(This excerpt is from a student textbook learning about the Heroes of the War)
He
was born in the village of Arkhangelskoe, Anninskii district, Voronezhskaya
oblast in 1920. Before the Second World War, he worked as a milling-machine
operator at a machinery plant in Podmoskovie.
Sergei
liked his job. The plant was his home, his family and his school. Here he
finished vocational school, strengthened his character, and became an
experienced machine operator. People respected and appreciated him, and set him
as an example for others.
In
the fall of 1940, Shishov was called to the Mitishinskii regional military
district for a physical examination. Sergei was stunned when the doctors
declared him unfit for military service.
“It’s
okay, Sereoja, don’t worry about it” said his best friend, Misha Kozlov.
“Write a report to the Military Commissar. Say that you want to serve in the
Army and ask him to let you take the medical examination again. If he agrees,
the rest is up to me.”
The
Commissar honored his request. But this time, Mikhail went to see the surgeon
with Sergei’s medical card. The mission was a success.
A
couple of days later, Sergei was called up for military service. He and Mikhail
were placed the same unit that was stationed in Luga. Shishov was appointed a
radio operator and Mikhail became a motorcycle rifleman.
During
an exercise in spring 1941, Sergei became ill. He was sent directly to hospital
from the exercise. He had to confess. After a short time in treatment, he was
sent back to the unit with the categorical conclusion: “Sergei Nikolaievich
Shishov is not suited for military service; he should be discharged.”
Sergei
returned to his division on Saturday June 21, and on Sunday, the War started.
The division was alerted to relocate to another district. The platoon leader,
Lieutenant Korolenko, came up to Shishov, who was standing in formation.
“What
am I supposed to do with you?” asked Korolenko.
“You
can dismiss me at any time. But not now when there is war” said Shishov.
At
that time, there was a shortage of radio operators in the Army.
“All
right, get into the car, we’ll look into it after the War” the Lieutenant
said with resignation.
Near
Ostrov, the division had its first taste of battle. The attacking Hitlerites
then pushed the division back to Pskov, then Porkhov, then Dno, Staraya Russa,
Shimsk and finally Novgorod. Here on a rampart, the remnant of the division
stalled the fascists for 4 days. Finally they were pushed back across the
Volkhov River and stopped the Germans on the other bank for the rest of the
year.
By
New Year’s Eve, the command had re-grouped and reorganized the troops. Rifle
Regiment 299 of the 225th Rifle Division took a defensive position in
the Yurievskii monastery area on the eastern shore of the lake Ilmen.
This
part of the front was considered to be comparatively quiet. It was not mentioned
in the Sovinformburo summary of operations, but severe battles were taking place
here also.
While
on the Voilkhovskii front, the Division was tasked with drawing off a
significant amount of the enemy, in order to relieve the situation in besieged
Leningrad.
One
of the actions was particularly costly. After an artillery barrage, Regiment 299
went into attack. The Hitlerite soldiers met the attackers with heavy fire. The
radio communication between battalions was soon destroyed.
Sergei,
who was at the Divisional headquarters, did not know what to think. For two
months, he had been training the battalion’s radio operators and now was
feeling responsible for the lack of communications.
“Let
me find out what the problem is!” he asked the headquarters commander.
Receiving
permission, he ran to command post of the first battalion. The radio operator
had been killed, but the radio was in good order. Shishov immediately contacted
headquarters and reported the situation. The situation there was very bleak. The
Hitlerites had the command post under heavy bombardment.
Not
ten minutes passed before the radio was destroyed by an artillery round
exploding nearby and communication ended.
Under
heavy fire, Sergei crawled to the neighbouring battalion. In one of the shell
craters he saw a regimental officer who had lost a leg.
He gave him first aid and crawled further.
The
situation on the command post of the second battalion was not much better: the
commander had been killed; the radio operator was heavily wounded and
unconscious. The remnant of the battalion had withdrawn their line of defence to
the command post.
Shishov
turned on the radio, established communications with headquarters and reported
the situation. Twilight was approaching. The enemy fire abated. Surviving
soldiers of the battalion were trying to keep close to the radio station.
Medical nurse Tamara Antonova was pulling wounded soldiers out from shell
craters and from the field and moving them to the rear.
“What
shall we do, comrade sergeant? There are few of us left, get in touch with the
headquarters. Report our situation” asked the soldiers.
Sergei
asked the headquarters what to do. Headquarters ordered the surviving soldiers
to hold the defensive line until daybreak.
Shishov
ordered the soldiers to gather the remaining machine guns, rifles and ammunition
and to make a defensive line around the command post.
