Dear editors!
Recently I read in my favorite magazine “Rodina” of the sons of the regiment and finally decided to write you.
the fact that my older brother Kronid was a son of the regiment and went missing in the war, and I was born in 1945. In the village Nut business or the reorganization of standing military unit, and he ran away with them on 12 July 1943.
And then my mother received a letter from major Mikhailov A. I., He wrote that before the start of fighting in September 1943 Kronid was with him. With the beginning of hostilities Crony identified in jesusgod, but in December at his own request was transferred to one of the units. However, the battle would still not start. For the first time on the cutting edge, he fell about 12 February 1944. At this time, fierce battles against a strong tank group of the enemy in the M. Lysyanka – October, Kiev region.
Kronid was the liaison. February 16 was a strong fight. Kronid clearly carried out their duties. Approximately at 16.00 the enemy forced the remnants of units to move. Krona left on the cutting edge with the order on change of positions and has not returned.
Mikhailov writes: “Kronid was with us the great battle path from Lykoshyne to Zvenigorodka. Participated in the capture of the City, Berezan, Borispol, Kiev and Zvenyhorodka. He crushed the enemy in the area of Korsun-Shevchenko”.
I found this letter two years ago, after the death of her sister, examining her papers. Letter yellow with time, frayed and torn at the folds. It was sent 20.08. 44, field mail 29013.
information about the brother: svetlovskiy Kronid Kronidovich, or was born in 1926 or 1927 in the village of volcano. Then lived in D. Sills, where the mother was a collective farm Chairman. I would like to know what happened with his brother. Just don’t know how, and therefore appealed to You. Thank you.
there is only a Picture of this, where it’s small with mom, grandma and younger brother. He was there 5-6 years. There are no more. Kronid on the left.
Svetlana Ivanova, Tver region, bologovsky R, n. the Lykoshyne
to Gather information about the missing boy connected helps his sister Explorer “homeland” Semyon Ekshtut
Dear Svetlana Alekseevna.
Your brother svetlovskiy Kronid Kronidovich, 1926 or 1927 year of birth, does not appear in the created at the initiative of the Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation summarized the data Bank “memorial”. This means only one thing: the son of the regiment because of his young age did not take the oath of office and was officially enrolled in the lists of parts, therefore, were not included in the number of dead and missing. He was not among the red army soldiers, marked with orders and medals.
But it was possible to establish the identity of the author of the letter of major A. Y. Mikhailov. The task was not simple. The public electronic Bank documents “feat of the people in the great Patriotic war 1941-1945” soda��tains exactly 600 entries that mention major Mikhailov. A hundred records there is a speech about Alexander Yakovlevich Mikhailov. Among the one hundred titles of full namesakes would find one major, who wrote on 20 August 1944 letter to Your mother in the village Nut.
Here it is. Major Alexander Yakovlevich Mikhailov, 1916 year of birth, the Deputy for political Affairs commander 259-th separate anti-tank battalion, holder of four military orders. (At this time in the army he served his full namesake – major of medical service, but a letter to the village Nut was not written them.)
5 Sep 1944 259-th separate anti-tank was reformed in the 259-th separate self-propelled artillery battalion to replace the three batteries of the legendary “forty-fives” came with three batteries, each of which had four SU-76*. The reformation occurred in the rear and was short-lived, but the political officer of the battalion major Mikhailov found the time to write a letter about the fate of the Kronid Svetlovskogo.
Your brother, Svetlana, was not the son of the regiment, and the son a separate artillery division. It is possible with a high degree of credibility to imagine how the Kronid lived-to serve in the division.
It was a real frontline family – friendly and firmly welded. All knew each other. In wartime in the division were only 208 officers and soldiers, one car, 17 trucks to carry guns and one vehicle for field kitchen trailer1.
All the soldiers and officers were in a special position. The order of people’s Commissar of defense of the USSR I. V. Stalin N 0528 dated July 1, 1942 personnel of these units was installed one and a half, and the younger personnel and ordinary structure – the double content.
the Stalinist order has secured a special status of fighter anti-tank artillery amongst other units of the red army:
“3. The whole ruler of the anti-tank units and to battalion commander inclusive, take on a special account and used only in the specified part.
5. Ruler, ruler Junior enlisted personnel and anti-tank artillery units, who is undergoing treatment in hospitals, after the treatment to send only to the specified part.
6. To install for all personnel anti-tank artillery units and special… shoulder sleeve insignia, worn on left sleeve of coat and shirt2.
