Dmitry Babanov

Babanov was born into a peasant family on 26 October [O.S. 13 October] 1908, in the village of Klimovo, in what was then Staritsky Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire. The village is now part of Stepurinsky rural settlement, in Staritsky District, Tver Oblast. He was of Russian ethnicity, and joined the CPSU (b) / CPSU in 1944. Graduated from junior high school. He was a construction worker in Tver, Leningrad and Moscow.

In 1930 Babanov was drafted into the Red Army. Since 1936, he has been an instructor and head of the regional shooting club. In 1939 he graduated from the accelerated course of the Higher School of Political Staff of Osoaviakhim. He fought during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940, and took part in the battles of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941.

Babanov travelled thousands of kilometres with his fighters, defended Krichev and Yartsevo, liberated Oryol, Gomel, Novograd-Volynsky, Przemysl and many other cities, crossed the Vistula, Oder, Neisse, Spree, fought for Berlin and participated in the liberation of Prague. He spent the whole war in one regiment, in one division: rising from the rank of junior lieutenant and a platoon commander to major and a battalion commander.

From 12–17 January 1945, the battalion successfully pursued the retreating enemy, cutting off their escape routes and inflicting heavy losses in manpower and equipment. D. V. Babanov's units captured and destroyed up to 100 vehicles, set fire to 23 armoured personnel carriers, knocked out four tanks, killed over 500 soldiers and officers, and took over 300 prisoners.

On 28 January 1945, the battalion entrusted to Major D.V. Babanov, acting as the vanguard of the regiment, crossed the Oder and engaged the enemy on the west bank. In the area of Urshkau and Barch-Kulm, the enemy launched large infantry forces into furious counterattacks, supported by tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and a large number of artillery and mortar weapons. The soldiers under Babanov's command fought courageously, heroically defending a small plot of reclaimed land. The battalion commander himself, being in the battle formations of the companies, inspired the fighters to exploits by a personal example of courage. A difficult, menacing situation had arisen on the left flank - the enemy concentrated heavy mortar fire here and launched tanks. Babanov himself moved forward, towards the armoured column, and set fire to a German tank with a bunch of grenades. Seeing the fearlessness of their commander, the shooters fought selflessly, did not let the Nazis through. With the further expansion of the bridgehead in the Urshkau area, the Nazis launched counterattacks for five days. Hand-to-hand fights ensued, with the Soviet forces victorious. And then the battalion commander gave the command: “Forward, for the Motherland!” And the first rushed to the enemy. The Soviets defeated the Nazis and captured an advantageous line for the development of a further offensive.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union of 10 April 1945, for the courage and heroism shown in crossing the Oder and holding the bridgehead on its western bank, Major Dmitry Vasilievich Babanov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 7498).

In 1946 he graduated from the Vystrel course. Since 1957, Lieutenant Colonel D. V. Babanov was in reserve. He lived in the city of Kalinin, now Tver, and died on 7 March 1964.

• Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union (No. 7498)
• Order of Lenin
• Order of the Red Banner
• Order of Alexander Nevsky
• Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
• Two Orders of the Red Star
• Medals including:
• Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. Collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M .: Military Publishing, 1987. - T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. — 911 p. — 100,000 copies. — ISBN ots., Reg. No. in RCP 87–95382.