Tanker Konovalov Biography

The picture with the participation of Vladimir Epifantsev and Andrei Chernyshev was released on October 25, in which he fights with the enemy’s huge forces, fights until the last shell. The Hero-Tankist was recognized by the dead, mourned by friends and relatives, received a posthumous award and returned home alive. Semen Vasilievich Konovalov was born on February 15 in a peasant family who lived in the village of Yambulovo, Verkhneuslonsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan.

He lost his father very early. After school, the young man went to work as a postman to help his mother support his family. In the year, Semyon entered the Military Infantry School, attributing an extra year to age. He did not plan to become a tankman, but this decision was made by his bosses: a year later, the educational institution was transferred from Kuibyshev to the Lithuanian city of Raseynyay and made from the infantry Bronnakov.

The war broke out in the year. By that time, Semyon was already a graduate, so he was appointed commander of a platoon. After graduating from the school, the rank of lieutenant, he was sent to the front by the commander of a tank platoon to a separate tank company of the border rifle division located in Lithuania. The company he served in was equipped with BT tanks, they were considered fast, but not very well -protected cars.

Less than a month later, the young lieutenant ended up at the epicenter of the most difficult battles with the rapidly advancing Nazis. In August, Lieutenant Konovalov was seriously wounded and sent to the rear hospital in Vologda until a complete recovery, but he was eager to fight and asked to write it out rather. Doctors of such a desire did not approve. After discharge, the seeds were sent to Arkhangelsk as an instructor to the training center, and not to the front, as he asked.

For six months, Konovalov submitted reports and wrote to the commanders asking him to return him to the front line. In June, he was transferred to the same position as part of the Tank Brigade of the 9th Army. Lieutenant Konovalov distinguished himself during the Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad defensive operation. In mid-July, I and I and the German tank divisions completed a deep breakthrough with the coverage of the troops of the 9th, and units of the forces of the Soviet armies.

The Germans tried to destroy the surrounded armies, and then develop a rapid attack on Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

Tanker Semyon Konovalov I was a tank brigade conducted heavy defensive battles. By July 13, Lieutenant Konovalov was left in the platoon of Lieutenant Konovalov - his own, and he was pretty battered in battles. On the march of KV Konovalova stood up - the fuel supply system refused. The brigade commander Pushkin gave the order - to repair and catch up with the brigade, if the enemy appears, to restrain his offensive at this line.

The column of Soviet tanks went further, leaving a lonely “sq” on the road. According to old -timers, tankers came to the farm to get water into their buckets and flasks. The crew commander, a very young lieutenant, told the old people who came up that their car had broken, so they did not leave with everyone. And only one Cossack, with two dahlias on his chest, the commander whispered that they were tired of draping and decided to give the Germans a fight.

Our tank stopped at the intersection, the Germans appeared. Three tanks and several motorcycles moved along the way to the farm. The kids from the mill well saw how brazenly the Germans, not paying attention to the Soviet car, rushed into the village. Probably, they were sure that the tank, with a red star on the tower, faulty and abandoned. But he suddenly came to life. The tower turned and made two shots one by one.

Then a tank machine gun pounded. From the mill, it was clear how one of the German cars from the hit of the projectile torn a tower, and the other, dearsed dears, moved from the road to the bushes to the side of the road. The third German tank fled, turning sharply in a cloud of dust. There was one inverted motorcycle on the road with a mowed tank machine gun with a tagged with a tag.

In less than an hour, a rumble of dozens of tank engines was heard. German tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry trucks moved from all sides to the farm. KV took a convenient position in a hollow overgrown with shrubs. Neither on the right, nor on the left, it was not bypassed. But the tankers had a wide shelling sector. The enemy equipment was in their palms. Some fascist tanks from the mill have some more Tan.

The Germans themselves did not expect this meeting. Taking advantage of their confusion, Konovalov managed to bring guns to battle and knock out one car. The second left, but it was clear that she would return soon, taking with her the main forces of the enemy. Before the fighters a choice was: to catch up with the column, which probably had already managed to go far from the radio communications with her, or to stay in place and accept the battle.

