Fyodor Petrovich Polynin (russian: Фёдор Петрович Полынин; 7 October 1906 – 21 November 1981) was a

Colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

in the

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

, who served in the Air Force of the Polish Army during World War II and received the title

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 ...

Early life

Polynin was born on October 20, 1906 in the village of Sukhoy otrog, located in the present-day

Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast (russian: Сара́товская о́бласть, ''Saratovskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Saratov. As of the 2010 Ce ...

. He came from a large peasant family and was one of 11 children. In 1907, he and his family moved to

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...

, to the village of Samarka at the

Semipalatinsk Semey ( kk, Семей, Semei, سەمەي; cyrl, Семей ), until 2007 known as Semipalatinsk (russian: Семипала́тинск) and in 1917–1920 as Alash-kala ( kk, Алаш-қала, ''Alaş-qala''), is a city in eastern Kazakhst ...

region, where his father worked at a medium-sized farm. At the age of 8, he started working on his father's farm. After his father's death, he left for Kuybyshev in August 1924 and started working in the Union of Rural Cooperatives as a watchman and porter and from April 1927 as an unqualified worker in a

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

factory. At the same time, in the years between 1925 to 1928, he attended the evening secondary school for adults in Kuybyshev.

Military career

He joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

in October 1928. Polynin served as a cadet in the regimental school of the 101st Infantry Regiment, but in December 1928 he was transferred to the

Red Army Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

. He graduated from the Joint School of Pilots and Aviation Technicians in

Volsk Volsk (russian: Вольск) is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, opposite the mouth of the Bolshoy Irgiz (a tributary of the Volga), northeast from Saratov, the administrative center of the oblast ...

in 1929. In 1931, he graduated from the 3rd Military School of Pilots and Aviation Technicians in Orenburg.

War in China

From June 1931, he served in the aviation brigade of the Air Force Academy of the Red Army named after I. Zhukovsky. Till 1933, he served as an instructor and flight commander. Polynin engaged in his first air combat missions from November 1933 to October 1934, while serving as a military advisor to

Chinese Nationalist Air Force Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

pilots. During this time, Polynin flew combat missions onboard a

Polikarpov R-5 The Polikarpov R-5 (russian: Р-5) was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian ...

to attack

East Turkestan independence movement The East Turkestan independence movement ( ug, شەرقىي تۈركىستان مۇستەقىللىق ھەرىكىتى; zh, s=东突厥斯坦独立运动) is a political movement that seeks the independence of East Turkestan, a large and spa ...

rebels who threatened to overthrow the Military Governor of

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

Sheng Shicai Sheng Shicai (; 3 December 189513 July 1970) was a Chinese warlord who ruled Xinjiang from 1933 to 1944. Sheng's rise to power started with a coup d'état in 1933 when he was appointed the ''duban'' or Military Governor of Xinjiang. His rule o ...

, and successfully repelled the rebels attempt to takeover

Ürümqi Ürümqi ( ; also spelled Ürümchi or without Umlaut (diacritic), umlauts), formerly known as Dihua (also spelled Tihwa), is the capital of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the far Northwest China, northwest of the Peopl ...

Blagoveshchensky, Rytov, Rychagov, Polynin

After returning to the USSR, he graduated from advanced training courses for commanding personnel at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy in 1935. From May 1935, he served as a flight and squadron commander of the 23rd Heavy Bomber Squadron at this academy. Following the outbreak of

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Thea ...

in July 1937, Polynin was sent to

Eastern China East China () is a geographical and a loosely defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. A concept abolished in 1978, for economical purposes the region was defined from 1949 to 1961 by the Chinese Central Governm ...

as part of the

Soviet Volunteer Group The Soviet Volunteer Group was the volunteer part of the Soviet Air Forces sent 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 ...

in China. In China he fought under the pseudonym 'Fyn Po'. From November 1937 to April 1938, he commanded a bomber group equipped with

Tupolev SB The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB (russian: Скоростной бомбардировщик – ''Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik'' – high speed bomber) and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined ...

Hankou Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers wh ...

