Fomichev Mikhail Georgievich. General "Shrek" Fomichev "chopped off" the Crimea with a division of Chechens and was defeated in a battle in the Donbass Fomichev Mikhail Georgievich heroes of the country

Korolev Ivan Georgievich Born in 1921 in the village of Lamki, Uzlovsky district, Tula region. The son of a peasant. After seven years of school, he studied at a technical school and studied at the Moscow Aero Club. Graduated from the Kachin Aviation School. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded on February 10

Nikolaev Georgy Georgievich Born in 1919 in the village of Sotino, Aleksinsky district, Tula region, into a peasant family. After seven years of school, he graduated from the Kaluga Pedagogical School and studied at a military pilot school. Participated in the Great Patriotic War from the first

Polyakov Vasily Georgievich Born in 1924 in the village of Borisovo, Kurkinsky district, Tula region. After graduating from elementary school, he moved to Tula with his parents. He studied at the 11th seven-year school, then at the school of the FZO arms factory. In November 1942 he was drafted into the ranks

author

AMELICHKIN Sergei Georgievich Sergei Georgievich Amelichkin was born in 1919 in the village of Ilyinka, Yurgamysh district, Kurgan region, into a peasant family. Russian by nationality. Non-partisan. In the twenties, his parents moved to the village of Fedorovskoye, Kustanay region

Mikhail Georgievich Fomichev was born into a peasant family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1939. In the Soviet Army since 1933.

In 1937 he graduated from the Oryol Tank School named after M.V. Frunze, and in 1941 from the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Soviet Army.

After the Great Patriotic War, M. G. Fomichev graduated from the Academy of the General Staff and continued to serve in the ranks of the Soviet Army. Since 1972, Lieutenant General of Tank Forces M. G. Fomichev has been retired.

With his hands behind his back, Guard Colonel Fomichev walked back and forth near his Jeep. He had just returned from the army commander and was now thinking intently about the conversation with him.

It was the third day of fighting, but so far they had not reached the scale envisaged by the operation plan. And although nothing could stop our tank army rushing to the west, the enemy was still trying to somehow reduce the size of the catastrophe that was approaching him. So today, by morning, he managed to gain a foothold on a new defensive line, brought up tanks and anti-tank artillery. The offensive stalled.

The army commander demanded to break through this defense. A difficult task fell on the shoulders of the tank crews of the brigade, commanded by Colonel Fomichev. They had to occupy the stronghold of Jaktorów and, acting in an advanced detachment, rapidly move west, by the end of the day reach the Lvov region and, under favorable conditions, take possession of this important road junction and large industrial center. And Fomichev thought about how to solve this problem better and faster.

The brigade commander understood: you can’t take Jaktoruv just like that. There are up to a dozen tanks in the village - well camouflaged, hidden, silent for the time being. You can get stuck, but you have to go to Lvov without delay. How can this be?

Fomichev peered at the hill and the blackened strip of forest on it. It was quiet and peaceful there. The enemy did not reveal himself in any way. The brigade commander looked at the map again: a ridge of heights, covered with forest, not a single road; The dotted line indicates only paths and clearings. And yet he decided to take a risk - to go through this mountainous and forested area. After all, the enemy could not have fortified himself there in the same way as here in Jaktorów. And what should he strengthen if there is not even the slightest decent road there? Only after everything was weighed did Fomichev make the final decision.

A short time later, the brigade commander was already with the commander of the 2nd tank battalion, Captain P.V. Chirkov. This battalion had to bypass the enemy through the forest, go to his rear and, without getting involved in battle, advance on Lyakhoduv.

At the appointed time, hurricane fire was opened on the stronghold. The enemy expected a decisive attack. And it happened. Some of our tanks attacked the village, but then deliberately retreated. Inspired by this “victory,” the enemy began to defend Jaktorów even more stubbornly.

Meanwhile, the tank battalion of Captain Chirkov, unnoticed by the enemy, was drawn into the forest. Without meeting the enemy, the tankers moved forward. The narrow forest road did not allow the tankers to truly turn around. The tanks broke trees, overcame ascents, descents, and frequent and sharp turns. They walked forward slowly. And most importantly, the enemy did not notice them. When he discovered our column, it was already too late. The rest of the brigade's forces followed the 2nd battalion. The Germans had no choice but to begin a hasty retreat. Soon Fomichev's tanks reached the outskirts of Lvov.

- “Kyiv”, “Kyiv”! I am Samara! “I have reached the outskirts of “Rosa”, I continue to carry out the task,” the brigade commander reported to the corps commander, General E. E. Belov.

Colonel Fomichev's 63rd Guards Tank Brigade had already had to operate in the forward detachment before.

Many cities were taken by tankers. They took it in different ways, depending on the situation. In March of the same forty-four year, the brigade successfully operated in the forward detachment and captured the city of Kamenets-Podolsky. I mastered it in a simple and original way.

They approached the city at night. Thick wet snow was falling. Nothing was visible. Of course, the enemy did not expect an attack at such a time. Indeed, it was difficult to move in the dark without light. Then Fomichev decided to rush into the city at high speed, at full speed, with headlights on, but without shooting. This daring technique was not new, but it was used at the right time. And it brought success. The enemy was stunned, demoralized, scattered without resistance.

This did not work out in Lviv. True, the tanks immediately broke through far into the city. The 2nd and 3rd tank battalions along Zelenaya Street reached almost Mickiewicz Square, but stopped here. There was a strong enemy group in the city. There were many headquarters, rear units, and reserve formations here. The retreating enemy troops were also gathered in Lvov.

It is difficult for tanks to fight in the city. They need space, breadth, scope. There, in the open air, in the field, tankers widely use outflanking the enemy and deep maneuvers. In the city, the tank is deprived of the opportunity to use its maneuverability and mobility. The use of its cannon fire is limited: not every object can be fired from a tank cannon.

