One against all (4 photos) Bashny.Net

On a sunny day on July 3, 1941, in Minsk, a week as captured by the Nazis, slowly drove a Soviet tank. Lonely, the Germans had intimidated passers hastily huddled in their homes - the streets crawled huge trёhbashennaya armored vehicle oschёtinivshayasya four machine guns, slowly moving his short gun barrel.





Hitler's soldiers were not scared of the Soviet tanks - in those days it was a lot verhmahte captured armored vehicles. Funny German cyclist, even while driving to the tank, slowly pressing on the pedal. The driver hit the gas harder, tank jerked forward and smeared the hapless cyclist on the pavement - you see, he just tired of the tanks. But few Germans who smoked on the porch, they did not touch - did not want to be opened ahead of time. Finally we arrived at the distillery. Not in the sense of "finally" what to drink, but in the sense that you have found the target. Slow, thorough Germans were loaded into a truck with crates of alcohol. Near miss armored car. The first could not stand in the right Nikolai tower - fifty meters vzharil of the truck with a machine gun. Seryoga on the left, too, pulled the trigger. Major bit his lip - the first accurate shot an armored car turned into a pile of metal and turned fire on the infantry. A few minutes later it was all over. Completing the picture of defeat Sergeant Malko held on the balance tank truck.



Apparently - the Germans still did not understand what was going on in the city. Nobody chased the tank gently moved Svisloch river on a wooden bridge - nearly 30 tons is not a joke - and crawled to the market. At a meeting of T-28 I went to the column of motorcyclists - exactly the same as they show their films in 20 years - funny, forsistye, confident. Gray snake flowed tank left. Having missed a few of the hull of the tank crews, Major slammed mehvoda on the left shoulder, and he threw the tank directly into the column. There was a terrible grinding and shouting. The rear of the machine gun turret head hit the back of his head had time to slip motorcyclists on the road started to panic. Tower DT doused the fire of the Nazis in the middle and end of the column, pale Malko stings and stings on the levers, grinding iron Gromada people and motorcycles. Sweat flowed from under the helmet and flooded his eyes - still two weeks before he passed Spain, Khalkhin Gol, Poland and Finland, even could not imagine that fall into a meat grinder.



Patrons tankers spared - even in the morning they abandoned military camp stuffed shells and tank ammunition to the eyeballs. However, hastily took the half shells for divisional guns - and those though they were of the same caliber, keep it out of the tank gun. But guns fell silent did not beat. Leaving the main street of Minsk - the Soviet - tank, in passing, the Germans fired on the crowd into the square outside the theater. Then he turned to the proletarian and stopped there. Those soldiers stretched into a wolf smile. The street was just packed with enemies and technicians - machine guns, machines with ammunition, fuel tanks, field kitchens. And the soldiers, the soldiers in gray uniforms circle.

After enduring MAT pause T-28 blew up a whirlwind of fire. Cannon and three front gun turned out to hell. Almost immediately lit up the tank, burning gasoline flowed through the streets, the fire spread to the car with ammunition, then on houses and trees. Chances dagger escape from the fire was not anybody. Leaving behind a branch of purgatory, tankers have decided to visit Gorky Park. However, on the way, they came under fire from 37-mm anti-tank gun. Three shots Major reassured rowdy. The park tankers waiting Nazis again. These have heard the shots and tear exploding ammunition - but lift my head and looked out of Stalin's Falcons. They thought that they okromya aviation in Minsk in no danger. Krasnozvёzdny T-28 hastened to reassure them in this. Everything went on thumb - barking gun choke guns, tank set on fire, black smoke and scattered corpses of enemy soldiers.



Ammunition gun almost dried up for most tankers came time to make feet from Minsk, especially now that he has ceased to be a paradise for the Germans. They moved to the Komarovka - there just before departure, and then - on the Moscow highway - and to her. It did not work. Already on the outskirts of the city, near the old cemetery, the T-28 has come under fire well camouflaged anti-tank battery. The first shells ricocheted from the tower, but there was no chance - Fritz were sighting and board to answer was virtually nothing. At full throttle mehvoda drove and drove to the edge of the tank. They were just a minute - shell hit the engine, the tank caught fire and finally stopped after the next hit. However, the crew was still alive and Major Vasechkin ordered to leave the car.

Leaving was not all. After the battle, a local resident Love Kireeva bury two people - the major, who until recently shot back from the Nazis from his revolver and one of the students. The second student, apparently, or burned in a tank, or was killed trying to get out of it. The fate of the survivors - are different.

A huge combat experience of the driver, Sergeant Malko helped him here - he got out of the city, met coming from the environment of the Red Army, moved the front line back to the tank part, and with honor went to the end of the war. Charging Fedor Naumov was covered by local residents, went into the forest, he fought as a partisan in 1943 was injured and taken from occupied Belarus in the rear. Nikolai Pedan was taken prisoner by the Nazis, spent four years in concentration camps, was saved in the 45th year, he returned to the army and was discharged in 1946.

Padded T-28 stood in Minsk entire occupation, and reminding the Germans and Minsk residents of the heroism of our soldiers.

It is because of people like these tankers, in the autumn of 1941, Hitler's army entered Moscow. It is these people laid the foundation for the victory.

The events of July 3 is devoted to the documentary story P. Bereznyak "Fire Tank" and the movie "Black Birch».

The crew of the T-28:

The commander of the tank / turret gunner Major Vasechkin

The driver Sergeant Dmitry Malko

Charging Cadet Fedor Naumov

Heavy right tower cadet Nikolay Pedan

Heavy left tower cadet Sergey (last name unknown)

Heavy rear gun turret head Cadet Alexander Rachitsky