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+----- Thread: Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union (/Thread-Zajtsev-Vasilij-Grigor-evich-Sniper-Hero-Of-The-Soviet-Union)
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Dolf - 04-13-2004
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... :(
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Taz - 04-13-2004
The wound badge was established in July 1942. It was awarded to all soldiers (and probably civilians) for wounds sustained in action. It comes in two classes: for light and for heavy wounds. The distinction is unclear, but the heavy wound was probably that, which required immediate surgical treatment or was a direct threat to the life of the wounded.
The badge is a ribbon bar 43 x 5 or 6 mm, red for the light and golden for the heavy wound. It was worn on all types of clothes, military and civilian, on the right side of chest, above the order badges. Badges for multiple wounds were worn one above another.
Eddie.
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Dolf - 04-13-2004
Here is the possible pic of Zaitsev's Rifle at the Stalingrad Panoramic Museum and here is a close up of the ORB + Guards Badge + Excellent Sniper Badge:
Eddie,
I was almost sure you'd be the first one to reply and help ;)
Thank you very much.
Any other info of ALL Awards he got, and the reasons why he got each one?
Thanks a lot pal :)
Best,
Dolf
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Taz - 04-13-2004
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.
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Dolf - 04-14-2004
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
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - new world - 04-14-2004
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
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Dolf - 04-14-2004
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
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Taz - 04-27-2004
new world Wrote: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.
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - d-riemer - 04-28-2004
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.
Zajtsev, Vasilij Grigor'evich, Sniper, Hero Of The Soviet Union - Dolf - 04-28-2004
Dietrich,
I believe the third one is for the Jubilee Medal for 20 years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, and the fourth one for the Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad.
I'm not an expert, but that's what it seems from the list of Ribbons on PMD's Guide.
Anyway, I know for sure, as posted by Eddie, that he also won a Medal for Bravery and a Medal for Combat Service, at least this last one still during the Battle of Stalingrad. Amazingly those Ribbons are not in the picture!
Best,
Dolf