Semyon Bychkov (pilot)

This article is about the World War II pilot. For the conductor, see Semyon Mayevich Bychkov.

Semyon Bychkov
Born	(1918-05-15)15 May 1918
Died	4 November 1946(1946-11-04) (aged 28)
Allegiance	Soviet Union Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Soviet Air Forces Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939-1943 (SAF), 1943-1945 (L)
Rank	Major
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner (2) Ostvolk Medal 2nd class with swords

Semyon Trofimovich Bychkov (Russian: Семён Трофимович Бычков, 15 May 1918 – 4 November 1946) was a Soviet military pilot during World War II. He served first in Soviet Air Forces, where he downed seventeen German aircraft, then on the opposite side. Bychkov co-founded the 1st Aircraft Regiment of the Committee of Liberation Movement of People of Russia, under the auspices of Russian Liberation Army (ROA) and was awarded the German Ostvolk Medal 2nd class with swords.

In April 1945 Bychkov surrendered to the Third United States Army; he was handed back to the Soviet forces, where he was executed by shooting. On March 21, 1947 Bychkov was posthumously stripped of all Soviet awards.

Life

Bychkov was born in the village of Petrovka, Voronezh Oblast. In 1939 he was drafted into the Red Army and detached to aviation. Bychkov graduated from Borisoglebsk Red Banner Flying School and continued his education in the 12th Reserve Aircraft Regiment. He fought at the Western and Northwestern Front of the Eastern Theatre of World War II.

In July 1942 Bychkov was sentenced by a military tribunal to five years in a labor camp for a crash. On October 1 the War Council lifted the sentence and Bychkov continued his service. By August, 1943 he had participated in sixty air combats and downed seventeen German aircraft. On 2 September 2, 1943 he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On 10 December 1943 Bychkov was downed by anti-aircraft fire and captured in an unconscious state. After recovering in a German hospital Bychkov was sent to a camp for imprisoned pilots in Suwałki.

In 1944 he agreed to collaborate with the Germans and Bychkov co-founded the 1st Aircraft Regiment of the Committee of Liberation Movement of People of Russia, under the auspices of Russian Liberation Army (ROA) and was awarded the German Ostvolk Medal 2nd class with swords. Bychkov then participated in anti-partisan warfare around Dvinsk and became the chief of night-time bombing in the ROA.

At the end of the war, together with other members of Vlasov's army, Bychkov surrendered to the 12th Corps of the American 3rd Army. In September he was transferred from Cherbourg and handed over to the Soviets.

On 24 August 1946 Bychkov was charged by the tribunal of Moscow Military District and sentenced to death. The next day Bychkov submitted an appeal for pardon, but it was rejected and the sentence was executed on 4 November of the same year. On 21 March 1947 he was posthumously stripped of all honors that had been awarded to him by the Soviet Union.