Grankin, Ivan Ivanovich

Early years

Born on January 21, 1924 in the village of Mikhailo-Ovsyanka of the Pugachev district of the Samara province ^[1] . In 1939 he graduated from 8 classes of school in the village of Pestravka , in 1939-1940 he studied at the school of trade schools in the city of Kuibyshev (now Samara ). In 1940–1942, he worked as a surveyor, a stableman and a hammerman on the collective farm named after KE Voroshilov ( Pestravsky district ) ^[2] .

On the fronts of World War II

In the Red Army from August 7, 1942 ^[3] . In April 1943 he graduated from the Syzran Tank School ^[4] , until August 1943 he served as a commander of a training platoon ^[2] .

The participant of the Great Patriotic War : in August-October 1943 - the commander of the T-70 tank of a separate tank regiment ( Bryansk Front ), in October-November 1943 - the commander of the T-34 tank of the 108th Tank Brigade ( Belorussian Front ). He participated in the Bryansk and Gomel-Rechitsa operations ^[2] .

Until May 1944, he served in the 108th tank brigade , which was in reserve, in May-June 1944 - in the 2nd reserve tank regiment ( Nizhny Tagil city, Sverdlovsk region) ^[2] .

In June 1944 - May 1945 - commander of the T-34 tank, platoon commander and company commander of the 308th (from November 1944 - 2nd) tank battalion of the 107th (from November 1944 - 49th Guards) tank tank ( 1 Belarusian Front ) ^[2] .

On August 22, 1944, during the attack on the fortified point of the enemy, the tank crews of the platoon commander, Lieutenant I. I. Grankin, destroyed two guns, three mortars, 6 machine guns and up to 25 soldiers and officers of the enemy. At the same time, two tanks hit the minefield and were blown up by mines, after which the enemy’s artillery and mortar fire fell on them. Not confused, I. I. Grankin took one of the vehicles to the shelter, and the crew of the crew restored the second broken tank, after which he was evacuated. For this episode, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (September 1, 1944 ^[5] ).

He participated in the Lublin-Brest operation , battles on the Magnushevsky bridgehead , Warsaw-Poznan , East Pomeranian and Berlin operations. On February 5, 1945, he was wounded in the leg and got burned ^[2] .

Especially distinguished during the Warsaw-Poznan operation . On January 20, 1945, the first to burst into the city of Radzejów ( Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship , Poland ), overcoming two anti-tank ditches, as well as mine and wire barriers. When approaching the anti-tank ditch, he skillfully chose the approach and sent a platoon across the moat. During this battle, a platoon under his command destroyed 6 anti-tank guns, a mortar battery, 5 vehicles with cargo, 6 bunkers and up to 50 enemy soldiers and officers ^[2] .

For courage and heroism shown in battles, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 27, 1945, Guards Senior Lieutenant ^[6] Gran Ivan Ivanovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal ^[2] . The same decree for the liberation of the city of Radzejów was given a high rank by the commander of a tank company of guards junior lieutenant ^[7] A. I. Shumilov .

In the period from April 16 to 25, 1945, the company of T-34 tanks of the 2nd Tank Battalion of the 49th Guards Tank Brigade of Guards Senior Lieutenant I.I. Grankin destroyed 5 in the battles for the settlements of Ilov, Predikov , Pretzel , tanks, 13 guns of different caliber, 9 mortars, 27 machine guns, 8 cars, 19 points with faust cartridges and up to 90 soldiers and officers of the enemy. He was introduced by the commander of the 2nd Tank Battalion, Senior Lieutenant Snarsky to the Order of the Red Banner, but was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree (May 19, 1945) ^[3] .

Post-war years

After the war, until 1951, he served as commander of tank companies (in the Northern Group of Forces in Poland and the Moscow Military District ). In 1949 he graduated from the Moscow Integrated District Advanced Training Courses for officers, in 1956 - the Military Academy of Armored Forces . He served as commander of a tank battalion (in the Trans-Baikal Military District ). In 1957-1958 - officer of the operational department of the headquarters of the Trans-Baikal Military District . Then he again served as commander of a tank battalion (in the Siberian Military District ) ^[2] .

Since 1961 - a teacher of tactics, and in 1963-1969 - the commander of the battalion of cadets of the Omsk tank technical school . In 1969-1976 - Head of the educational department of the military department of the Omsk Polytechnic Institute , in 1976-1979 - Head of the cycle of combined-arms training - Senior Lecturer of the Military Department of the Moscow Institute of Agricultural Production Engineers . Since August 1979, Colonel I. I. Grankin has been in reserve ^[2] .

In 1981-1983 he worked as a leading engineer of the economic management of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the RSFSR ^[2] .

He lived in Moscow. He died on January 1, 1994 . He was buried at the Khovansky cemetery in Moscow ^[2] .

Soviet state awards and titles ^[2] :

• Hero of the Soviet Union (February 27, 1945 ^[8] );
• the Order of Lenin (February 27, 1945 ^[8] );
• Order of the Patriotic War, I degree (March 11, 1985);
• Order of the Patriotic War, II degree (May 19, 1945 ^[3] );
• Order of the Red Star (September 1, 1944 ^[5] );
• medals, including:
  • medal "For Military Merit" (October 26, 1955).

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. College I. Shkadov . - Moscow : Military Publishing , 1987. - T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 s. - 100 000 copies - ISBN SEC., Reg. Number in the PSC 87-95382.
• Vorobiev V.P., Efimov N.V. Heroes of the Soviet Union: Ref. - SPb. , 2010.
• Moscow necropolis of Heroes. Volume 1. M. , 2011.

• Grankin, Ivan Ivanovich (Rus.) . The site " Heroes of the country ."
• Stepanov A. D. Solid Facets of Ivan Grankin (Neopr.) . International Province. Literary almanac. The appeal date is July 3, 2014.