The battle of the tanker Kolobanov, which went down in history. Tank battle under troops

07:51 02.03.2015

At the end of August 1941, the 3rd tank company of Kolobaev defended the approaches to Leningrad near the city of Krasnogvardeysk. Every day, every hour was "worth its weight in gold" - military enterprises and civilians were evacuated from the northern capital. On August 19, Z. Kolobaev received a personal order from the division commander: to block three roads that lead to the city from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp. Protecting three roads with five tanks - only he could do it. The tanker by that time had gone through the Finnish war, burned in the tank three times, but each time he returned to duty.

It all went like this:
In harsh silence
There is a heavy tank,
Disguised in the woods
Enemies are crowding
iron idols,
But takes the fight
Zinovy ​​Kolobanov. These verses are just a small excerpt from a poem that was written in September 1941 by the poet Alexander Gitovich in honor of the commander of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion of the 1st tank division, senior lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov. A month before, on August 20, 1941, the tank crew, commanded by the 30-year-old Kolobanov, destroyed 22 German tanks in one battle. In total, during this day, 5 tanks of Kolobanov's company knocked out 43 enemy tanks. In addition, an artillery battery, a passenger car and up to two companies of the Nazi infantry were destroyed. This happened just in those days about which there was a strong opinion: Soviet troops at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War they only retreated without offering serious resistance to the enemy. The heroic accomplishments of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov and his subordinates are designed to dispel this myth - the Red Army fought the Nazi-German invaders with all its might in the summer of 1941. Order of the divisional commander: "Stand to the death!" At the end of August 1941, the 3rd tank company of Kolobanov defended the approaches to Leningrad in the area of ​​​​the city of Krasnogvardeysk. Every day, every hour was "worth its weight in gold" - military enterprises and civilians were evacuated from the northern capital. On August 19, Z. Kolobanov received a personal order from the division commander: to block three roads that lead to the city from Luga, Volosovo and Kingisepp. Protecting three roads with five tanks - only he could do it. The tanker by that time had gone through the Finnish war, burned in the tank three times, but each time he returned to duty. Tanks "Kliment Voroshilov" KV-1 against the German Pz.Kpfw.35 (t)There is a scheme of the same battle. The position of the heavy tank KV-1 Kolobanov was at a height from clay soil, at a distance of about 150 m from the fork in the road, near which two birch trees grew, which received the name "Landmark No. 1", and about 300 m from the intersection marked "Landmark No. 2". The length of the viewed section of the road is about 1000 m, 22 tanks are easily placed on it with a marching distance between tanks of 40 m. The choice of a place for firing in two opposite directions (such a position is called a caponier) is explained as follows. The enemy could take the road to Marienburg either along the road from Voiskovits or along the road from Syaskelevo. In the first case, you would have to shoot in the forehead. Therefore, the caponier was dug directly opposite the intersection in such a way that the heading angle was minimal. At the same time, I had to come to terms with the fact that the distance to the fork was reduced to a minimum. It was on such a machine that Kolobanov fought. Around 14:00 on August 20, after the unsuccessful aerial reconnaissance carried out by the Germans, German reconnaissance motorcyclists proceeded along the seaside road to the Voiskovitsy state farm, which Kolobanov's crew let through without hindrance, waiting for the main enemy forces to approach. For one and a half - two minutes, while the lead tank covered the distance to the intersection, Kolobanov made sure that there were no heavy tanks in the column, finally drew up a battle plan and decided to skip the entire column to the fork (Landmark No. 1). In this case, all the tanks had time to go through the turn at the beginning of the causeway and be within reach of his gun. Light tanks Pz.Kpfw.35 (t) of the German 6th Panzer Division (other sources also call the 1st or 8th Panzer Divisions) moved in the column. Having knocked out the tanks in the head, middle and at the end of the column, Kolobanov not only blocked the road from both ends, but also deprived the Germans of the opportunity to move onto the road leading to Voiskovitsy.
There was a terrible panic in the enemy column. Some tanks, trying to hide from the destructive fire, climbed down the slope and there they got stuck up to the towers in the swamp. Then they too were burned. Others, trying to turn around, ran into each other, knocking down tracks and rollers. Frightened crews, jumping out of burning cars, rushed between them in fear. Most of them came under machine-gun fire. In 30 minutes of battle, Kolobanov's crew knocked out all 22 tanks in the column. Of the double ammunition load, 98 armor-piercing rounds were used up. After the battle on Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov's KV-1, more than a hundred hits were counted.
