Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant General of Aviation

PTUKHIN EVGENY SAVVICH

03.03.1902-23.02.1942

Evgeny Savvich Ptukhin was born on March 3, 1902 in the family of a postal clerk in the city of Yalta. At the end of 1905, his father got a job as a horse yard manager and moved the whole family to Moscow. When the time came, Zhenya was sent to study at a state three-year school. However, the atmosphere that prevailed in this educational institution, discouraged the young man from continuing his education there. Parents went to meet him and arranged for a technical school on Rozhdestvenka.

In 1914, his father fell seriously ill, and his older brother was drafted into the army and sent to the front. The family began to experience great need, and in order to somehow help his relatives, Zhenya, having abandoned his studies, begins to work. He moonlights as a porter at railway stations, a courier for the Veche newspaper, and an apprentice telephonist at Delovoy Dvor.

From letters coming from the front, Zhenya learned that his older brother Vasily served in the aviation unit. From that moment on, all the thoughts and dreams of the boy were about airplanes. He literally "fell ill" with aviation. Zhenya learned all the known aircraft models, knew all the outstanding aviators, Russian and foreign.

The revolutionary events that stirred up the country did not go unnoticed by Yevgeny Ptukhin. He plunges headlong into the class struggle, participates in demonstrations, distributes leaflets and newspapers among the soldiers.

When Yevgeny found out that volunteers were being enrolled in the ranks of the Red Army, he did not hesitate for a minute. However, disappointment awaited him - because of his young age, he was refused admission. Then, having corrected the birth metric and attributing two years to himself, he achieved his goal.

On January 20, 1918, Yevgeny Ptukhin was enrolled as a volunteer in the Red Army. Before being sent to the front, he had to undergo training in machine gun courses. Arriving home on a visit, the elder brother Vasily agreed that Yevgeny was sent to serve in his flight unit, located in Tver.

The younger Ptukhin is credited as a minder in the 3rd Moscow air group. The young smart guy quickly found a common language with his colleagues and became an indispensable assistant in any complex repair. Eugene became especially close to the minder Pyotr Pumpur (the future lieutenant general of aviation and Hero of the Soviet Union). This friendship and warm relationship to each other will remain between them all their lives.

In March 1918, sixteen-year-old Yevgeny Ptukhin was accepted into the ranks of the Russian Communist Party. As part of the First Aviation Artillery Detachment, he participates in civil war. In November 1918, the detachment was sent to the Southern Front. It was based in the Oboyan area and supported the offensive of the Donetsk group of troops from the air. Motorist Ptukhin provided repair and preparation of aircraft for combat missions. During one of the enemy air raids, he was shell-shocked by a bomb dropped from a Haviland aircraft.

Soon the detachment was relocated to the Southwestern Front. Located at the airfields in Svatovo, Kupyansk, as part of the 13th Army, it participates in battles in the Aleksandrovsk region against the troops of Baron Wrangel.

At the end of May 1920, the detachment was included in the central air group under the command of I.U. Pavlova. In its composition, it participates in hostilities on the Polish front.

Being next to the outstanding red military pilots I. Pavlov, I. Spatarel and others, Evgeny Ptukhin strove to be like them. The desire to become a pilot was his only goal in life.

After repeated reports, the command went to meet Ptukhin and sent him to study at Yegoryevskaya theoretical school. On the very first day after his arrival, Evgeny learned the unpleasant news: all applicants for the pilot training class must pass entrance exams in the Russian language, algebra and geometry. The names of the last two objects meant nothing to him at all. It is not surprising that Eugene failed miserably in the exams.

Taking into account the military experience and the request of the unit command, the school management enrolled Ptukhin in the minder class. At the same time, he was tasked with filling gaps in knowledge. Realizing that with primary education he will not be able to become a pilot, Eugene devotes a lot of time and effort to study.

In 1922, E. Ptukhin graduated from the school of minders and, by order of the Glavvozdukhflot, was appointed senior minder of the Separate Fighter Squadron No. 2 in Podosinki. It was commanded by an old familiar military pilot I. Spatarel. The commander was glad to have such an experienced minder come to the unit, but he was cool about his dream of becoming a pilot. But Eugene did not even think of retreating. And soon he again became a cadet of the Yegorievsk theoretical school, but already in the flight class.

In December 1923, Ptukhin completed his studies and was sent to the Lipetsk flight practical school. Here, under the guidance of experienced teachers and mentors, he masters the aircraft. After 30 flights with an instructor on April 4, 1924, Evgeny Ptukhin was the first among the cadets to make an independent flight on the Anrio N-14. Every day, with every flight, the skill and self-confidence, and the keen desire to fly grew. But unexpectedly, the school was disbanded and all the students were sent to continue their studies in the city of Borisoglebsk.

After successfully graduating from the Borisoglebsk school, pilot Ptukhin, among the twenty best graduates, received a referral to the Serpukhov Higher School of Shooting and Bombing. It was the most difficult period of study in the life of Eugene. Almost daily, he had to fly to the zone where training air battles and live firing at ground targets were held. After such intense training, flying along the route seemed like a rest. You could straighten your back, look only straight ahead, and not turn your head in all directions, as in a dogfight.

