Russia – Soviet: An interesting Order of the Red Banner awarded to Guards Lieutenant Colonel of the Army Service Corps Mikhail Semyonovich Gorbunov the Deputy Commander of the Rear Area of the 1stGuards Tank ‘Don’ ‘Lenin’ Order of Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Corps for his role in the winter offensives of 1945 including the fighting in East Prussia and in the advance on Danzig.
Order of the Red Banner, type 3, variation 2, numbered 226832
Condition: Good very fine
Mikhail Semyonovich Gorbunov was born in 1905, had joined the Red Army in 1940 having been drafted by the Gorky Military Commossariat.
Gorbunov served as the Deputy Corps Commander for the Rear Area of the 1st Guards Tank Corps, and was the recipient of numerous awards during the war.
Gorbunov’s first award would have been the Order of the Red Star on 28th January 1943, this was most likely for a role in the Operation Uranus offensive that encircled the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, for which he was also entitled to a Medal for the Defence of Stalingrad.
By the summer of 1944 Gorbunov was serving in the 1st Belarussian Front, when he was to receive his next award, an Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class on 11th May 1944, later in the year, he was to receive another Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class on 23rd October 1944. He was subsequently to fight in the Vistula-Oder Offensive and the Pomeranian and East Prussian Offensives, for which he was to receive this Order of the Red Banner on 16th May 1945 by order of the 2nd Belarussian Front, the citation being as follows:
‘Guards Lieutenant Colonel of Army Service Corps Gorbunov provided uninterrupted resupplies by the ammunition, food and equipment during the combat operations since 15th January 1945 on the river Narev and the consequent engagements near and inside Danzig. The corps units never had any issues with resupplies during the period from 15th January til 28th March 1945. Comrade Gorbunov’s zeal provided for corps combat readiness to fulfil the combat objectives.
He skilfully organised the defence of the corps headquarters troops (station Prust), when the surrounded enemy force broke through to the West near town Tarnov during the period 4-7th February 1945. He personally led the defensive actions, in which the rear units took 300 enemy troops prisoners, and inflicted the enemy heavy losses in both material and personnel.
For uninterrupted resupplies of the corps force, for devoted and efficiency work, for personal courage and bravery, he deserves a state award – Order of the Red Banner’
Signed by the Commander of the 1st Guards Tank ‘Don’ Lenin Order Red Banner Suvorov Order Corps, Guards General of Armoured Corps Panov
Besides this award he was also to receive the Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw, the Medal for the Capture of Konigsberg, the Medal for Victory over Germany and the Medal for the 30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy.
Gorbunov was also to receive two long service awards after the war, the first was the Medal for Combat Merits for 10 Years Long Service received on 15th November 1950, the second an Order of the Red Star for 15 Years Long Service was awarded to him on 30th December 1956.