JimZ

So to answer the main question, this would be Alexey Petrovich Maresyev. Info from wiki follows: Alexey Petrovich Maresyev (Russian: Алексе́й Петро́вич Маре́сьев; May 20, 1916 – May 19, 2001) was a Soviet fighter ace during World War II. He was born in Kamyshin. Before joining the army in 1937, Maresyev worked as a turner and then participated in the construction of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. In 1940, he graduated from Bataysk Military School of Aviation. He began his flights as a fighter pilot in August 1941. He had shot down four German aircraft by March 1942, but on 4 April 1942 his Polikarpov I-16 was shot down near Staraya Russa, then occupied by Nazi Germany. Despite being badly injured, Alexey managed to return to the Soviet-controlled territory on his own. During his 18-day long journey, his injuries deteriorated so badly that both of his legs had to be amputated below the knee. Desperate to return to his fighter pilot career, he subjected himself to near a year of exercise to master the control of his prosthetic devices, and succeeded at that, returning to flying in June 1943. During a dog fight in August 1943, he shot down three German FW-190 fighters. In total, he completed 86 combat flights and shot down 11 German warplanes. He was awarded the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (August 24, 1943), the highest military decoration of the USSR. In 1944, Maresyev joined the Communist Party and two years later retired from the army. In 1952, Maresyev graduated from the Higher Party School. In 1956, he obtained a Ph.D. in History, and started working in the Soviet War Veterans Committee. Eventually he became a member of Supreme Soviet. Maresyev was awarded the Order of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Order of the Red Star, and numerous medals. He died of a heart attack May 19, 2001, just an hour ahead of his official 85th birthday celebration. His story became the basis for a novel by Boris Polevoy, Story of a Real Man, and subsequent film, where his name is changed to Meresyev. The novel was the basis of Sergei Prokofiev's last opera, The Story of a Real Man

Hi Valter....what's the question though? Can you edit in your post :-) Jim :cheers:

Hi Dan, I think all questions have been answered..... just in case you missed some posts!! :-) When you passed on the challenge to WIndu, he really gave us a good run for our money!! Now we're awaiting Valtur to post the next one.... he missed giving the answer to Windu's question by mere minutes with Harvey just beating him. Windu got the next question which he passed on to Valtur. So hopefully, there will be a fresh new challenge coming up shortly. Jim :cheers:

A good career indeed Windu! As will be yours if you focus on your last minute studies before your exam Valtur...we're in your hands for the next one. Jim :cheers:

Good luck with the exam Windu ...and thanks for the Batov question. Once we knew who he was it was indeed informative. His group as descrived by Harvey is indeed an impressive one!!! However, be careful when providing info...such as the number of Lenins. Also, could you explain why you said he was a friend of Rokossovsky as i though that was an important hint. I fail to see the link. Valter deserves the honour of asking the next one as he only missed the answer by a few minutes...... We're ready for your question when you are Valter! Jim

Well done Harvey and Valter. However Harvey scored the point on the Batov Question. Also well done Windu on the Zaystev question.... The score is presently as follows with Windu asking question 8. 2 points - Hauptmann (Dan) 2 points - Harvey 1 point - JimZ 1 point - Valter 1 point - kapten_windu As a general rule, please 1) make sure that the question is not hidden away and is in an area of common knowldge. Also 2) when posting pictures try to give some hints other than the picture, unless of course, there is a ribbon bar or a uniform or a location which in itself is a hint.... Remember that any questions that cannot be answered tend to kill of quizes like this (of course - the questions do not have to be easy and its good to sweat a bit to find the answer!!!). As a matter of courtesy, before moving on to the next question, we should always wait for the person asking the last question to confirm the answer, and only move on if there is any delay in confirmation. But well done to all who have participated so far. The Soviet quiz is up and running again :cheers:

Hi Dan, According to wiki: "Sokolovsky was born into a peasant family in Kozliki, a small town in the province of Grodno, near Białystok in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). He worked as a teacher in a rural school, where he took part in a number of protests and demonstrations against the Tsar. He joined the Red Army in February 1918." Places him out of the Red Army in 1915....... Jim :cheers:

OK Guys - lets recap and put all the info together to Windu's "easy" question another clue: in 1915 he enlisted on Russian Army.. One last clue for today: he died far after WW2 ended.. Could virtually be any one of many who fit that profile..... buy its NOT any of the following: Semyon Timoshenko Vasily Ivanovich Chuykov Stanislav Gilyarovich Poplavsky Andrey Ivanovich Yeromenko Alexander Rodimtsev Mikhail Grigorevich Efremov Vasily Ivanovich Kuznetsov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov Anyone got any ideas before Windu has to give some other clue (that's actually a clue and not something so general to keep us chasing our tails ) - we've got a bone to chew on here.... Jim :cheers:

Yes Harvey, in fact that is the same picture that I came across for young Zhukov..... two different people. Any one else have any ideas - according to Windu its easy.......

