Kazakh officer Major Baltabek Zhetpysbayev and Guards Sergeant Trofim Shalayev operate a 122 mm M-30 howitzer during fighting in Lithuania. Their actions were later commemorated in a reconstructed wartime photograph.
Lithuania, July 1944.
During the Red Army's offensive in Lithuania, Major Baltabek Zhetpysbayev and Guards Sergeant Trofim Danilovich Shalayev became associated with one of the memorable episodes of Soviet artillery combat. The action took place near the village of Vrublevshchina during fierce fighting against German forces.
According to Soviet award records and contemporary accounts, the crew of a 122 mm M-30 howitzer suffered heavy casualties during the engagement. Guards Sergeant Shalayev continued operating the gun, while Major Zhetpysbayev, serving as deputy political officer of the 213th Guards Howitzer Artillery Regiment, joined him at the firing position to help keep the weapon in action.
Although not a trained artillery gunner, Zhetpysbayev assisted in maintaining fire alongside Shalayev during the battle. Their actions were later recognized as an example of determination under combat conditions and were cited in Soviet wartime publications.
The photograph is believed to be a reconstructed wartime image illustrating this episode rather than one taken during the actual fighting. It appeared in Frontline Illustration, No. 17 (August 1944), helping preserve the story of the engagement near Vrublevshchina, northwest of Žiežmariai.
Beyond the individual act of courage, the episode reflects the multinational character of the Red Army, whose formations included soldiers and officers from across the Soviet Union serving together throughout the war.
Technical Photo Data
- Photographer: Anatoliy Morozov
- Sources:
- Frontline Illustration, No. 17 (1944)
- pamyat-naroda.ru
- altyn73.livejournal.com
- Date: July–August 1944
- Location: Vrublevshchina, Lithuania, USSR
Recommended Reading
- David M. Glantz — Belorussia 1944: The Soviet General Staff Study
- Chris McNab — Soviet Soldier of World War II
- Robert Forczyk — Bagration 1944: The Destruction of Army Group Centre
- Steven J. Zaloga — Soviet Artillery of World War II
Related WWII Topics
- Soviet artillery crews in Lithuania, 1944
- Major Baltabek Zhetpysbayev
- 122 mm M-30 howitzer in World War II