Monday 28 December 2015

Battlefield Repairs

"Award Order
  1. Name: Stankevich, Gamen Mikhailovich
  2. Rank: Junior Lieutenant
  3. Position, unit: tank platoon commander, 1st tank battalion, 111st Novgorod-Volyn Red Banner Order of Suvorov Tank Brigade
    is nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
  4. Year of birth: 1925
  5. Nationality: Russian
  6. Party affiliation: VLKSM member
  7. Participation in the Civil War and subsequent action in defense of the USSR (where, when): 1st Ukrainian Front since November 30th, 1944
  8. Wounds or concussions in the Patriotic War: none
  9. In the Red Army since: 1943
  10. Recruited by: Frunze recruitment office, Tashkent
  11. Previous awards: none
Brief and specific description of personal heroism or achievements: during the combat actions from the Vistula to Neise (1200 km), tank platoon commander Jr. Lieutenant Stankevich Gamen Mikhailovich led his tank and platoon into fierce battle many times, crossing rivers, fighting in the front of his battalion, skilfully destroying the enemy in every fight.

In battles for Freistadt, his tank was the first to burst into the city, shooting up the enemy on the move and sowing fear among the enemy, reaching the western outskirts of the city.

In fierce battles for the city of Guben, the tank crew of Jr. Lieutenant Stankevich penetrated the German defenses over 4 days and reached the center of the city. No fascist defenses stopped the tank. The enemy counterattacked multiple times, never successfully, falling back after leaving the corpses of hundreds of soldiers and officers on the battlefield. During these battles, comrade Stankevich destroyed 3 SPGs, 3 tanks, 4 heavy guns, 3 mortars, 3 AT guns, and up to 180 fascists.

While deflecting enemy counterattacks in the center of Guben, Jr. Lieutenant Stankevich's tank was lit aflame with a Panzerfaust. Despite the difficulty of his situation, the fearless commander ignored impending death and continued firing at fascists from his burning tank. The crew, realizing the danger of dying to their own exploding shells, put out the fire under a hail of enemy bullets. The tank was still immobile.

The tank commander ordered his crew to restore the tank while he took up defenses. The fascists tried to approach the tank, but the fearless crew dispersed them without leaving their tank, continuing their work. By morning, the tank was restored.

The heroic crew took its place in the tank and continued destroying fascists. For the bravery and courage demonstrated in battle with fascist invaders, comrade Stankevich is worthy of the government award Hero of the Soviet Union."

CAMD RF 33-793756-45

2 comments:

  1. It doesn't say what tank he was in?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A different award order for the same unit in the same battle mentions T-34s, but I don't have more detailed sources.

      http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2015/04/another-heroic-driver.html

      Delete