(29. 8. 1918)
And Van G. Kakovkin, sergeant, commander of an engineering department 222 th individual motorized assault engineering battalion, was born August 29, 1918 in a. Anno-Uspenka Kalinin (formerly. Kazachkinskogo) district of Saratov region. Russian. He graduated from an eight-year school, he worked in. collective farm and much later the tractor brigade, in the years 1938-1941, a storekeeper at the station Petukhovo Kurgan region.
Since the beginning of World War II until June 1944 fought on the North-West, 2 nd Baltic and the Karelian Front. He took part in defensive battles near Staraya Russa, in the release of Novgorod, Pskov and Leningrad regions and the Karelian ASSR. Wounded in 1943 under Demyanskoe, seriously wounded June 25, 1944 at the approaches to Mr.. Olonec. For military distinctions awarded the Order of the Red Star (1944), medals "For Military Merit" (1943), "For the Defense of Soviet Arctic, and two other medals.
. W tion of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and medal "Gold Star" Ivan Grigorievich Kakovkinu awarded July 21, 1944 for bravery and courage in crossing the river Svir.
. Since 1945,
. G. Kakovkin lived in. Cossack Kalinin district of the Saratov region, worked at the farm named after VI. Lenin.
June 21, 1944 troops of the Karelian Front began an offensive in South Karelia. At the end of an artillery barrage across the river Svir on rafts, boats, cars, amphibious assault groups rushed Infantry. But ahead of all the boats were deminers scouts. Among them was the boat with the office of Sergeant Ivan Kakovkina.
At the coast, engaged the enemy directly in the water were a slingshot with barbed wire. The engineers jumped from the boat in cold water and scissors to cut steel wire, steal a slingshot in hand. Made an opening in the fence, they came ashore, they took off a few bombs, and then crept forward, feeling the Finnish knives and metal ramrods every meter of land. Sappers removed tens of minutes, made two passes. The task assigned commander, was carried. But at this time of the well-camouflaged bunker, located at a height of our teams ferried infantry opened murderous fire machine gun. The sergeant with his friends blocked the bunker, and then crawled forward and anti-tank grenade was thrown into the embrasure, blew it with the garrison. Leaving part of the soldiers for duty at the passages in minefields, Kakovkin attacked the enemy in the first trench and destroyed another enemy machine gun. Using the weakening of the fire, the assault groups without large losses landed and seized a bridgehead on the northern bank of the River.
Office Kakovkina continued to move forward with the infantry. Minefields were everywhere, and the engineers could hardly doing passages for the infantry and denote Pointer mined areas.
By the end of the day our troops reached the river INEM. Ahead was a bridge. We had to check to see whether it is mined whether mines on the road. To approach the bridge was impossible: he was covered with fire. Kakovkin decided to outwit the enemy. He crossed the river on the adjacent plot, went to the rear and suddenly attacked the Nazis, mined the road over the bridge and preparing it to explode. After smashing the enemy sappers Kakovkin removed mines on the road and neutralized the explosive charges laid under the bridge supports. A captured, he sent under guard to the headquarters of 98-th Guards Rifle Division.
. During the two days of fighting Kakovkin with his office under enemy fire, cleared 2 bridges, did 7 passes in the barbed wire and minefields, removed more than 170 mines, has discovered and identified several minefields of the enemy.
. June 25 in the region r
. Olonets, razminiruya road Kakovkin hit a mine and in serious condition was taken to hospital. Nine months later, the sergeant was discharged from hospital without a leg and was demobilized from the Soviet Army.
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Sources:
1) Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary. V.1. M.: Voeniz.1987.
2) Rumyantsev.N.M. People legendary heroism ". Saratov. 1968