In Lvov, Fomichev created independent combat groups from the forces he had. The basis of each group was a tank battalion. It was reinforced by a company of motorized riflemen or machine gunners, two or three anti-tank guns, and two heavy tanks. Having a platoon of machine gunners in front of them, such a group could independently fight on one of the streets. So the brigade simultaneously advanced in two or three directions. The front of action expanded. This forced the enemy to disperse their forces.

Heavy tanks were especially useful in street battles. And it was no coincidence that the brigade commander assigned them to each battalion. Where medium tanks were unable to knock out the enemy, heavy tanks were used. Their powerful fire destroyed any cover. So, house by house, block by block, the city was recaptured from the enemy.

The fighting in the city became increasingly intense. The enemy's resistance did not weaken. And although by this time units of the Soviet Army had broken through to the area west of Lvov and captured Przemysl, the enemy was not going to lay down their arms or leave the city. This was natural: Vistula was ahead. By holding Lvov, the fascist German command hoped to gain time and stop our troops on the Vistula - this advantageous natural line. That is why our command sought to capture Lvov as quickly as possible. The fight became more difficult. Ammunition was running out, and the fuel in the tanks of the vehicles was running out. The crews were ordered to start the engines as rarely as possible and not to leave anything on disabled vehicles.

The brigade commander's face fell. He looked much older than his 33 years. For three days and three nights he did not sleep - he only managed to doze for a few minutes.

Fomichev stood by his car with a microphone in his hands. He closely followed developments. At times it seemed to him that people had exhausted all their strength. But they continued the fight. Fomichev raised his head. A mixture of smoke and dust floated down the street. The brigade commander's attention was drawn to the spire of some tall building. It was the city hall. “Get the banner there immediately!” - flashed through my head.

And now the team took off on the air, and after it, the “thirty-four” with the proud name “Guard” rushed to the city center. The tank was commanded by Lieutenant A. N. Dodonov, and the driver was F. P. Surkov. Gunner A. A. Mordvintsev cleared the way for the car with fire from a cannon and machine gun. The crew included radio operator A.P. Marchenko; before the war he lived in this city. He was ordered to lead the tank to the town hall and hoist the Red Banner on it.

The brakes creaked, Surkov skillfully stopped the tank at the very entrance of the town hall. Marchenko and a group of machine gunners destroyed the guards on the move. The brave Komsomol member rushed upstairs. Another minute - and the Red Banner fluttered over the city. The Nazis were amazed at the audacity of the Soviet tank crews. They brought down hurricane fire on the town hall and the tank. Marchenko was already going down. An enemy bullet burned his chest. He pressed his hand over the wound and ran on. Friends are already here! But at that second a yellowish flame burst out near the tank. Marchenko fell. The wound turned out to be fatal. And the Guard tank fought with the enemy for almost a week, destroying and knocking out eight tanks, up to a hundred Nazis. Lieutenant Dodonov was killed in the battle, gunner Mordvintsev and driver Surkov were seriously wounded. On the sixth day of fighting, other units of the corps entered the city. Through joint efforts, Lviv was finally cleared of fascist invaders.

For the courage and courage shown in the battles during the liberation of Lvov, several soldiers of the 63rd Guards Tank Brigade were awarded the highest government award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And among them is the commander of this guard brigade, Colonel M. G. Fomichev and Guard Sergeant Major F. P. Surkov.

In the city of Lvov, on Lenin Street, on a high pedestal there is a monument - a tank. This is a tribute to the courage of those who liberated the city from the fascist invaders in 1944.

Sandomierz bridgehead. Late fine autumn of 1944. Units of the Soviet Army were preparing to deliver another powerful blow to the enemy from here. It was necessary to defeat the Nazi troops in Central Poland and free the long-suffering Polish people from fascist slavery.

Tanks took refuge in the yellowed forests. As always, in the intervals between battles, units received reinforcements and repaired combat vehicles. The tankers were busy. They studied the battles, strictly judged their actions, revealed mistakes and analyzed their causes.

At the beginning of autumn, Fomichev told his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Baranov:

Yakov Mikhailovich, plan more fire and driving for your classes. It looks like we'll have to go in the vanguard again. We need to prepare for this.

Swiftness, wide maneuver, combined with powerful and accurate fire from tanks - this is the primary condition for the success of the actions of the forward detachment. And it is necessary for driver mechanics to be fluent in all the techniques of driving combat vehicles. Without this, it is hardly possible to seriously think about the high tempo of the offensive, about the speed of maneuver. And then winter was approaching. The conditions of the battle became more complicated.

The vanguard is mobile. But the enemy, as a rule, puts forward mobile troops and tank units against him. The advance detachment often has to engage them in battle on the move. You need precision and great firepower to defeat such an enemy.

That is why tank engines roared day and night in the concentration area. Somewhere ahead at night lightning flashes of rare artillery shots flashed. That was the leading edge. And here, in the rear, shells were also exploding, machine guns were firing non-stop. There was intense combat training going on. Brigade commander Fomichev taught his tank crews to drive formidable combat vehicles at high speeds and shoot accurately both during the day and at night.

January 12, 1945 arrived. Early on a frosty morning, the forest was filled with the roar of artillery preparation. Thus began the powerful winter offensive of the Soviet Army.

The 63rd Tank Brigade of the Guard Colonel Fomichev is paving the way to the west for the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps.

On the night of January 14, the brigade made a decisive leap forward - it covered more than 50 kilometers, crossed the Czarna-Nida River on the move, and captured Chęciny, a small town, which, however, was approached by several roads. Thanks to this, the main forces of the Nazi 24th Panzer Corps, and in particular its 17th Panzer Division, had their escape routes to the west cut off.

