Yevgeny Yakovlevich Savitsky (russian: Евгений Яковлевич Савицкий; — 6 April 1990) was a Soviet
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
fighter ace who later became a
marshal of aviation
Marshal of the branch (or "marshal of the branch of service"; russian: Ма́ршал ро́да во́йск, Marshal roda voysk) was from 1943 to 1974 the designation to a separate rank class in the general officer's rank group of the form ...
.
Credited with 22 individual and 2 group victories by the end of World War II, he was twice made a
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 ...
. Savitsky commanded the Aviation of the
National Air Defense Forces during the
Cold War, serving as deputy commander of the National Air Defense Forces from 1966 to 1980.
Early life and prewar career
Savitsky was born on 7 January 1911 in
Novorossiysk, and was drafted into the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
in November 1929. He was sent 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 ...
7th Military School for Pilots in
Stalingrad, graduating in May 1932, after which he remained at the school as an instructor pilot and acting flight commander. From February 1934, he served as a flight commander with the 18th Light Assault Aviation Squadron of the Air Force of the
Ukrainian 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 ...
in
Kiev. Savitsky's squadron flew to
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk ( ; rus, Красноя́рск, a=Ru-Красноярск2.ogg, p=krəsnɐˈjarsk) (in semantic translation - Red Ravine City) is the largest city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yeni ...
in February 1935, where he became a detachment commander. He transferred to the 32nd Assault Aviation Squadron of the VVS
Siberian Military District a year later, serving in the same position. Appointed commander of the 61st Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Detachment of the VVS
Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army
The Special Far Eastern Army, later the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army ( rus, links=no, Осо́бая Краснознамённая Дальневосто́чная а́рмия (ОКДВА), Osóbaya Krasnoznamonnaya Dal'nevostóchnaya árm ...
in July 1937, Savitsky became assistant commander of the 29th Fighter Aviation Regiment, part of the 26th Aviation Brigade of the VVS
2nd Separate Red Banner Army, in September 1938. Serving as the regimental commander from February 1940, he was transferred to command the 3rd Fighter Aviation Regiment as a
major in September 1940 before receiving command of the 29th Fighter Aviation Division of the
Far Eastern Front
The Far Eastern Front ( Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War.
Early war service
Тhe Far Eastern Front ...
in April 1941.
World War II
After
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 after ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union began in June 1941, Savitsky remained in the
Soviet Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
for almost a year, serving as commander of the
25th Army during March and April while it provided air support to the garrisons guarding the Soviet border in
Primorye
Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of t ...
. During this period, he underwent combat flight training in the new
Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3
The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier LaGG-1 and was one of the most modern aircraft available to the Sov ...
fighter near
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
with the 172nd Fighter Aviation Regiment from late 1941 to early 1942 before flying the LaGG-3 with the VVS 25th Army. He was then transferred to command the 205th Fighter Aviation Division on the
Voronezh Front
The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front (Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a ...
on 5 May 1942, leading it during the
Battle of Voronezh as part of the
2nd Air Army
The 2nd Air Army (; 2 VA) was an air army of the Red Army Air Force (Soviet Air Force) during the Second World War.
Formed in May 1942, the army fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and was one of the major Soviet air formations in the Battle of ...
. From July to October, his division provided
air cover for troops of the Voronezh Front, flying 373 combat sorties. During this time Savitsky flew the LaGG-3 and
Lavochkin La-5. Between 28 and 31 October, the 2nd Air Army flew missions against Axis rail transport between
Ostrogozhsk
Ostrogozhsk (russian: Острого́жск) is a town and the administrative center of Ostrogozhsky District in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the Tikhaya Sosna River (a tributary of the Don), south of Voronezh, the administrative center ...
and Alexeyevka and Yevdakovo and Saguny. In November, Savitsky, now a
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 o ...
, became the commander of an aviation group of the
17th Air Army
The 17th Air Army () was an Air army of the Red Air Force and Soviet Air Forces from 1942.
World War II
It was formed in October (Bonn et al.: November) 1942 on the basis of the Air Forces of the Southwestern Front. Bonn et al. say that it inc ...
in the
Southwestern Front, fighting in the
Battle of Stalingrad.
