Sokolov, Afrik Fedorovich

Born on March 11, 1917 in the village of Yuzha (since 1925 - the city) of the modern Ivanovo region ) in the family of an employee, accountant. Russian. Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1942 . Early left without a father. After graduating from grade 7, he went to work as a repairman of spinning machines in a factory. Then he entered the Suzdal College of Agricultural Mechanization.

In 1935, he volunteered for the Red Army . In 1938 he graduated from the Krasnodar Artillery School. The young officer Sokolov commanded first a platoon, then a battery. He participated in the liberation campaign of Soviet troops in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in 1939 .

Member of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941 . Senior Lieutenant Sokolov received baptism of fire on the third day of the war near the city of Dubno, in Western Ukraine. While in the artillery reconnaissance, at the forefront, he spotted enemy targets, prepared the initial data, transferred them to artillery positions. Soon he was appointed chief of intelligence of the artillery regiment. During the defense of the city of Kiev was sent to the Dnieper flotilla to control the fire of artillery guns of ships on the advancing enemy. Retreated with battles to the Volga.

During the battles for Stalingrad, Captain Sokolov was already the chief of staff of the 397th anti-tank regiment of the 62nd Army. The line that defended the regiment became an insurmountable barrier, about which all enemy attacks crashed. Winding along the streets, the tractors went into open positions, and the guns opened sudden fire. Captain Sokolov more than once stood up to the guns, on his account there were several burned Nazi tanks. For courage and courage in the battle to defend the city on the Volga and for participating in the defeat of the encircled German group, Captain Sokolov was awarded the Order of the Red Star and World War II . And the regiment became a guard.

After the Battle of Stalingrad, Sokolov was appointed chief of staff of the artillery brigade of the breakthrough division of the High Command reserve. He fought on the Volkhov, Bryansk, Voronezh, 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts. He defeated the Germans as the commander of the 1430th artillery regiment as part of the 1st Guards Tank Army, General Katukov, who always allocated his regiment to the front line of the army to pursue and defeat the retreating enemy in its rear.

When crossing the Oder River , the regiment’s warriors, at hand, inflatable boats and ferries, overnight covered the other side, seized the bridgehead and held it for three days, ensuring the crossing of other parts of the army.

Lt. Col. Sokolov distinguished himself in the battle for Berlin . The regiment provided fire for the advance of the tank and rifle units, well-aimed fire destroyed the train. The commander, being in the battle formations of the units, organized a clear interaction with the tanks.

On April 28, 1945, in the battle for the bridge over the Landver Canal, he replaced a gunner who was out of order and destroyed an enemy tank buried in the ground, blocking the way for assault groups. In a hot fight, he was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield until the enemy was knocked out of the buildings adjacent to the canal and the bridge passed into our hands. The regiment participated in the assault on the Reich Chancellery and the Reichstag . For several days, Sokolov’s gunners did not leave their guns. Two blocks from the Reichstag, the lieutenant colonel was again seriously wounded, lost consciousness. Woke up only in the hospital on the fourth day.

In 1951 he graduated from the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze. He was the head of the military department of the mining and metallurgical institute in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz ). Since 1968, Colonel Sokolov - in stock. He lived in Kiev .

He died on July 16, 1977 . He was buried at the Lukyanovsky military cemetery in Kiev .

• By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 31, 1945, for the exemplary fulfillment of command assignments and for the courage and heroism shown in battles with Nazi invaders, Lieutenant Colonel Sokolov Afrik Fedorovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 7561) .
• He was awarded the Order of Lenin , three orders of the Red Banner , the Order of the Patriotic War of 2 degrees , two orders of the Red Star , and medals.

Sokolov, African Fedorovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ".

• Heroes of the Soviet Union, Ivanovo region (inaccessible link) .
• African Fedorovich Sokolov. "Ivanovo remembers . "