ZIMIN VIKTOR VASILEVICH

ZIMIN VIKTOR VASILEVICH
guard staff sergeant, a participant in World War II Full cavalier of the Order of Glory (06.27.1945)

   Born in 1925 in the city of Samarkand in a working class family. Russian. He graduated from 7 classes. In February 1943 he was drafted into the Red Army by the Samarkand city military commissariat.
   Since July 1944, he participated in battles on the 1st Ukrainian Front. The entire battle path was part of the 62nd Guards Tank Brigade, was the commander of the T-34 tank gun.
   He distinguished himself in Western Ukraine. On July 22, 1944, as part of the head guard, he was the first to break into the southern outskirts of the city of Lviv, in this battle he destroyed 5 sappers and 10 machine gunners covering them. Received the first military award – the Order of the Red Star.
   On July 26-27, 1944, when the enemy counterattack was repelled south of the city of Lviv (Ukraine), he destroyed 2 firing points and over 10 enemy soldiers. In subsequent battles at the beginning of August 1944 in the territory of the Lviv region, 2 armored personnel carriers, 2 vehicles, up to 10 firing points and many enemy soldiers and officers were hit with well-aimed fire. On August 9, four wrecked Soviet tanks were evacuated from the battlefield as part of the crew.
   By order of the troops of the 10th Guards Tank Corps of September 12, 1944, the Guard Sergeant Zimin Viktor Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree.
   On January 13, 1945, in the battles for the settlements of Zaborze, Volya Moravitska (northwest of the city of Khmelnik, Poland), were destroyed the T-IV tank, an assault gun, crushed 2 machine gun points, and exterminated more than 10 enemy soldiers.
   He was presented for awarding the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree.
   By order of the troops of the 4th Panzer Army (for the battle of January 13) of February 20, 1945 of the Guard, Staff Sergeant Zimin Viktor Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree (he was not awarded).
   Particularly distinguished himself in the battles of January 24 – 29, 1945 on the Oder River near the city of Steinau (Germany, now the city of Szinawa, Poland). When crossing the water line, he destroyed 2 Tiger tanks, 4 T-IV tanks, a self-propelled gun and a company of Hitler’s infantry. When the tank was blown up by a mine and went for repairs, it became part of another crew. In the battles, while securing the bridgehead on the Oder River, he destroyed 2 T-V Panther tanks, 4 armored personnel carriers, 17 vehicles with ammunition and food, and about 200 Hitler soldiers and officers. He was presented for the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the performance was supported by the brigade and corps commander, but the commander of the 4th Tank Army downgraded the status of the award to the Order of Glory of the 1st degree.
   March 15, 1945 during the reconnaissance was hit. When the enemy transferred fire to other tanks, he opened fire from his tank: he destroyed the gun’s crew and knocked out the Tiger tank. A few more shells fell into the tank and he was seriously wounded. With the help of his comrades, he left the car, but immediately died of his wounds. For this battle he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree.
   He was buried at the battlefield, and later reburied in a mass grave at a military cemetery in the city of Kluczbork (Opole Voivodeship, Poland).
   By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 27, 1945 “For the exemplary performance of command assignments in battles against Nazi invaders,” the guard sergeant Viktor Zimin was awarded the Order of Glory of the 1st degree.