Biography of Stepova

The tombstone of Stepova Nikolai Fedotovich is the commander of the firing platoon of the GO fighter-fraud artillery regiment I am a fighter-tank artillery brigade, the Kalinin Front, and a lieutenant. Born on February 13 in the village of Varshitsa, now within the city of Kalinovka, Vinnitsa region of Ukraine, in the family of a peasant. He studied at an electromechanical technical school in Kyiv.

In the Red Army since August. He graduated from the Podolsk artillery school in April of the year and was sent to the Kalinin Front as the commander of the fire platoon of the GO fighter-fingered artillery regiment of the Fighter-Put-tank artillery brigade. He participated in the battles in the Dukhovshchi direction. Only during the period from September 14 to 18, the platoon of Stepovoy destroyed one self -propelled artillery installation, an anti -tank gun, a house turned into a bunker, two firing points and more companies of the enemy’s infantry, for which the commander was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

After the defeat of the Dukhovshchin-Demidic enemy group, the brigade became part of the 4th Shock Army and participated in the Nevel operation. Lieutenant Stepova, with two guns, was the first to burst into the village of Zhukovo Nevelsky district of the Pskov region and began to shoot the Nazis at point -blank. Noticing a group of 20 enemy infantrymen who tried to set fire to our tanks, Stepova transferred fire to them and destroyed almost everyone.

He participated in the reflection of the three counterattacks of the enemy, causing him significant damage in manpower and technology. With the onset of darkness, the Nazis broke into the position of a neighboring platoon, destroyed the calculations and, turning the guns, opened fire on our tanks. Lieutenant Stepova with several fighters attacked the Germans and destroyed over 30 soldiers and officers with automatic fire, repulsed the guns and opened fire on the retreating enemy.

In October 6 alone, the platoon of N. Stepovoy destroyed to the Nazis, five anti -tank guns and up to ten cargo cars. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 4, for the exemplary implementation of the command tasks of the command at the front of the struggle with the German invaders and at the same time the courage and heroism, Lieutenant Stepov, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Subsequently, N. Stepova fought on his regiment on the 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts. He participated in the Gorodok, Polotsk and Directsky-Vodinsky operations.

The shell of one gun was destroyed, and the other as a result of the shelling failed the entire calculation. Stepova himself got up to the gun and settled two tanks. In this battle, he was killed by a shell fragment. Posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree. Retrined in the city of Kalinovka, Vinnitsa region of Ukraine. He was awarded the orders of Lenin