It would seem that cutting off the enemy’s escape routes is a common thing for tank crews, their duty arising from the fighting qualities and capabilities of such a mobile type of troops. But this is easy when the enemy is defeated and flees in disarray. Here the forward detachment met with the main forces of the enemy’s 17th Tank Division, which counterattacked parts of the corps. It has already deployed its units and units. A fierce oncoming battle ensued.

The art of the advance detachment commander in such cases is to prevent the enemy from drawing the detachment into battle; pin down the enemy, deprive him of maneuver. Fomichev managed to achieve this. Two favorable factors were used: darkness and terrain. The night and the forest were reliable allies of the tankers. Having bypassed the enemy's battle formations in the dark, our tanks went deeper into the forest. When dawn came, they were already far behind enemy lines. The forest reliably covered them.

Here are the Chantsins. The tanks of the 1st battalion of Captain Egorov burst into the outskirts. Here their path was blocked by wood and earth rubble. Then Lieutenant Biryukov went to ram the brick building. Having broken through one and then another wall, his tank went around. A platoon and the entire battalion of Captain Egorov followed him. The enemy was stunned by the audacity of the Russian tankers. Two hours later the city was liberated. All roads leading to Chęciny were intercepted by tank ambushes. The enemy had nowhere to retreat.

This is how Fomichev’s brigade passed the first two days of the offensive that unfolded from the Sandomierz bridgehead. A few days later, the advance detachment, having traveled more than 150 kilometers, with a swift attack captured a serviceable crossing across the Warta River from the enemy. Again the path to the west was open for the main forces of the corps.

There was such an episode in the combat life of the brigade in those days. The tankers continuously pursued the enemy. Early in the morning of January 21, still in the dark, they approached the city of Schildberg. The attached artillery regiment lagged behind a little - this often happens in winter. What was to be done? Wait for artillery and waste time? No. It was impossible to do this.

And Fomichev decided to provide the attack with his own forces, with the fire of his tanks. One tank battalion, on the orders of the brigade commander, opened powerful fire on the enemy. The remaining tanks rushed into Schildberg on the move at high speeds. This surprise attack was successful. At 7.00 the city was in our hands.

on some days it reached 70 - 80 kilometers per day. Such a rapid advance in winter conditions had never happened during the war years.

April of the victorious 1945. The Berlin operation is in full swing. And the tank guards are back in battle. The enemy resists furiously. The last reserves have been thrown into battle. But it's all in vain. The fate of Berlin and all of Nazi Germany is sealed.

By the end of April 24, Fomichev's tank brigade began fighting for the Teltow Canal, and the next day captured the southwestern suburb of Berlin - Zehlendorf.

But Fomichev’s tankers did not have the chance to participate in the assault on Berlin itself. The command learned that there was a large concentration camp in the Babelsberg area. Progressive figures from various countries languished there. The Nazis intended to destroy all prisoners. This monstrous crime had to be prevented.

Fomichev sent the 3rd Tank Battalion of the Guard, Senior Lieutenant N. G. Akinshin, to Babelsberg. Akinshin's tanks with a landing of machine gunners broke through to Babelsberg, to the concentration camp. And now one of the armored vehicles suddenly braked at the camp gate. Then she turned around sharply. A pile of rubble remained in place of the gate. The figure of a tanker appeared from the turret hatch. He waved a red signal flag.

Hundreds of people ran from the barracks to the Soviet tanks. They hugged their liberators and shouted something joyfully. One of the Babelsberg prisoners, a middle-aged Frenchman, persistently sought a meeting with the commander, whose soldiers freed him. Fomichev had just dozed off in his Jeep. The driver woke him up.

Who saved my life? - the Frenchman asked him through an interpreter.

Urals, Siberians,” Fomichev answered him.

Oh thank you! - And he warmly hugged Fomichev. - Russia is a great country, Russians are noble people!

This was a prominent statesman of France, Edouard Herriot.

On April 30, the brigade carried out booms in a new area. The tankers counterattacked the enemy from the Trebin area in the general direction of Luckenwald. Here part of the troops of the encircled Frankfurt-Guben group broke through. Regardless of losses, the enemy advanced through forests and fields, on roads and without roads. He had to be stopped.

The battalions of Akininin and Pupkov went into battle. Fomichev left the tanks of the 1st battalion in his reserve. Fierce fighting ensued. The tanks moved further and further into the enemy's position. The Nazis began to bypass the battalion of I. S. Pupkov. In the Dobrikov area, our tank crews found themselves in a difficult situation: it was difficult to figure out where they were and where they were. This is where the 1st battalion left by the brigade commander came in handy. At the decisive moment, Fomichev brought him into battle, and the situation was defused.

The weather was sunny and surprisingly warm. As if the tankers were flying on wings to the south, to Prague, to the aid of their Czech brothers. The Prague residents’ call burst into the tankers’ headsets:

The radio station of the rebel Prague speaks! The radio station of the rebel Prague speaks! We appeal to the Red Army - help us, dear comrades!

In those days it was not expected that Fomichev’s brigade would be in the vanguard. But, apparently, this is the nature of its commander and all the soldiers - they do not like to move from behind. And after a few hours they come forward again.

On the route, which passed through mountainous and wooded terrain, the enemy created all kinds of obstacles. On May 8, the brigade at the pass through the Sudeten Mountains encountered a forest blockage set on fire. It was necessary to put out the fire. The commander of a separate reconnaissance patrol of the guard, Lieutenant Goncharenko, boldly rushed into the fire. Risking falling into the gorge in the smoke, he led the platoon along the cliff. At 18.00 the pass was overcome, and the tanks rushed south.

At dawn on May 9, the tankers reached Prague. “Rapidly pursuing the enemy, the brigade made a 130-kilometer march during the 8th and on the night of May 9, and at 3.00 on May 9, 1945, broke into the northwestern outskirts of the city of Prague and started street fighting,” brigade commander Fomichev reported to the corps commander.

