38. Ovcharenko Becomes a Soviet Hero
Dmitry Ovcharenko eventually grew tired of chasing the Germans with an ax, and returned to his cart, whose surroundings were now a field of carnage. He collected all the maps and documents and weapons off the dead Germans, loaded them in the cart, and delivered them to the HQ of the 389th Regiment. When he explained what had happened, Ovcharenko was not believed at first – not until his comrades inspected the scene of his one-man rampage, and saw the gruesome evidence scattered all over the place.
Having killed 21 German soldiers with grenades and beheaded two German officers with an ax, Ovcharenko was awarded a Hero of the Soviet Union decoration. As a military historian put it: “Ovcharenko showed wit and extraordinary courage, taking advantage of the confusion of the Germans. I think that he was a man of unbending will, devoted to his duty, land, and homeland. And striving to liberate his native land from fascist invaders by any means“. Dmitry Ovcharenko fought on until the war’s final year, when he was seriously wounded during the liberation of Hungary. He died of his wounds on January 28th, 1945.