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On August 20, 1941, the tank crew under the command of Senior Lieutenant Zinovy Kolobanov destroyed 22 enemy tanks. The feat of Zinovy Kolobanov is now well known. In one battle, his crew destroyed 22 enemy tanks. According to this indicator - the destruction of the maximum number of enemy tanks in one battle, Zinovy Kolobanov is second only to Dmitry Sholokhov.
It all started with the fact that on August 8, 1941, von Leeb's troops, who had trampled along the Luga line for almost a month, resumed their attack on Leningrad. On August 9, 1941, the 1st Panzer Division was able to break through the Soviet defenses, and, having gone to the rear of the Soviet troops, connect with the 6th Panzer Division. August 14, 1941 German troops cut railway Krasnogvardeisk - Kingisepp, on August 16, 1941, they took the Volosovo station and rapidly advanced towards Krasnogvardeisk - the former and current Gatchina.
Our troops defending the line on the Luga River (70th, 111th, 177th, 235th rifle divisions, as well as the 1st and 3rd militia divisions), were cut off from the main forces and offered stubborn resistance while surrounded. The reserves sent from the deep rear had not yet arrived, and the road to Leningrad was open for the Germans who had broken through.
The only formation capable of delaying the German offensive was Major General Baranov's 1st Panzer Division. On August 12, the division went on the defensive in the area of Vypolzovo, Kryakovo, Nerevitsy, and Lelino. At this point, the division had 58 serviceable tanks, 4 of which were medium T-28s, and 7 were heavy KV-1s. The 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion of the 1st tank regiment of this division included five KV tanks. It was this company that was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Zinovy Grigorievich Kolobanov.
Zinovy Kolobanov on the eve of the Winter War, in which he fought as a commander of a tank company of the 1st Light Tank Brigade with the rank of lieutenant
On August 19, Kolobanov was called to the division commander. Having shown on the map three roads leading to Krasnogvardeysk from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp, the general ordered to block them. Each tank was loaded with two rounds of armor-piercing shells. This time, the crews took the minimum amount of high-explosive fragmentation shells. The main thing was not to miss the German tanks.
On the same day, Kolobanov advanced his company towards the advancing enemy. He sent two tanks - Lieutenant Sergeev and Junior Lieutenant Evdokimenko to the Luga road. Two more KVs under the command of Lieutenant Lastochkin and Second Lieutenant Degtyar went to defend the road leading to Volosovo. The tank of the company commander himself was to ambush the road connecting the Tallinn highway with the road to Marienburg - the northern outskirts of Krasnogvardeisk.
The crew of Zinoviy Kolobanov. Kolobanov himself - in the center
The crew, in addition to Kolobanov himself, included the commander of the gun, senior sergeant Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, senior driver, foreman Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, loader, also junior mechanic, Red Army soldier Nikolai Feoktistovich Rodenkov, and gunner-radio operator, senior sergeant Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov. For his KV, Kolobanov determined the position in such a way that in the sector of fire there was the longest, well-opened section of the road. A little before reaching the Uchkhoz poultry farm, it turned almost 90 degrees and then went to Marienburg. Vast swamps stretched along the sides of the road.
By evening, they managed to hide the tank in a caponier dug up to the very turret. A spare position was also equipped. After that, not only the tank itself was carefully disguised, but even traces of its tracks ..
Closer to the night approached military guards. The young lieutenant reported to Kolobanov. He ordered the infantrymen to be placed behind the tank, to the side, so that in which case they would not come under gunfire.
KV-1 with additional armor / Zinovy Kolobanov's tank was also equipped with such armor
In the early morning of August 20, 1941, Kolobanov's crew was awakened by the roar of German Ju-88 bombers flying at high altitude towards Leningrad. At ten o'clock shots were heard from the left, from the side of the road leading to Volosovo. A message came on the radio that one of the crews had engaged in battle with German tanks. Kolobanov summoned the commander of the outpost and ordered him that his infantrymen open fire on the enemy only when the KV gun spoke. For themselves, Kolobanov and Usov outlined two landmarks: No. 1 - two birch trees at the end of the intersection and No. 2 - the intersection itself. Landmarks were chosen in such a way as to destroy the lead enemy tanks right at the crossroads, to prevent the rest of the vehicles from turning off the road leading to Marienburg.
Only in the second hour of the day did enemy vehicles appear on the road. The German motorcyclists turned left and rushed towards Marienburg, not noticing the camouflaged KV standing in ambush. Behind the motorcyclists, the Pz.III tanks of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank regiment of the 1st tank division of Major General Walter Krueger appeared. Their hatches were open, and some of the tankers were sitting on the armor. As soon as the lead vehicle reached landmark No. 1, Kolobanov ordered Usov to open fire.
