Red Army truckman, Czechoslovakia, 1945

Marines detachment of Major Caesar Kunikov, shortly before the night of February 4, 1943, when they took part in the landing operation and seized a bridgehead south of Novorossiysk, known as "Malaya Zemlya".

According to the plan of the operation "the Sea", to divert enemy forces, in the night of 3 February 4, 1943 landing party of seamen-volunteers (275 people) under the command of major Caesar Kunikov with minimal losses (three wounded, one killed) landed on an enemy occupied well-fortified coast in the area of Novorossiysk, village of Stanichka (M. Myskhako "Malaya Zemlya"). With a swift blow landing party drove the Germans from a strong point and firmly entrenched on the captured bridgehead. At dawn, a fierce battle broke out. Marines during the day repulsed 18 attacks of the enemy. By the end of the day ammunition was running out. The situation seemed hopeless. Then a detachment of major Kunikova made a sudden RAID on the artillery battery of the enemy. Wiping out the gun crew and capturing the guns, they opened their fire at the attacking enemy soldiers. Due to a bad landing of the main forces of troops, the bridgehead occupied by the unit of Kunikov became the main. Seven days the marines repulsed the furious attacks of the enemy holding the liberated territory until the main forces came. The sailors knocked out the enemy of multi-storey buildings. For the first time in the practice units of the Soviet naval infantry Kunikov had a practical training technology personnel landing ashore at night in winter conditions, possession of melee weapons, small arms and artillery weapons of the enemy.

Marines detachment of Major Caesar Kunikov, 1943

Matvey Shaposhnikov Soviet military commander, Lieutenant General, Hero of the Soviet Union.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/tmt/350755.html