This medal is very special for me. Bough it as usually on eBay from Ukraine just to put it on officers gymnasterka. Few months after purchase decided to get a records for it. Results were outstanding. (Highly recommend member Auke as a source to get records for Soviet awards)

Order of Red Banner nr. 193517 was awarded to young red army man-machine gunner Yevgeny Alexandrovich Yachnik. Born in 1925 in Cherkassy, Ukrainian SSR was just 16 or 15 when Germany invaded Russian. Him and his family probably escaped east and found themselves near Ulyanovsk where he’s been drafted in January 1943. After receiving military training he’s been transported to the front line as replacement. Attached to a rifle company, 1st battalion 1316 rifle regiment of 17th rifle division which in following year will receive name "Bobruyskaya" and will be awarded order of Red Banner. He arrived at the front line during the battle for city Zheleznogorsk during Orel offensive.

In following months he will take part in recapture of Smolensk and battle of Bobruisk in july 1944. In late July 17th division as part of 48th army of 1st Belorussian front crossed Bug river south of Białystok and started fighting at Polish ground. 48th army continued march along Narew river capturing Bielsk Podlaski, and Ostrów Mazowiecka (captured by 53rd rifle corps-17th rifle div was part of it). At the bigining of september 1944 48th army (29th and 42nd rifle corps) with 2nd shock army crossed Narew and established bridghead near Różan city. 65th army also established bridgehead south of Pułtusk. 53rd rifle corps was left on the eastern bank of Narew and provided wiping-out actions in woods east of Pułtusk and in mid september occupied defense lines on the eastern bank of Narew east of Pułtusk.

In october 1944 order was geaven to 53rd rifle corps to cross Narew and set up bridgehead south of Maków Mazowiecki and north of Pułtusk to link up with main force of 48th army and in following operations capture Pułtusk and link up with gen. Batov’s 65th army. This movement will secure whole Narew bank. However against two soviet divisions (17th and 96th) were well preapred for defense german forces:
-7th infantry division
-57 security battalion
-630 security battalion
-104 panzer brigade (mostly Pzkpfw V)
-209 sturm-artillerie abteilung (Stug III and IVs)

Operation begun at 7.00 a.m. 13th october 1944 with intense artillery support. 17th division has to capture terrain between villages Chmielewo and Gnojno while 96th div. will land on it’s right flank. River was not wide here but after reaching the western bank soldiers of 17th had to run about 1 kilometer though the marshy, plain ground sourrounded by steep hills. It was terrible area for a river-crossing operation but finally two regiments of 17th rifle division made it and till 19.00 they captured about 1,5km of ground and captured trench running about 300 meters from the main road from East Prussia to Warsaw.

In this battle krasnoarmyets Yachnik distinguished himself

"During the defense on the Narew river, and subsequent battles for securing on the right bank of the river, comrade Yachnik showed himself to be a courageous and brave warrior.
When it was required to restore the connection between the banks of the river (with the help of soldier-courier) and he was ordered to deliver the report, despite the strong artillery fire, he restored this connection. Also, he was one of the first to cross the Narew river and in the battles to secure this bridgehead he personally destroyed three "Fritz" from the his machine gun."

First he was recommended for "Red Star" by regiment commander but division commander upgraded it to Red Banner and it was approved by army commander.

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