Soviet tank aces. The cohort of the famous tank aces of the Soviet Union includes Alexander Fedorovich Burda. Alexander Burda, like other well-known Soviet tankers, Dmitry Lavrinenko and Konstantin Samokhin, served before the start of World War II in the 15th Tank Division. And during the battles near Moscow in the fall-winter of 1941, he ended up with them in the brigade of Mikhail Efimovich Katukov. Alexander Burda outlived his fellow soldiers, but did not live to see victory. The brave tanker died in the battles for the liberation of the right-bank Ukraine in January 1944.
The beginning of the army career
The future tanker was born on April 12, 1911 in the Ukrainian village of Rovenki (today a city on the territory of the Luhansk region) in a large family of a Donetsk miner. Alexander was the eldest son in a family of 9 children. At the same time, childhood was a time of serious trials not only for the Russian Empire, which had ended its life, but also for a huge number of its inhabitants. Alexander Burda's father died during the Civil War. Against the background of all these events, one can imagine how difficult the childhood of our hero was. After graduating from the 6th grade of school, he went to work as a shepherd, the young man had to help support his family, help numerous brothers and sisters. Later, Alexander Burda learned to be an electrician and, before being drafted into the army in 1932, worked as a mechanic in a coal mine in his native Rovenki. In the same 1932, Burda joined the ranks of the CPSU (b).
After being drafted into military service, Alexander was immediately assigned to the tank. His military career began in the 5th Heavy Tank Brigade. By 1934, Alexander Burda successfully graduated from the regimental school, where he received the specialty of a machine gunner for one of the towers of a T-35 heavy tank. This Soviet mastodon began to enter service with the 5th heavy tank brigade in 1933, and in total 59 five-tower heavy tanks were assembled in the USSR, armed with a short-barreled 76, 2-mm gun, two 45-mm cannons and six DT machine guns, two of which located in separate towers. Gradually, Burda rose to the position of the commander of the central tower of the T-35 heavy tank, while the training of servicemen took place within the framework of special courses, which were organized by representatives of the manufacturer of combat vehicles of the Kharkov Steam Locomotive Plant, where their serial assembly in small batches was carried out from 1933 to 1939.
In 1936, Alexander Fedorovich made another important step in his military career, having successfully completed courses for the preparation of middle commanders in Kharkov. After completing the courses, he rose to the rank of platoon commander in a training tank company. Then he finally decided that he would link his fate with the Soviet armed forces for a long time. The next step in the military career of the famous tanker was the auto-armored advanced training courses for command personnel, which Alexander Burda attended in 1939, the courses were organized in Saratov. Here in the fall of 1938, the 2nd Saratov Tank School was formed, the main profile of which was the training of commanders of medium and heavy tanks, primarily T-28 and T-35. Before the start of World War II, the school was redesigned to train commanders of heavy KV tanks.
After graduating from the courses in Saratov with "excellent" grades, Alexander Burda was sent for further service in the 14th heavy tank brigade, which served as the main one for the newly created 15th armored division of the originally 8th mechanized corps. In the spring of 1941, the division was transferred to the 16th mechanized corps being formed. In the division, Burda served as a company commander of T-28 medium tanks. Before the war, part of the 15th Panzer Division was based in the area of the city of Stanislav (future Ivano-Frankivsk). It was in this unit that the war that began on June 22, 1941 caught the officer. Even then, the officer was in good standing, back in Saratov he was awarded the badge "Excellent worker of the Red Army", and his skill and skills were noted by the command of the Volga Military District. The skills accumulated before the start of the Great Patriotic War in many ways made Alexander Burda an effective tank ace and a good combat commander, who by the time of his death was already heading a tank brigade.
