Clubs Alexander Fedorovich Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
Klubov Alexander Fedorovich – deputy commander of a fighter aviation squadron (1943), assistant commander for airborne rifle service of the 16th Guards Sandomierz Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 9th Guards Mariupol Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree Fighter Aviation Division of the 6th Guards Lviv Fighter Aviation corps of the 2nd Air Army, guard captain.
By the beginning of World War II, he served in the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District in the 10th Fighter Aviation Regiment, in which in August 1941 he participated in the operation to bring Soviet troops into Iran. In October 1941 he was transferred to the 84th Fighter Aviation Regiment. In the battles of the Great Patriotic War since August 10, 1942. He fought in the 84th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 216th Fighter Aviation Division of the 4th Air Army of the Transcaucasian Front. He defended the skies of the Kuban and the foothills of the North Caucasus. He fought on the biplane I-153 “Chaika” and on the I-16, completed 160 sorties, in 25 air battles shot down 1 enemy aircraft personally and in a group 1. He flew on an attack – destroyed 16 enemy aircraft on the ground (in a group), over 10 vehicles, and many other military equipment. In an air battle on November 2, 1942 near Mozdok, his plane was shot down. Until the last, trying to save the car, A.F. Klubov fought the flames that engulfed his “Seagull”, received burns to his face and hands, but, in the end, was forced to use a parachute. After a short treatment in the hospital, he returned to duty.
From February 25 to April 24, 1943 he fought as part of the North Caucasian Front on the I-15 fighter. During this period, he completed 82 sorties, personally shot down 2 aircraft in 26 air battles.
In May 1943, Lieutenant A.F. Klubov was transferred to the 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. As part of the 1st squadron of this regiment, he mastered the new R-39 Aerocobra fighter (supplied under Lend-Lease from the USA), performing training flights under the guidance of the legendary A.I. Pokryshkin.
Deputy Commander of the Guards Squadron Senior Lieutenant A.F. Klubov especially distinguished himself in the air battle in the Kuban and in the battles over the Taman Peninsula and the Kerch Strait. By August 1943, as part of this regiment, he completed 15 sorties and personally shot down 1 enemy aircraft in 5 battles. From August 1, 1943, he fought on the Southern Front as part of the regiment, a participant in the liberation of Donbass and the battle for the Dnieper. Already by September 4, 1943, he completed 53 sorties, shot down 9 enemy aircraft in 14 air battles. In total, from August 1942 to September 1943, he made 310 sorties, conducted 84 air battles, he personally shot down 14 and in a group of 19 enemy aircraft. In air battles in the Zaporozhye region, near the city of Osipenko (now Berdyansk) and in the area of Bolshoi Tokmak (now the city of Tokmak), Klubov shot down three Junkers during one sortie. In the first case – three “Ju-87”, and in the second – three “Ju-88”.
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 13, 1944, for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command on the front of the struggle against the German invaders and the courage and heroism of the guard shown at the same time, Captain Klubov Alexander Fedorovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal ( No. 1320).
From September 4 to October 20, 1943, Klubov completed 35 sorties, personally shot down 3 enemy aircraft in 4 battles. From October 1943, the regiment fought as part of the 4th Ukrainian Front, performing the tasks of covering the Soviet troops on the Sivash bridgeheads in the Crimea and blocking enemy air communications between the Crimea and Romania. By February 1944, he completed 63 sorties there, shot down 2 enemy aircraft in 5 battles.
After a short rest from February to May 1944, the regiment returned to the front again, now to the 2nd Ukrainian Front, at the same time A.F. Klubov was appointed commander of the 3rd squadron of the regiment. During this period, he took part in tense air battles over the Moldavian SSR and the eastern regions of Romania, often referred to in Western historical literature as “the battle for the Focsha gates to Romania.” This battle, in scale not inferior to the legendary air battle over the Kuban, but undeservedly forgotten in the USSR, was won by Soviet pilots. In these battles, from May to July 1944, the Commander of the Clubs flew 30 sorties in the Airacobra fighter and shot down 9 German and Romanian aircraft in 12 air battles.
On May 10, 1944, in a quarrel, he wounded a mechanic from a neighboring air regiment with a pistol. At the request of A. I. Pokryshkin and other commanders, the punishment was mitigated as much as possible. By the verdict of the military tribunal, A.F. Klubov was sentenced to 6 years of corrective labor with serving the sentence in units of the army in the field. Then he was expelled from the CPSU (b).
From July 1944 he fought as part of a regiment on the 1st Ukrainian Front. Member of the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation and the battle for the Sandomierz bridgehead, personally shot down 3 enemy planes in 19 sorties and 4 battles.
