Safonov, Boris Feoktistovich

Boris Safonov was born on August 26, 1915 (August 13 according to the old calendar ) in the village of Sinyavino , now in the Plavsky district of the Tula region . After graduating with honors from the seven-year plan, he entered the Tula Railway School of FZU , in 1930 joined the Komsomol , was engaged in a glider school. Among the best cadets he was enrolled in the school of Osoaviahim , where his instructor was Valentina Grizodubova , who later became the Hero of the Soviet Union.

In the summer of 1933, after the successful completion of the flying club, Safonov went to study at the first military school for them. A.F. Myasnikov ( Kacha ), then after its completion in November 1934 - a pilot in the 7th separate aviation squadron named after Dzerzhinsky 2nd Air Brigade of the Belarusian Military District (later - the 106th Fighter Air Squadron named after Dzerzhinsky, and then the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky ). When the question arose of choosing a further duty station, Safonov immediately signed up for the North and at the end of December 1939, as part of the 2nd air squadron of the 15th IAP, arrived in the Northern Fleet . The squadron became part of the newly formed 72nd mixed air regiment of the Air Force of the SF , where the young lieutenant Safonov was appointed to the post of flight commander of the 1st fighter squadron flying on I-15bis aircraft .

The 72nd mixed air regiment of the Russian Air Force, including its 1st squadron, in which B.F.Safonov served, took an active part in the hostilities in the Petsama direction, raiding enemy targets during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 years . Mostly, sorties were aerial reconnaissance due to the almost complete absence of the Finnish Air Force and Air Defense in the region.

On April 29, 1941, on the basis of four I-16 fighters just received from the Gorky Plant No. 21 , the 4th fighter squadron was formed in the regiment, led by Senior Lieutenant Safonov.

With the outbreak of World War II, he distinguished himself in air battles with the Luftwaffe . By early January 1942, B. F. Safonov was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner (July 14 and November 8, 1941). September 15, 1941 seven fighters led by Safonov entered the battle with 52 enemy vehicles. The result of the battle was 13 enemy aircraft shot down, and our seven returned to their airfield without loss. On September 16 of the same year, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. A month later, the Air Force command entrusted Major Safonov with the newly formed 78th fighter regiment , equipped with British Hawker Hurricane aircraft ^[2] . On January 15, 1942, B. F. Safonov was awarded the third Order of the Red Banner, and in early March 1942, four North Sea pilots (including B. F. Safonov) for cooperation in the framework of Operation Benedict to equip the Soviet Air Force with British aircraft ^[3] , the head of the British mission, Lieutenant General McFarlan handed the highest aviation order of Great Britain - the Cross "For Outstanding Merit".

On May 30, 1942, Lieutenant Colonel B.F. Safonov, already a commander of the 2nd Guards Mixed Red Banner Air Force Regiment of the Northern Fleet , flew out at the head of the fighter link to cover the caravan of PQ-16 ships going to Murmansk . During the battle with superior enemy forces, the link broke up, and Boris Safonov was left alone. He broadcast on the radio that he had shot down three Yu-88 bombers , after which communication with him was cut off. His last words were: "The motor is knocked down, I go to the compelled . " The exact cause of the death of Safonov is unknown. According to one version (later declared official), his "Kittyhawk" crashed due to engine problems. It is also possible that Safonov’s plane was shot down by the defensive fire of bombers, which was recorded in the operational summary of the 2nd GKAP on May 30. Sailors from one of the ships saw how a single Kittyhaw moved into a steep peak, crashed into water and quickly sank.

In total, during the hostilities Boris Safonov made 234 sorties, personally shot down 20 enemy aircraft (including 6 presumably) and 5 in the group.

On June 14, 1942, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Decree on awarding B. F. Safonov the second Golden Star medal. It should be noted that the presentation for the award was sent before the death of Safonov ^[1] . An exceptional event occurred: for the first time during the Great Patriotic War, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was re-awarded. In 1943, the first bust of the hero was installed in the village of Vaenga (now - the city of Severomorsk) ^[4] .

Total air victories (personal + group): 20 + 5 (of which 6 + 0 are presumably shot down).
Sorties: 234.

• Order of the Red Banner ( July 14, 1941 );
• Gold Star medal for the title Hero of the Soviet Union ( September 16, 1941 ) ^{[8] [9]} ;
• Order of Lenin ( September 16, 1941 );
• Order of the Red Banner ( November 8, 1941 ) ^{[10] [11]} ;
• Order of the Red Banner ( January 15, 1942 ) ^{[12] [13]} ;
• Cross “For Outstanding Merit” [Great Britain] ( March 19, 1942 );
• The Gold Star Medal for the title of Twice Hero of the Soviet Union ( June 14, 1942 ) ^[14] .

