Soviet The OPW2 of Captain Il’in Anton Semenovich

[Paul C]

1. Last Name, name and patronymic Il’in Anton Semenovich

2. Rank Captain

3. Position, unit Headquarters’s Chief of the 1st division, 264th Tarnopol’ Red Banner, Order of Suvorov and Kutozov Mortar Regiment, 4th Guards Kantemirovsk, Order of Lenin, Red Banner Tank Corps

Is recommended for the awarding of the Order of the “Patriotic War 2nd Class”

4. Year of birth 1915

5. Nationality Belorussian

6. Party membership Member of the Komsomol since 1938

7. Participation in the civil war and other military actions aimed at the defense of the USSR (where and when) since 21.3.1944 on the 1st Ukrainian Front

8. Wounds or contusions received during the Patriotic War Doesn’t have

9. In the Red Army since 20.8.1941

10. Drafted by what district military commissariat Rogachev District Military Commissariat, Gomel’ Region

11. Previous awards Order of the “RED STAR” on 7.10.44 by Order of the Commander in Chief of the Armored and Mechanized Forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front, № 038/N

12. Permanent home address (of the prospective awardee or his/her family) Gomel’ Region, Rogachev District, Village Zborovo. Wife: Bakhantseva Efrosiniya Pavlovna

13. Place of birth Gomel’ Region, Rogachev District, Village Zborovo

The Citation:

On 16.4.1945 in the area of EMLITS the enemy went into a counterattack. The communication between the Firing Post and the Observation Post was torn by the strong artillery and mortar fire of the enemy. Comrade IL’IN, while being in the Firing Post, continued to command the fire of the division and successfully deflected with the division the counterattack of the enemy, in this action he destroyed up to a company of Hitleries.

On 20.4.45 in the battle in the area of KLAJN-PARTVITS up to two submachine guns’ platoons of the enemy infiltrated in the area of the firing positions of the division. Comrade IL’IN, demonstrating exceptional firmness and self control, organized a circular defense at the Firing Post, deflected all the attempts of the enemy to destroy the Firing Post of the division. As a result of the initiated rifle cross firing up to a platoon of Hitleries was destroyed and 3 soldiers of the enemy were taken prisoners.

Award Card

[Paul C]

Award Card - He also had the Red Star

[Paul C]

SN

Edited August 18, 2009 by Paul C

[Paul C]

Front - Any guess on the type or classification?

[Christian L]

Sorry, no guess about the variation - but i found the 2nd place mentioned in the citation (unfortunately some "language-looses" - as it is Klein-Partwitz).

[Christian L]

The area on the left hand side naming "Schwarze Pumpe" is quiet a well know (or famous) industrial area.

Here more about that area (in english) - http://www.industriepark.info/en/index.htm

[Christian L]

And as "Klein" means "Small" - it is acutally quiet a small town!

[Christian L]

And as technical equipment allows ... the whole thing in color ...

[Paul C]

Thank you very much

[Guest Rick Research]

Paul's got the (Soviet) research bug, bad-- and belated!

GUARDS Mortar regiments were truck mounted Katyushka rocket units-- what the Germans called "Stalin organs" and our troops called "screaming meemmees." But since this was issued by higher command of armored-and-mechanized I suspect that this unit too must have been truck mounted and possibly rockets as well.

In the translation, the perfectly valid Russian word "division" is uesed. There were TWO words for division, but what is MEANT here is "battalion-- what was an "Abteilung" in German artillery formations:

"On 16.4.1945 in the area of EMLITS the enemy went into a counterattack. The communication between the Firing Post and the Observation Post was torn by the strong artillery and mortar fire of the enemy. Comrade ILIN, while being in the Firing Post, continued to command the fire of the battalion and successfully deflected with the battalion the counterattack of the enemy, in this action he destroyed up to a company of Hitleries.

On 20.4.45 in the battle in the area of KLAJN-PARTVITS up to two submachine guns platoons of the enemy infiltrated in the area of the firing positions of the battalion. Comrade ILIN, demonstrating exceptional firmness and self control, organized a circular defense at the Firing Post, deflected all the attempts of the enemy to destroy the Firing Post of the battalion. As a result of the initiated rifle cross firing up to a platoon of Hitleries was destroyed and 3 soldiers of the enemy were taken prisoners."

The other noteworthy thing (unmentioned) is that while Il'in was the "XO" of the battalion-- there is no mention at all of the CO! So he was, de facto if not in fact, battalion commander.

And now for getting his service record.... :catjava: