During the Great Patriotic War lots of Soviet people demonstrated the highest courage and courage, fighting the Nazi invaders. For the feats committed during the Great Patriotic War, 11 thousand 657 people (of which 3051 posthumously) were awarded the high title of Hero Soviet Union. However, there were also "forgotten" heroes. People whose front-line path, it seemed, could only lead them to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, did not receive a high award. No, the people did not forget about their exploits, but those in power for some reason considered that they should not be awarded the titles of Heroes of the Soviet Union (and then Heroes of Russia). Senior Lieutenant Alexei Berest, who took the most direct part in hoisting the Red Banner on the Berlin Reichstag, never became a Hero of the Soviet Union. Another real hero, who was undeservedly beaten by the award, is Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov.

It is about him that the poet Alexander Gitovich then writes:

Enemies are crowding
iron idols,
But takes the fight
Zinovy ​​Kolobanov.

On August 8, 1941, Army Group North launched an attack on the city of Leningrad. Units and formations of the Red Army that carried out the defense Soviet territory they retreated from the aggressor, despite the dedication of the personnel. In the area of ​​Krasnogvardeysk, as Gatchina was then called, the soldiers of the 1st Panzer Division under the command of Major General Viktor Ilyich Baranov held the defense. They had to resist the onslaught of a stubbornly advancing and superior enemy. On August 19, 1941, Major General Viktor Baranov ordered the blocking of three roads leading to Krasnogvardeysk from Luga, Volosov and Kingisepp. This task was entrusted to the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank regiment of the 1st tank division, commanded by senior lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov. The 3rd tank company, commanded by Kolobanov, was armed with KV-1 heavy tanks, which could quite realistically withstand Wehrmacht tanks. But the armament of weapons, and the personality of the company commander, whose feat forever entered the Great Patriotic War, should be said especially. By the time the Great Patriotic War began, he was already an experienced officer who had gone through the Soviet-Finnish war.

Zinovy ​​Grigoryevich Kolobanov was born on December 25, 1910 in the Vladimir province in the village of Arefino, Murom district (now it is the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region). Zinovy's father Grigory died during civil war. The mother raised three children alone, then moving to the village of Bolshoe Zagarino. Start life path Zinovia Kolobanova was quite common for a rural guy of that time. He graduated from the eighth grade high school and went to study at the Gorky Industrial College. Then just full swing there was Stalinist industrialization and the country needed skilled workers and engineers, so such professions have always been prestigious and in demand.

On February 16, 1933, 22-year-old Kolobanov, who was in his third year at a technical school, was drafted into the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. As a literate guy, he was sent to the regimental school of the 49th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division, and then to the Oryol Armored School named after M.V. Frunze. So Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov became a regular soldier. In May 1936, he graduated from a military school with the rank of lieutenant, with honors, and began serving as a tank commander in the 3rd separate tank battalion of the 2nd tank brigade Leningrad military district. In 1938, Kolobanov graduated from the advanced training courses for command personnel and then served as an assistant ammunition commander in the 210th rifle regiment 70th Rifle Division. Then, from July 31, 1938 to November 16, 1938, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov served as a platoon commander of the 6th separate tank brigade, and then was appointed commander of a tank company in the same brigade. On November 25, 1939, Kolobanov was transferred as a tank company commander to the 1st Light Tank Brigade, which was deployed on the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviet-Finnish war was approaching, and the formations of the Leningrad Military District were to play a very important role in it.

The commander of a tank company, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov, did not just participate in the war. He went from the border with Finland to Vyborg, burned three times in a tank, being on the verge of death. After the end of the war, on March 17, 1940, Lieutenant Kolobanov was appointed assistant commander of the 52nd tank reserve company for the combat unit of the 1st light tank brigade, and then transferred to the Kyiv military district. At first he was deputy commander of a tank company of the 90th tank regiment, then he was appointed commander of a tank company of the 36th separate tank training battalion of the 14th light tank brigade. September 6, 1940 he was awarded the military rank of senior lieutenant. For some time Kolobanov served as senior adjutant (chief of staff) of the battalion of the 97th tank regiment, and then in the same regiment he was appointed commander of the tank company of the battalion heavy tanks. However, this company did not receive tanks for service.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was transferred as a company commander of KV-1 heavy tanks to the 1st Panzer Division. Zinovy ​​Kolobanov himself recalled that he was called up to the division from the reserve and, given the experience of the Soviet-Finnish war, was immediately appointed company commander. On August 14, 1941, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov took part in the battle near the village of Ivanovsky on the Luga River. His crew destroyed the tank and artillery piece enemy. However, the most important battle in the life of Zinovy ​​Grigorievich was yet to come.

