Heroes aren’t born, they are made. A vivid example of it is a feat by Senior Lieutenant Gagkayev born in 1917. He was one of those who received the Gold Star of the Hero posthumously, many years after the war. For the courage and heroism when fighting at the Kursk Salient he was recommended for a high award only in May 1965.
On May 5, 1943 battery personnel commanded by Gagkayev destroyed 6 enemy tanks and after all the guns were damaged and could not deliver fire they went into hand-to-hand fighting under leadership. In this combat he was fatally wounded.
Alikhan Gagkayev was born in an ordinary Ossetian village of Kadgaron where he got primary school education (six classes). Then he moved to Moscow where he continued studies in the First International Orphanage. From1932 to 1936 he studied at the factory apprenticeship school, worked in Metrostroi (subway construction company), finished workers’ faculty (‘rabfak’) and two courses of the road-transport institute. With a Komsomol (Young Communist League) voucher he went to Leningrad to the 1st Artillery School. Upon completion of the course (ahead of time) he was promoted to lieutenant.
For Alikhan the war began at Beltsy where he took part in his first combat. Then he was retreating along with the army to the cities of Odessa and Nilolayev, was encircled and wounded thrice. He managed to fight his way through to the friendly forces as late as winter, in December 1941. He was thoroughly screened at the NKVD (security service) camp, then was sent to hospital whence he was sent to the front-line again. He participated in battles defending the Don and the North Caucasus.
In the spring 1943, lieutenant Gagkayev was appointed battery commander of the 1008th tank destroyer regiment organic to the 1st tank army of the Voronezh Front. By the time combat operations commenced, the unit consisting of four 76 calibre artillery pieces was deployed near the village of Bykovka. The enemy was superior in strength to our forces, but the Soviet soldiers defended every square foot of land with the greatest courage and commitment.
In the morning of July 5 an armada of tanks and self-propelled gun mounts in the quantity of 35 vehicles supported by infantry launched and attack against the positions occupied by the battery of Senior Lieutenant Gagkayev. While defending our fighting men managed to destroy 6 enemy tanks. As a result of the German attack the battery found itself encircled, our guns were fully destroyed.
The unit led by Alikhan Gagkayev went into a hand-to-hand combat. By the time assistance came up the lieutenant had already been mortally wounded and soon died. He was buried in the common grave at the 624 km of the highway Moscow-Simferopol.
On May 5, 1943 battery personnel commanded by Gagkayev destroyed 6 enemy tanks and after all the guns were damaged and could not deliver fire they went into hand-to-hand fighting under leadership. In this combat he was fatally wounded.
Alikhan Gagkayev was born in an ordinary Ossetian village of Kadgaron where he got primary school education (six classes). Then he moved to Moscow where he continued studies in the First International Orphanage. From1932 to 1936 he studied at the factory apprenticeship school, worked in Metrostroi (subway construction company), finished workers’ faculty (‘rabfak’) and two courses of the road-transport institute. With a Komsomol (Young Communist League) voucher he went to Leningrad to the 1st Artillery School. Upon completion of the course (ahead of time) he was promoted to lieutenant.
For Alikhan the war began at Beltsy where he took part in his first combat. Then he was retreating along with the army to the cities of Odessa and Nilolayev, was encircled and wounded thrice. He managed to fight his way through to the friendly forces as late as winter, in December 1941. He was thoroughly screened at the NKVD (security service) camp, then was sent to hospital whence he was sent to the front-line again. He participated in battles defending the Don and the North Caucasus.
In the spring 1943, lieutenant Gagkayev was appointed battery commander of the 1008th tank destroyer regiment organic to the 1st tank army of the Voronezh Front. By the time combat operations commenced, the unit consisting of four 76 calibre artillery pieces was deployed near the village of Bykovka. The enemy was superior in strength to our forces, but the Soviet soldiers defended every square foot of land with the greatest courage and commitment.
In the morning of July 5 an armada of tanks and self-propelled gun mounts in the quantity of 35 vehicles supported by infantry launched and attack against the positions occupied by the battery of Senior Lieutenant Gagkayev. While defending our fighting men managed to destroy 6 enemy tanks. As a result of the German attack the battery found itself encircled, our guns were fully destroyed.
The unit led by Alikhan Gagkayev went into a hand-to-hand combat. By the time assistance came up the lieutenant had already been mortally wounded and soon died. He was buried in the common grave at the 624 km of the highway Moscow-Simferopol.
