The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain Mikhail Vasileivich Pimpenko, Red Army, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R), for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. Captain Pimpenko swam across the Dnepr to the Town of Svidovol at the head of a battalion under heavy artillery, mortar and hand machine gun fire of the enemy during the night of 13 November 1943, and engaged in a hand to hand struggle after penetrating into the trenches of the enemy on the right bank. He drove back 3 counter attacks of 20 tanks with enemy infantry and after disrupting enemy resistance occupied the Town of Svidovol on 20 November 1943, captured armed cars, cannon, and tracked vehicles and destroyed 15 tanks up to 400 enemy officers and soldiers and 7 tanks.