Soviet Recon and fighter pilot group

[Mondvor]

Hello everyone,

Nice to meet you I'm a freshman here. Want to show an interesting group of military aviator, who was awarded with two Red Banners and some other amazing awards. Sorry for my English, this is not my native language.

First is an Order Book.

[Mondvor]

Second page.

[Mondvor]

His first award - obverse.

[Mondvor]

Red Star reverse.

[Mondvor]

Award citation for Red Star

Name: Kravtsov Dmitrij Afanasyevich

Military Rank: Leitenant (corresponding to 2nd leitenant in US Military Forces).

Position: 172nd mixed air regiment, pilot

Born: 1918

Nationality: Belorus

In Red Army: since 1939

Party membership: member of VLKSM (Young Communist League) since 1939

Participation in war: in Great Patriotic War since February 1942

Wounds or contusions: none

Previous awards: not awarded before

From what Military Registration Office was recruited: entered voluntarily in a pilots school

Home address: Mogilevsky oblast, Kostrikovsky region, village Zelenkovitchi

Short description of merits:

During his military career accomplished 49 battle sorties, mostly for aerial reconnaissance of enemy troops locations and for photographing of enemy's front lines. While in recon missions, always finds weak points in enemy defence lines and releases his bomb-load on those points, eliminating enemy infantry units. On a period from July 10 to July 15, 1942 participated in field operations of the units of 43rd Army. He was bombing villages Stepaniki, Zhary and collective-farm "Krasnij Octyabr" ("Red October").

Deserves a state award - order of Red Star.

Commander of 172nd mixed air regiment Podpolkovnik (Lt. Colonel) Kogrushev

Political commissar of 172nd mixed air regiment Senior Battalion Commissar Kubarev

August 3, 1942

(to be continued)

[Gerd Becker]

Welcome to this forum, Andrew I am glad, you joined. You will like it here.

That is a very nice group, thanks for sharing. Any chance of a picture of the complete group (especially the Red Banners)?

all the best,

Gerd

[Mondvor]

Hi Gerd,

Yes, the group is complete and nothing is missing. I'll add more pictures soon, maybe this evening. It takes me some time to reduce the size of the images and translate award citations

Best regards,

Andrew.

[NavyFCO]

And what's the story with the red four-leaf clover in the order book?!?!?!

[Mondvor]

Sorry about that red clover mark. This way I mark all images, that I have made personally on my scanner. I receive lots of images every day with an email, sometimes dozens a day. And to distinguish my images from the others I use this kind of marking.

[Guest Darrell]

Sorry about that red clover mark. This way I mark all images, that I have made personally on my scanner. I receive lots of images every day with an email, sometimes dozens a day. And to distinguish my images from the others I use this kind of marking.

Cool ... I didn't even notice the red clover

[Stogieman]

Welcome Andrew! I too would love to see the full group when you can! Thanks! Rick

[Mondvor]

Here comes his second award - Red Banner. This time is for real action and shooting down some German planes. I'll try to post citation this evening, now have to go and celebrate Easter.

Edited April 23, 2006 by MONDVOR

[Mondvor]

Reverse

[Gerd Becker]

Oh, now i see, its the one, pictured on your website. Beautiful example

Gentlemen, i would like to recommend to everyone again (not sure, if have done yet) Andrew?s and Igor Pak?s website www.mondvor.narod.ru ,a fantatstic and very up to date reference for soviet orders and medals. You can see some great orders and medals over there and if you are able to read russian, there is a lot of information to find.

[Guest Rick Research]

Wow! What a GREAT flying career group! Do you have a photo of him from his personnel records? That Red Banner "2" must have been one of the very last 20 years service awards from 1957--

so he was still in the air force then.

I look forward to the rest of his story.

Yoiur scans are also perfect, by the way!

[Mondvor]

Here is a citation for Kravtsov's Red Banner

Award citation for Red Banner

Name: Kravtsov Dmitrij Afanasyevich

Military Rank: Senior Lieutenant (corresponding to 1st lieutenant in US Military Forces).

Position: 172nd Fighter Air Regiment, flight commander (at the beginning of the war typical Russian flight included 3 planes, later Russians switched to German model of 4 planes flight structure).

Born: 1918

Nationality: Belorus

In Red Army: since 1938

Party membership: Communist Party candidate since 1942

Participation in war: in Great Patriotic War since June 22, 1941

Wounds or contusions: none

Previous awards: Red Star order on October 30, 1942

From what Military Registration Office was recruited: entered voluntarily in a pilots school

Home address: Polevaya Pochta (Field Army Post Office) 29603

Short description of merits:

During Great Patriotic War accomplished 175 battle sorties against German invaders. Most sorties were made for aerial visual and photo reconnaissance (68) and for providing cover to our ground-attack planes (28). Participated in 12 air fights ? personally shot down 4 enemy Ju-88 planes and together with other pilots shot down 2 Fw-189 planes. During air combat missions he fights until all his guns are empty, always helps his flight comrades. On October 30, 1942 he was awarded with Red Star order for 113 successfully accomplished missions. After receiving this award he made 62 more battle sorties for photo reconnaissance and for providing cover to our ground-attack planes. During March offensive he made 21 battle sorties. On a period from May 5 to May 14 accomplished 17 flights to provide air-cover to our Il-2 ground-attack planes. Participated in 3 air fights cutting-off German fighters from our bombers. All missions were successful, our attack planes returned to their base without losses.

