NavyFCO

Number three was submitted as a Red Banner, but was downgraded to the OGPW2.

1. Name: Toropigin, Konstantin Pavlovich

2. Military Rank: Lieutenant

3. Place of service: Commander detachment, 845th Fighter Aviation Rizhskoi Regiment

Recommended for the Order of the Red Banner

4. Date of birth: 1921

5. Nationality: Russian

6. Date joined the Red Army: Since 1941

7. Party membership: Member VLKSM since 1938

8. Service in the war, where and when: In the Patriotic War since April 1943 on the Volkhovski, 3rd Pribaltic and 2nd Belorussian Fronts

9. Any wounds or contusions: Received a wound in his leg

10. Other awards recieved: Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class by Order of the 13th Air Army No. 052/N dated 24 April 1944. Order of the Red Banner by Order of 14th Air Army No. 039/N dated 10 August 1944

11. From which call up station: Lyubimskim RVK

12. Address of record: Yaroslavskoi Oblast, Lyubimskii Raion, P/O Zakovyakino Der. Mashinovo. Father: Toropigin, Pavel Ivanovich

Comrade Toropygin has been participating in the Patriotic War since April 1943 as part of Riga 845th Fighter Regiment.

During his service at the regiment he has conducted 107 sorties and flown a total of 100 h. 45 m. to escort PE-2 and Il-2 aircraft, provide air support to the friendly troops, perform reconnaissance of the enemy troops and deliver air strikes against them at Volkhov and 3rd Baltic Fronts (as part of 14th Air Army ?). Comrade Toropygin has been awarded two governmental awards of the Red Banner Order and Patriotic War Order, 1st degree, for conducting 60 successful sorties, personally bringing down 1 enemy ME-109 aircraft and participating in the air raid against an enemy airfield, which inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.

Since he was awarded a governmental award for the last time, Comrade Toropygin has conducted 47 successful sorties at 3rd Baltic and 2nd Byelorussian Fronts including 36 sorties to escort PE-2 and IL-2 aircraft, 8 sorties to provide air support to the friendly troops and 3 sorties to conduct reconnaissance of the enemy troops.

He has conducted 3 air combats, in which personally brought down a FW-190 aircraft. He has delivered 10 ( ?) air strikes against the enemy personnel and equipment, destroying up to 5 motor vehicles and killing up to 15 soldiers and officers.

At the 2nd Byelorussian Front, despite adverse weather conditions and limited airfield capacity, during the fights for the towns of Plonsk and Tanenberg, the flight under Comrade Toropygin?s command combined (?) successful sorties to escort Il-2 aircraft and air strikes against the enemy personnel and equipment.

Skillful escorting of ground attack aircraft towards the target and back to the airfield prevented losses from enemy fighters. The flight personnel were commended by their commanders ? for their actions and awarded two commendations of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Comrade Toropygin personally conducted 25 successful sorties to escort Il-2, perform reconnaissance, and deliver air strikes against the enemy troops and equipment. As the result of this he killed up to 10 soldiers and officers and damaged vehicles with cargo.

Conclusion: for the successful accoplishment of combat missions, assigned by his command and displayed bravery and valour; for the accomplished (since the last award) 47 successful sorties, for bringing down an enemy FW-190 aircraft deserves to be awarded the Red Banner order.

Commander, 845th Riga Fighter Aviation Regiment

Major /Drekalov/

16 February 1945

Here's the citation for his next award, the Red Banner

Name: Toropigin, Konstantin Pavlovich

Military Rank: Senior Lieutenant

Place of service: Senior Pilot, 845th Fighter Aviation Regiment

Recommended for the Order of the Red Banner

1. Date of birth: 1921

2. Nationality: Russian

3. Date joined the Red Army: Since 1941

4. Party membership: Member VLKSM since 1938

5. Service in the war, where and when: In the Patriotic War since April 1943 on the Volkhovski Front

6. Any wounds or contusions: Received a wound in his leg

7. Other awards recieved: Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class by Order of the 13th Air Army No. 052/N dated 24 April 1944

8. From which call up station: Lyubimskim RVK

9. Address of record: Yaroslavskoi Oblast, Lyubimskii Raion, P/O Zakovyakino Der. ISAD'. Father: Toropigin, Pavel Ivanovich, born 1896

Since 5 April 1943 he has been participating in the Patriotic War at Volkhov, Leningrad and the 3rd Baltic fronts as part of the 845th Fighter Regiment.

