Red Star,0103683,Sapper-Scout,233rd Rifle Division,Barrikady Factory

[Auke]

The following research results recently arrived for my Red Star number 103683. It was awarded to Vladimir Ivanovich Ivanov, born in 1923 in the village of Karpovo, Znamensky Region, Smolensk Oblast. He joined the Red Army on 25 Feb 1942. He was assigned to the Don Front in September 1942. Ivanov lived in Leningrad. His mother was Irina Ivanovna Ivanova. He joined the VLKSM in 1946.

When the Award Record Card was filled out he was a Captain commanding a tank company of the 112th Selfpropelled Tank Regiment of the 22nd Rifle Division, 137th Rifles Corps, Far East Military District. In his citation he is a Private in the 341st Independent Sapper Batallion, 233rd Rifle Division, Don Front, so he must have been commissioned after serving in the ranks.

His awards:

Medal for Defense of Stalingrad (Ukaz of 22 Dec 1942)
Order of the Red Star # 103683 (Prikaz of 6 Feb 1943)
Medal for Victory over Germany (Ukaz of 9 May 1945)
Medal for 30 Years Soviet Army and Fleet (Ukaz of 22 Feb 1948)
Medal for Military Merit (Ukaz of 15 Nov 1950)
Order of the Red Star # 3081632 (Ukaz of 21 Aug 1953)

The citation for his Red Star reads:

"In fighting for "No-Name Village" on 1.2.43, Sapper-scout V.I. Ivanov and Privates Dudarevich and Pesterevy were assigned a combat mission. The mission was to clear a ridge [trans: following two words unintelligible] upon which the Germans were situated and firing upon our attacking infantrymen with flanking machinegun and rifle rifle. Private Ivanov approached undetected to the first bunker and threw two grenades into its window, killing five German soldiers. Dudarevich, Pesterevy, and Ivanov then captured 23 German soldiers. In fighting for the "Barrikady" village and factory on 2.2.43, Private Ivanov tossed grenades into a trench containing Germans attempting to resist, thus killing 13 German soldiers and capturing 18 German soldiers and officers. While conducting engineer reconnaissance of "No-Name Village", Private Ivanov uncovered and disarmed eight anti-tank mines.

3 February 1943
Commander of the 341st Independent Sapper Batallion
Captain [signed] /Pozdnyakov/

Awarded the Order of the Red Star

[?] February 1943
Commander of the 233rd Rifle Division [signed] /Barinov/"

[Auke]

A nicely worn screwpost base piece:

[desantnik]

Beautiful piece and citation mentioning the Barrikady factory!

[Auke]

It definately is an interesting citation. Ivanov must have been fighting in the southeastern corner of the German pocket in the north of Stalingrad, defended by General Strecker's German XI. Army Corps until 2 February. The Barrikady factory is the long group of buildings at the arrow in the map below.

Thanks again for your translation Paul!

[CtahhR]

Here is the original citation.

[Eryk]

Wonderful award and citation! Here is a map of the final defeat of the pocket; the 233rd is shown and perhaps the 'no name' villages can be discerned. (The 233rd is in 65th Army, starts in the middle of the map at the farthest west point shown.)

This map shows the broader sweep; the 233rd is named here as well.

[Auke]

Thanks for those Eric!

Just a Private at Stalingrad, he was commissioned shortly after the war, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1975. This is him as a Tank Forces Lieutenant (between 1948 and 1950) and as a civilian.