Six months flew by unnoticed. At the end of 1924, E. Ptu-khin completed his studies and was sent to serve in his 2nd air squadron. Upon arrival at the headquarters, he saw the order: “12/2/1924. The village to them. Michelson. Comrade Ptukhin Yevgeny, who arrived from the Higher Aviation School of Aerial Shooting and Bombing, is to be enlisted in the lists of a separate fighter squadron for the position of a military pilot in the 2nd non-separate detachment and for all types of allowances from December 1 of this year. ... Squadron commander in / l Spatarel, military commissar Poshemansky, early. Headquarters Maslov "(1).

At the exit from the headquarters, Evgeny was in for a pleasant surprise - old friend and proven comrade Peter Pumpur. They again fell to serve together in one part.

The days of intense training, flights, training air battles dragged on. Aviation switched to new aircraft, and it was necessary not only to master them as soon as possible, but also to master new piloting techniques.

In July 1925, E. Ptukhin, P. Pumpur and other pilots of the squadron took part in the suppression of bandit revolts led by the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. The bandits concentrated in the villages near the Ilyinskaya station of the Moscow-Kursk railway. They burned bread and houses of activists, cracked down on sympathizers of the Soviet regime.

The pilots of the squadron made sorties for reconnaissance, carried out shelling and dispersal of gangs. Flights were fraught with mortal danger. On July 11, during one of the sorties, the bandits managed to shoot down the plane. Pilot Sedko was wounded, but managed to cope with the car and made an emergency landing. Seeing this, the bandits rushed to him. Overcoming the pain, the pilot managed to escape, and the plane was burned by bandits.

By order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 719 dated July 03, 1925, the 2nd Squadron was awarded the honorary name “named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky", and in December 1926 it was renamed the 7th separate air squadron. This year it was headed by the famous pilot, hero of the Civil War A.D. Shirinkin. For military exploits in air battles of the First World War, he was awarded four St. George Crosses, and in battles for Soviet power he earned two Orders of the Red Banner.

Evgeny Ptukhin flies a lot, honing his skills. Learns new technology quickly and on time. The abilities of the young pilot were noticed by the command. In 1926, senior pilot E. Ptukhin was appointed flight commander.

Hero of the Soviet Union Air Marshal S. A. Krasovsky recalls: “In the squadron A.D. Shirinkin was served by pilots Pyotr Pumpur, Yevgeny Ptukhin ... The short, fair-haired Ptukhin - everyone in the detachment lovingly called him Zhenya - stood out among others with his outstanding flying skills ”(2).

In December 1927, the 7th squadron was relocated to Vitebsk, as part of the 2nd air brigade of the Belarusian Military District. Yevgeny Ptukhin is appointed commander of the detachment. The communists of the unit give him high confidence and elect him the secretary of the party organization of the squadron. He is studying aviation hard. One of the first in the unit masters the D-11 aircraft. He devotes a lot of effort and time to ensuring that all pilots quickly master this aircraft. At the same time, Evgeny Savvich is becoming more and more convinced that he lacks deep knowledge in tactics, navigation, and flight theory.

Seeing in him a born leader, an excellent commander and a capable organizer, the command of the unit decides to send E. Ptukhin to study at courses at the Academy. NOT. Zhukovsky. Here, under the guidance of experienced teachers, he studies strategy, tactics, the organization of land, air and sea forces, the history of military art. Before thirty young commanders of the commanding staff of the Air Force, M.N. Tukhachevsky, author of the book "Aviation Tactics" A.N. Lapchinsky, Chief of Staff of the Air Force V.V. Khripin and others.

In 1929, Yevgeny Ptukhin graduated from advanced training courses for command personnel and was appointed commander of the 15th separate fighter squadron named after the Central Executive Committee of the USSR in the Belarusian Military District. The squadron was armed with I-2 bis aircraft, but new I.3 aircraft soon appeared. Ptukhin personally checks the combat qualities of the aircraft. Everyone in the unit is surprised at Ptukhin's endurance, when he squeezed everything out of the plane that the machine could give. At the end of each flight day, the squadron commander gathered the pilots, noted the successes in piloting and patiently sorted out the mistakes.

In May 1934, E.S. Ptukhin was appointed commander and commissar of the 450th mixed aviation brigade stationed in Smolensk. It consisted of the 4th and 9th fighter, 35th and 42nd bomber squadrons and a reconnaissance squadron. The new commander marked his arrival at the brigade with a cascade of aerobatics over the main airfield. Having abandoned their work, mechanics and pilots watched with admiration how unusually the new brigade commander introduced himself to his subordinates. Many understood that the calm, measured service was over. And they were right.

With the arrival of a new commander, the entire life of the brigade moved to the airfield. Flights did not stop day or night. In an effort to be an example in everything for his subordinates, Ptukhin mastered the R-5 aircraft and began to fly with reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. But he tried to focus on his favorite fighters.

Soon, the I-5 fighter began to enter service with the brigade. Yevgeny Savvich set tight deadlines and began to demand a quick transition of one of the squadrons to a new car. At the end of each five-day period, shooting and bombing competitions were held. The best pilots were given a prize. The losers, or as Ptukhin called them, “maral”, were scribbled with cartoons in the wall newspaper.