It cannot be THE Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (born 1 December 1896) can it.... He also joined the Russian Army in 1915, and was promoted to general in 1940, died in 1974. He was also a "friend" of Rokossovsky...and here quote marks are really required in terms of the rivalry between the two!!! Nah why did I bother suggesting...young zhukov looks nothing like our man...... :anmatcat:

Vasily Ivanovich Kuznetsov 15 January 1894 also fits the bill....and again, not sure he was a "friend" of Rokossovsky. Born to a working class family, he was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army at April 1915, taking part in World War I. On March the following year he completed officer training in Kazan, attaining the rank of a Podporuchik at July. On August 1918, after the October Revolution, he joined the Red Army, serving in the Russian Civil War first as a company commander and later as a deputy regimental commander. On October 1923 he was appointed commander of 89th Rifle Regiment. He joined the Communist Party at 1928. During 1929 he undertook advanced officers' training, and graduated from the Frunze Academy at 1936. On October that year he became the 99th Rifle Division's commander. At July the following year, he was transferred to head the 16th Rifle Corps. During September 1939, Komkor Kuznetsov participated in the Invasion of Poland as chief of the Vitebsk and Polotsk Army Groups. on 4 June 1940, with the indroduction of new ranks, he became a Lieutenant General

Not sure the hint makes things any easier and I hope that the person in question is actually reserachable online..... But lets try I am not sure of the link with Rokossovsky as a "friend" - Rokossovsky once commented that he was considered as being Polish by the Russians and Russian by the Poles - perhaps not an ideal situation that led to too many friends. One Lieutenant General Mikhail Grigorevich Efremov however does fits the dates: Born Feb. 27 (Mar. 11), 1897, in Tarusa; died Apr. 19, 1942, near the village of Zhary, Smolensk Oblast. Soviet military leader; lieutenant general (1940). Member of the CPSU from 1919. Born into a worker’s family, Efremov was drafted into the army in 1915. He graduated from a school of ensigns and took part in World War I (1914–18). During the October Revolution he joined the Red Guards and took part in the October armed uprising in Moscow. He joined the Soviet Army in February 1918 and commanded a battalion and a railroad regiment during the defense of Astrakhan. During the Baku operation of 1920 he commanded a detachment of armored trains. At the end of 1920 he became commander of a rifle division. In 1927 he was a military advisor in China. He completed courses at the Military Political Academy in 1930 and graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1933. Subsequently he commanded a corps and the troops of several military districts. In January 1941 he became first deputy inspector general of the infantry of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. During the Great Patriotic War he was commander of troops of the Twenty-first Army (July-August 1941) and of the Central Front and deputy commander of troops of the Briansk Front (August-October 1941). In October 1941 he became commander of the Thirty-third Army. He took an active part in the Battle of Moscow in 1941–42 and in the Viaz’ma operation of 1942. Finding that he and part of the forces of the Thirty-third Army were en-circled, he directed their combat actions in the enemy’s rear and their breaking out of encirclement. He was gravely wounded in combat and, not wanting to be taken prisoner, shot himself. He is buried in Viaz’ma, where a monument by E. V. Vuchetich has been erected in his honor (1946). A deputy to the first convocation of the Supreme Soviet, Efremov was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Red Banner of the Azerbaijan SSR, and a medal.

MMM...tough one windu...we'll wait for a hint...... Jim :cheers:

Which is why I said the dates did not fit in..... :)

Not quite sure he quite fits in with the dates but I'll give it a try any way ... is it Semyon Timoshenko born in 1895? Something about the eyes....but i could find not pics of him as a young soldier so no way of me knowing for certain if this answer is correct.... Jim :cheers:

Congrats Dan, The score is now as follows: SCORE 2 points - Hauptmann (Dan) 1 point - Harvey 1 point - JimZ 1 point - Valter Windu, are you up to question number 6? Regards, Jim :cheers:

Hi Valter, We will await your confirmation before we move on. I learnt something new here too. Does anyone know what awards he may have received? Jim :cheers:

Congrats Valter, Correct answer - Samantha Smith. Thanks for posting the wiki link as background. The score is now as follows: SCORE 1 point - Hauptmann (Dan) 1 point - Harvey 1 point - JimZ 1 point - Valter Valter, will you do us the honour of posting question number 5. Jim :cheers:

QUESTION 4 Who is this girl and what was the question she asked. As additional material, please tell us her story. Good luck! Jim :cheers: