Steel garrison

February 27, 1942 on a section of the Crimean front infantry supported by several HF, remain in service in the 229th tank battalion, once again trying to fight off the Germans dominate ground skyscraper 69, 4.

Wild mud, mines and fierce bombardment of the enemy have done their job: after some time towards the enemy trenches continued only one HF company commander Lieutenant Timofeev. Before the German defense line was 200 meters when heavy machinery was startled by a powerful explosion took sharply to the left and turning around an axis standstill facing the enemy.
The smallest member of the crew - gunner Chirkov - slipped through the escape hatch, surveyed the damage and reported the destruction of two left rollers and damaged tracks. Out of order, and the station tank. Correct even the caterpillar to try at idle crawl to his own, did not allow the enemy's fire. In general, the tank turned immobilized, but it is not disarmed. The commander made the decision: car not to leave, to observe. By nightfall, he went to his Chirkov, soon returned with a supply of products and grenades. Command solution tank approved but not effective aid promises, all the available tanks were being repaired.





With the dawn of the steel fortress garrison began a program of observations. As soon as it was discovered that the Germans pushed forward cutting edge; trenches were at a distance of seventy meters from the tank. With the onset of dusk the Germans decided to try to examine the standing motionless in front of them in the view of almost the whole tank. Shelled vision devices, long climbed on the armor, knocking the butts of hatches, they tried unsuccessfully to pry their scrap.
The commander ordered: if the Germans will come open, burn or blow up a tank - to throw their grenades and left the car to break through to his. If not - no signs of life serve. And they did not submit tankers.
The German guard did not allow Chirkov make regular trips to his; tankers were suffering from hunger and thirst. Lack of exercise has become a severe test: physical activity (but still keeping silence) in close steel refrigerator is very difficult. At tank legs began to swell, with the first cut boots had very physically strong member crew - commander guns Gorbunov.
Five days later we again tried to attack the Germans, but even with a fixed tank fire support infantry proved powerless and rolled.
But the Germans were convinced that the tank is alive, and decided away from sin to destroy it. Tankers lucky heavy artillery of the enemy was not, and more than two dozen explosions that they counted on the car, and next to it, the crew stunned, but did not cause appreciable harm to the tank. To the contrary the Germans launched another attempt to survey the tank. Some, apparently, commanders staged a meeting directly at the armor, deciding to fill up with petrol and burn or drag autogenbrenner.
The Germans came together kind of like the second option, but to allow the enemy to the car was now dangerous anyway. Timofeev told German machine gun fire to drive away, in the care of the enemy behind the line of fire to throw grenades. Several attempts to get close to the German tanks were successfully repulsed.
A week passed, "sitting". Chirkov managed to get to her again. He delivered a report Timofeev command with the designation of all identified bunkers and gun emplacements of enemy defenses and back to back with a new supply of food and grenades.
In the night of March 8 to the tank slipped repairers. They even brought food and ammunition, but to do something with the ground vmёrzshey damaged chassis were powerless. "Pull out" HF Timofeev to his in such a situation would not have even two "healthy" tank. In this case, the command allowed the crew to leave the car, but refused to tankers. The Germans once again went on the attack. Tankers covered fire flue repairmen, repelled the attack and put to more than a dozen Nazis.
March 16, after sighting all German artillery bombardment firing points, identified crew Timofeev, were suppressed, and the Red Army finally took the ill-fated high-rise. The crew got out of the car does not conquer the enemy, and was immediately sent to physicians and submitted to the awards: for 17 days, not only tankers revealed the German defenses, but also destroyed three bunkers, machine gun and 2 to 60 Nazis. Their heroism wrote central newspapers, and the famous Soviet poet Ilya Selvinsky, who served at the time on the Crimean front, folded "The Ballad of the tank KV" stanza of which was used by the author in the text. The tank was quickly repaired and returned to service much faster than his crew. Ahead it was still more than three years of fighting, and the fate of the characters developed, alas, is basically the same.

The commander of the tank - the commander of a tank company 229 Dep. TB l-t Timofeev Nikolai Andreyevich, born in 1919, a candidate member of the CPSU (b), a Ukrainian military personnel (in the Red Army in 1937), was wounded. After a couple of weeks of treatment, he returned to his unit and fought on. For the feat he was presented the Order of Lenin, but the commander of the Crimean front, Lieutenant-General Kozlov awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In December 1942, he has gone missing, presumed dead, and remained in the territory occupied by the enemy.
Senior driver-mechanic - foreman Ostanin Kornilovich Alexander, born in 1916, Russian, member of the CPSU (b), in the Red Army in 1937, was wounded. For the feat he was presented the Order of the Red Banner, but the command has approved the Order of the Red Star. Probably negligent clerks at a premium piece of it was recorded as a Astanin Alexei Kirillovich, in order - as the Astanin Alexander Kirillovich. He was lucky to get to Victory, but the award has found a hero just 20 years after the war. In 1985, also awarded the Order of the Patriotic War anniversary.

Gunner - radio telegraphist Senior Sergeant Grigory Chirkov, born in 1912, Russian in the Red Army in 1941. Introducing the Order of the Red Star, but received the medal "For Courage". According to the Ukrainian journalist Alexander Soldiers, died June 29, 1943 in the Kiev region.

The commander of the gun - sergeant Gorbunov Semyon Pavlovich, born in 1911, Russian in the Red Army in 1941. To undergo treatment until the summer of 1942. For the feat he was presented to the "Banner", but received the "Star." On the front I was back in late July, was appointed commander of a tank T-34 in the 11th Guards. Dep. m. Bro. He was wounded at Stalingrad, fought at Kursk, was admitted to the party. In August 1943, fighting for the liberation of Orel Region was awarded the medal "For Courage". January 27, 1944 in a fierce battle for the village Ocheretny Plyskinskogo district, Vinnitsa region. the commander of the tank battalion commander Guards sergeant Gorbunov burned in the tank and was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War II degree.
The younger a driver - Sergeant Paul G. Chernyshev. For the feat was awarded the medal "For Courage". Information about the future is not yet available.
That's all. Thank you for your attention.
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