The inhabitants of Prague did not sleep that alarming night. The Nazis pressed on: they brought up artillery, began shelling the city, and bombed the rebel areas from airplanes.

And suddenly good news: Red Army tanks appeared on the northwestern outskirts of Prague!

It is difficult to convey in words what was happening in the city at that time,” recalls General Fomichev. - We arrived at one of the barricades. Despite the fact that the Nazis still put up stubborn resistance and fired at us, we were immediately surrounded by a crowd of people. Many were armed. These were the participants in the uprising.

Nazdar! Red Army, damn it! - the crowd thundered.

But the enemy resisted. And the tanks walked through the city, crushing barricades and destroying enemy firing points. Here is the bridge over the beautiful Vltava. The Nazis did not have time to blow it up. The “thirty-fours” of the platoon of Lieutenant Goncharenko, the same one who rushed into the burning forest rubble in the Sudetes, are walking along it. Then they turn onto the embankment and rush along it.

Lightning flash of a shot. The lead tank freezes lifelessly. Lieutenant Goncharenko, who had just smiled in response to the greetings of the residents, slowly lowered himself into the hatch. He was hit by an enemy cartridge from the basement window of the building. Killed on the day when the people celebrated victory.

And a few hours later a real holiday began in the city. Crowds of people filled all the streets and squares. The joyful hum of human voices was heard.

The people looked with love at their liberators, at their formidable fighting machines. So that’s what they are, Soviet tank crews! Some people came up and touched the armor of the tanks with their hands. Strong armor!

Fomichev’s tank stopped on one of the streets. He got out of the car. He wiped his face, which was sweating from the heat, with a handkerchief and took off his cap. I brushed the dust off my safety glasses. The velvet band of his cap turned from black to purple. The sun and dust did their job. Fomichev went through the entire war wearing this cap. She was a mute witness to both the bitter days of defeat and joyful victories. That’s why I didn’t want to part with her.

For his skillful leadership of the brigade’s combat operations during the Vistula-Oder operation, in the battles for Berlin, and for the swift and decisive actions to liberate the city of Prague, Guard Colonel M. G. Fomichev was awarded the second “Gold Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Years go by. Former tank crews do not lose touch with their combat commander and senior comrade. Many people write letters to him. And Fomichev, a man of a sensitive soul, responds to every appeal from his fellow soldiers.

During the Great Patriotic War, M. G. Fomichev took part in battles on the Southern, Southwestern, Bryansk and 1st Ukrainian fronts. From May 1944 he commanded a tank brigade. For the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command, for courage and heroism, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by Decree of September 23, 1944, awarded Mikhail Georgievich Fomichev the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. For new military exploits, on May 31, 1945, he was awarded a second Gold Star medal. He was also awarded many orders and medals.

Mikhail Georgievich Fomichev was born into a peasant family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1939. In the Soviet Army since 1933.

In 1937 he graduated from the Oryol Tank School named after M.V. Frunze, and in 1941 from the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Soviet Army.

After the Great

During the Patriotic War, M. G. Fomichev graduated from the Academy of the General Staff and continued to serve in the ranks of the Soviet Army. Since 1972, Lieutenant General of Tank Forces M. G. Fomichev has been retired.

With his hands behind his back, Guard Colonel Fomichev walked back and forth near his Jeep. He only

About what I returned from the army commander and was now thinking intently about the conversation with him.

It was the third day of fighting, but so far they had not reached the scale envisaged by the operation plan. And although nothing could stop our tank army rushing west, the enemy was still strong

to somehow reduce the size of the catastrophe that was approaching him. So today, by morning, he managed to gain a foothold on a new defensive line, brought up tanks and anti-tank artillery. The offensive stalled.

The army commander demanded to break through this defense. On the shoulders of the tank crews of the brigade, which commands

Al Colonel Fomichev, it was not an easy task. They had to occupy the stronghold of Jaktorów and, acting in an advanced detachment, rapidly move west, by the end of the day reach the Lvov region and, under favorable conditions, take possession of this important road junction and large industrial center. And Fomichev thought

about how to solve this problem better and faster.

The brigade commander understood: you can’t take Jaktoruv just like that. There are up to a dozen tanks in the village - well camouflaged, hidden, silent for the time being. You can get stuck, but you have to go to Lvov without delay. How can this be?

Fomichev peered into the hill

and a blackened strip of forest on it. It was quiet and peaceful there. The enemy did not reveal himself in any way. The brigade commander looked at the map again: a ridge of heights, covered with forest, not a single road; The dotted line indicates only paths and clearings. And yet he decided to take a risk - to go through this mountainous and forested area. IN

After all, the enemy could not fortify himself there the same way as here in Jaktorów. And what should he strengthen if there is not even the slightest decent road there? Only after everything was weighed did Fomichev make the final decision.

A short time later, the brigade commander was already with the commander of the 2nd tank

about the battalion of captain P.V. Chirkov. This battalion had to bypass the enemy through the forest, go to his rear and, without getting involved in battle, advance on Lyakhoduv.

At the appointed time, hurricane fire was opened on the stronghold. The enemy expected a decisive attack. And it happened. Some of our tanks attacked

and the village, but then deliberately moved away. Inspired by this “victory,” the enemy began to defend Jaktorów even more stubbornly.

Meanwhile, the tank battalion of Captain Chirkov, unnoticed by the enemy, was drawn into the forest. Without meeting the enemy, the tankers moved forward. The narrow forest road did not allow the tankers to turn around.

I'm for real. The tanks broke trees, overcame ascents, descents, and frequent and sharp turns. They walked forward slowly. And most importantly, the enemy did not notice them. When he discovered our column, it was already too late. The rest of the brigade's forces followed the 2nd battalion. The Germans had no choice but to start

there is a hasty departure. Soon Fomichev's tanks reached the outskirts of Lvov.

