Mikhail Panikakha
| Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Михаил Аверьянович Паникаха |
| Born | 1914 Mogilev village, Novomoskovsk Uyezd, Ekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 2 October 1942 Stalingrad, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |
 Soviet Union
|
| Service/branch | Soviet Naval Infantry |
| Years of service | 1939–1942 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 193rd Rifle Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
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Mikhail Averyanovich Panikakha (Russian: Михаил Аверьянович Паникаха; 1914 – 2 October 1942) was a Red Army soldier. He was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for destroying a German tank with two Molotov cocktails while on fire during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Mikhail Panikakha was born in 1914 in the village of Mogilev in Novomoskovsk Uyezd of Yekaterinoslav Governorate to a peasant family. He received primary education and worked on the farm. In 1939, he was drafted into the Red Army. Panikakha became a sailor in the Pacific Fleet.
In March 1942, Panikahka volunteered for combat service and was assigned as a private to the 883rd Rifle Regiment of the 193rd Rifle Division. On 28 September, during the Battle of Stalingrad, two regiments of the division, including the 883rd, crossed the Volga River and took up positions to the west of the Red October factory. They were attacked by German troops from the 24th Panzer Division and 71st Infantry Division. On 2 October, Panikakha was helping to repel the German attacks when the German troops sent in tanks. He had already thrown his grenades and had two Molotov cocktails left. Panikakha raised the bottle in order to throw it when a bullet smashed it, setting him on fire. He then took the remaining bottle, jumped out of the trench and hit the nearest German tank with the cocktail. The German tank was then set on fire, causing the other tanks to withdraw.
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