He has accomplished 30 successful sorties and flown a total of 33 h. 10 m. His missions have included escorting ground attack aircraft and bombers, providing air support to the friendly troops on the battlefield, conducting reconnaissance and delivering air strikes against the enemy troops.

He has conducted six air combats, which resulted in his bringing down an enemy ME-109 aircraft. He has delivered 120 air strikes against the enemy troops and equipment. For his performance he was awarded the PATRIOTIC WAR ORDER, 1st DEGREE. Since 4 April 1944, when he was awarded for the last time, Comrade TOROPYGIN has accomplished 39 sorties and flown a total of 39 h. 49 m. 8 sorties were aimed at providing air support to the friendly troops, 15 sorties were about conducting reconnaissance of the enemy and 7 sorties were accomplished to escort a scout photographer. During this time he has conducted 4 air fights and delivered 19 air strikes, which resulted in his destroying 2 vehicles and killing up to 15 enemy soldiers and officers. In an air combat he shot down an enemy aircraft, was wounded in his right leg but managed to fly his plane safely back to the airfield.

On 16 June 1944 he took part in the air raid against the airfield of SALO and personally destroyed an aircraft, blowed up a gasoline depot, destroyed up to 25 soldiers and officers, 3 motor vehicles, and 2 air defense sites.

CONCLUSION: He deserves the governmental award of the RED BANNER Order for participating in the air raid against the airfield of SALO, accomplishing 39 sorties, and destroying an aircraft.

Commander, Fighter Aviation Regiment

Major /Drekalov/

26 June 1944

Back part of the OGPW1 citation....

Here are his citations. I'm just uploading the text, and then translating the top portion to save on my download/upload time (yeah, I've got dial up at the moment...)

Here's one for his OGPW1, his first award:

1. Name: Toropigin, Konstantin Pavlovich

2. Military Rank: Senior Lieutenant

3. Place of service: Pilot, 845th Fighter Aviation Regiment

Recommended for the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class

1. Date of birth: 1921

2. Nationality: Russian

3. Date joined the Red Army: Since 1941

4. Party membership: Member VLKSM since 1938

5. Service in the war, where and when: In the Patriotic War since 9 April 1943. From 1 March 1944 on the Volkhovski Front, and from 1 March 1944 on the Leningrad Front

6. Any wounds or contusions: Has a wound of medium severity on his left thigh from a shell fragment that he recieved in an aerial battle on 25 March 1944 on the Leningrad Front.

7. Other awards recieved: None others

8. From which call up station: Lyubimskim RVK, Yaroslavskoi Oblast

9. Address of record: Yaroslavskoi Oblast, Lyubimskii Raion, P/O Zakovyakino Der. ISAD'

He has been participating in the Patriotic War against the German invaders since 9 April 1943 at Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts. During his service at the regiment and Front Comrade Toropygin has proved to be a firm, courageous and disciplined pilot as well as a genuine patriot of his Socialist Motherland. Taking part in the operations near IGA-SINIAVINO to liberate the town of NOVGOROD and Leningrad region from the German invaders, Comrade TOROPYGIN conducted 51 successful sorties without sustaining accidents or losing orientation. These sorties included: 24 sorties to escort IL-2 and PE-2 aircraft, 14 sorties to conduct reconnaissance of the enemy troops and 14 sorties to provide air support to the friendly troops. He has taken part in 5 air fights, personally bringing down 1 FW-190. Troughout his missions Comrade TOROPYGIN has never lost escorted ground attack aircraft and bombers to enemy fighters. Possessing a high level of combat training and excellent fighting skills Comrade TOROPYGIN has been displaying an outstanding courage and competence in tactics during combats against enemy aircraft.