The lead tank caught fire from the first shot. It was destroyed before it even completely passed the intersection. The second shot, right at the crossroads, destroyed the second tank. A bottleneck has formed. The column shrunk like a spring, and now the intervals between the rest of the tanks have become completely minimal. Kolobanov ordered the fire to be transferred to the tail of the column in order to finally lock it on the road. The senior sergeant corrected the sight and fired four more shots, destroying the last two in the tank column. The enemy is trapped.
In the first seconds, the Germans could not determine where the shooting was coming from, and opened fire from their 50-mm KwK-38 cannons on haystacks, which immediately caught fire. But they soon came to their senses and were able to discover the ambush. A tank duel of one KV against eighteen German tanks began. A whole hail of armor-piercing shells fell on Kolobanov's car. One by one, they hammered at the 25 mm armor of the additional screens mounted on the KV turret. Tanks KV-1 with similar armor were produced only in July 1941 and fought only on the North-Western and Leningrad fronts.
The infantry units moving behind the column came to the aid of the German tankers. Under the cover of fire from tank guns, for more effective shooting at KV, the Germans rolled anti-tank guns onto the road. Kolobanov noticed the preparations of the enemy and ordered Usov to strike high-explosive fragmentation projectile on anti-tank guns. The military outposts located behind the KV entered the battle with the German infantry.
Award list of Zinovy Kolobanov: fund 33, inventory 682524, storage unit 84. Pages 1 and 2. TsAMO, fund 217, inventory 347815, file No. 6 on sheets 102-104.
Usov managed to destroy one anti-tank missile along with the calculation, but the second managed to fire several shots. One of them broke the panoramic periscope, from which Kolobanov was monitoring the battlefield, and the other, hitting the tower, jammed it. Usov managed to destroy this gun as well, but the KV lost the ability to maneuver fire. Large turnings of the gun to the right and left could now be done only by turning the entire hull of the tank.
Kolobanov ordered the senior driver, foreman Nikolai Nikiforov, to withdraw the tank from the caponier and take up a reserve firing position. In front of the eyes of the Germans, the tank reversed out of its hiding place, drove off to the side, stood in the bushes and again opened fire on the column. At this time, the gunner-radio operator Nikolai Kiselkov climbed onto the armor and installed a spare instead of a damaged periscope.
Finally, the last 22nd tank was destroyed. By this time, 12 shells remained in the tank. By order of the commander of the battalion, Captain Joseph Shpiller, Kolobanov's tank withdrew from the position and, having put on five wounded soldiers from the security platoon, withdrew to the location of the main forces of the division. At the same time, in the battle on the Luga road, the crew of Lieutenant Fedor Sergeev destroyed eight German tanks, the crew of Junior Lieutenant Maxim Evdokimenko - five. The junior lieutenant died in this battle, three members of his crew were wounded. Only the driver Sidikov survived. The fifth German tank, destroyed by the crew in this battle, was on the account of the driver: Sidikov rammed him. At the same time, the HF itself was disabled. The tanks of junior lieutenant Degtyar and lieutenant Lastochkin burned four enemy tanks each that day. In total, the 3rd tank company destroyed 43 enemy tanks that day.
Rewarding the crew of Kolobanov
For this battle, the commander of the 3rd tank company, senior lieutenant 3inovy Grigoryevich Kolobanov, was presented with the heroic title but was awarded only the Order of the Red Banner of Battle, and the commander of his tank's gun, senior sergeant Andrei Mikhailovich Usov, received the Order of Lenin.
The military battle seriously delayed the enemy's offensive near Leningrad and saved the city from lightning capture. By the way, one of the reasons why the Germans were so eager to capture Leningrad in the summer of 1941 was precisely the fact that the Kirov plant, which produced KV tanks, was located in the city.
Kolobanov with his family after the war
On August 20, 1941, a historic tank battle took place, which is called "the most successful battle" in the history of tank confrontations. The battle was led by Zinovy Kolobanov, an ace tanker of the Red Army.
Zinovy Kolobanov was born at the end of December 1910, in the village of Arefino, Vladimir province. Kolobanov's father died during civil war, and Zinovy \u200b\u200bwas constantly working from an early age. He graduated from the 8th grade of the school, entered the technical school, and in the 3rd year he was drafted into the army. Kolobanov was assigned to the infantry troops, but the army needed tankers, and he was sent to study at the armored school named after. Frunze. In 1936 he graduated with honors, and with the rank of senior lieutenant went to the Leningrad Military District.
Zinovy Kolobanov was "baptized by fire" during the Soviet-Finnish war. He met her as a commander of a tank company. In a short period of time, Kolobanov almost died in a burning tank three times, but each time he returned to duty. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Kolobanov had to quickly master the heavy Soviet KV-1 tank in order not only to fight on it, but also to train recruits.
