Biography
From the history of the Soviet tanker's story, Konovalov's seeds would have come out a great plot of the film about the superhero: he fought alone with the huge forces of the enemy, fought until the last projectile, was recognized as the dead, melted by friends and relatives, received a posthumous award and returned home alive.Childhood and youth
Semen Vasilyevich Konovalov was born on February 15, 1921 in the peasant family who lived in the village of Yambulovo. Father he lost very early. After school, the young man went to work the postman to help mother keep family.
In 1939, Semyon entered the Military Infantry School, attributing an extra year to age. He did not plan to become a tank in, but this decision was made by the authorities: after a year, the educational institution was translated from Kuibyshev to the Lithuanian city of Mounty and made from infantry armored.
Military Service and Feats
In 1941 he saved the war. By that time, Semyon was already a graduate, so he was appointed commander of the platoon. The company in which he served was equipped with tanks BT-7. They were considered rapid, but not too well protected cars, and in August of the same year, the young lieutenant received the first difficult wound.
Konovalova was sent to the rear to full recovery, but he rushed into battle and asked him to write it soon. Doctors such aspiring did not approve. After discharge, the seeds sent an instructor to the training center to Arkhangelsk, and not to the front, as he asked. For half a year Konovalov filed reports and wrote commanders with a request to return it to the front.
"I am not a place here," he assured.In 1942, his request was satisfied and appointed commander of the platoon of heavy tanks. Spring and half of the summer of his brigade led exhausting battles. By July 13, only one tank remained for the entire platoon of the young commander, which they barely led to a working condition.
Together with the mechanic-driver of Kozyrentsev, the navigator Dementiev, charging Gerasimluk, the younger mechanic, an aica and radioist Cervin Konovalov, along the orders of the command, moved to a new frontier, towards the fascist offensive. On the road, the tank fell in battles began to refuse - ceased to flow fuel. The brigade had once to wait, and she went ahead, leaving Konovalov with the crew to repair the car.
The fighters understood well how vulnerable their position is. In an open place, without movement, the tank was an excellent target. They were in a hurry, and hardly managed to "persuade" a sq. Something to budge, the horizon showed two fascist intelligence armored vehicles.
The Germans themselves did not expect this meeting. Taking advantage of their confusion, Konovalov managed to bring the gun to battle and bother one car. The second left, but it was clear that she would soon return, grabbing the main forces of the enemy. In front of the fighters got a choice: catch up with a column, which certainly had already managed to leave far (there was no radio communication with her), or stay in place and take the battle. Semyon accepted the second decision. Tankers as they could disguised the rank on the ground and began to wait.
The whole column of 75 German tanks came for them. The fascists clearly thought that the whole brigade was covered here, and not one half a broken tank with a crew of several people. Presenting the beginning of the column for a close distance, Konovalov opened fire and destroyed 4 combat vehicles, forcing the Germans to retreat. Furious rebuild convinced the Germans that a whole unit was covered in the farm, and, by collecting forces, they led the remaining tanks in the attack.
Soviet kV due to heavy armor and armament lasted for quite a long time: the fighters managed to destroy 12 tanks, 8 cars with officers and soldiers and one armored person. But the ammunition began to approach the end. It could no longer move the cripped kV. The Germans dragged the heavy gun closer and shot him in the emphasis.
On July 14, the Soviet Brigade, which served Konovalov, had enough of his fighters. The command sent to find out what happened to them. Scouts found traces of heavy battle, numerous remains of soldiers, fed up tanks and reported on the heroic death of the crew. Seeds Konovalov presented to the medal "Golden Star" and the corresponding rank posthumously. The award sheet was signed, they informed the native, and a month later, the command received a letter from the killed hero.
It turned out that the tankers foresee the end of the battle and developed a waste plan in advance. Seeing that the Germans are going to shoot the car in the emphasis, Konovalov commanded the crew to prepare for departure, as soon as the last shell is spent. To get out through the Lower Luke, three - semen himself, the silver mechanic and the gunner of Dementiev. In the condensed twilight and dense smoke, the guns were gone unnoticed.
For a whole week, they had to wade their way to their, far offering settlements, feeding her grass and raw grain. Four days later, the Soviet officers stumbled upon a German tank. His crew was indulging in rest, believing that they were far from advanced. Konovalov destroyed the Germans and moved on the road further on the trophy machine.
They never got to her brigade, eventually joined another military unit. It was hard to return the crew to the old place of service at that moment, therefore, I did not reunited with my native brigade. He survived the great victory and demobilized in 1946.
Personal life
Semen Konovalov was married. He lived with his wife with the hope of Yakovlyovna until death. They had a daughter Irina, who now lives in Kazan. In the 1950s, the Hero of the Soviet Union returned to the system and entered the armored school for officers. In stock, he left only in 1956 in the rank of lieutenant colonel.
The last years of the life of the hero of the war has lived in Kazan, working as an engineer at the local factory, reading lectures and telling young people about the war.
Death
The Hero of the Soviet Union died in April 1989 at the age of 68.
The reasons for death in the official biography are not reported: Most likely, he did not allow heavily undervalued in the years of health and several injuries. The seeds of Konovalov buried in the cemetery in the Kazan village of Derbushka.
Memory
- In honor of the seeds of Konovalov, the streets are named in Kazan, as well as in his native village and the Upper Honor.
- In 2004, the American film "Rage" with Brad Pitt, the plot of which has obvious features of similarities with the history of the Soviet Hero, has been reached worldwide rental, which is an intentional creator or coincidence.
- The story about the feat of the seeds of Konovalova also formed the basis of the film "Uncompreherable". Picture with Vladimir Epifantsev and Andrei Chernyshev goes to rent on October 25, 2018