Tank KV-1 with damage.Submit for an award! Immediately after this tank battle, which ended in the complete victory of Soviet weapons, an article appeared in the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper about the feat of the tankman Kolobanov. And in the archives of the Ministry of Defense, a unique document was preserved - Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov's award list. Sheet 1 page. It confirms the information on the number of destroyed tanks, but, perhaps most importantly, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov and all members of his crew were presented with the title of Hero for the courage and heroism shown in the victorious battle. Soviet Union. But the high command did not consider that the feat of the tankers deserved such a high appraisal. Zinovy ​​Kolobanov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, Andrei Usov - the Order of Lenin, Nikolai Nikiforov - the Order of the Red Banner, and Nikolai Rodnikov and Pavel Kiselkov - the Orders of the Red Star. After the feat For another three weeks after the battle near Voiskovitsy, the company of senior lieutenant Kolobanov held back the Germans on the outskirts of Krasnogvardeysk in the Bolshaya Zagvodka area. During this time, 5 Kolobanov tanks destroyed three mortar batteries, four anti-tank guns and 250 German soldiers and officers. On September 13, 1941, Krasnogvardeysk was abandoned by the Red Army. Kolobanov's company was again left at the most important line at that moment - it covered the retreat of the last military column to the city of Pushkin. Tank KV-1 September 15, 1941 Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov was seriously wounded. At night, at the cemetery of the city of Pushkin, where the tanks were refueled and ammunition, a German shell exploded next to Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov's KV. The tanker received a shrapnel wound to the head and spine, contusion of the brain and spinal cord. The war for Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov is over. He was sent for treatment to the Traumatological Institute of Leningrad, in the very city that the tanker so successfully defended. Before the blockade of the northern capital, the tank hero was evacuated and until March 15, 1945 he was treated in evacuation hospitals No. 3870 and 4007 in Sverdlovsk. But in the summer of 1945, having recovered from his wound, Zinovy ​​Kolobanov returned to duty. For another thirteen years he served in the army, having retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel, then for many years he lived and worked at a factory in Minsk. With wife and son. In the early 1980s, it was decided to erect a monument at the site of the battle near Voiskovitsy. Zinovy ​​Kolobanov wrote a letter to the Minister of Defense of the USSR Dmitry Ustinov with a request to allocate a tank for installation on a pedestal, and the tank was allocated, however, not the KV-1, but the later IS-2. However, the very fact that the minister granted Kolobanov’s request speaks of that he knew about the tank hero, and did not question his feat.
Why not a hero? To the question: “Why was the hero-tanker Kolobanov not awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union either during the Great Patriotic War or after it?” there are two answers. And both of them lie in the biography of the tanker Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov.
The first reason is that after the war, the journalist of Krasnaya Zvezda, A. Pinchuk, published information that Kolobanov Z.G. became a Hero of the Soviet Union (at the beginning of March 1940 he received the Gold Star and the Order of Lenin) and he was awarded the extraordinary rank of captain. But for the fraternization of his subordinates with the Finnish military after the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 12, 1940, Kolobov Z.G. was deprived of both the title and the award, documentary evidence confirming the receipt by Kolobanov Z.G. title of Hero of the Soviet Union for participation in Finnish war, no. The second reason - on December 10, 1951, Kolobov was transferred to the Group Soviet troops in Germany (GSVG), where he served until 1955. July 10, 1952 Z. G. Kolobanov was awarded military rank lieutenant colonel, and on April 30, 1954 by the Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council The USSR was awarded the Order of the Red Banner (for 20 years of service in the army). At this time, he deserted from a tank battalion to the British occupation zone soviet soldier. Saving the battalion commander from a military tribunal, the commander announced Kolobanov Z.G. on incomplete official compliance and transferred him to the Belarusian military district. AT Soviet time the presence in the biography of even one of the listed reasons was quite enough to refuse to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Zinovy ​​Kolobanov passed away in 1994, but veteran organizations, social activists and historians are still trying to achieve the title of Hero of Russia. with a request to honor the tank hero with the high award he deserved at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War posthumously. In the year of the 70th anniversary of the Victory, according to the public, this would be quite logical and appropriate.