Attack on Gatchina
In early August 1941, Army Group North launched an attack on Leningrad. The Red Army retreated. In the area of Gatchina (at that time Krasnogvardeysk) the Germans were held back by the 1st Panzer Division. The situation was difficult - the Wehrmacht had tank superiority, and from day to day the Nazis could break through the defenses of the city and capture the city. Why was Krasnogvardeysk so important to the Germans? At that time, it was a major transport hub in front of Leningrad.
On August 19, 1941, Zinovy Kolobanov received an order from the division commander to block three roads coming from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp. The divisional commander's order was short: stand to the death. Kolobanov's company was on heavy KV-1 tanks. KV-1 well resisted the Panzerwaffe - the tank units of the Wehrmacht. But the KV-1 had a significant drawback: the lack of maneuverability. In addition, at the beginning of the war, there were few KV-1 and T-34s in the Red Army, so they were protected and, if possible, tried to avoid fighting in open areas.
The most successful tank battle of 1941
The crew of Lieutenant Kolobanov consisted of senior sergeant Andrey Usov, senior driver-mechanic Nikolai Nikiforov, junior driver-mechanic Nikolai Rodnikov and gunner-radio operator Pavel Kiselkov. The crew of the tank was the same as Lieutenant Kolobanov: people with experience, good training.
After Kolobanov received the order of the divisional commander, he put his team combat mission: Stop the German tanks. Armor-piercing shells were placed in each tank, two sets each. Arriving at the place near the Voiskovitsy state farm, Zinovy Kolobanov placed " combat points": tanks of lieutenant Evdokimenko and Degtyar near the Luga highway, tanks of junior lieutenant Sergeev and Lastochkin near Kingisepp. Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov and his team stood in the center of defense, on the seaside road. KV-1 was placed 300 meters from the intersection.
22 tanks in 30 minutes
At 12 o'clock on August 20, the Germans tried to capture the Luga highway, but Evdokimenko and Degtyar knocked out 5 tanks and 3 armored personnel carriers, after which the Germans turned back. At about 2 p.m., German reconnaissance motorcyclists appeared, but Kolobanov's team on KV-1 did not give themselves away. Some time later German light tanks appeared. Kolobanov commanded "fire!" and the fight began.
First, the commander of the gun, Usov, knocked out 3 lead tanks, then brought down fire on the tanks closing the column. The passage of the German column choked, the tanks were on fire at the beginning of the column and at the end. Now there was no way to get away from the shelling. At this time, the KV-1 discovered itself, the Germans returned fire, but the heavy armor of the tank was impenetrable. At one point, the KV-1 tower went out of order, but the senior mechanic Nikiforov began to maneuver the car so that Usov had the opportunity to continue to beat the Germans.
30 minutes of battle - all tanks of the German column were destroyed.
Even the "aces" of the Panzerwaffe could not imagine such a result. Later, the achievement of Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
On August 20, 1941, five tanks of the Kolobanov company destroyed a total of 43 German tanks. In addition to tanks, an artillery battery and two companies of infantry were hit.
Unappreciated Hero
In 1941, Kolobanov's crew was assigned the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After a while, the high command replaced the title of Hero with the Order of the Red Banner (Zinovy Kolobanov was awarded), Andrei Usov was awarded the Order of Lenin, and driver-mechanic Nikiforov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. They simply “did not believe” in the feat of the crew of Kolobanov, although the documents were provided.
In September 1941, Zinovy Kolobanov was seriously wounded, and returned to the Red Army after the end of the war, in the summer of 1945. He served in the army until 1958, after which he entered the reserve of colonels and settled in Minsk.
Monument near Voiskovitsy
In the early 1980s, it was decided to erect a monument at the site of the famous battle. Kolobanov wrote a letter to the USSR Ministry of Defense asking for a tank to perpetuate the feat of the heroes. Dmitry Ustinov, Minister of Defense, gave a positive answer, and a tank was allocated for the monument - but not the KV-1, but the IS-2.
On August 20, 1941, a historic tank battle took place, which is called "the most successful battle" in the history of tank confrontations. The battle was led by Zinovy Kolobanov, an ace tanker of the Red Army.
Zinovy Kolobanov was born at the end of December 1910, in the village of Arefino, Vladimir province. Kolobanov's father died during the Civil War, and Zinovy worked constantly from an early age. He graduated from the 8th grade of the school, entered the technical school, and in the 3rd year he was drafted into the army. Kolobanov was assigned to the infantry troops, but the army needed tankers, and he was sent to study at the armored school named after. Frunze. In 1936 he graduated with honors, and with the rank of senior lieutenant went to the Leningrad Military District.
Zinovy Kolobanov was "baptized by fire" during the Soviet-Finnish war. He met her as a commander of a tank company. In a short period of time, Kolobanov almost died in a burning tank three times, but each time he returned to duty. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Kolobanov had to quickly master the heavy Soviet KV-1 tank in order not only to fight on it, but also to train recruits.
