"Heroes Are Born in the Roar of Battle" – The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitry I. Yefremov

Dmitry Yefremov was born on July 10, 1926, in the village of Pashino (now in the Atyashevsky District of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia). In 1943, he graduated from junior secondary school, and in November of the same year he was drafted into the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. From September 1944, he fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.By March 1945, Sergeant Dmitry Yefremov commanded a machine-gun crew of the 68th Rifle Regiment, 70th Rifle Division, 43rd Army, 3rd Belorussian Front.From March 2 to 6, 1945, during the battles near the village of Perteltniken (now the settlement of Ternovka in the Zelenogradsky District of the Kaliningrad Region), Yefremov and his machine-gun crew blocked the retreat route of a group of about 80 enemy soldiers and officers. Despite several counterattacks, they successfully held their position. During these battles, Yefremov personally killed about 40 enemy soldiers. While assaulting an unnamed hill, he maintained continuous machine-gun fire, helping his unit capture the strategic position.

From April 6 to 8, 1945, during the battle for Friedrichsberg (now the settlement of Zelyonok within the city of Kaliningrad), Yefremov crossed the Land-Graben Canal and opened fire on enemy positions, enabling his battalion to cross successfully. During the assault on a German strongpoint, he outflanked the enemy and opened fire from the rear, causing panic among the German defenders. When his machine gun was destroyed by shellfire, he took a rifle from a wounded soldier and continued fighting until he himself was seriously wounded. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on April 19, 1945, Sergeant Dmitry Yefremov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his exemplary performance of combat missions, as well as the courage and heroism he displayed in battle against the German forces. He also received the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal No. 8923.