The commander of the 109th Rifle Regiment of the Red Army, Colonel Afanasy Lapshov, talks with the regiment personnel before the battle. Southern front.
Afanasy Vasilyevich Lapshov (February 22, 1893 – July 14, 1943) – participant of the First World War (awarded with three St. George’s Crosses), the Civil War, from January to October 1938 was on a military trip in Spain, where he fought as part of the 12th International Brigade under the name Lieutenant Colonel Atanasov.
With the beginning of World War II, Colonel Afanasy Lapshov was the commander of the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 74th Infantry Divisions of the 9th Army of the Southern Front of the Red Army, fought in Moldova and Ukraine, then from September 1941 he commanded the 259th Infantry Division of the 52nd Separate army (later the 2nd shock army) on the Volkhov front.
By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 27, 1942, Colonel Afanasy Lapshov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his courage and heroism.
From June to November 1942 Afanasy Lapshov was deputy commander of the 4th Army of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. After graduating in April 1943 from the accelerated course of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov, he was appointed commander of the 16th Guards Rifle Corps in the 11th Guards Army of the Western Front.
Guards Major General Afanasy Lapshov died in battle on July 14, 1943 during the Oryol offensive operation.
Afanasy Lapshov is buried in the village of Ulyanovo, Ulyanovsk District, Kaluga Region.
Source: home archive of the Lapshov family.
Source of information about the photo: svistelka.ru
Location: USSR
Photo time: July 1941