Zinovy ​​Grigoryevich Kolobanov was born on December 12 (25), 1913 in the village of Arefino, Nizhny Novgorod province. His father died during civil war mother raised three children alone. After graduating from the 8th grade of high school, Zinovy ​​entered the Gorky Industrial College to study.

In 1932 he was drafted into the army, where he served as a cadet in the 49th regiment of the 70th rifle division. In 1936, with the rank of lieutenant, he graduated with honors from the Oryol Armored School. M. V. Frunze. By distribution, he got into further service in the Leningrad Military District; commanded a tank of the 3rd separate battalion of the 2nd tank brigade. In 1937-38. attended advanced training courses for officers.

By the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-40. Kolobanov received the title of commander of a tank company of the 1st light tank brigade, based on the Karelian Isthmus. He participated in the war as a company commander, as part of the 20th heavy tank brigade. In March 1940 he was awarded the rank of captain, awarded the Gold Star and the Order of Lenin, but almost immediately he was deprived of all ranks and privileges and transferred to the reserve. This became a punishment for the "fraternization" of his subordinates with the Finnish military after they learned about the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty on March 12, 1940.

Great Patriotic War, Military battle

When II started World War, Kolobanov was called up from the reserve. He received the rank of senior lieutenant and was transferred to the Leningrad Front as a company commander of KV-1 heavy tanks of the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st Tank Division.

One of the battles in which Kolobanov's company took part went down in the history of the Second World War as an example of unprecedented courage and professionalism. It occurred on August 19, 1941, in the area of ​​the Voyskovitsy railway station (10 km southwest of Gatchina). During the battle, the crew of one KV-1 tank, commanded by Kolobanov, destroyed 22 German tanks. In total, in this battle, Kolobanov's company destroyed about 20% of the total number of all tanks of the 6th German division (more than 40 tanks). The legendary military battle became a serious obstacle to the enemy's attack on Leningrad, and thus saved the city from a quick capture. For this battle, Kolobanov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of War, however, due to past "delusions", neither he nor any of his crew members was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Forty years later, in 1983, on the eve of Tankman's Day, a memorial will be erected at the site of this battle, in memory of the heroic deed of Soviet tankmen.

Severe injury, post-war period

In September 1941, Kolobanov was seriously wounded, contusion of the brain and spinal cord. Rehabilitation lasted several months, until March 1945, first at the Traumatological Institute in Leningrad, and then in evacuation in Sverdlovsk. After the end of the war, in July 1945, Kolobanov was transferred to the Baranovichi military district, where he assumed the position of deputy commander of the 69th tank battalion of the 14th regiment of the 12th mechanized division of the 5th guards tank army. From December 1951 he continued to serve in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, where he commanded a tank battalion of self-propelled artillery mounts of the 70th heavy tank self-propelled regiment of the 9th tank division of the 1st Guards Mechanized Army. In July 1952 he received the military rank of lieutenant colonel, in 1954 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for twenty years of service in the army.

From March 1956 he was transferred to the Belarusian Military District, where for a year he served as deputy commander of a self-propelled tank battalion of the 10th mechanized regiment of the 12th mechanized division. Since May 1957, he continues to serve in the city of Osipovichi, Mogilev Region, as deputy commander of a tank battalion of the 148th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 50th Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the 28th Army. In July 1958 he was transferred to the reserve.

Life outside the army, family

Later he worked at the Minsk Automobile Plant, at first he was a foreman, and then an inspector of the technical control department (OTK). He earned the title of "Drummer of Communist Labor". In honor of the 40th anniversary Great Victory, in 1986 he was presented with the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree. Lieutenant Colonel Z. G. Kolobanov died on August 12, 1994 in Minsk.

His wife's name was Alexandra Georgievna, they had a son, Gennady. When Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov was called to the war in 1941, he left his wife pregnant and did not know anything about her and the child until the end of the war. Then, already in peacetime, they found each other thanks to one of the radio programs that searched for relatives and relatives lost during the war.

