This is my favorite type Red Star, the Type 2 "with screwpost base." Following older patterns, the star is thin and without the thick angled edges like a "cookie" you see on Type 2 "flared edge" mid-war to 1990s Stars.
The reverse shows the "washer" around the base of the screw post. This is the "Monetny Dvor" hallmark type, but the second word is behind the screw post out of sight here.
This Order was awarded to Commissar Colonel Fedor Ivanovich Chertov 25 March 1943. Unfortunately, since his personnel record card dates from 1938, there is no stamp sized photo on the xerox of his file sent as research.
Born in 1900 in Minyarsky Zabod, Chelyabinsk Privince, he was a member of the Red Guards/Army from 1917. graduating from the Military Political academy in 1932. He ended the war as Chief Commissar of the 72nd Guards Rifle Division, with Orders of Lenin and the Red Banner for length of service, as well as a Red Banner, Patriotic Wars 1st and 2nd Classes, and this Red Star for valor, as well as the 1938 Red Army "Jubilee" Medal and Victory Over Germany Medal. Somewhere along the way, he picked up the ability to speak German.
Citation for the Red Star above, won when he was acting as Assistant Commissar of the 4th Miners-Sappers Brigade--
"Over the period of 23 November 1942 through 28 January 1943, Colonel Chertov was at the most important areas of the front and facilitated successful execution of combat tasks given to the unit by the command of the 40th and 60th Armies.
On 19-20/12/42
at the bridgehead to the west of Dukhovenskoe as well as on the 31/12/42, 2/1/43, 4/1/43, and 12/1/43 he was constantly among the soldiers and commanders operating on the front under continuous rifle, machine-gun, and artillery fire of the enemy. During the night time and in difficult meteorological conditions, he always took decisive and timely measures, showed outstanding self-control, firmness, and initiative, thus facilitating accomplishment of combat tasks (pillboxes, trenches, etc). All task were completed in time, with productivity of up to 160% to 200%, and with good and excellent quality. Thus he created favorable conditions for successful breakthrough of the enemy defense and successful offensive operations by our units.
Over the period of 23-28 January 1943 he organized and led the work of two battalions attached to the 60th Army, arranged the passage of nearly 250 motor vehicles with ammunition during the blizzard of [smudged original]--25 January 1943. Commanders and soldiers who distinguished themselves in this action have been awarded State Decorations by the Army Commander.
Comrade Chertov deserves to be awarded an Order of te Red Star. Signed, Commander of the 4th Miners-Sappers Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel [smudged], 30 January 1943.
Final Decision: Deserves to be awaded an Order of the Red Star, Commander of the Voronezh Front, Colonel-General Golikov 3 [smudged--?March] 1943."
Vlad Putin has slammed shut the WW2 archives, so it is no longer--and may never again in our lifetimes--be possible to do serial number research like this. The army and navy had separate archives (air force was in with the army records), and state security was NEVER opened.
Only WW2 period awards were ever researchable... ah, the "good old days" at the end of the Yeltsin regime!...
Sometimes it took "lateral action"-- I had to cough up 98 dollars to "research" an Order of Alexander Nevsky serial number of the award I didn't have to get the service records of an air force general whose M1943 "1937" Red Banner replacement I had with his Orders Booklet. For some reason the pre-WW2 stuff wasn't researchable. (That, and because it was State Security, is why I still can only guess about the 1938 Red Banner in the thread "Baby Faced Killer" a few pages back, but I did get the "Dead Man" thread Red Banners done--two for the price of one!)
Na hier damit, I can hardly wait.
I suppose you all know that this can also be done with british medals. What a shame the super efficient (sic) germans did´nt do it.
I guess everyone loves a great heroic war story and when you deal with the Soviet W.W.II medals you can sometimes get a great story by researching the recipient and his awards. In the case of my favorite award a great story of heroic action in the face of almost certain odds of not surviving the mission comes with the award.
On January 16, 1945, a lowly Sr. Lieutenant by the name of Mikhail M. Sorokin was a commander of the 2nd Machine-Gun Company of the 1285th Rifle regiment, 60th Sevsk Rifle Division attached to the 47th Army. He has served in the Soviet Army since 1941, was wounded four times and had won the Order of Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star by the time the action took place that earned him the Order or Suvorov, 3rd Class. The citation and records state that Lt. Sorokin "displayed bravery, resoluteness and skills during the crossing of the Vistula River near the village of Novy Dvur, Poland". It seems that Lt. Sorokin, al;song with two other machine gun companies sent across the Vistula River to probe the enemy strength prior to a major offense by the 47th Army. All who volunteered were told that the mission was vital, but the chances of surviving were slim to none.
The citation further reads, While under heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire, despite mortal danger, his company made a daring dash over the water obstacle. During the following day the enemy launched four counter attacks against his infantry position. Comrade Sorikin's company pounded the enemy with intense machine-gun fire, inflicting heavy loses in manpower. The company held the occupied position and developed further offensive, thus accomplishing the important task given to it by the command." As a result of his heroic action, Lt. Sorokin was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 3rd Class and only held teh rank of Senior Lieutenant. This award was designated to be awarded only to Regiment, Battalion and Company Commanders. Lt. Sorokin was the only officer of his rank to ever receive this order during W.W.II.
Order of the Red Star to Commissar Colonel
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