Colleagues liked the new commander. They spoke of him as a man of strong will, fearlessness, inexhaustible energy and a high sense of camaraderie. Hero of the Soviet Union Marshal of Aviation S.A. Krasovsky recalls: “I knew Ptukhin for a long time. He studied a lot and seriously, flew well, had good organizational skills - in a word, he grew up quickly ”(3).

Success was not long in coming. At the autumn maneuvers of 1934, the Smolensk brigade was named one of the best. She was among the foremost in flight hours and accident-free flights.

Many pilots intensively mastered blind and high-altitude flights.

In July 1935, a new responsible appointment awaited Yevgeny Savvich - he received under his command the 142nd air brigade of the Belarusian Military District, stationed in Bobruisk. The unit was armed with I-3, I-5, I-7 fighters. The brigade was famous for its experienced pilots and specialists who were fluent in flight technology. It is no coincidence that the 142nd brigade for many years in a row occupied one of the first places in the Air Force in combat and political training, and its best representatives annually participated in parades on Red Square. Good organizational skills and the natural talent of a pilot helped E.S. Ptukhin quickly get used to new position and earn the honor and respect of colleagues.

On September 22, 1935, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR issued a resolution "On the introduction of personal military ranks for the commanding staff of the Red Army." On November 28, 1935, the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, by order of the personnel of the army No. 2488, appropriated E.S. Ptukhin military rank"brigade commander".

In 1936, I-16 fighters began to enter service with the 142nd air brigade. The command was tasked with mastering the new technology in the shortest possible time. The brigade commander Ptukhin was the first in the brigade to sit at the helm of the car. Soon he masterfully performed aerobatics on it. Following their commander, other pilots of the brigade began to master the new fighter.

By the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of May 25, 1936, for outstanding personal success in mastering military aviation equipment and skillful leadership in the combat and political training of the Air Force of the Red Army, brigade commander E.V. Ptukhin was awarded the Order of the Red Star

Large maneuvers were planned for the autumn of 1936 in the Belarusian Special Military District. Commissar of Defense K.E. was supposed to check the combat readiness of the troops. Voroshilov. The 142nd air brigade of brigade commander Ptukhin was to demonstrate during maneuvers how its pilots had mastered the new technology. Hours of training began. Recalls the senior engineer of the brigade I.A. Prachik: “The pilots of the brigade fired right above the airfield: the R-5 flight towed the cones, and the I-16 flight fired at them. At first things did not go in the best way- there were few hits on the cones. But we were well prepared for the beginning of the maneuvers: the materiel worked like a well-adjusted clockwork - all our aircraft could perform any combat mission, and the pilots fired skillfully at the cones.

During the exercises, we had to interact with the ground forces. District Commander I.P. Uborevich entrusted the organizational part of the exercises to his deputy, who decided to gather all the commanders - infantry, cavalry divisions, as well as aviation brigades.

Ptukhin suggested that I go to this meeting together with the commanders of the regiments.

The council of commanders passed stormily. The commander of the 4th Cavalry Division was especially persistent, as I learned later. I remember him ardently arguing to those assembled:

Before forcing the Berezina, aviation must cover the ground forces.

Ptukhin, in his usual manner, softly, but at the same time categorically objected to the assertive division commander:

Aviation will rise into the air only with the beginning of forcing the water line.

Commander Timoshenko agreed with Ptukhin:

Of course, artillery preparation first. The brigade commander knows more about the capabilities of aviation. We, the cavalry commanders, are not as visible from the horses as from above.

Timoshenko said the last words in a joking tone, but we realized that Yevgeny Savvich's idea was accepted. And after the meeting, the persistent commander of the 4th cavalry division nevertheless approached Ptukhin. I was struck by the confidence and cold authority in the bright eyes of this stocky cavalryman. He invited our brigade commander to his place:

Come! Better fly!

Yevgeny Savvich introduced us by the end of the conversation, listing titles and surnames:

My assistants are the engineer of the brigade, the commanders of the regiments ... The divisional commander shook our hands warmly and, pulling his cap deeper over his large head, laughed:

Suite, that is. Is not it too early?

Ptukhin understood the undisguised irony, but was not offended and simply said:

In aviation, the retinue is not required by the state. We all boil in the same pot, from the minder to the commander...

As soon as the divisional commander left, I asked Yevgeny Savvich:

Who is this cocky cavalryman?

Commander of the 4th Cavalry Division. Zhukov is his surname. He is in a good way, as you said, a bully. I like him: he says what he thinks. Although heavy in character. More experienced, older than many of us” (4).

At the autumn maneuvers of 1936, the 142nd air brigade showed excellent results. For these successes, by order of the people's commissar of defense, brigade commander E.S. Ptukhin was awarded car M-1. Soon the whole brigade and its commander were waiting for a new serious test. In the harsh winter of 1936-1937, for unknown reasons, several serious flight accidents occurred in the brigade. 3 I-16 fighters crashed, the pilots died.

