Soselija, Shota Mоissevich, Guards Major, 214th Artillery Regiment

[Tommy]

Award Card

Order Booklet 207269

1. Last name: Soseliya
2. Name and patrionymic: Shota *******ich
3. Rank: Guards Major
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 1922
6. Birthplace: Makharadzevskii Region, village of Mtistiri, GSSR
7. Party membership: since 1942
8. Education: mid-level; Tbilisi Artillery Academy 1941
9. Nationality: Georgian
10. Time in Red Army: 1939
11. Place of service at awarding: Battery Commander – 214 Artillery Regiment, 38 Rifle Division
12. Place of work at present: Pensioner – temporarily unemployed
13. Home address: Tbilisi, 9 January St. #8
14. Awards:

Designation Serial Number Awarding Organization

Red Star 110.208 38 Rifle Division dated 8.2.43
Red Banner 84.144 57 Army dated 24.4.44
Patriotic War II 102.667 28 Army dated 14.10.1943
Patriotic War II 102.630 28 Army dated 16.11.1943
Alexander Nevsky 41.564 57 Army dated 20.9.1944
Defense of Stalingrad Medal USSR Edict
Victory over Germany Medal USSR Edict

Verified by Acting (?) Regional Military Commissariat named after Molotov, Tbilisi, Senior Lieutenant Berdiev on 2.10.1946

[Tommy]

Red Star Citation

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Soseliya, Shoto [trans: sic] *******ich
2. Rank: Senior Lieutenant
3. Duty position: Commander – 1 Battery, 214 Battalion

Recommendation for the Order of the Red Banner [trans: last word overwritten “Star”]

4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Georgian
6. In Red Army: 1939
7. Party membership: since 1939
8. Previous combat: 4.1942
9. Wounds or shell-shock: n/a
10. Previous awards: n/a
11. Inducted by: Tbilisi Regional Military Commissariat, Zaporozhe Oblast
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

In fighting for St. Voroponovo on 22.1.1943 near Stalingrad, 1 Battery Commander Senior Lieutenant Soseliya fired on direct lay and destroyed a bunker, two self-propelled guns, and as many as 100 enemy infantry, thus allowing our infantry to advance. Pursuing a retreating enemy two kilometers north of Voroponovo Station, Comrade Soseliya advanced his battery ahead of the infantry and firing on direct lay destroyed two vehicles, one cannon, and as many as 50 Hitlerites.
Comrade Soseliya’s determination denied the enemy the opportunity to set up a defense on their subsequent defensive line and our infantry advanced freely.

Signed Commander, 214 Artillery Regiment, Major Nikolaev

Recommended downgrade to the Order of the Red Star, Deputy Commander, NAD-38, Major Borisov

[Tommy]

First OPW2 citation

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Soseliya, Shota *******ich
2. Rank: Guards Senior Lieutenant
3. Duty position: Deputy Battalion Commander of the combat section of the 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment, 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rifle Division.

Recommendation for the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class

4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Georgian
6. Party membership: Party member since 9.1942
7. Previous combat in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War: Southwestern front 4.1942, Stalingrad front 8.1942, Don front 12.1942, Voronezh front 4.1943, Steppe front 7.1943
8. Wounds or shell-shock: None
9. In the Red Army since: 8.1939
10. Inducted by: Tbilisi Regional Military Commissariat
11. Previous awards: Red Star 8.2.1943, Order 14/N of the 38th Rifle Division
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

Performing the duties of the battalion commander during the offensive fighting from July 16 to August 7, 1943 in the area of state farm “Agrticultural Labourers” dacha – city of Belovskaya, Belgorod District, Kursk oblast, he skillfully managed the fire and the maneuvering of the firing weapons which ensured the advance of our infantry. Destroyed by the battalion’s fire were:
3 Mortar batteries, 9 vehicles carrying troops and cargo, 4 machine guns, up to 2 enemy infantry companies and suppressed 3 more Mortar batteries.

Commander of the 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment
Guards Major / [signed] / Dojnikov

Deserving of being awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky
Commander of Artillery of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Lieutenant Colonel / [signed]

Deserving of being awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class
Commander of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Colonel / [signed] / Kozot

4/9/1943

[Tommy]

Second OPW2 citation

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Soseliya, Shota *******ich
2. Rank: Guards Senior Lieutenant
3. Duty position: Commander of 1st Battalion, 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment, 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rifle Division.

Recommendation for the Order of the Red Banner

4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Georgian
6. Party member: Party member since 1942
7. Previous combat in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War: Southwestern front 4.1942, Stalingrad front 8.1942, Don front 12.1942, Voronezh front 4.1943, Steppe front 7.1943
8. Wounds or shell-shock: None
9. In the Red Army since: 8.1939
10. Inducted by: Tbilisi Regional Military Commissariat
11. Previous awards: Red Star 8.2.1943, Order 14/N of the 38th Rifle Division
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

In the battle for the mastery and expansion of the Borodaevsky bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnieper River in the Borodaevsky hamlet, upper Dniepr district, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Division Guards Senior Lieutenant Soselia, whilst in the forward ranks of the infantry, with direct fire destroyed his target that was hinder the advance. In the period from the 1st to 15th October 1943 when the enemy threw artillery, large masses of aircraft and tanks at our combat formations, Comrade Soselia’s battalion continued to reflect one enemy counter-attack after another. On 08.10.1943 when the enemy tanks and infantry broke through and the area of the battalion firing position was surrounded, comrade Soselia organized a defensive perimeter and continued to fire from every kind of the divisions available weapons. At dusk the enemy attacked the surrounding and tore through the environment. During the fighting from the 1st to October 15th 1943, Comrade Soselia’s batallion inflicted following losses on the enemy: knocked out 2 tanks, 3 transport vehicles, destroyed two cannons, 4 machine gun positions and more than 120 Nazis.

