Georgi Zakharov
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Army General Georgiy Zakharov
.
Georgi Nefiodovich Zakharov (Russian
: Георгий Нефёдович Захаров; 24 April 1908, Old Semionkin, Samara Oblast
, Russian Empire
- 6 January 1996, Moscow
, Soviet Union
) was a Soviet
Air Force general.
, joining the Communist Party
in 1929. At 1930 he joined the Red Army
, completing pilot training in the 7th Military Flight School at Stalingrad during 1933. Afterwards, he served in the North Caucasus Military District
and in the 36th Aviation Brigade of the Kiev Military District
.
in the fight against Franco
. He arrived in Cartagena
at 20 October 1936, under the alias 'Enrique Lores'. He was soon dispatched to Madrid, that was besieged by the Nationalists. At an air battle on 4 November, while flying an I-15
, he shot down two enemy Fiat CR.32
's. On 9 November, he intercepted a IMAM Ro.37. At 8 December 1936, he accidentally shot down a civilian plane on board of which was the French journalist Louis Delaprée, who was fatally wounded in the incident.
By the end of 1937, Zakharov was recalled to the Soviet Union. Overall, he claimed six solo and four group kills during his tour in Spain. For his accomplishments, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner
and promoted to Captain. After his return, he first served as a test pilot and later as the commander of the 109th Interceptor Flight.
On April 1938, he was assigned to command a detachment of the Soviet Volunteer Group
in China, based in Hankou
, which was supporting the National Revolutionary Army
in the Second Sino-Japanese War
. During his service with the Group, which ended in November, he shot down three Japanese Mitsubishi A5M
's. While flying a captured Mitsubishi to a Soviet airfield, he crashed in a remote region, but rescued later.
and was promoted to Colonel. He was posted as the commander of the Siberian Military District
's air component. On 7 May 1940, he was granted the rank of Major General. On November, he left Siberia to command the 43rd Interceptor Division, that was stationed in Minsk
, at the Western Special Military District
.
On 18 June 1941, Zakharov flew a Polikarpov Po-2
in a special reconnaissance mission over the German lines in the other side of the border. He spotted what he referred to as "an unprecedented German build-up." In an interview, former GRU
Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov claimed that Zakharov's report reached the Kremlin and prompted Joseph Stalin
to order a full alert on the front, but Marshal Dmitry Pavlov
failed to carry out the directive.
was commenced, Zakharov - flying a Polikarpov I-16
- shot down two Ju-88 over Minsk. In November, he was relieved from his position in the 43rd Brigade and sent to the rear, to head the Trans-Baikal Military Flight School in Ulan-Ude
, at Central Asia.
In December 1942 he returned to front duty, and was given command of the 303th Interceptor Division, which was forming in the Kubinka
. He served in that capacity until the end of the war. On April 1943, the 303rd Division was reinforced by the Free French Normandie-Niemen
Squadron.
Zakharov's unit participated in the Battle of Kursk
and provided air support for the 3rd Belorussian Front
during the Battle of Smolensk
and the campaign in Belarus. They later took part in the fighting in Eastern Prussia
.
and the Order of Lenin
. He was later also awarded the Legion d'honneur
(Chevalier) and made an honorary citizen of Paris
.
After the war, Zakharov served in the Far Eastern Military District and in the military aircraft industry. He retired from active service in 1960.
Georgiy Zakharov
Not to be confused with the Red Air Force general Georgi Zakharov.Georgiy Fedotovich Zakharov was a Soviet general officer, mainly notable for his service in World War II.-Early life:...
.
Georgi Nefiodovich Zakharov (Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Георгий Нефёдович Захаров; 24 April 1908, Old Semionkin, Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
- 6 January 1996, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Air Force general.
Early life
Born to a peasant family, Zakharov graduated from an agricultural institute and went to work in a SovkhozSovkhoz
A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
, joining the Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
in 1929. At 1930 he joined the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, completing pilot training in the 7th Military Flight School at Stalingrad during 1933. Afterwards, he served in the North Caucasus Military District
North Caucasus Military District
The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla....
and in the 36th Aviation Brigade of the Kiev Military District
Kiev Military District
The Kiev Military District was a Russian unit of military-administrative division of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Ukrainian Army, RKKA, and Soviet Armed Forces...
.
Spain and China
At late 1936, Zakharov volunteered to assist the Spanish RepublicSpanish Republic
There have been two Spanish Republics:* First Spanish Republic * Second Spanish Republic Spain is not currently a republic, but a constitutional monarchy...
in the fight against Franco
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He arrived in Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
at 20 October 1936, under the alias 'Enrique Lores'. He was soon dispatched to Madrid, that was besieged by the Nationalists. At an air battle on 4 November, while flying an I-15
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
, he shot down two enemy Fiat CR.32
Fiat CR.32
The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. This nimble little Fiat was compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable and gave impressive displays all over Europe in the hands of the Pattuglie Acrobatiche. The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in...