Recalls the senior engineer of the brigade I.A. Prachik: “The Air Force Directorate soon sent its commission to us, the design bureau - its own, the Air Force Research Institute also sent the best specialists. All these commissions, we must give them their due, conscientiously worked in severe cold at the sites of disasters. They came to Bobruisk chilled and tired. And their work at the headquarters of the brigade was to clarify the flight training of the dead pilots, the knowledge of the material part of the aircraft by all technical personnel. Yevgeny Savvich angrily reproached them:

Comrade engineers, I am not belittling your knowledge and work. But well-trained pilots crashed. Do you know that one of the victims held the control stick tightly in his hands while dead? The path to the true search for the causes of the disaster must begin with the control of the aircraft ...

The members of the commissions politely listened to the tired brigade commander and remained silent. Meanwhile from design office Polikarpov sent us calculations of the strength of units and assemblies of the I-16 fighter. These calculations stood in the way of the search for commissions as a stumbling block: a series of combat vehicles was tested by Valery Chkalov. And representatives from Moscow began to repeat more and more insistently that the cause of our troubles was in the wrong method of training the flight crew, that it would not be superfluous to check the piloting technique of the brigade pilots properly. Such a conclusion did not convince us - we tirelessly searched for the true cause.

Late one evening, I put on all the warm clothes I had and headed for the cold hangar. Slowly climbed into the cabin of the I-16, worked on the pedals, the control stick and suddenly noticed that when taking over the handle was very tight. “It must be from the cold,” I thought. “But what about then, at a height where it is much colder and the loads on the rudders are more significant than on the ground? Perhaps this is only on one machine? ..” I moved into the cabin of another "donkey" - the same thing happened again: the rudders worked hard. “So,” I make an uncertain conclusion, “it’s a matter of temperature,” and I continue to work sharper, more energetically, as if performing aerobatic maneuvers at which the load is maximum. And suddenly ... a crunch, as if sand had got on your teeth. I can't believe my eyes: in my right hand I have a significant part of the control stick, approximately the same as that of the deceased pilot. I sit in the cockpit of the next aircraft, I also perform several vigorous and abrupt movements - in my hands there is a second fragment ...

The guess about the cause of the accidents came to me, of course, earlier than the thought of checking it myself in the cockpit of the I-16. Now the hypothesis has become true: the base of the aircraft control stick breaks with significant effort in conditions low temperatures. I hasten to inform brigade commander Ptukhin about this, the handset trembles in my hand, and in response I hear a familiar voice:

Prachik, my dear! I am now, in a flash! .. And here is Evgeny Savvich in the hangar:

Well, what do you have here? Speak faster...

With difficulty restraining my excitement, I report:

At a temperature of about forty degrees, the base of the handle breaks, Evgeny Savvich.

The brigade commander is checking one plane - the control stick is cracking, - the second, the third ... I'm already protesting:

Yevgeny Savvich, you will break all your hands! Leave, for God's sake, and for members of the commission. Let them practice before leaving for Moscow.

Having cooled down, Ptukhin stands for a long time in thought, then, as if waking up, grabs me in an armful:

Ivan Andreevich, what a fine fellow you are! What a fine fellow ... When all the controls on the fighters of this series were replaced, brigade commander Ptukhin, as before, came to the aircraft parking lot with technicians, got into the first fighter that caught his eye and performed aerobatics over the airfield. This was his method, which, better than anything else, instilled confidence in people that our combat vehicles were reliable ”(5).

May 15, 1937 brigade commander E.S. Ptukhin was sent to help the republican government of Spain, where a national revolutionary war was going on. Under the pseudonym "General José" he commands a fighter group of the Republican Air Force. Participates in hostilities during the Brunet operation. The preparation of aviation for this operation took place with feverish haste. Nevertheless, Yevgeny Savvich ensured that several new landing sites were built by the beginning of it. He pinned great hopes on them, since all the airfields were well known to the Nazis, and only three of them had not yet been bombed. The Republicans managed to covertly concentrate 133 aircraft, which came as a complete surprise to the rebels.

Fierce air battles began from the very first days of the offensive on Brunet. Republican pilots made 5-7 sorties a day. Fighters have never flown here with such tension. Ptukhin rushed from airfield to airfield, barely managing to analyze especially difficult battles and set new tasks. There was only a small gap of a short night left for summing up and planning hostilities.

Realizing that before leading other pilots, it is necessary to have combat experience yourself, E.S. Ptukhin repeatedly flies to the front, and, despite the prohibition of the Soviet leadership, participates in dogfights.

On July 9, 1937, in the sky over Madrid, he, together with the Yugoslav Bozhko Petrovich, shot down the latest German Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter. Writer S.I. Shingarev: “Elongated silhouettes of the second group of Messers flashed from the direction of the sun.

