The legendary feat of Soviet tank (6 photos)

Shot a German tank column Soviet tank KV-1C (speed) and its dead soldiers. Voronezh Front. January-February 1943.



another picture KV-1C



For more information about another episode already with the KV-1:



Description feat of premium sheet (spelling and punctuation preserved):

"July 13, 1942, in the district of H-MITYAKINSKOE 2nd, Tank" KV "L-NTA Konovalova was due to a fault after the battle. The crew regained their own tank. At that time it seemed 2 German armored cars. Tov. KONOVALOV immediately opened fire, and one car was set on fire, the second quickly disappeared. After the armored vehicles appeared moving column of tanks, 35 vehicles initially, and then another 40. Ex-moved to the village. L-nt KONOVALOV using the advantageous position of its camouflaged tank, decided to take the fight. After letting the first column of tanks at a distance of 500-600 meters, the crew of "HF" opened fire. Direct fire destroyed 4 tanks. Column pr-ca not take the fight, I came back. But after a while deployed to build villages attacked 55 tanks etc. at this. L-nt KONOVALOV decided to continue the fight against armored vehicles of the German fascist invaders, despite such overwhelming superiority. Heroic crew set fire to another 6 tanks, etc. Single and forced him to roll back a second time. The enemy is making a third attack. Heroes tankers, led by their commander Comrade Komsomol. Konovalov, firing at tanks and machines, etc. a minute to the last shell. They destroy another 6 enemy tanks, one armored vehicle and 8 cars with enemy soldiers and officers. Soviet fortress silent. The Germans opened fire from a 105mm gun, which is pulled up to the tank at a distance of 75 meters. The crew with the hero commander Lieutenant Konovalova, together with the tank killed in this unequal battle. Defending our homeland from the German invaders, l-nt KONOVALOV showed courage, unwavering fortitude, selfless heroism. For the heroism shown while defending the Motherland, Comrade. KONOVALOV worthy posthumous awarding the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" with the Order of Lenin and medal "Gold Star".

TANK COMMANDER 1. BATTALION
Senior lieutenant / VASILKOV /





The next day, a reconnaissance team inspected the battlefield. Tower and mehvodovsky hatches isklёvannogo German shells, burned-out tanks were closed. Interviewed locals added details. Brigade Commander was briefed about the heroism and the heroic death of the crew - commander Konovalova, senior mehvoda Kozyrentseva, gun commander Dementieva charging Gerasimlyuka, Jr. mehvoda Akinina, radiotelegraph Chervinsky, with close consultation with the technician team Serebryakov. And flew telegrams to notify relatives, acquaintances ...

The phrase battalion Vasil'kova "worthy of a posthumous assignment ... with the award" was somewhat prophetic.

After multiple direct hits completely immobilize a tank and ammunition came to an end, Konovalov ordered: after the last shot of the crew to immediately leave the car through an emergency hatch in the bottom. Last shot gun KV almost coincided in time with the first shot for shooting Germans tightened pernicious fortress-blank 105-millimeter guns.

And yet three, not just those who died, managed to get out of the car, took off one of her guns: the commander, the technique Serebryakov and bashnёru Dementieva. They crawled to a safe place, and when darkness began to wade to the east, to his.

Fearing betrayal and exile in settlements tried not to go, literally fed pasture - raw grain, grass. On the fourth day of the journey of three tanker found a German tank, standing invitingly open hatches.

Rightly judging that to go any better than to go, tankers have decided to "take" it. Crept up to the car, Serebryakov scored one guarding its tanker gun butt, and Dementiev laid the second pistol. Meanwhile Konovalov shot the commander and the driver of the enemy machine. Tankers brought captured the trophy and at full throttle moved to his.

Thus, the enemy machine, successfully avoiding the fire anti-tank weapons on both sides, they came, more precisely, to his left, glad it was that crazy to give Fritz arrived. However, they went too far from the location of his team, and have been enrolled in the new part.

Chutzpah Seeds Konovalov was appreciated, he commanded the trophy more than a month, hit by its help in fighting at least three German tanks.

After clarification of all circumstances in the representation of the Hero did not rewrite, and a decree was signed March 31, 1943.
Simon V. Konovalov reached the Victory and in 1946 was transferred to the reserve. However, in 1950 he was again called on, two years later he graduated from the Leningrad Higher School of armored officer, but after the beginning of Khrushchev's reduction of the army in 1956, Lieutenant Colonel Konovalov was discharged already definitively.

Donkey Konovalov Kazan, where he worked 25 years as a senior engineer at one of the factories. Conducted a major public work, often he spoke to youth, was a freelance lecturer society "Knowledge". He died a hero April 4, 1989, buried in Kazan Arsk cemetery.



Simon V. Konovalov