Attack on Gatchina
In early August 1941, Army Group North launched an attack on Leningrad. The Red Army retreated. In the area of Gatchina (at that time Krasnogvardeysk) the Germans were held back by the 1st Panzer Division. The situation was difficult - the Wehrmacht had tank superiority, and from day to day the Nazis could break through the defenses of the city and capture the city. Why was Krasnogvardeysk so important to the Germans? At that time, it was a major transport hub in front of Leningrad.
On August 19, 1941, Zinovy Kolobanov received an order from the division commander to block three roads coming from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp. The divisional commander's order was short: stand to the death. Kolobanov's company was on heavy KV-1 tanks. KV-1 well resisted the Panzerwaffe - the tank units of the Wehrmacht. But the KV-1 had a significant drawback: the lack of maneuverability. In addition, at the beginning of the war, there were few KV-1 and T-34s in the Red Army, so they were protected and, if possible, tried to avoid fighting in open areas.
The most successful tank battle of 1941
The crew of Lieutenant Kolobanov consisted of senior sergeant Andrey Usov, senior driver-mechanic Nikolai Nikiforov, junior driver-mechanic Nikolai Rodnikov and gunner-radio operator Pavel Kiselkov. The crew of the tank was the same as Lieutenant Kolobanov: people with experience, good training.
After Kolobanov received the order of the divisional commander, he set a combat mission for his team: to stop the German tanks. Armor-piercing shells were placed in each tank, two sets each. Arriving at the place near the Voiskovitsy state farm, Zinovy Kolobanov set up “combat points”: the tanks of Lieutenant Evdokimenko and Degtyar near the Luga Highway, the tanks of Junior Lieutenant Sergeev and Lastochkin near Kingisepp. Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov and his team stood in the center of defense, on the seaside road. KV-1 was placed 300 meters from the intersection.
22 tanks in 30 minutes
At 12 o'clock on August 20, the Germans tried to capture the Luga highway, but Evdokimenko and Degtyar knocked out 5 tanks and 3 armored personnel carriers, after which the Germans turned back. At about 2 p.m., German reconnaissance motorcyclists appeared, but Kolobanov's team on KV-1 did not give themselves away. Some time later German light tanks appeared. Kolobanov commanded "fire!" and the fight began.
First, the commander of the gun, Usov, knocked out 3 lead tanks, then brought down fire on the tanks closing the column. The passage of the German column choked, the tanks were on fire at the beginning of the column and at the end. Now there was no way to get away from the shelling. At this time, the KV-1 discovered itself, the Germans returned fire, but the heavy armor of the tank was impenetrable. At one point, the KV-1 tower went out of order, but the senior mechanic Nikiforov began to maneuver the car so that Usov had the opportunity to continue to beat the Germans.
30 minutes of battle - all tanks of the German column were destroyed.
Even the "aces" of the Panzerwaffe could not imagine such a result. Later, the achievement of Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
On August 20, 1941, five tanks of Kolobanov's company destroyed a total of 43 German tanks. In addition to tanks, an artillery battery and two companies of infantry were hit.
Unappreciated Hero
In 1941, Kolobanov's crew was assigned the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After a while, the high command replaced the title of Hero with the Order of the Red Banner (Zinovy Kolobanov was awarded), Andrei Usov was awarded the Order of Lenin, and driver-mechanic Nikiforov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. They simply “did not believe” in the feat of the crew of Kolobanov, although the documents were provided.
In September 1941, Zinovy Kolobanov was seriously wounded, and returned to the Red Army after the end of the war, in the summer of 1945. He served in the army until 1958, after which he entered the reserve of colonels and settled in Minsk.
Monument near Voiskovitsy
In the early 1980s, it was decided to erect a monument at the site of the famous battle. Kolobanov wrote a letter to the USSR Ministry of Defense asking for a tank to perpetuate the feat of the heroes. Dmitry Ustinov, Minister of Defense, gave a positive answer, and a tank was allocated for the monument - but not the KV-1, but the IS-2.
The feat of a tanker Zinovia Kolobanova still not appreciated. In August 1941 Kolobanov was tasked to stand to death on the outskirts of Krasnogvardeysk. The night of August 20 passed in anxious anticipation. Finally, a German column of 22 tanks appeared. By car Kolobanova heavy fire fell, but in just 30 minutes the crew did the impossible: all 22 enemy tanks were destroyed. At the end of the war with a feat Kolobanova a strange incident occurred - they simply refused to believe in it, although the fact of the battle, and its results have been documented.
It all went like this:
In harsh silence
There is a heavy tank,
Disguised in the woods
Enemies are crowding
iron idols,
But takes the fight
Zinovy Kolobanov.
These verses are just a small excerpt from a poem that was written in September 1941 by the poet Alexander Gitovich in honor of the commander of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion of the 1st tank division, senior lieutenant Zinovia Kolobanov. A month before, on August 20, 1941, the crew of the tank, commanded by the 30-year-old Kolobanov,destroyed 22 German tanks in one battle. In addition, an artillery battery, a passenger car and up to two companies of the Nazi infantry were destroyed.