, with 150 combat personnel, including 31 pilots and 31 navigators. He and his unit took part in combat operations over

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and t ...

and other areas. Polynin particularly distinguished himself on a mission on 23 February 1938, when he led a bombing raid of 28 bombers from his group against a Japanese airfield in

Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territori ...

. The Japanese, who did not expect the appearance of Soviet air unit in their deep rear, did not engage in camouflage and air defense measures of the airfield. As a result, they suffered heavy losses from the bombing raid with 40 aircraft, aircraft hangars and fuel storage facilities destroyed in the raid. The bombers safely returned to their base without any losses. Tupolev_SB_2

By the decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).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 ...

along with the award of the

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 ...

. He returned to USSR in June 1938.

World War II

Following his return to USSR, he was appointed senior inspector for piloting techniques of the Red Army Air Force Directorate. At the same time, from January 1939, he was the head of the air route for the transfer of aircraft from the USSR to China, with over 400 aircraft being delivered to China. From October 1939, he was the Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

. During the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

in December 1939, Polynin was appointed as the commander of the air force of 13th Army, during which hed led air support for the Soviet troops during the hostilities. In August 1940, he was appointed as commander of the 13th Bomber Aviation Division in the

Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction prima ...

. The division headquarters was located in

Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 20 ...

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

Following the outbreak of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

in June 1941, Polynin served as commander of the 13th Bomber Aviation Division on the Western Front. In the most difficult conditions of the first months of the war, without proper air cover, his unit actively fought the advancing German forces in the Battles of Białystok–Minsk and

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

, while suffering significant losses. From August 1941, he was appointed as the commander of the Air Force units at the

Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front (russian: Брянский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first fo ...

, during which he participated in the Roslavl–Novozybkov Offensive and in the

Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between September 1941 and January ...

. In May 1942, he was appointed as Deputy Commander of the 2nd Air Army at Bryansk Front, and from September 1942, he was assigned as Deputy Commander of the

6th Air Army The 6th Air Army was an air army of the Red Army's Air Force during the Second World War and from 1946-1949. It was formed twice : in 1942 as part of the Red Army's Air Forces, and redesignated in 1944, and in 1946 and redesignated in 1949. The 6 ...

of the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-cr ...

and in 1943, he was appointed as commander of the 6th Air Army. In February 1944, the unit was assigned to the

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front ( Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

and took part in the battles of Demyansk, Starorusskaya, Nevel, Polesskaya, and

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration (; russian: Операция Багратио́н, Operatsiya Bagration) was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (russian: Белорусская наступательная оп� ...

. In September 1944, he was transferred to the Lotnictwo Wojska Polskiego ( Air Force of the Polish Army) and was appointed the commander, as one of the many Soviet officers who were to ensure that this allied formation remained loyal to communist ideals. Under his command, the Air Force of the Polish Army took part in the Vistula–Oder Offensive, East Pomeranian Offensive and

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula– ...

. During the war, Polynin was mentioned six times in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

, for the successfully carrying out military operations. During the war, he was injured, burned in the air three times, and was shot down twice. He flew 39 types of aircraft. He flew over 500 sorties and spent over 6,000 hours in the air.

Post war

After the war, Polynin commanded the

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...

till 1947. At the same time, on July 11, 1946, he was awarded the military rank of

Colonel-General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

by Soviet Union and

Generał broni Generał broni (literally ''General of arms'', ''general of the branch'', abbreviated gen. broni) is the second highest Generals grade in the Polish Army, second only to the recently introduced rank of Generał (both in Land Forces and in the Pol ...

(Lieutenant General) by Polish People's Republic. From June 1947 to January 1949, he served as commander of the

13th Air Army The 76th Air Army was a unit of the Soviet Air Forces from 1949–1980, and again from 1988–98. As the 13th Air Army, it was originally formed on 25 November 1942 and based on air units of the Leningrad Front. 13th Air Army's initial components ...

, and commanded 76th Air Army at

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 ...

till October 1949 to May 1950. In May 1950, he was appointed as commander of the 30th Air Force at the

Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District () was a military district of the Soviet armed forces in the Baltic states, formed briefly before the German invasion during the World War II. After end of the war the Kaliningrad Oblast was added to the District's cont ...

