Aleksandr Vasilyevich Shapin

Aleksandr Vasilyevich Shapin

Order of Alexander Nevsky nr. 38723 was awarded by Order of the artillery commander of the 1st Belorussian Front of June 9, 1945 to 27-year-old Guards Lieutenant Aleksandr Vasilyevich Shapin, commander of the 9th Battery, 22nd Guards Mortar Brigade, 5th Guards Mortar Division, 4th Breakthrough Artillery Corps, 3rd Shock Army, 1st Belorussian Front.


Promotions	Date
Lieutenant	July 29, 1944
Senior Lieutenant	June 10, 1945

Record card

Order booklet nr. A-489704

1. Last name: Shapin
2. First name and patronymic: Aleksandr Vasilyevich
3. Military rank: Guards Senior Lieutenant
4. Sex: Male
5. Year of birth: 1917
6. Place of birth: Village of Zaresye, Ustyuzhna Raion, Leningrad Oblast
7. Party membership (since which year): Member of the Communist Party since 1944
8. Education: Higher, unfinished
9. Nationality: Russian
10. Since which year in the Red Army: Since 1942
11. Place of service (name of the unit) and position occupied at the time of the award: Battery commander in the 22nd Guards Mortar Brigade
12. Current place of service and position: Chief of Financial Allowances of the 18th Independent Guards Mortar Battalion, 14th Guards Mechanized Division
13. Home address of the awardee: ___ Maksim Gorky Street, city of Biysk

14. List of all awards received:

Name of the order or medal	Serial number	Number of the document	Ground of award
Order of the Red Star	696178	Temporary certificate nr. B-718572	Order of the 22nd Guards Mortar Brigade nr. 04/N of June 30, 1944
Order of Alexander Nevsky [citation]	38723	Temporary certificate nr. Z-023167	Order of the artillery commander of the 1st Belorussian Front nr. 0239 of June 9, 1945
Medal for the Victory over Germany	/	Permanent certificate nr. Shch-045193	Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 9, 1945
Medal for the Capture of Berlin	/	Permanent certificate nr. A-121591	Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 9, 1945

Signature of the awardee: [signed]

I confirm the correctness of the data and the signature of the awardee (position and signature):

Chief of the Replenishment and Personnel Section of the 14th Guards Mechanized Division
Guards Captain [signed] /Mustafin/
January 18, 1947

Award sheet

1. Last name, first name, and patronymic: Shapin, Aleksandr Vasilyevich
2. Rank: Guards Lieutenant
3. Position and unit: Commanding officer of the 9th Battery, 22nd Red Banner Guards Mortar Brigade

Nominated for: Order of the Red Banner

4. Year of birth: 1917
5. Nationality: Russian
6. Party membership and period: Member of the Communist Party since October 1944
7. Participation in the Civil War, the subsequent combat actions to defend the USSR, and the Patriotic War (where and when): Since December 1943 on the Belorussian and 1st Belorussian Fronts
8. Wounds and contusions received during the Patriotic War: No
9. Since when in the Red Army: Since May 1942
10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Military Commissariat of the Novosibirsk Raion, city of Novosibirsk
11. Previous awards (for which achievements): Order of the Red Star on June 30, 1944
12. Permanent home address of the prospective awardee and his family's address: _______________

Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:

Taking part in the assault on the city of Berlin along with his battery, comrade Shapin supported the advance of the 469th Rifle Regiment's 3rd Battalion.

Making effective use of his M-31 rocket launcher under urban warfare conditions, he ensured the infantry units could advance successfully, suppressing enemy firing positions and strong points with his guards mortar from a distance of 25-30 meters.

Comrade Shapin's vigor and initiative, his bravery and fearlessness in battle, and his ability to get his men organized and assess the situation in a calm manner, ensured his extremely good results while firing either single rockets or an array of rockets, which helped the infantry push forward quickly and unimpeded and enabled them to seize a number of city blocks in the center of Berlin. His battery pulverized and burned down four buildings that had been fortified by the enemy. Ten large-caliber machine guns housed inside these buildings were destroyed and their crews and as many as 40 enemy submachine gunners were killed.

Ultimately, during the fighting for Berlin comrade Shapin's battery proved to be the battalion's best, and comrade Shapin himself, who had only recently been promoted to battery commander, demonstrated his splendid leadership qualities from the very outset.

For perfectly carrying out his combat missions in combat with the German invaders under difficult urban warfare conditions during the assault on Berlin, the heart of fascist Germany, comrade Shapin deserves the Order of the Red Banner.

Commanding officer of the 22nd Guards Mortar Brigade
Guards Colonel [signed] /Rusanov/
May 27, 1945

Senior Lieutenant Aleksandr Vasilyevich Shapin

Order of Alexander Nevsky nr. 38723, reverse

Order of Alexander Nevsky nr. 38723, obverse and reverse