Kolobanov began his service in the infantry, but the Red Army needed tankmen. A capable young soldier was sent to Oryol, to the Frunze armored school.
In 1936 Zinovy Kolobanov He graduated from the armored school with honors and with the rank of lieutenant was sent to serve in the Leningrad Military District.
He received his baptism of fire in the Soviet-Finnish war, which he began as the commander of a tank company of the 1st Light Tank Brigade. During this short war, he burned three times in a tank, each time returning to duty, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
At the beginning Great Patriotic War The Red Army was in dire need of such as Kolobanov- Competent commanders with combat experience. That is why he, who began his service on light tanks, urgently had to master Kolobanov KV-1, so that then not only beat the Nazis on it, but also train their subordinates in this.
The crew of the KV-1 tank, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov, included the commander of the gun, Senior Sergeant Andrey Usov, the senior mechanic-driver, Petty Officer Nikolai Nikiforov, the junior mechanic-driver, Red Army soldier Nikolai Rodnikov, and the gunner-radio operator, Senior Sergeant Pavel Kiselkov.
Tanks "Kliment Voroshilov" KV-1 against the German Pz.Kpfw.35 (t)
KV - 1: heavy tank. Gun caliber and brand: 76 mm L-11, F-32, F-34, ZIS-5
Pz.Kpfw.35(t): light tank. Gun caliber and make: 37 mm vz.34UV
Position of a heavy tank KV-1 Kolobanov was located at a height with clay soil, at a distance of about 150 m from the fork in the road, near which two birches grew, which received the name "Landmark No. 1", and about 300 m from the intersection marked "Landmark No. 2". The length of the viewed section of the road is about 1000 m, 22 tanks are easily placed on it with a marching distance between tanks of 40 m.
Shielded tank crew KV-1 receives a combat mission. Leningrad Front, August-September 1941
The choice of a place for firing in two opposite directions (such a position is called a caponier) is explained as follows. The enemy could take the road to Marienburg either along the road from Voiskovits or along the road from Syaskelevo. In the first case, you would have to shoot in the forehead. Therefore, the caponier was dug directly opposite the intersection in such a way that the heading angle was minimal. At the same time, I had to come to terms with the fact that the distance to the fork was reduced to a minimum.
Having received the order Kolobanov set a combat mission: to stop enemy tanks, so each of the company's five vehicles was loaded with two ammunition sets of armor-piercing shells.
Arriving on the same day at a place not far from the Voiskovitsy state farm, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov distributed forces. Lieutenant's tanks Evdokimenko and junior lieutenant Degtyar took up defensive positions on the Luga Highway, junior lieutenant tanks Sergeeva and junior lieutenant Lastochkina covered the Kingisepp road. Himself Kolobanov got the seaside road located in the center of defense.
The night of August 20 passed in anxious anticipation. Around noon, the Germans tried to break through the Luga highway, but the crews Evdokimenko and Degtyar, knocking out five tanks and three armored personnel carriers, forced the enemy to turn back.
Two hours later, past the position of the tank of the senior lieutenant Kolobanova passed by German motorcyclists scouts. Disguised KV-1 did not find himself.
Finally, the long-awaited "guests" appeared - a column of German light tanks, consisting of 22 vehicles.
Kolobanov commanded:
The first volleys stopped the three lead tanks, then the gun commander Usov shifted his fire to the tail of the column. As a result, the Germans lost their ability to maneuver and could not leave the firing zone.
At the same time, Kolobanov's tank was discovered by the enemy, who unleashed heavy fire on him.
Soon from disguise KV-1 there was nothing left, German shells hit the tower Soviet tank, however, it was not possible to penetrate it.
At some point, another hit disabled the tank turret, and then, in order to continue the battle, the driver Nikolay Nikiforov led the tank out of the trench and began to maneuver, turning KV-1 so that the crew could continue to fire on the Nazis.
During the 30 minutes of the battle, the crew of the senior lieutenant Kolobanova destroyed all 22 tanks in the column.
When the fight is over Kolobanov with subordinates found traces on the armor from more than 150 hits of German shells. But reliable armor KV-1 endured everything.
Immediately after this tank battle, which ended in complete victory Soviet weapons, in the newspaper "Red Star" there was a note about the feat of the tankman Kolobanov.
And in the archives of the Ministry of Defense, a unique document has been preserved - the award list of Zinovy Kolobanov.
It confirms the information about the number of destroyed tanks, but, perhaps most importantly, - Zinovia Kolobanova and all members of his crew for the courage and heroism shown in the victorious battle were presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But the high command did not consider that the feat of the tankers deserved such a high appraisal. Zinovia Kolobanova awarded Order of the Red Banner, Andrey Usov - Order of Lenin,Nikolai Nikiforov - Order of the Red Banner, a Nikolai Rodnikov and Pavel Kiselkov - Orders of the Red Star.
