Alexander Golovanov

Alexander Yevgeniyevich Golovanov
Alexander Yevgeniyevich Golovanov
Native name	Александр Евгеньевич Голованов
Born	7 August 1904; Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Empire
Died	22 September 1975; Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1924–1953
Rank	Chief marshal of Aviation
Commands held	18th Air Army; Long Range Aviation; 15th Airborne Corps
Battles/wars	Russian Civil War; Battles of Khalkhin Gol; Winter War; World War II
Awards	Order of Lenin (2)

Alexander Yevgeniyevich Golovanov (Russian: Александр Евгеньевич Голованов; 7 August 1904 – 22 September 1975) was a Soviet pilot. On August 3, 1943, he became a Marshal of Aviation (the youngest person in the history of the USSR to hold that rank) and on 19 August 1944 he was promoted to the rank of Chief marshal of the aviation (the second after Alexander Novikov).[1]

World War II

Air Chief Marshal Alexander Golovanov (right), with Marshal Georgy Zhukov

At the start of the German-Soviet War, he was the commander of the 212th Heavy Bomber Regiment, then commander of the 81st Long Range Bomber Division, subordinated to the Supreme Command Headquarters. The division led by him bombed, with his personal participation, enemy military facilities in Berlin, Königsberg, Gdańsk, Ploieşti and other cities.

During the Battle of Moscow his "long-range aviation hit powerful blows on artillery positions, tank formations and command posts."[2]

From February 1942 he was the commander of the long-range bomber force, which transformed into the 18th Air Army in December 1944. The army's units delivered air strikes against the Axis' deep rear, supported ground forces during the East Prussian, Vienna and Berlin operations and fulfilled tasks to help the Partisans of Yugoslavia.

As commander of the Soviet Long Range Aviation ADD, Golovanov was ordered to destroy Helsinki in early 1944, in order to force Finland to accept Soviet dictated terms of peace. Due to deception and skilled use of radar, Finnish anti-aircraft artillery succeeded in saving the city. When Stalin later in 1944 found out that he has been erroneously informed on the bombing results, ADD was dissolved as a punishment. The career of Golovanov was hampered by this failure.

Post Stamp issued 1984 in memory of Alexander Golovanov

Honours and awards

Two Orders of Lenin
Three Orders of the Red Banner
Three Orders of Suvorov 1st class
Order of the Red Star
Medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st class
Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad"
Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
Medal "For Courage"
Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg"
Medal "For the Capture of Berlin"
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

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References

"Golovanov, Alexander Evgenevich". OnAirpower.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
Zhukov, Georgy (1974). Marshal of Victory, Volume II. Pen and Sword Books Ltd. p. 50. ISBN 9781781592915.

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[1] "Golovanov, Alexander Evgenevich". OnAirpower.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2008-05-20.

[GeorgyZhukov-2] Zhukov, Georgy (1974). Marshal of Victory, Volume II. Pen and Sword Books Ltd. p. 50. ISBN 9781781592915.