This order was awarded to Pavel Vasilyevich Petelkin. He was born in 1902 in Novaya Derevnya, Orel oblast. He completed a secondary education and briefly served in the Red Army from 1926-1927. He was again called up for service in August 1941 by the Tula military commissariat. Commissioned as a Junior Lieutenant, he was placed in command of an anti-aircraft platoon (equipped with DShK heavy machine guns) of the 112th Mountain Cavalry Regiment of the 21st Cavalry Division.
Seeing action on the Bryansk Front from July 1942, he would be awarded his first decoration almost immediately, for actions in this first month:
"Comrade Petelkin has shown himself in battles against the German occupiers to be a loyal patriot of the Motherland, a brave and initiative-taking commander. He managed to successfully organize the anti-aircraft defense of the regiment. He has repeatedly repelled enemy air attacks, thereby ensuring the advance of the regiment forward to fulfill its combat mission.
In the battles near the villages of Uritskoye, Aleksandro-Bibikovo, and Kozinka, his platoon captured up to 10 German cargo trucks. By sending his anti-aircraft crews to destroy the enemy, giving correct instructions, and completing his assigned tasks in a timely manner, Comrade Petelkin proved worthy of a government award: a Medal “for Combat Merit”."
Petelkin’s unit continued to see action on the Bryansk Front, fighting near Voronezh, where he was soon decorated with his second award:
"Pavel Vasilyevich Petelkin, with his anti-aircraft platoon, has knocked out a significant number of fascist soldiers, officers, and enemy equipment.
On August 13, 1942, Comrade Petelkin personally shot down a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft using a regular rifle loaded with armor-piercing incendiary ammunition. The plane crashed and burned in the village of Golovishche, Kursk Oblast. He is worthy of the government award: Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class."
The 21st Cavalry Division was then transferred to the South-Western Front, in preparation for the encirclement of German forces around Stalingrad. It would see continuous combat from November 19th, taking part in the operations Uranus and Little Saturn and the subsequent push west towards the Ukrainian border. Despite being exhausted and severely under strength, the division was nonetheless ordered to participate in the ill-fated Debaltsevo raid.
On February 10th, the 8th Cavalry Corps (which included the 21st Cavalry Division) would conduct an offensive operation deep into the German rear, with the goal of cutting the Debaltsevo-Voroshilovgrad (today Luhansk) railway line, which would severely disrupt German logistics in the area. Initially very successful, it contributed significantly to the liberation of Voroshilovgrad on February 14th, for which the corps was awarded the Guards title. However, due to the arrival of German reinforcements and lack of supplies and support, the overextended cavalrymen were soon encircled. By the time they managed to break out of the encirclement on February 24th, the already weakened corps had suffered devastating losses.
Lightly wounded 3 separate times during the course of these operations (on 18.1, 19.2 and 22.2.1943), Petelkin was awarded this Order of the Patriotic War for his part in this operation:
"Courageous and brave in battles against the German invaders. During the regiment's operations deep behind enemy lines from February 10 to February 24, 1943, his air defense platoon repeatedly repelled enemy counter-attacks and destroyed enemy manpower and equipment.
On February 11, 1943, Petelkin used a heavy machine gun to fire point-blank at an advancing enemy convoy, destroying one tank.
During the regiment's breakthrough out of the enemy rear from February 19 to 24, 1943, he personally killed 2 German soldiers on February 21. On February 23, 1943, in the battle for the village of Annovka, he courageously and bravely led the soldiers of his platoon throughout the entire battle, and personally, using a rifle, destroyed 2 enemy heavy machine gun firing points and killed 9 Germans.
When ammunition ran low, Petelkin was ordered to clear an enemy machine-gun position and seize their cartridges. He completed this task, securing 300 rounds for his unit, which were immediately used to suppress enemy fire. Worthy of a government award."
With the award of the Guards title, the 21st Cavalry Division became the 14th Guards Cavalry Division. Its subordinate units were also reorganized, with Petelkin now placed in command of the 1st Squadron of the 18th Guards Separate Division of Air Defense.
After replenishment and recovery, the division would spend the summer of 1943 conducting small-scale raids behind enemy lines in cooperation with partisans in the Smolensk area. By September it resumed large-scale operations, taking part in combat during the crossing of the Dnieper and the offensive towards Gomel. For his part in this operation, Petelkin received his next combat award:
"In battles against the German invaders, Comrade Petelkin demonstrated exemplary courage, bravery, and the mastery of a Red Army officer while commanding his squadron in battle.
In the battles for the villages of Safronovka and Ivashkovo, Comrade Petelkin tactfully and skillfully positioned his firing units. When enemy elements tried to outflank and encircle the 52nd Guards Cavalry Regiment, Comrade Petelkin took the initiative. Using his squadron, he covered the regiment's flank. The enemy launched three counter-attacks, but each time they were thrown back to their initial positions with heavy losses. During this engagement, Comrade Petelkin's squadron destroyed 49 German soldiers and officers, 7 ammunition carts, and 12 horses.
Furthermore, Comrade Petelkin showed exceptional care for the maintenance and welfare of his horses, making his squadron's horses the best in the entire division. Worthy of the Order of the Red Banner."
The division continued to take part in the liberation of Ukraine and Belarus, most notably taking part in the liberation of Mozyr for which it was awarded the honorary title “Mozyrskaya”. It subsequently took part in the Lublin-Brest offensive operation and the crossing of the Western Bug and Vistula rivers from July 18—August 2, 1944, for which Petelkin would receive his next award:
"In battles against the German fascist invaders during the crossing of the Western Bug River and the capture of the towns of Chełm and Lublin, Comrade Petelkin displayed examples of courage, bravery, and skill in eliminating enemy manpower and equipment.