The crew of the KV-1 tank, in addition to the tank commander (and company commander), Senior Lieutenant Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov, included the commander of the tank’s gun, Senior Sergeant Andrei Mikhailovich Usov, senior driver, foreman Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, junior driver, Red Army soldier Nikolai Feoktistovich Rodnikov, and gunner radio operator senior sergeant Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov. On August 19, 1941, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was personally summoned by the division commander, Major General Baranov, who gave the order to block the roads to Krasnogvardeysk. After that, a company of five KV-1 tanks under the command of Kolobanov advanced to designated positions.

Two tanks from Kolobanov's company were sent by the commander to the road from the Luga side, two tanks - to the Kingisepp direction. Command tank The company took up a position on the seaside road, which made it possible to immediately control two directions of possible movements of enemy tanks.

On August 20, in the Luga direction, the crews of the tanks of Lieutenant M.I. Evdokimenko and junior lieutenant I.A. Degtyar entered the battle with the avant-garde German tank column and destroyed five tanks and three armored personnel carriers. The Nazis on motorcycles, who drove along the road in the direction of the Voiskovitsy state farm, Kolobanov missed, since his task was to block the movement of the enemy’s tank column. Finally, German light tanks of the 6th Panzer Division also showed up (although there are other versions - that the tanks belonged to either the 1st or 8th Panzer Divisions). After waiting, Kolobanov gave the order to open fire. The first shots hit the three lead tanks of the German column, which stood up, blocking the way for the rest of the tanks. Then soviet tank hit the tail, and then the center of the German column. Accurate hits became possible thanks to the actions of senior sergeant Andrey Usov (in the photo he is in the uniform of a lieutenant, because he later rose to this rank) - an experienced artilleryman who fought in the Soviet-Polish and Soviet-Finnish wars and previously served as an assistant platoon commander in artillery regiment, and then trained as a heavy tank gun commander.

After Usov's shots, panic began in the enemy column. Considering that the road passed through a swampy field, the tanks that had moved to the side of the road fell into the swamp, where they got stuck. Ammunition sets exploded in the burning tanks. Within thirty minutes of the battle, Kolobanov's tank was able to knock out all 22 enemy tanks, having used up 98 armor-piercing shells. The Soviet tank itself was hit by 114 German shells, but its armor really seemed strong. In total, the company under the command of Kolobanov knocked out 43 enemy tanks - 22 tanks on account of the crew of senior lieutenant Kolobanov, 8 tanks - on account of the crew of junior lieutenant Sergeev, 5 tanks knocked out the crew of lieutenant Evdokimenko, 4 tanks - the crew of junior lieutenant Degtyar and 4 more tanks - the crew of Junior Lieutenant Lastochkin. After the battle, the tankers of the company were destroyed artillery battery enemy, one car, about two infantry companies. Such a battle has not yet been known in the history of Soviet and even world tank troops.

It would seem that the incredible victory of the tankers over the Nazis in the battle on August 20, 1941 practically guaranteed Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Indeed, already in September 1941, Colonel Dmitry Pogodin, who commanded the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st Tank Division, introduced all members of the tank crew, Senior Lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov, to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Dmitry Pogodin, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Byelorussian SSR and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, was himself the first tanker to receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union as early as December 31, 1936 - for valor and courage shown in battles in Spain. As a real combat commander, he perfectly understood the price of Kolobanov's feat. The submission was also signed by the division commander, Major General Viktor Baranov, who by this time himself was also a Hero of the Soviet Union, having received a high award for fighting Finnish troops during the Soviet-Finnish war. But neither starley Kolobanov nor other members of it succeeded in becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union. combat crew. At the headquarters of the Leningrad Front, the idea of ​​conferring the high ranks of Heroes of the Soviet Union on Kolobanov and his fighters was "hacked to death." The commander of the crew and company, senior lieutenant Kolobanov, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the commander of the gun, senior sergeant Usov, was awarded the Order of Lenin, the senior mechanic-driver, foreman Nikiforov, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the gunner-radio operator, senior sergeant Kiselkov, and the junior mechanic-driver, Red Army soldier Rodnikov, received the Order of the Red Star .

Like other Soviet soldiers who accomplished real feats, but for some reason did not pass the “filter” of the staff officers and political officers, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov continued to fight. He defended the approaches to Krasnogvardeysk, but on September 15, 1941, he was seriously wounded during the defense of the city of Pushkin, receiving shrapnel damage to the head and spine and concussion of the brain and spinal cord. He spent almost the entire war in hospitals in Sverdlovsk - the wounds were too severe. Despite this, on May 31, 1942, Kolobanov was awarded the rank of captain, and in March 1945, having discharged, he immediately asked to join the army. On July 10, 1945, after the end of the war, Kolobanov was appointed deputy commander of the 69th Tank Battalion of the 14th Mechanized Regiment of the 12th Mechanized Division of the 5th Guards Tank Army in the Baranovichi Military District.

