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Red/Soviet Army Award Groups Award Groups of Red/Soviet Army Personnel of the Great Patriotic War, Cold War and other conflicts.

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Old 04-13-2004, 06:19 PM   #1
Dolf
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Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union

Gentlemen,

Would anyone know ALL the Awards awarded to V. Zaitsev, the famous sniper from the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as the exact reasons why he was awarded each of his Orders and Medals?

So far I know he got:

- One Gold Star Medal (Hero of the Soviet Union)
- One Order of Lenin (with the above Medal)
- Two Orders of the Red Banner (one screwback, the other I don't know)
- One Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st Class (don't know the Type or Var)
- One Medal for Bravery (or was it one Medal for Combat Service? not sure)
- One Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad

I was also told he may have had either the "Lightly wounded" or "Heavily wounded" badges, probably the Light Wounded has he recovered from his eyesight wounding. I never heard about these Wounded Badges! Any info about these?
In the Stalingrad Museum, with his rifle, there is also a Excellent Sniper Badge, as well as a Guards Badge.

Any help ( Eddie?... ;) ) will be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Dolf

PS: Will try to post a pic of his Riffle, but after resizing the original pic in order to make it acceptable for the 50KB size... I don't know if something it's still visible... :(
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Old 04-13-2004, 06:58 PM   #2
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Hsu.

Junior Lieutenant Vasilly Zaisev - was awarded his HSU on February 22nd 1943.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit: Sniper 1047th Rifle Regiment, 284th Rifle Division

HSU & Lenin Order - received in the Kremlin.

Medal for Bravery - Every Sniper got this Medal after 40 Kills.

Medal for Combat Service - October 1942, together with a sniper rifle from the commander the 1047th Rifle Regiment

2 x Red Banner

OGPW 1st Class

Defense of Stalingrad.
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File Type: jpg Zaicev_VG.jpg (8.1 KB, 142 views)
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Last edited by Taz; 04-14-2004 at 02:28 PM.
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Old 04-13-2004, 07:53 PM   #3
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Eddie,

Once again, thank you very much, you have indeed been doing a fantastic research job about every possible topic on this Forum!
My sincere congratulations!

If not allowed to post it here can you please PM me the site or link where you found those two Wounded Badges? Thanks a lot.

Best,

Dolf
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Old 04-13-2004, 09:18 PM   #4
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Interesting facts about V Zaitsev:

He was in the Navy since 1936
Went to military school
Was in service on the Pacific Fleet until 1942
Sniper on Stalingard front since September 1942

I am curious to know how did he transition from being a Sailor/Jr Officer in the Navy to a Sniper in Stalingrad???

William
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Old 04-13-2004, 09:27 PM   #5
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William,

I recommend you read a recent reprint of "Notes of a Sniper" by V. Zaitsev himself.
I've read it recently but can't remember the exact way that happened, but I remember he explains that on his book.

I'm sending you a PM, for the link of the publisher of this reprint.

Dolf
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Old 04-27-2004, 03:38 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by new world

I am curious to know how did he transition from being a Sailor/Jr Officer in the Navy to a Sniper in Stalingrad???
William
William,
Prior to being a sniper he was a bookkeeper in the Soviet Navy and then volunteered to go to fight in Stalingrad.
Before all of the sniper notoriety, because of his small size he always had to struggle to be taken seriously as an effective front line soldier.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Petty Officer Vassili Zaitsev was a bookkeeper based in Vladivostok with the Soviet Pacific Fleet. He had been a sailor for five years. Zaitsev could not tolerate sitting out the war on the tranquil Pacific base while his country was bleeding, and he and twenty fellow sailors volunteered to fight in Stalingrad.

The Russian brass did not consider Zaitsev the bookkeeper to be fighting material. At first his superiors were going to be deploy him on the safe side of the Volga, to continue his duties as a clerk. Zaitsev had to struggle with the military bureaucracy in order to be re-assigned to a combat unit. Although his officers knew from his target range experience that he was an excellent shot, no one thought to assign him as a sniper.

Zaitsev himself had never seen a rifle with a telescopic sight until he was in the midst of the battle.


Eddie.
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Last edited by Taz; 04-27-2004 at 03:44 PM.
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Old 04-27-2004, 10:53 PM   #7
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Zaitsev Picture

Here is an official drawing of lieutenant V. G. Zaitsev wearing the HSU star and a ribbon bar with just four orders. I marked the Lenin and the Red Banner Order but what are the other two? Kutusov 2nd class does not seem right and the Nevski has not been mentioned before.
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Old 04-18-2013, 08:04 PM   #8
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Re: Vasilij Zajtsev's Awards

We can now finish putting the nails into the coffin of the "fairy tale" of the "Hero Of Stalingrad".

"The site" offers the original citations without the "spin".

Surprisingly nice handwriting on them all too.

First he was awarded the Medal "For Bravery", then a "Red Banner" and then a "Hero Of The Soviet Union" for his feats in Stalingrad (as well as the campaign Medal). In 1944 he was awarded a second "Red Banner" and he also received an OPWI '85

He was in Military service from 1935 and was a high ranking (formerly rated) non-commissioned officer. He was in the Red Navy but transferred to Army as a "Starshina 1st Status" to serve at the front. Where he actually got to see a bit of combat.


Here is his Medal citation.
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File Type: jpg Zajtsev B 1.jpg (118.3 KB, 3 views)
File Type: jpg Zajtsev B 2.jpg (118.8 KB, 4 views)
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Old 04-18-2013, 08:08 PM   #9
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Re: Vasilij Zajtsev's Awards

His first Red Banner. Downgrade from a Lenin (His first Medal was also a downgrade from an unnamed Order).
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File Type: jpg Zajtsev RB 1a.jpg (119.4 KB, 3 views)
File Type: jpg Zajtsev RB 1b.jpg (119.3 KB, 1 views)
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Old 04-18-2013, 08:12 PM   #10
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Re: Vasilij Zajtsev's Awards

Hero Of The Soviet Union. No downgrade this time - the tide is turning!
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File Type: jpg zajtsev HSU1.jpg (122.2 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg zajtsev HSU2.jpg (119.1 KB, 2 views)
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