Even before the fighting started, comrade Pochitalov put a great deal of effort into arranging the artilly's coordination with the infantry and the tanks and planning the artillery barrages. As a result, on April 16, 1945, during the breakthrough of the multi-layered permanent German defenses on the western bank of the Oder River, the division's artillery inflicted crushing blows upon the enemy's units, occasioning heavy enemy losses in troops and materiel. All enemy attempts to counterattack our advancing units were overwhelmed by powerful artillery salvos, and the enemy always had to fall back, having suffered severe casualties. For four days the division fought to breach the enemy defenses in their entire depth, and during this battle comrade Pochitalov displayed exceptional skill in commanding the divion's artillery and supporting units. Skillfully providing artillery support in the field, he supported the infantry and tanks. Bringing down sudden artillery strikes, he dispersed the enemy troops and prevented them from putting up organized resistance.

The artillery played a particularly important role during the destruction of the enemy pocket in the woods southeast of Berlin. The division, having advanced more than 100 kilometers while continually engaged in heavy fighting, had suffered significant losses in manpower. Nevertheless, however, the division, facing enemy forces that were clearly superior strength-wise, inflicted heavy losses upon them, and took even more prisoners. An ingenious maneuver and sudden artillery strikes dismayed the enemy, who was then finished off by the infantry.

Colonel Pochitalov ably combines personally bravery with skillful command of his artillery units. Personal heroism and an unparalleled will to accomplish his orders are comrade Pochitalov's principal qualities.

During the fighting the division captured more than 3000 soldiers and officers in prisoners alone, hundreds of vehicles, and many other sorts of weapons. For this, the artillery deserves significant credit.

Comrade Pochitalov deserves to be awarded the Order of Lenin.

Commanding officer of the 247th Roslavl Rifle Division
Major General [signed] /Mukhin/
May 8, 1945