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Klavdia Fomicheva

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Template:Eastern Slavic name

Klavdia Yakovlevna Fomicheva
1945 Photograph of Fomicheva wearing her military uniform and medals
BornFebruary 25, 1917
Moscow
DiedOctober 6, 1958 (age 41)
Moscow
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branch Soviet Air Force
Years of service1941 — 1956
RankLieutenant Colonel
Unit125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union — 1945
Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner Order of the Red Banner
Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

Klavdia Yakovlevna Fomicheva (Fomichyova)[1] (Russian: Клавдия Яковлевна Фомичёва) was a Red Army Air Force officer and combat pilot. She fought in the Second World War as a squadron commander in the 125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment. Fomicheva was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on August 18, 1945.[2]

Early years

Klavdia Fomicheva was born in Moscow, but spent her entire childhood in Znamenka village (Dankovsky District, Lipetsk Oblast).[3][4] Her father died in a year after her birth and later her elder brother Valentin, who was the primary breadwinner of the family after father's death, also died, so the family suffered severe material hardships. In 1931 after graduating from a 7-year comprehansive school she was hired as a bookkeeper's apprentice while studying in a banking school. Upon graduation she became an accounting associate in the Gosbank. She took pleasure in hiking, mountaineering and other sports. In 1936 Fomicheva joined glider club. Her skills were so good in it that she was invited to participate at the paramilitary flying club. By 1938 she was qualified as a flight instructor and in 1938-1941 trained young people in a flying club in Reutov.[5]

Military career

Second World War

On 22 June 1941, in the very first day the Third Reich invaded the USSR, Fomicheva volunteered for the frontline flying service and was accepted by the 122nd Aviation Group - a special women's unit[6] under the command of Marina Raskova. Initially she opted to train as a fighter pilot but Raskova, after examination of her abilities, decided to assign her to the 587th Bombardment Aviation Regiment, intended to operate the Sukhoi Su-2 light bomber. The regiment later received the Guards designation and was renamed the 125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment. She took her military and tactical training in the Engels Military Flying School in the Saratov Oblast. The unit ended up using Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers instead of Sukhoi Su-2 light bombers. By January 1943, when the 587th first engaged in combat, Fomicheva was a flight commander and the vice-commander of her squadron. Later she took command of the squadron.[5][7]

On 17 September 1943, Fomicheva's aircraft was damaged by enemy flak and her face was wounded by fragments of the cockpit's glazing. Since her navigator was severely wounded and incapable of bailing out, Fomicheva could not leave the aircraft and had to land it on the airfield of a Soviet fighter unit near the frontline. There was an aircraft on the main runway, so she made the landing beside the main runway. When the landing run a wheel of Fomicheva's aircraft got into a bomb crater, the plane nosed-over and caught fire. Fomicheva suffered severe injuries (including fractures in six ribs) and burns. Airfield personnel helped the crew escape the burning aircraft. By January 1944, Fomicheva recovered from her injuries and resumed flying.[5][7]

On 23 June 1944, in the second sortie of the day, Fomicheva's aircraft was hit by enemy flak when approaching the target, setting the left engine aflame and killing her gunner. Fomicheva herself had her leg severely wounded but continued the mission and dropped the bombs on the target. She then turned the burning aircraft back towards the frontline to avoid capture by the enemy, flying until she got over friendly territory. She bailed out at an altitude of no more than 200 meters, but not before making sure that her navigator Galina Dzhunkovskaya successfully parachuted to safety. Both she and Dzhunkovskaya suffered serious burns. On 15 July 1944, Fomicheva resumed flying.[5][7]

By December, 1944, Fomicheva had flown 55 combat missions with 46,750 kg of bombs dropped.[7] Her command appreciated her performance as a pilot and as a commander, as she was instrumental in a number of instances in reducing or preventing losses of aircrew. She also was responsible for missions critical for the success of ground forces' operations by destroying valuable enemy assets and targets [5][7] On 23 December 1944 Fomicheva's command recommended her for the title of the Hero of Soviet Union for "the exceptional services she rendered for the Motherland and for her valour and heroism in fights against the German invaders".[7] On 18 August 1945 Fomicheva was officially bestowed the title.[8]

Postwar

After the war Klavdia Fomicheva served as an instructor at the Air Force Academy and later at Borisoglebsk Military Flying School. By 1955 she retired in the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Fomicheva died on 5 October 1958 and was buried in Moscow at Novodevichy Cemetery.[8]

Involvement in politics

In 1945 Klavdia Fomicheva participated in the founding WIDF congress in Paris.[5]

Honours and awards

Campaign medals:

Memory

Streets in Moscow and Dankov are named after Fomicheva.

A bus stop with a portrait of Klavdia Fomicheva on Fomichevoy Street, Moscow

Literature

  • Heroines of the Soviet Union (PDF). Osprey Publishing. pp. 10–11.

References

  1. ^ Accordingly to different systems of transliteration
  2. ^ Pennington, Reina; Higham, Robin (2003). Amazons to fighter pilots : a biographical dictionary of military women / Vol. 1, A-Q. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 172. OCLC 773504359.
  3. ^ Heroines of the Soviet Union (PDF). Osprey Publishing. pp. 10–11.
  4. ^ Borisoglebsk Flying School Website
  5. ^ a b c d e f Abramova, M.; Levashov, A. (1969). "Отвага и умение" [Courage and Skill]. In Toropov, L. (ed.). Героини: очерки о женщинах — Героях Советского Союза [Heroines: Essays about Women - Heroes of the Soviet Union] (in Russian). Moscow: Politizdat.
  6. ^ 122nd Aviation Group consisted of the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 587th Bombardment Aviation Regiment (redesignated 125th Borisov Guards Bombardment Aviation regiment) and 588th Night Bomber Regiment (redesignated 46th Taman Guards Night Bombardment Aviation Regiment). All units initially had all-female personnel, but the first two eventually became mixed with a preponderance of females. All three units became operational upon integration into regular VVS divisions where other regiments had all-male aircrew,
  7. ^ a b c d e f Hero of the Soviet Union Recommendation
  8. ^ a b Герои Советского Союза. том.2 ч.2 [Heroes of the Soviet Union. Volume 2, Part 2] (in Russian). Moscow. 1987.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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