Tengiz Japaridze

Tengiz Japaridze (, , Tengiz Ivanovich Japaridze; 27 January 1925 – 1998) was a Soviet tank commander in World War II. He became a Hero of the Soviet Union during his earlier role as a loader in a T-34, alongside gunner Georgy Komarichev.

Early life Tengiz Japaridze was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR into a working-class family. After finishing 10th grade he began an apprenticeship as machine operator at a munitions factory. When the war broke out, Japaridze was still in high school. On May 1943 he was drafted into the Soviet military.

World War II Tank loader During his first year of service, Japaridze received training as a loader for the T-34 medium tank. He was subsequently promoted to Junior sergeant and deployed to the 1st Ukrainian Front, where he joined the crew of company commander Tokarev, part of the 52nd Guards Tank Brigade. On 6 March 1944 at the Kamenets–Podolsky pocket, Japaridze's tank advanced West of Khmelnytskyi into Antoniny and beyond, in order to cut off the railway connection between Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil. To counter Soviet tank operations in the area, Germany deployed armor from the 25th Panzer Division and 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. Tokarev's crew was subjected to daily attacks by enemy armor. On 17 March gunner Komarichev and loader Japaridze distuingished themselves by destroying or disabling 17 enemy tanks on that single day.

Tank commander Following the battles at Sandomierz bridgehead, Japaridze was sent to Lviv to undergo officer courses and after three months of training, was given command over his own T-34, as part of the 52nd Guards Tank Brigade. On 13 January 1945 he and his crew crossed the Nida at the second day of the Vistula–Oder offensive to enter the town Pilica. They then participated in the liberation of Maluszyn and Radomsko, before returning to the Oder to assist Soviet troops that were facing pressure by a superior enemy force at the Opole bridgehead. On 23 January, alongside other tanks, Japaridze's T-34 breached occupied Sławice and rushed to Gliwice straight into the rear of the German forces defending Silesia. For his role in those battles, Japaridze was promoted to Guards lieutenant. On 9 February 1945, as part of his brigade's vanguard, he and his crew crossed the Bóbr and bypassed Bolesławiec, to take part in the battle for Lubań. However, Japaridze's tank was hit twice at the outskirts of the city and he was seriously wounded. Only he and the loader survived.

Post war life In April 1945, due to poor health, Japaridze was relieved from frontline duty and put in reserve. He returned to Georgia and applied at the Polytechnical Institute in Tbilisi, to become an engineer. Following graduation in 1951, he worked as engineer in a mechanical assembly trust, until his retirement. In 1953 he became member of the CPSU and was also awarded the title Honored Engineer of the Georgian SSR. Tengiz Japaridze died in 1998 and was buried in Tbilisi.