- “Kyiv”, “Kyiv”! I am Samara! “I have reached the outskirts of “Rosa”, I continue to carry out the task,” the brigade commander reported to the corps commander, General E. E. Belov.

The 63rd Guards Tank Brigade of Colonel Fomichev had already had to

act in the vanguard.

Many cities were taken by tankers. They took it in different ways, depending on the situation. In March of the same forty-four year, the brigade successfully operated in the forward detachment and captured the city of Kamenets-Podolsky. I mastered it in a simple and original way.

They approached the city at night. Vali

l thick wet snow. Nothing was visible. Of course, the enemy did not expect an attack at such a time. Indeed, it was difficult to move in the dark without light. Then Fomichev decided to rush into the city at high speed, at full speed, with headlights on, but without shooting. This daring technique was not new, but

o applied it on time. And it brought success. The enemy was stunned, demoralized, scattered without resistance.

This did not work out in Lviv. True, the tanks immediately broke through far into the city. The 2nd and 3rd tank battalions along Zelenaya Street reached almost Mickiewicz Square, but stopped here. To the city

de turned out to be a strong enemy group. There were many headquarters, rear units, and reserve formations here. The retreating enemy troops were also gathered in Lvov.

It is difficult for tanks to fight in the city. They need space, breadth, scope. There, in the open air, in the field, tankers widely use pan bypasses

ka, deep maneuver. In the city, the tank is deprived of the opportunity to use its maneuverability and mobility. The use of its cannon fire is limited: not every object can be fired from a tank cannon.

In Lvov, Fomichev created independent combat groups from the forces he had. The basis of each

The group consisted of a tank battalion. It was reinforced by a company of motorized riflemen or machine gunners, two or three anti-tank guns, and two heavy tanks. Having a platoon of machine gunners in front of them, such a group could independently fight on one of the streets. So the brigade simultaneously advanced in two or three directions.

regulations. The front of action expanded. This forced the enemy to disperse their forces.

Heavy tanks were especially useful in street battles. And it was no coincidence that the brigade commander assigned them to each battalion. Where medium tanks were unable to knock out the enemy, heavy tanks were used. Their powerful fire

sewed up any shelters. So, house by house, block by block, the city was recaptured from the enemy.

The fighting in the city became increasingly intense. The enemy's resistance did not weaken. And although by this time units of the Soviet Army had broken through to the area west of Lvov and captured Przemysl, the enemy was not going to fold

take up arms or leave the city. This was natural: Vistula was ahead. By holding Lvov, the fascist German command hoped to gain time and stop our troops on the Vistula - this advantageous natural line. That is why our command sought to capture Lvov as quickly as possible

The fight became more difficult. Ammunition was running out, and the fuel in the tanks of the vehicles was running out. The crews were ordered to start the engines as rarely as possible and not to leave anything on disabled vehicles.

The brigade commander's face fell. He looked much older than his 33 years. For three days and three nights he did not sleep - he succeeded

All you have to do is take a nap for a few minutes.

Fomichev stood by his car with a microphone in his hands. He closely followed developments. At times it seemed to him that people had exhausted all their strength. But they continued the fight. Fomichev raised his head. A mixture of smoke and dust floated down the street. The brigade commander's attention was drawn to the spire

some tall building. It was the city hall. “Get the banner there immediately!” - flashed through my head.

And now the team took off on the air, and after it, the “thirty-four” with the proud name “Guard” rushed to the city center. The tank was commanded by Lieutenant A. N. Dodonov, the car was driven by a mechanic

l F. P. Surkov. Gunner A. A. Mordvintsev cleared the way for the car with fire from a cannon and machine gun. The crew included radio operator A.P. Marchenko; before the war he lived in this city. He was ordered to lead the tank to the town hall and hoist the Red Banner on it.

The brakes creaked, Surkov skillfully stopped the tank at the very

Town Hall ride. Marchenko and a group of machine gunners destroyed the guards on the move. The brave Komsomol member rushed upstairs. Another minute - and the Red Banner fluttered over the city. The Nazis were amazed at the audacity of the Soviet tank crews. They brought down hurricane fire on the town hall and the tank. Marchenko was already going down. Enemy

the bullet burned his chest. He pressed his hand over the wound and ran on. Friends are already here! But at that second a yellowish flame burst out near the tank. Marchenko fell. The wound turned out to be fatal. And the Guard tank fought with the enemy for almost a week, destroying and knocking out eight tanks, up to a hundred Nazis. In battle

and Lieutenant Dodonov, gunner Mordvintsev and driver Surkov were seriously wounded. On the sixth day of fighting, other units of the corps entered the city. Through joint efforts, Lviv was finally cleared of fascist invaders.

For the courage and bravery shown in the battles during the liberation of Lvov, several

The soldiers of the 63rd Guards Tank Brigade were awarded the highest government award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And among them is the commander of this guard brigade, Colonel M. G. Fomichev and Guard Sergeant Major F. P. Surkov.

In the city of Lvov, on Lenin Street, there is a monument on a high pedestal

Tank. This is a tribute to the courage of those who liberated the city from the fascist invaders in 1944.

Sandomierz bridgehead. Late fine autumn of 1944. Units of the Soviet Army were preparing to deliver another powerful blow to the enemy from here. It was necessary to defeat the Nazi troops in Central

noah Poland and free the long-suffering Polish people from fascist slavery.

Tanks took refuge in the yellowed forests. As always, in the intervals between battles, units received reinforcements and repaired combat vehicles. The tankers were busy. They studied the battles, strictly judged their actions

ia, revealed errors and analyzed their causes.