After the war, Kolobanov served for another thirteen years in Soviet army. In 1951-1955. he served in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany in the following positions: commander of a tank battalion of self-propelled artillery mounts 70th Heavy Tank Self-Propelled Regiment, 9th Tank Division, 1st Guards mechanized army- from 1951 to 1954, then commander of the 55th Guards Tank Battalion of the 55th Tank Regiment of the 7th Guards Tank Division of the 3rd Mechanized Army - from 1954 to 1955. In 1952, Kolobanov received the military rank of lieutenant colonel. However, another sad event happened, which immediately cast a shadow on the heroic battalion commander. A soldier from his battalion deserted and fled to the British zone of occupation. This was enough for a serious blow to the career of a heroic front-line soldier. Lieutenant Colonel Kolobanov was transferred to the Belarusian Military District as deputy commander of a tank-self-propelled battalion of the 10th mechanized regiment of the 12th mechanized division, and then - deputy commander of a tank battalion of the 148th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 50th Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the 28th Army. In 1958, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov was transferred to the reserve. For a long time he worked at the Minsk Automobile Plant as a quality control foreman and quality control inspector, lived a long life and died in 1994 at the age of 84.

It turns out that the amazing feat of the Kolobanov crew was never appreciated. Even years later, the authorities did not go so far as to assign, albeit belatedly, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the legendary tanker. The authorities of post-Soviet Russia also refused to do so. When the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) collected more than 100,000 signatures in support of conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on Kolobanov, they still refused. And it's not even surprising. For example, the same story happened with Alexei Berest. However, in the eyes of the people, Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov, and his colleagues in the tank crew, and Alexei Berest, and other front-line soldiers who have accomplished many feats, still remain true Heroes with a capital letter, regardless of the opinion of officials.

The feat of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov is a symbol of the Russian character and unbending will. Our tankers accomplished a feat - in a fierce battle they knocked out 22 German tanks from an ambush.

Chronology tank battle. Feats of Zinovy ​​Kolobanov

Events August 19, 1941

At the end of August 1941, the 3rd tank company of Kolobanov defended the approaches to Leningrad near the city of Krasnogvardeysk (now Gatchina). Every day, every hour was "worth its weight in gold" - from northern capital military enterprises and civilians were evacuated. The day before, the tank company was replenished with new KV-1 tanks with crews that arrived from Leningrad. The commander of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion, senior lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov, was summoned to the division commander, General Baranov, from whom he personally received an order to cover three roads leading to Krasnogvardeysk from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp (via the Tallinn Highway):

Shut them down and fight to the death!

block three roads that lead to the city from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp. Protect three roads with five tanks” – only he could do it. The tanker by that time had gone through the Finnish war, burned in the tank three times, but each time he returned to duty.

On the same day, Kolobanov's company of five KV-1 tanks advanced towards the advancing enemy. It was important not to miss the German tanks, so each tank was loaded with two armor-piercing shells and a minimum number of high-explosive fragmentation shells.

According to O. Skvortsov's research, the events unfolded as follows. Assessing the likely paths of movement of German troops, Kolobanov sent two tanks to the Luga road, two to the Kingisepp road, and he himself took up a position on the seaside road. A tank trench for the heavy tank KV-1 No. 864 of senior lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov was arranged just 300 meters opposite the T-shaped intersection in such a way as to fire "head on" if the tanks went along the first route. On both sides of the road there was a swampy meadow, which made it difficult for German armored vehicles to maneuver.

Scheme of the battle of KV Senior Lieutenant Z. Kolobanov with a German tank column on August 19, 1941

Events of August 20, 1941

The next day - August 20, 1941, in the afternoon, the crews of Lieutenant Evdokimenko and Junior Lieutenant Degtyar were the first to meet the German tank column on the Luga Highway, chalking up five enemy tanks and three armored personnel carriers. Then, at about 14:00, after an unsuccessful aerial reconnaissance, German reconnaissance motorcyclists proceeded along the seaside road to the Voiskovitsy state farm, whom Kolobanov's crew let through without hindrance, waiting for the main enemy forces to approach. Light German tanks (presumably Pz.Kpfw.35 (t)) moved in the column

