Hero of the Soviet Union Cherepanov Sergey Mikhailovich: biography

Cherepanov Sergei - a famous hero of the Great Patriotic War. Perfect deed, he forever inscribed his name in history, becoming an immortal example of courage and heroism.
Even after more than seventy years, it is set as an example to the younger generation. The young man, not sparing himself, fought against the German fascist invaders and in battle gave his life for the freedom of his people.

Cherepanov Sergey Mikhailovich: Biography

In 1916 Cherepanov Sergey Mikhailovich was born into the family of the peasants of the Vologda province . The date of birth is recorded as July 16, but some historians considered this a mistake of the archive. The family lived well, and so Sergei did not have to work hard in the fields, although he daily helped the elder in everyday affairs. In his native village of Pestovo, he visits a local school and leaves without completing it.

In 1931 the family was sent to Novy Bor. The first time to get back on his feet, Sergei works butter. In four years he decides to take up his own education. There is a course of machine operators. Due to the obtained skills he works at logging enterprises. Labor takes place in harsh conditions. Huge trees often fell on workers, which led to serious damage. After a while Sergei goes to the construction site. At the same time, he takes a very active civil position. In the thirty-seventh year, after the release of a number of new laws, is part of the local commandant's office. Two years later, he served as an inspector. And in the forty-first is responsible for the warehouse of combustible materials.

Conscription

In July 1942 Cherepanov joined the Red Army to fight the German invaders. I passed training. Then the Soviet troops suffered constant heavy losses. In difficult conditions, the recruits were trained. Cherepanov Sergey studied for more than a year, and also served in the rear. In January 1943, he was transferred to the front. At that time, a dramatic battle broke out over Leningrad.

Siege of the city

To Leningrad, the Nazi troops came out in the forty-first year. According to Hitler's plan, the city had to be taken at most until the end of the winter. It was planned to destroy it, and give all of it north of the Neva River to Finland. To capture a huge agglomeration, the Nazis were going to establish a tight blockade and systematically destroy the defenders with artillery fire and aviation. But in the autumn of the first year of the war the German offensive got stuck in the dense defensive orders of the Red Army. However, in a short time reinforcements were sent to the city. A prolonged blockade began.

In the city, hunger almost immediately began. The Nazis bombed barns and warehouses with food.

In 1942 Cherepanov Sergey Mikhailovich arrives near Leningrad. Natural courage and agility allowed him to become a scout. In autumn, he is entrusted to the whole unit. The fighters are faced with a variety of complex tasks. Dense Nazi ranks do not allow for several kilometers to reach their fortifications. However, the detachment of Sergei Mikhailovich invariably carries out the tasks of the command. At this time, a new member joined the Komsomol of the Leningrad Region - Sergei Mikhailovich Cherepanov. The guy's photo was published in a local newspaper. A few days later he was wounded in battle.

Return to the front

Cherepanov Sergei again arrived at the front in January 1943. At this time, battles for the city were carried out by the forces of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts. Sergei fought on both. At that time, along with Stalingrad, there were the most intense battles. The Soviet command was trying at all costs to break through the blockade, and the Nazi command to level the city to the ground. Hitler was obsessed with the idea of taking the ancient Russian capital. In addition to the Germans, the Finns, Italians and Spanish volunteers also took part in the battles. It was in the forty-third that they recognized the fury of the Soviet winter. Not accustomed to cold southerners moved with difficulty and were extremely depressed. Soviet spies regularly attacked the convoys and destroyed the supplies of the invaders.

Scouts of Cherepanov always acted at their own peril and risk. Sergey told many events to his wife and daughters in letters. In the trenches near Leningrad, the sergeant learned of the birth of his son, whom he had long dreamed of.

Offensive

In the middle of January, a pre-prepared operation began. On a frosty morning of the twelfth of January, the Nazi positions shuddered at the most powerful attack of Soviet artillery. Two hours of howitzer, mortars, and multiple fire systems compared the position of the Nazis to the ground. After that, two shock armies rushed into battle. On the first day they succeeded in crushing the Nazis and throwing them away for several kilometers. The situation developed very quickly. The Germans transferred all the reserves. Hot fights took five days. By the end of the eighteenth of January the Soviet armies united, thereby opening the way to Leningrad. The city immediately began to send food.

However, this did not mean a complete lifting of the blockade. The Nazis still controlled nearby territories and fought endlessly at the city. The artillery of the enemy reached all parts of the city. The situation was such that on many streets tablets were placed indicating the more dangerous side of the street in case of shelling. The Germans began to build defensive obstacles up to twenty meters deep and very dense.

January thunder

For January of the forty-fourth year, the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief conceived a large-scale offensive with the aim of completely lifting the blockade. The German command knew about this and strengthened the defense. On January 14, the famous operation "January Thunder" began. After the artillery preparation, the Soviet troops launched an offensive on the front line at seventeen kilometers. Already in the first days they managed to achieve significant success.

In the course of the January Thunder, the Red Army men were to occupy the Poddubye village, which the Nazis turned into a fortified point. Before the start of a large-scale offensive, scouts entered the village. The commander of the department, Sergei Mikhailovich Cherepanov, personally supervised the operation. As soon as the Red Army men stepped into the village, they were opened fire from a machine gun. The first house was a machine gun nest. It was impossible to enter Poddubya without passing this house. Cherepanov reached the building and threw a grenade at the window, destroying the Nazis who had settled there. However, before that they still managed to injure the commander. Despite the bleeding, Sergei decided to continue the fight. A group of scouts was entrenched and began to wait for the Germans.

Feat

The Nazis took several unsuccessful counterattacks. All of them were stopped by a handful of Soviet soldiers, who were several times smaller. To suppress resistance, the enemy threw all his forces, including heavy equipment. Seeing their losses and the stubborn resistance of Soviet soldiers, the fascists thought that they had reached a large-scale offensive.

The battle lasted several hours. One by one, all the scouts died. Cherepanov was left alone. At the same time he was seriously wounded. Nevertheless, he continued to lead the battle alone. He had a gun and a few grenades. Sharply firing, he continued to repel enemy attacks. The earth around the commander was littered with the bodies of the Hitlerites. After a while the cartridges were over. Then Sergei pulled out a check from the grenade and began to wait for the enemies. When the Germans approached Cherepanov, he blew up a grenade, killing himself and the Germans who surrounded him.

Death of the hero

The feat of scouts gave the opportunity to launch an offensive. When the Soviet troops entered the city, they saw a shocking picture - near the dead Red Army lay the mountains of corpses. For Sergei, the Germans paid seventy-two lives.

For this feat the commander was posthumously presented to the highest award. Cherepanov Sergey Mikhailovich, Hero of the Soviet Union, was forever enlisted in the reconnaissance of the 1249th regiment.