Russia – Soviet: An interesting Kirkenes-Petsamo offensive Order of Glory 3rd Class awarded to Sapper Vasily Mikhailovich Efimov, 1st Independent Guards Sapper Battalion, 10th Guards Rifle Division for his bravery in the Arctic Circle where on the first day of the Kirkenes-Petsamo offensive on 7th October 1944 he would distinguished himself during the offensive actions at the height Little Karikvaivish he would make a passage through an enemy minefield, removing six Type ‘S’ mines and made a passage in the wire entanglements. He would rush the enemy trenches, take part in a grenade battle and blasted a covered enemy trench, killing three Germans. He would be wounded just 4 days later on 11th October 1944.
Order of Glory 3rd Class, type 2, the reverse numbered 171271
Condition: Good Very Fine
Vasily Mikhailovich Efimov was born in Pomelnikovo, Borovetsky Selsovet, Sokolsky District, Vologda Oblast during 1907. A Russian national, he attained an elementary education he saw frontline service from the first day of the Great Patriotic War.
This however, would be Efimov’s only numbered decoration of the war, issued to him by decree of the 10th Guards Rifle Division on 7th October 1944. Issued to him whilst serving as a Sapper, 1st Independent Guards Sapper Battalion, 10th Guards Red Banner Rifle Division the citation reads:
‘Comrade Efimov distinguished himself during the offensive actions at the height Little Karikvaivish on 7th October 1944. As part of an obstacle clearing group and supporting the advance of the infantry, Comrade Efimov made a passage in an enemy minefield, removing six Type ‘S’ mines, and made a passage in the wire entanglements. Rushing into the enemy trenches, he took part in a grenade battle, blasted a covered enemy trench, and killed three German soldiers. For skilful combat actions and for bravery displayed therein, Comrade Efimov deserves the government award the Order of Glory 3rd Class.’
During October 1944 the 10th Guards Red Banner Rifle Division took part in the Kirkenes-Petsamo offensive operation which cleared the German army out of their last positions in Finland and back into the mountains in northern Norway. The fighting is covered in a Wikipedia article which states:
On the morning of October 7, 1944 , an artillery barrage began , lasting two hours and thirty-five minutes. It was mainly possible to suppress the artillery and mortar batteries and other enemy fire weapons in the strong points of the first line. In the last minutes of the artillery barrage, rifle units, supported by tanks and self-propelled guns, went on the attack, breaking into the trenches and fortifications of the first line. Such offensive tactics were more than justified in capturing fortified areas of the enemy on rocky hills and open terrain of the polar tundra or sparse low-growing taiga .
In the direction of the main attack, bloody battles broke out for strongholds on the Bolshoi and Maly (Little) Karikvaivish mountains. They had to advance along icy stone hills and cliffs. The fortified area on Maly Karikvaivish mountain was captured by fighters of the 131st Rifle Corps by 15:00. By the end of the first day of fighting, the entire garrison of the stronghold was destroyed, and some of the rangers surrendered. By the end of the first day, the rifle and tank units operating on the right flank of the strike group broke through the enemy's main line of defense, crossed Titovka on the move , and reached the lines of the Kuosme-yarvi and Loy-yarvi lakes, capturing important strongholds on the second line of enemy defense.
Efimov would be wounded shortly afterwards on 11th October 1944. He would survive the war and by September 1946 would be working as a collective farmer at the ‘Pamyat Kirova’ Kolkhoz, Borovetsky Sovkhoz, Sokolsky District, Vologda Oblast whilst living in his home village of Pomelnikovo
