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Double, Triple and Quadruple Heroes
The concept of “twice, thrice, four times Hero” today seems somewhat strange, probably it would be more correct to talk about awarding several Gold Star medals. But this is a fact of our history, and it cannot be bypassed.
For the first time, three pilots became Heroes twice for the feats of arms shown in battles with the Japanese interventionists on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939: Major Sergei Ivanovich Gritsevets and Colonel Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko (Decree of August 29), as well as commander Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich (Decree dated 17 November). The fate of all three was tragic. Continue reading
Koldunov Alexander Ivanovich
Soviet military figure. Chief Air Marshal of the USSR. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, he was one of the best Soviet fighter aces.
Alexander Koldunov was born on September 20, 1923 in the village of Moshchinovo, Smolensk region. He graduated from high school in the city of Elektrougli, Moscow Region. He studied at the flying club in Reutov. Since 1941 in the Workers ‘and Peasants’ Red Army. During the Great Patriotic War in March 1943 he graduated from the Kachin Red Banner Military Aviation School of Myasnikov. Continue reading
Twice heroes of the Soviet Union, fighter pilots Andrei Borovoy and Sergei Lugansky
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Andrey Borovoyy won his first victory in the first battle. But there was also the merit of the aircraft. His “Hurricane”, or as our technicians affectionately called him in the Russian way, “Khariton”, was modernized – four regular wing-mounted Browning machine guns of a 7.7 mm rifle caliber. were replaced by four ShVAK guns of 20 mm caliber. Continue reading
