NavyFCO

Here are a couple better photos of the group. In case you're wondering, yes, I am kicking myself for selling it! Of course, at the time modern awards were unresearchable... It wasn't till later that year that I was able to research my first Homeland; probably six months after this group was already out the door... Dave

And finally, the matching number on the document and on the award...

The document...

And the backside...

Here's one that I had, with matching document to a Hero of the Soviet Union...

Inside the small booklet...

Inside the order book. Unfortunately, one award is missing... A Badge of Honor.

A closeup of the medals...

Here's a nice group that I just recently sold with not one, but three Orders of Lenin! Will post some more photos shortly... This fellow was the Soviet "Phillip Morris" - he was awarded his HSL for tobacco farming success! This group was bought directly from his family about two years ago. Dave

The envelope. It reads: Personally (to) C(omrade) Trotskii From Skliapskii 3 Documents On the pond (wierd line, but that's the translation!) Signed in blue pencil "Trotsky"

Back page:

This is a very interesting piece that I just recently picked up. I thought that you might enjoy it as it's a fascinating glimpse into the life of Marshal of the Soviet Union Tuchachevsky, who would later be "purged" because of Stalin's lack of trust in him. Interestingly, it appeared that even as far back as the Civil War, he was still bucking "the system." Enjoy! Dave Translation: Russian Soviet Federation Socialist Republic Commander, Western Front Troops 21 ? XI ? 1923 #33 To: Chairman, USSR Revolutionary Military Council, Comrade Trotskii Comrade Antonov - Ovseenko informed me that it has been once again suggested to establish Revcouncil (revolutionary council) under my command. To say nothing of the fact that under such circumstances I will not be able to work productively, I consider it absolutely impossible to hold the assigned position under that condition, and also because restoring the revcouncil is tied up (as I sure know) with those absurd and unproved rumors and reports on 'my' stenographer losing 'my' documents, etc. I have never had a stenographer and I have never had any documents lost. Restoring the revcouncil cannot be considered other than a show of open distrust. Report that benefits of my working under such conditions as well as acceptability of such work for me are out of the question. Request that you relieve me from the position assigned. (Underlined by Trotsky) I can conduct operational training of the future front (in view of the new plan) without being assigned to a position. /s/ Tukhachevskii

Steen- Yeah, it is a bit confusing. There COULD be a typo on one of the citations... The only way to truly figure it out would be to get Obukov's service history which HE verified and signed (vice the Chief of Admin) which would then be the nail in the coffin for me. Dave

Interesting... For the first time, I looked up HSU Lieutenant Lazarev. Turns out that he had been awarded his title of HSU in 1939 for fighting at Khalkhin-Gol! Also interesting to note was that he was KIA on 12 April 1942 - not three weeks after this tank battle. Dave

Order book part two. Sadly, this is the only place where the order book exists as the real one is probably now in a landfill somewhere...

Order book part one...

Front part of his service history. He retired as a Colonel.

His service history:

A photo of the handsome lad. You can see that he was wearing a "faux hanger" over his Lenin without ever converting it!

Here's the backside...

The award:

