Women tankers of World War II. Alexandra Samusenko
Alexandra Grigoryevna Samusenko - Soviet tanker, communications officer, guard captain. She took part in the Finnish War of 1939-1940, on the fronts of World War II - from June 22, 1941. Most likely, the only girl-tanker in the 1st Guards tank army. Unfortunately, Samusenko was not able to meet the victory, she died on March 3, 1945, leaving behind many secrets. Among all Soviet women tankers, she is the most mysterious character, who, unfortunately, will no longer be able to tell about herself.
The date of birth itself is shrouded in mystery. It is only known that the girl was born in the 1922 year (the date and month of birth are unknown). There are disagreements regarding her place of birth. For example, according to the words of the chairman of the Belarusian commission to perpetuate the memory of soldiers and partisans who died during the Great Patriotic War, Muzy Nikolaevna Ogai, Aleksandr Samusenko, a native of the Zhlobin district of the Gomel region. She was born in the village of Holy (now Kirovo). According to others, she was born in Chita. It is Chita as the place of birth of Alexandra Samusenko that appears in the books of memory, as well as in the information about the irretrievable losses and premium statements on her.
In doubt and her nationality. At first glance, Samusenko is a native of Belorussia who could move to Chita with her family in infancy or for some reason began to indicate this city as the place of her birth. According to the order of dismissal from the lists of personnel of the 1 tank tank brigade, her mother is Davidenko Evdokia Ivanovna. The names Samusenko and Davidenko suggest that she is Belarusian or Ukrainian. However, in the award lists on the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree in the column “Tatarka” is indicated in the column “nationality”. In this case, the names Samusenko and Davydenko cannot be attributed to the Tatar, like the name of her father - Gregory. Another oddity is that the place of residence of the mother of the dead girl is Moscow (Bolshaya Ordynka).
For whatever reason, the girl was unexpectedly recorded Tatarka and what happened to her family in the prewar years, today it will not be possible to find out. Strange is the fact that Alexandra Samusenko from 1934 of the year (according to other data, from 1935) was a student in the units of the Red Army. In fact, she became the daughter of a regiment. How did it happen that from the age of 12, the girl tied her fate to the army, we also won’t find out. Perhaps some misfortune befell her parents. Maybe they were repressed (but then it is difficult to believe that the girl would be taken up in the unit of the Red Army), and maybe they died.
Perhaps her father served in Chita, who could also have been a tanker, and in the future she decided to follow in his footsteps. But definitely in 1934, something tragic happened that turned her life around. Although the girl could be on the upbringing is in part of her father. One way or another, from 12 years, the girl was in army units, and in 1938, at the age of 16, she was accepted into the Red Army cadres. I managed to take part in the Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940. It is reported that she met the Great Patriotic War as an ordinary infantryman, being called up by the RVK of the city of Chita. On the front with 22 June 1941 of the year.
Alexandra Samusenko managed to take part in the hard battles of the summer-autumn of 1941. She fought in the composition of the Western Front and the Bryansk Front. In the battles of August and October 1941, the girl was slightly injured. In total, during World War II, she was injured three times, the last time - hard, in September 1943 of the year. At a certain moment, she wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Mikhail Kalinin, in which she asked to facilitate her enrollment in a tank school. The request of the girl was satisfied.
In the summer of 1943, Alexander Samusenko took part in the Battle of Kursk as part of the troops of the Voronezh Front. At that time, the girl was already a senior lieutenant of the guard and was a liaison officer in the 97 tank brigade. In late July, 1943 was introduced to the Order of the Red Star. The award list said that during the period from 19 to 28 in July 1943, Alexander Samusenko was constantly in battle formations of the brigade, providing timely communication and information about the position of the units and subunits of the brigade participating in the battle. Under enemy fire and bombing from the air, Alexander Samusenko supplied the parts with important instructions necessary for the development of further success in battle.
In September, Alexander 1943, was severely injured. And already in 1944, she was again in service, taking part in the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation of the Soviet troops. In 1945, already captain Guards Alexander Samusenko was transferred as a communications officer to the headquarters of the 1 Guards Tank Brigade. According to some reports, she could hold the post of deputy commander of the 1-th tank battalion of the 1-th Guards Tank Brigade.
