Soviet Colonel Anempodist Rybchenko

[Digger Doug]

Here are some of the documents for Colonel Rybchenko. As usual, it is incomplete and my hope is that someone will give me a hand ;~):

[attachmentid=41432]

AWARD CARD

Orders Booklet No. 180065

Certification

1. Last name Rybchenko

2. First name and patronymic Anempodist Dmitrievich

3. Military rank Colonel

4. Sex Male

5. Year of birth 1903

6. Place of birth

7. Party membership (from what year) Member of the VKP(S) since 1938

8. Education

9. Nationality Ukrainian

10. In the Red Army since what year 1926

11. Place of service (unit designation) and duty position at the time of award

1320 Rifle Regiment 413 Rifle Division Regimental Commander

12. Present duty location and duty title

13. Awardee?s home address

[Digger Doug]

[attachmentid=41433]

14.Listing of all awards received

Red Banner / 15144 / 446 / ______ Front / No 25/4 ot 11.11.41

Aleksander Nevsky / 1374 / 387064 / Briansk Front / 27.2.43

Order of the Patriotic War II Class / 137022 / B-375601 / 61st Army / 2.3.44

Order of the Red Banner / 16520 (2) / 630324 / 3rd Guards Army / 24.8.44

Red Star / 965437 / 144015 / 3.11.44 / 38th Army

Red Banner / 4326 (3) / D-581543 / 1.3.45 / 1st Guards Army

Red Banner / 1041 (4) / B-977880 / 27.5.45

Red Banner / 295373 / 6.11.47

Signature of Awardee Rybchenko

Certified by and

Signed by witness

[Digger Doug]

Here is the first page of his citation for Red Banner 15144:

[attachmentid=41435]

Here's my cut at translating it:

During the battles for Lomovka in the Dnepropetrov region the 3rd battlion had been assigned the 8 M.P. (mortar platoon?) 275th Rifle Division. The battlion was ordered to seize the outskirts of the city of Lomovka, along with taking the school and Factory 65. The ememy was strongly dug in and created a storm of machine gun and mortar fire. There was no flanking unit on the right side. The flanking unit on the left side was lagging behind. This created a complex situation. Comrade Rybchenko did not become confused but continued pushing forward, reconoitering the __________ ____________ of the enemy. He then made the correct fire arrangements (I'm missing something important here). Because of his skilful leadership of the battalion the mission was accomplished successfully. The battalion has seized Lomovka and has advanced 2 km., having captured trophies - 3 antitank guns, a machine gun, 6 mortars, 10 vehicles, up to 30 boxes of mines and a lot of rifles and ammunition. More than 100 fascist soldiers and officers were destroyed. Comrade Rybchenko during this action has personally destroyed 5 snipers, 1 officer and 1 "cuckoo".

[Digger Doug]

Here's the second page of the Red Banner citation. The translation is included in the previous post:

[attachmentid=41437]

So, what's a "cuckoo"?

[Digger Doug]

I'll post his service record and his Nevsky citation soon.

[Mondvor]

Really cool citation. We should keep in mind that during 1941 Red Army mostly retreated. But here we have an example of successful advance operation. Great! Do you have a pictures of Red Banner?

[Digger Doug]

Here's his citation that began as a recommendation for a Red Star, then a Red Banner, and finally a Nevsky. The final recommendation is still for a Red Banner but note the hand written A. Nevsky on the top right of the first page. Also note that the dates correspond to the award of the Nevsky on the award card - he didn't receive his next Red Banner until August 1944.

[attachmentid=41537]

[Digger Doug]

Here's the back side of the Nevsky citation:

[attachmentid=41540]

Here's my feeble translation:

Rybchenko Anempodist Dmitrievich

Major

Commander of the 467th Rifle Regiment, 81st Rifle Division, 13th Army, Bryansk Front

Recommended for award of Red Star

Born 1903

Ukrainian

VKP Membership

participant in the Patriotic War since 1941

Not wounded

Member of the Red Army since 1926

Previously awarded a Red Banner

Major Rybchenko during the advance of the division from 27 January to 8 February 1943 in areas of Kolpnyanskom in the Orlov oblast and Panyr in the Kursk Oblast led the regiment in continuous battles with German aggressors over an area of 150 km., has liberated 23 settlements, has destroyed or captured as many as 400 German soldiers and officers, has captured many trophies including varying calibres of guns (artillery pieces) - 9, mortars - 11, vkladov (the closest English translation in my dictionary refers to deposits or contributions - does this mean he got the Hitlerite's payroll?) - 2 and a lot of other military property, suffering comparatively small losses of staff and combat materials of the regiment.