Do we have propaganda? If not, then where did the Soviet smart ideologists look? The German tank aces of the Second World War have already written a bunch of books, glorifying themselves, their loved ones. One of them, who is still alive, even opened an institution called “Tiger” ... But “ours” are silent about ours. Do you know why? In our country, after all, no matter what a hero, then (according to the diverse NKVD, OGPU, SMERSH, KGB, etc.) - gouging, the brightest violator of state discipline! Nevertheless, the gaps must be filled in so that our offspring know their real heroes by sight and be proud of them.

So, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov. He became famous for one tank battle, in which his KV-1 destroyed 22 German tanks in just over an hour, and the entire Kolobanovskaya company of 5 tanks - 43. This is a world tank battle record! The same German figure Herr Wittmann in his famous battle at Villers-Bocage killed 1 tank less! Why, the remarkable achievement of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

And Comrade Kolobanov did not receive the Star of the Hero - well deserved for a superbly carried out operation. Only the Order of the Red Banner of Battle, which is worth less than the Order of Lenin, presented to his own gunner Andrei Mikhailovich Usov. How did it happen? Usov only excellently fired from a cannon, and Kolobanov skillfully thought and made decisions for all five subordinate vehicles. And why by that time did Zinovy ​​Kolobanov, a regular military man since 1936, remain in the rank of senior lieutenant and in the position of company commander?

In principle, this kind of injustice reigned not only in our country. Fritz also howled from the bureaucracy and rotten bureaucracy. The same Kurt Knispel, certainly a talented gunner, and later a tank commander, who destroyed about 185 tanks on all fronts during the entire war - God rest him in April 45th - was forgotten for a long time and was not mentioned either in the chronicles or in history , nor in the literature. Knispel always got into trouble with the SS, beat an SD officer, standing up for a Russian prisoner, stole champagne and grub for his crew from a train guarded by the SS Viking division. Well, what honors does he have for this?
And what about Kolobanov? Yes, he was simply unlucky in life with the Soviet special services.
According to some sources, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich was born in 1910, according to others - in 1913 in the village of Arefene, Vachevsky district, Nizhny Novgorod region. He graduated from eight classes of high school, after he studied at a technical school. In 1932, he was drafted into the Red Army by the Komsomol recruitment, and in 1936 he graduated with honors from the Frunze Oryol Armored School. What next…

Further, as part of the 20th heavy tank brigade, as a company commander, he happened to participate in the Finnish company of 1939-1940. The brigade in which he served was the first to reach the Mannerheim line. It was then that Kolobanov burned for the first time in a tank. In the battle near Lake Vuoksa, he pulled ahead with his company, and again he had to escape from a burning car. The third time it burned during a raid on Vyborg.

Here again some ambush with the data. Allegedly, for the Finnish campaign, Kolobanov received the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the rank of captain. However, on the night of March 12-13, 1940, a peace treaty was signed between the USSR and Finland. Having learned about this, the soldiers of the two previously opposing armies rushed towards each other for "fraternization". Happy Finns went to chat with the Russians. They fraternized, exchanged cigarettes, talked in languages ​​incomprehensible to each other, laughed, patted each other on the shoulders, and dispersed. The Finns have gone home. And Kolobanov was dragged to the political department.

This fraternization cost Captain Kolobanov dearly: he was demoted in rank, deprived of all awards, transferred to the reserve, and, according to some reports, was also imprisoned. And he sat until the start of the next war. In August 1941, Kolobanov left the camp as a lieutenant, without any awards and not at all a Hero of the Soviet Union - someone had to fight, but there were not enough competent military men. They gave him a company again, 5 KV-1 tanks, and he went to the Leningrad front.

“I was often asked if I was scared. It's embarrassing to answer, they can be mistaken for a braggart. But I didn't feel any fear. I'll explain why. I am a military man. After I retired, I worked in the national economy for twenty-three years. But I still feel like a soldier all my life. Then the division commander gave me the order to "stand to the death." This is not some emotional formulation, but a precise order. I accepted it for execution. I was ready, if necessary, to die. And I no longer had any fears and could not have arisen.

