Description
Soviet Medal for Bravery #192269
Awarded to turret commander of a T-34 tank Stepan Danilovich Maksimenko (Степан Данилович Максименко)
Maksimenko attacked the village of Bolshoye Kropotovo in January 1942 where his tank was hit in a swamp in front of the enemy’s front line. Keeping the vehicle, comrade Maksimenko was under enemy fire in a wrecked tank for 18 hours but still fired at the enemy until the ammunition ran out. He managed to destroy up to 5 machine-gun points and two bunkers
Made of solid silver. Measures 37.46 mm in diameter and 2.82 mm in thickness. The height of the medal is 42.19 mm (including the eyelet) and it weighs 27.6 gram without its suspension. The silver suspension measures 25.34 mm in width at its narrowest point and 31.78 at its widest point.
The medal is in decent condition with medium overall wear. The details of the higher laying parts like the rivets on the side of the tank and the canons are mostly present but the lacquer filling the letters is all but gone. Its silver suspension and its parts are original as is its correct screwplate for this range and its connection ring has been cut.
Awarded to a T-34 turret commander for great heroic deeds. Scarce as such
Short translation of the citation:
“Comrade Maksimenko – turret commander of a T-34 tank. On 12/01/1942, while participating in the attack on the village of Bolshoye Kropotovo, the tank was hit and sat down in a swamp in front of the enemy’s front line. Keeping the vehicle, comrade Maksimenko was under enemy fire in a wrecked tank for 18 days (more likely: “hours”!). At the time of the attack of our infantry, he fired with his tank at the enemy fortifications until the ammunition ran out. The fire of his tank weapons destroyed up to 5 machine-gun points and two bunkers.”
Some relevant information found on the internet here and here
More information on Maksimenko can be found here
A aerial photograph of Kropotovo can be found in the picture gallery
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