Offensive battles started 1945, held the rank of captain, was directly involved in the liberation of Poland from the Nazi invaders. With the battles, together with my unit, I traveled more than 700 kilometers through the territory of Poland and reached the Oder. In February, 1945, she met an American paratrooper, Joseph Beyrle, who escaped from German captivity. Joseph Beyrle was able to convince the Soviet commanders not to send him to the rear and stayed with the tank crews. Joseph Beyrle became the only soldier who fought in both the American and Soviet armies. His knowledge was in demand, since a certain number of Sherman tanks were in service with the brigade.
Died during the East Pomeranian offensive. March 3 Alexander Samusenko’s 1945, died of wounds sustained in the village of Zyuletsfirts near the town of Lobez. Today this city is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland. She was later reburied in the central square of this city.
According to one version, the death of Alexandra was absurd, as often happens in war. At night, the column 1-th tank brigade made a march along the bumpy road and fell under the shelling of the Germans. Alexandra Samusenko at that moment sat with the soldiers on the tank. When the shelling started, she jumped off the armor and, hiding from the fragments behind the combat vehicle, began to walk with her. Suddenly, the tank began to turn around, the driver did not notice people walking in the dark, and Alexander fell under the tracks. According to another version, she died in battle when she performed a combat mission as a liaison officer. Armored car with her near the town of Lobez ran into the retreating detachment of the Nazis. The driver of the car was killed, and the car itself caught fire. For a while, Alexandra fired from the Germans, but then she herself was killed.
10 April 1945 of the Year Alexander Samusenko was posthumously presented to the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree for active participation in offensive battles from January 15 of 1945 and the fulfillment of the most responsible tasks of the command to manage the battle. At the same time, during the offensive of the guards, Captain Alexander Samusenko was always in the combat formations of the advancing units of the 1 tank tank brigade.
Information sources:
http://statehistory.ru/738/Neizvestnaya-Aleksandra-Samusenko---zhenshchina-tankist
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/female_face_of_tank_forces
http://www.diary.ru/~TrashTanker/p112101356.htm?oam
http://www.podvignaroda.ru
The date of birth itself is shrouded in mystery. It is only known that the girl was born in the 1922 year (the date and month of birth are unknown). There are disagreements regarding her place of birth. For example, according to the words of the chairman of the Belarusian commission to perpetuate the memory of soldiers and partisans who died during the Great Patriotic War, Muzy Nikolaevna Ogai, Aleksandr Samusenko, a native of the Zhlobin district of the Gomel region. She was born in the village of Holy (now Kirovo). According to others, she was born in Chita. It is Chita as the place of birth of Alexandra Samusenko that appears in the books of memory, as well as in the information about the irretrievable losses and premium statements on her.
In doubt and her nationality. At first glance, Samusenko is a native of Belorussia who could move to Chita with her family in infancy or for some reason began to indicate this city as the place of her birth. According to the order of dismissal from the lists of personnel of the 1 tank tank brigade, her mother is Davidenko Evdokia Ivanovna. The names Samusenko and Davidenko suggest that she is Belarusian or Ukrainian. However, in the award lists on the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree in the column “Tatarka” is indicated in the column “nationality”. In this case, the names Samusenko and Davydenko cannot be attributed to the Tatar, like the name of her father - Gregory. Another oddity is that the place of residence of the mother of the dead girl is Moscow (Bolshaya Ordynka).
For whatever reason, the girl was unexpectedly recorded Tatarka and what happened to her family in the prewar years, today it will not be possible to find out. Strange is the fact that Alexandra Samusenko from 1934 of the year (according to other data, from 1935) was a student in the units of the Red Army. In fact, she became the daughter of a regiment. How did it happen that from the age of 12, the girl tied her fate to the army, we also won’t find out. Perhaps some misfortune befell her parents. Maybe they were repressed (but then it is difficult to believe that the girl would be taken up in the unit of the Red Army), and maybe they died.