The Kolobanovites were lucky, none of the crew was even seriously injured. The road was blocked, they did not pass to Gatchina, and their offensive stalled. General Baranov, Kolobanov's commander, immediately reported the results of the battle to headquarters and introduced Kolobanov to the Golden Star. To which he received a reasonable answer: "Ofigel? He just got out of prison!". In general, they gave only the Order of the Red Banner of War.

After the fighting, the repair of the tanks dragged on for almost a month. On the night of September 21, at the cemetery in the city of Pushkin, where the tanks were refueling and ammunition, a German shell exploded next to Kolobanov's KV. At this time, the commander had just got out of the tank, and he was thrown to the ground with monstrous force. The senior lieutenant was sent to the hospital in an unconscious state. In the medical history of Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov, stored in the Military Medical Archive, it says: "Splinter damage to the head and spine. Contusion of the brain and spinal cord."

In 1942, in a serious condition, he was transported across Lake Ladoga to the mainland. Then months in hospitals, prolonged unconsciousness, and only then a slow return to life.
Despite being seriously wounded and shell-shocked, Kolobanov again asked to join the ranks. The stick, on which he leaned while walking, had to be thrown away. And at the end of 1944, Kolobanov was again at the front, commanding the SU-76 division. For battles on the Magnushevsky bridgehead he receives the Order of the Red Star, and for Berlin operation- Second Order of the Red Banner of War.

After the war, while still in Germany, a battalion of heavy tanks IS-2 took over, which in a short time became the best in the army. The commander awarded Zinovy ​​Kolobanov with a personalized hunting rifle.
He managed to find his wife and little son. Throughout the war, Kolobanov knew nothing about them; he broke up with his pregnant wife on the first day of the war. But Zinoviy Grigorievich and Alexandra Grigorievna found each other: one of the radio programs helped. And life seemed to get better, they gave a lieutenant colonel ...

And in 1955 - again the same bad luck as in Finland. And it seems that he has nothing to do with it at all, there is no direct fault on him, but he almost flew under the tribunal again: a soldier escaped from his battalion to the English zone of occupation. The army commander saved Kolobanov: he quickly transferred him to the Belarusian military district. Everything that happened did not pass without a trace for the officer: the consequences of the shell shock are aggravated. Due to disability, he is retired.
However, the troubles of the tanker did not end there. For a long time, Kolobanov was refused to be believed when he talked about the famous battle and the number of tanks destroyed by his crew. There were cases when from the hall, having heard about the number of destroyed tanks, ironic laughter was heard: "They say, lie to a veteran, but know when to stop!"
Once Kolobanov asked to speak at a military-historical conference held in the Minsk House of Officers. He spoke about the role of tank units in a defensive battle, referred to his own example and spoke about the battle near Voiskovitsy. One of the speakers, sarcastically chuckling, said that this was not and could not be! Then, barely restraining his excitement, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich handed over to the presidium a yellowed sheet of a front-line newspaper. The general in charge of the conference quickly skimmed through the text, called the speaker to him and ordered:
- Read aloud for the whole room to hear!
In 1995, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich Kolobanov died. The hero was never returned to him.

Well, that's actually the whole story. She is gradually becoming more and more famous. Here, for example, it is painted in a very artistic and detailed view, in particular, the capture and eating of a goose on the night before the battle (the animal was boiled in a bucket) is not forgotten. Here are also verses written about the feat of the Kolobanovites in fresh pursuit. The verses are beautiful, but the situation is described completely incorrectly: it turns out that his tank drove in the middle of the column and swept everyone away in direct combat. A street in St. Petersburg, as well as in Voiskovitsy, was recently named after Kolobanov. A monument was erected at the battle site: the IS-2 tank (according to some sources in 1983, according to others in 2008). This is not that tank, but still a real tank, a good one. On such Kolobanov rode at the end of the war.

What needs to be done for justice to prevail? And the man was disciplined and responsible, a real fighter and commander. He did not drink, did not violate discipline, lived according to the Charter, served conscientiously, did not steal wine from trains, did not fight and did not bully the special officers, as the ever-memorable German tanker did. And he also did not ignore the orders of his superiors, did not stay with women contrary to the orders of the command, did not fight military stupidity in radically scandalous ways, like Marinesko. What is all this for him? Somehow it all went wrong.

