Captain Pyotr Mikhailovich Leontiev was a true Hero. A veteran of the Finnish War and the battles of Karelskii Neck, Captain Leontiev was in the front lines when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
In 1942, he was serving as the Deputy Divisional Commander, Artillery Regiment RGK 1156, when his unit came under intense attack of the enemy. For his actions, he was awarded the Order of the Great Patriotic War, 1st Class. His citation reads as follows:
"He is a courageous, decisive and strong-willed leader. When storming the village of Nizhnie Derevenki, Captain Leontiev, in an auto car, ahead of the tank units, burst into the village with a small group of scouts armed with machine guns and forced the enemy into a chaotic retreat. In the battle for the village of Borovskoe, Captain Leontiev demonstrated great personal courage and skill in the command his unit.
"On 12 March 1943, two groups of German machine gunners, up to 30 people in total, attacked the village of Borovskoe and surrounded Lt. Samchenko and the three soldiers with him. Captain Leontiev, with Lt. Tyulpin, selected 12 scouts armed with machine guns and planned their attack. They outflanked the enemy, took them by surprise, and exterminated the entire German unit.
"On 13 March 1943, the enemy, numbering up to a battalion, again attacked the village of Borovskoe again. At this point, only our scouts under the command of Captain Leontiev and seven riflemen defended the village. Captain Leontiev skillfully organized the defense and met the enemy with dense artillery fire.
"When our infantry on the right flank began to falter under the superior forces of the enemy, Captain Leontiev told the company’s commander: "If you take one step back, the first volley from the battery will be directed at you!"
"He chose five soldiers, and hurried to assist them. By his presence and direction, they forced the much superior enemy to fall back. Because of Captain Leontiev’s decisive and energetic management of the defense of the village, Borovskoe remained ours. The enemy lost over 200 soldiers and officers in this battle, and 2 enemy artillery batteries were destroyed…"