At the beginning of autumn, Fomichev told his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Baranov:

Yakov Mikhailovich, plan more fire and driving for your classes. It looks like we'll have to go in the vanguard again. We need to prepare for this.

Swiftness, wide maneuver, combined with powerful and accurate fire from tanks - this is the primary condition for the success of the actions of the forward detachment. And it is necessary for driver mechanics to be fluent in all the techniques of driving combat vehicles. Without this, it is hardly possible to seriously think about high rates of attack, about

speed of maneuver. And then winter was approaching. The conditions of the battle became more complicated.

The vanguard is mobile. But the enemy, as a rule, puts forward mobile troops and tank units against him. The advance detachment often has to engage them in battle on the move. Need precision and great fire power

a powerful blow to defeat such an opponent.

That is why tank engines roared day and night in the concentration area. Somewhere ahead at night lightning flashes of rare artillery shots flashed. That was the leading edge. And here, in the rear, shells were also exploding, machine guns were firing non-stop. Went to

intense combat training. Brigade commander Fomichev taught his tank crews to drive formidable combat vehicles at high speeds and shoot accurately both during the day and at night.

January 12, 1945 arrived. Early on a frosty morning, the forest was filled with the roar of artillery preparation. Thus began the powerful winter offensive of the Owls.

Children's Army.

The 63rd Tank Brigade of the Guard Colonel Fomichev is paving the way to the west for the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps.

On the night of January 14, the brigade made a decisive leap forward - it covered more than 50 kilometers, crossed the Czarna-Nida River on the move, captured Chęciny, the sky

A large town, which, however, was approached by several roads. Thanks to this, the main forces of the Nazi 24th Panzer Corps, and in particular its 17th Panzer Division, had their escape routes to the west cut off.

It would seem that cutting off the enemy’s escape routes is a common thing for tank crews, it is their duty

that stems from the fighting qualities and capabilities of such a mobile branch of troops. But this is easy when the enemy is defeated and flees in disarray. Here the forward detachment met with the main forces of the enemy’s 17th Tank Division, which counterattacked parts of the corps. She has already turned around her hour

ty and divisions. A fierce oncoming battle ensued.

The art of the advance detachment commander in such cases is to prevent the enemy from drawing the detachment into battle; pin down the enemy, deprive him of maneuver. Fomichev managed to achieve this. Two favorable factors were used: darkness and local

there is The night and the forest were reliable allies of the tankers. Having bypassed the enemy's battle formations in the dark, our tanks went deeper into the forest. When dawn came, they were already far behind enemy lines. The forest reliably covered them.

Here are the Chantsins. Tanks of the 1st battalion of Captain Egorov burst into the outskirts

Here their path was blocked by wood and earth rubble. Then Lieutenant Biryukov went to ram the brick building. Having broken through one and then another wall, his tank went around. A platoon and the entire battalion of Captain Egorov followed him. The enemy was stunned by the audacity of the Russian tankers. Two hours later the city was liberated

den. All roads leading to Chęciny were intercepted by tank ambushes. The enemy had nowhere to retreat.

This is how Fomichev’s brigade passed the first two days of the offensive that unfolded from the Sandomierz bridgehead. And a few days later, the advance detachment, having traveled more than 150 kilometers, made a swift attack behind

The enemy had enough of a serviceable crossing across the Warta River. Again the path to the west was open for the main forces of the corps.

There was such an episode in the combat life of the brigade in those days. The tankers continuously pursued the enemy. Early in the morning of January 21, still in the dark, they approached the city of Schildberg. Attached artillery regiment

a little behind - this often happens in winter. What was to be done? Wait for artillery and waste time? No. It was impossible to do this.

And Fomichev decided to provide the attack with his own forces, with the fire of his tanks. One tank battalion, on the orders of the brigade commander, opened powerful fire on the enemy. Other tanks

They rushed into Schildberg straight away at high speeds. This surprise attack was successful. At 7.00 the city was in our hands.

on some days it reached 70 - 80 kilometers per day.

Such a rapid advance in winter conditions had never happened during the war years.

April of the victorious 1945. The Berlin operation is in full swing. And the tank guards are back in battle. The enemy resists furiously. The last reserves have been thrown into battle. But it's all in vain. The fate of Berlin and all of Nazi Germany

is a foregone conclusion.

By the end of April 24, Fomichev's tank brigade began fighting for the Teltow Canal, and the next day captured the southwestern suburb of Berlin - Zehlendorf.

But Fomichev’s tankers did not have the chance to participate in the assault on Berlin itself. The command learned that in the Babelsberg area the discovery

A large concentration camp is being built. Progressive figures from various countries languished there. The Nazis intended to destroy all prisoners. This monstrous crime had to be prevented.

Fomichev sent the 3rd Tank Battalion of the Guard, Senior Lieutenant N. G. Akinshin, to Babelsberg. Tan

ki Akinshin with a landing of machine gunners broke through to Babelsberg, to the concentration camp. And now one of the armored vehicles suddenly braked at the camp gate. Then she turned around sharply. A pile of rubble remained in place of the gate. The figure of a tanker appeared from the turret hatch. He waved the red signal

checkbox.

Hundreds of people ran from the barracks to the Soviet tanks. They hugged their liberators and shouted something joyfully. One of the Babelsberg prisoners, a middle-aged Frenchman, persistently sought a meeting with the commander, whose soldiers freed him. Fomichev had just dozed off in his Jeep. Sh

The offeror woke him up.

Who saved my life? - the Frenchman asked him through an interpreter.

Urals, Siberians,” Fomichev answered him.

Oh thank you! - And he warmly hugged Fomichev. - Russia is a great country, Russians are noble people!

It was a prominent statesman of France, Edouard Herriot.