Sharply lifting the nose of the fighter, Ptukhin slashed with machine-gun bursts on the Me 109 engine. The fascist deftly left the tracks and put the car into a turn. Ptukhin rushed after him. On the turn, he could not catch up with his opponent. True, the "Messer" from the I-16 also did not come off. With a sharp flip over the wing, the fascist pilot put the plane into a dive. Ptukhin repeated the Messer maneuver. Over the square Major I-16 caught up with the fascist car. Ptukhin pressed the trigger. "Messer" pulled up. In the rays of the sun, polished wings and a cockpit tightly closed with a plexiglass lantern flashed. General José pressed the trigger of the general fire once more. Machine-gun tracks hooked on the tail of the Messer. And then on the path of the fascist was "chato" Bozhko Petrovich. Yugoslav was the first to open fire. "Messerschmitt" capsized on the wing and crashed down" (6).

Returning to the airfield, the pilots began a thorough analysis of the air battle. After listening carefully to everyone, brigade commander Ptukhin said:

Compared to the German fighters familiar to us, the Me 109 is a more advanced and more dangerous machine. Therefore, we should develop a new tactic of air combat. In level flight, the Messerschmitt could not catch up with my I-16 - it turns out that they are equal in speed. But it spends more time on turns than our maneuverable I-15. This means that the battle must be imposed on him on turns, to use the collective action, mutual assistance in battle and the close interaction of the I-15 with the I-16.

And then, when the pilots dispersed, the commissar said to the brigade commander:

While you were gone, Grigory Mikhailovich Stern called. He categorically forbade letting you into the air.

Of course, it couldn't have happened without you.

It didn't work out. Yes, you finally understand, what if something happens, what will we do without a commander? .. "(7)

As a commander in charge of the people entrusted to him, Ptukhin understood that it was impossible for him to leave the command post during the battle. But he also understood that he would not be able to properly manage aviation without recognizing the fighting qualities and tactics of German and Italian fighters.

In one of the following air battles, Evgeny Savich Ptukhin shot down the latest German bomber Heinkel He. 111. The writer M.P. Sukhachev: “Ptukhin abruptly, with a half-turn at full throttle, rushed after one of the three Xe-111s he saw ... Fearing to miss the enemy, he made a sharp maneuver and broke away from the followers ...

As soon as the distance reached five hundred meters, luminous trails stretched out from the enemy aircraft, and at the same moment Ptukhin felt a fractional knock on the left plane. The enemy had machine guns of a larger caliber, and he could afford to shoot from such a range.

Simultaneously with the firing, the bomber entered the right turn with a climb. With a high angular velocity, it flashed in front of the hood of Ptukhin's plane. The attack was thwarted...

Having an advantage in speed, it was possible to make a left runner after the enemy and be in the tail. But at the top of almost the entire plan, the plane will hover at low speed. Of course, the shooter will not miss such a moment. An instant assessment of the situation, and Ptukhin energetically drove the car into a left turn, knowing that now he would meet the enemy head-on. Apparently, warned by the shooter about the maneuver of the fighter, the fascist pilot shifted from the right turn to the left. Having completed the turn, Ptukhin saw that they were at diametrically opposite points of the turn. Having almost the same speed, the opponents were turning for the third turn. The load was at its limit. With difficulty keeping his head up, Ptukhin saw the futile attempts of the shooter to shift the turret from the starboard side to the port side. Due to the large overload, it turned out to be beyond his power. The fascist could only shoot at the outer side of the bend. Exhausted, the shooter sat pressed into the seat. "But now he's unarmed with inside turn, "- a thought flashed through Evgeny Savvich. Having increased the roll by more than 90 degrees, Ptukhin, with a loss of height, cut off the circle and, at the exit to the set, began to approach the enemy. When, as it seemed, the rivets on the skin became visible, he, with some special effort pressed the trigger. It seemed that thin, shiny swords pierced the hated pale blue body of the monster. Slipping under the enemy, Ptukhin no longer doubted that the fascist had been dealt a mortal blow. And it’s true, the enemy slowly, as happens when the control is damaged, filled up the left bank with lowering its nose. Just as slowly rotating, it began to quickly move away from Ptukhin almost vertically. Then, in the place where the point of the aircraft touched the ground, a large fiery black cloud silently grew up "(8).

As a result, despite the ban on flying, General Jose personally and in a group shot down several enemy aircraft. Together with the victories, authority and respect appeared among the Soviet pilots who fought in Spain. Remembers the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General B.A. Smirnov: “I didn’t know Evgeny Savvich before, I saw him here, in Spain, for the first time. A brave pilot, a large-scale commander, and main feature his character was fundamental justice to all without exception. He had no favorites, no stepsons. He knew the value of combat pilots and never rushed to a conclusion. It was easy to fight with him and I always wanted to complete any task that he set ”(9).

In July 1937, during the bombardment of Republican night fighters by rebel aircraft based at the Alcala airfield, brigade commander Ptukhin received a shell shock and was wounded. A small fragment of the bomb went deep into the flesh of the thigh. But Yevgeny Savvich refused hospitalization. After recuperating for several days in his room at the Gaylord Hotel, he returned to duty and, dragging his wounded leg, began to further lead combat missions.

At the end of July 1937, brigade commander Ptukhin became the chief adviser to the commander of the republican aviation on the Madrid, Aragon and Teruel fronts. The Spanish government awarded Jose the rank of General of the Air Force. Under his leadership, a number of successful operations were carried out. Here is what B.A. recalls about one of them. Smirnov: “Comrade Ptukhin summons all commanders of fighter aviation to the main airfield. Urgently!

