Denisov Sergei Prokofievich hero of the Soviet Union. Sergei Prokofievich Denisov. Military service in the pre-war period

He was born on February 25, 1909 on the Postoyaly farm (now the village of Postoyalovka) in the Olkhovsky district of the Voronezh region, in the family of a worker (according to other sources - a peasant). He was brought up in an orphanage. Graduated from incomplete high school. He worked as a mechanic in repair and transport workshops in Rossoshi. Since October 1929 in the ranks of the Red Army. He was an air squad mechanic. By decision of the command, he was sent to a training flight detachment in Bobruisk to learn flying.

Here, Denisov’s first cadets and new friends were guys like him, guys in love with the sky, already familiar with aviation.

(later a famous test pilot), it turned out, also served as a motor mechanic. They became fast friends. We studied theory together and then learned to fly from the same instructor, Alexei Makarov.

At first they took to the air on a U-1, or “Avrushka,” as this unprepossessing plane was called... Already from the first flights, Makarov noticed the abilities of Sergei Denisov. In the air he was calm, attentive, oriented well, and mastered aerobatics quickly and firmly. That’s why the instructor was the first in his group to allow him to fly independently. At his own request, Alexei Makarov, when the flight training program was completed in the spring of 1931, young pilots Sergei Denisov and Stepan Suprun received tickets to fighter aviation.

In 1931, Denisov was appointed junior pilot to the 11th squadron of the 111th fighter aviation brigade of the Leningrad Military District. Then he served in the 41st squadron of the 83rd fighter aviation brigade of the Belarusian Military District. He was a flight commander.

“Jump now!” - a thought flashed. But getting out of a tumbling plane in a fur jumpsuit and high boots is not so easy. And the earth moved inexorably. The slightest hesitation, confusion - and it’s all over. Denisov did not give up; he found the will and strength to get out of the cabin. And then, when the falling plane rushed past, the parachute's exhaust yoke pulled.

That was the first jump in the life of Sergei Denisov. He landed successfully, on a snow-covered river bank several tens of kilometers from his airfield. From there, an ambulance came to pick up the pilot. Denisov began to report what had happened to the commander.

* * *

By the fall of 1936, with the rank of senior lieutenant, S.P. Denisov commanded a detachment of the 41st fighter aviation squadron of the 83rd fighter aviation brigade of the Belarusian Military District.

From November 1936 to April 7, 1937, he participated in the national revolutionary war in Spain. He was the commander of the detachment and the 1st Fighter Squadron. He had the pseudonym "Ramon".

“...Confident that he was not detected by oncoming planes, Sergei Prokofievich went beyond the clouds to choose the moment of attack. The forces were unequal. It was necessary to strike a well-aimed and unexpected blow. He gave the command: “Attention!” The planes took up battle formation, following the movements of the commander’s vehicle. Having emerged into the clearing, Sergei Prokofievich directed his plane away from the sun and led his unit into an attack. The maneuver was well thought out and unmistakable.

The car, tilting its nose, slid down onto the enemy planes. A small silhouette of an airplane appeared in the sight, and with every second of the dive it grew larger.

Sergei Prokofievich aimed his blow at the forehead. When the lead enemy aircraft appeared in the center of the sight, it opened fire.

From such a surprise, the enemy planes took on a disorderly formation and began to retreat to the sides in singles and pairs.

The first blow was struck. Taking advantage of the confusion, Sergei Prokofievich took the initiative of the battle into his own hands. Coming out of the attack, he gained altitude and again led into a dive. An unequal struggle ensued, but the small group acted clearly and coordinatedly, delivering well-aimed blows. The enemy could not gather scattered forces. A few minutes later, after unsuccessful attempts, the planes took the opposite course. The enemy did not pass..."

Under his command, the detachment shot down 49 aircraft. S.P. Denisov himself flew 200 combat missions. The number of planes he shot down is interpreted differently in various sources: from 7 (3 personally + 4 in a group) to 19 (13 personally + 6 in a group).

November 15, 1936 fighting began with the fact that 14 Junkers, under the cover of 3 Non-51s, avoiding a meeting with Republican fighters, were able to bomb residential areas of Madrid.

