Mikhail Petrovich Khvatkov (; 24 November 1925 – 25 June 1944) 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 ...

Efreitor and posthumous

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 ...

. Khvatkov was posthumously awarded the title for his actions in the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive, where he ferried troops and equipment across the

Western Dvina The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of t ...

. He was killed while crossing the river.

Early life

Khvatkov was born on 24 November 1925 in the village of Gryaznukha (now part of

Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk,, , known as Simbirsk until 1924, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Ulyanovsk has been the only Russian UNESCO Ci ...

) in

Simbirsk Governorate Simbirsk Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 to 1928. Its administrative center was in the city of Simbirsk, renamed Ulyanovsk in 1924 (likewis ...

to a peasant family. He graduated from seventh grade and worked on a farm.

World War II

Khvatkov was drafted into the Red Army in February 1943. He received sapper training and arrived on the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...

as a replacement with the

67th Guards Rifle Division The 67th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in January, 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 304th Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was offici ...

, where he was assigned to the 76th Guards Separate Engineer Battalion. Khvatkov fought in the Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation in August and the Sumy-Pryluky Offensive in September. After the end of the offensive on 30 September, the division became part of

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...

(''

Stavka The ''Stavka'' ( Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка, ) is a name of the high command of the armed forces used formerly in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine. In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrat ...

'' Reserve). In October 1943 it was withdrawn from the reserve and became part of the

2nd Baltic Front The 2nd Baltic Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. History The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic Front, it ...

. Until February 1944 the division fought in the Nevel area. During a river crossing near Ignatenki village, Khvatkov repaired a bridge destroyed by German artillery under heavy fire. On 2 March Khvatkov was awarded the Medal "For Courage" for his actions. At the end of February the division became part of the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It ...

, with which it fought in the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive, part of

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

, in late June 1944. During the breakthrough of German defenses in the village of Sirotino Khvatkov reportedly cleared two paths through German minefields and barbed wire. He reportedly defused 64 mines. Khvatkov was reportedly among the first to reach the Western Dvina near the village of Uzrechye and quickly built a raft from logs and under heavy German fire crossed to the opposite bank with a heavy machine gun. During the day under heavy fire Khvatkov ferried troops and equipment over the river. He reportedly ferried 60 soldiers, eight heavy machine guns and 30 boxes of ammunition over the river. On the return crossing Khvatkov reportedly ferried seven wounded soldiers back across the river. On 25 June he was killed during the crossing. Khvatkov was buried in a mass grave in Uzrechye. On 24 March 1945 he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union 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 ...

. A street in

is named for Khvatkov. A monument was built in the village of Gryaznaukha near the building of the Lugovskoy Primary School, where he studied. The school was renamed in his honor in 1965 and was later declared an object of cultural heritage. There is also a plaque on the school building.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khvatkov, Mikhail 1925 births 1944 deaths People from Ulyanovsk People from Simbirsky Uyezd Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Medal "For Courage" (Russia)