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Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor

Article about: Hi guys Here is a grouping of Polish and Soviet awards and documents acquired few months ago. Id'd to a Soviet oficer Grigory Ivanovich Shikhanov who was attached to a Polish artillery divis

  1. #1

    Default Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor

    Hi guys
    Here is a grouping of Polish and Soviet awards and documents acquired few months ago. Id'd to a Soviet oficer Grigory Ivanovich Shikhanov who was attached to a Polish artillery division in 1944.
    Born in 1917 in a village in Vladimir oblast was son of farmers.
    In september 1938 at the age of 21 joined Red Army and was sent as a cadet to artillery school of 468th light artillery regiment and finished it with oficer rank. Was sent to reserve in february 1941.
    After German invasion of USSR on 22nd June 1941 was called up to duty and on July 1941 was attached to 838 light artillery regiment headquarters as head of Komsomol bureau with rank of junior politruk. 838th LAR was part of 279th rifle division. Shikhanov joinded the division during it's forming in city of Vladimir, soon it was sent ot Moscow.
    At the beggining of august 1941 the division was sent to 24th army which was part of reserve front. However week later was sent to 43rd army on Western front and another five days later to 50th army at Bryansk front taking defense positions along Desna river. At the end of september Wehrmacht started massive offensive-"operation Typhoon" in Bryansk front pushing back 13th army at the flank of 50th army which was bypassed. After two weeks at the beggining of October whole 50th army was surrendered in Bryansk pocket. 279th surrendered, repelling numerous attacks was soon almost completely destroyed. However some of the 50th army units were able to break through German defense. Shikhanov was one of tchem. At the beggining of November 1941 279th RD was disbanded and politruk Shikhanov sent to 668th light artillery regiment (76,2mm guns) of 217th RD in the same 50th army as artillery battery comissar. After the fall fo Bryanks pocket division as well as whole army was sent to Western front and in mid October took defense positions around Tula and participied in the defense and in december counteroffensive.
    In January 1942 Shikhanow with his division was moved to 49th army and participied in bloody Rzhev offensive. 217th RD was left in defense near Rzhev untill august 1942 when was moved to 16th and took defense positions near Kaluga. In meantime Shikhanov was made senior politruk by the order of 16th army from October 26th 1942.

    In 1943 with the reorganization of Red Army Shikhanov was sent to officer's training artillery regiment in Moscow. With the disbanding of politruk's rank was made starshy leitnant and retrained from political officer to a artillery officer. After over the year of course in Mscow in september 1944 he was sent to newly forming artillery division of Polish army in south-east Poland. 2nd artillery division was being formed since late august 1944 near town of Włodawa. Most of the staff arrived in october-november 1944. As all of the Polish divisions formed in the east problem was lack of combat experienced Polish officers and Sovet officers were about 50-60% in most of them.

    Shikhanov was made commander of 76,2mm ZIS-3's battery in 48th light artillery regiment, 6th light artillery brigade, 2nd artillery division. Received Polish equivalent of starshy leitnant-lieutenant (porucznik). By december 1944 division remainder in area of forming and was attachen to 1st Belarussian Front.By the beggining of february 1945 the division was ready to combat and followed the 1st BF units to Lublin, then along Vistula bank to Puławy and Zwoleń, crossed river in former Warka-Magnuszew bridgehead and headed to Radom and then north-west to Pommerania. On march 1st 6th light artillery brigade was detached from 2nd AD and attached to Soviet 171th Rifle Div. of 3rd shock army. 76s of 48th LAR support Soviet infantry in battles of Świdin (Schvielbein), Trzebiatów (Trepow an der Rega) and breakthrough of Drawno fortified region (Neuwedell). However fierce German defense and bypassing large groups of German forces lead to incidents when artilleryman's of 48th LAR had to defend their guns with their rifles, submachine guns and grenades. 6th LAB was geaven a role to block the possible way in case of German breakthrough from surrender. On march 8th about half thousand of Germans attacked positions of one of 6th BAL artillery and captured firing positions. Polish artillerymans were able to recapture guns.

    After the Pommeranian offensive 2nd AD was sent to 1st Ukrainian Front and attached to 2nd Polish Army of gen. Karol Świerczewski. Participied in crossing Nysa Łużycka river (Lausitzer Neisse) and establishing bridgehad. Took part in tragic battle of Butzen when german counterattack cut 2nd Polish Army into half. 6th LAB was in the eastern part of this pocket. During this battle 6th LAB suffered high losses supporting Polish infantry and many times defending themselves with personal weapons.

    Such incident took place on april 19th 1945 during attack in the direction of town Horka (Wehrkirch)
    "...during the fighting near village Wehrkirch, the battery commanded by Sr.Lt. Shikhanov was on the forward position in the most important sector of the defense. During German counter attack by infantry supported by tanks, comrade Shikhanov personally took position at the panoramic sight and was delivering direct punishing fire at the enemy.
    As the result of his precise fire, his battery eliminated up to 150 enemy troops. Our infantry located in front of the battery could not hold the pressure and retreated leaving the battery without support. As the result, the enemy approached to a close distance and captured neighboring battery.
    Comrade Shikhanov disregarding his own life together with the battery detail counterattacked and recaptured the guns, which he immediately used against the retrating enemy troops."

    For this action Shikhanov was geaven Order of Great Patriotic War 1st class in august 1945 and Polish Cross of Valor in October 1st 1945. After the war he remained in the Polish army untill 1947, receiving rank of captain in may 1946 and made head of staff of 12th heavy artillery brigade in august 1945. In 1947 returned to USSR and was made Lt. Colonel by 1970. In January 1946 he was awarded Polish Cross of Merit 2nd class. I have also his photography from Moscow artillery school in 1943 but somehow this photo doesen't work.


    Huge Thank You to Egorka for helping me with obtaining and translation of records.
    Last edited by Marinecollector42; 06-12-2018 at 12:41 PM.

  2. #2

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    Shikhanov's cross of valor, version produced between 1944 and 1945 in Moscow factory Stampovochno-Mekhanichevsky zavod nr.11 (ribbon replaced), together with his post-war booklet for an award.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor   Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor  

    Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor  
    Last edited by Marinecollector42; 06-12-2018 at 12:51 PM.

  3. #3

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    Shikhanov's Medal for "Victory in Great Patriotic war 1941-1945" and "Grunwald shield" with booklets.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor   Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor  

    Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor  

  4. #4

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    Post-war booklets for Cross of Valor and Cross of Merit.

    Best Regards
    Jacob
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Awards grouping to a Soviet officer in Polish army-Cross of Valor  

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