. In October 1953, he was removed from the commanding units. In January 1954, Polynin was sent to study at K. Е. Voroshilov Higher Military Academy and graduated in 1955. From February 1956 to August 1959, he was assigned as commander of the 57th Air Army at the

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

. He served as the member of

Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR ( Ukrainian: Верховна Рада Української РСР, tr. ''Verkhovna Rada Ukrayins'koyi RSR''; Russian: Верховный Совет Украинской ССР, tr. ''Verkhovnyy Sovet ...

during the fifth convocation, from 1959 to 1963. His final assignments was as Chief of Logistics of the Air Force and a member of the Military Council of the

, from August 1959 to May 1971. Polynin retired from active duty in August 1971.

Later life

Polynin was married to Yelena Samuilovna Maisyuk. They had two daughters Irina (born 1934) and Tatyana (born 1941), and a son Pyotr (born 1949). Following his retirement from military service, he worked at the Central House of Aviation and Cosmonautics in Moscow and wrote memoirs about his military experiences. Polynin died on 21 November 1981, at the age of 75 and was buried in the

Kuntsevo Cemetery The Kuntsevo Cemetery (russian: Ку́нцевское кла́дбище, kúntsevkoye kládbishche) is a cemetery servicing Kuntsevo, Moscow. It is located on the bank of the Setun River, to the south of the Mozhaisk Highway (the continuation ...

Awards and decorations

;USSR *

(14 November 1938) *

, twice (14 November 1938, 3 November 1953) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

(20 October 1976) *

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 ...

, five times (25 November 1934, 15 April 1940, 10 November 1941, 17 April 1943, 20 June 1949) *

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established du ...

, 1st class, twice (19 August 1944, 9 August 1945) *Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the ...

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

, twice (3 November 1944, 1955) *

Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Москвы») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union awarded to military and civilians who had participated in the Battle of Moscow. History ...

(1 May 1944) * Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" (9 June 1945) * Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (9 June 1945) * Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (9 May 1945) *

Medal "For the Victory over Japan" The Medal "For the Victory over Japan" (russian: Медаль «За победу над Японией») was a campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on September 30, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet ...

(September 30, 1945) *jubilee medals ;Poland *Commander's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta , image=Polonia Restituta - Commander's Cross pre-1939 w rib.jpg , image_size=200px , caption=Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta , presenter = the President of Poland , country = , type=Five classes , eligibility=All , awar ...

Order of the Cross of Grunwald The Order of the Cross of Grunwald (') was a military decoration created in Poland in November 1943 by the High Command of Gwardia Ludowa, a World War II Polish resistance movement organised by the Polish Workers Party. On 20 February 1944 it was ...

, 2nd class *Knight's Cross of the

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', pl, Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was created in 1792 by Polish King Stan ...

*Golden Cross of the Virtuti Militari *Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari * Gold Cross of Merit *

Medal of Merit for National Defence The Medal of Merit for National Defence ( pl, Medal Za Zasługi dla Obronności Kraju) is a decoration of the Ministry of National Defence of Poland. Established 21 April 1966 and revised in 1991, the medal recognizes meritorious service which st ...

(Gold) *

Medal of Victory and Freedom 1945 Medal of Victory and Freedom 1945 (Polish: ''Medal Zwycięstwa i Wolności 1945'') was a Polish military decoration awarded to persons who fought during World War II against Nazi Germany. Overview The medal was introduced by a decree of the Counci ...

* Medal "For Oder, Neisse and the Baltic" * Medal "For Warsaw 1939-1945" * Medal "For Participation in the Battles for Berlin"

Dates of rank

*Senior lieutenant, Red Air Force: March 14, 1936 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, Red Air Force: February 19, 1938 *

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

, Red Air Force: August 5, 1938 *

Kombrig (russian: комбриг) is an abbreviation of Commanding officer of the brigade (russian: командир бригады, komandir brigady; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR from 1935 to 1940. It was also the ...

, Red Air Force: November 29, 1939 *

Major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, Red Air Force: February 4, 1940 *

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

, Red Air Force: May 28, 1943 *

: May 3, 1945 *

: July 11, 1946

References