On 25 March 1944 during a combat against 8 FW-190 as part of 4 Yak-7B Comrade TOROPYGIN brought down 1 FW-190 thanks to his calculated and resolute actions, courage and firmness. However, he came under attack himself and was wounded in a thigh by a shell fragment. Despite an acute pain he managed to disengage and flied safely back to his airfield.

During air fights he provides an outstanding assistance to his comrades-in-arms, which has made it possible for him to avoid losses due to imprudence or sluggishness.

He has been commended 5 times by the squadron and regiment commanders for successfully accomplishing combat missions.

CONCLUSION: According to the People?s Defense Commissar?s order # 294-43 he deserves the governmental award of the PATRIOTIC WAR Order,1st CLASS, for meeting high standards in accomplishing combat missions, displaying courage and firmness, destroying 1 FW-190 and successfully conducting 30 sorties.

Commander, 845th Fighter Aviation Regiment

Captain /Makarov/

4 April 1944

He bids on my Soviet awards on eBay. We had a go-round about some translation questions once, but otherwise seems to be a decent fellow (from what I know.)

Dave

I find it reassuring to hear some stories about people doing the right thing on Ebay. Most stories consist of nightmare scenerios of scam artists and rudeness.

Regards

Paul

Not all eBay sellers are bad. I've been on eBay since 1995 (selling and buying) and have yet to be a scam artist or rude (or at least not rude to anyone that didn't deserve it.....)

If you search under "CZ" you can find the not deleted threads & postings by me, which have partly are certain humoristic value

Perhaps others simply do not understand your "humoristic" thoughts...

Just so no one's kept in suspense for too long, the aircraft that he was awarded the Red Star and Red Banner for flight hours in are: MiG-15, MiG-17, Yak-15, Yak-9 and Yak-9P. Quite an eclectic set of aircraft! At the time he was a squadron commander in the 486th Fighter Aviation Regiment. He was awarded the Red Star for 149 hours, 48 minutes of flight time (cumulative from 1 January 1956 to 16 February 1956) and the Red Banner for 208 hours, 46 minutes from 16 February to 23 October 1956. By 23 October 1956, his career total for flight time was 1471 hours and 32 minutes (from September 1942 onwards.)

Having been a pilot before, I find it a little odd to have received these awards for flight hours. Strangely, the fact that he was bitter because he didn't receive a Lenin for 208 flight hours (which I think should have been "normal operation" for an average pilot during a 10 month period) is nothing short of really weird. I wonder what the circumstances were that the air force was layering on these awards in 1956.

Will post some scans tomorrow.

Dave

A vast majority of the late Red Stars that I've researched (my other interest - other than posthumous awards, of course) were awarded to veterans who were seriously wounded. I have yet to put my finger on the difference between who received the postwar Glory and who received the postwar Red Star for wounds though and what made the difference.

Dave

If the gentleman in question was indeed a test pilot wouldn't it be nice to know which hardware (now obsolete) to put his name to?

The citations actually have that info on them. I don't have them with me at the moment, but I can post that up when I pull them out.

Just got in the research for the group.

The citations for the last Red Star and the last Red Banner are quite odd... he was awarded them for flight hours! There's got to be more to the citation though that I'm not seeing as I haven't translated them yet. (I think he might have been a test pilot?) Now the story that came from the seller about the man's last Red Banner seems right - the veteran was bitter because he recieved the Red Banner when his peers had received the Lenin for the same thing... I'm guessing that in the late 1950s they were handing out awards for extended flight hours to the top pilots. Quite interesting!