Semyon made a second decision. The tankers like as they could disguise KV on the ground and began to wait. Behind them came a whole column of 75 German tanks. The Nazis clearly thought that the whole brigade was hiding here, and not one half -broken tank with a crew of several people. Letting the beginning of the column at a close distance, Konovalov opened fire and destroyed 4 combat vehicles, forcing the Germans to retreat for a while.A furious rebuff convinced the Germans that a whole unit was covered in the farm, and, having gathered his strength, they led the remaining tanks to the attack.

In the battle on the outskirts of the farm of the Nizhnyatyakin farm of the Tarasovsky district of the Rostov region, the crew of the KV-1 heavy tank under the command of Konovalov, as part of: the driver-driver of Kozyrtsev, the gunner of Dementyev, the charge of Gerasimlyuk, the junior driver Akinin, the radio operator of Chervinsky and the crew of the-lieutenant Serebryakov technician He knocked out 16 tanks, 2 armored vehicles and destroyed 8 vehicles with enemy’s manpower.

But ammunition began to come to an end. The crippled KV could no longer move. The Germans dragged a heavy gun closer and shot him point blank. The crew of Konovalov took an unequal battle and destroyed several enemy tanks. And the enemy could not even understand where the fire was from. Panic covered the Germans. Their cars were swept over the field, began to retreat. Officer Semyon Konovalov an hour later the enemy decided to repeat the attack.

During this time, KV changed his position, realizing that the Germans would change the angle of attack. Now, the Russian tank stood on a hill overgrown with centuries -old I willows. From this hill, an excellent review was opened in all directions. The tankers poured the ground near the tank with well water so that the dust from the shot could not give out their locations.

The Germans believed that a whole tank brigade was fighting with them. And they threw all their armored fist against one tank. The first to go, rotating the towers, the heavy t under their cover, with a clang of steel caterpillars, dusted the self -propelled guns and the lightest and the CB crew opened fire. By the time the Germans noticed the Soviet tank, he was able to burn six Nazis.

From all sides, enemies opened fire on it. The Soviet tank, maneuvering between the hills, continued to fight. But the Germans' hit did their job - “KV” finally lost his move. The Nazis pulled up two large -caliber guns at a distance of 75 meters to the KV. The Soviet tank was shot with direct fire. By that time, the Soviet tankers had already ended ammunition. The German guns turned the armor "KV" at point blank range.

At night, three tankers knocked on the locals, in charred overalls and very shell -shocked, with a DT tank machine gun. They asked for water, but to bury them comrades, who could not get out through the lower hatch from the tanned tank. Konovalov, Dementiev and Serebryakov managed to survive. The brigade commander Pushkin ordered the scouts to return to the place where, due to the breakdown, Konovalov stopped, and establish the fate of the crew.

The scouts fulfilled the task - they found the charred “KV”, and in it the remains of the dead tankers, saw the equipment destroyed by the crew of Konovalov and even talked with local residents who saw some details of the battle. Colonel Pushkin introduced Lieutenant Konovalov to the Golden Star medal and the corresponding rank posthumously. The award sheet was signed, they informed relatives, and a month later the command received a letter from the murdered hero.

The award documents for the Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Konovalov turned out that the tankers had foreseen the end of the battle and developed a departure plan in advance. Seeing that the Germans were going to shoot the car point blank, Konovalov ordered the crew to prepare for the waste as soon as the last shell was spent. Three managed to get out through the lower hatch - Semyon himself, mechanic Serebryakov and gunner Dementiev.

In the thickening twilight and dense smoke of guns, the fighters went unnoticed. At night, Semyon Konovalov, and his two comrades walked along the rear of the enemy. They went around the farm and the villages, fearing the ambush of the policemen. In the afternoon we sat in groves or reeds. They ate grain from uncleaned fields, roadside grass and rare vegetables from gardens.

Making their way to their own, the tankers on the fourth day met the crew of the German tank, which stopped on vacation, clearly not expecting a meeting with the enemy. Soviet tankers destroyed the Nazis and moved on already on a trophy enemy machine.