Red Star,0335909,Gun Commander,543rd Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment

[Bill Garvy]

Award card

Order booklet V 724736
1. Last name: Tsvetkov
2. Name and Patrionymic: Aleksandr Dmitrievich
3. Rank: Senior Sergeant
4. Sex: Male
5. Birthyear: 1910
6. Birthplace: Vologodskaya Oblast, Chegadoshchenskii Region, Kolobovskii Selsovet, village of Mardas
7. Party Membership: member since 1943
8. Education: elementary
9. Nationality: Russian
10. Service in the Red Army: 6.1941-10.1945
11. Place of service and duty position at time of awarding: 543rd Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Regiment, 65th Army, 2nd Belorussian Front – Gun Commander
12. Place of service and duty position at the current time: Vologodskaya Oblast, Chegodoshchenskii Industrial Collective - Carpenter
13. Home of Record: Vologodskaya Oblast, Chegodoshchenskii Region, Pilnetskii Selsovet

14. Awards

Award Serial Number Awarder

Combat Service Medal 341.045 543rd Army Destroyer AT Regt dated 10.7.43
Red Star 335.909 65th Army dated 2.11.1943
Red Banner 188.179 65th Army dated 27.(?).44

Verified 28th October, 1946 by Chegodoshchenskii Regional Military Commissariat Major Malyukov

[Bill Garvy]

Award Citation

Award Recommendation
For Gun Commander, 5th Battery, 543rd Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment Senior Sergeant Aleksandr Dmitrievich Tsvetkov for the Order of the Patriotic War II Class

1. Birth year: 1910
2. Nationality: Russian
3. Social standing: office worker
4. Party membership: yes
5. In the RKKA: since June 1941
6. Participation in the Civil War: n/a
7. Wounds or shell-shock: one light wound
8. Previous awards: recommended in June 1943. During winter campaign 1942/1943 from an open firing position destroyed three enemy firing positions, an anti-tank cannon, and as much as a platoon of infantry
9. Home of record: Leningrad Oblast, Efimovskii Region, Skverskii Selsovet, Skversi village
Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

In combat during the Dnieper river crossing and subsequent capture of Loev (Loev Region, Gomel Oblast) from 15th-17th October, 1943 while under enemy mortar and artillery fire, Gun Commander Senior Sergeant Aleksandr Dmitrievich Tsvetkov and his cannon destroyed an enemy mortar battery, a 75mm cannon battery, five heavy machineguns, seven light machineguns, and as much as an infantry of enemy infantry. These actions supported an unhindered crossing of our infantry across the Dnieper river.

Senior Sergeant Tsvetkov is deserving of the Order of the Patriotic War II Class.

Signed 543rd Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Goncharuk on 22nd October, 1943

Endorsed 106th Transbaikal Rifle Division Commander Colonel Vlasov and Division Artillery Commander Lieutenant Commander Mikha(?) on 22nd October, 1943

Downgraded to Order of the Red Star by 65th Army Artillery Commander General-Major of Artillery Beskin on 30th October, 1943.

[Bill Garvy]

Senior Sergeant Aleksandr Dmitrievich Tsvetkov's Red Star; note what appears to be an engraver's error. . .

[jefflgarrison]

You gotta love those "downgrades". While the upper echelon are getting big order after big order, the grunts are getting downgrades. Good one anyway. I'd have given him something better.

[Pobeda45]

Very cool RS, Bill. Dnepr forcing was extremely costly for both sides, and so important..

George