In the afternoon, 5 Junkers, 6 Heinkels, 7 Romeos and 12 Fiats approached Madrid. Nationalist bombers were able to bomb the city, as 9 Republican fighters trying to disrupt the bombing were forced to engage in battle with Fiats. At the same time, 2 enemy fighters were shot down by S. Denisov and S. Chernykh. The body of one of the Franco pilots was found on the outskirts of Madrid. The Republicans did not suffer any losses; one plane was hit.

On the morning of December 5, 1936, 5 Junkers, under the cover of 15 fighters, raided Madrid. At 13:00, the nationalists repeated the raid with 6 Junkers under cover of 14 Heinkels. A group of 13 and 17 I-16s was able to intercept them. In the air battle that took place, 2 enemy fighters were shot down, which “fell and caught fire.” One of them was destroyed by the team of Sergei Chernykh, the other by the team of Sergei Denisov and Alexander Negoreev. Our pilots had no losses. According to foreign data, the Fiat of the commander of the 19th squadron, Captain Antonio Larsimont Pergameni, who had 4 victories, was shot down.

On December 16 at 13:30 an air battle began near Madrid. All Republican fighters that managed to take off (22 I-16s and 14 I-15s) were able to intercept 2 groups of bombers of 10 and 20 vehicles, covered by 25 fighters. As a result, the enemy was missing 4 Non-51s and 1 Fiat CR-32. 2 Heinkels fell in the neutral zone near Madrid, the rest, as stated in the documents, “near Madrid.” 1 Junkers was also hit. Having caught fire, it landed on its territory. Of the bombs dropped by the bombers, only 3 fell on republican territory, the rest very accurately covered their troops, causing them, according to the testimony of defectors, significant losses.

The Republicans suffered no losses, although the commander of 1.J/88, Captain Werner Palm, claims victory over the I-16. And the I-16 pilots announced that Denisov’s flight had shot down 1 Junkers (consisting of Putivko and Chernykh) and 4 Heinkels (2 Kolesnikovs and 1 each Denisov and Dubkov). I-15 pilots believe that they shot down 2 planes.

On February 11, 1937, 3 I-16 aircraft took off to intercept the reconnaissance aircraft. In the area of ​​​​Mountain Angeles, Sergei Denisov caught up and attacked an enemy aircraft 2 times, which began to descend with a trail of steam, after which Denisov stopped pursuing.

On February 16, 1937, groups of republican security forces carried out 9 combat missions. The I-16 flight flew for reconnaissance, and fighters took off 2 times to intercept. On the 2nd flight there was a battle with a group of 10-11 Junkers, covered by 32 fighters. Without losses on the part of the Republicans, 2 Junkers and 2 Fiats were shot down.

First, the fighters attacked the bombers, but the Junkers formation did not collapse. Only after the second attack, carried out by 9 I-16s from Sergei Denisov’s detachment, 1 Junkers caught fire and another 1 shot down went down and soon fell. This plane was piloted by Franco captain Jose Calderon Catzelu, who died, and 2 members of his crew bailed out and were captured. Another Junkers fell on nationalist territory. Victories over the fighters were won by Khara's flight and Morozov's flight.

During the operation in Spain, according to a letter from Alksnis addressed to the head of the Red Army RU, written in April 1937: “... the squadron (consisting of 3 detachments) shot down 61 aircraft; the detachment under the leadership of Denisov - 49 aircraft, including itself Denisov personally shot down 12 planes."

In January-April 1937, conversations took place between the pilots who returned from Spain and the leadership of the Red Army:

“ALKSNIS: Tell me, Comrade Denisov, how many planes did you shoot down?

DENISOV: 12 personally, and my squad is 49, counting the Blacks.

Little fire. There’s a lot of fire, but it’s hard to shoot at close ranges: the machine guns are positioned wide apart on planes. We need to add 2 more machine guns through the screw, then no one will leave. And so you only hit planes.

The second drawback is that the I-16 gains altitude well, but the radius of the ascending spiral itself is poor. The enemy leaves us in this way. If you attack them and start to start a fight, they climb upward.

About interaction with I-15. Especially when Rychagov was there, we shot down a lot of their planes and lost very few of our own. I-15s fly partly above, partly below, the predominant mass is at the top. They leave the I-15, and if they start to run away from us, we follow them. But as soon as they start diving, I-16s take them in, and they won’t leave. It was very good to interact with I-15. Now it has gotten worse, for some reason they changed their tactics. I-15s began to fly below, and I-16s above.