A
cold, damp and restless night fell. The few surviving soldiers of the second
battalion waited for the German attack. They could hear sounds of music and
drunken voices from the Hitlerite side. Later, the Germans turned on a
searchlight, played several Soviet records through loudspeakers and announced:
“Ivan,
drop your arms and surrender. You have one hour. We won’t be taking prisoners
in the morning…”
Time
passed slowly. At the crack of dawn, the fascists attacked. The small group of
Soviet soldiers met them with heavy machine gun fire and caused the attack to
falter.
The
Germans attacked a second time, but by their continuous fire, they managed to
cause it to fall back as well. During these battles, Shishov kept in continuous
communication with headquarters. He called for artillery fire and skilfully
correcting it, helped to beat off the third attack, and then the fourth and the
fifth…
At
last, they got the order from the headquarters to be relieved from the main line
of defence.
For
his initiative, courage and determination in combat, Sergeant S.N. Shishov was
awarded the medal “For Valor”. The Commander and the Commissar of the
regiment recommended him to the Party. On
the same day he received the medal, he also was given his Party membership card.
In
the summer and fall of 1943, the troops located near Novgorod began preparations
for the big offensive to break the siege around Leningrad. The offensive started
January 14, 1944. In a heavy snow-storm, units of the 225th Rifle
Division crossed on the ice of frozen Lake Ilmen and after a surprise attack,
occupied a beachhead to the south of Novgorod.
In
this battle, senior sergeant Shishov was in the vanguard with the first
battalion. The enemy attacked them several times, but could not stop the valiant
Soviet soldiers.
Near
the village of Vorobievka, Shishov was temporarily shell-shocked, but kept on
executing his duties, providing regular communication with the division’s
headquarters.
The
enemy, suspicious of the Soviet intent to surround them, started removing troops
from Novgorod. A ski battalion barred the enemy’s way and occupied the
Novgorod-Shimsk highway.
The
battle started. Senior sergeant Shishov, working valiantly in the radio station
under murderous enemy fire, provided the headquarters with continuous management
of the forces. On the night of January 20, Soviet troops freed the city.
For
their outstanding valour and courage, the most distinguished divisions were
given the honorary name of Novgorodskii. Among them there was the 225th
Rifle Division.
Thousands
of soldiers were awarded with orders and medals. Senior sergeant Shishov was
awarded with the Order of Glory 3rd Class.
The
offensive was developing successfully. In the second part of July, the division
entered the territory of Soviet Latvia.
The
division commander gave the first battalion the task to penetrate the enemy’s
rear without being detected, and to occupy the railway station ‘Pundury’,
holding it until reinforced the main force of the division. Through intelligence
gathering, an enemy troop-train was scheduled to arrive at the station.
The battalion was ordered to capture and destroy the train.
At
night, the battalion made a 30 kilometre cross-country march, surprised and
quietly overcame the enemy garrison at the rail yard, and took the railway
station. The battalion commander, Captain B.P. Demenyuk ordered a defence to be
set up. The railway conductor at
the station informed them that the enemy’s troop-train was about to arrive.
Soon
they heard the noise of approaching train. The soldiers hid and readied
themselves for the battle. Tension was increasing with every minute. What kind
of train is it? Is it a supply train or troop transport? What kind of escort
does it have? How many people are in the escort? One could hear that it was a
heavy loaded train. What would happen if it is an armoured train?
The
train came into sight, and when it was in position, the soldiers unleashed their
machine guns and destroyed the train. However, ten minutes later, Hitlerites,
numbering up to a regiment, appeared on the edge of the forest near the rail
yard. The enemy’s artillery opened fire.
Shishov
reported the situation to headquarters. The regimental commander ordered him to
tell the battalion commander to hold the station at any price. Captain Demenyuk,
whom Shishov ran to with the report, was heavily wounded. The headquarters
commander, Captain Svirid, took charge.
“Tell
headquarters that without artillery support, we won’t be able to defend our
position much longer,” he ordered Shishov.
Sergei
ran to the basement of the station where the radio was located. His fellow
soldier, private Leonid Reznikov, said that the headquarters was asking for
coordinates for an artillery barrage. Shishov grabbed the microphone.
“Fire
at the station!” he yelled.
“What
about you?” headquarters asked.
“Open
fire now or it will be too late!” repeated Sergei.
The
artillery immediately opened fire. Shells were exploding very close to the
station. The Hitlerites that were in the open had to find cover. Soon,
ground-support aviation came to the aid of the battalion. The enemy faltered
under the intense counterattack and fell back. By noon, the main forces of
regiment reached the station.
The
division was successfully moving forward. In the battle for the village of
Blutis, a group of enemy soldiers managed to penetrate the command post of the
battalion during a strong attack. Shishov left his fellow soldier at the radio
and met the fascists with hand-grenades and machine gun fire. He exterminated
five soldiers and the others retreated.
