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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 567

An interesting Halbe Pocket breakout Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Senior Sergeant B. K. Khidoyatov, 11th Guards Mortar Battalion, 5th Zimovniki Guards Mechanised Corps, a Katyusha rocket launcher driver, decorated for firing several accurate salvoes on 1 May 1945, whilst firing his carbine at enemy infantry in between salvoes, killing at least six German soldiers in the process

Russia, Soviet Union, Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, Type 2, starback reverse numbered '809982', very fine

Badel Khidoyatovich Khidoyatov was born in Chilik Rural Municipality, Chilik Raion, Alma-Ata Oblast in 1910. An Uzbek national he completed eight classes of education before serving in the Red Army from October 1942 until November 1945.

Originally serving on the Western Front from 13 December 1942 until August 1943, he would then serve on the 2nd Ukrainian Front from August 1943-January 1945, and finally the 1st Ukrainian Front from January 1945 until the end of the Second World War.

This Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class was Khidoyatov's sole decoration, awarded to him whilst serving as an Assistant Driver in the 11th Independent Kirovograd Guards Mortar Battalion (Guards Mortar was the name given to those units operating Katyusha Rocket Launchers), it was issued by Order of the 5th Zimovniki Guards Mechanised Corps on 10 June 1945 as a result of the following recommendation:

'On May 1, 1945, he was stationed at the firing position of the battery that was covering the approaches to the city of Beelitz from the east when a German infantry force, consisting of up to 2 divisions, was approaching in line formation. The battery allowed the enemy to close in to a distance of 150-200 meters, after which several accurate salvos were launched at the German infantry regiments.

Even though the Germans were in close proximity, and despite withering enemy artillery, rifle and machine-gun fire, comrade Khidoyatov did not leave his rocket launcher for even a second but fearlessly reloaded the launch tubes. While the rocket launcher was firing its salvo and once it had completed firing, comrade Khidoyatov fired his carbine at the German infantry with great precision, killing 6 German soldiers.

Comrade Khidoyatov deserves the high Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.'

Signed by the Commander of the 11th Independent Kirovograd Guards Mortar Battalion, Guards Major Moroz.

Beelitz is a town to the south of Berlin, and was the scene of exceptionally heavy fighting in the first days of May 1945, as the German 9th Army which had been trapped in the Halbe Pocket to the southeast of the city desperately tried to extricate itself and escape to the west to surrender to the Western Allies. General Wenck's 12th Army, which Hitler had ordered to fight towards Berlin and relieve the city, instead fought to the southeast to open the escape route. Upwards of 40,000 Germans are believed to have been killed in the fighting and an even higher of Soviet troops. The area along the Berlin-Dresden highway is now littered with the graves of soldiers of both sides.


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Sold for
£190

Starting price
£110