[Digger Doug]

Here's his service record:

[attachmentid=41545]

[Digger Doug]

More:

[attachmentid=41546]

Note his rapid advancement from Captain to Colonel in just two years!

Sr. Lieutenant 1936

Captain 1941

Major 1942

Lt. Colonel 19.2.43

Colonel 21.8.43

[Digger Doug]

The face of someone who saw continuous battle from the start to finish of the war in the East. Note his first four Red Banners on the same medal bar, and the screwback replacement for Nevsky 1374 which was most certainly originally awarded as a suspension variety. The first Red Banner 15144 must have been a screwback originally but exchanged for a suspension variety to comply with the later statutes. I've always assumed this picture was taken around the time of the Victory Parade since he had these two replacement awards and he didn't get his fifth Red Banner (the only one for long service) until 1947. One of these days, I hope to get the research for Red Banners 2, 3, and 4 - as they were all awarded for action during the GPW.

[attachmentid=41548]

[Digger Doug]

His first four Red Banners:

[attachmentid=41551]

Sorry for the poor quality of the scan.

[Alfred]

speechless, a very very ... nice group

hope that the rest of the citations will be good too

regards

Andreas

[Mondvor]

To Digger Doug,

Could you show the reverses of those Red Banners? Especially #4. Obverse pictures are small and unclear, but the digit on the shield of RB#4 looks kind of "skinny". On war-time awards it was much more "fat". Maybe it is just wrong impression because of the light, reflected from enamel. But still it is interesting to see smaller details of obverse and reverse.

[Digger Doug]

To Digger Doug,

Could you show the reverses of those Red Banners? Especially #4. Obverse pictures are small and unclear, but the digit on the shield of RB#4 looks kind of "skinny". On war-time awards it was much more "fat". Maybe it is just wrong impression because of the light, reflected from enamel. But still it is interesting to see smaller details of obverse and reverse.

Sorry, I don't have ready access to these. I appologise for the poor scan and will work to get a better image next time these are home with me. While I'm no expert in judging fakes since my main focus is on the research, I can tell you that I've had these for about eight to ten years and our buddy Paul was with me when I bought them. Since then, he's prepared an authentication document for both the 3 and 4.

All the best,

Doug

[Mondvor]

Hi Doug,

Here is the picture of two Red Banners ## 932 and 1220. Just to illustrate my words about "fat" digit on the shield. The shields on those RBs look little bit different from your order. That's why I asked if you have better pictures.

If you have them for 8 or 10 years is OK. But 90% of all fakes came to US between 1992 and 1998.

[Digger Doug]

This is all I can tell you about it:

[attachmentid=41754]

[Mondvor]

Thanks Doug,

Now I can see that order is OK. The outline of the digit is thick. On the initial picture it looked different probably because of light reflection from enamel surface.

[ALEX.S]

hi doug

is it complete group with all orders from book?

thanx

alex

[Digger Doug]

hi doug

is it complete group with all orders from book?

thanx

alex

Unfortunately, it is not a complete group. All I have is the first four Red Banners, the Nevsky, and the orders booklet. At the time I was putting my collection together, I was turning down incomplete groups but made an exception for this one as it "spoke" to me.

[Bryan]

Why does some Red Banners have a silver finish and others a bronze finish? Like the 2 shown by Mondvor.

[Guest Rick Research]

In my experience, with VERY mild cleaning, for some reason Soviet gilt plated silver seems to tarnish THROUGH the gilt as if it is only silver. I have gently cleaned several "silver" Red Banners and lo and behold! there is the gilt good as new under the tarnish.

Maybe on very old ones-- pre-war ??-- the finish actually does evaporate off (like German WW2 badges), but the couple I have tried simply "hid" the gilt underneath the silver patina.

Now I do not clean anything, given twitchiness about altered serial numbers etc etc etc.