Stalin ordered the soldier was enlisted in the army for life system ... Bashny.Net

Stalin ordered the soldier was enlisted in the army for life system ...





'64 Did not take off form, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel-General Vasily S. Petrov. 17-year-old boy in 1939, he enrolled in Sumy Artillery School and continued to serve until the death in 2003. Such was not in the CIS countries, nor even in the world - after being seriously wounded in 1943 officer, having lost both hands in an exemplary command of a regiment, and in the postwar period confidently performed executive duties at the high command positions.

June 22, 1941, Lieutenant Vasily Petrov met the commander of the platoon firing 152-mm howitzers, 92-th separate artdiviziona Vladimir-Volyn fortified. His officer's service on the western border then turned exactly two weeks. Baptism of fire was fierce, with tragic consequences. Firing on enemy tanks only after a late order, repeatedly changing the firing positions, the gunners were in a swamp and no trucks, no heavy guns later joined the retreating infantry. Then Petrov had a chance to fight protivotankistom, that is open almost at the forefront, in the fire duels with armored vehicles. Veterans know what the hell. Do not count losses after each direct fire. For the time Lieutenant Petrov was lucky - the pieces and slug it seems to be spared. But then came the black stripe ...

In the autumn of 1943 the 1850 th antitank artillery regiment, in which Captain Vasily Petrov was already deputy commander, went to the Dnieper. We had to cross the river immediately to support the coming of the fire. The first group of artillery with four guns under the cover of darkness, managed to overcome the water barrier and gain a foothold in Bukrin bridgehead. Petrov headed warriors.

A handful of brave men at dawn moved Nazi tanks. They seemed about to crush their positions. However, the first counterattack the enemy was repulsed. Unable to break the defending Germans and in the second, third ...



After receiving reinforcements, artillery almost two days kept a foothold. Petrov appeared that one, then another gun, takes the place of a gunner and was shooting accurately.

"October 1, 1943 - read in premium sheet Hero - when tank counterattack Germans comrade. Petrov, being in combat formations, and personally led the fire knocked out four German tanks, two six-barreled mortar. "

At the same bridgehead Captain Vasily Petrov saved his comrade - Chief of Intelligence Brigade Captain Gregory ill. Around rumbled. Sweep virtually every meter. But in this fiery whirlwind night Vasily found wounded Gregory - sprinkle the ground, unconscious and carried him in her arms. Suddenly - close the gap, splinters hit in the chest, arms ...

A few days later, fellow soldiers found the captain Petrov medsanbatovskom morgue ... among the victims. However, he miraculously survived. Underwent several operations. Pulled many months of hospital life. No less heroic than in the ranks. We now can not imagine how much you need will power and courage of a man with amputated hands, so as not to lose heart. And he did not recognize his obvious disability and rushed to the front.



In a Moscow hospital Petrov for bravery and courage in crossing the Dnieper, were awarded the highest award - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. About him, obsessed maximalist, reported to Stalin. And on the personal order of the Supreme Commander armless officer returned to the front.

In his book, "The past is with us" Vasily S. Petrov, remembering the sad days of the retreat at the beginning of the war, wrote: "In the face wipes tears old ladies in an obscure village of Volyn, as part of the front of their country, our people showed fighting spirit and unwavering determination to remain soldiers" . It was so he did.

The front line receded farther to the west. Once again, heavy fighting for the bridgehead, now on the Oder. Fiercely resisted the Nazis. In one of the battles Panzer Nazis penetrating into battle formations attacking Polish units. Petrov officer and his staff immediately came to the rescue of combat blood-brothers. As on the Dnieper, from the label of Soviet artillery fire burned the enemy tanks. The most surprising - and never seen before in history! - Was that the 22-year-old Vasily Petrov, already in the rank of major, having both hands, confident commander of the 248th Guards Lviv anti-tank artillery regiment.



In the battle of Dresden in April forty-five Petrov organized attack consolidated group artillery, tanks and infantry to the prevailing height where the entrenched Germans. In a fit of our fearless warriors turned the enemy to flight. On the battlefield, left 350 dead and 9 wrecked tanks.

Here officer Petrov and earned his second Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. But it was in the hospital, where hit with bullets pierced feet ...

After World War II Stalin's orders Petrov was life enlisted in the Armed Forces personnel. This decision remains in force after the collapse of the USSR: the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk special decree approved general as deputy chief of artillery and rocket forces Carpathian Military District. For decades he lived in Lviv, then moved to Kiev, where he continued to serve in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.



As the years passed. General Petrov, teaching subordinates aggressively studied himself, he graduated from the Faculty of History of Lviv University, graduate of the Leningrad Artillery Academy, defended his thesis.

Spartan life of the famous veteran hit all: he slept on a soldier's bed, refused deserved benefits. Laboriously engaged in military history, Petrov has written several books, conducted research work. I have often talked with him, saw how he writes. To attach the prosthesis was a special device. Each letter is born by the entire body ...

Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel-General Vasily S. Petrov - a living legend, the courage that one can not worship.