Hero of Kharkov/Stalingrad / Kursk/Hungary

[Paul D]

Col Anatoly Kozlov is the Chairman of the Stalingrad Veterans Association and i have been fortunate to meet him on my visits to the City together with other Russian Veterans of the Battle.

Here is his story together with an original photo of him.

Dim can you identify the awards he is wearing ??

Colonel Anatoly Kozlov was born in 1922 in the village of Rostov region (Russia).
Col. Kozlov is a former Russian Tank Ace and Veteran of the "Battle of Stalingrad (Volgograd)".
In 1941 Anatoly Kozlov started his military college at Grozny and finished it as a commander of a machinegun company in May 1942.
Anatoly Kozlov was a Lieutenant (Lt.) when he was taken to Kharkov in May of 1942 where the Russian troops where almost totally destroyed be the Germans.
With many troops encircled and imprisoned, Anatoly Kozlov was lucky to have escape and found himself in Stalingrad where he was assigned to a Tank Regiment as a Adjutant.
Antatoly Kozlov witnessed and participated in most of the events of the battle including August 23, 1942 when the Germans burned and destroyed most of the City within several hours.
In July 1942, he was in the Tank Brigade in the Don River (Kalach-on-the Don-Golubinskaya) bend where two Russian Tank Armies managed to stop Germans for about a month at the price of their lives. By miracle, Anatoly Kozlov survived the battle and received his first "Order of Courage".
Another significant page of the Battle of Stalingrad was a campaign to stop Generalfeldmarschal Manstein’s troops at Kotelnikovo (Mishkova River, Aksai River) which were to release the Germans from the pocket.
Anatoly Kozlov received another "Order of the Red Banner" and received his "GUARD title" as a result of the battle.
In 1943 Anatoly Kozlov participated in the "Battle of Kursk". In 1944 his Corps was in the reserve and delivered US lend-leased machinery and equipment which included trucks, aircraft, food and etc.
By the end of 1944, Anatoly Kozlov joined 3rd Ukrainian Front and participated in releasing Budapest (Hungary) and Vienna (Austria).
For his exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War , Anatoly Kozlov was given the honor to participate in the June 24, 1945 Victory Parade in Red Sqaure , Moscow.
Anatoly Kozlov retired as a Colonel over 30 years ago and is now Chairman of the City Veteran’s Department of Volgograd (Stalingrad).


regards


Paul