On August 25, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. On the eve of Tanker's Day, the memory of the largest tank battle of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War will be immortalised in Senno, reported Vladimir Kadysh, acting head of the ideological work department of the Senno District Executive Committee, to a BELTA correspondent. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the tank battle that took place on July 6-10, 1941, near Senno. The six-volume "History of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-1945" states that the troops of the 20th Army, under the command of Lieutenant General Kurochkin, launched a counterstrike from the area north and west of Orsha against the flank of the 3rd Panzer Group of the Wehrmacht. Approximately 1,000 tanks participated in the counterstrike, with the enemy having a similar number. Soviet tankers delivered crushing blows to the enemy and pushed them back 30-40 km towards Lepel. The fascists had to organise a counter-offensive and mobilise significant motorised forces, as well as aviation, for this purpose. According to historians, more than 2,000 tanks participated in this battle on both sides, whereas the more famous Battle of Prokhorovka at the Kursk Bulge involved 1,200 tanks from the Soviet and German sides. Yakov Dzhugashvili, the eldest son of Joseph Stalin, was taken prisoner during the Battle of Senno. The authorities of the Senno District decided to immortalise the memory of Soviet soldiers and, with the support of the Ministry of Defence of Belarus and the residents of the district, created a monument in the central square of the district centre. A Soviet IS-3 tank, transferred by the Ministry of Defence, will be installed on a pedestal here. Tanker's Day is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday of September. The monument unveiling ceremony is scheduled for September 6. -0-

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