Pavel Vasilievich Rychagov | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Павел Васильевич Рычагов |
| Born | 15 January [O.S. 2 January] 1911 Moscow,Russian Empire |
| Died | 28 October 1941(1941-10-28) (aged 30) Samara,Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service |  Soviet Air Force |
| Years of service | 1928–1941 |
| Rank | General-Lieutenant of Aviation |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
| Spouse(s) | Mariya Nesterenko |
Pavel Vasilievich Rychagov (Russian:Павел Васильевич Рычагов; 2 January 1911 – 28 October 1941)[1] was the Commander of theSoviet Air Forces (VVS) for a brief time from 28 August 1940 to 14 April 1941.[2] He was removed from that position shortly beforeOperation Barbarossa and the outbreak of theGreat Patriotic War, and was executed in apurge of the Red Army several months later.[3][4]
Rychagov was born on 2 January 1911 in the village of Nizhnie Likhobory, which forms part of present-day Moscow. In 1928, he joined theRed Army, trained at the Leningrad Military College of the Air Forces, from which he graduated in 1930. In 1931, he enrolled for further training at the 2nd Military College for Pilots.[1]
For five years, Rychagov was an ordinary fighter pilot, building up skills before becoming commander of an aviation squadron inKiev Military District. In 1936, he was awarded theOrder of Lenin for exemplary service; he was also amongst the first Soviet volunteers to fight in theSpanish Civil War.[1]
The most intense part of Rychagov's career as a fighter pilot came in the Spanish Civil War. On 28 October 1936, Rychagov, leading a group of 15 Soviet pilots flying 25Polikarpov I-15 aircraft, landed inCartagena, Spain. A few days later, a further group of 10 pilots and 15 aircraft arrived inBilbao.[5] Rychagov's fighter group saw their first action on 4 November. On that day, they shot down twoJunkers Ju 52s and twoFiat CR.32s overMadrid, while no losses were reported among the Soviet pilots. During the next two days, Rychagov's pilots claimed 12 more victories, at the cost of two aircraft lost.[5]
However, on 16 November, Rychagov was shot down over Madrid by Fiat CR.32s,[5] and four days later the number of combat-ready Soviet aircraft in the area had dropped to 15. Seven had been lost in combat, two had been forced to land, and one was undergoing repair.[5] Rychagov, however, stayed on to fight into the spring of 1937. In December 1936 and January 1937 two more shipments of 30 Polikarpovs I-15s arrived in Spain, allowing the formation of a complete combat unit of four I-15 squadrons.[5] By the end of the war, Rychagov's fighter group claimed 40 victories overall.[1]
He returned to theSoviet Union in 1937 for a short time, where he was promoted to Brigadier General at the young age of 26. In 1938, he led another group of volunteers toChina, where he participated in several skirmishes with theJapanese.[1]
In December 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Major General; he was also appointed Commander of the 9th Air Force Army. He directed operations in theWinter War againstFinland.[1]
In May 1940, a thirdOrder of the Red Banner was presented to Rychagov. He was promoted to Lieutenant General several months later.[1]
By 1940, Rychagov was a member of the top administration of the Air Force. He was appointed Head of Red Army Air Force Administration and became a member of the Red Army Chief Military Council, a predecessor of theStavka. Eventually, he was appointed Commander of the Air Force on 28 August 1940, succeedingYakov Smushkevich.[1][2][3]
Shortly beforeOperation Barbarossa, Rychagov was removed from the position of Commander of the Air Force as part of thepurge of the Red Army in 1941, to be replaced byPavel Zhigarev.[2][3] This was the result of aPolitburo inquiry into the high accident rate in the Air Force. Furthermore, in May 1941, a GermanJunkers Ju 52 landed in Moscow, undetected by the air defense forces beforehand, leading to massive arrests among the Air Force leadership.[6] In the case of Rychagov specifically, he was punished for referring to Soviet planes as "flying coffins".[4]
On 24 June, two days after the German invasion began, Rychagov was arrested.[3] Some other high-profile arrests made by theNKVD in 1941 included:[7]
Rychagov was tortured and executed on 28 October 1941 along with his wife, air force MajorMariya Nesterenko.[4][7] Others who were executed that day included 20 other Soviet officers (including Rychagov's predecessors in the Air Force,Yakov Smushkevich andAleksandr Loktionov),[8] Rychagov was exonerated posthumously in 1954.[1]
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Soviet Air Force (VVS) Commander 1940–1941 | Succeeded by |