This assignment proved to be brief, and on 10 December Savitsky took command of the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps, which he led for the rest of the war, flying the
Yakovlev Yak-1
The Yakovlev Yak-1 (russian: Яковлев Як-1) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. The Yak-1 was a single-seat monoplane with a composite structure and wooden wings; production began in early 1940.Angelucci and Matricardi 197 ...
,
Yak-9
The Yakovlev Yak-9 (russian: Яковлев Як-9) is a single-engine, single-seat multipurpose fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union and its allies during World War II and the early Cold War. It was a development of the robust and succ ...
,
Yak-3
The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian: Яковлев Як-3) was a single-engine, single-seat World War II Soviet fighter. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by both pilots and ground crew.Glancey 2006, p. 180. One of the smallest and light ...
, and
Lavochkin La-7
The Lavochkin La-7 (russian: Лавочкин Ла-7) was a piston-engined single-seat Soviet fighter aircraft developed during World War II by the Lavochkin Design Bureau. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the la ...
. Until June 1943, the corps fought as part of the
North Caucasian Front
The North Caucasian Front or North Caucasus Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The North Caucasus Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war.
First Creation
The first formation wa ...
in the North Caucasus Strategic Offensive, before being withdrawn to the
Reserve of the Supreme High Command
The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the ''Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK ( ru , РВГК)) comprises reserve military formations and units; the Stav ...
(RVGK). After receiving replacement pilots and aircraft, the corps joined the
8th Air Army
The 8th Air Army was a military formation of the Soviet Air Forces, active from around 1942 to 1949.
It was formed June 13, 1942, order of the NKO number 00119 on June 9, 1942, on the basis of the Air Forces of the Southwestern Front.
Since it ...
of the
Southern Front (the
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.
The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, ...
from 20 October) in late August, participating in the
Donbass Strategic Offensive, the
Melitopol Offensive, and the fighting for
Left-bank Ukraine
Left-bank Ukraine ( uk, Лівобережна Україна, translit=Livoberezhna Ukrayina; russian: Левобережная Украина, translit=Levoberezhnaya Ukraina; pl, Lewobrzeżna Ukraina) is a historic name of the part of Ukrain ...
against German forces in the
Nikopol region. During early 1944, the corps provided air cover for the reconcentration of the Russian troops to
Sivash
The Syvash or Sivash ( Russian and Ukrainian: ; , Cyrillic: Сываш, "dirt"), also known as the or (, ''Gniloye More''; , ''Hnyle More''; , Cyrillic: Чюрюк Денъиз), is a large area of shallow lagoons on the west coast of the Sea ...
and
Perekop
Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. ...
in preparation for the
Crimean Offensive
The Crimean offensive (8 April – 12 May 1944), known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea, was a series of offensives by the Red Army directed at the German-held Crimea. The Red Army's 4th Ukrainian Front engaged the German 17th Army ...
, which began in April. After the capture of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
and the
German evacuation of Crimea, Savitsky was a made a
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 ...
on 11 May for his "skilful leadership" of the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps and for flying 107 combat sorties with fifteen victories.
The 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps was withdrawn to the RVGK in mid-May and in June were transferred to the
1st Air Army
__NOTOC__
The 1st Air Army (russian: 1-я воздушная армия) was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. It was formed on May 10, 1942, within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on ...
of the
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fr ...
. During the summer of 1944 it fought in
Operation Bagration
Operation Bagration (; russian: Операция Багратио́н, Operatsiya Bagration) was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (russian: Белорусская наступательная оп ...
and the subsidiary
Vitebsk–Orsha,
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
,
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
and
Kaunas Offensives. Transferred to the
16th Air Army
The 16th Red Banner Air Army (russian: 16-я воздушная Краснознамённая армия) was the most important formation of the Special Purpose Command. Initially formed during the Second World War as a part of the Soviet Air ...
of the
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fr ...
in January 1945, the corps provided air cover for the troops of the front during the
Warsaw–Poznan,
East Pomeranian
East Pomeranian (''Ostpommersch'') is an East Low German dialect that is either moribund or used to be spoken in what was roughly Pomerania (now northwestern Poland; previously part of Germany until the end of World War II) and today is also sp ...
and
Berlin Offensive
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– ...
s. Following the end of the war, Savitsky received his second Hero of the Soviet Union award on 2 June in Berlin.