Yevgeny Savich tells in detail about the situation at the front, about the balance of aviation forces, which is clearly not in favor of the Republicans. In fact, we all know this very well. Apparently sensing this, Ptukhin suddenly interrupts the smooth flow of his speech and heavily lowers his fist on the map spread out on the table.

Here! Here's what to do - raid their Garapinillos airfield. At this airfield, according to preliminary data, more than sixty enemy aircraft are concentrated. We can't wait for them to rise up and hit our Republic bases. We have no right to wait!

"That's right! But why were only fighters invited to the meeting?" I thought. "Why isn't there a single commander of a bomber squadron here?

During the last battles over Zaragoza and in its area, - Ptukhin continues, as if guessing my thought, - our bomber aviation met large groups of enemy fighters and a continuous curtain of anti-aircraft fire. Naturally, we had losses in these flights. How to avoid them when raiding Garapinillos? We thought, consulted and decided: in order to avoid unnecessary losses, to carry out a raid on Garapinillos without the participation of bombers. By the forces of some fighters "(10).

After listening to the opinion of all those present, E.S. Ptukhin made a decision: to entrust the execution of the main task to the squadron of Anatoly Serov. The squadrons of Smirnov, Gusev, Pleshchenko and Devodchenko block the enemy airfield from all sides. The command of the entire combined air group was entrusted to I. Eremenko.

On October 15, 1937, taking advantage of a surprise attack, Soviet pilots dealt a crushing blow to an enemy airfield. B. Smirnov recalls: “A few days later, the captured pilots showed: “Forty aircraft were destroyed at the Garapinillos airfield. Most of the remaining ones were disabled and require lengthy repairs.” In impotent fury, the fascist command fell upon the guards and anti-aircraft gunners, who fled during the assault operations of the republican aircraft. The day after the raid, twenty soldiers were lined up along the line of burnt-out planes and shot on the spot” (11). Officially, the nationalists acknowledged the loss of 12 aircraft: 3 Ju-52s, 3 He-46s and 6 Fiats.

For this planned and successfully carried out operation, on December 22, 1937, brigade commander E.S. Ptukhin was awarded the Order of Lenin. People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilov sent a cipher in which he enthusiastically wrote: “Our aviation, as always, is on top! Our pilots "Hurrah!"

In December 1937, Republican troops begin an operation to eliminate the Teruel salient. Chief military adviser to the command of the republican army G.M. Stern informed Ptukhin about the tasks of aviation in this operation. They were too large for small aircraft. In addition, unusually severe frosts and snowfalls added unnecessary worries. But despite all the difficulties, aviation begins to act. Aerial reconnaissance is carried out, the data of which are promptly reported to the republican command. Bombing strikes on the defense of the Nazis. Fighters successfully storm fascist airfields.

Over Teruel, air battles are played out, which have not happened in the sky of Spain. A large number of aircraft from both sides take part in them. Air fights occur at all altitude levels.

On December 22, 1937, up to one and a half hundred aircraft converged in the sky over Teruel. The Nazis put up fierce resistance and did not want to give in. As it turned out, the reason for this was the arrival of the replacement units, defeated during the attack by Garapinillos, pilots of the higher air combat school of the Italian Air Force. They were given the task of avenging their shamed honor. But they did not succeed, the battle ended with a ratio of downed aircraft of five to seven in favor of the Republicans.

It was on the soil of Spain that the military talent of E.S. was fully revealed. Ptukhin. A.F., who served under him. Semyonov, the future Hero of the Soviet Union and lieutenant general of aviation, recalls: “Evgeny Savvich Ptukhin had an uncommon talent as an aviation commander. In his own way, as we say now, in Ptukhinsk, he developed, prepared and successfully carried out air operations that were quite significant on the scale of that time. Combat missions were solved with close cooperation between various branches of aviation, often with an increase in the strength of strikes, especially in the course of combating enemy aircraft. The latter were effectively destroyed not only in the air, but also at airfields” (12).

In January 1938 brigade commander E.S. Ptukhin was recalled to the Soviet Union. In a report written to the leadership of the armed forces, Yevgeny Savvich analyzed the use of aviation in combat conditions. He argued the need to install cannon weapons on fighters, as effective remedy combat aircraft of the enemy. He insisted on booking the cockpits and provided data on the number of pilots injured for this reason. Ptukhin believed that radio communications must be present on aircraft, reinforcing this with examples when orders from the ground could significantly affect the outcome of an air battle. At the end of the report, he raised the question of the need to move the link from three aircraft to four, divided into two pairs. This structure has proven itself in air battles in the skies of Spain.

February 22, 1938 E.S. Ptukhin was awarded the extraordinary military rank of "Comcor", and he was awarded the commemorative medal "XX Years of the Red Army".

March 7, 1938 in the Kremlin, in a solemn atmosphere, M.I. Kalinin presented commander Ptukhin with two orders at once - Lenin and the Red Banner, which he was awarded for fighting in Spain.

On April 8, 1938, Yevgeny Savvich was appointed commander of the Air Force of the Leningrad Military District. At the May Day parade, on his red-winged I-16, he flew at the head of the air armada.

The corps commander devoted a lot of time and energy to the work of combat training of flight units. He often traveled to airfields, where he met with pilots and specialists. He spoke about the acquired combat experience in the skies of Spain. On his red I-16, he showed young pilots how to fly and perform the most difficult aerobatic maneuvers so as not to be shot down in the first battle. He himself personally practiced air combat control with pilots in various conditions and groups of different composition.

In August 1938, commander E.V. Ptukhin was summoned to Moscow to attend advanced training courses for command and command personnel at the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army. On February 23, 1939, the entire course of students was sworn in, after which the order for appointment was read out. Commander Ptukhin remained at his former duty station. By the beginning of 1939, under his leadership there were 7 aviation brigades, numbering over 1 thousand aircraft. various types based at 12 airfields. All this huge economy required constant attention.

Stopping at the border with Finland remained difficult. Under an agreement with the Baltic countries, the construction of Soviet military bases began on their territory. Responsibility for defense measures in Estonia was assigned to the leadership of the Leningrad Military District. The writer M.P. Sukhachev: “Meretskov, together with Ptukhin, traveled all over Estonia, outlining areas for the construction of fortifications and airfields. They reported the results of the reconnaissance to Stalin at the dacha. Ptukhin had met with Stalin several times before at receptions after air parades, but he had never had to communicate so closely, at the same dinner table. There was no order of presentation. Outwardly, it looked like a conversation, where, naturally, Stalin asked more questions. And when the question was raised: "And how does Comrade Ptukhin think of using aircraft from Estonian airfields in the event of a conflict on the Finnish border?" - Ptukhin was taken aback by surprise. He bided his time and, to hide his excitement, began to slowly outline his plan. Stalin listened without interrupting. Being a subtle psychologist, he apparently studied the logic of the commander's thinking, about whom he had already heard and knew a lot.

Comrade Ptukhin, you must well imagine the fullness of the responsibility if at least one bomb falls on Leningrad.

These words were more convincing than any order” (13).

On November 30, 1939, the Soviet-Finnish war began. Komkoru E.S. Ptukhin is entrusted with the leadership of front-line aviation. Under his command are the 15th, 71st (later 18th) and 55th high-speed bomber air brigades, as well as the 35th and 55th high-speed bomber air regiments. They were tasked with bombing enemy manpower, fortifications and communications in order to promote the advance of the Red Army on the Karelian Isthmus. However, having encountered the stubborn resistance of the Finnish units and a pre-prepared defense line - the "Mannerheim Line", the Soviet units were forced to go on the defensive.

The writer M.P. Sukhachev: “In mid-December, late in the evening, when Agaltsov, a member of the Military Council of the Air Force, was rereading the intelligence report, the Kremlin telephone rang.

Do you know Dago Island?

Yes, Comrade Stalin.

There it is necessary to build an airfield for the I-16 squadron, and as soon as possible.

But there are dense forests.

Don't you know how cities grow among forests?

Clearly, Comrade Stalin.

There was a click in the receiver, everything was silent. Agaltsov took a breath and immediately began to call Ptukhin.

José, - out of habit they sometimes still called each other Spanish names, - your task is this: you need to urgently build an airfield on Dago. Now I'm calling Meretskov, asking him to help with everything that is needed. Let me know daily how things are going.

The next day, almost following Ptukhin, Stalin called Agaltsov and was pleasantly surprised that two battalions had already started work.

Who is responsible for the work?

Ptukhin, Comrade Stalin," Agaltsov answered readily.

By the New Year, an I-16 regiment landed at the rolled airfield. Agaltsov immediately reported to Stalin.

How is the regiment? - Iosif Vissarionovich was surprised.

We built not for a squadron, but for a regiment.

This is good. Well done Ptukhin, - Stalin said softly and quietly. And Agaltsov understood from his voice how at the same time he smiled sparingly into his mustache. “We must urgently convey the conversation to Ptukhin,” Agaltsov thought, “this means more to him than a reward” ”(14).

In January 1940, to support the offensive of the troops of the North-Western Front during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, the Air Force of the North-Western Front was created under the command of Commander E.S. Ptukhin. They included the 27th long-range bomber air brigade, the 29th bomber air brigade, the 16th high-speed bomber air brigade, the 85th separate high-speed bomber air regiment and the 149th separate fighter air regiment.

As of February 10, 1940, front-line aviation under the command of Commander Ptukhin consisted of 558 aircraft (351 bombers and 207 fighters). All this formidable power was used in full. The intensity of the use of the Air Force on the Karelian Isthmus was very high: on certain days of February - March 1940, when breaking through the main defensive line, up to 2000-2500 sorties were sometimes made during the day (taking into account the aviation of the front, armies, air defense and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet). At night, this figure reached 300-400 sorties (15).

