Pavel Argeyev
Encyclopedia
Capitaine Pavel Vladimirovich Argeyev (March 1, 1887 - October 30, 1922), also known as Paul d'Argueev and The Eagle of Crimea, was a Russian-born flying ace
of World War I
, serving the French Armée de l'Air and Imperial Russian Air Service. Initially a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Army
, he transferred to France where he became an aviator. He received a variety of decorations, both French and Russian, before dying in a flying accident in 1922.
, Crimea
in 1887 to an engineer
of steamships named Vladimir Akimovich Argeyev and his wife, Argeyev graduated from the military academy in Odessa in 1907 and Odessa
College in 1909 and joined the Imperial Russian Army
as a sergeant
in the 184th Reserve Infantry Regiment in Warsaw
, Poland
. He was promoted to lieutenant
in 1912 and transferred to the 29th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, where he was made a lieutenant colonel
.
, Argeyev resigned his Russian commission (after refusing to carry out a punishment on a soldier that he considered undeserved) and moved to France, enlisting in the French Foreign Legion
with the rank of lieutenant
on September 12, 1914. As with many airmen, he chose first to enlist in the infantry. He was assigned to the 131st Infantry Regiment, and participated in the Battle of the Marne
, in which he received a head injury but returned to the front in October. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
, followed by an appointment as a chevalier
of the Legion d'honneur
in May 1915. In the process of winning these honors, Argeyev was wounded thrice, on 23 September 1915, in April 1916, and again on 2 May 1916.
with Escadrille N48, he returned to Russia and was made a Captain of the Imperial Russian Air Service, assigned to the 12th Fighter Detachment on October 20, 1916.
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Argeyev's first victory came four months later, on the morning of January 10, 1917 where he downed an Albatros C.V. An uncredited victory came four months later, on the evening April 8, when he downed a Fokker
near Mitau, in modern-day Latvia
. His second official victory came at 9:45am on April 21, followed by his third on May 6, which he shared with Ernst Leman
and Alexander Kazakov. He downed a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
near Berezhany
, Ukraine
in his Nieuport 17
. He then scored three more victories in three months - an LVG C.II
at Jēkabpils
on May 17, another Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
near Kozova
on June 8, and finally a Rumpler C.I
on June 20. Now he was a flying ace
, having scored more than five victories.
due to the hostile attitudes of the Bolsheviks towards the Tsar's
officer corps. Enlisting once more in the Armée de l'Air, he was assigned to SPA124
, where he would spend the rest of the war.
His first victory came only days after joining the squadron, when he downed an LVG C.II
on June 1, 1918. Now flying a SPAD XIII, within the few months he spent in the French air force, he considerably expanded his victory score.
Now sporting seven credited and one uncredited victory, he added two more on June 14 and 15 when he downed, respectively, a Rumpler C.I
and another two-seater aircraft on successive days. He scored his tenth kill on June 26, another two-seater.
Despite downing no aircraft in July or August, in September 1918 he scored three victories, bringing his total to 13. Firstly, a Fokker D.VII
north of Cerny
on September 27, followed by two kills the day after, two two-seater aircraft near Séchault
at 10:10am and 3:20pm. He again scored a double victory on October 5, albeit one of them uncredited - another two-seater north-east of Autry
at 11:25am. However, he scored a credited victory in downing a Pfalz D.III
at Orfeuil at 6:25pm.
His final victory of the war came on October 30, 1918, only 12 days before the end of the war. He scored a victory against a two-seater aircraft at 3.40pm near Quatre-Champs
. By the end of hostilities, he had scored fifteen credited victories and two uncredited victories, making him Russia's third highest-scoring flying ace
after Alexander Kazakov and Vasili Yanchenko
.
, Czechoslovakia
when his Potez
aircraft crashed in the Sudetes mountains.
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, serving the French Armée de l'Air and Imperial Russian Air Service. Initially a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, he transferred to France where he became an aviator. He received a variety of decorations, both French and Russian, before dying in a flying accident in 1922.
Early life
Born in YaltaYalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
, Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
in 1887 to an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
of steamships named Vladimir Akimovich Argeyev and his wife, Argeyev graduated from the military academy in Odessa in 1907 and Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
College in 1909 and joined the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
as a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the 184th Reserve Infantry Regiment in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. He was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1912 and transferred to the 29th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, where he was made a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Move to France
In 1914, on the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Argeyev resigned his Russian commission (after refusing to carry out a punishment on a soldier that he considered undeserved) and moved to France, enlisting in the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
with the rank of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on September 12, 1914. As with many airmen, he chose first to enlist in the infantry. He was assigned to the 131st Infantry Regiment, and participated in the Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
, in which he received a head injury but returned to the front in October. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, followed by an appointment as a chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of 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...
in May 1915. In the process of winning these honors, Argeyev was wounded thrice, on 23 September 1915, in April 1916, and again on 2 May 1916.
Career as a pilot
In January 1916, having been ruled unfit for infantry service due to his injuries, Argeyev requested a transfer to the Armée de l'Air. After training at Pau, he was enlisted as a pilot on January 30, 1916. After having accumulated flying hours on the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
with Escadrille N48, he returned to Russia and was made a Captain of the Imperial Russian Air Service, assigned to the 12th Fighter Detachment on October 20, 1916.