After waiting until the head german tank the columns caught up with two birches on the road (“Landmark No. 1”), Kolobanov ordered: “Landmark first, on the head, direct shot under the cross, armor-piercing - fire!”. After the first shots of the gun commander Usov, a former professional artillery instructor, a participant in the war in Poland and Finland, three leading German tanks caught fire, blocking the road. Then Usov transferred the fire to the tail, and then to the center of the column ("Landmark No. 2"), thereby depriving the enemy of the opportunity to withdraw back or towards the Troops. (According to other information published in the newspaper "St. Petersburg Diary" on September 14, 2015, three crews of the Kolobanov tank of the enemy immediately knocked out with the first three shots were located in the head, tail and in the middle of the column)

On a narrow road, on both sides of which there was a swamp, a crush formed: the cars, continuing to move, bumped into each other, pulled over to the side of the road and fell into the swamp, where they completely lost their mobility and could only fire from the towers. Ammunition began to burst in the burning tanks of the enemy. German tankers returned fire, even all the enemy tanks stuck in the swamp had to be suppressed by fire. 114 German shells hit the turret of Kolobanov's tank. But the armor of the KV tower has proven itself from the best side.

In 30 minutes of battle, the crew of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov knocked out all 22 German tanks in the convoy. Of the double ammunition load, 98 armor-piercing shells were used up.

According to some reports, together with the command of the tank unit, Pavel Maisky, a “special” correspondent for the Izvestia newspaper, a staff correspondent for the local militia newspaper “On Defense of Leningrad,” also arrived at the battlefield.
By order of the divisional commander V.I. Baranov, the crew occupied the second prepared tank trench in anticipation of a second attack. Apparently, this time the tank was discovered, and the Pz.Kpfw.IV fire support tanks began shelling the KV-1 from a long distance in order to divert attention to themselves and prevent aimed fire at the tanks and motorized infantry, which at that time were breaking through to the district of the educational farm and further to Chernovo. In addition, they needed to force the Soviet tankers to leave the position in order to proceed with the evacuation of the wrecked tanks. The tank duel did not bring results to both sides: Kolobanov did not report a single destroyed tank at this stage of the battle, and his tank's external observation devices were broken and the turret was jammed. He even had to give the command to leave the tank trench and deploy the tank in order to point the gun at the German anti-tank guns, dragged during the battle to the tank at close range.
Nevertheless, Kolobanov's crew completed the task, linking up the German fire support tanks Pz.Kpfw.IV, which could not support the advance of the second company of tanks deep into the Soviet defense, where it was destroyed by a group of KV-1 tanks under the command of battalion commander Spiller.

After the battle on the KV-1 Kolobanov counted more than a hundred hits.
Thus, 22 German tanks were hit, and in total his company chalked up 43 enemy tanks

(including the crew of junior lieutenant F. Sergeev - 8; junior lieutenant V. I. Lastochkin - 4; junior lieutenant I. A. Degtyar - 4; lieutenant M. I. Evdokimenko - 5). In addition, the battalion commander Shpiller personally burned two tanks. On the same day, a company destroyed: one passenger car, an artillery battery, up to two infantry companies and one enemy motorcyclist was taken prisoner

Zinovy ​​Kolobanov about the fight

Kolobanov about the military battle:
“... I was often asked: was it scary? But I am a military man, I was ordered to stand to the death. And this means that the enemy can pass through my position only when I am not alive. I accepted the order for execution, and I no longer had any “fears” and could not arise. I regret that I can not describe the fight consistently. After all, the commander sees first of all the crosshairs of the sight. ... Everything else is continuous breaks and the cries of my guys: “Hurrah!”, “It's on fire!”. The sense of time was completely lost. How long the fight goes on, I had no idea then.

Award to the crew of Kolobanov

The crew of Zinoviy Grigorievich Kolobanov

Immediately after this tank battle, which ended in complete victory Soviet weapons, in the newspaper "Red Star" there was a note about the feat of the tankman Kolobanov.
And in the archives of the Ministry of Defense, a unique document has been preserved - the award list of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov. Kolobanov received the Order of the Red Banner on February 3, 1942. The rest of the crew - the commander of the gun, senior sergeant A. M. Usov was awarded the Order of Lenin, the driver, foreman N. I. Nikiforov, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the gunner-radio operator, senior sergeant P. I. Kiselkov, and the loading Red Army soldier N. F. Rodenkov - Order of the Red Star.

All members of the tank crew were presented by the regiment commander Pogodin to the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union, but none received the title.