On September 13, 1941, Krasnogvardeysk was abandoned by the Red Army. Kolobanov's company was again left at the most important line at that moment - it covered the retreat of the last military column to the city of Pushkin. September 15, 1941 Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was seriously wounded. At night at the cemetery of the city of Pushkin, where the tanks were refueled and ammunition, next to the KV Zinovia Kolobanova a German shell exploded. The tanker received a shrapnel wound to the head and spine, contusion of the brain and spinal cord.
He was sent for treatment to the Traumatological Institute of Leningrad, in the very city that the tanker so successfully defended. Before the blockade northern capital, the tank hero was evacuated and until March 15, 1945 he was treated in evacuation hospitals No. 3870 and 4007 in Sverdlovsk. But in the summer of 1945, having recovered from his wound, Zinovy Kolobanov returned to duty. For another thirteen years he served in the army, having retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel, then for many years he lived and worked at a factory in Minsk.
Why not a hero? To the question: “Why does the tank hero Kolobanov neither during the Great Patriotic War, nor after its end, was the title Hero of the Soviet Union awarded? there are two answers. And both of them lie in the biography of the tanker Zinovy Grigorievich Kolobanov.
The first reason - after the war, the journalist of the "Red Star" A. Pinchuk published information that allegedly for a breakthrough Mannerheim line Kolobanov Z.G.. became a Hero of the Soviet Union (at the beginning of March 1940 he received Gold Star and Order of Lenin) and he was awarded the extraordinary rank of captain. But for the fraternization of his subordinates with the Finnish military after the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 12, 1940 Kolobov Z.G. was deprived of both the title and the award, documentary evidence confirming the receipt Kolobanov Z.G. the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for participation in the Finnish War, no.
The second reason - December 10, 1951 Kolobov was transferred to the group Soviet troops in Germany (GSVG), where he served until 1955. July 10, 1952 Z. G. Kolobanov was awarded military rank lieutenant colonel, and on April 30, 1954, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (for 20 years of service in the army).
At this time, he deserted from a tank battalion to the British occupation zone. soviet soldier. Saving the battalion commander from a military tribunal, the commander announced Kolobanov Z.G. on incomplete official compliance and transferred him to the Belarusian military district. AT Soviet time the presence in the biography of even one of the listed reasons was quite enough to refuse to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Zinovy Kolobanov passed away in 1994, but veteran organizations, social activists and historians are still trying to achieve assignment to him title of Hero of Russia.
However, during his lifetime, the feat of a tanker Z. G. Kolobanova did not receive recognition.
Journalist I. B. Lisochkin:
In any country in the world, for what Kolobanov did, a person should have been given all the highest orders, promotions, promotions. Why didn't they give him a Hero? I understand that he was obliged to give. The fact that he and his crew members were not awarded Gold Stars is, in my opinion, an incredible injustice. Why wasn't he awarded? When Baranov reported to the front commander and political workers who were there that Kolobanov deserves the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, he was told: “What are you? He just got out of prison. He discredited our army on the Finnish front."
Historian A. Smirnov, 2003:
For a long time Kolobanov they refused to believe when he talked about the famous battle and the number of tanks destroyed by his crew. There were cases when from the hall, having heard about the number of destroyed tanks, ironic laughter was heard: “They say, lie to a veteran, but know when to stop!”
Many Soviet soldiers during the war with the fascist invaders performed feats, but they were far from always awarded according to their merits, in the same way Zinovy Kolobanov, whose feat is not forgotten, bypassed the award. His name was not included in the number of more than eleven and a half thousand, but the people remember everything.
Forgotten Heroes
People who demonstrated exceptional courage and courage were often not marked high awards. In principle, they did not fight for awards, more fellow soldiers were upset. For example, Alexei Berest, who directly hoisted the Red Banner on the Berlin Reichstag, did not receive the Hero's star either. The feat of Zinovy Kolobanov also turned out to be underestimated.
Estimates are always subjective, they are determined by people who tend to make mistakes. However, the feat of Zinovy Kolobanov inspired not only fighters on all fronts, but also many poets, writers, musicians, and artists. His military work is not forgotten. A private museum named after him, dedicated to the battle for Leningrad, was opened. And in this article it will be told in all possible details about the feat of Zinovy Kolobanov.
In August 1941
The encirclement of the city on the Neva by a large group of Nazi armies began on August 8. Ours fought to the death, but inch by inch gave up their territory, narrowing the ring around the city more and more. Despite the exceptional dedication of the soldiers of the Red Army, under pressure from better armed and superior numbers of enemy forces, they had to retreat.