It is best to attack the Junkers before reaching them and fall into a vertical dive with a flip. During an attack by Junkers, you must under no circumstances pass under them; they will shower you with a hail of bullets. They shoot at an angle of 45°.

Behind Lately They burned only one Junkers: it caught fire in the air, the pilots began to jump from the plane, but apparently turned on the autopilot. The plane began to spiral until it crashed into a rock and did not fall immediately; it is possible that there was a wounded pilot on it. They do not fall on our territory.

Their group fights, and 2-3 planes - “aces” - fly at 3000 meters. If our loner moves away, they will throw stones at him. Whether they are shot down or not, they go like stones to the ground and leave at low altitude. When we filmed 2, they stopped doing it.”

On July 4, 1937, senior lieutenant S.P. Denisov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin. After the establishment of the Gold Star medal, as special sign honors for Heroes of the Soviet Union, he was awarded medal No. 51.

Returning from Spain, he very quickly grew in rank and position. During 1937, he received military ranks three times ahead of schedule (captain, major, colonel). In 1937 he had more than 1000 hours of flight time in the air. In April 1937 he was appointed regiment commander. Then, having received the rank of brigade commander, in August he was appointed commander of the 142nd Fighter Aviation Brigade in Bobruisk, and from 1938 - commander of the 2nd Special Purpose Army in Voronezh. In 4 months he went from squad commander to brigade commander. At the same time, he was a captain for 2.5 months, and a major for only a month. Elected as a deputy Supreme Council USSR 1st convocation. On February 23, 1938, he was awarded the medal “XX Years of the Red Army.”

Soon he was appointed commander of the 2nd Special Purpose Aviation Army, stationed near Voronezh. Since May 1938, the 2nd GA consisted of 4 air regiments with a total army aviation fleet of 307 aircraft. The AON commander enjoyed the rights of the commander of the district troops and reported directly to the People's Commissar of Defense.

In 1939 he graduated from advanced training courses command staff at the Military Academy General Staff.

In May 1939, as part of a group of pilots with combat experience, he was sent to Mongolia to strengthen air units participating in the battles near the Khalkhin Gol River. Commanded the 56th Fighter Aviation Brigade. For this military campaign he was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner (08/29/1939) and the Mongolian Order of the Red Banner of Battle, 1st degree (08/10/1939).

Stalin himself took into account Denisov’s opinion on aviation issues. Colonel General of Aviation A. S. Yakovlev recalls:

“In the summer, at the end of July 1939, Stalin called:

- I now have a pilot Denisov, he fought in Spain and Mongolia, he can give useful tips on your car. See him.

Half an hour later, a tall, slender brunette in a tunic with brigade commander’s buttonholes was already entering my office...

The meeting with the commander of the I-16 fighter group in Spain, Sergei Prokofievich Denisov, turned out to be really very interesting and useful for me, the designer, not only because he told a lot of interesting things as an eyewitness and participant in air battles with German and Japanese pilots, but also because that he, with exceptional knowledge of the matter, initiated me into the essence of modern air warfare.

We talked with him for a long time. They discussed the comparative advantages and disadvantages of German, Japanese and Soviet aircraft. Denisov expressed his views on the role of bomber and fighter aircraft not only today, but also tomorrow, if we have to fight. Speaking about the tactics of fighter aircraft, he noted that the I-16 shot down few enemy fighters due to the small caliber and spacing of the machine guns installed in the wings.

Denisov back in 1937, taking into account the experience of the first period of the civil war in Spain, wrote a memo to the leaders of the Air Force and aviation industry, but the note was ignored, no measures were taken, and 2 years later in the battles at Khalkhin Gol the shortcomings of our I-16 and remained the same, as Denisov was once again convinced of. It was then, having returned from Mongolia, Sergei Prokofievich turned to Stalin, who immediately summoned him to his place. Stalin was very angry when he learned from Denisov that no action had been taken on his first note. He listened to Denisov with great attention and suggested that all comments be put in writing and the material sent to him.

Denisov wrote such a note and was again accepted by Stalin. This time, Stalin also summoned the People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry M. M. Kaganovich and scolded him for his indifference to Denisov's first signals, two years ago.

