Udachin, Vasily Vasilievich

Born on January 16, 1923 in the village of Kostemerevo now Skopinsky district of the Ryazan region . Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1943. He graduated from two courses at the Moscow Petroleum College.

In 1940, drafted into the Red Army by the Red Guards RVC in Moscow . In 1941 he graduated from the Balashov Military Aviation Pilot School.

In the battles of World War II from November 1942. March 7, 1943 VV Udachin in a group of eight IL-2 bombarded enemy aircraft at Soltsi airfield. Despite the hurricane fire of the enemy anti-aircraft artillery, the group made two calls and, having no losses, destroyed 13 enemy aircraft, 3 cars, more than 10 soldiers and officers from the service personnel and crushed up to 2 anti-aircraft artillery batteries. During this attack, V.V. Udachin personally, by direct hit, destroyed two Junkers-87 aircraft.

March 14, 1943 VV Udachin in a group of seven IL-2 attacked a cluster of infantry and artillery of the enemy at the points of Gushchino and the northern outskirts of Staraya Russa. At the second approach, our pilots were attacked by four Fokke-Wulf-190. An air battle ensued. V.V.Udachin, showing exceptional examples of courage and selflessness, protecting the leader from the impending vultures, shot down the Fokke-Wulf-190. The fall of the burning Fokke Wulf-190 was confirmed by the crews of IL-2 and the crews of the accompanying fighters. On November 15, 1943, two Il-2s, the leading guard Lieutenant V.V. Udachin, reconnoitered the enemy’s front line on the Staraya Russa-Shimsk road section. Having made excellent reconnaissance and photographed its results, when they returned home they fired at the cars and carts of the enemy and destroyed 3 cars with cargo, 2 carts and up to 15 soldiers and officers of the enemy.

On July 19, 1944, a group of five Il-2s, the leading guard Lieutenant V.V. Udachin, stormed the crossing two kilometers south of Bystroka and the enemy’s small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery covering it. Despite the strong fire of anti-aircraft guns, the crossing was destroyed, the fire of one battery of small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery was suppressed, and a large force explosion was caused on the western bank of the Western Bug River. When moving away from the target, our pilots were attacked by six Fokke-Wulf-190. Thanks to the master’s skill and composure, the group, without losing a single plane, shot down two Fokke-Wulf-190 planes and one plane was shot down.

Towards the end of the war, the deputy squadron commander of the 33rd Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the Guard, Senior Lieutenant V.V. Udachin, made 111 sorties to attack the enemy troops, of which 28 were the leading group and 11 reconnaissance rear reconnaissance missions as the leading pair. For 111 sorties, V. V. Udachin personally destroyed 1 aircraft in the air, 2 aircraft on the ground, 9 tanks, 1 steam locomotive, 24 wagons with cargo, 53 vehicles with cargo, 10 wagons with cargo, 1 bunker, 14 fortified points, 2 motor transporters, 3 gas tanks, 19 horses, 10 mortars, 38 guns of various calibers, 2 warehouses with ammunition, over 320 enemy soldiers and officers. Caused 4 explosions of great strength, created 12 fires. In the group destroyed 2 railway bridges and 2 crossings. The link during his command made 397 successful sorties.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 15, 1946, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command and the courage and heroism of the guard shown, Senior Lieutenant Vasily Vasilievich Udachin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal .

After the end of World War II, he continued to serve in the Air Force of the USSR. In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Officer Flight Tactical Courses, in 1954 - the Military-Political Academy. Since 1958, Colonel V.V. Udachin is in stock. He lived in Odessa, worked as an airport dispatcher. Died April 26, 1980. He was buried in Odessa at the Tairovsky cemetery.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin , three orders of the Red Banner , orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Red Star , and medals.

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1988. - T. 2 / Love - Yashchuk /. - 863 s. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-203-00536-2 .

Vasily Vasilievich Udachin (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ". Date of treatment July 9, 2014.