Russia – Soviet: A rare posthumous Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Sergeant N.A. Voronov, loader of a T-34 tank, 1st Tank Battalion, 237th Tank Brigade who died valiantly during the battles for the stations of Gerby and Volshfurt and the cities of Gross Strehlitz and Hindenburg who destroyed anti-tank guns and numerous machine-guns and troops during the fighting, he was killed in the fighting for Hindenburg.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, type 2, flatback reverse, numbered 694302
Condition: Extremely Fine
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Voronov was born in 1920 and saw service from the early part of 1943, initially on the Northerwestern Front where he was wounded on 1st April 1943, then on the Voronezh Front at the time of the Battle of Kursk, being concussed in August 1943 and finally with the 1st Ukrainian Front during early 1944.
This Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class was issued to his mother Marfa M. Voronova, posthumously, by decree of the 31st ‘Vistula’ Tank Corps on 7th September 1945. It was issued as a result of his service as a Sergeant and T-34 Loader, 1st Tank Battalion, 237th Tank Brigade, 31st Tank Corps, as a result of the following recommendation:
‘Pursuing retreating enemy forces in battles for Gerby Station, Volshfurt Station, and the cities of Gross Strehlitz and Hindenburg, Comrade Voronov acting as part of the crew of Platoon Commander Lieutenant Fedchenko, displayed courage and bravery. On 20.1.1945, Comrade Voronov, with his crew on reconnaissance, boldly and decisively attacked the enemy at Volshfurt Station and destroyed: anti-tank guns – 1; machine-gun nests – 2; killed up to 10 enemy soldiers and officers. On 22.1.1945, in ambush on the southwestern outskirts of Gross Strehlitz, Comrade Voronov, with his crew, repulsed enemy counterattacks attempting to break though to the city. As a result of the battle, the crew destroyed: high-calibre machine guns – 1; machine-gun positions – 3; killed up to 10 enemy soldiers and officers. In battle for the city of Hindenburg, Comrade Voronov, with his crew, was first to break into the southwestern outskirts of the city, and there started an intense engagement. The enemy retreated, leaving behind on the battlefield: 3 mortar batteries, 3 headquarters and radio vehicles, 8 light vehicles and 10 trucks with various cargoes. Comrade Voronov died valiantly.
For courage and bravery, Comrade Voronov deserves the Government award the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.’
This award was later changed to this Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, an unusual posthumous award for actions that would have taken place during the Vistula-Oder offensive.