Paul Arman Soviet tanker, Hero of the Soviet Union. Date of Birth: 04.04.1903 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Career
2. Military Service in Latvia and the USSR
3. Spanish Civil War and Heroic Exploit
4. Imprisonment and Rehabilitation
5. Great Patriotic War and Death

Early Life and Career

Paul Matisovich Arman, a distinguished Soviet tank commander, was born on April 4, 1903, in Mittelshof, Latvia. As a teenager, he lived briefly in France, where he acquired his unusual name, Paul Armand. Arman completed his education at a technical secondary school and a radio institute.

Military Service in Latvia and the USSR

Between 1924 and 1925, Arman served in the Latvian Army. In 1926, he immigrated to the Soviet Union and joined the Red Army. After graduating from the Moscow Infantry School in 1928, he commanded a platoon in the Leningrad Military District.

He subsequently served in the Moscow Military District as a reconnaissance platoon commander in the First Experimental Mechanized Brigade. In 1931, Arman was transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District as an armored car battalion commander. From 1932, he led a battalion in the 5th Motorized Brigade in Borisov.

Spanish Civil War and Heroic Exploit

In 1936, Arman volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War. During a battle near Seseña on October 29, 1936, he led his tank company in a surprise attack on enemy forces. In this action, Arman personally destroyed three tanks and a significant number of opposition troops. Despite being injured in his burning tank, he continued to direct his company effectively. His subordinate, Semyon Osadchy, executed the first-ever tank ram in this battle.

For his exceptional bravery and leadership, Arman was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on December 31, 1936.

Imprisonment and Rehabilitation

After returning from Spain in 1937, Arman was promoted to major and appointed commander of the 5th Mechanized Brigade. Shortly after, he was arrested and imprisoned on charges of espionage. However, the case against him was dismissed in June 1939.

Great Patriotic War and Death

From 1939 to 1941, Arman studied at the Frunze Military Academy and was subsequently appointed deputy commander of the 51st Tank Division. During World War II, he commanded the 11th Tank Brigade and the Armored and Mechanized Forces of the 4th Army. On March 12, 1943, he became commander of the 122nd Tank Brigade.

Colonel Paul Matisovich Arman fell in battle on August 7, 1943, near the village of Porechye in the Leningrad Oblast. He was buried in the city of Volkhov in the same oblast. Arman's legacy as a courageous and innovative tank commander remains an enduring inspiration in the annals of Soviet military history.