Description

Researched Soviet screwback Order of the Red Banner #60251

Awarded to senior Lieutenant Andrei Ivanovich Shapovalov (Андрей Иванович Шаповалов)

For fighting at the North Caucasus Front. Heavily wounded in his tank

This original order of the Red Banner is in a great, well above average condition. The details are crisp and shows relatively little loss of the enamels. Over 80% is still present. The gold plating is mostly present on both sides of the order. The reverse is also in excellent condition with only a few dings or scratches. There have been no repairs and the screwpost has not been shortened. It also comes with its time period silver screwplate.

A scarce screwback in great condition with very interesting research!

Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:

“Senior Lieutenant Shapovalov has been serving as a deputy battalion commander since October 1942. During this time he has shown himself an audacious, decisive, and strong-willed commander. During the operations for the towns of Belikov, Baichevka, and Svistelnikov, comrade Shapovalov was continuously posted on the front line, adjusting the fire of our artillery, bringing down direct artillery fire onto the advancing enemy tanks. As a result, 4 tanks were knocked out and [# missing] 75-mm artillery pieces were destroyed, 2 crews of which were killed.

Near Chernoyerkovskaya Station 4 enemy [missing] were fought off. Two armored vehicles, with comrade Shapovalov riding on one of them and gunning down Hitlerites with a machine gun, broke into the enemy’s ranks. From his armored vehicle he killed up to 2 platoons of enemy infantry with his machine gun.

During the fighting to seize the sector at height 98.5, 6 kilometers south of Krymskaya Station, comrade Shapovalov adjusted the artillery fire of two groups of field guns from a tank. During this engagement, because of his adjustments, 16 machine guns were destroyed, 3 wooden bunkers and 1 observation post were pulverized, and up to a company of enemy infantry was killed. 3 artillery batteries, 3 mortar batteries, 5 heavy machine guns, and 3 light machine guns were suppressed. This allowed for the enemy firepower to be suppressed and the assigned mission to be accomplished.

The tank from which comrade Shapovalov adjusted the artillery fire was knocked out by the enemy at point-blank range. The tank’s entire crew died a brave death, while comrade Shapovalov was severely wounded.

For his military accomplishments for the motherland, Senior Lieutenant Shapovalov deserves the Order of the Red Banner.”

The full translation of the research can be found here:

Translation