Major Caesar Kunnikov, a Jewish commander of parachute troops and former editor of a Moscow daily newspaper, was today awarded, posthumously, the title Hero of the Soviet Union for a daring foray in the rear of the Nazi lines on the Kuban front.
Major Kunnikov, who was commander of a detachment of 200 parachutists, was dropped together with his men far behind the Nazi lines in an attempt to halt the German retreat until the main body of the Red Army could catch up with them. Despite almost overwhelming odds, Kunnikov’s detachment not only stopped the Nazis, but killed 2,000 of them and destroyed many machinegun nests and several fortified positions in a six-day battle during which Kunnikov was mortally wounded.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