7. To set a premium for each destroyed tank in the amount of: the gun commander and gunner for 500 rubles, the rest of the part of the gun crew at 200 rubles.
8. The number of destroyed tanks cannon to mark a number on a Figre tanks painted in the upper right corner inner side of the shield gun. The shape of the tank paint with black paint, and a figure showing the number of destroyed tanks, white paint”3.
Kronid svetlovskiy was the son of an elite military unit – the present “artillery special forces” of the great Patriotic war. Those who served in anti-tank units, said: “the barrel is long and life is short”. That is the special situation of officers and soldiers enabled them, without unnecessary formalities to adopt a Kronid.
the Division was commanded by major Ivan Kirillovich Yakovlev. It was “crazy” son of the great Patriotic war, has the rare composure. 22 January 1944, the 3rd battery of the division “under his leadership… with buckshot from a distance of 50-100 meters killed 80 Germans.” Started the war as a Lieutenant, in 1943, when the division adopted a Kronid was 25-year-old captain, the Victory Day met the major. By the end of the war became a knight of the six military orders, including the order of Suvorov of the III degree.
careful reading of the lines of his Premium sheets. “The battles… comrade. Yakovlev showed himself a brave, strong-willed, talented officer.” “…Have shown initiative, courage and leadership battle.” “The major Yakovlev is all the time in advanced combat formations of the division, accompanying it with fire and wheels, fixing made a mark abroad. …The personnel of the first guns was put out of action. Major Yakovlev personally opened fire on the enemy tanks, of which one was shot down. The personal example of major Yakovlev always courageously and heroically encouraging the personnel to exploits”.
(After the war the commander of the division Yakovlev made a brilliant career: he was the General of the army and in the years 1968-1986 was chief of Interior Ministry troops. This historical figure – the “great Yakovlev”.)
Under a battalion commander and his Deputy, major Mikhailov, the author of letters to my mother Kronid. “Tov. Mikhailov during all the fighting against the German invaders showed exceptional resilience and courage. His able educational work prepared by fearless warriors who bravely destroy German tanks. Mikhailov is among the subordinates in the most dangerous places. A personal example of courage, contempt for death, he encourages his subordinates and teaches them to ruthlessly destroy the enemy.”
the Division was part of the 136th infantry of the Kiev-Zvenigorod division. (At the end of the war, 136th infantry of the Kiev red banner orders of Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky division.) The commander of the division was subordinate only to the commander of the artillery of the division and the division commander. The senior officers had great power and could afford major Mikhailov to leave Kronid in the division.
In January 1944 during the Korsun-Shevchenko operation 136 division were in environment. Division was commanded by major-General Ivan M. Puzikov. About the heavy fighting, one of the veterans of the division, Colonel Dmitriy SAMOKHVAL4, wrote:
“In the Korsun-Shevchenko operation was surrounded by 10 divisions and one brigade of Germans. And my RAID went in the rear and were surrounded by the Germans
– he was in a double ring. General Puzikov has decided to withdraw the division from the environment. However, the Supreme command was not allowed to do that, and set the objective to prevent reinforcement of the encircled troops, to harm, to destroy the communications of the Germans.
In the early days, the division successfully carried out a fighting task – several groups heading to the aid of the Nazis, was defeated. But soon we were discovered by enemy reconnaissance over our positions began circling reconnaissance aircraft. We had to hold a defensive perimeter to repel the attack of enemy troops. Your position division change daily, but the forces were depleted, only some of the wounded were taken to a higher four hundred. The dead were buried at night. And the Nazis built up their power and increased the pressure. The time has come when the artillery we’ve got one “EP”, but the Nazi tank found and destroyed. For the defense was mobilized everything that was possible. But our forces are not enough…
We saved our tank brigade, which went on break with the outer side of our circle, and we, exhausted, with my”5.
It was during these battles was missing Kronid svetlovskiy.
* SU-76 – self-propelled gun 76,2 mm. was Intended for direct support of infantry, had bulletproof booking. The easiest and the most common type SPG (self propelled guns) produced in the USSR during the great Patriotic war and war with Japan.
1. State N04/554 Separate anti-tank battalion infantry division (military time) //
2. Black diamond with a red border and two crossed guns.
3. The order NKO N 0528 //
4. During the war – captain, assistant chief of communications at the radio headquarters of the 136th infantry division
5. Queen C Roads retribution //
“homeland” thanks Helena Yakovlev for front-line photographs of her father and continuing the investigation. Grateful to readers for any useful information.
