Vasilenko Gabriel Tarasovich

(October 23, 1910)
Combat Service Hero of the Soviet Union, Mr.. T. Vasilenko awarded four Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov II degree, Kutuzov II degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War Order of Red Star and many medals. April 25, 1995, Lieutenant General, retired Gabriel Tarasovich Vasilenko was awarded the Order of Zhukov and the highest order in North Ossetia.
Born October 23, 1910 in the village Aula Krinichanskogo region Dnipropetrovsk region. Father - Vasilenko Taras Yakymovych (1889 g. born.). Mother - Vasilenko Lukiya I. (1889. born.). Wife - Vasilenko Nadezhda G. (1916. born.). Daughters: Jeanne Degtyareva Gavrilovna (1936 g. born.) Olga Khokhlova Gavrilovna (1941. born.).

Since 1924, Gabriel joined the seven-district Ilyich Verhodneprovskogo region Dnipropetrovsk region. From 1926 to 1929 he worked as a tractor driver, and from 1930 to 1932 - a fitter at the factory, the Dzerzhinsky.

His military biography began in 1932, when Gabriel Tarasovich to mobilize the Komsomol Central Committee came to Minsk Military School Kalinin. In 1935, I finished it the first in the country received the rank of lieutenant, which had just been introduced in the army. Appointed commander of a platoon of the 11 th Infantry Regiment, 4 th Infantry Division Germanskogo behalf of the proletariat in the city Slutsk, which was deployed 4 Cavalry Division, which at that time commanded Mr.. K. Zhukov.

... Lieutenant Vasilenko arrived at the Finnish border shortly after returning from a campaign in Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia. There, he was Deputy Chief of Staff of Infantry Regiment, are invited himself to the post of commander of a battalion of small. Platoon and a company he had his otkomandoval, has worked the chief of intelligence of the regiment, had a reputation as a mature, good commander, so his desire to lead the battalion elicited no objections. And Vasilenko as an organizer of the fighting battalions in the Finnish War began to grow, as they say, for all to see.

It is known in some incredibly difficult conditions, had to operate the Red Army on the "neznamenitoy" war. Forest, lake and marshland. Fierce winter. Deep snow, reaching up to two meters. Celsius to minus 45 degrees ...

Small arms and equipment of our troops ceded Finnish. Finns to the same act on skis, and in most of our walk. Many of our military actions are not accompanied by good luck. Battalion under the command of Vasilenko, put on his skis and acted more decisively. In February 1940, attacking one of the Finnish bunkers, captured them in melee and took a favorable position. Combat was submitted to the award. As part about this place even rally. And in March, the battalion distinguished themselves in battle Vasilenko River Vuoksa, for which the battalion commander and was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He has distinguished itself once on this very site of the Finnish Defense north-east of the settlement Myalkgelya our other units operated in vain and suffered heavy losses.

. The secret was that, at this stage in the middle of the river Vuoksa stood a huge boulder
. Those who trod here before, breaking under fire from the river on the ice and reached the boulder began massed behind him as a barrier against bullets. And the enemy advance zero in the boulder, opened heavy fire on him from all sides. The boulder was in fact a trap. Our soldiers killed dozens, choking attacks, the unit retreated.
Vasilenko this bitter experience has taken into account. "How will you force rekuN" - asked me before the fight the division commander. Gabriel Tarasovich informed him that the crossing to the other side will hold a three in the morning, will force platoons, a boulder will pass. All machine guns leave on its shore, keeping them in the attack will not. When Finns go to the counter, all of our guns, shot up in advance of a forest, together with an artillery raid, where the counterattack was expected, will open on the enemy barrage.

It all came to reality. Abandoned guns essentially ensured the promotion of the whole regiment. If they took with them into battle, they are in the deep snow would have been unfit for combat. In a breakthrough defense corps commander was introduced Cavalry Division. The success was evident.

It is March 10, 1940. And on March 12 in Moscow signed a peace treaty, and March 13 from 12 am Moscow time the hostilities ceased.

Vasilenko was wounded in the chest right through. The wound quickly dragged on, nothing happened even without surgery. Dolechivayas in the rest home, he thought a lot about the past short, but some very bad war. The joy of high rewards from our bitterness marred by heavy losses in killed, wounded or frostbitten, sadly, from our apparent lack of preparation for this war. Stuffed, that is, in the water, not knowing ford. Red Army had to retrain, rearm and gain experience in the course of fighting. Later Vasilenko read the bitter recognition of the Defense Commissar Voroshilov, Timoshenko made in the report to the governing of the army, and learned in them their own thoughts and observations. Voroshilov, as we know, paid for the army unprepared for war his military career and dutoy glory, and the army - large losses. Although fighting heroically ...

With such contradictory impressions came Vasilenko after his recovery at home - in the village Aula Krinichanskogo region Dnipropetrovsk region. Countrymen greeted him with enthusiasm and exuberance, he did not have time to accept invitations to meet with students, recruiting young people, with labor collectives. Hero of the Soviet Union initially enjoyed a special and universal esteem and respect. And Gabriel Vasilenko fully justified this honor modesty and responsiveness. The fact that the report about the war he was preparing for the task and with the help of the then Secretary of the Dnepropetrovsk Oblast Party Committee Brezhnev. Until now, remembers how he taught Leonid Ilyich did not turn their performance in loud reading of prepared text, try to speak a living language, in their own words. Pay special attention to stories about heroes and heroism, to the analysis of our failures is better not to apply. Vasilenko and did. But always stressed that the war - is difficult and cruel, that it requires soldiers and officers of all ranks high level of skills of, mind, and tempering, mastery, that is why we all need to learn military affairs in this way. In anticipation of a new major war this military-patriotic propaganda was, of course, useful and timely.