During the Great Patriotic War, he served precisely there, in Gatchina (now it is the city of Krasnogvardeisk), in the First Tank Division, commanded by Viktor Ilyich Baranov. The onslaught of the enemy, who planned the blitzkrieg, was fierce and stubborn, but he wondered why such weak troops did not surrender. However, not all units and subunits were underarmed at the beginning of the war.
Order
Three roads led to Krasnogvardeysk, along which the fascist troops tried to break through. The first - from the city of Luga, the second - from Volosov, the third - from Kingisepp. The order to block and hold them came from General Baranov on August 19, 1941. The task is difficult, and therefore it was entrusted to an experienced officer who went through the Finnish war - Zinovy Grigorievich Kolobanov. He commanded the third tank company.
They were armed with KV-1, heavy tanks, powerful vehicles, which at that time were almost the only ones that could withstand German armored vehicles. However, tanks by themselves don't mean much in combat. The main thing is people. And specifically - the commander, a legendary person who went down in history for all time. This is Zinovy Grigorievich Kolobanov. It was his feat that predetermined the outcome of the battle, which future officers are studying in tactics classes today. Therefore, you need to tell about the hero in more detail.
Biography
Zinovy Kolobanov was born in December 1910 in the village of Arefino. now this Nizhny Novgorod Region. During the Civil War, his father died, and his mother had to raise three sons alone. Zinovy willingly studied at school, graduated from eight classes and went to Gorky to an industrial technical school, this was a very wise decision at that time.
Industrialization was going on in the country, so qualified engineers and workers were just worth their weight in gold - they were extremely in demand. But Zinovy Kolobanov did not have to work as an engineer: in February 1933 he was drafted into the ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. And there they saw that the guy was not only smart, but also literate, so they sent him first to the regimental school, and then to the military armored school named after Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze.
Thus, Zinovy \u200b\u200bbecame a regular officer. In 1936, he graduated from a military school with honors, he received the rank of lieutenant and entered the Third Separate Tank Battalion of the Second Tank Brigade, which was based in the Leningrad Military District, as a tank commander. However, his teaching did not stop: in 1938 he received new knowledge at the Command Improvement Courses.
In 1939 there was a transfer to tank brigade located on Karelian Isthmus. Zinovy Kolobanov was still the company commander. Then there was the Soviet-Finnish war, where our hero burned in a tank three times and risked his life every day, being a hair's breadth from death. All formations of the Leningrad District played a crucial role in this war. And Kolobanov personally went in a tank from the border to Vyborg.
Service
In 1940, Lieutenant Kolobanov was appointed commander of a tank reserve, and after a while his service continued in the Kiev military district: first, as a deputy commander of a tank company, then as a battalion commander. In September 1940, he became a senior lieutenant. Through a short time he was appointed commander of a tank company in a battalion heavy tanks(it must be said that this company did not have time to get heavy tanks into service).
From the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was transferred back to the First Tank Division, he became the commander of a company of heavy tanks (there were KV-1 tanks in service here too). The commander of a tank company is a very high position. Apparently, combat experience on the Karelian Isthmus went into account. But the main battle of Zinovy Kolobanov was yet to come.
The crew of the combat vehicle
In the KV-1 tank, together with the company commander, senior lieutenant Zinovy Kolobanov, four more real heroes fought. This is a radio operator-gunner - senior sergeant Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov, a gun commander - Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, a driver - foreman Ivanovich, an assistant to a driver - Private Nikolai Feoktistovich Rodnikov. Each of them was supposed to become a Hero of the Soviet Union and receive their own Gold Star. Most likely not just one. Especially Usov.
On August 19, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was summoned by the division commander, General Baranov, where he received an order to block three roads to the city of Krasnogvardeysk. Immediately after that, the entire company, consisting of five tanks, advanced under the command of Kolobanov to their positions. They sent two tanks to the road from Luga, two more to the direction of Kengisepp, and the commander's tank camouflaged along the seaside road, where the view made it possible to control two of the three directions.
Description of the battle
The twentieth of August arrived, the very day that added the description of the battle of Zinovy Kolobanov to the textbooks. At the end of the war, the famous German ace tanker literally "plagiarized" in the town of Villers-Bocage all the team activities of Kolobanov, knocking out 11 tanks of our English allies (and he failed to save his "Tiger", unlike our ace). However, for some reason, the world knows Wittmann's "exploits" much better (especially on Kursk Bulge) and have little information about Kolobanov.
But Zinovy Kolobanov accomplished his feat in the battle near Voiskovitsy by using real talent. The troops are a state farm, in the direction of which the commander, in order not to unmask his car for the time being, let the Nazi motorcyclists "probe" the path for the tank column. Meanwhile, a battle had already begun in the Luga direction, and the crews of the Degtyar and Evdokimenko tanks smashed the vanguard of the tank column on their road: five were destroyed at once, plus three armored personnel carriers.
