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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 568

An Oder River Crossing Artillery Observer's Order of the Red Star awarded to Reserve Captain A. K. Sborovsky, 148th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, the Battalion Chief of Staff for the 2nd Belorussian Front, awarded for manning an Observation Post in a swamp, resulting in his Battery's destruction of two enemy artillery batteries and the suppression of a 105-mm battery, he was one of the first to cross the Oder

Russia, Soviet Union, Order of the Red Star, reverse numbered '1389272', very fine

Andrei Konstantinovich Sborovsky was born in the city of Leningrad in 1920, and having attained a secondary education joined the Red Army in June 1941, seeing frontline service from November 1941.

Sbrovosky initially saw service with the Bryansk Front between May and December 1942, with the 1st Belorussian Front from April-December 1944 and then finally with the 2nd Belorussian Front from December 1944 up until the end of the war.

Sborovsky was to be awarded three numbered decorations during the course of the war, the first being an Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class, by Order of the 70th Army, 1st Belorussian Front on 2 August 1944; the second an Order of Alexander Nevsky by Order of 70th Army, 2nd Belorussian Front on 24 November 1944; finally Sborovsky was to be awarded this Order of the Red Star by Order of the 148th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, 2nd Belorussian Front on 13 May 1945, whilst serving as a Captain and Commander of the 8th Battery, 3rd Battalion, 148th Brest Order of Suvorov Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, on the back of the following citation:

'During the fighting on the Oder River, Captain Sborovsky showed himself a brave and courageous officer. Positioned in an observation post in a swamp, where it was impossible to dig in, Captain Sborovsky was constantly on the lookout for the enemy while subjected to enemy artillery, rifle and machine-gun fire. Advancing alongside the infantry, he was one of the first to cross the Oder.

During the fighting on the Oder, Captain Sborovsky's battery destroyed an enemy 105-mm battery and suppressed 2 enemy batteries.

For the bravery and courage he displayed he deserves the Order of the Red Star.'

Signed by the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 148th Brest Order of Suvorov Army Cannon Artillery Brigade Major Orlov.

The 2nd Belorussian Front's offensive along the Baltic coast north of Berlin began on 20 April 1945, shortly after it had been repositioned following the successful completion of the fighting in the Konigsberg region, and four days after the beginning of the Berlin Offensive by the neighbouring 1st Belorussian Front. The 2nd Belorussian Front acted as the protective force of the northern flank of this offensive, attempting to prevent the relief of the city from the north.

After the war Sborovsky is noted as a student at the Shipbuilding Institute of the city of Leningrad, whilst a resident of 7 Krasnoarmeiskaya Street, Apartment 43, within the city.


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Sold for
£95

Starting price
£60