Anatoly Morozov
Native name
Анатолий Афанасьевич Морозов
Born4 June 1916
Bezhitsa, Oryol Governorate, Russian Empire
Died18 June 1944 (aged 28)
Moscow oblast, RSFSR, USSR
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branch Soviet Air Force
Years of service1934 – 1944
RankLieutenant Colonel
Commands held9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
Battles/warsWinter War
World War II
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union

Anatoly Afanasyevich Morozov (Russian: Анатолий Афанасьевич Морозов; 4 June 1916 – 18 June 1944) was a Soviet flying ace who commanded the prestigious 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment during World War II.

Early life

Morozov was born on 4 July 1916 to a working-class Russian family in Bezhitsa. After completing his seventh grade of school he went on to attend a trade school, and then worked at a steam locomotive plant until entering the Red Army in 1934. Having graduated from flight school in 1937, he went on to first experience combat in the Winter War as part of the 4th Fighter Aviation Regiment, flying the I-153 fighter but gaining no shootdowns.[1][2]

World War II

Almost immediately after deploying to the warfront in June 1941 to combat the German invasion of the Soviet Union he gained his first aerial victory, shooting down a PZL.23 while piloting a MiG-3. He continued to tally more aerial victories, including the aerial ramming of a Bf 109 on 7 July 1941 before switching to the Yak-7 shortly thereafter. Having been awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 27 March 1942 for his victories at the start of the war, he was able to quickly rise up through the ranks of the air force, becoming commander of his regiment in July 1942 . Later he was briefly posted to the 287th Fighter Aviation Division from February 1943 until being made commander of the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, a "regiment of aces" in August 1943. Despite his high post he continued to fly in combat, tallying several additional shootdowns in 1944 before he died in a fishing accident during a rest break on 18 June 1944. His official tally stands at 11 solo and three shared shootdowns over the course of an estimated 329 sorties.[1][2][3]

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Melnikov, Aleksandr. "Морозов Анатолий Афанасьевич". www.warheroes.ru. Archived from the original on 2003-07-17. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  2. 1 2 3 "Морозов Анатолий Афанасьевич". soviet-aces-1936-53.ru. Archived from the original on 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  3. ↑ Bykov, Mikhail (2014). Все асы Сталина 1936–1953 гг (in Russian). Moscow: Yauza. p. 816. ISBN 9785457567221. OCLC 879321002.
  4. ↑ Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О присвоении звания Героя Советского Союза начальствующему и рядовому составу Красной Армии» от 12 апреля 1942 года // Ведомости Верховного Совета Союза Советских Социалистических Республик : газета. — 1942. — 12 апреля (№ 12 (171)). — С. 1.
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