Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha (Russian: Михаил Аверьянович Паникаха)
|
Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha (Russian: Михаил
Аверьянович Паникаха);
was born in 1914 and died on 2
October 1942 (age 28) during the battle for Stalingrad. He was a Red
Army soldier.
He was posthumously awarded the title Hero
of the Soviet Union for
destroying a German tank with two Molotov
cocktails while
on fire during the Battle
of Stalingrad Mikhail Panikakha was born in 1914 in the village of Mogilev in Novomoskovsk Uyezd of Yekaterinoslav Governorate to a peasant family. He received primary education and worked on the farm. In 1939, he was drafted into the Red Army. Panikakha became a sailor in the Pacific Fleet.
In March 1942, Panikahka volunteered for
combat service and was assigned as a soldier in the 883rd Rifle Regiment
of the 193rd Rifle Division of the 62nd
Army.
On 28 September 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad, two regiments of
the division, including the 883rd, crossed the Volga River and took up
positions to the west of the Red October factory. They were attacked by
German troops from the 24th Panzer Division and 71st Infantry Division.
On 2 October, Panikakha, now as acting
commander in the 1st
company of the 883rd Rifle Regiment of the 193rd Rifle Division of the
62nd
Army was helping to repel the German attacks when the German troops sent
in tanks. He had already thrown his grenades and had two Molotov
cocktails left.
Panikakha raised the bottle in order to throw it when a bullet smashed
it, setting him on fire. He then took the remaining bottle, jumped out
of the trench and hit the nearest German tank with the cocktail. The
German tank was then set on fire, causing the other tanks to withdraw.
Panikakha burned alive on the spot
Panikakha was recommended for a Hero of the Soviet Union award by his
regimental commander in November, but was not awarded the title until 5
May 1990, along with the Order of Lenin. On 9 December 1942, he was
awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class for his actions. At the site of Panikakha's death, there is a monument, which was erected on 8 May 1975. The monument was sculptured by R.P. Kharitonov and Yu. Belosov. It is located at the intersection of the Avenue of Metallurgists and Tarachantsev Street.
A street in Volgograd is
named after him. His name is also inscribed on the memorial plaque at
the mass grave on Mamayev
Kurgan.
There is a plaque in both Mogilev village and Dnipropetrovsk. On
16 November 2013, a monument to Panikakha in Dnipropetrovsk was unveiled |
Monument Dnipropetrovsk for Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha
Monument Volograd for Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha
Monument Mogilev for Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha