Smirnov, Alexey Semenovich

Born on February 7, 1917 in the village of Pal'tsevo, Tver province ^[1] in a peasant family. By nationality - Karelian . Member of the CPSU (b) ( CPSU ) since 1941 . He graduated from junior high school, worked as a mechanic at the Kalinin railway station.

In the Red Army since 1938 . In the same year he graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation Pilot School , and since December 1938 - a pilot in the aviation units of the Moscow and then Leningrad military districts . Member of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941 ( junior lieutenant ) - as a unit commander and deputy squadron commander on the Leningrad , Volkhov , Voronezh , Northwestern and Kalinin fronts .

By August 1943, the deputy squadron commander of the 28th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Division , 6th Air Army , North-Western Front ) of the Guard Captain A. S. Smirnov made 312 sorties, shot down in 39 air battles 13 enemy aircraft.

Since October 1943, Major A.S. Smirnov, squadron commander of the 28th Guards Fighter Air Regiment ( 5th Guards Fighter Air Division , 11th Fighter Air Corps , 3rd Air Army ) on the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts . By September 1944, he made 396 sorties, personally shot down 31 and in the group 1 enemy aircraft.

Since January 1945, A.S.Smirnov fought as deputy commander of a guards fighter aviation regiment on the 3rd Belorussian Front .

Showing high flying skills and creativity in air battle tactics, A. S. Smirnov during the war years made 457 sorties, conducted 72 air battles with the enemy, shot down 35 enemy aircraft personally and 1 in the group ^[2] (only 34 are usually indicated in the literature ace personal victories).

After the Guard War, Lieutenant Colonel A. Smirnov commanded an aviation regiment. In 1947 he graduated from the Higher Flight Tactical Improvement Courses for Officers. Since 1950, he has been a senior instructor pilot in the technique of piloting the Air Force of the Moscow Military District . In 1952 he was awarded the military rank of colonel . Since 1954 - in stock. He lived in Moscow . He worked as a projectionist at the film library of the Leningrad region . He worked as a movie mechanic at school No. 144 of the Leningradsky district of Moscow (Novopeschanaya street, house 15). He was not tall, and, according to contemporaries, was a very modest person. He died on August 7, 1987 . He was buried in Moscow at the Kuntsevsky cemetery .

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 28, 1943, for combat feats and courage and bravery, Smirnov Alexei Semenovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Gold Star medal (No. 1213).

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 23, 1945, for the successful command of the squadron and for the courage and bravery shown in air battles in Belarus and in East Prussia, Smirnov Aleksey Semenovich was awarded the second Gold Star medal (No. 4182).

Awarded:

• two orders of Lenin ;
• five orders of the Red Banner ;
• Order of Alexander Nevsky ;
• two orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree;
• Order of the Red Star ;
• medals.

• A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union A.S. Smirnov is installed in the village of Rameshki, Tver Region .
• His sculptural portrait was created by Nikolai Tomsky .
• In the State Tretyakov Gallery there is a bust of A. S. Smirnov by Nikolai Tomsky .

• List of aces pilots of World War II

• The Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945 : Encyclopedia / Ed. M. M. Kozlova . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1985. - S. 656. - 500 000 copies.

Smirnov, Alexey Semenovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ".

• Grave at the Kuntsevo cemetery, Uch. 9 .