Perhaps her father served in Chita, who could also have been a tanker, and in the future she decided to follow in his footsteps. But definitely in 1934, something tragic happened that turned her life around. Although the girl could be on the upbringing is in part of her father. One way or another, from 12 years, the girl was in army units, and in 1938, at the age of 16, she was accepted into the Red Army cadres. I managed to take part in the Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940. It is reported that she met the Great Patriotic War as an ordinary infantryman, being called up by the RVK of the city of Chita. On the front with 22 June 1941 of the year.
Alexandra Samusenko managed to take part in the hard battles of the summer-autumn of 1941. She fought in the composition of the Western Front and the Bryansk Front. In the battles of August and October 1941, the girl was slightly injured. In total, during World War II, she was injured three times, the last time - hard, in September 1943 of the year. At a certain moment, she wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Mikhail Kalinin, in which she asked to facilitate her enrollment in a tank school. The request of the girl was satisfied.
In the summer of 1943, Alexander Samusenko took part in the Battle of Kursk as part of the troops of the Voronezh Front. At that time, the girl was already a senior lieutenant of the guard and was a liaison officer in the 97 tank brigade. In late July, 1943 was introduced to the Order of the Red Star. The award list said that during the period from 19 to 28 in July 1943, Alexander Samusenko was constantly in battle formations of the brigade, providing timely communication and information about the position of the units and subunits of the brigade participating in the battle. Under enemy fire and bombing from the air, Alexander Samusenko supplied the parts with important instructions necessary for the development of further success in battle.
In September, Alexander 1943, was severely injured. And already in 1944, she was again in service, taking part in the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation of the Soviet troops. In 1945, already captain Guards Alexander Samusenko was transferred as a communications officer to the headquarters of the 1 Guards Tank Brigade. According to some reports, she could hold the post of deputy commander of the 1-th tank battalion of the 1-th Guards Tank Brigade.
Offensive battles started 1945, held the rank of captain, was directly involved in the liberation of Poland from the Nazi invaders. With the battles, together with my unit, I traveled more than 700 kilometers through the territory of Poland and reached the Oder. In February, 1945, she met an American paratrooper, Joseph Beyrle, who escaped from German captivity. Joseph Beyrle was able to convince the Soviet commanders not to send him to the rear and stayed with the tank crews. Joseph Beyrle became the only soldier who fought in both the American and Soviet armies. His knowledge was in demand, since a certain number of Sherman tanks were in service with the brigade.
Died during the East Pomeranian offensive. March 3 Alexander Samusenko’s 1945, died of wounds sustained in the village of Zyuletsfirts near the town of Lobez. Today this city is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland. She was later reburied in the central square of this city.
According to one version, the death of Alexandra was absurd, as often happens in war. At night, the column 1-th tank brigade made a march along the bumpy road and fell under the shelling of the Germans. Alexandra Samusenko at that moment sat with the soldiers on the tank. When the shelling started, she jumped off the armor and, hiding from the fragments behind the combat vehicle, began to walk with her. Suddenly, the tank began to turn around, the driver did not notice people walking in the dark, and Alexander fell under the tracks. According to another version, she died in battle when she performed a combat mission as a liaison officer. Armored car with her near the town of Lobez ran into the retreating detachment of the Nazis. The driver of the car was killed, and the car itself caught fire. For a while, Alexandra fired from the Germans, but then she herself was killed.
10 April 1945 of the Year Alexander Samusenko was posthumously presented to the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree for active participation in offensive battles from January 15 of 1945 and the fulfillment of the most responsible tasks of the command to manage the battle. At the same time, during the offensive of the guards, Captain Alexander Samusenko was always in the combat formations of the advancing units of the 1 tank tank brigade.
Information sources:
http://statehistory.ru/738/Neizvestnaya-Aleksandra-Samusenko---zhenshchina-tankist
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/female_face_of_tank_forces
http://www.diary.ru/~TrashTanker/p112101356.htm?oam
http://www.podvignaroda.ru
Information