For
courage and bravery in the battles for the railway station ‘Pundury’ and
other locations, S.N. Shishov was awarded with the Order of Glory Second Class.
During
the beginning of 1945, the 225th Novgorodskaya Rifle Division, in the
ranks of the 1st Ukrainian Front, took part the liberation of Poland,
forged the Oder river near Oppelon and pushed the fascists onto their own home
soil.
The
enemy soldiers put up very strong resistance near Shurgast. The city changed
hands several times. Sergeant Shishov, besides executing his normal duties, had
to take a machine gun and to beat off attacking fascists several times. During
severe battles with the enemy, he exterminated thirteen fascists and took one
soldier prisoner.
For
bravery and courage in the battles Sergei Nikolaievich Shishov, by the decree of
the Presidium of Supreme Council of the USSR, was awarded the Order of Glory
First Class.
Senior
Sergeant Shishov celebrated Victory Day in Prague, the capital of
Czechoslovakia.
Shishov
later took part in the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow in the ranks of a
combined regiment of the 1st Ukrainian Front.
After
the war, Sergei Nikolaevich returned to his profession. He worked as a
milling-machine operator, and was later promoted to team-leader and foreman. He
finished his working career as a senior technical engineer.
Following
his retirement, Sergei Nikolaevich continued his work as a social activist. He
often visited schools, regional military districts and workers. He had much to
tell and teach young people. As a member of the Soviet Committee of War
Veterans, he travelled abroad, met with the veterans of brotherly socialist
countries and with the youth.
“In
the great battle for peace we, old soldiers, did not retreat a step” he would
say. “To fight for peace tirelessly is our soldierly duty to our children,
grandchildren and to the rest of humanity.”
On New Years Eve 1980, he fell suddenly ill and passed away, only a few months shy of the 35th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
His
actual citations:
Order of Glory Third Class:
"During
the period of fighting since 14 January 1944 against the German fascist invaders
for the beachhead on the western bank of Lake Ilmen, Senior Sergeant Shishov has
demonstrated courage and personal bravery.
"Serving
as the chief of radio communications for the 1st Rifle Battalion, he
maintained regular communications between the commander of the Battalion and
commander of the Regiment, despite strong enemy artillery and mortar fire.
He was wounded near the village of Vorobeika, but refused to leave his
post.
"Near
the highway Novgorod-Shimsk, the radio station was twice damaged by shrapnel. He quickly repaired it and re-established communications.
"For his selfless work in maintaining regular radio communications; for his courage and bravery demonstrated in the battles against the German-fascist invaders; Senior Sergeant Shishov deserves the Governmental Award, Order of Glory Third Class."
Order of Glory Second Class:
"In the battles against the German fascist invaders, Comrade Shishov demonstrated personal courage, bravery and heroism. He exhibited his knowledge as a professional radio-operator. Despite all the hardships in combat situations, he has provided regular radio communications between the commanders of the Battalion and the Regiment.
"On 21 July 1944, in the battle for
the station Tunduri, Latviiskaya SSR, his portable radio transmitter was
damaged by a fragment of enemy shrapnel. Comrade Shishov quickly repaired the
damage and re-established communications.
"During
the battle for the village of Lizlusala on 24 July 1944, a shell exploded right
next to the radio transmitter. Shishov
covered the transmitter with his body, saving it from damage.
Shishov himself was covered with falling dirt.
"On
28 July 1944, near the village of Blutis, the enemy was attempting to surround
the command post of the Battalion. When
a group of German soldiers approached the location of the radio transmitter,
Comrade Shishov opened fire at point-blank range with his machine gun.
He exterminated the entire group of five enemy soldiers.
"With his portable radio transmitter, he has followed the Battalion commander everywhere. When the commander was wounded, Comrade Shishov gave him first aid and carried him to the medical post.
"Comrade Shishov deserves the Governmental Award, Order of Glory Second Class."
Order of Glory First Class:
"In the offensive battles against the
Fascist German invaders from 21 January to 10 February 1945, he provided
constant radio communications with the 1st Rifle Battalion.
"He served without interruption at the Battalion’s command post, allowing the commander to successfully manage the battle.
"On 7 February 1945, in the battle for
the city of Shurgast, the enemy attacked the Battalion command post.
Senior Sergeant Shishov personally exterminated thirteen German soldiers
and captured one. He demonstrated
courage and bravery.
"For
providing the Command with excellent radio communications and for demonstrated
courage and bravery, he deserves the Governmental Award, Order of Glory First
Class."
Shishov wore these Glories during the Victory Parade in Red Square as a "Hero Son" of Moscow, and a selected Cavalier from his Front. From the time of their awarding, to his death, they were polished daily.
Additional Photos of Shishov's Awards