The issue of awarding Zinoviy Grigorievich Kolobanov the highest award of Russia - the Hero Russian Federation- initiated Vasily Monich, who, at his own expense, erected a memorial monument to a tanker at the Chizhovsky cemetery in Minsk in 2006. This issue has been raised many times, to no avail. veteran organizations, once again in June 2011, with a request to contribute to the assignment of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously) to Lieutenant Colonel Z. G. Kolobanov, Legislative Assembly Petersburg on July 15, 2011, the head of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel-General V.P. Goremykin, refused to award Zinovy ​​Kolobanov the title of Hero of Russia, considering the award inappropriate.

Memory of a feat

Poems about the feat of Kolobanov

Alexander Gitovich. Tanker Zinovy ​​Kolobanov

It all went like this:
In harsh silence
There is a heavy tank,
Disguised in the forest.

Day - in a blue haze
The branch does not move.
Three tanks went into battle
German intelligence.

It's time! The fire is open!
And seen in clear light
How the first tank was hit
Behind him - the second and third.

But straight to the forest
Forty more.
Attention! Every moment
Unspeakably expensive.

On August 19, 1941, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich received an order to cover 3 roads leading to the city of Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina). After analyzing the terrain, Kolobanov sent 2 tanks to an ambush on the Luga road, two on the Kingesepp road, and he himself remained to guard the coastal direction. Kolobanov took up a position opposite the T-junction. A special trench was dug for the tank, which was perfectly camouflaged. As a result, German intelligence on motorcycles did not notice the camouflaged tank. A reserve position was also prepared. The place for the ambush was chosen very well. There were swampy fields on both sides of the road, which made it difficult for German vehicles to maneuver. Arrived, for support, the commander placed in a nearby forest so that she would not fall under tank fire.

The next day, 22 German Pz.Kpfw III tanks appeared on the horizon. Kolobanov let the tanks in as close as possible and gave the order to open fire on the lead tanks under the cross.

Accurate shots of the commander of the gun - Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, 2 lead tanks were knocked out. Confusion arose in the ranks of the enemy. Tanks began to bump into each other. And after the 2 closing tanks were knocked out, the German column ended up in a trap. At first, the Germans, not seeing their enemy, opened indiscriminate fire on the haystacks, mistaking them for camouflaged tanks. But having determined the source of the fire, they began to intensively fire at Kolobanov's tank. Although the advancing Nazis had a numerical superiority, their armor-piercing shells of 37 caliber bounced off the reinforced armor of the kv-1, while greatly stunning the Soviets. The tank withstood about 156 hits. The Germans tried to turn off the road into the field, but began to get stuck in the swampy area. The crew of the tank methodically destroyed all the German tanks, but then the enemy rolled anti-tank guns into position.

A shell from one of them shot down the tank's periscope. Then the gunner-radio operator of the tank - Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov climbed onto the tank, and under heavy fire replaced the device. After another hit by an anti-tank gun, the tank's turret jammed. But the chief mechanic driver - Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, with skillful maneuvers of the tank, ensured the accurate aiming of the gun at the remaining German equipment. As a result, the entire enemy column was completely destroyed.

After this battle, the entire crew was presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but, according to unknown reasons, the fighters received more modest awards: Kolobanov Z.G., Nikiforov N.I. were awarded orders, Usov A.M. was awarded the Order of Lenin and Kiselkov P.I. received a medal for bravery.

Zinovy ​​Georgievich Kolobanov died on August 8, 1994, without waiting for the Hero's star for his outstanding feat. In St. Petersburg, an action was launched to collect signatures under a petition to the president to award Kolobanov Z.G. the title of Hero (posthumously). Already collected 102,000 signatures. As many people as possible should say their firm "yes", and then the historical injustice will be corrected. The hero will receive his reward, albeit posthumously. But then we can say with confidence: "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten."

In the award sheet of 1941, in the column "Brief, specific statement of personal military feat or merit", it is said: "The crew (Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov's tank - approx. TASS) destroyed 22 enemy tanks, 3 motorcycles, and Comrade Kolobanov's company destroyed 43 enemy tank. The battle of the 3rd company of heavy tanks under the command of senior lieutenant Kolobanov with the enemy lasted only half an hour. The unit was armed with five new KV-1E tanks, which had just entered the army from the Kirov Plant. The task was to delay the advance of German vehicles to Leningrad in the area near the village of Voiskovitsy, in the region of Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina).

For that battle, the tanker was presented by command to the star of the Hero of the USSR, but they gave him only the Order of the Red Banner. There are still discussions around this decision.