This research belonged to a screwback order of Lenin that I bought out of Russia about three years ago. I bought it for $700, and when I bought it it was complete with a piece of uniform cloth in between the screwback plate and medal (to keep from scratching the medal!) the order book, and later, research. I sold the award for $900, and about two months ago I saw it again on a dealer's website - missing research, order book and uniform cloth for a whopping $2600! Sad... very sad... (I must point out here that the dealer wasn't to blame - he was selling it as he had bought it. It had changed hands two or three times in between me and the dealer and somewhere it lost all the paper...) Anyway, when I got the research, my researcher told me that it was "the best citation he had ever read." Pretty flattering... but I had just sold the piece! Win some... lose some... Here's the citation: AWARD CITATION 1. Last Name, First Name, Middle Name: Zhikunov, Ivan Ivanovich. 2. Military Rank : Lieutenant. 3. Place of Service: Commander of the Heavy Tank Company of the 259th Tank Battalion of the 143rd Tank Brigade. Recommended for: Order of Lenin. 4. Year of Birth: 1921. 5. Nationality: Russian. 6. From Which Time with the Red Army: From 1938. 7. Party Membership: Member of the VLKSM from 1938. 8. Service in the Civil War, in later Battles in Service of the USSR and in the GPW (when and where): Great Patriotic War: Western Front from 28 June to 28 July, from 15 November to 15 January 1942. 14th Tank Brigade. 9. Have any Wounds or Contusions in the Great Patriotic War: None. 10. Received Which Awards (from which order): None. 11. Which Call-Up Station: 1938. 12. Home Address: Penzenskaya Oblast, Metchinsky Area, Generalovo Village. Short Concrete Description of Excellent Military Action or Service. On March 23, 1942 in the area of the village of Usovo, the tank under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant Lazarev encountered and bravely engaged a superior enemy force of six tanks. Two of the tanks were destroyed, while the others were sent into retreat. The crew of Lieutenant Zhikunov, fighting in another part of Usovo village, saw Lazarev's fight against the enemy tanks and came to his aid. Zhikunov's tank engaged the four retreating enemy tanks. The tank's gunner, Senior Sergeant Fadeyev destroyed three of the tanks, but one managed to escape. Zhikunov's tank then destroyed an antitank cannon, which was firing at it from a log bunker. Other enemy artillery opened fire at the tank. The tank's turret jammed, and gunner Senior Sergeant Fadeyev was wounded. The tank caught on fire. Zhikunov ordered the driver to crush the enemy infantry with the tracks of the tank. The tank driver, Sergeant Major Lekomtsev, burst into the enemy entrenchment, crushed a cannon, which had been firing at his tank with incendiary rounds, and destroyed up to thirty infantrymen, after which he also demolished several burned out houses that had been hiding enemy submachine gunners. Radio operator Yesakov was able to extinguish the fire in the tank, and opened fire at the fascists with the machine gun. A counter attack, which had been planned by the enemy at the point of resistance near Usovo village, was thwarted. The enemy suffered considerable losses after the fight led by tanks under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Lazarev and Lieutenant Zhikunov. Together, they destroyed five enemy tanks, one self propelled gun, two log bunkers, four enemy cannons and up to three platoons of infantry. After the fight both tanks arrived at the assembly point. Tank Commander Lieutenant Zhikunov showed bravery and courage, and he deserves to be awarded the Order of Lenin. Commander, 259th Tank Battalion Commissar, 259th Tank Battalion Captain Lysenko Senior Political Instructor Didenko Chief of Staff, 259th Tank Battalion Captain Kotkin

Looking at this again, I think this is as good as you'll get... For one, the author of the citation was none other than Commander of Mechanized Forces of the 1st PreBaltic Front, General Lieutenant Skornyakov and second, the next line below the service history is the one that states basically that his record of service has been verified and is correct, signed by the Chief of Administration of the Mechanized Forces of the Front, a Lt. Colonel Vasiliev. The final awarding authority for this award was none other than General of the Army Bagramyan! If all of them are wrong, I'd be pretty surprised! NOW, with that said... Pull out his previous (August 1944) long service award citation and it has him taking command of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps in April 1943. Interestingly, he left his previous command as Deputy Commander of the 4th Tank Army in December 1942, thus leaving a four month gap in his records. Since these records were intended to document ALL time spent in the military (including leave time, hospital time, training time, etc.) I am thinking that the earlier document was probably incorrect, and the later citation with the January 1943 date was probably right. Dave

Steen- I'd say that this is about as accurate as you'll find. This was for one of his wartime (1944) long-service awards, and chances are that his service (at least since the beginning of the War) would be well known as a matter of record. Could you imagine being the officer writing this up and messing up the general's service history? I would feel comfortable putting faith in this record. Dave

Steen- Here's Obukov's service history through December 1944 (the date of the award that this citation is for.) I believe this should help! If anyone would like to see more of Obukhov, let me know and I'll post his citations. Dave