On February 23, 1940, to perform special tasks under the direct command of commander E.S. Ptukhin, the United Air Force was formed as part of the 27th long-range bomber air brigade, the 16th high-speed bomber air brigade, the 85th separate high-speed bomber air regiment and the 149th separate fighter air regiment from the Air Force of the North-Western Front, the 7th Fighter Aviation Regiment from the 59th Fighter Aviation Brigade of the Air Force of the 7th Army, as well as the 1st Mine and Torpedo Aviation Regiment, the 15th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment and the 13th Fighter Aviation Regiment from the Air Force of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 21, 1940, for the skillful leadership of aviation operations, which inflicted great damage on the enemy when breaking through the fortified Mannerheim Line, commander Ptukhin Yevgeny Savvich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 244). In total, for the courage and courage of 68 pilots of the Air Force of the North-Western Front, who fought under the leadership of commander E.S. Ptukhin, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

From April 14 to April 17, 1940, in the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, in the presence of I.V. Stalin, a meeting of the commanding staff of the Red Army was held to collect experience in military operations against Finland. On April 16, at the morning meeting, Commander E.V. Ptukhin:

“Comrades, in the war with the White Finns, we for the first time used a large mass of aircraft and especially widely used bomber aircraft in all types of its work. 71% of the actions of the aviation of the North-Western Front is work with troops, work to destroy and destroy the URs of the Karelian Isthmus. In total, we have 53,000 sorties, of which 27,000 fall on bombers that made 19,500 sorties against the URs and dropped 10,500 tons of bombs. As you can see, the number is huge. Bombs dropped large-caliber - 250-500 kg.

What did we do with them, how did we help the troops? There is evidence that several reinforced concrete points from direct hits of large-caliber bombs were completely destroyed. We think in the spring, when the snow melts, to carefully examine the fortified area and see the effectiveness of the bombers.

PTUKHIN. If a bomb hits nearby, it helps too. The moral effect must be considered. Not every bomb can hit the target exactly, but if a 500 kg bomb falls next to a bunker, this also acts morally and financially. We know cases when a bomb hit near a bunker, and people were pulled out of the bunker, bleeding from their noses and ears, and some of them completely died. It is hard to be bombed day and night, but we had 2,500 planes flying during the day and 300-400 planes at night. During the day, traffic on the Karelian Isthmus absolutely stopped. At night they moved through forests and paths.

PTUKHIN. As for the railroads, I will speak separately. I believe that aviation has done a colossal job of destroying the UR, but the big drawback is that we scattered our aviation, did not concentrate its actions on the main sectors. Each commander wanted to immediately destroy the fortified area, but this is impossible. Aviation is then effective when it lays bombs meter by meter according to a certain system, according to a certain calculation, according to a certain method of work.

The fortified area consists not only of reinforced concrete points. It consists of trenches, barbed wire, and all this must be destroyed by aviation.

Fortified areas can be shaken only by technology, and we are rich in technology. It is only necessary to work according to a certain system, to coordinate the actions of various branches of the armed forces and not to scatter.

We bombed at 300-400 m from the front line. At first they could not bomb, they were afraid and did not know how.

It is especially difficult because the troops do not identify themselves. We talked a lot about this, but we never worked out a system for displaying troops.

PTUKHIN. We had good cooperation with the 7th Army. At the moment of the breakthrough, aviation with artillery transferred their fire to the rear. The bombers operated in areas where enemy reserves were supposed to be concentrated. This contributed to the fact that our troops did not have strong counterattacks during the development of the breakthrough.

Railway activities. This is a very big question. For the first time, we bombed railway junctions with large forces.

Kouvola station - large railway knot, big station. After the bombing, it worked as a haul. The station suffered great damage, but during a break in the bombing, the Finns managed to somehow recover and the station still worked. Our work was limited by the weather, you work for 2-3 days, and then 5 days of bad weather.

PTUKHIN. It is necessary and possible to bomb railway junctions, but for greater effect it is necessary to use large-caliber bombs of 500-1000 kg, this is the first.

The second question is about slow bombs, given the Leningrad weather, when out of 105 days of the war only 25 days were flying, it is necessary to have bombs with delayed action fuses for 2-3 days.

The weather is good - 2-3 brigades take off on the railway. node, bombing is carried out, and thanks to delayed fuses, the station is put out of action for 2-3 days.

One of the most effective ways railway disruption movement is bombing over bridges. But hitting bridges as a narrow target from level flight is very difficult. There are cases of direct hits on bridges, but this requires large material costs. It seems to me that two methods can be applied here: the first is dive bombing, which requires a special dive bomber, or the second is low-altitude bombing with parachute bombs of at least 250 kg caliber. It is only necessary to work out the fuses of these bombs well, since we have worked out the parachute device, the methods and tactics of bombing in the district.

Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant General Aviation PROSKUROV IVAN IOSIFOVICH 18.02.1907-28.10.1941 Ivan Iosifovich Proskurov was born on February 18, 1907 into a Ukrainian family in the village of Malaya Tolmachka, Zaporozhye region. His father worked as a maintenance worker for railway but in 1914

Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant General of Aviation PUMPUR PETR IVANOVICH 04/25/1900-03/23/1942 Peter (Peteris) Ivanovich (Ionovich) Pumpur was born on April 25, 1900 in the family of a Latvian peasant of the Platera volost, Riga district, Livonia province. After graduating from the parish