We look at five extraordinary Soviet fighters in World War II whose feats were beyond anything humanly possible: stopping a tank with an axe, using shamanistic methods in sniper combat, and turning a German tank battalion into a shooting range of sitting ducks. Meet the Soviet superheroes!
1. Zinoviy Kolobanov: the tank victory that no one believed
Zinoviy Kolobanov
Jakov Slavin/Wikipedia
When World War II began, Zinoviy Kolobanov already had serious military experience. For example, he fought in the Finnish War of 1939-1940, during which he escaped from a burning tank three times.
In 1941, Kolobanov commanded a tank unit during the German advance toward Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Near the village of Voskovitsy, Kolobanov’s unit got the order to defend the road leading to the town of Krasnogvardeysk (now Gatchina, 26 miles outside Leningrad). With only 5 heavy KV-1 tanks at his disposal, Kolobanov moved his unit to an important crossroads where he ordered two tanks to block the two roads to Krasnogvardeysk. Meanwhile, he strategically parked his tank 300 meters away in a hull-down position, such that it was barely visible.