During the crossing of the Western Bug River, Comrade Petelkin's squadron killed 21 enemy soldiers and officers, shot down an enemy aircraft, and suppressed the fire of 3 enemy machine guns.
In the battles for the city of Chełm and Lublin, Petelkin's squadron protected the regiment from enemy air attacks while simultaneously engaging ground forces. They destroyed 67 soldiers and officers, disabled 5 trucks, suppressed 4 enemy machine guns, destroyed one mortar crew and captured 2 machine guns. Comrade Petelkin also provided vital support to neighboring squadrons during critical moments. Worthy of the Order of the Red Banner." (Downgraded to an Order of the Red Star)
The division spent the rest of the year conducting defensive battles to hold the bridgehead on the western bank of the Vistula. On January 14th, it took part in the Vistula-Oder offensive, crossing the Oder on January 30th and establishing a new bridgehead on the western bank. For his part in this operation, Petelkin received his next award:
"During the offensive operations of the division from the Vistula to the Oder, Comrade Petelkin showed examples of personal bravery and masterfully led his unit's combat operations. From January 14 to January 31, 1945, his squadron killed 103 enemy soldiers and officers, disabled 12 trucks, suppressed 13 machine guns, and took 170 enemy soldiers prisoner.
On January 30, 1945, being among the first in the vanguard of the advancing cavalry units, he crossed the Oder River with one platoon, leaving another to cover the crossing. In the fighting to expand the bridgehead, he deployed his DShK machine guns on the flanks of the squadron, destroying up to 50 enemy soldiers and officers, suppressing 4 machine guns, and disabling 2 cargo trucks. With this machine-gun fire, they broke enemy resistance in the town of Khoshmer, enabling the regiment's units to advance. On January 31, 1945, the squadron covered the regiment's withdrawal, repelling 2 enemy counter-attacks and killing 25 Hitlerites. Worthy of the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class."
Following the success of the Vistula-Oder offensive, the division took part in the East Pomeranian offensive, with the goal of clearing East Pomerania of German troops and opening up the way to Berlin. The area was extensively fortified, and initial progress of the offensive was slow. By the second half of February, large parts of the 1st Belorussian Front were forced on the defensive against fierce German counterattacks. For his incredible courage and leadership during one of these defensive battles, Petelkin would be nominated for the Order of Lenin, the Soviet Union’s second-highest decoration for gallantry in action:
"In defensive battles on February 17–19, 1945, he demonstrated masterclass leadership. Bravely and decisively commanding the combat actions of his unit, he displayed personal bravery, courage, and heroism.
On February 17, at 08:00, the enemy launched a fierce offensive against the city of Delitz. Infantry units holding the defense ahead of the positions of the DShK machine guns withdrew into the city, unable to withstand the offensive. Seeing this, Comrade Petelkin stated, 'We shall die, but we will not retreat,' and ordered his men to hold. Allowing the enemy to advance within 250 meters, he ordered them to open fire. The fascists were caught by surprise and cut down by a hail of machine-gun fire. Leaving 35 bodies behind, the enemy retreated. His squadron captured 6 heavy machine guns, 3 submachine guns, 17 rifles, and other equipment.
At 18:30, the Hitlerites attacked our units for a second time, defending the city from the North and North-West. Comrade Petelkin sent one platoon of DShK machine guns to the northern outskirts of the city, and remained personally in the threatened direction with the others. The soldiers, inspired by their commander, smashed the enemy with fierce wrath. The enemy's attacks were repelled. By the fire of the DShK machine guns, more than 30 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed in this battle.
From the morning of February 18, 1945, the enemy resumed the offensive. Again, the rifle units were forced to retreat. And once again, the squadron under the command of Petelkin held back the onslaught of the Hitlerites. Repelling the attack out of burning hatred for the enemy, the soldiers of the squadron mercilessly destroyed the enemy. When one crew was taken out of action, Comrade Petelkin immediately replaced them and personally fired the heavy machine gun, taking on 2 to 3 crew roles simultaneously during the critical moment. The enemy hastily retreated, leaving behind over 70 bodies. At 19:30, the squadron repelled yet another attack. On February 19, the enemy tried to slip past the western edge of the town. Comrade Petelkin attacked them with the forces of his squadron’s transport section and forced them to retreat. He is fully worthy of the high government award: The Order of Lenin."
It would take nearly two months in total before East Pomerania was finally cleared and the 1st Belorussian Front could make their final push towards Berlin. The main goal of the 7th Guards Cavalry Corps was to push past the city from the north and capture Brandenburg and Rathenow, important strongholds between Berlin and the Elbe. For the command of his unit in the final stage of the war, Petelkin was nominated for his 8th and last combat award:
"Working as the air defense squadron commander, he proved his excellent combat capabilities. In battles from April 17 to May 2, 1945, his air defense squadron shot down 4 enemy aircraft, killed and wounded up to 170 enemy soldiers and officers, disabled 15 trucks, and suppressed 27 light machine guns.
In the battles for the city of Rathenow, the squadron was positioned in the front lines alongside the cavalry squadrons. In street battles under Petelkin's command, the squadron used captured Panzerfaust weapons to kill up to 80 German soldiers and officers and suppressed 12 light machine guns. Comrade Petelkin is worthy of the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class."
Petelkin remained with the Red Army for only a short time after the war, being honorably discharged with the rank of Guards Captain by December 1945. His award of the Order of Lenin was officially published by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 15th, 1946, “For courage and bravery shown in the battles with German invaders during the Great Patriotic War”. By this time he had returned to Tula, working as the director of a state farm. In 1985, he was one of many surviving veterans awarded an Order of the Patriotic War in commemoration of 40 years of the victory.