On April 30, the brigade carried out booms in a new area. The tankers counterattacked the enemy from the Trebin area in the general direction of Luckenwald. Here part of the troops of the encircled Frankfurt-Guben group broke through. Ignoring losses, the enemy marched straight through forests and fields, along roads and without roads.

orog. He had to be stopped.

The battalions of Akininin and Pupkov went into battle. Fomichev left the tanks of the 1st battalion in his reserve. Fierce fighting ensued. The tanks moved further and further into the enemy's position. The Nazis began to bypass the battalion of I. S. Pupkov. Our tankers are in the Dobrikov area

We found ourselves in a difficult situation: it was difficult to figure out where ours were and where the strangers were. This is where the 1st battalion left by the brigade commander came in handy. At the decisive moment, Fomichev brought him into battle, and the situation was defused.

The weather was sunny and surprisingly warm. As if the tankers were flying on wings to the south, to Prague,

to the aid of their Czech brothers. The Prague residents’ call burst into the tankers’ headsets:

The radio station of the rebel Prague speaks! The radio station of the rebel Prague speaks! We appeal to the Red Army - help us, dear comrades!

In those days it was not expected that Fomichev’s brigade would march

in the vanguard. But, apparently, this is the nature of its commander and all the soldiers - they do not like to move from behind. And after a few hours they come forward again.

On the route, which passed through mountainous and wooded terrain, the enemy created all kinds of obstacles. On May 8, the brigade at the pass through

The Sudeten Mountains were met by a forest rubble set on fire. It was necessary to put out the fire. The commander of a separate reconnaissance patrol of the guard, Lieutenant Goncharenko, boldly rushed into the fire. Risking falling into the gorge in the smoke, he led the platoon along the cliff. At 18.00 the pass was overcome, and the tanks rushed south.

At dawn

On May 9, the tankers reached Prague. “Rapidly pursuing the enemy, the brigade made a 130-kilometer march during the 8th and on the night of May 9, and at 3.00 on May 9, 1945, broke into the northwestern outskirts of the city of Prague and started street fighting,” brigade commander Fomichev reported to the corps commander.

Residents of Pra

The guys did not sleep that alarming night. The Nazis pressed on: they brought up artillery, began shelling the city, and bombed the rebel areas from airplanes.

And suddenly good news: Red Army tanks appeared on the northwestern outskirts of Prague!

It is difficult to convey in words what was happening in the city at that time -

General Fomichev passes over. - We arrived at one of the barricades. Despite the fact that the Nazis still put up stubborn resistance and fired at us, we were immediately surrounded by a crowd of people. Many were armed. These were the participants in the uprising.

Nazdar! Red Army, damn it! - the crowd thundered.

But the enemy is sop

resisted. And the tanks walked through the city, crushing barricades and destroying enemy firing points. Here is the bridge over the beautiful Vltava. The Nazis did not have time to blow it up. The “thirty-fours” of the platoon of Lieutenant Goncharenko, the same one who rushed into the burning forest rubble in the Sudetes, are walking along it. Then they turn

to the embankment and rush along it.

Lightning flash of a shot. The lead tank freezes lifelessly. Lieutenant Goncharenko, who had just smiled in response to the greetings of the residents, slowly lowered himself into the hatch. He was hit by an enemy cartridge from the basement window of the building. Killed on the day when the people were trading

ate victory.

And a few hours later a real holiday began in the city. Crowds of people filled all the streets and squares. The joyful hum of human voices was heard.

The people looked with love at their liberators, at their formidable fighting machines. So that’s what they are, Soviet tank crews! Some people

walked around and touched the armor of the tanks with his hands. Strong armor!

Fomichev’s tank stopped on one of the streets. He got out of the car. He wiped his face, which was sweating from the heat, with a handkerchief and took off his cap. I brushed the dust off my safety glasses. The velvet band of his cap turned from black to purple. The sun and dust are done with

That's all right. Fomichev went through the entire war wearing this cap. She was a mute witness to both the bitter days of defeat and joyful victories. That’s why I didn’t want to part with her.

For skillful leadership of the brigade’s combat operations during the Vistula-Oder operation, in the battles for Berlin, for the rapid and

decisive actions to liberate the city of Prague, Guard Colonel M. G. Fomichev was awarded the second “Golden Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Years go by. Former tank crews do not lose touch with their combat commander and senior comrade. Many people write letters to him. And Fomichev, a man of a sensitive soul,

Fomichev Mikhail Georgievich was born on October 8 (according to the old style. September 25) 1911 in the village of Sloboda, Berezovsky volost, Likhvinsky district, Kaluga province (now Belevsky district, Tula region) in a poor large peasant family (11 children). Russian.

He graduated from the 4th grade of primary school (1924). Since 1925, he worked as a laborer, assistant tractor driver and tractor driver at the Belevsky state farm; since 1930, he worked as a tractor driver at the Berezovo state farm in the Belevsky district.

Member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) since 1939 (p/b No. 3176852, 01203296). Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Education. Graduated from the Oryol BTU (1937), VAMM (1941), and the Higher Attestation Commission at the VVA named after. Voroshilov (1948).

Participation in wars and military conflicts. Great Patriotic War (from June 1941 to December 1942, from July 1943 to May 1945). In May 1942 he was seriously wounded.

Service in the Red Army. Since December 1933, cadet of the regimental school of the 3rd Tank Regiment (Ryazan, Moscow Military District). From November 1934 to November 7, 1937, cadet of the Oryol BTU named after. Frunze. By order of the NKO No. 01093 of November 7, 1937, he was appointed commander of a platoon of cadets at the Oryol BTU.

From September 21, 1938 to May 4, 1941, student at the command faculty of the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization named after. I.V. Stalin.