Yevgeny Savitsky was credited with flying 216 sorties with 22 individual and 2 shared victories.
Postwar
Postwar, Savitsky continued to command the corps until October 1947, when he was made head of the Directorate of Fighter Aviation Combat Training, part of the Main Directorate of the Soviet Air Forces. He was soon made commander of the Fighter Aviation of the
National Air Defense Forces in August 1948, simultaneously serving as commander of the 19th Fighter Air Army (renumbered as the 78th in February 1949 and as the 64th later that year). Dismissed in February 1952, he returned to command of the Fighter Air Defense in May 1953. Savitsky studied at the aviation faculty of the
Voroshilov Higher Military Academy between January 1954 and November 1955, after which he resumed his command. In July 1960, due to Air Defense Force reorganization, he became commander of the Aviation of the PVO, being promoted to
Marshal of Aviation
Marshal of the branch (or "marshal of the branch of service"; russian: Ма́ршал ро́да во́йск, Marshal roda voysk) was from 1943 to 1974 the designation to a separate rank class in the general officer's rank group of the form ...
on 6 May 1961. Appointed deputy commander of the PVO in July 1966, Savitsky held that position until April 1980, when he became an inspector of the
Group of Inspectors General
The Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (), colloquially known as the paradise group, was a body of the Soviet Ministry of Defense established in 1958. A sinecure position for semi-retired senior officers, th ...
of the
Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
, traditionally a retirement post for elderly generals. He died in Moscow on 6 April 1990.
Aerial victory claims
In his final Hero of the Soviet Union citation, Savitsky was credited with 22 individual and two shared victories for a total of 24. Research conducted by Russian aviation historian Mikhail Bykov in the
found incomplete operational documentation for the crediting of Savitsky with a total of nineteen victories – eighteen individual and one shared. Details of these claims are listed below:
Personal life
His daughter,
Svetlana Savitskaya became a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
cosmonaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
who flew the
Soyuz T-7 in 1982, becoming the second woman in space some 19 years after
Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova ( rus, Валентина Владимировна Терешкова, links=no, p=vɐlʲɪnʲˈtʲinə vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvnə tʲɪrʲɪʂˈkovə, a=Valentina Tereshkova.ogg; born 6 March 1937) is an engine ...
and, in 1984, the first woman to fly to space twice and to perform a
space walk.
Honors and awards
*Twice
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 ...
(11 May 1944 and 2 June 1945)
*
Lenin Prize (21 April 1978)
*
Honored Military Pilot of the USSR (19 August 1965)
* Three
Orders 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 b ...
(11 May 1944, 5 November 1954, and 31 October 1967)
*
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 ...
(23 December 1980)
*Five
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 t ...
(16 March 1942, 23 November 1942, 31 July 1948, 11 November 1950, and 23 December 1970)
*
Order of Suvorov
The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800).
History
The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet award established on July 29, 19 ...
2nd class (19 March 1944)
*
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 ...
2nd class (22 July 1944)
*
Order of the Patriotic War
The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisa ...
1st class (11 March 1985)
*Two
Order of the Red Star (3 November 1944 and 29 April 1957)
*
(2nd class - 30 April 1975; 3rd class - 20 February 1990)
He was declared an honorary citizen of Novorossiysk, Sevastopol, and Vilnius. The asteroid
4303 Savitskij is named for him.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savitsky, Yevgeniy
1910 births
1990 deaths
People from Novorossiysk
People from Black Sea Governorate
Candidates of the Central Committee of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Soviet Air Force marshals
Soviet World War II flying aces
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Lenin Prize winners
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 2nd class
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 2nd class
Soviet Air Defence Force officers
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni