Aleksandr Karpov

Aleksandr Terentyevich Karpov (; – 20 October 1944) was a squadron commander and flying ace in the 27th Vyborg Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment during the Second World War credited 27 individual and nine shared aerial victories, the most of any pilot in Soviet Air Defense Forces. Early life Karpov was born on to a Russian family in the village of Filenevo, located the mordern-day Ferzikovsky District. After completing his seventh grade of school in 1933 he attended trade school for two years, going on to work as a toolmaker at the Kaluga Engineering Plant from 1935 until entering the military in 1939; previously, he graduated from the local aeroclub in 1938. Upon graduating from the Kachin Military Aviation School of Pilots he was assigned to the 161st Reserve Aviation Regiment, but in January 1941 he transferred to the 20th Fighter Aviation Regiment. World War II Shortly after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Karpov transferred as a flight commander to the 121st Fighter Aviation Regiment, a Moscow-based air defense unit, and flew his first combat sorties in late July. However, the post was short and he was soon reassigned to the 123rd Fighter Aviation Regiment in October; a little over a year later the regiment was awarded the guards designation and renamed as the 27th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. Earlier, he had been wounded during a sortie on 15 August 1941, but he quickly recovered and the regiment relocated to Leningrad later that month. Despite being tasked with defensive, not offensive, missions, Karpov became a flying ace in August 1942, having tallied five solo shootdowns in addition to several shared in addition to quickly rising through the ranks. After shooting down a Bf-109 on 30 June 1943 he was congratulated by various high Soviet officials including Aleksandr Yakovlev, since the shootdown was credited as the thousandth Nazi plane shot down over Leningrad. He frequently flew as wingman for Iriney Belyaev, another flying ace, until they were both shot down on 8 July 1943. While Karpov survived due to his parachute, Belyaev was killed in action. He was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union For flying 370 sorties, engaging in 83 dogfights, and gaining 16 solo plus 7 shared shootdowns he was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 7 August 1943, which was awarded on 28 September 1943.