The battle
Some time after the motorcyclists followed the road, a buzz was heard and the column appeared directly. There were light tanks of either the sixth, or the first, or the eighth Nazi Panzer Division - information varies. On the sides of the road in some places there was a vast and absolutely impassable swamp. Kolobanov ordered to open fire when most of the Nazi tanks were in this area. The feat of the tanker Kolobanov differs in many respects from others, since his actions were not spontaneous, they were accompanied by intelligence and real talent.
With the very first shots, three tanks in the head of the column were hit and blocked the road for the rest. Then the closing ones were hit. Further it was possible to destroy the center. The enemy did not manage to go around the burning cars - the tanks got stuck in the swamp and were shot, as if in a shooting range, standing. The panic in the column grew. The ammunition exploded. Hell, and only. Within some thirty minutes, twenty-two tanks were completely destroyed only by the commander's gun. The Nazis fired back as much as they could. One hundred and fourteen shells flew into the Soviet car. But the KV-1 survived. Armor, as the famous song says, is strong, and our tanks are fast.
gun commander
Here it is impossible not to note the great skill of Senior Sergeant Usov, the commander of the gun. He then fought a lot more, rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was the most experienced artilleryman, and it was precisely through his efforts, his accuracy that such a quick and such an unconditional victory was due. Andrei Mikhailovich managed to fight both in the Soviet-Polish and in the Soviet-Finnish campaign, but in artillery. Subsequently, he underwent appropriate training and began to command a heavy tank gun.
In total, Kolobanov's company destroyed forty-three enemy tanks during one battle: 22 - Kolobanov's tank, 8 - junior lieutenant Sergeev with a crew, 5 - lieutenant Evdokimenko, 4 - junior lieutenant Degtyar, and 4 more - lieutenant Lastochkin. When the main battle was over, the tankers switched to what was left: they destroyed artillery battery, car, two infantry companies. History has not yet known such a productive battle - neither the Soviet, nor any other tank forces in the world. The feat of the tankman Kolobanov was included in all textbooks dedicated to the art of war.
Presentation for an award
In early September, the presentation of the entire crew of the Kolobanov tank to the high rank of Heroes of the Soviet Union signed by Colonel Dmitry Pogodin, the regiment commander, went upstairs. He, who fought in Spain, was the very first tanker to receive this title in 1936, and he already understood the significance of the feat of Zinovy Kolobanov. This idea was willingly endorsed by the division commander, the general, also a Hero of the Soviet Union for the battles in Finland. However, it didn't work out.
The headquarters of the Leningrad Front did not agree with this idea. Orders were given to everyone. Commander Kolobanov and driver Nikiforov - the Red Banner, senior sergeant Usov, who shot accurately, - the Order of Lenin, gunner-radio operator Kiselkov and assistant driver Rodnikov - the Order of the Red Star. And there was no way to argue with that. Kolobanov, apparently, did not pass through some filters among the staff officers, and it was necessary to continue to fight, and just as boldly and resourcefully. However, on September 15, Zinovy \u200b\u200bwas seriously wounded while defending the city of Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo). Almost the rest of the war took place with him in Sverdlovsk hospitals.
Future life
The wounds were very, very severe, with damage to the spinal cord and brain, with contusions. In the hospital, Kolobanov received another rank - he became a captain. He was discharged in a satisfactory condition only in March 1945, just before the Victory. But, no matter how he asked to go to the front, the appointment came only in July. Kolobanov accepted the post of deputy commander of a tank battalion in Baranovichi and then served for another thirteen years. Soviet army faithfully.
The hero retired to the reserve only in 1958, after which he settled in Minsk and got a job at a car factory as a master controller of the Quality Control Department. His later life was long and happy. And then came the restructuring, and Soviet Union ceased to exist. It was very difficult for a man of the old school to survive. And Zinoviy Grigoryevich Kolobanov left us at the age of 84 in 1994.
Museum
In our country, there are currently projects dedicated to the Great Patriotic war and supported in the overwhelming majority of cases only by the initiative of interested people. So the private museum "Battle for Leningrad" was created. Zinovia Kolobanov. For more than twenty years, enthusiasts of the Leningrad Region have been restoring a diverse military equipment, which participated in one of the bloodiest and longest battles.
Museum director Oleg Titberia collected unique collection from the equipment found in the places of hostilities and restored equipment, after which he opened an amazing fleet of cars, tanks, artillery pieces in the city of Vsevolozhsk (Leningrad region). On the territory of the museum, visitors can observe how the equipment is being restored. Every machine literally dug out of the ground has its own story. Not only every detail is being studied for restoration according to seventy-year-old documents, but research is also being carried out: what was the path of this machine, who exactly fought in it. Next to the legendary "thirty-fours" and the KV-1 tank is also on display. Of course, this is not a Zinovy Kolobanov tank, it was exceptionally noticeable after one hundred and fourteen hits. The collection is constantly replenished, and search engines, scientists, restorers and simply caring people work in the museum.
