Aleksey Ivanovich Polosin (

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Алексей Иванович Полосин; 1924 – 15 October 1943) was a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

sergeant, who was posthumously a

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. He was posthumously awarded the title for his actions in the

Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. Being one of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost four million troops at one point and stretched over a front. Ov ...

. Polosin was reported to have killed three German officers during a reconnaissance mission and 26 soldiers while repulsing a German counterattack.

Early life

Polosin was born in 1924 in Kazinka village,

Sosnovsky District Sosnovsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. The name is generally derived from or is related to the root "''sosna''" ("pine"). Districts *Sosnovsky District, Chelyabinsk Oblast, an administrative ...

Tambov Oblast Tambov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tambov. As of the Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census, its population was&n ...

to a peasant family. In 1932, the family moved to Vishnevka village in

Morshansky District Morshansky District () is an administrativeLaw #72-Z and municipalLaw #232-Z district (raion), one of the twenty-three in Tambov Oblast, Russia. It is located in the north of the oblast and borders Shatsky District of Ryazan Oblast in the north, ...

. After completing his education, Polosin became an accountant on the kolkhoz. He simultaneously worked as a freelance journalist for the regional newspaper. In April 1941, he was hired by the district printer. At the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was transferred to the editorial staff, working as a journalist.

World War II

In August 1942, Polosin was drafted into the Red Army. He graduated from a school of junior commanders with the rank of junior sergeant, and fought in combat from 1943, becoming a squad leader in the 7th Company of the 2nd Guards Airborne Regiment of the 3rd Guards Airborne Division. In September 1943, the division crossed the

Desna River The Desna ( Russian and ) is a river in Russia and Ukraine, a major left-tributary of the Dnieper. Its name in means "right hand". It has a length of , and its drainage basin covers .Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

. In the

, the division fought hard to expand the bridgehead on the right bank near Strakholesye. On 2 October, Polosin, as part of the reconnaissance platoon, was reported by his superiors to have broken into the German headquarters, killing a German major and two captains, and capturing documents. Polosin reportedly caused confusion among the German troops, allowing the advance of the division. During the German counterattack, he covered the battalion's flank and reportedly killed 26 German soldiers. On 15 October, he was killed in battle in the village of Medwin. Polosin was posthumously awarded the title

and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

on 10 January 1944.Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О присвоении звания Героя Советского Союза генералам, офицерскому, сержантскому и рядовому составу Красной Армии» от 10 января 1944 года
// Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1944. — 19 января (№ 3 (263)). — С. 1 Alexey_Ivanovich_Polosin_HSU_citation

Hero of the Soviet Union citation

In the offensive battle for the village of Strakholesye on 2 October 1943, as a squad leader of a reconnaissance platoon moving ahead of the infantry, eburst into a German battalion headquarters and in a fierce hand-to-hand fight singlehandedly bayoneted a German major and two captains, retrieved valuable documents, and blew up a staff car with a grenade. Completing the reconnaissance mission in the enemy rear, he sowed panic and confusion in the enemy ranks, ensuring the success of the advancing units. When the enemy counterattacked, he was sent to the most critical section of the main blow of the enemy, covering the flank of the battalion. He shot 26 enemy soldiers at point blank range with a captured weapon and threw grenades at the enemy firing position impeding the advance of our units.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polosin, Alexey 1924 births 1943 deaths Heroes of the Soviet Union Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin People from Tambov Oblast