Please, meet Guards First Sergeant
Kniazev Ivan Mitrofanovich, a T-34 gunner of 226th detached tank regiment. His T-34
was "one of first tanks to reach river Elbe", the meeting point of the Soviet Army and the American Allies.
Researching this award was exciting, and resulted at the end in an interesting finding, which makes phaleristics so interesting, in my view, but you need to wait until the last post to find out what I found.
Kniazev was awarded order of Glory III class for the action on 12 January 1945, on the first day of the Vistula-Oder offensive. His tank was taken out by the German AT battery and he was badly wounded.
Here is the citation:
Tank gunner First Sergeant KNIAZEV showed exceptional military skill in delivering precise artillery fire and courage on the battlefield during the breaking of enemy defences 12.01.1945.
The tank rushed into enemy defence position at village BOREK reference point 228,9 and was met with dense AT fire from the edge of the woods west of MAGIEROW. Comrade Kniazev one by one took out 3 AT cannons, 1 pillbox. When the tank reached the woods edge it was hit by the AT fire and caught fire. Comrade Kniazev was wounded, but despite that he dismounted machine gun from the burning tank and opened fire at the retrieving enemy infantry killing 8 hitleriets and capturing 4.
For courage, bravery and resourcefulness in battle, comrade Kniazev is worthy of order of Glory III class.
The wound mentioned in the citation was Kniazev’s 3rd in the course of the war. He was lightly wounded in 1942 and badly in 1944 according the the same citation. The bad wound of 1944 is also revealed in the hospital release documentation. He was released on 09/July/1944 and apparently was sent to his original unit - 226 Detached Tank Batalion, 5 Guards Tank Army, 1 Ukrainian front.
Drafted in 1942, he received his boot-camp training in 21st Detached Training Tank Regiment. He also earned order Red Star in May1945.
He seems to have lived long life and was awarded OPWI in April 1985.
Now, the scene of the battle.
The day of the action, 12/Jan/1945, was the starting day of the Vistula-Oder offensive.
Here 5 Gv.A commander’s plan for the first 3 days of Vistula-Oder offensive. The location of the Kniazev’s action is marked.
Red Army force disposition on the starting position just prior to attack on 12/Jan/1945 (the location of Kniazev’s 226 DTR is marked):
And now zooming in on the actual place described in the citation, Borek and Magierow.
Funny how the map layout has not changed much across those 70 years…
The "edge of the woods west of Magierow" is still there in 2016.