His flight is well prepared and didn?t loose single plane since the beginning of 1943. Technical personnel of his flight unit is also doing highly professional job while preparing the planes for combat missions. His flight unit is holding the first place in the whole air regiment by the level of combat and technical skills, demonstrated by personnel. Because of that his flight was able to perform 3 to 4 sorties a day during last operation.

On May 8, 1943 he received an order to provide a cover for 4 Il-2 attack planes together with the fighters of 162nd Fighter Air Regiment. But pilots of 162nd FAR didn?t find attack planes, so comrade Kravtsov defended Il-4 planes only by himself and his second wingman. All attack planes returned safely to their base.

Kravtsov is well determined and vigorous commander, who is able to carry out any order even in a bad weather conditions. He demonstrated an excellent job, especially on covering our ground-attack planes on a period from May 5 to May 14, 1943 while they were striking enemy air fields and communications.

For excellent execution of combat missions for defending our attack planes he deserves a state award - order of Red Banner.

Commander of 172nd Fighter Air Regiment Major Samohvalov

May 16, 1943

[Mondvor]

Second page

[Stogieman]

Fantastic citation. A real fighter he was!

[Mondvor]

This is Kravtsov?s personal record card:

Jan. 7, 1939 ? cadet in Odessa Military Pilot School.

Nov. 19, 1940 ? pilot of 163rd Fighter Air Regiment, 43rd Fighter Air Division, Western Military District

Jul. 14, 1941 ? pilot of 4th Reserve Fighter Air Regiment, Western Front

Feb. 24, 1942 ? pilot of 3rd Independent Reconnaissance Air Regiment, Western Front

May 20, 1942 ? pilot of 172nd Mixed Air Regiment, Western Front

Sep. 15, 1942 ? flight commander in 172nd Fighter Air Regiment, 1st Air Army, Western Front

May 15, 1943 ? student in Special Training Course of Red Army Air Force

Dec. 2, 1943 ? student in Volsk High Tactical Officer School

May 3, 1945 ? squadron commander in 14th Fighter Air Regiment, 296th Fighter Air Division, 11th Air Army, Far Eastern Front

Mar. 14, 1948 ? control flight commander in 83rd Bomber Air Division, 18th Air Corps, 10th Air Army

Sep. 24, 1951 ? assistant commander of 104th Independent Special Air Squadron, 34th Air Army, Transcaucasian Military District

Oct. 2, 1954 - commander of 104th Independent Special Air Squadron, 34th Air Army, Transcaucasian Military District

Dec. 30, 1955 ? unit commander in 193rd Mixed Air Squadron, 34th Air Army, Transcaucasian Military District

Oct. 9, 1957 ? received a degree ?Military Pilot 3rd class?

Jun. 24, 1959 - received a degree ?Military Pilot 2nd class?

Aug. 9, 1960 ? commander of 62nd Independent Helicopter Squadron, 34th Air Army

Dec. 18, 1962 ? transferred to reserve with a right of wearing military uniform. Registered in Minsk military registration office.

So that was the end of his military career. He retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel.

By some reason, after he received his Red Banner, he was sent to Military Officer Tactic School. Maybe his high commanders considered him to be a perspective and promising officer. Well, I don't know. But I know for sure that sending him to school gave him a chance to survive in that terrible war. In 1945 he also participated in the war with Japan on Far Eastern front and even was awarded with 2nd class Patriotic War order (I do not have a citation so far, people are looking for it).

[Mondvor]

To Rick:

Unfortunately I don't have Kravtsov's full-size photo among his records. All I have is his small 3X4 black and white xerox copy picture attached to the record card. Here it is in a closer look. Pre 1943 uniform with Voroshilov Marksman badge.

[Mondvor]

Another part of his personal record card.

We can see that he joined Communist Party in 1943.

Rank list:

Junior llieutenant - 1940

Lieutenant - 1942

Senior lieutenant - 1942

Captain - 1944

Major - 1948

Lt. Colonel - 1960

He was in combat on Western Front from June 25, 1941 to July 14, 1941 and from Feb. 24, 1942 to May 15, 1943.

He was fighting in war with Japan from Aug. 9, 1945 to Sep. 3, 1945

He had wife and daughter, who was born in 1950.

[Mondvor]

Award registration card, Part 1

[Mondvor]

Second part

[Mondvor]

His GPW for war with Japan

[Mondvor]

Reverse of GPW.

I would add his post-war awards for long service tomorrow, it's time to sleep for me

Edited April 24, 2006 by MONDVOR