Commander of the 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment
Guards Major / [signed] / Nevsky

Deserving of being awarded the Order of Red Banner
Commander of Artillery of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Lieutenant Colonel / [signed] / Borisov

Deserving of being awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class
Commander of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Colonel / [signed] / Kozot

28/10/1943

[Tommy]

Red Banner citation, recommended for the HSU title

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Soseliya, Shota *******ich
2. Rank: Guards Captain
3. Duty position: Battalion commander, 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment, 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rifle Division.

Recommendation for the Hero of the Soviet Union

4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Georgian
6. Party member: Party member since 1942
7. Previous combat in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War: Southwestern front 4.1942, Stalingrad front 8.1942, Don front 12.1942, Voronezh front 4.1943, Steppe front 7.1943, 2nd Ukrainian Front 10.1943, 3rd Ukrainian Front 2.1944
8. Wounds or shell-shock: None
9. In the Red Army since: 8.1939
10. Inducted by: Tbilisi Regional Military Commissariat
11. Previous awards: Red Star 8.2.1943 Order 14/N of the 38th Rifle Division. Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 15.10.1943 Order 16/N of the 7th Guards army. Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 16.11.1943 Order 16/N of the 7th Guards army. Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

In the offensive covering the period of the breakthrough of the enemy defenses in the area of the city of Kotovka, to fighting for the crossing and capture a bridgehead on the west bank of the river Bug from the 10th to the 27th of March 1944, Guards Captain Soselia led his Batallion by energetic and courageous actions paved the way for the division by ensuring supporting materiel was constantly a part of the combat formations of the infantry, and sometimes even ahead of them. He Showed initiative, determination and personal courage and was one of the first to force the river Bug under fire, near the village of Aleksandrivka, Voznesensky district in Odessa Oblast. Having crossed on rafts to the western shore, personally commanding the fire of the battalion, they destroyed the existing enemy firing points that ensured the success of the crossing for the rest of the subdivision. During the fighting, the battalion inflicted the following losses on the enemy: Knocked out one tank, destroyed 6 machine gun positions, 14 machine guns, suppressed the fire of 4 artillery and three mortar batteries and destroyed more than 400 enemy soldiers.

Commander of the 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment
Guards Major / [signed] / Kuznetsov

Deserving of the title, the Hero of the Soviet Union
Commander of Artillery of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Lieutenant Colonel / [signed] / Borisov

Deserving of the title, the Hero of the Soviet Union
Commander of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards General-Major / [signed] / Kozak

30.03.1944

[Tommy]

Nevsky citation

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patrionymic: Soseliya, Shota *******ich
2. Rank: Guards Captain
3. Duty position: Battalion commander, 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment, 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rifle Division.

Recommendation for the Order of the Red Banner

4. Born: 1922
5. Nationality: Georgian
6. Party member: Party member since 1942
7. Previous combat in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War: Southwestern front 4.1942, Stalingrad front 8.1942, Don front 12.1942, Voronezh front 4.1943, Steppe front 7.1943, 2nd Ukrainian Front 10.1943, 3rd Ukrainian Front 2.1944
8. Wounds or shell-shock: None
9. In the Red Army since: 8.1939
10. Inducted by: Tbilisi Regional Military Commissariat
11. Previous awards: Red Star 8.2.1943 Order 14/N of the 38th Rifle Division. Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 15.10.1943 Order 16/N of the 7th Guards army. Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 16.11.1943 Order 16/N of the 7th Guards army. Order of the Red Banner 24.4.1944 Order 50/N of the 57th Army. Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

In the period of preparation for the breakthrough in the area Tolmaz, Bendery district in the Moldavian SSR, comrade Soselia ensured the covert concentration of Materiel for the battalion within the scheduled time. His personal reconnaissance and surveillance of the front edge of the enemy detailed targets in the area of suppression. The artillery bombardment by the battalion of comrade Soselia was spent with maximum effectiveness and ensured the smooth passage of the supported infantry units during the breakthrough, destroying 1 firing position, and 3 machine guns trenches together with over a platoon of enemy soldiers defending them.

Commander of the 153rd Urazovsky Guards Artillery Regiment
Guards Major / [signed] / Kuznetsov

Deserving of the award, the Order of the Red Banner
Commander of Artillery of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards Major / [signed] / Baranenkov

Deserving of the award, the Order of the Red Banner
Commander of the 73rd Stalingrad Guards Rile Division
Guards General-Major / [signed] / Kozak

[marsino]

:confused: I'm sorry Tommy, but you have no order?

[Tommy]

I have the Red Star, photos will be posted when it arrives my friend :)

[Tommy]

As promised.