Red Star,1895345,Platoon Leader,105th High-Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade

[Bill Garvy]

Award Card
Order Booklet 337534
1. Last name: Minasyan
2. Name and patrionymic: Rafael Karlovich
3. Rank: Junior Lieutenant
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 1920
6. Birthplace: village of Aralkh, Akuryanskii Region, Armenian SSR
7. Party membership: Comsomol member since 1937
8. Education: mid-level
9. Nationality: Armenian
10. Time in Red Army: October 1939 – April 1946
11. Place of service at awarding: HQ Platoon Leader – 105 Sivash High-Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade, 1 Battalion
12. Place of work at present: Armenian SSR, Leninakan, Accountant Course at the Glukho(?) Combine - Student
13. Home address: Armenian SSR, Leninakan, #39 Street, Bldg. 204

14. Awards:
Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization
- Red Star 1.895.345 105 Gds High-Power Howitzer Arty Bde dated 8.5.45
- Victory over Germany Medal Edict dated 9.5.45
Verified by Leninabad Military Commissariat, Lieutenant Colonel Martirosyan on 3 October 1946

[Bill Garvy]

Award Sheet
1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Minosyan, Rafael Karlovich
2. Rank: Junior Lieutenant
3. Duty position: HQ Platoon Leader – 1 Battery, 105 Red Banner Sivash Order of Kutuzov High-Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade
Recommendation for the Order of the Red Star
4. Born: 1920
5. Nationality: Armenian
6. Party membership: Comsomol member
7. Previous combat: Patriotic War since 1941
8. Wounds or shell-shock: lightly wounded 1942
9. Time in Red Army: since 1939
10. Inducted by: Dnzkaidskii Regional Military Commissariat, Armenian SSR
11. Previous awards: n/a
12. Home of record: Armenian SSR, Dnzkaidskii Region, village of Aralip
13. Birthplace: same

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment
In fighting near Rzhev on the Western Front on 2.12.41 Comrade Minosyan displayed exemplary bravery. As a HQ platoon leader, he was ordered to maintain continuous communications with the commander of the attacking company. Under heavy artillery and machinegun fire during the advance, he provided the battery fire correction data against enemy resistance which resulted in the attacking company to accomplish its combat mission.
On 28 April 1944 in fighting near Vitebsk, again as a HQ platoon leader, he and a group of scouts were ordered to conduct a reconnaissance of the enemy on a hilltop. While under heavy enemy fire the brave scouts reached the hill, obtained target data and returned with no losses.
For bravery and courage displayed in combat with the German invaders he is deserving of the Order of the Red Star.
Signed Commander, 105 Sivash Red Banner Order of Kutuzov High-Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade, Colonel Solovev on 8 May 1945
Awarded the Order of the Red Star by Order #4/N of the 105 High-Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade dated 8 May 1945. Verified by Brigade Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Prokofev

[Bill Garvy]

Order Book. . .

[Bill Garvy]

Order of the Red Star, #1895345, an MZPP variation. . .

[Eryk]

Fantastic, and interesting! Action at Rzhev during Operation Mars in 1941 (want contentious history, read about Mats; it was concurrent with the Stalingrad offensive and commanded by Zhukov himself), referenced in a citation signed on VE day! A junior officer of the HQ who apparently acted as a super forward observer no less! And all before he was 25 or 26 years old... wow.

There's no reference to the 105th Brigade being at Rzhev (it was created in 1943), which means exactly nothing; he undoubtedly served with whatever the predicesor was or another unit with the same command. (The familiarity makes me think he knew the officer recommending him.) He was an officer - did you get a bio sheet that shows his postings through the war? Would be interesting to know.

At any rate the only thing keeping my jealousy in check is thinking that you must go through a tremendous number of RS to keep coming up with such wonderful research. (If you buy one every few months and they all just happen to be phenomenal I don't want to know! ;))

[Bill Garvy]

Thanks, Eryk, I just research them as they come along, preferrably with their Order Books, like this example, which I procurred on our favorite auction site. (Actually I need to go back and research the Red Stars I already have!) It was pointed out to me how long Junior Lieutenant remained in rank. It's interesting to see a Red Star recommendation for two actions over two years apart. I would have thought a Bravery Medal for the first action in 1941, and then his Red Star for the action in 1944. Sadly there was no Personnel Record with the research, just what you see here.