Mikhail Iosevich Miroshnik joined
the Red Army shortly after his seventeenth birthday, first enlisting, then
receiving a commission in the Artillery.
His first taste of combat was in
September 1942, while serving as an Anti-Tank Platoon Commander with the 57th
Guards Rifle Regiment, 20th Guards Rifle Division. Their assignment was to push
back the German defenders of Rzhev, which they took after numerous losses in
December 1942.
After six months of combat, the
Division was sent to STAVKA reserves, but was soon moved to the Southwestern
Front, fighting under the command of the 6th Army, in their operations during
the battle of Kursk in July.
By the Fall 1943, the Division had
been transferred over to the 46th Army, where they assaulted the Dnepr River in
September, and followed that with the Krivoi Rog offensive in October.
During the battles for Krivoi Rog,
Lieutenant Miroshnik was awarded his first decoration, the Order of the Red
Star:
"On
23 October 1943, upon receiving orders of the Commander, Comrade Miroshnik, with
his antitank guns, moved his guns by hand to a distance of 50 meters from the
enemy’s defensive lines, directly targeting and destroying up to 30 enemy
soldiers and officers, which made it possible for our infantry to advance
unhindered. For the whole battle,
the guns followed the military infantry units and with their fire helped our
infantry move ahead. Skillful
maneuvering and correct choices in the fire positions for the guns always
assisted the successful repulsion of enemy counterattacks.
For correctly managing and displaying courage, Comrade Miroshnik deserves
the State Award of the Order of the Red Star."
For
their actions in the liberation of Krivoi Rog, the Division received the
honorary title "Krivorozhkaya".
The
Division fought at Galati in August 1944, and then took part in the Iasi
Kishinev Operation, which pushed the German "Army Group South", and
particularly the German 6th Army across the Bug, then the Dnestr rivers, forcing
them to the Romanian border. This caused the Romanians to overthrow their
pro-Nazi government, and side with the Soviet forces, crushing the battered
veterans of Stalingrad, the German 6th Army.
It
was during this operation that Lieutenant Miroshnik was wounded, as well as
received his second decoration, the order of the Patriotic War, First Class,
with the following citation:
"During the breaking of the
enemy’s defensive lines on the right bank of the Dneistr River on 20 March
1944, his battery damaged 1 tank, destroyed 2 DZOTs, 1 gun and more then 20
German soldiers and officers.
"On 23 March 1944, his
battery damaged an armored transport, an armored car and killed more then 30
German soldiers and officers.
"On 26 March 1944, the
battery damaged 1 armored transport, 1 automobile, and killed up to 20 German
soldiers and officers.
"He
deserves the State Award of the Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st
Class."
At
the end of 1944, the unit was transferred under the command of the 57th Army,
pushing through Hungary. It was here he was awarded his final decoration
of the War, the Order of Aleksandr Nevsky:
"In battle with the German
Fascist Invaders during the liberation of the villages of Manish,
Khertses-Tetesh, Boryad, _____ ibrit, Comrade Miroshnik displayed exceptional
skill in managing fire on the battlefield.
Thanks to the skillful management of the battery on the field of battle,
and the correct placement of fire on the battlefield, the battery of comrade
Miroshnik killed up to 60 German soldiers and officers, damaged 1 armored
transport, destroyed 1 automobile and 2 vehicles with ammunition.
"Comrade
Miroshnik deserves the State Award of the Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st
Class."
The
57th Army continued it's push through Hungary, northern Yugoslavia, and finally
ended the War in southern Austria.
However,
his service did not end there. Shortly after the War, he joined the KGB,
maintaining his Army rank of Senior Lieutenant, until the early 1960's, when he
was promoted to Captain in the KGB. It is believed that he served in the
KGB until his retirement in the 1970's.
Additional
photos of Miroshnik's Group