Kaganovich made excuses, but he was unable to argue on special issues with such an expert as Denisov.

The essence of Denisov’s critical remarks was as follows:

— the concept of dividing fighters into high-speed and maneuverable ones is flawed;

— our fighters must have radio communications;

— small arms, both in caliber and in placement on the aircraft, are unsatisfactory;

- German fighters are superior to Soviet ones both in flight speed and in small arms and cannon weapons.

“I tried to take Denisov’s comments into account as much as possible when working on our first fighter.”

* * *

In the winter of 1939-1940, S.P. Denisov took part in the Soviet-Finnish War. He was the commander of the 7th Army Air Force.

The 7th Army was formed in September 1939 in the Kalinin Military District and in mid-November was transferred to the Leningrad Military District on the Karelian Isthmus. The combat mission of the 7th Army, in accordance with operational directive No. 0205/op, was: “with a powerful attack, in cooperation with aviation, defeat the enemy troops, capture his fortified area on the Karelian Isthmus, reach the front of Käkisalmi, Antrea, Viipuri "

The 7th Army Air Force included 4 aviation brigades (11 aviation regiments): 59th Fighter Brigade (7th, 23rd, 25th and 38th IAP); 1st light bomber (7th dive-bomber, 5th high-speed bomber and 43rd light bomber air regiments); 18th (48th and 50th SBAP) and 55th high-speed bomber (44th and 58th SBAP).

30 pilots, navigators and air gunners of the army were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for their courage and heroism.

On March 21, 1940, for his skillful leadership of the combat operations of the 7th Army Air Force during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, Divisional Commander S.P. Denisov was awarded the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded a second Gold Star medal No. 4.

In April 1940, he was appointed commander of the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District. And on June 4, 1940, commander Denisov was awarded the military rank of General - Lieutenant of Aviation. Remembers S.N. Grechko:

“The commander of the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District, S.P. Denisov, arrived at the regiment... General ranks in the Red Army had just been introduced at that time, so the word “General” sounded still unusual. However, the fact remained: in the person of S.P. Denisov I saw Soviet General, and what kind! Twice Hero of the Soviet Union: my peer... To me, then a Captain, this seemed almost unattainable.”

Unfortunately, such lightning-fast career growth had a negative impact on Denisov’s behavior. The 30-year-old general stopped being critical of personal mistakes and mistakes. He became heavily addicted to drinking to the detriment of his official duties, gradually losing his credentials as a pilot and his authority as a commander.

In August 1941, S.P. Denisov was appointed head of the Kachin Red Banner Military Aviation School named after Myasnikov.

Fighter pilot G.V. Krivosheev recalls:

“In August 1941, our school was evacuated from Kacha, it was transferred to the Red Road, this is between Stalingrad and Rostov-on-Don, there was some kind of garrison there, but it was in the steppe, there were not enough barracks. We, 7 training squadrons, were scattered throughout the area. I was in the 5th squadron, the squadron commander was Vorotnikov. A regiment of instructors was immediately organized, and he was one of them and flew to the front. We were given Pobedonostsev as squadron commander.

When we arrived at the Red Path, they appointed Twice Hero S.P. Denisov as the head of the school... Winter was just around the corner, and each unit dug a dugout for itself - a large hole right in the ground, covered with logs and covered with earth on top. There were no beds in it, but there were earthen ledges, like bunks. Winter began, and for 120 people we had 4 pairs of boots. There is no firewood, there is no coal, there is nothing, there is not even anything to cook dinner with. So they detached the cadets, made a sled with runners from skis, and 15 kilometers from the unit’s location we drove and transported grass. It was as thick as a finger at the base. So they cooked on this grass and kept warm. And to maintain good physical shape, a horse and parallel bars were placed in front of the entrance to the dining room; if you don’t jump over, you won’t get into the dining room, but you still want to eat.

The Germans are already approaching Moscow, Leningrad is surrounded by blockade, the general mood is terrible. And suddenly, on the night of December 6, there was a combat alert. We rise, and the squadron commander Pobedonostsev says: “There has been a breakthrough near Moscow!” So ​​many tanks were destroyed, so many soldiers were captured. The garrison has simply risen! We perked up and became completely different people! The entire Union fought for Moscow! What did Denisov do? Although there were not enough barracks, he took about 20 captured Germans from near Moscow, and when we left for classes, they were conducted before our eyes, and he said: “You see the captured Germans?” This was taken near Moscow.” What textbook can you write about how to instill self-confidence in people? And after the victory near Moscow we had a very good morale, we had such wise commanders.

