Anatoly Konstantinovich Serov (russian: Анатолий Константинович Серов; 11 May 1939) was a Soviet fighter pilot credited with becoming a flying ace during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...
.
Early life
Serov was born on in the mining town of Vysokoe. After moving to the city of Bogoslovsk in 1918 he went on to complete his fourth grade of school in 1923. He then went on to live in Turyinsky before moving to Nadezhdinsk, where he worked as a steelworker and graduated from factory apprenticeship school in 1929.
Aviation career
Almost a year after entering the Red Army in July 1929, Serov graduated from the Volskaya Theoretical School of Pilots and Aviation Technicians in June 1930, going on to attend the Orenburg Military Aviation School of Pilots, which he graduated from in December 1931. He was then assigned to the 1st Fighter Squadron in city of
Krasnogvardisk in the
Leningrad Military District
The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.
H ...
, and from August 1933 to October 1935 he served with the 20th Fighter Squadron in
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of th ...
. From then until May 1936 he trained at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, after which he worked for one year as a test pilot at the Air Force Research and Development Institute, where he flew modified versions of the
I-15
I15 may refer to:
* Interstate 15, a north–south Interstate Highway in the United States of America
* Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 (russian: И-15) was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed ''Chaika'' (''russian: � ...
and
I-16 fighter aircraft.
Spanish Civil War
Soon after arriving in Spain in June 1937 as a flight commander in a fighter aviation group, Serov became among the first Soviet pilots to engage in aerial combat at night after a sortie with Mikhail Yakushin. He returned in the USSR in January 1938, by then having totaled 150 sorties and been credited with eight solo aerial victories, including one at night.
Postwar
Not long after being awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 2 March 1938 for his actions in Spain, he became head of the main flight inspectorate, and in April 1939 he graduated from advanced training for commanders at the Military Academy of General Staff.
Last flight
Serov was killed during a training flight with
Polina Osipenko
Polina Denisovna Osipenko (russian: Полина Денисовна Осипенко, uk, Поліна Денисівна Осипенко, translit=Polina Denysivna Osypenko; 8 October 1907 – 11 May 1939) was a Soviet military pilot, most notab ...
in a
UTI-4 on 11 May 1939; during
aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glider ...
the plane went into a tailspin and crashed despite almost recovering from the loss of control. The exact cause of the tailspin remains unknown, but the pilots were supposed to perform the maneuver that led to it at an altitude of 1000 meters, not the much lower 500 meter altitude they were at during the flight, which was supposed to give them more room for recovering in the event of such incident.
Awards
*
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
(2 March 1938)
*
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...
(2 March 1938)
* Two
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
(31 July 1937 and 22 October 1937)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serov, Anatoly
1910 births
1939 deaths
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Soviet people of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War flying aces
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union members
Burials at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis
Soviet Air Force officers
People from Verkhotursky Uyezd