Spring, Fedor Karpovich

He was born on February 28, 1922 in the village of Feski, now Zolochevsky District, Kharkov Region, in a peasant family. Ukrainian . He graduated from the school of veterinarians in the city of Raisins . He worked by profession in his native village.

In 1940, he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army by the Dergachevsky RVK of the Kharkov region. He served as a gunner in the 159th Infantry Division of the Kiev Special Military District (KOVO).

In the battles of World War II from June 22, 1941. He was a gunner and commander of artillery crew. He fought on the South-Western , Western , Bryansk , Central , Belorussian , 1st Belorussian , 3rd and 1st Baltic, again 1st Belorussian fronts. In battles 1 time wounded.

He participated in the border battle in the area of Yavorov , Lviv , Ternopol , in the Moscow battle , including in the defense of Tula , in the liberation of Kaluga , in battles near Sukhinichi , on the Vytebet river and in the Bolkhov direction, in the Battle of Kursk , including of the city of Bolkhov , in crossing the Dnieper with the conquest of the bridgehead in the village of Lubech, Chernihiv region , in the Kalinkovich-Mozyr operation , in battles in Polesie on the Pripyat River , in the Belarusian operation , including the liberation of the cities of Pinsk , Kobrin , Brest , In battles in Latvia for the city igulda , Riga , Seda , Vaiņode in the Vistula-Oder operation , including the breakthrough of enemy defenses on Magnushevskom bridgehead and the liberation of the cities Żyrardów , Kutno , Gniezno , Schneidemuhl (Saw), in battles on the river Drage ( Drava ) in the East The Pomeranian operation and battles for the cities of Stargard ( Stargard-Szczecinski ), Altdamm, in the Berlin operation , including forcing the Oder River, the Hohenzollern Canal and battles in the cities of Neu-Glitzen, Neuruppin , Eberswalde , Wittenberg with access to the Elbe River.

On April 17, 1945, the gun commander of the 31st Guards Artillery Regiment of the Guard, Senior Sergeant F.K. Yarovoy distinguished himself when crossing the Oder River in the area of ​​the village of Neu-Glitzen north of the city of Writsen in Germany. It was his 76-millimeter divisional cannon that was the first Soviet gun to open fire behind the Oder in the offensive section of the 12th Guards Rifle Division.

Having loaded the gun, ammunition and horses onto the makeshift raft, the artillery crew of F.K. Yarovoy on oars crossed the stormy Oder. In the middle of the river, one of the boats supporting the raft was damaged by shell splinters. The situation has become threatening. But the guard senior sergeant F.K. Yarovoy was not at a loss. The holes in the boat were liquidated, and after a few minutes the raft moored to the shore.

Acting clearly and confidently, the soldiers quickly set the gun on direct fire. The cannon fire greatly helped the units of the 37th Guards Rifle Regiment, which were the first in the division to cross the Oder. Only on the first day of the battle, the calculation of F.K. Yarovoy participated in repelling nine enemy counterattacks. The guards destroyed the enemy cannon, knocked out the tank and incapacitated about 30 Nazi soldiers and officers.

The fighting was especially fierce on April 18, 1945. The 2nd battalion of the 37th Guards Kobrin Rifle Regiment withstood that day seven fierce counterattacks of the Nazis. But the Nazis did not accept. They launched a tank counterattack. Then again the "talking" gun of F. K. Yarovoy. From the continuous firing of the gun barrel heated up. At a critical moment in the battle, the guardsmen of F.K. Yarovoy fired on themselves.

On the third day of the battle, during one of the fierce counterattacks of the enemy’s tanks near the village of Gabov, the weapon of F.K. Yarovoy was defeated. However, the calculation commander continued to fight. With a German panzer-faust grenade, he knocked out an enemy self-propelled gun, and then, along with the shooters, began to mow the Nazis with a machine gun.

Then the fearless gunner repelled the last attacks of Hitler’s tanks near the city of Neuruppin, crossed the Hohenzollern Canal, and on May 2, 1945, together with parts of the famous 12th Guards Pinsk Red Banner and the Order of the Suvorov Rifle Division, went to Elba. Here he, along with his fellow soldiers, met the long-awaited Victory Day.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 31, 1945, for the successful crossing of the Oder River and the courage and heroism of the guard shown, Senior Sergeant Fedor Karpovich Yarov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star medal (No. 6863).

After the end of World War II, he continued to serve in the army. Member of the CPSU since 1958. Since 1975, Warrant Officer F.K. Spring is in stock. He lived in Kharkov, worked in the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Died June 20, 1992.

• Gold Star Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union;
• Order of Lenin ;
• two orders of World War I degree ;
• Order of the Patriotic War II degree ;
• Order of the Red Star ;
• medals.

• He was buried in Kharkov at cemetery No. 2.

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1988. - T. 2 / Love - Yashchuk /. - 863 s. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-203-00536-2 .

Spring, Fedor Karpovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ". (Retrieved August 14, 2011)