Vasily Yakovlevich Storozhenko (April 4, 1918 - March 10, 1991) is a highly decorated (bemedaled 13 times) top gun of the Soviet Armored Forces. He became a part of history of the Great Patriotic War as a topnotcher who killed 29 enemy’s main battle tanks in the course of the Battle of Kursk in 1943.
Storozhenko is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. He was then a gunner in the T-28 (middle-weight tank) crew under the command of Alexander Fedorovich Burda. Burda was a recognized expert in tank-duels and Lt.-Colonel as of start of the war.
On July 7, 1943, Storozhenko’s company was on a mission. The tactical unit was lying in an ambush in the vicinity of Syrtsov (Penka) and Lukhanino (Yakovlevo District in Belgorod region). The enemy engaged some 250 tanks there, including those of Wehrmacht elite combat troops, the Großdeutschland Mechanized Division also known as ‘Panzergrenadierkorps “.
Storozhenko mentioned those days in his recollections. In the morning of July 7, the German tanks, without reconnaissance in force, moved out towards the positions of the Soviet 2nd tank company which was neighboring Vasily”s company. Storozhenko had to deploy his tanks in a defensive formation to support the neighboring company. His men gunned down 36 German tanks in a flank counter-attack. The commendation list said the Soviet men of armor had destroyed ten enemy tanks, two of which were knocked out and one burnt down by Vasily”s tank crew.
A day later, in an action which lasted from July 8 to 9, two tank companies were engaged, and on July 10, under the order from the command, Vasily”s company was redeployed to the village of Verkhopenye. 180 enemy tanks were forcing a breakthrough there at one blow. Ten battle tanks of Storozhenko”s tactical unit were facing the attack.
In an uphill battle, the artillery and the “Katyusha” Guards mortar crews (truck-mounted multi-barreled rocket launchers) were standing by them in holding out against the attacker. In the course of the fight, Vasily’s crew used up their ammunition. The tank was knocked out by the enemy and blown up later by the crew.
During the period of July 7 to 10, Vasily’s crew destroyed 15 enemy attacks. Upon completion of the Battle of Kursk, the German tanks score destroyed by the crew amounted to 29. Vasily himself always said that in fact there were only 26. Along the way, he escaped burning tanks 6 times. His fellow soldiers called him an “iron company” commander.
He always set the example for his fellow soldiers. He had an ace-high reputation among his men. He never left his battalion’s combat formation and he commanded missions ordered by his superiors fiercely, foolhardily and fearlessly.
After the war, the hero settled in the country near Kursk, in the village of Ivnya, where he was in charge of the local social safety net. He died there on March 10, 1991.
Storozhenko is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. He was then a gunner in the T-28 (middle-weight tank) crew under the command of Alexander Fedorovich Burda. Burda was a recognized expert in tank-duels and Lt.-Colonel as of start of the war.
On July 7, 1943, Storozhenko’s company was on a mission. The tactical unit was lying in an ambush in the vicinity of Syrtsov (Penka) and Lukhanino (Yakovlevo District in Belgorod region). The enemy engaged some 250 tanks there, including those of Wehrmacht elite combat troops, the Großdeutschland Mechanized Division also known as ‘Panzergrenadierkorps “.
Storozhenko mentioned those days in his recollections. In the morning of July 7, the German tanks, without reconnaissance in force, moved out towards the positions of the Soviet 2nd tank company which was neighboring Vasily”s company. Storozhenko had to deploy his tanks in a defensive formation to support the neighboring company. His men gunned down 36 German tanks in a flank counter-attack. The commendation list said the Soviet men of armor had destroyed ten enemy tanks, two of which were knocked out and one burnt down by Vasily”s tank crew.
A day later, in an action which lasted from July 8 to 9, two tank companies were engaged, and on July 10, under the order from the command, Vasily”s company was redeployed to the village of Verkhopenye. 180 enemy tanks were forcing a breakthrough there at one blow. Ten battle tanks of Storozhenko”s tactical unit were facing the attack.
In an uphill battle, the artillery and the “Katyusha” Guards mortar crews (truck-mounted multi-barreled rocket launchers) were standing by them in holding out against the attacker. In the course of the fight, Vasily’s crew used up their ammunition. The tank was knocked out by the enemy and blown up later by the crew.
During the period of July 7 to 10, Vasily’s crew destroyed 15 enemy attacks. Upon completion of the Battle of Kursk, the German tanks score destroyed by the crew amounted to 29. Vasily himself always said that in fact there were only 26. Along the way, he escaped burning tanks 6 times. His fellow soldiers called him an “iron company” commander.
He always set the example for his fellow soldiers. He had an ace-high reputation among his men. He never left his battalion’s combat formation and he commanded missions ordered by his superiors fiercely, foolhardily and fearlessly.
After the war, the hero settled in the country near Kursk, in the village of Ivnya, where he was in charge of the local social safety net. He died there on March 10, 1991.
