Heroes 19/02/20 Wikipediasister Gastello: how to fight the brother of the famous pilot-Gerara
the battalion commander Viktor Frantsevich Gastello was killed during the liberation of Rzhev in September 1942. He had a “reservation” from the call to the front, but still went to fight, wanting to avenge the death of his brother, the legendary pilot who made a fiery battering RAM in the early days of the great Patriotic war, Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gastello.
Why he had “reservations”
Viktor Gastello was 6 years younger than his brother-the pilot (Nikolay Gastello died 26 Jun 1941 at age 34). As recalled by his nephew, the son of the hero of Soviet Union N. Gastello retired Colonel V. Gastello, the first days of the war uncle worked at the Moscow defense plant as a mechanic, had high qualifications and were exempted from conscription on the front.
But as soon as the news of the fatal RAM in Belarus of a bomber crew under the command of N. F. Gastello (about this feat in particular was informed by radio of the Soviet information Bureau), Viktor Gastello query to the front, to avenge my brother. His long, a few months, was not released as a valuable professional worker. Finally in mid-autumn of 1941 V. F. Gastello insisted. Before going to the front Victor made an appeal on the radio, in which he urged the youth to follow his example.
And Viktor Gastello wrote “the Truth”
Victor Frantsevich Gastello got on Kalinin front (the Rzhev direction), was commander of a rifle platoon. For five months was involved in continuous battles, was wounded. He was awarded the rank of second Lieutenant. On the courage of the brother of the famous Soviet pilot was the newspaper “Pravda”, in the article cited a parent orders the son to be the Nazis so they did and killed the brother of Nicholas. First, the main newspaper of the Soviet Union, published and essay about heroism of N. F. Gastello.
in the Summer of 1942 V. F. Gastello graduated from Kalinin in the short terms courses of commanders of battalions and then returned to his unit as commander of a battalion of the 220th infantry division.
How he died
the Last letter to his wife, Anna Viktor Gastello wrote on September 26, 1942, two days before his death. In it he wrote that, too, would like to hurry to see her, but apparently it will happen soon – Rzhev was fierce fighting.
In late September on the outskirts of Rzhev battalion V. Gastello, the first liberated village Dubasovo and rushed to the outskirts of the city. The Soviet infantry suffered heavy losses through continuous day and night attacks, one after the other. In one of these attacks was killed the battalion commander of the V. F. Gastello – according to eyewitnesses, before the raised his unit to attack an officer in a shell burst. Victor Franzevich died on the spot.
the Body of a battalion managed to smuggle in Dubasovo only in the morning – so dense was the shelling of our positions by the Nazis. Buried commander on the outskirts of the village in a separate grave from the cemetery dedicated to dead soldiers of the battalion. A simple monument was written, who here lies.
the Grave was only found after 12 years,
wrote the nephew of V. F. Gastello, a retired career military man, Viktor Gastello, the burial place of the uncle’s relatives managed to find almost by accident – had come to him a “death notice” these details were noted. In 1954, Kalinin (now Tver) the unit commander of the sappers razminirovanie the area of the village Rybalova, said Viktor Gastello, he saw there the monument with the same as his, name. The officer pointed out the burial place on the map. Soon, the son of W. F. Gastello Leo came to my father’s grave.
Subsequently, the remains of the battalion were reburied and over the grave of installed capital granite monument. In the 90-ies near the village of Kokoshkino of Rzhevsky district of Tver region has built a military memorial, monument of V. F. Gastello is a part of it.
Russian Seven
Source:
© Russian Seven
Featured articles Share: Comments Comments on the article “Viktor Gastello: how to fight the brother of the famous pilot-Gerona” Please log in to leave a comment! br>
Share on Tumblr