Sam Vasilenko, not overestimating its military and general training, wasted no time, went to the Frunze Military Academy. He studied with enthusiasm, but to finish the full course did not have time - the Great Patriotic. In the main personnel department (then called the Office for commanders and supervisors of the Red Army), captain Vasilenko, as the hero and the best students, suggested as much - the post commander Infantry Division. Here hero flinch. Not from cowardice, but from the highly developed sense of responsibility, from a real, sober understanding of the scope of his commander's experience. Three months in command of the battalion and three days served as a regimental commander ... Few, very few in order to assume responsibility for such an edifice as Infantry Division wartime. So explained Army Chief of Personnel army commissar of rank 1 E. A. Shchadenko its refusal. Tom did not like it, do not seem convincing. He was angry, but lost - appointed commander of the 2-second maneuver Airborne Brigade of the Western Front.

We Vasilenko in his file were listed three long jump with a parachute, it determined his fate. Later, he drove through jumps to 70. In December 1941, on the left wing of the Central Front with housing Belova participated in the battles for Moscow. Vasilenko had a chance to operate behind enemy lines in North-Western Front, to battle with the encircled enemy force. In those fights he was badly wounded in the head and hospitalized. April 16, 1942 the Red Army Airborne Forces Commander Major General Glazunov, and a member of the military council Airborne Divisional Commissioner Klokov signed on Vasilenko official description: "strong-willed and resolute commander. Personally brave. Well mastered the skills commander commando who can organize and conduct a session with nachsostavom. Likes troop deal. Growing commander. "

In the future, with his brigade, which became the 6 th Guards Rifle, Vasilenko out of Moscow was transferred and joined the 10-th Guards Corps of the Transcaucasian Front, where he took part in the defense of Grozny.
In July-August 1942, 6 Brigade in the vanguard of the 10 th Cavalry Corps launched an offensive near the village of scarlet, north of the Terek River, and began to press forward part of Panzer Group von Kleist. The fighting brigade captured the station Terek, defeated the vanguard of the Nazis, captured 10 tanks and dozens of prisoners. The attack had been successfully developed, was released Alpatovo village, and soon the entire Naursky district.

In April 1943, Mr.. T. Vasilenko, took command of the 32-th Guards Rifle Division. Crossed the Kerch Strait, advancing along the Sea of Azov. He was appointed commander of 339 Infantry Division. Participated in the liberation of Kerch, Feodosia, Sudak, Alushta, Sevastopol. In contrast to the battles during the liberation of the Kuban and Taman Peninsula, 339 th Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, received the honorary title "Taman".

. In April-May 1945 339-Division of the 33rd Army Moscow 1 st Belorussian Front, together with other armies, was ordered to advance on the southern outskirts of Berlin, to crush the 16 th enemy army and go to the Elbe River to the south of Brandenburg
. The task was successfully accomplished as early as May 2, 1945. The division was awarded the Order of Suvorov II degree and honorary titles Brandenburg. Victory D. T. Vasilenko met on the Elbe May 8, 1945.

Combat Service Hero of the Soviet Union, Mr.. T. Vasilenko awarded four Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov II degree, Kutuzov II degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War Order of Red Star and many medals. April 25, 1995, Lieutenant General, retired Gabriel Tarasovich Vasilenko was awarded the Order of Zhukov and the highest order in North Ossetia.

. The name of the outstanding general Georgy Zhukov Order and, accordingly, his name is particularly near and dear Gabriel Tarasovich
. Zhukova he knew personally before him homage.

"From Georgy, I met several times before the war, and after, - says Vasilenko. - Before the Vistula-Oder operation, he came to us in the 33rd Army, . spoke with officers about the preparations for the operation and, . turning to me (my 339-th Infantry Division was ordered to attack at the Army's left flank and front), . particularly, . asked: "How do you linked the joint with Division 1-st Ukrainian frontaN" I reported in detail, . He listened, . almost silent and warned me: "Keep in mind, . that your neighbor may be left behind and your wing can remain open. ",

. This was an important lesson for Vasilenko
. Who fought, he knows what to act on the very left wing front with lag, and when a neighbor left flank attack the retreating enemy hordes. Division G. T. Vasilenko first came to the Oder River, seized the railroad bridge and the bridgehead on the west coast. The commander received a congratulation from Marshal Zhukov was awarded the Order of Suvorov II degree and promoted to Major General.
. Gabriel Tarasovich Vasilenko lives today in Moscow with her granddaughter Tania, son-Artem and two great-grandchildren - Danila and Philip
. Descendants of the soul it is not chayut. He does not pass without attention, and their comments no combat reports from Chechnya. These edges are well known to him by years of the Great Patriotic War, here he was frequently a welcome guest in the postwar years. Students Alpatovskoy school gave him album of photos with the inscription: "Defender Naursky land and poetic introduction:
. "... You - together and separately --
. Living obelisk.
. We, the young shoots,
. Around the twined you.
. Gabriel Tarasovich happy with the line of the unity of generations.
. Gabriel Tarasovich Vasilenko recently went to the ninetieth year
. But he looks much younger than. He has a bright head, clear mind, a retentive memory, a genuine interest in everything that is happening around. He and a drink can, on occasion, accept, and native Ukrainian song "zaspivat, and chess battle ... He is fond of hunting and fishing.
Lives in Moscow.