Description
Order of Glory 3rd Class #194584
Awarded to T-34 Master Sergeant Pavel Akimovich Kostritsa (Павел Акимович Кострица)
For destroying a PANTHER TANK, 40 German troops, hitting an armoured personnel carrier, smashing 8 gun pieces, destroying 30 enemy vehicles and capturing 15 enemy vehicles during a reconnaissance mission in Poland
Made of silver and enamels. Measures 47.23 mm in width, 49.25 mm in height including its eyelet and it weighs 22.8 gram without its suspension.
This early order is in an excellent, above average condition. The enamel is all present and problem free and shows some dings and contact marks only. The higher laying parts like the clock in the tower and the wreath surrounding it show medium wear and most details are perfectly visible. Its connection ring has not been cut and the order comes with its time period suspension.
Brief and specific description of the personal feat or merits:
In the combat engagement for the town Kielce (Poland) on 15 January 1945, comrade KOSTRITSA’s tank crew destroyed an enemy heavy tank of the type T-V (“Pantera”). They let the enemy tank to the distance of 10-15 meters and destroyed it at the post blank range.
On 19 January 1945, his tank crew acted as a part of the forward reconnaissance detachment and was the first to rush into town Huta, Lodz district (Poland), where they destroyed 40 German troops, hit and burned an armoured personnel carrier, smashed 8 gun pieces, destroyed and burned 30 enemy vehicles, and captured intact 15 enemy vehicles.
Comrade KOSTRITSA deserves state award medal “GLORY III CLASS”.
The full transaltion can be read below:
More information on Sgt. Kostritsa can be found here
Also included are digital scans of:
- maps of the 6th Guards mechanised L’viv Red Banner corps (6th GuMC) on 10, 15 and 19 January 1945
- order of battle of the 6th GuMC of January 1945
- order of battle of the 16 Guards mechanised brigade
- combat diary of the 28th tank regiment
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