Russia – Soviet: A good Baltic offensive Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, unusual concave reverse, the reverse engraved 594701 to Guards Lieutenant Fedor Fedorovich Komolov, a Mortar Platoon Commander, 98th Guards Rifle Regiment, 30th Guards Rifle ‘Riga’ Red banner Division for his bravery at the village of Auce, Latvia on 27th October 1944 when during a breakthrough operation of a strongly fortified German defence line north of the village he skilfully commanded his mortar platoon and suppressed 3 enemy machine-gun positions, which were impeding the advance of the troops eliminating up to 40 enemy troops. Subsequently in the attack on hill 100.2 on the same date he opened punishing fire a the enemy and eliminated up to a company of German troops during 3 enemy counter-attacks, later clearing the trenches guarding the approaches to the hill slopes and clearing the way for the Red Army’s infantry.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, concave reverse, the reverse engraved 594701
Condition: toned, Nearly Extremely Fine
Fedor Fedorovich Komolov of Karelian ethnicity was born in the village of Nikulino, Kozlov District, Kalinin Region in 1917 and attaining a secondary education joined the Red Army on 1st August 1942, and would be wounded on 28th October 1942 near the village of Lykovo, before being twice wounded in the fighting around Staraya Russa, firstly on 14th May 1943 and again on 18th August 1943.
He would receive two wartime decorations, the first of which was an Order of the Red Star on 18th September 1944 by decree of the 30th Guards Rifle Division and then his second would be this award by decree of the 15th Guards Rifle Corps awarded to him whilst serving as a Guards Lieutenant and Mortar Platoon Commander, 98th Guards Rifle Regiment, 30th Guards Rifle ‘Riga’ Red Banner Division:
‘27th October 1944 in a breakthrough operation of a strongly fortified German defence line north of the village of Auce, he skilfully commanded his mortar platoon and suppressed 3 enemy machine-gun positions, which were impeding the advance of our troops, and eliminated up to 40 enemy troops.
In the combat engagement for the hill 100.2 on 27th October 1944, he exhibited exceptional courage, bravery and military skill. Trying to frustrate our advance, the enemy counter-attacked 3 times our infantry on the approaches to the hill. Having advanced forward with his platoon, comrade Komolov opened punishing fire at the enemy and eliminated up to a company of German troops. He pushed the enemy out of their trenches guarding the approaches to the hill slopes, and thus cleared the advance ways for our infantry.’
Auce was a town in central Latvia which saw heavy fighting as a result of the Red Army’s Baltic Offensive and resultant German counter-attacks which sought to re-establish contact between Army Group Centre and Army Group North which had been cut off in the Courland Peninsula.
Surviving the war, on 2nd October 1946 he is noted as war disabled of the 2nd group whilst living in Riga, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.
