Alexander Fadin, a native of the Nizhny Novgorod region, became one of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
is he, like many of his peers, he went to the military registration and enlistment office at the very beginning of the war, and to take, attributed to himself the extra years. But the young replenishment got to the front only in 1943 year. The recruits were trained first: practiced on motorcycles, vehicles, and then on tanks. On the battlefields, Alexander Fadin became famous as one of the best tankers. On account of his destroyed enemy tanks, gun, equipment, infantry and even aircraft!
Battle of the Dnieper
Fadin first declared himself during the Kiev offensive operation. 3 November 1943 preparation for the capture of Kiev began. Destroying the Germans and their equipment on its way, the crew of Alexander Fadin together with the battalion reached the outskirts of the city.
morning 5 November, lined up, Soviet tanks went on the attack. Soon the southern outskirts of the Ukrainian capital were recaptured. And after a few hours, putting the enemy troops to flight and knocking out German self-propelled guns along the way, tankers went to Khreshchatyk.
Fadin's tank was one of the first, burst into captured Kiev and made their way into the city center. For the capture of the Ukrainian capital, the Russian fighters who entered the city first were nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Hunting for “tiger”
Breaking through to the West, Soviet tanks liberated captured villages. 27 December, a tank brigade moved towards the village of Kamenny Brod, Zhytomyr region. Fadin's tank was at the head of the column.
In the morning a column of our tanks, mistaking a stone block for a German tank, fired at her and found herself. More than 20 enemy tanks, among which were the famous "Tigers" and "Panthers".
Fadin made a desperate decision – single-handedly fight a couple of dozen German tanks. He ordered the driver to take the car towards the river., to get around the enemy behind a fold of terrain. But it was not possible to remain unnoticed. On the way, Fadin's tank received minor damage from a shell., released from the "Tiger". Fortunately, the shot only brushed the car. Bypassing the German squad and facing a rather serious enemy, the crew commander decided to retreat back to Kamenny Brod. At this moment, German tanks went on the attack.
In this battle, the Soviet detachment lost most of its equipment.. Meanwhile, Fadin's tank again overtook the Nazi column and, hiding behind one of the sheds, with an accurate shot knocked out one of the "Tigers". realizing, that got a serious rebuff, enemy tanks in a hurry retreated, leaving four damaged cars on the field.
One against the army
But the most effective battle and the main feat of Alexander Fadin was the defeat of the German army near the village of Dashukovka.
A task, set by the command, was simple. A large group of Germans were surrounded and tried to escape from the boiler. To prevent them from doing it, a tank brigade was placed on the only escape route, by this time, which consisted of one Fadin's car. For reinforcement, he was given a reconnaissance platoon and a double set of ammunition – 150 shells instead of 75.
With the support of a tank, Soviet soldiers broke into the village. The enemies suffered heavy losses, leaving dead soldiers and broken equipment on the battlefield. Taking position, from which the road was shot, leading to the village, Fadin's crew disguised the car and froze in anticipation of a convoy of German equipment.
The column went at night. Precise shots, focusing on headlights, Fadin immobilized the head and trailing vehicle, blocking the movement of others. Trying to part ways, German technique stuck in the mud, becoming an excellent target for a Soviet tank, fully loaded with ammunition.
morning 19 February Fadin saw, like a hillock, not hiding, a group of German officers rose, who started looking through binoculars, where are the forces, who didn't let them pass. By that time, the crew had only fifteen shells left..
Noticing a fox hair on the buttonhole of one of the officers – sign of high military command, Alexander gave them direct fire with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, destroying everyone at once. And then something happened, which in the history of the Great Patriotic War was not before, not after. Above the village, in which the Germans settled, an Italian plane appeared, who started dropping supplies. Throwing off the first container, he went to the second run.
“He flew exactly over the road, where the pillars stood, distance between which 50 m. This helped estimate his speed., I calculated the distance, took a lead ... Volley! And the car enveloped in flames flies to the ground ”, – recalled Fadin.
But "Ferdinand" and "Tiger" came out to support the Germans. Jumping out from behind cover, Fadin almost head-on collided with a heavy German tank. Command "Charge!"Followed immediately – and now the "Tiger" is engulfed in fire, and the German infantry scatters in panic, struck by the prowess of a Soviet tank.
But a few minutes later the Ferdinand that remained with the Germans managed to shoot first, he gave 34 volleys each. In a battle with him, the crew lost the loader, and Fadin himself with a radio operator and a mechvod barely managed to escape. When shell-shocked they dragged their wounded comrade across the field, then they saw, how the long-awaited help finally comes. The order was executed.
After the war
Fadin was once again nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and the brigade commander awarded him with chrome boots, which he himself recently received from his superiors. Unfortunately, The star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was never given to him. But later, after Perestroika, he received the Star of the Hero of Russia. After spending some time in the hospital, Fadin reached Austria, where he met Victory. After that he served in the Military Academy of Armored Forces and even trained tankmen in Syria..
10 November 2011 of the year renowned tanker, Hero of Russia and order bearer died. They buried him in Moscow at the Troekurovsky cemetery.
Paul Assumption