Battle at the Troops

On the eve of the battle, the tanks took up places in ambushes on the outskirts of Gatchina. “A German column appeared, motorcycles. A car followed them, tanks followed the car. There were 22 of them. Kolobanov himself counted them, someone else from the crew, they clearly saw 22 tanks. Fire was opened on the lead tank when it reached the intersection They immediately transferred the fire to the closing tanks," researcher Denis Bazuev, who devoted many years to studying the circumstances of the battle, told TASS. He builds a story about the battle on the interview of Kolobanov himself to the Leningrad journalist Igor Lisochkin.

"There is no doubt that just so many tanks were destroyed. Another conversation is that we, military people, evaluate, look at who stood against whom. Kolobanov's tank was heavy and shielded - in addition to its armor, additional sheets were welded onto it. Light tanks were put into it. hit, and shells bounced off like peas. Only when the Germans pulled up anti-tank guns, they managed to jam the tower. He beat light tanks. If he had stood against the "Tigers", he would hardly have been able to knock out so many. But the main thing is this historical fact, he was", - says the chairman of the Council of Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and full cavaliers of the Order of Glory of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region Gennady Fomenko.

When the ammunition ran out, Kolobanov turned to the battalion commander for permission to leave the position to refuel the tank. During the retreat, the tankers took out several wounded soldiers. Another 21 German tanks knocked out other vehicles of the company.

Controversy about the feat

Various reasons are given for why Kolobanov never received the title of Hero. During the Winter (Finnish) War of 1939-1940, Kolobanov participated in the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, burned three times in a tank. Some researchers believe that the personal file of the tanker was spoiled by the fraternization of his fighters with the Finns after the conclusion of peace. “The time was extremely inconvenient. Stalin reproached the leadership of the Leningrad Front for ineptly managing the latest technology- KV and Katyusha tanks. Rewarding would be an absolute dissonance," says one of the leading researchers of the blockade of Leningrad, Doctor of Historical Sciences Nikita Lomagin.

The feat of Kolobanov is confirmed by the award sheet and the memories of the participants in those events. But historians have not yet found confirmation of these losses of the Wehrmacht in the German archives.

"The fact check was carried out by both the division commander and the regiment commander. That is, they were responsible for the accuracy of the information provided, and most importantly, that they managed to fulfill the set combat mission, is the best proof that such a fight took place and the enemy was stopped," Nikita Lomagin is sure.

He believes that working with the German archives would help clarify the size of the losses of the Wehrmacht and establish the significance of the battle for the Leningrad Front at that time.

"But even if five tanks are knocked out, even if the rest are disabled ... Well, what is a Hero of the Soviet Union? This is a model, this is how one should behave. We are not just talking about personal courage, we are talking about the cohesion of the crew, the commander , about combat training, about heroic behavior. There were five tanks against a huge number of German well-trained troops, "he says.

"The main thing is not the order, but the memory"

Another campaign in support of conferring the title of Hero of Zinovy ​​Kolobanov was initiated by the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO). More than 100,000 Petersburgers signed the appeal to the President of the Russian Federation. "But there is public policy in the Ministry of Defense, which does not involve awarding twice for the same feat. Kolobanov was awarded for his unique feat, absolutely fantastic," said Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation and head of the RVIO.

Gennady Fomenko agrees with this. “There have been precedents for awarding for the same thing twice. But, probably, this is wrong. You can’t put yourself smarter than those who once made the decision to award. Although I, as a general, as a Hero of Russia, would also like to Kolobanov was a Hero of the Soviet Union... I believe that the presidential administration, the Ministry of Defense took a legal position. The decision on him (Kolobanov) has been made, and it cannot be overestimated by people who did not take part in the history, which is more than 70 years old, "- he thinks.

Deputy Head of the Military Historical Center of the North-Western federal district Sergey Machinsky believes that the younger generation has the right to reconsider decisions that seem unfair to him.

"They, as the heirs of those people, have the right to evaluate their actions and their exploits. Today's youth is not burdened by the legal conventions of that period, not burdened by the political situation that was at that time, that system. They, as people, have the right to evaluate precisely human actions - how much this or that person deserves this or that award," he is sure.

Professional historian Nikita Lomagin also supports the revision, but calls for justification in order to exclude subsequent disputes about the fairness of such a decision. "I think this way: it is possible and necessary to reward a person even after already 75 years. We can use this example to say that we must conduct additional research, we must request again German documents, we can send a formal request," he said.

The grandson of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov, Andrey, said that he was calm about the idea of ​​​​assigning this award to his grandfather and partly shared the position that they were not awarded twice for one feat. "There is a certain sense in the logic of officials. The award was presented. There is no point in evaluating it today," he said. "But if someone wants to achieve this, I'm not against it."

