The story of one hero
Ismagil Nigmatovich was drafted into the army at the age of 17, during the Great Patriotic War. He began his journey as a tanker near Ufa. Officers arrived at the unit tank troops to find suitable recruits. The selection criteria were not the most stringent: 7 classes of education. Hearing the question "do you want to be a tanker", Ismail Nigmatovich did not hesitate and, together with other recruits, went to training courses in the Kurgan region. There, the young soldier received the specialty of a driver-mechanic and soon the crew of the T-34 tank was sent to Poland.
In 1945, Ismagil Nigmatovich was on the outskirts of Berlin, where he was on the verge of death. At some point, the driver noticed how he was surrounded by 2 German "Tigers". To continue moving meant to substitute the sides of the car under the precise German guns. At the same time, the Soviet tank had a clear advantage in the form of its dynamics. By order of the crew commander, Ismail Nigmatovich rammed the Tiger to his left in order to damage the drive wheel.
The plan worked: the T-34 was able to drive off to a safe position, and the enemy's equipment was immobilized and destroyed by mortar men.
One of the veteran's most vivid memories of the Great Patriotic War is Yuri Levitan's speech about the surrender of Nazi Germany. At that moment, Ismagil Nigmatovich and his comrades in arms could not believe what was happening, but nevertheless rejoiced and thought to themselves: "Can we really stay alive, can we really return home ..."
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