Description
Soviet Order of Glory 2nd class #46670
Awarded to Guards Master Sergeant Nester Vakulovich Guzhva (Нестер Вакулович Гужва)
For exceptional examples of courage and bravery and personally killing 12 Hitlerites at the Battle of Halbe
Made of silver and enamels. Measures 48.40 mm in height, 46.20 mm in width and weighs 23.3 gram without its suspension. The serial number is located on top of its reverse.
This original order is in excellent, above average condition with light overall wear. The red enamels are all present and without repairs or chipping. The higher laying parts of its obverse show light wear only and even the details in the clock of the tower are still readable. Much of the gold plating has been worn off but a fair amount is still visible; especially near the wreath and lettering. The order comes with its time period double layer steel suspension and its connection ring has been cut.
Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:
Quartermaster of the headquarters of the 1st artillery squadron Guards Master sergeant GUZHVA exhibited exceptional examples of courage and bravery in the combat engagements for elimination of the enemy pocket 3km west of the village Oderin on the highway Berlin-Breslau in intensive fighting during 29-30 April 1945. In a fierce struggle, a group of fighters led by GUZHVA eliminated 40 Hitlerites and took prisoner 50 men of the German infantry. Comrade GUZHVA was always in the first row and inspired his men by personal example. By the end of 29 April, when the Hitlerites approached right to the firing positions. Comrade GUZHVA threw his hand-grenades at the Germans and, with a war cry “For Motherland! For Stalin!”, raised his men into an attack. In the course of these 2 days, comrade GUZHVA personally killed 12 Hitlerites.
Guards Master Sergeant GUZHVA N.V. deserves state award – order “GLORY II CLASS”.
The full translation of the research can be read below:
More info on Sgt. Guzhva can be found here
Also included in the picture gallery is a digital scan of a battle map of the 1st Guards Artillery Division near Oderin and a picture of a book about this division. A relevant part can be read below in English:
Together with the units of the 21st Rifle Corps, the formations of the 1st Guards Artillery Breakthrough Division were fighting to eliminate the German groups attempting to escape from the encirclement (red: near Halbe), our forces scattered them around the forests and groves. At this time, it was necessary to conduct mainly meeting battles, and to continuously advance following the rifle units from one area to another. The aim was to prevent the enemy infantry and tanks to break through to the highway leading to Dresden.
On April 26, the 3rd Guards Light Artillery Brigade, together with the rifle and artillery units of the 21st Rifle Corps, blocked the roads north of Krausnik-Oderin. These roads were expected to be exploited by several enemy infantry and tank formations of the Frankfurt-Guben group.
The Nazis walked crowded, straight ahead. Soviet infantrymen, artillerymen and tankers were forced to fight Fascist tanks and machine gunners in close combat, destroying them from short distances, since on both sides of the highway there was a mighty forest that prevented the use of artillery, especially large-caliber artillery.
For this reason, the 167th Guards light artillery regiment found itself in a difficult situation. On the night of April 29, a large force of Nazi infantry with tanks and artillery suddenly emerged from the forest and rushed to the positions of our artillerymen, who were protecting the approaches to the highway to Dresden. The regiment’s batteries were positioned right next to each other, the intervals between the guns did not exceed 50 meters. The regiment commander Lt.Col. BATRUTDINOV ordered all who could fire a gun, a rifle, or a captured Faustpatron to take a defensive positions in between the guns, i.e. the headquarters personnel, signalmen, drivers, etc.
The night attack of the Nazis was repelled. But on the morning of April 29, they again attacked our Guardsmen in an avalanche of forces.
The party organiser of the 5th battery of Guards Sr.Sgt. SVINUKHOV led one of the gun crews. He replaced the wounded gun commander. The cannon kept firing at the Nazis with open sights. When the gun was disabled by a Faustpatron hit, the crew continued to fire at the Nazis with grenades and personal weapons. Party organiser SVINUKHOV died heroically in this battle, but his comrades did not let the Nazis to reach the highway.
50 German sub-machine gunners rushed towards the Gu.Sgt. GONCHAROV. Only he and the gun layer Pvt. GORZINOV were left at the gun. They continued to fire at the Nazis even when they approached the gun by 50-30 meters.
During the day, the 167th Guards Light Artillery Regiment repulsed 14 attacks, destroyed about 1000 enemy soldiers and officers, 2 Ferdinand self-propelled guns, 2 armoured personnel carriers. 200 Nazis were taken prisoner. All the soldiers of the regiment fought bravely, and among them guard sergeants KARTASHOV, KOLOMIETS, KRYUCHKOV, TIMOFEEV, officers I. FOMIN, G. VLASOV, deputy commander of the 1st division of the guard captain I. G. Skripka, who controlled the unit’s fire despite being wounded … But you can’t list them all! .. Thanks to the massive heroism of the soldiers of the regiment, the enemy was again forced to retreat into the forest.
(source: http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/zhagala_vm/07.html)
Desired award for Halbe with interesting research!
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