In 1983, a memorial was erected in the area of ​​the battle near Gatchina, at the opening of which Kolobanov was present along with members of his crew. Streets in St. Petersburg and Voiskovitsy are named after the senior lieutenant. In the village of Novy Uchkhoz, located on the site of a tank battle in 1941, a bust of Kolobanov was unveiled in 2008. In Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad Region, the Battle for Leningrad Museum named after Zinovy ​​Kolobanov is preparing to open. It was created by the hands of volunteers; teenagers are involved in the restoration of equipment.

No matter how the campaign to award Kolobanov the title of Hero develops, its initiators believe that they have already done much more to perpetuate his memory. "The most important thing is not an order, not a degree, the most important thing is the people's memory. I believe that<…>This campaign has led to the emergence documentaries on television, a lot of articles, whole studies on the Internet, to work search parties- this campaign is the best award, the best manifestation of respect for his memory. And how many of us have been awarded, but forgotten. It's much worse," Vladimir Medinsky believes.

Maxim Nichiporenko

On August 20, 1941, the tank crew under the command of Senior Lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov destroyed 22 enemy tanks. The feat of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov is now well known. In one battle, his crew destroyed 22 enemy tanks. According to this indicator - the destruction maximum number enemy tanks in one battle, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov is second only to Dmitry Sholokhov.

It all started with the fact that on August 8, 1941, von Leeb's troops, who had trampled along the Luga line for almost a month, resumed their attack on Leningrad. On August 9, 1941, the 1st Panzer Division was able to break through the Soviet defenses, and, having gone to the rear Soviet troops, link up with the 6th Panzer Division. On August 14, 1941, German troops cut railway Krasnogvardeisk - Kingisepp, on August 16, 1941, they took the Volosovo station and rapidly advanced towards Krasnogvardeisk - the former and current Gatchina.

Our troops defending the line on the Luga River (70th, 111th, 177th, 235th rifle divisions, as well as the 1st and 3rd militia divisions), were cut off from the main forces and offered stubborn resistance while surrounded. The reserves sent from the deep rear had not yet arrived, and the road to Leningrad was open for the Germans who had broken through.

The only formation capable of delaying the German offensive was Major General Baranov's 1st Panzer Division. On August 12, the division went on the defensive in the area of ​​Vypolzovo, Kryakovo, Nerevitsy, and Lelino. At this point, the division had 58 serviceable tanks, 4 of which were medium T-28s, and 7 were heavy KV-1s. The 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion of the 1st tank regiment of this division included five KV tanks. It was this company that was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov.

Zinovy ​​Kolobanov on the eve of the Winter War, in which he fought as a commander of a tank company of the 1st Light Tank Brigade with the rank of lieutenant

On August 19, Kolobanov was called to the division commander. Having shown on the map three roads leading to Krasnogvardeysk from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp, the general ordered to block them. Each tank was loaded with two rounds of armor-piercing shells. This time, the crews took the minimum amount of high-explosive fragmentation shells. The main thing was not to miss the German tanks.

On the same day, Kolobanov advanced his company towards the advancing enemy. He sent two tanks - Lieutenant Sergeev and Junior Lieutenant Evdokimenko to the Luga road. Two more KVs under the command of Lieutenant Lastochkin and Second Lieutenant Degtyar went to defend the road leading to Volosovo. The tank of the company commander himself was to ambush the road connecting the Tallinn highway with the road to Marienburg - the northern outskirts of Krasnogvardeisk.

The crew of Zinoviy Kolobanov. Kolobanov himself - in the center

The crew, in addition to Kolobanov himself, included the commander of the gun, senior sergeant Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, senior driver, foreman Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, loader, also junior mechanic, Red Army soldier Nikolai Feoktistovich Rodenkov, and gunner-radio operator, senior sergeant Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov. For his KV, Kolobanov determined the position in such a way that in the sector of fire there was the longest, well-opened section of the road. A little before reaching the Uchkhoz poultry farm, it turned almost 90 degrees and then went to Marienburg. Vast swamps stretched along the sides of the road.

By evening, they managed to hide the tank in a caponier dug up to the very turret. A spare position was also equipped. After that, not only the tank itself was carefully disguised, but even traces of its tracks ..

Closer to the night approached military guards. The young lieutenant reported to Kolobanov. He ordered the infantrymen to be placed behind the tank, to the side, so that in which case they would not come under gunfire.