On the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War
The attack of Hitler's Germany found Alexander Burda on the western borders of the USSR on the territory of the western regions of Ukraine. At the same time, the 15th Panzer Division did not engage in battles with the enemy for a long time, making marches behind the front line. Fighting clashes with the Nazis began by the end of the first decade of July 1941 in the Berdichev area. Already by July 13, under pressure from the advancing enemy forces, the corps arriving at the site of battles in parts was forced to retreat to the east with battles, having lost part of the equipment on the marches even before clashes with the enemy. Already in these heavy battles for the 16th mechanized corps and the entire Red Army in July 1941, Burda proved his talent as a successful tank commander.
In the Belilovka area (Ruzhinsky district of the Zhytomyr region) in mid-July 1941, Burda's unit met and attacked an enemy convoy, which was accompanied by 15 tanks. The Germans broke through along the highway towards Bila Tserkva. According to the recollections of the officer himself, he, together with his tower shooter, later also tank ace Vasily Storozhenko, with sixteen shells were able to destroy an enemy tank, and also destroyed four trucks with ammunition and one tractor with a cannon. At the same time, in fierce battles in the area southeast of Kazatin in attempts to break through the German defenses, inflicting a counterstrike on the flank of the advancing group of German troops on July 18, 1941, the 15th Panzer Division suffered huge losses in materiel. It was not possible to break through the defense, saturated with anti-tank artillery and anti-aircraft guns standing on direct fire, by the end of the day, only 5 combat-ready T-28 and BT tanks remained in the division. Parts of the division rolled back to Pogrebishch, a little later the division was sent to the rear for reorganization.
Like many fellow soldiers in the 15th Tank Division, Alexander Burda joined the created 4th Katukov Tank Brigade, the formation of which began near Stalingrad. In the Katukov brigade, senior lieutenant Alexander Burda commanded a company of thirty-fours. In October 1941, Katukov's tankers distinguished themselves in the battles of Orel and Mtsensk, for a long time delaying the advance of the 4th German Panzer Division. Units of the brigade often operated from ambushes, catching German troops several times. They also made good use of the capabilities of the T-34 medium tanks, of which even Guderian himself began to complain of their superiority over German vehicles.
Alexander Fyodorovich distinguished himself already in the first battles with the Germans near Mtsensk. On October 4, the brigade command assigned him the task of conducting reconnaissance of enemy forces in the direction of Orel. In this direction, two groups of tanks were sent, including motorized infantry units, one of the groups was led by Senior Lieutenant Burda. In the battles on the highway between Orel and Mtsensk on October 5, 1941, the company of Senior Lieutenant Alexander Burda seriously battered the German column, which the tankers themselves assessed as a motorized infantry regiment. Letting the enemy close at a distance, Soviet tanks opened fire from a distance of 250-300 meters. According to the results of the battle, Burda's group chalked up 10 medium and two light German tanks (according to other sources, 8 Pz II and 2 Pz III), five vehicles carrying infantry, two tractors with anti-tank guns and up to 90 killed enemy soldiers. For the battles near Mtsensk, Alexander Burda received his first military award - the Order of the Red Banner.
The second time, Burda's tankers distinguished themselves in the liquidation of the Skirmanovsky bridgehead. For the battle in the area of the settlements of Skirmanovo and Kozlovo, the tanker was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but in the end he was awarded the Order of Lenin, the award found the hero on December 22, 1941. During the battles for the Skirmanovsky bridgehead, Alexander Burda showed personal courage and heroism. Despite strong opposition from enemy artillery and barrage fire, he carried out a bold attack, during which, together with his crew, he destroyed 3 enemy tanks, 6 bunkers, one anti-tank gun and one mortar, also destroying up to a company of German soldiers.