By order of NKO No. 00138 of 05/07/1941, he was appointed assistant chief of the 1st part of the headquarters of the 85th tank regiment of the 43rd tank division of the Kyiv OVO (Rivne). In this position he met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. From September 22, 1941 - Deputy Chief of Staff of the 12th Tank Brigade for Operations. As part of the Southwestern Front, he participated in defensive battles in the Kharkov direction in the fall of 1941, in the Barvenkovo-Lozovsky offensive operation and in the Kharkov disaster in May 1942, where he was seriously wounded.

From August 20, 1942 - Chief of Staff of the 12th Tank Brigade on the Stalingrad Front. From December 22, 1942 - senior assistant to the head of the 2nd department of the 3rd directorate of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army. By order of NKO No. 03363 dated July 12, 1943, he was appointed Commander of the 244th Chelyabinsk Tank Brigade of the 30th Volunteer Ural Tank Corps of the 4th Tank Army. From September 21, 1943 - acting Chief of Staff of the 30th (from October 23, 1943 - 10th Guards) Tank Corps on the 1st Ukrainian Front.

From February 16, 1944 - commander of the 63rd Guards (formerly 244th) Chelyabinsk Tank Brigade, skillfully managing which, in the battles for the city of Lvov, on July 27, 1944, he showed bravery and courage. On that day, the Chelyabinsk volunteer tank brigade, under the command of M. G. Fomichev, was the first to break into the city of Lvov and fought fierce battles with the Germans there for six days.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 23, 1944, for the courage and bravery shown in battles with the Nazi invaders, Guard Colonel Fomichev Mikhail Georgievich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 2404).

On January 12, 1945, the tank brigade of M. G. Fomichev as part of the corps began a rapid offensive from the Sandomierz bridgehead. Acting as part of a vanguard detachment, breaking enemy resistance, Fomichev’s tankers covered more than 400 kilometers during the 10 days of the offensive.

In April 1945, his guardsmen took part in the Berlin operation.

At dawn on May 9, 1945, a tank brigade under the command of M. G. Fomichev was the first to fight into occupied Prague and take part in its liberation. With the active help of the fighting squads of the insurgent Prague, the troops of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts cleared the city of invaders by 10 o'clock on May 9, and on May 10-11 the remnants of the enemy troops laid down their arms.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 31, 1945, for skillful leadership of the brigade’s combat operations during the Vistula-Oder operation, in the battles for Berlin, for swift and decisive actions to liberate the capital of Czechoslovakia - Prague, Mikhail Georgievich Fomichev was awarded the second Gold Star medal. (No. 6012).

From July 20, 1945 - Deputy commander of the 10th Guards. tank division. From June 24, 1946 - acting commander of the 10th Guards. tank division.

From January 10, 1949 - commander of the 7th mechanized division (Primorsky Military District). From March 5 to July 4, 1952 at the disposal of the BTiMV SA. From July 4, 1952 - Deputy Chief of Staff of the 8th Mechanized Army (Carpathian Military District).

From February 24 to June 8, 1953 at the disposal of the commander of the 8th Mechanized Army. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 02046 of 06/08/1953, he was appointed Commander of the 13th Army. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 0277 dated January 15, 1954, he was appointed Assistant Commander of the 13th Army for Tank Armament. Since September 18, 1954, Assistant Commander, also Head of the Combat Training Department of the 13th Army. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 02702 dated June 25, 1955, he was appointed commander of the 27th Rifle Corps. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 03779 of 08/02/1956, commander of the 40th Rifle Corps (from June 5, 1957 - Army) Corps. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 0026 dated October 7, 1960, he was appointed commander of the 28th Army (Belarusian Military District).

From August 11, 1962 to September 13, 1962 at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 01790 dated September 13, 1962, he was appointed 1st Deputy Commander of the Trans-Baikal Military District. By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 02339 dated December 31, 1969, he was appointed Inspector General of combined arms formations of the Ground Forces Inspectorate of the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense.

By order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 0727 dated July 13, 1972, he was dismissed under Art. 60b with the right to wear military uniform. Lived in Moscow. He did a lot of military-patriotic work among young people.

Military ranks: lieutenant (NKO Order No. 01093 of November 7, 1937), Art. lieutenant (NKO Order No. 04956 dated November 5, 1940), captain (June 1941), major (Southwestern Front Order No. 0100 dated January 25, 1942), lieutenant colonel (NKO Order No. 05949 dated September 26, 1942), colonel (NKO Order No. 066 dated February 21 .1944), major general of the military unit (Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars No. 1511 of June 27, 1945), lieutenant general of the military unit (Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars No. 186 of 02.18.1958).

Awards: two Gold Star Medals (No. 2404, 09/23/1944, No. 6012, 05/31/1945), Order of Lenin (09/23/1944), two Orders of the Red Banner (04/30/1954; 02/22/1968), Order of Suvorov II class. (04/06/1945), Order of Kutuzov II class. (05/29/1944), Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. (03/11/1985), three Orders of the Red Star (02/13/1942; 06/20/1949; 10/6/1981). Medals: “For military merit” (11/03/1944), “For the defense of Stalingrad”, “For victory over Germany”, “For the capture of Berlin”, “For the liberation of Prague”, “30 years of the SA and the fleet”, “In memory of 800 -anniversary of Moscow".

foreign awards - the Order of the Cross of Grunwald (Poland), the Victory and Freedom medal (Poland).

A bronze bust of the Hero was installed in the city of Belev, Tula region. The Tula Regional Museum of Local Lore has an exhibition dedicated to the glorious fellow countryman. Among its exhibits are the symbolic keys to the capital of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) - Prague, which grateful Prague residents presented to M. G. Fomichev, the liberator of their city from fascist occupation.

In the city of Chelyabinsk, a monument was erected to volunteer tankers of the Chelyabinsk Tank Brigade of the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps.

Essays:

Fire miles. Chelyabinsk, 1969;

The path began from the Urals. M., 1976