KV-1 with additional armor / Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov's tank was also equipped with such armor

In the early morning of August 20, 1941, Kolobanov's crew was awakened by the roar of German Ju-88 bombers flying at high altitude towards Leningrad. At ten o'clock shots were heard from the left, from the side of the road leading to Volosovo. A message came on the radio that one of the crews had engaged in battle with German tanks. Kolobanov summoned the commander of the outpost and ordered him that his infantrymen open fire on the enemy only when the KV gun spoke. For themselves, Kolobanov and Usov outlined two landmarks: No. 1 - two birch trees at the end of the intersection and No. 2 - the intersection itself. Landmarks were chosen in such a way as to destroy the lead enemy tanks right at the crossroads, to prevent the rest of the vehicles from turning off the road leading to Marienburg.

Only in the second hour of the day did enemy vehicles appear on the road. The German motorcyclists turned left and rushed towards Marienburg, not noticing the camouflaged KV standing in ambush. Behind the motorcyclists, the Pz.III tanks of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank regiment of the 1st tank division of Major General Walter Krueger appeared. Their hatches were open, and some of the tankers were sitting on the armor. As soon as the lead vehicle reached landmark No. 1, Kolobanov ordered Usov to open fire.

The lead tank caught fire from the first shot. It was destroyed before it even completely passed the intersection. The second shot, right at the crossroads, destroyed the second tank. A bottleneck has formed. The column shrunk like a spring, and now the intervals between the rest of the tanks have become completely minimal. Kolobanov ordered the fire to be transferred to the tail of the column in order to finally lock it on the road. The senior sergeant corrected the sight and fired four more shots, destroying the last two in the tank column. The enemy is trapped.

In the first seconds, the Germans could not determine where the shooting was coming from, and opened fire from their 50-mm KwK-38 cannons on haystacks, which immediately caught fire. But they soon came to their senses and were able to discover the ambush. A tank duel of one KV against eighteen German tanks began. A whole hail of armor-piercing shells fell on Kolobanov's car. One by one, they hammered at the 25 mm armor of the additional screens mounted on the KV turret. Tanks KV-1 with similar armor were produced only in July 1941 and fought only on the North-Western and Leningrad fronts.

The infantry units moving behind the column came to the aid of the German tankers. Under the cover of fire from tank guns, for more effective shooting at KV, the Germans rolled anti-tank guns onto the road. Kolobanov noticed the preparations of the enemy and ordered Usov to strike high-explosive fragmentation projectile on anti-tank guns. FROM German infantry the combat guard located behind the KV entered the battle.

Award list of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov: fund 33, inventory 682524, storage unit 84. Pages 1 and 2. TsAMO, fund 217, inventory 347815, file No. 6 on sheets 102-104.

Usov managed to destroy one anti-tank missile along with the calculation, but the second managed to fire several shots. One of them broke the panoramic periscope, from which Kolobanov was monitoring the battlefield, and the other, hitting the tower, jammed it. Usov managed to destroy this gun as well, but the KV lost the ability to maneuver fire. Large turnings of the gun to the right and left could now be done only by turning the entire hull of the tank.

Kolobanov ordered the senior driver, foreman Nikolai Nikiforov, to withdraw the tank from the caponier and take the spare firing position. In front of the eyes of the Germans, the tank reversed out of its hiding place, drove off to the side, stood in the bushes and again opened fire on the column. At this time, the gunner-radio operator Nikolai Kiselkov climbed onto the armor and installed a spare instead of a damaged periscope.

Finally, the last 22nd tank was destroyed. By this time, 12 shells remained in the tank. By order of the commander of the battalion, Captain Joseph Shpiller, Kolobanov's tank withdrew from the position and, having put on five wounded soldiers from the security platoon, withdrew to the location of the main forces of the division. At the same time, in the battle on the Luga road, the crew of Lieutenant Fedor Sergeev destroyed eight German tanks, the crew of Junior Lieutenant Maxim Evdokimenko - five. The junior lieutenant died in this battle, three members of his crew were wounded. Only the driver Sidikov survived. The fifth German tank, destroyed by the crew in this battle, was on the account of the driver: Sidikov rammed him. At the same time, the HF itself was disabled. The tanks of junior lieutenant Degtyar and lieutenant Lastochkin burned four enemy tanks each that day. In total, the 3rd tank company destroyed 43 enemy tanks that day.

Rewarding the crew of Kolobanov

For this battle, the commander of the 3rd tank company, senior lieutenant 3inovy ​​Grigoryevich Kolobanov, was presented with the heroic title but was awarded only the Order of the Red Banner of Battle, and the commander of his tank's gun, senior sergeant Andrei Mikhailovich Usov, received the Order of Lenin.

The military battle seriously delayed the enemy's offensive near Leningrad and saved the city from lightning capture. By the way, one of the reasons why the Germans were so eager to capture Leningrad in the summer of 1941 was precisely the fact that the Kirov plant, which produced KV tanks, was located in the city.

Kolobanov with his family after the war