About the heroic battle near Voiskovitsy, the poet Alexander Gitovich wrote the poem "Tankman Zinovy ​​​​Kolobanov" (dated September 26, 1941). An excerpt from the poem:
It all went like this:
In harsh silence
There is a heavy tank,
Disguised in the woods
Enemies are crowding
iron idols,
But takes the fight
Zinovy ​​Kolobanov.
And through the roar breaks
The world looks down on the plain
Where is the senior lieutenant
He took the car to battle.
He hits enemies in a row
Like an epic hero,
Around him lie
wrecked cars,
Already there are twenty-two
Like a storm swept away
They lie in the grass
Pieces of metal...

In the song of the 1st Red Banner Tank Division there are words about Z. G. Kolobanov and F. M. Dudko:
And in a furious hour, when it's not easy for us,
We take an oath unceasingly:
- We swear! -
We will be like Fedor Dudko,
Such as was Kolobanov!

In computer game world of Tanks (“World of Tanks”), one of the awards bears the name of this Soviet tanker - the “Kolobanov Medal”. Awarded to a player who single-handedly won a victory against five or more enemy tanks and self-propelled guns. By the middle of 2012, over thirty million players from all over the world recognized the name "Kolobanov".

On September 10, 2010, in Minsk, as part of the ceremonial events on the occasion of the Day of the Tanker, the song “Zinovy” by the People’s Artist of the USSR, composer I. Luchenok and poet I. Titovets, dedicated to the feat of Z. G. Kolobanov, was played for the first time in the Central House of Officers. The book of the Belarusian entrepreneur V. G. Monich “On the Eternal and the Present” (2008) is also dedicated to him.

According to the data of all known wartime documents, on August 20, 1941 (according to post-war publications - August 19, 1941), during the Kingisepp-Luga defensive operation, the crew of his KV-1 tank in one battle in the area of ​​​​the strategic transport hub Voyskovitsy-Krasnogvardeisk (now Gatchina) knocked out from an ambush of 22 enemy tanks in a column, and the whole company of Z. G. Kolobanov, together with the cadets of the border school and the militias of Leningrad, that day 43 German tanks from the 1st Panzer Division, 6th Panzer Division and 8th tank division, which carried out a change of positions on August 20, 1941 during the attack on Leningrad.

Biography

He was born on December 12 (25), 1910 (1912 is indicated in the passport and other documents), in the village of Arefino, Murom district, Vladimir province (now in the Vachsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region). At the age of ten, he lost his father, who died during the Civil War. In addition to Zinovy, the mother single-handedly raised two more children. When the children grew up, the family moved to permanent residence in the village of Bolshoe Zagarino, where a collective farm was organized at that time. 19-year-old Zinovy ​​actively participated in its organization.

After graduating from eight classes of secondary school, he studied at the Gorky Industrial College.

On February 16, 1933, from the third year of the technical school, he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army. Cadet of the regimental school at the 49th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division. In May 1936 he graduated from the Oryol Armored School named after M. V. Frunze, was awarded the rank of lieutenant. After graduating from college, as an excellent student who had the right to choose a place of service, he chose Leningrad, "which he loved in absentia." He served in the Leningrad Military District as a tank commander of the 3rd separate tank battalion of the 2nd tank brigade.

From October 1937 to 1938 he studied at the advanced training courses for command personnel, after which he served as assistant commander of the ammunition supply of the 210th rifle regiment of the 70th rifle division (04/23/1938), platoon commander of the 6th separate tank brigade (07/31/1938) and then commander of a tank company (11/16/1938). Five days before the start of the Soviet-Finnish war on November 25, 1939, Z. G. Kolobanov was appointed commander of a tank company of the 1st light tank brigade on the Karelian Isthmus.

On the Karelian Isthmus

Participated in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. Passed from the border to Vyborg, burned three times. Krasnaya Zvezda journalist A. Pinchuk also published information that Kolobanov allegedly became a Hero of the Soviet Union for breaking through the Mannerheim Line (in early March 1940 he received the Gold Star and the Order of Lenin) and he was awarded the extraordinary rank of captain. But for the fraternization of his subordinates with the Finnish military after the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 12, 1940, he was deprived of both the title and the award. However, there is no information confirming that Z. G. Kolobanov received the title of Hero - before the beginning of March 1940, six Decrees were issued on conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for Soviet-Finnish war- 01/15/1940, 01/19/1940, 01/26/1940, 02/3/1940, 02/05/1940 and 02/07/1940 (each of these decrees was published in the Vedomosti of the USSR Armed Forces, and the next day in the newspapers Izvestia, Pravda ” and “Red Star”), none of them contained the name of Z. G. Kolobanov, as a result of which the information of A. Pinchuk should be considered untrue.

