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Soviet field post
Hello!
I could not find a relevant post here on the forum, so I made new one from scratch.
Please, share your items in this thread if you wish!!!
I have got these two Soviet field post cards today to support awards in my collection, but I realised they deserve attention on their own.
This letter is from Lt. MOZGIN Pavel Iosifovich, 1907, to his mother living in Kharkov, written on 24.02.1944.
Among other things he describes the ceremony awarding him with Red Star order just the day before on 23.02.44.
The veteran served as a platoon commander in 336 detached sapper battalion, 161 rifle division.
His Red Star citation describes mine laying and mine clearing missions.
Unfortunately, Lt. MOZGIN was killed in action on 22.11.1944 and buried on Slovak country town Krivošťany cemetery.
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The second letter is from Lt. MUSATOV Sergey Ivanovich, 1918, written on 30.01.44.
He served in army service and administrative branch at 170 tank brigade HQ.
In the letter he informs his wife (?) Nina in Krasnoyarsk, that his field post address has just changed the same morning. He writes: "I just sent you a postcard this very morning, but am writing to today again. Matter that my address has changed to field post 43110."
And in fact we read in his Red Star citation, that he did a great job organising the brigade HQ office after he took over in chaotic state in March 1944.
So it seems the veteran wrote this letter on the day he was reassigned.
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10-26-2017 09:35 PM
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Impressive, even with post cards you can do some researches !
Nice found and story in any case, I do love the one with the tankist
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Wow a great item!
I wish I had some to share!
Nick
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
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Bagration
Impressive, even with post cards you can do some researches !
Nice found and story in any case, I do love the one with the tankist
Right, Arthur, and he was actually serving in a tank unit! So the design fits the content.
Last edited by Egorka; 10-27-2017 at 06:21 PM.
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Egorka
Right, Arthur, and he was actually serving in a tank unit! So the design fits the content.
Since he was an officer, could be great to get his officer file and the photo of him, what do you think ?
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Continuing RASPOPOV's story, here is extract from his service record, which shows his service in 68 detached aerial observer squadron and then later at 100 detached aerial observer regiment.
The line in between marked with yellow arrow reads: "Has been in enemy captivity on the territory of Crimea from March 1944 till May 1944."
The veteran also was promoted after his return. His position changed from "Pilot observer" to "Sr. pilot observer".
RASPOPOV finished his military career (he became aviation navigator in training regiment) in the rank of Major in 1960. Lived in town Omsk and was awarded OPWII in 1985.
RASPOPOV was awarded ORB at the end of 1943. Here is the citation:
"He serves on the front against German invaders since 19.12.1942. In this period he conducted 21 successful artillery fire-directing and enemy positions photographing combat missions. As the result of his fire directions he destroyed 2 enemy artillery batteries, which systematically barraged our forces and observation posts. Despite high concentration of enemy AA systems, and without regard to his own life making 3-5 runs, he fulfilled the objectives and photographed 420 km on the front line from river Molochnaya - Perekop isthmus. This provided the artillery Command with very valuable intelligence information.
After achieving primary objective, he conducted ground assault, which resulted in suppression of 2 artillery batteries, 2 tanks and up to 170 enemy troops destroyed, 10 horse carriages, 1 train set on fire.
For excellent execution of the Command's orders and exhibited bravery and courage he received gratitude from People's Commissar of Defence, from the Head of Artillery Intelligence HQ of 4 Ukrainian front, from the deputy Artillery Commander of 51 army.
All the information is supported by the ground forces and photo materials."
All in all an unusual letter (normally the content of most such field post letter is quite trivial). And all the information in the letter is supported by the archival data.
Last edited by Egorka; 01-26-2018 at 07:07 PM.
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I have made a good catch lately - found and got 2 field letters written by HSU. I would like to share their stories with you and present how much history can be relayed through such small sheet of paper.
Here is one of them.
This letter was written by HSU Feodor Vasilievich PLOTNIKOV (1904 - 1972). He was an artillery man (a loader) awarded HSU title in December 1943 for the action in September 1943.
On 29/Feb/1944, the veteran writes home to his wife who lives in town Gorky near the automobile plant.
The text:
29II-44 Hello dear Liza. Greetings to you, to the mother, and to the little ones. I wish you all well.
I receive your letters. In them, you frequently reproach me for not writing often enough.
I have written 3 letters this month. Why you receive them seldom or not at all - I don't know.
Today I got letter from my sister Panya, who is also now serving on the front line, and also your letter, where you again ask: "What happened, that you don't write?" I write very-very often. Panya informs, that she gets your letters, and that you write her regularly, which she is very happy with. I also wrote to my brother Maksim and to Marusya, in one word - to everyone.
Please, let me know if you received the money I sent you 13 January.
Have you solved the accommodation issue? If you can get one in the American settlement, that would be great.
Please, write me how is Velik's and Valya's school going. I asked you about this numerous times, but you don't shed light on this in your letters.
Well, good bye for now. Write me all the news from the neighbours. Who is writing what and so on.
Fedya.
Before we look closer at the veteran and his HSU decoration, lets look in the letter content. There are three points to highlight.
Firstly, the letter mentions sister Panya, who was in service at the time.
In fact, PLOTNIKOV sister's full name was Jr. Sergeant Proskovyia Vasilievna Plotnikova, born 1923. She served since 1942 and was a radio operator in the 266 detached signals company under 3 ground-assault aviation corps, 3 Belorussian front.
She was awarded CSM medal in August 1944.
Secondly, the home address - Automobile plant in town Gorky.
The town housed GAZ - a large plant, which produced trucks and vehicles. The plant was built from 1932 with technical expertise delivered by Ford Motors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAZ
During the war GAZ has been fully repurposed for military equipment production: Light tanks T-60, T-70; SPG SU-76; armoured recon carriers BA-64; engines ; mortars ; rockets for "Katysha" launchers.
In trucks it produced both it's own models as well as the American Chevrolet with the spare parts delivered by Lend-Lease program.
Having such importance, the plant the target to frequent German air raids. See the German air photo with targets marked.
And finally, about the "American settlement". What is that?
This was one of the town districts. It was formed during the plant construction for the American specialist consultants. On this page you can see many photos with the view of the American settlement or American village: https://vk.com/club60371957?z=album-60371957_242918928
Well, let's take look at the veteran and his action for which he was awarded HSU title.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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