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
near Mitau, in modern-day Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. His second official victory came at 9:45am on April 21, followed by his third on May 6, which he shared with Ernst Leman
Ernst Leman
Praporshik Ernst Krislanovich Leman was a Russian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Leman enlisted in 1914, but learned to fly a Nieuport only in summer 1916. He scored his first victory in May 1917. After the fifth victory in September, he was severely wounded and was...
and Alexander Kazakov. He downed a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
-See also:-References:# Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X# # # -External links:* ....
near Berezhany
Berezhany
Berezhany is a city located in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Berezhanskyi Raion , and rests about 100 km from Lviv and 50 km from the oblast capital, Ternopil. The city has a population of about 20,000, and is about 400 m above sea level...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in his Nieuport 17
Nieuport 17
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
. He then scored three more victories in three months - an LVG C.II
LVG C.II
|-See also:-References:*Donald, David, The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft . . Prospero Books. ISBN 1-85605-375-X*van Wyngarden, G . Early German Aces of World War I, Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-841-76997-5...
at Jēkabpils
Jekabpils
Jēkabpils is a city in Selonia, Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils. The Daugava River runs through the town, and the ancient valley, branches, and islands of the river are considered picturesque...
on May 17, another Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
-See also:-References:# Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X# # # -External links:* ....
near Kozova
Kozova
Kozova is a small town in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine, in the area historically known as Galicia, east of Berezhany, some west of Ternopil and ca. southeast of Lviv. The town is situated beside a lake on the Koropets River...
on June 8, and finally a Rumpler C.I
Rumpler C.I
-See also:- References :* Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X* Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0916 3...
on June 20. Now he was a flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
, having scored more than five victories.
Return to France
In May 1918, as the Russian Revolution raged on, Argeyev returned to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
due to the hostile attitudes of the Bolsheviks towards the Tsar's
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
officer corps. Enlisting once more in the Armée de l'Air, he was assigned to SPA124
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
, where he would spend the rest of the war.
His first victory came only days after joining the squadron, when he downed an LVG C.II
LVG C.II
|-See also:-References:*Donald, David, The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft . . Prospero Books. ISBN 1-85605-375-X*van Wyngarden, G . Early German Aces of World War I, Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-841-76997-5...
on June 1, 1918. Now flying a SPAD XIII, within the few months he spent in the French air force, he considerably expanded his victory score.
Rumpler C.I
-See also:- References :* Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X* Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0916 3...
and another two-seater aircraft on successive days. He scored his tenth kill on June 26, another two-seater.
Despite downing no aircraft in July or August, in September 1918 he scored three victories, bringing his total to 13. Firstly, a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
north of Cerny
Cerny, Essonne
Cerny is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.It has an airfield named Aérodrome de Cerny-La-Ferté-Allais, including an airplane museum.Inhabitants of Cerny are known as Cernois.-References:**...
on September 27, followed by two kills the day after, two two-seater aircraft near Séchault
Séchault
Séchault is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
at 10:10am and 3:20pm. He again scored a double victory on October 5, albeit one of them uncredited - another two-seater north-east of Autry
Autry
Autry is a commune in the Ardennes department in France.-Population:...
at 11:25am. However, he scored a credited victory in downing a Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
at Orfeuil at 6:25pm.
His final victory of the war came on October 30, 1918, only 12 days before the end of the war. He scored a victory against a two-seater aircraft at 3.40pm near Quatre-Champs
Quatre-Champs
Quatre-Champs is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
. By the end of hostilities, he had scored fifteen credited victories and two uncredited victories, making him Russia's third highest-scoring flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
after Alexander Kazakov and Vasili Yanchenko
Vasili Yanchenko
Praporshik Vasili Ivanovich Yanchenko was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories. He was the second ranking Russian ace, trailing only Aleksandr Kazakov. Yanchenko flew on the Eastern Front, gaining his first victory on 25 June 1916, and his last on 14 October 1917.Yanchenko...
.
Post-war and death
Reluctant to return to the USSR, he continued flying as a test pilot and was killed on October 20, 1922 near TrutnovTrutnov
Trutnov is a city in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 31,239 and lies in the Krkonoše in the valley of the Úpa River....
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
when his Potez
Potez
Potez was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez VII...
aircraft crashed in the Sudetes mountains.
Honours and awards
- Officer of the Legion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe 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...
(France, 1915), previously awarded the Chevalier (1918) - Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with 8 PalmePalmePalme may refer toPeople:* Olof Palme, the assassinated former Prime Minister of Sweden** Lisbet Palme, widow of Olof Palme* La Palme, Canadian 17th century politician* Rajani Palme Dutt, British politician* Rudolf Palme, Austrian chess player...
s (France, 1915) - Order of St. GeorgeOrder of St. GeorgeThe Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
, 4th Class with Swords (31 October 1917, for victories in aerial combat on 23 April 1917 and 5 April 1917) - Order of St. VladimirOrder of St. VladimirThe Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
, 4th Class with Swords (18 December 1915, "for actions in the war against the Germans on the French front") - Order of St. AnnaOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes - Gold Sword for BraveryGold Sword for BraveryThe Gold Sword for Bravery was a Russian Empire award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished in 1917. From 1913 to 1917 it was renamed the St George Sword and considered as one of the grades of the Order...
(21 November 1917, for the destruction of enemy aircraft 26 May 1917)