During the interwar years

Immediately after the war, on March 17, 1940, Z. G. Kolobanov was appointed assistant commander of the 52nd tank reserve company for combat units (1st light tank brigade), and after another 5 days he was transferred to the Kyiv military district (Starokonstantinov, Ukraine) .

During the Great Patriotic War

Member of the Great Patriotic War since July 3, 1941. Transferred to the Northern Front as a company commander of KV-1 heavy tanks, 1st Tank Regiment, 1st Tank Division. According to A. Pinchuk, a journalist from Krasnaya Zvezda, Z. G. Kolobanov got into the 1st Panzer Division from the reserve. According to Z. G. Kolobanov, “since I already had combat experience - I went through the entire Finnish one and burned three times in a tank, they gave me a “starley” and was appointed company commander.

On August 8, 1941, the German Army Group North launched an attack on Leningrad. According to the memoirs of V.I. Baranov, the former commander of the 1st Panzer Division:

On August 14, units of the 41st motorized corps from the 4th tank group captured a bridgehead on the river. Meadows near the village of Ivanovskoye. In the battle near Ivanovsky, Z. G. Kolobanov managed to distinguish himself - his crew destroyed an enemy tank and gun.

The crew of the KV-1 tank in battle on August 20, 1941 near the state farm (manor) of the Troops in the Krasnogvardeisky now Gatchinsky district of the Leningrad region: tank commander - senior lieutenant Kolobanov Zinovy ​​Grigorievich, gun commander senior sergeant Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, senior mechanic-driver foreman Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, junior driver-mechanic Red Army soldier Nikolai Feoktistovich Rodnikov and gunner-radio operator senior sergeant Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov.

August 19, 1941) after heavy fighting near Moloskovitsy, Z. G. Kolobanov arrived in the 1st battalion of the 1st regiment of the 1st tank division. The division was replenished with new KV-1 tanks with crews that arrived from Leningrad. The commander of the 3rd tank company of the 1st tank battalion, senior lieutenant Z. G. Kolobanov, was summoned to the division commander, General V. I. Baranov, from whom he personally received an order to cover three roads leading to Krasnogvardeysk (now the city of Gatchina) from Luga , Volosovo and Kingisepp (through the Tallinn Highway): "Block them and stand to the death!"

On the same day, a company of Z. G. Kolobanov of five KV-1 tanks advanced towards the advancing enemy. It was important not to miss the German tanks, so each tank was loaded with two armor-piercing shells and a minimum number of high-explosive fragmentation shells.

According to O. Skvortsov's research, the events unfolded as follows. Assessing the likely paths of movement of German troops, Z. G. Kolobanov sent two tanks to the Luga road, two to the Kingisepp road, and he himself took up a position on the seaside road. The place for a tank ambush was chosen in such a way as to cover two possible directions at once: the enemy could enter the road to Marienburg along the road from Voiskovits, or along the road from Syaskelevo. Therefore, the caponier KV-1 No. 864 of Senior Lieutenant Z. G. Kolobanov was dug just 300 meters opposite the T-shaped intersection (“Landmark No. 2”) in such a way as to fire “head on” if the tanks go along the first route . On both sides of the road there was a swampy meadow, which made it difficult for German armored vehicles to maneuver.

The next day, August 20, 1941, in the afternoon, the crews of Lieutenant M. I. Evdokimenko and Second Lieutenant I. A. Degtyar were the first to meet the German tank column on the Luga Highway, chalking up five enemy tanks and three armored personnel carriers. Then, at about 14:00, after an unsuccessful aerial reconnaissance, German reconnaissance motorcyclists proceeded along the seaside road to the Voiskovitsy state farm, which the crew of Z. G. Kolobanov let through without hindrance, waiting for the main enemy forces to approach. Light tanks (presumably Pz.Kpfw.35(t)) of the German 6th Panzer Division (other sources also refer to the 1st or 8th Panzer Divisions) moved in the column.

