Evstigneev Kirill Alekseevich

Born on February 4 (17), 1917 in the village of Khokhly (now the Shumikhinsky district of the Kurgan region). In 1932-1934. lived in the village of Maloye Dyuryagino (now the Shumikhinsky district) and at the place of work of his father in the Kirov region, since 1934 – in the village of Shumikha (now the city of the Kurgan region). In 1935, after graduating from the 7th grade of the school, he left for Chelyabinsk and entered the school of the FZU of the tractor plant, which he graduated the following year. In 1936-1938. worked at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant as a metal turner and adjuster of automatic lathes. There he was invited to the Chelyabinsk flying club, from which he graduated in 1938. Since September 1938 in the ranks of the Red Army. In 1939 he graduated from the regimental school. Until April 1940, he served as a squad leader and assistant platoon commander at the 51st Aviation Base (in the Far East). In January 1941 he graduated from the Burmese Military Aviation Pilot School and was left there as an instructor pilot. In August 1941, together with the school, he was transferred from the Seryshevsky district of the Amur region to the city of Leninsk-Kuznetsky (now the Kemerovo region), and in June 1942 – to the city of Chernogorsk (Khakassia). He flew on the I-16 and UTI-4.

At the end of 1942, he was sent to Moscow, at the disposal of the General Staff of the Air Force of the KA for the distillation of American Airacobra aircraft supplied under Lend-Lease from America. In Moscow, K. A. Evstigneev managed, after meeting with the famous pilot I. S. Soldatenko, to get sent to the front. Since November 1942 – a pilot of the 240th IAP, who at that time was re-forming in the 2nd and 14th ZIAP (at the Seima station and in the city of Ivanovo).

On March 17, 1943, Sergeant K. A. Evstigneev was on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War as part of the 240th IAP (on July 2, 1944, it was transformed into the 178th Guards IAP). I flew on La-5. In less than 8 months of combat work, he rose in position from an ordinary pilot to a squadron commander.

On July 18, 1943, for performing 70 sorties and participating in 18 air battles, in which he personally shot down 10 and as part of a group of 2 enemy aircraft (according to award documents), the flight commander of the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment (302nd IAD, 4th th IAK, 2nd VA, Voronezh Front), junior lieutenant K. A. Evstigneev was introduced to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The submission was signed by all the commanders up to the front commander N. F. Vatutin. However, the Air Force Headquarters decided otherwise, and K. A. Evstigneev was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 3rd degree.

On August 5, 1943, he was mistakenly shot down by a burst of his Yak-7 over his territory, he himself was wounded in the legs. The plane immediately caught fire. With difficulty, the pilot managed to get out of the car and open the parachute. The injury was very unpleasant. He had to fight to save his left foot, and on the 9th day after his jump, he ran away from the hospital. Having walked along the deserted forest roads on crutches for about 35 kilometers, I went to the airfield of a neighboring regiment.

In mid-August 1943 he was appointed commander of the 2nd squadron. He chose junior lieutenant V.F. as his follower. Mudretsov, for 19 personal victories subsequently awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Paired with him, K. A. Evstigneev made about 200 sorties, personally shot down more than 40 enemy aircraft.

By November 19, 1943, the squadron commander of the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment (302nd IAD, 4th IAK, 5th VA, 2nd Ukrainian Front), Senior Lieutenant K. A. Evstigneev, made 144 sorties, and 53 air In battles, he personally shot down 24 and in a group of 3 enemy aircraft. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 2, 1944, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin (No. 19094) and the Gold Star medal (No. 4039).

In June 1944, given the calm on the front line, he was sent to the hospital to treat an open ulcer. By that time (July 1944), he had personally shot down 45 enemy aircraft. The pilot was awarded an Allied award – the Order of the British Empire, V degree. He spent about 2 months in the hospital, where he was found by the Decree on conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On August 29, 1944, he received the “Gold Star” from the hands of M.I. Kalinin, and the next day he again fled from the hospital to the front.

By October 20, 1944, the squadron commander of the 178th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (14th Guards IAD, 3rd Guards IAK, 5th VA, 2nd Ukrainian Front) Guard Captain K. A. Evstigneev made 227 sorties, conducted 97 air battles, shot down 50 enemy aircraft (47 personally and 3 in the group). By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 23, 1945, he was awarded the title twice Hero of the Soviet Union with the second Gold Star medal (No. 2284).

The pilot finished the war with the rank of Major of the Guards and the position of deputy commander of the 178th Guards IAP for flight. In total, he made 283 sorties, conducted 113 air battles, shot down 52 personally and as part of a group of 3 enemy aircraft. He fought on the Voronezh, Steppe and 2nd Ukrainian fronts. Participated in the Battle of Kursk, Belgorod-Kharkov and Sumy-Priluki operations, the battle for the Dnieper, Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenko.