Alexey Ivanovich Petrov (1925, Ostrov, Pskov province – July 6, 1943, Ponyrovsky district, Kursk region) – participant of the Great Patriotic War, the commander of the 45-mm gun crew of the 84th Guards Anti-Tank Destroyer Division of the 75th Guards Rifle Division of the 17th Guards Rifle Corps 13th Army of the Central Front, guard junior sergeant, Hero of the Soviet Union (1943, posthumously).

Biography

Alexey Ivanovich Petrov was born in 1925 in the city of Ostrov (now the Pskov region).

Drafted into the army in 1942, at the front of the Great Patriotic War – since 1943.

During the Battle of Kursk, the guard junior sergeant A.I. Petrov commanded the crew of the gun as part of the gunner of the guards of the Red Army P.P. Volkov, the loader of the guards of the Red Army M.M. Cheprasov, the numbers of the calculation of the guards of the Red Army A.K. Chicherin and Makarov. The crew operated as part of the battery of the guard of Captain M.I. Pakhomov of the 84th Guards Separate Fighter Anti-Tank Battalion. In this battle, the division occupied positions in the front line of defense of the 241st Guards Rifle Regiment of the 75th Guards Rifle Division.

At dawn on July 6, 1943, German troops, bringing in fresh large forces of tanks into battle, continued their offensive in the area of __Ponyri station. In the award list for the guard of junior sergeant A.I.

The gun crew of Petrov, being in the combat formations of the infantry and supporting it with the fire of his cannon, repulsed a number of attacks by enemy tanks and infantry.

Seeing that the Nazis did not bring their T-6 tanks to our forward edge, but were firing at battle formations from distant positions, Petrov made a daring decision – to push the cannon far beyond the leading edge. Under the hurricane fire of enemy tanks, the crew in their hands rolled the cannon forward.

Stunned by the audacity of the actions of Petrov’s crew, the Nazis opened frantic fire on him, but a handful of daredevils confidently continued to roll out the cannon to approach the enemy tanks.

Approaching a distance of 100 meters, Petrov opened fire on enemy tanks. The Nazis sent five medium tanks to the gun of the brave men. With the first shots, Petrov, personally firing from the cannon, set fire to 2 tanks, forcing the rest to turn back.

A few minutes later, more than a company of infantry tried to encircle and capture the cannon’s crew. Conducting a circular attack, Petrov’s crew repulsed the infantry attacks, destroying more than 100 fascists with buckshot and machine gun fire.

Enraged by the unprecedented heroism and perseverance of five Soviet soldiers, the Nazis let three T-6 tanks into the calculation of Petrov. Two more T-6 enemy tanks were hit by sub-caliber shells one after the other. The third tank crushed the crew with the cannon, dying heroically, not leaving their positions and not letting the enemy tanks pass.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 7, 1943 for the courage and heroism shown in the fight against the Nazi invaders, the Guard Junior Sergeant Petrov Alexei Ivanovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

A. I. Petrov was buried in a mass grave in the village of Olkhovatka (Ponyrovsky district, Kursk region).

For this battle, P. P. Volkov and M. M. Cheprasov were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously), A. K. Chicherin was awarded the medal „For Military Merit".

Awards


Medal „Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union (August 7, 1943);

The order of Lenin.


Memory


At the mass grave in the village of Olkhovatka, Ponyrovsky district, Kursk region, where A.I.Petrov is buried, a memorial has been created to the heroes of the northern face of the Kursk Bulge.

In the village of Ponyri, Kursk region, a street is named after the Hero, and a stele with the name and portrait of A.I.Petrov is installed in the memorial complex.

In the homeland of the Hero in the city of Ostrov, Pskov region, there is Petrov Street, his name is immortalized on the monument to the heroes of the Ostrovich. A memorial plaque is installed on the facade of school No. 2, where AI Petrov studied.



Monuments


In Olkhovatka



In the Island