After waiting until the head tank of the column caught up with two birches on the road (“Landmark No. 1”), Z. G. Kolobanov ordered: “Landmark first, on the head, direct shot under the cross, armor-piercing - fire!”. After the first shots of the gun commander Usov A.M., a former professional artillery instructor, a participant in the war in Poland and Finland, three leading German tanks caught fire, blocking the road. Then Usov transferred the fire to the tail, and then to the center of the column ("Landmark No. 2"), thereby depriving the enemy of the opportunity to withdraw back or towards the Troops. A crush formed on the road: cars, continuing to move, bumped into each other, drove into ditches and fell into a swamp. Ammunition began to burst in the burning tanks. Apparently, only a few German tankers tried to return fire. In 30 minutes of battle, the crew of Z. G. Kolobanov knocked out all 22 tanks in the convoy. Of the double ammunition load, 98 armor-piercing rounds were used up.

Pavel Maisky, a correspondent for the Izvestia newspaper, came to the battlefield together with the authorities, who filmed the crew of Z. G. Kolobanov and a panorama of burning cars. In the surviving photograph, taken immediately after the battle, the crew does not even look tired.

By order of the commander

On August 19, 1941, Zinovy ​​Grigorievich received an order to cover 3 roads leading to the city of Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina). After analyzing the terrain, Kolobanov sent 2 tanks to an ambush on the Luga road, two on the Kingesepp road, and he himself remained to guard the coastal direction. Kolobanov took up a position opposite the T-junction. A special trench was dug for the tank, which was perfectly camouflaged. As a result, German intelligence on motorcycles did not notice the camouflaged tank. A reserve position was also prepared. The place for the ambush was chosen very well. There were swampy fields on both sides of the road, which made it difficult for German vehicles to maneuver. Arrived, for support, the commander placed in a nearby forest so that she would not fall under tank fire.

The next day, 22 German Pz.Kpfw III tanks appeared on the horizon. Kolobanov let the tanks in as close as possible and gave the order to open fire on the lead tanks under the cross.

Accurate shots of the commander of the gun - Andrey Mikhailovich Usov, 2 lead tanks were knocked out. Confusion arose in the ranks of the enemy. Tanks began to bump into each other. And after the 2 closing tanks were knocked out, the German column ended up in a trap. At first, the Germans, not seeing their enemy, opened indiscriminate fire on the haystacks, mistaking them for camouflaged tanks. But having determined the source of the fire, they began to intensively fire at Kolobanov's tank. Although the advancing Nazis had a numerical superiority, their armor-piercing shells of 37 caliber bounced off the reinforced kv-1 armor, while greatly stunning the Soviets. The tank withstood about 156 hits. The Germans tried to turn off the road into the field, but began to get stuck in the swampy area. The crew of the tank methodically destroyed all the German tanks, but then the enemy rolled anti-tank guns into position.

A shell from one of them shot down the tank's periscope. Then the gunner-radio operator of the tank - Pavel Ivanovich Kiselkov climbed onto the tank, and under heavy fire replaced the device. After another hit by an anti-tank gun, the tank's turret jammed. But the chief mechanic driver - Nikolai Ivanovich Nikiforov, with skillful maneuvers of the tank, ensured the accurate aiming of the gun at the remaining German equipment. As a result, the entire enemy column was completely destroyed.

After this battle, the entire crew was presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but, for unknown reasons, the fighters received more modest awards: Kolobanov Z.G., Nikiforov N.I. were awarded orders, Usov A.M. was awarded the Order of Lenin and Kiselkov P.I. received a medal.

Zinovy ​​Georgievich Kolobanov died on August 8, 1994, without waiting for the Hero's star for his outstanding feat. In St. Petersburg, an action was launched to collect signatures under a petition to the president to award Kolobanov Z.G. the title of Hero (posthumously). Already collected 102,000 signatures. As many people as possible should say their firm "yes", and then the historical injustice will be corrected. The hero will receive his reward, albeit posthumously. But then we can say with confidence: "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten."