Russia – Soviet: A fine complete Stalingrad, Kursk, Konigsberg veterans group awarded to Senior Sergeant Aleksander Stepanovich Bystritsky, Team Leader, 259th Separate ‘Cherkassy’ Tank Regiment who had fought in the fighting around Moscow in the closing months of 1941 and in the Second Battle of Kharkov in May 1942 before he would then see action in the Kotluban offensives during the fighting near Stalingrad where he would repair combat vehicles including T-34s and KV-1 under German fire on the battlefield in late September 1942. He would subsequently fight at Kursk where he repaired 10 medium tanks and 27 light tanks under fire, before being severely wounded at Kovel on 29th March 1944 in a German air-raid while repairing M4-A2 (Sherman) and Mark 3 tanks under heavy enemy fire. Recovering from his wounds he would be present at the capture of Konigsberg late in the war and would subsequently remain in the Red Army after the war receiving two decorations for long service.
Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class, reverse numbered 173834
Order of the Red Star, reverse numbered 3238801
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, 1985 Jubilee issue, reverse numbered 3499284
Medal for Bravery, reverse numbered 717896
Medal for Combat Merits, reverse numbered 101302
Medal for Combat Merits, unnumbered reverse
Medal for the Defence of Stalingrad
Medal for the Capture of Konigsberg
Medal for the Victory over Germany
Condition: the last six mounted loose for wear, Russian style, overall Good Very Fine
Along with:
Award booklet for Jubilee award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class
Order Booklet mentioning the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, Medal for Bravery, both medals for Combat Merit and the Red Star, which is in good condition with all pages firmly attached. There are however some burning holes which apparently were made a long time ago since they explain the difference between the serial number of the Medal for Bravery on the actual medal and the number on the record card.
Aleksander Stepanovich Bystritsky was born in Ukraine in 1917 and served in the Red Army from 1940. Becoming a member of the communist party in 1941, he would see action in the fighting around Moscow, initially on the Western Front from 1st November 1941 and then on the Kalinin Front from 1st January 1942. By May 1942 he would find himself fighting as part of the South-Western Front where he would likely take part in the second Battle of Kharkov where a large scale Red Army offensive was defeated with heavy losses.
Bystitsky would subsequently find himself fighting in the Stalingrad area as part of the Stalingrad Front from 17th September 1942 where he would take part in the Kotluban offensives to the north of the city that attempted to draw German forces away from the city itself thus preventing its capture.
Bystritsky would be awarded a Medal for Combat Merits by decree of the 66th Army in early October 1942, this award was for his service as a Private and Fitter-Assembler of the 58th Technical Support Company, 58th Tank Brigade, the citation reading:
‘He has been service on the Stalingrad Front and worked as part of the combat vehicle repair team. Disregarding his personal safety, and operating day and night, comrade Bystritsky repaired the combat vehicles under enemy artillery and mortar fire.
Comrade Bystritsky and his repair team made the following repairs during 25-27 September 1942: medium repairs of 3 tanks T-70, medium repairs of 3 tanks T-34 and periodic maintenance of 1 KV tank.
On top of that, 10 wheeled vehicles received periodic maintenance during the same period.’
Surviving the fighting near Kursk he would go on to take part in the battle of the Kursk bulge in July 1943 where he would be awarded a Medal for Bravery by decree of the 259th Separate Tank Regiment, Central Front, this for his service as a Mechanic Tuner of the Technical Support Company:
‘Comrade Bystritsky has been working as part of the repair team led by Lt. Engineer Sarachakov. He repaired the combat vehicles directly on the battlefield while under enemy fire. In the battles during 5-17th July 1943, the team made restorations on 10 medium tanks and executed maintenance repairs on 27 tanks.’
Subsequently Bystitsky would take part in the fighting in western Ukraine and in particular around the town of Kovel, being awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class by decree of the 47th Army on 7th April 1944. The citation for the award states that he was serving as a Senior Sergeant and Team Leader, 259th Separate ‘Cherkassy’ Tank Regiment and reads:
‘Comrade Bystritsky worked selflessly under mortar and machine-gun fire in the ferocious battles near the town of Kovel during 20-30 March 1944.
He and his team repaired 2 M4-A2 (Sherman) and 3 Mk-3 tanks. These tanks were repaired in exceptionally short period and with good quality. During a tank repair in the field on 29th March 1944, comrade Bystritsky was severely wounded in an enemy air raid. He didn’t abandon the battlefield, but kept leading his repair team until he fully collapsed.
For selfless work for repairing combat vehicles in exceptionally complicated combat circumstances, comrade Bystritsky deserves state award – order Patriotic War 1st Class.’
Bystritsky would survive his wounds and appears to have taken part in the Capture of Konigsberg in April 1945. The unnumbered award of the Medal for Combat Merits and the Order of the Red Star are both almost certainly long service awards for 10 and 15 years service respectively.