• The name of Safonov is the 2nd Guards Fighter Pechenga Red Banner Aviation Regiment named after B. F. Safonov of the Air Force of the Northern Fleet .
• - the place of death of B. F. Safonov in the Barents Sea. In 2018, sailors of the Northern Fleet intend to find Boris Safonov's plane.
• The name of the hero named the village in the Murmansk region - the village of Safonovo . The bust of B. F. Safonov, among the 53 North Sea pilots awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union , is installed in the village. Safonovo on the Alley of Heroes near the SF Air Force Museum .
• Hero’s busts were installed in Severomorsk , at the Severomorsk-1 airfield , in Murmansk and Plavsk (near secondary school No. 2, opposite the Moscow-Crimea federal highway ).
• The name of the North Sea pilot was given to streets and squares in the cities of Vladivostok , Nizhny Novgorod ( Avtozavodsky district ), Krasnodar , Severomorsk, Murmansk, Samara , Zapolyarny , Tula ( Privokzalny district ), educational institutions in Murmansk, Monchegorsk (school number 10), Plavsk (Plavskaya secondary school No. 1), Tula (vocational school No. 9), Ust-Kamenogorsk .
• In the Plavsky secondary school No. 1 named after B.F. Safonov, there is a museum in memory of the hero, which contains books, documents, personal belongings of B.F. Safonov.
• The I-16 aircraft , on which B. F. Safonov flew, is on display at the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg .
• The name of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Feoktistovich Safonov was assigned to the MiG-31 aircraft (board number 08) of the 174th Guards Red Banner Pechenga Fighter Aviation Regiment named after B. F. Safonov. In 2006, after the regiment was disbanded, this aircraft was donated to the Museum of the Air Force of the Northern Fleet and installed on a pedestal near one of the administrative buildings in the village of Safonovo.
• The bust of B.F.Safonov was installed in the military garrison near Vologda , the village of Fedotovo .
• In 2015, the Russian Post issued a postage stamp in small sheet format and a postal envelope dedicated to Safonov.
• The name "Boris Safonov" was carried by two minesweepers of the USSR Navy: project 254 (1953-1960) and project 266 (1966-1994).
• By decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in 2005, a separate naval fighter naval regiment (279th OKIAP) was named twice the Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Safonov.

• List of aces pilots of World War II .

• Khametov M. I. In the sky of the Arctic : On twice Hero of the Soviet Union B. F. Safonov. - 2nd ed., Ext. - M .: Politizdat , 1987. - 108, [2] p., [4] p. silt - ( Heroes of the Soviet Motherland ). - 200,000 copies.
• Boyko V.S. Wings of the Northern Fleet. - Murmansk: Murmansk book publishing house, 1976. - 317 p.
• Gerasimenko D. Ya. , Kolker I.I. , Nekhoroshkov F.A. Glorious by the Heroes of the Northern Fleet: it is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi invaders in the Arctic. - Murmansk: Murmansk book publishing house, 1974. - 208 p.
• Golovko A.G. Together with the fleet . - 3rd ed. - M .: Finance and statistics , 1984. - 287 p. - (War memoirs). - 200,000 copies.
• Kozlov I.A. , Shlomin V.S. Red Banner Northern Fleet. - M .: Military Publishing , 1983 .-- 296 p.
• Pikul V. S. Requiem Caravan PQ-17 ; Boys with bows / comp., Comment. A.I. Pikul. - M .: Veche , 2008. - 507, [2] p. - (Library of Valentin Pikul). - ISBN 978-5-9533-3237-8 .
• Sorokin A.A. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Feoktistovich Safonov // Russian calendar of significant dates. - M .: Soviet Russia , May 1992. - S. 48-49.
• Chaldey E. A. From Murmansk to Berlin: photo album / foreword. K.M.Simonova . - Murmansk: Murmansk book publishing house, 1984. - 96 p.
• Lavrentiev N. M. Aviation of the Navy in the Great Patriotic War / N. M. Lavrentiev; R. S. Demidov, L. A. Kucherenko, Yu. V. Khramov. - M .: Military Publishing , 1983 .-- 183 p.

• Safonov, Boris Feoktistovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ".
• B. F. Safonov (neopr.) (Inaccessible link) . The site of the 174th Guards Red Banner Pechenga Fighter Aviation Regiment named after B. F. Safonov. Date of treatment February 15, 2017. Archived November 5, 2004.
• Andrey Sorokin. Air Force Museum of the Northern Fleet (neopr.) . Photo album about the history of the Museum of the Air Force of the Northern Fleet . The social network " My world@mail.ru ". Date of treatment March 25, 2016.