Operation Spring Awakening
Papin became commander of the machine gun platoon of the regiment. The platoon repulsed five attacks by 40 German tanks and infantry during Operation Spring Awakening near Székesfehérvár on 12 March 1945. In the fifth German attack, Papin's unit ran out of ammunition and suffered heavy losses, the German tanks broke through. Papin rallied the unit and threw grenades at the tanks. When a German tank moved towards him, he threw himself under the tracks with an antitank grenade and was killed.