatch up, helped him get out, and then, having pulled him on his shoulders, carried him on himself. On its futika, seven red spots increasing in size appeared. In front of the houses ran a ditch, which was shot from the opposite shore of the ravine. I figured that I would jump it, and I would jump over, but for 2-3 meters to my approach to Dange, the opponent suddenly stopped the fire, obviously changed the tape or disk, and I swore freely through it, carrying Peter Doroshenko. Up to the extreme hut remained somewhere 20-30 meters, when I saw the artilleryrs of our SMEs roll out two guns, preparing for battle, and our car guns, turning into a chain, went to the attack. I darkened me in my eyes and left me. I ran up the ordinar of the commander of the battalion of Captain Zinoviev and the Saninist girl, picked up Peter Doroshenko. On the wagon, we were taken to the village, where yesterday I started this fight.

The team of the brigade came out to meet me on the porch, hugged, kissed, said: "Thank you, son," and introduced into the hut, where I told about the execution of the order. After hearing me, the commander of the brigade said that the command represents me by the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Peter Doroshenko's driver - to the Order of Lenin, charging Sergeant Fetisov - to the Order of the Patriotic War I degree (posthumously) and Radrute-gunner Sergeant Yelsukov - Also to the Order Patriotic War I degree. I must say that it was the second idea of \u200b\u200bthe hero, but I received a gold star only in 1992.

Putting the first medical care to Peter Doroshenko, doctors took up me. A nurse picked up a small fragment, which was half entered the neck area. Then I asked me to get up, but I could not. Sharp pain in the right knee made me sit down.

Began to shoot boots, but he did not give in due to a sharp pain in his leg. Commander Brigade Fedor Andreevich Zhilin wandered them: "What are you standing, cutting the boot with a boot." And on me the most trophy boots that Peter Tyurin took me in a crushed weapon. I prayed so as not to spoil such wonderful boots. "Draw," he ordered, "and you, son, I give my chrome, which I sewed and brought this morning." Having said it, he put a great chrome boots near my chair. Cutting boots and right trousers and opening the knee, I saw that it was swollen and increased once a half. It can be seen, several fragments fell into the knee. I still can't calm down - I'm shaking me. The commander ordered me to give me vodka. I drank half a cup as water, and soon fell asleep.

By evening, we were sent to the rear with Peter. He was taken to the hospital for seriously wounded, and I, having passed through a number of front-line hospitals, was in the city of Tarasha in the hospital for easily entered. The hospital was deployed on an ambulance hand, was poorly equipped and dirty. The wounded lay in the receiving office on the dirty floor, and no one cares about them. I immediately decided to get out from there. Having got a stick, downed to the house of one of the girls who lived in the suburbs of a bald mountain, which we were going in January when my tank was hit. Accepted me very well, and the compresses from the homemogon put me on his feet during the week. I had already done at home, in Arzamas, having received a vacation from the team of the brigade.

In April, I returned to the brigade, the headquarters of which was located in the village of Boxha, on the border with Romania. However, he was no longer herself, and the lieutenant colonel Pavlovsky, who, as it seemed to me, was more involved in concerts of amateur amateurness than preparing the brigade to battles. Another day after my arrival, he called me to himself and in the presence of the head of the political waste of Lieutenant Colonel Molokanova and his field wife, which he brought with him, asking me a little, announced: "I appoint you to my commander of the tank and at the same time will be my adjutant." He had just arrived at the front and my Order of the Red Banner, received instead of a hero's star for taking Kiev, apparently acted on his nerves. I replied that such a post is an adjutant - there is no team of brigades, and I have already been like a tank commander for the year of my participation in the battles, and if I don't need a brigade and not worthy of the post of at least a tank platoon commander, I ask me to send me to reserve . "Oh, that's how," he exclaimed, "then go." Run ahead, I will say that this "commander" was removed after the very first fighting, but by this time almost threatened the brigade. True, I was no longer in it.

The next morning was reported to me that I should go to my former 207th Guards Tank Battalion as a platoon commander. Come to the battalion, I was also not happy. It turns out that the battalion commanded Major, a bent old man in glasses, who arrived from the rear and not having combat experience. Well, I thought, I was brought. I was scared for the brigade. And suddenly I find out that the third battalion is created in the team, the commander of which is appointed Dmitry Aleksandrovich Pubyrev, an experienced tanker. I was asked to him and me, thank God, let go.

All summer of 1944 was preparing for the offensive. Received equipment. True, we did not give a single T-34-85, but sent only with a 76-mm gun.

We stood in kononiers dug on the slope of the vineyard. In a kilometer, a monastery was located before us. Suddenly, due to the stone wall, the fence crawls "Tiger". Has stopped. For him one more, then. Crawled them ten pieces. Well, we think - Khan, they will get us. My fear is always great. There either take, go two of our IS-2. I saw them for the first time. They stood with us, got up. Two "tiger" are separated and come out a little further, it seems like a duel. Our defended them with a shot, and demolished both towers. The rest - just once and behind the wall. At this time I hear on the radio: "Fadina, Fadina, arrive at the KP to the battalion commander." From the headquarters of the battalion, sent to the headquarters of the Brigade, and from there - to the headquarters of the corps, where I was waiting for the Order of Alexander Nevsky and the direction of study to the Leningrad Higher Armored School. Molotov, who prepared the commanders of the mouth of heavy tanks of IP.

I graduated from the war in Vienna as Deputy Commander of the Rota of the 20th Guards Tank Brigade. We no longer have tanks, and we were in the reserve. Kampotech company Viktor Tarasovich Chebudalidze, who fought almost from Stalingrad, says: "Lieutenant, I picked up with air cooling with air cooling, goes 200 km per hour. Let's go to Paris, let's see what girls are there, how, what?" And we died: there were no tanks anyway, and I dreamed of Paris since childhood. True, it was not particularly successful - a solid cattle, girls grab, kiss. There is such an everywhere turmoil: both the British, and the Americans are all broken. The day we spent there and returned to our brigade, having hitting for a self-car.

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