His wartime citations are quite good - several kills, many combat missions and the like. I'll get 'em scanned this week and perhaps the good moderator can move this thread into the researched groups forum.

Dave

Order and orders booklet given to brother - Sushchenko Ivan Borisovich

Does it also make you wonder what happened to the brother and where the order book might be? Questions that deserve an answer!

Dave

I hope Dave will check in regularly so we know he hasn't got palpitations at the thought of an entire BOX full of posthumous OPWs Out There!!!

Oh yeah.... I've been in shock for a while.... Not just after I heard of another posthumous OGPW, but now with the revelation that there might be more out there that ended up in a box in Moldova....WOW.

You Soviet guys are going like so.... "Code like" .... that the casual reader gets lost ;-)

We're trying to be like the Imperial German collectors... "This fellow was the recipient of the KVR2x, Ch1BB, XYZr, and the ABC4. Strangely, he was the only officer that wasn't awarded the LMNOP4x, which makes the group exceedingly rare."

My first was either an October Revolution, Red Banner or Red Banner of Labor. I don't know which was actually the first I got (back in 1992) and I may have even bought them all at the same time. Anyway, I've got a pic of the three around here somewhere and would be happy to post it (after scanning!) when I can ever find it!

Dave

Here's the screw nut off a Lenin that I once owned. It belonged to a film producer.

Dave

There was a software glitch this morning in the other forum. Even as a moderator on that other forum, I couldn't log on! It has been resolved though as had was noted earlier in the thread. It's amazing how a keystroke or two can take down a server... which can then take down tons of websites and the like! I remember when my provider upgraded servers about three years ago and "lost" the 450MB worth of files that made up my website... not a fun experience!

Dave

Very interesting... I don't have my Russian dictionaries here, but if I'm not mistaken, he was the commander of a tank retriever (evacuation) company, and received his OGPW for retrieving 101 tanks and self-propelled guns. I wasn't even aware that these existed as separate units, but it definately makes sense! Quite interesting!

Dave

Well, here's a shot at his line-by-line bio (I don't see an autobiography here, unless my bleeding eyes aren't seeing it...) I'm not sure if the first few lines of translation are correct, as I've never run across these before! He didn't quite start out a soldier...

1910 - 1915 Mail truck driver in the Volovski Administrative Volost (smallest administrative region in Tsarist Russia)

1915 - January 1918 Sergeant-Major of the 172nd Reserve Regiment and the 265th Rifle Regiment, Northern Front

January 1918 - April 1919 Secretary of the Khotinsky social security administration and (I can't read it)

April 1919 - June 1920 Chief Clerk - (vaznachai? I don't know) in (unreadable) Company in (unreadable)

June 1920 - June 1921 Chief Clerk, 50th Brigade VNUS in Minsk

June 1921 - July 1921 Adjutant Independent (I'm not sure the rest of the line)

July 1921 - March 1922 Deputy Battalion Commander of the 40th Independent Battalion, VChK in Minsk

March 1922 - November 1923 Deputy Battalion Commander of the 121st Independent Battalion, VChK in Simferpol

November 1923 - May 1925 Deputy Chief of the Convoy Command in Simferpol

May 1925 - August 1929 Deputy Commander of the 13th Independent Convoy Battalion in Simferpol

August 1929 - March 1930 Commander of same unit (my change to the translation)

March 1930 - June 1933 Deputy Chief of Staff of the 3rd Convoy Division in Samara

----Looks like he may have "retired" at this point----

June 1933 - November 1934 Chief of Military Preparatory Training in Samara OAKh (I think)

November 1934 - January 1940 Military Supervisor Kuibshevskovo (I don't know what that means) Technical Service

----Looks like he was recalled back to service----

January 1940 - July 1940 Senior Adjutant 275th Rifle Regiment, 117th Rifle Division in ??? (Buzuluk?)

