Tuesday 11 August 2015

Beast Slayer

"Award Order
  1. Name: Sultanov, Isa Klychevich
  2. Rank: Senior Lieutenant
  3. Position, unit: T-34 tank platoon commander, 126th Tank Regiment, 17th Guards Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Mechanized Brigade, 6th Guards Lvov Order of the Red Banner Mechanized Corps, 4th Tank Army, 1st Ukrainian Front
    is nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
  4. Year of birth: 1917
  5. Nationality: Kumyk
  6. Party affiliation: VKP(b) member since 1944
  7. Participation in the Civil War, subsequent action in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War (where, when): 1st Ukrainian Front since March of 1944
  8. Wounds and concussions in the Patriotic War: lightly wounded on January 19th, 1945 on the 1st Ukrainian Front
  9. In the Red Army since: September 1939
  10. Recruited by Agryz recruitment office, Tatar ASSR
  11. Prior awards: Order of the Red Star in 1944
Brief and specific description of heroism or achievements: This is a fearless officer. In battle, he is daring and courageous. In battles from January 14th to January 25th in the region of Beletske Mlyny, Bilche Zastawe, Kowal, Sitkivka station, Zarnow, Zguv, his platoon destroyed five T-6 tanks, four T-5 tanks, eight APCs, 18 cars, and up to 80 fascists. Personally, he destroyed one T-6 tank, two T-5 tanks, and two APCs. At Zguw, where the company commander was wounded, comrade Sulatnov took command of the company. With swift action, his company reached the Oder on January 24th, 1945. With fire from his tanks' guns, he destroyed all enemy strongholds on the left side of the Oder, completely and fully allowing for a crossing to be made so that infantry could cross. On January 25th, 1945, he was one of the first to cross the Oder and capture a foothold on the left shore, which was decisive for the course of battle.

Currently, comrade Sulatnov is in his unit.

He is worthy of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union"

CAMD RF 33-793756-46

Pretty impressive, but who exactly was he fighting with such a strange unit composition? Transliterated names of tiny villages that don't appear on any map make such a task difficult, but fortunately enough places were named to figure out at least the vague area where he was fighting at this time. As it so happens, the area was also temporarily home to the ill-fated s.Pz.Abt 501 that was also suffering from another Hero of the Soviet Union at the time. Since there aren't enough Panthers to go around for everyone, it's likely some leftover Tiger IIs that were mistaken for Panthers again.

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