In the summer of 1942, Captain Alexander Burda already commanded a battalion in the 1st Guards Tank Brigade. During one of the battles, he was seriously wounded by shrapnel of triplex and armor scale in the eye after being hit by an enemy shell, until November he was in hospitals. Thanks to the successful operation, the doctors managed to save the eye and vision, after which Alexander Burda again went to the front. In the summer of 1943, at the Kursk Bulge, Burda already commanded the 49th Tank Brigade with the rank of Guards Lieutenant Colonel. The brigade was located in the strike zone of German tank units in the Belgorod area. According to the results of the July battles, on August 20, 1943, Alexander Burda was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree. The awarding order stated that the brigade's fighters during the period from 5 to 9 July 1943 destroyed up to 92 enemy tanks, including 17 T-6 tanks, up to 23 vehicles, 14 guns of various calibers, 8 mortars, one six-barreled mortar, up to 10 armored personnel carriers and 4 anti-aircraft guns. The brigade also claimed 1200 killed enemy soldiers and officers. The award list especially emphasized that Alexander Burda personally participated in battles, appeared in the battalions of the brigade and inspired the soldiers with his courage and personal bravery. In battles with the enemy, the crew of the Burda tank destroyed three tanks and before the platoon of the Nazis.
The last battle of the commander of the 64th Guards Tank Brigade
As a result of the battles in October 1943, the 49th Tank Brigade became a separate Guards 64th Tank Brigade. Together with his tankers, Alexander Fedorovich took part in the Zhitomir-Berdichev offensive operation of the Soviet troops, having fought 200 kilometers. By January 22, 1944, there were only 12 combat-ready tanks in the brigade. The brigade commander died in battle on January 25, 1944, the day before the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front launched an offensive, conducting the Korsun-Shevchenko offensive operation.
The Burda brigade, exhausted and greatly thinned out in offensive battles, was actually in a semi-encirclement in the area of the settlements of Tsibulev and Ivakhny. The enemy of the Soviet tankers turned out to be the German 16th Panzer Division, which, in addition to being very active in this sector of the front, was also one of the strongest and most well-equipped German formations in this direction. The command of the 11th Panzer Corps, to reinforce which Burda's brigade was transferred, did not consider the threat in time, which led to sad consequences. The brigade suffered heavy losses and, after the fighting in the Tsibulev area, was withdrawn for reorganization.
In the area of Tsibulev itself, the Germans managed to surround Fedorenko's battalion, which escaped from the ring at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on January 26. The encirclement was facilitated by a flank attack by a strong German group on Ivakhny, where Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Burda was stationed with his headquarters. At his disposal there was only one tank of the brigade commander. When 12 German tanks reached the village at once, Burda quickly got his bearings in the situation. The officer ordered the entire wheeled transport to be withdrawn to Lukashovka, entrusting this to the chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Lebedev. As a result, the cars and the commandant's platoon had to leave Ivakhna through the fields. At the same time, the brave officer himself remained in the only T-34 tank to cover the retreat of his subordinates.
During the war years, Alexander Burda showed himself to be a courageous and courageous commander, he did not flinch even now, although the officer simply did not have any prospects in the battle with 12 German "Tigers". At the same time, the brigade commander was not obliged to remain to cover the retreat of his headquarters. Based on the combat situation, he could entrust this task to someone from his subordinates. But Alexander Fedorovich made a courageous decision, taking responsibility for the lives of his subordinates and comrades, whom he remained to cover. In the battle with the German Tigers, Burda's thirty-four was knocked out, and he himself was mortally wounded in the stomach. In this battle, according to the award documents, he managed to knock out two "Tigers" and detain the Nazis, the brigade headquarters really got out of the enemy's blow. The tankers were able to carry their commander out of the battlefield, but they could not save his life, the guard lieutenant colonel died on January 25 in Lukashovka while preparing for a surgical operation. The brave officer died not far from the places where his combat path began in the summer of 1941, the circle was closed.
In total, during the war years, the crew of the tank of Alexander Fedorovich Burda destroyed 30 enemy tanks. In less than three years, Burda has gone from a tank company commander to a brigade commander, and the military units and units he always leads have successfully shown themselves in both defensive and offensive battles. The homeland highly appreciated the military merits of the tank ace. In April 1945, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Burda posthumously became a Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin. In battles with the Nazis, the officer was previously awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree.