July 1940 - March 1941 Battalion Commander, 275th Rifle Regiment, 117th Rifle Division in Buzuluk(?)

March 1941 - August 1941 Company Commander, Quartermaster School (Course) PriVO in Sizran (?)

August 1941 - September 1941 Commander 240th Independent Battalion (I can't read) in Sizran

September 1941 - November 1941 Chief of Staff, 175th Rifle Regiment, 356th Rifle Division PriVO

November 1941 - ? 1942 (All sorts of little writing I can't read)

? 1942 - November 1942 Chief of Staff 547th Rifle Regiment, 127th Rifle Division PriVO (etc.)

November 1942 - 26 February 1944 Chief of Something-independent (I can't read the first part) in the 62nd Guards Rifle Division

26 February 1944 - 2 July 1945 Commander, 184th Guards Rifle Regiment, 62nd Guards Rifle Division

From then on, in Reserve, yada yada yada.... My eyes are bugging out. I hope this helps a bit.

Dave

Obviously the Order of Victory is lavishly designed to begin with... but has it ever been noted that people had won an "ordinary" order of lenin, order of glory, etc. and then had a jeweller add some extra touches to it in the form of diamonds, etc.?

I've never seen or heard of anything like that. I don't know but I might even suspect that it may have been illegal to do. The most "out of the box" decoration on an award I've ever seen is the recipient's name and/or date of award and/or place of action. That was always on the reverse, however, either on the reverse of the award or on the screwplate.

Dave

P.S. Just noted that this was my 1000th post.

Very nice!

My first thought as soon as I saw the back of his award card: A commissar!

And then looking at the front and then the citations - he was the regimental commissar. It should be an interesting citation once the translation is done!

Dave

Very nice research! Was the second citation for the Red Banner there? I saw one for a Red Star, and an almost unreadable Red Banner one. Did you get his award card?

It's very interesting that he was a "career" soldier, joining the Tsar's army in 1910 (as it appears on my monitor) and then serving in it through 1918. He then joined the RKKA and served until 1946! He ended the War as the Commander of the 184th Guards Rifle Regiment, 62nd Guards Rifle Division - a pretty good job, and right in some pretty heavy combat around Budapest at the beginning of 1945.

Dave

I'd love to help out, but I don't know if it's in the same place as it was 10 years ago. IF it is, you simply head out of the metro station, curve around the stands there and then head down the parallel pathways (like streets, but they aren't) which should lead you straight into the gates for the market. The market itself surrounds the base of the ice skating rink/hockey rink at the top of the hill. If I were at home, I'd simply scan you a map of the area, but I'm unfortunately not! I was there almost every weekend for the time I was there from 1992-1996.

Dave

Dave,

do you know, how many collectors are out there, who request resaearch for their awards? Not the exact number of course, just an educated guess.

Gerd

Gerd:

That might be a good question for the researcher himself. I know of at least a half dozen (off the top of my head) that regularly research their groups (and they have some amazing ones!) that don't participate on this forum. Most of these fellows are "older" collectors who have had (and have) the resources that have built very impressive collections for themselves. They'd probably like to participate on the forums as they value research as much as we do, but due to their positions in life (several company CEO/presidents, doctors, etc.) they simply do not have the time to.

But those are just ones that I know. I am certain that there are probably quite a few others out there.

Traditionally, it was assumed that many of the Russian collectors didn't value research, but having worked with one of them (who had access in the Archives) and from other discussions, I believe that research is starting to take off in Russia as well. Many collectors there are in the same position that we are in the west... the prices have risen dramatically there as well and they are researching what awards they can afford, just like us.

Dave

I think Dave is probably at the the very top on ordered research!

There's only one person with more research ordered than I (that I am aware of) and that's the collector who was the "source" prior to the researcher going public and handling all of the requests himself. For probably 5 or 6 years, probably 90% of all research requests for all collectors went through this one collector.

Dave