Ivahnenko, Artem Semenovich, Mortar Crew Commander, 227th Rifle Regiment

[medals73]

Posted at the request of a forum comrade. Fully documented and researched.

[Tretov]

What medal is it on the far right? Polish?

[medals73]

Originally Posted by Tretov

What medal is it on the far right? Polish?

Czech. Dukhla Commemorative Medal.

PM sent.

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by medals73

Czech. Dukhla Commemorative Medal.

PM sent.

And often mistaken with the North Korean National Flag Order when on ribbon bars.

[medals73]

At the request of a fellow forumite, I post a bit more information. The easiest way to do this is to quote the write-up done by the previous custodian of this group.

Artyom Ivakhnenko was drafted into the Red Army in late 1943, following the liberation of his native village in Kiev Region.

By July 1944 he had the rank of Junior Sergeant and served as deputy rifle platoon commander in 385th Rifle Regt., 112 Rifle Div., 13th Army, 27th Rifle Corps, 1st Ukrainian Front. On July 6, he assumed duties of his fallen platoon commander, rallied the platoon to attack, and was among the first to break into the enemy trenches. In this engagement Ivakhnenko was seriously wounded (his second wound of the war). On July 23, he was recommended for an Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd cl. by his regiment commander, and on 10 August 1944 awarded with it [#892593] by a decree of the 27th Rifle Corps.

After recovering from his wound, Ivakhnenko was reassigned as member of a mortar crew to 227th Rifle Regt., 183rd Rifle Div., 38th Army, 101st Rifle Corps, 4th Ukrainian Front. During the October - November battles in the Beskides (continuation of the Carpathian mountain chain), he was instrumental in eliminating 24 German soldiers, 2 heavy machineguns and 4 lorries with ammunition. On 10 November 1944, he was awarded with the Medal for Valor [#1525766].

In January 1945, Ivakhnenko distinguished himself during the fighting in the eastern Czechoslovakia. On January 18, his mortar crew suppressed 2 enemy machine-gun emplacements and killed as many as 12 German soldiers. On January 21, by accurately laying the mortar he suppressed an enemy firing emplacement, and on January 25, suppressed 2 heavy machineguns and killed up to 8 enemy soldiers. For bravery and skill, on 21 February 1945 Ivakhnenko was awarded with the Order of Glory, 3rd cl. [#285596].

On 30 April 1945, Ivankhnenko was among the first in his unit to ford the Oder river in its upper stream near Moravska Ostrava. Keeping up with the infantry, he positioned his mortar near the edge of a village, fired at the retreating enemy, and killed 10 German soldiers. When the Germans counterattacked on May 5, Ivakhnenko quickly deployed the mortar. He then ordered the other soldiers of his mortar crew - by then he had been promoted to the crew commander - to take positions at the windows of a nearby house with their personal weapons. His rapid fire killed 6 enemy soldiers and forced the rest to retreat. For this feat, Ivakhnenko was awarded with the Order of Glory, 2nd cl. [#27979] on 1 June 1945.

[medals73]

The (uncommon) document for the Czech medal.