's. On 9 November, he intercepted a IMAM Ro.37. At 8 December 1936, he accidentally shot down a civilian plane on board of which was the French journalist Louis Delaprée, who was fatally wounded in the incident.
By the end of 1937, Zakharov was recalled to the Soviet Union. Overall, he claimed six solo and four group kills during his tour in Spain. For his accomplishments, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner
Order of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
and promoted to Captain. After his return, he first served as a test pilot and later as the commander of the 109th Interceptor Flight.
On April 1938, he was assigned to command a detachment of the Soviet Volunteer Group
Soviet Volunteer Group
The Soviet Volunteer Group was the ostensibly volunteer Soviet Air Forces to support the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War between 1937 and 1941. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed and large Soviet support was given to China by...
in China, based in Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
, which was supporting the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. During his service with the Group, which ended in November, he shot down three Japanese Mitsubishi A5M
Mitsubishi A5M
The Mitsubishi A5M, Japanese Navy designation was "Type 96 carrier-based fighter" was a Japanese carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was the world's first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct ancestor of the famous Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero'...
's. While flying a captured Mitsubishi to a Soviet airfield, he crashed in a remote region, but rescued later.
1939-1941
During 1939, Zakharov graduated from a course in the General Staff AcademyGeneral Staff Academy (Russia)
The General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was founded in 1936 in Moscow by Leonid Govorov. It was the senior Soviet and now Russian professional school for officers....
and was promoted to Colonel. He was posted as the commander of the Siberian Military District
Siberian Military District
The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.- History :...
's air component. On 7 May 1940, he was granted the rank of Major General. On November, he left Siberia to command the 43rd Interceptor Division, that was stationed in Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, at the Western Special Military District
Belorussian Military District
The Byelorussian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces. Originally in the times of Russian Civil War it formed as the Western Front, and in April 1924 it was renamed to the Western Military District. In October 1926 it was redesignated the Belorussian Military...
.
On 18 June 1941, Zakharov flew a Polikarpov Po-2
Polikarpov Po-2
The Polikarpov Po-2 served as a general-purpose Soviet biplane, nicknamed Kukuruznik for maize; thus, 'maize duster' or 'crop duster'), NATO reporting name "Mule"...
in a special reconnaissance mission over the German lines in the other side of the border. He spotted what he referred to as "an unprecedented German build-up." In an interview, former GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov claimed that Zakharov's report reached the Kremlin and prompted Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
to order a full alert on the front, but Marshal Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov was a Soviet general who commanded the key Soviet Western Front during the initial days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, or Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941. After his forces were heavily defeated in the first days of the campaign, he was relieved of his...
failed to carry out the directive.
World War II
At 22 June, when Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
was commenced, Zakharov - flying a Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
- shot down two Ju-88 over Minsk. In November, he was relieved from his position in the 43rd Brigade and sent to the rear, to head the Trans-Baikal Military Flight School in Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga...
, at Central Asia.
In December 1942 he returned to front duty, and was given command of the 303th Interceptor Division, which was forming in the Kubinka
Kubinka (air base)
Kubinka is an air base in Moscow Oblast, Russia located 5 km northwest of Kubinka. In close proximity to Moscow, the Kubinka facility showcases the best of the Russian Air Force to the general public....
. He served in that capacity until the end of the war. On April 1943, the 303rd Division was reinforced by the Free French Normandie-Niemen
Normandie-Niemen
The Normandie-Niemen Regiment was a fighter squadron, later regiment of the French Air Force. It served on the Eastern Front of the European Theatre of World War II with the 1st Air Army...
Squadron.
Zakharov's unit participated in the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
and provided air support for the 3rd Belorussian Front
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
during the Battle of Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1943)
The second Battle of Smolensk was a Soviet strategic offensive operation conducted by the Red Army as part of the Summer-Autumn Campaign of 1943...
and the campaign in Belarus. They later took part in the fighting in Eastern Prussia
East Prussian Offensive
The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May...
.
Later years
During the Great Patriotic War, Zakhrov had personally flown 153 sorties, participated in 48 air battles and shot down ten enemy aircraft. For his "outstanding command and personal bravery", Major General of the Aviation Zakharov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet UnionHero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
and the Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
. He was later also awarded the Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(Chevalier) and made an honorary citizen of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
After the war, Zakharov served in the Far Eastern Military District and in the military aircraft industry. He retired from active service in 1960.
External links
- Georgi Zakharov on Generals.dk.