Teachers came to our dugout, taught classes, brought food, in winter we did not fly much - there was no fuel. The only planes we had were I-16s, the ones we brought. Even at Kach, I managed to fly it on my own. They began to fly in early spring. They only provide meager gas for the plane; there are few flights. It was not the entire detachment that was trained, but 1-2 people from the squadron; when they finished the program, they were dressed properly and sent to the front. Five of us graduated, one person from each squadron.”

Denisov’s immediate superior, Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Volga Military District, Aviation Major General Ignatov, certifying him in 1942, noted among the major service deficiencies the aviation school’s failure to fulfill the pilot training plan and the presence of a large number of flight accidents. Among the reasons were: poor organization of flights and pre-flight preparation, poor knowledge of the relevant instructions and manuals for the operation of equipment by permanent and variable personnel, lack of constant strict demands from superiors to subordinates, formal conduct of methodological classes.

In the summer and autumn of 1942, 2 special commissions conducted a comprehensive examination of the aviation school, noting that “during the period of command of the school, Comrade. Denisov showed himself to be an insufficiently strong and strong-willed commander. In some cases, he showed cowardice and inability to decisively eliminate shortcomings in his work. He enjoyed little authority as the head of the school. Personally, I rarely flew and mostly flew on old-type training aircraft. He abuses alcoholic beverages, which is why he is away from work for 2-3 days.”

Based on the materials of these commissions, the commander of the Red Army Air Force, Colonel General of Aviation Novikov, on November 20, 1942, signed an order to relieve Denisov from his position as he had failed.

Until February 1943, S.P. Denisov was at the disposal of the Air Force Personnel Directorate. Then, until December 14, 1943, he was the commander of the 283rd Fighter Aviation Division of the 16th Air Army. The division supported the combat operations of 2 assault air divisions of the mixed air corps, of which it was a part.

During the battles on the Kursk Bulge under the leadership of S.P. Denisov's division units carried out 1,400 sorties, conducted 67 air battles, shot down 73 enemy aircraft, losing only 16 of their own.

The division's fighters were also used to destroy enemy aircraft at airfields. So, on June 24, 1943, 11 aircraft from the 283rd IAD (16th Air Army), after careful preparation and experimental bombing at the training ground, struck the Nikolskoye airfield. As a result, they destroyed 4 FW-190 aircraft and blew up 2 automobile tanks.

For high combat training and achieved combat results, one of the division's regiments received the title of Guards, and the second was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

It was difficult to find S.P. in those tense days. Denisova at headquarters. He flew to regimental airfields. On the spot, in units and subunits, he controlled the organization of combat work. Helped commanders quickly bring new flight personnel into service. And when it was necessary to personally verify the combat training of aviators or to check how effective this or that method of action tactics was, he sought permission and, as part of groups of fighters, took to the front skies.

Commander of the 16th Air Army, Aviation Lieutenant General S.I. Rudenko, stating the compliance of S.P. Denisov's position, noted at the same time, among his shortcomings, the lack of desire to master modern fighters and excessive passion for alcoholic beverages - for which he received a severe reprimand from the party commission of the 16th Air Army. In December 1943, Denisov handed over the division (later it became known as the 283rd Fighter Aviation Kamyshin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division) to a new commander and left at the disposal of the Air Force commander.

For participation in the Great Patriotic War he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky (1943); medals: “For the defense of Stalingrad” (12/22/1942), “For victory over Germany” (05/9/1945).

From February 1944 he served at the Air Force General Staff. He was the senior assistant to the head of the 4th department for tactical training, which was a significant demotion.

At the end of April 1945, the head of the Department of Formation and Combat Training of the Red Army Air Force, Aviation Major General Volkov, noted in his certification:

“Lieutenant General of Aviation S.P. Denisov worked little in the Directorate and without desire; he does not know how to independently develop documents and did not show any desire to learn this matter. Periodically, on average, once a month I would drink for a period of 3 to 5 days. Work in the Department is burdensome. He does not enjoy authority among the officers of the Department. He tries not to attend party meetings.”

In 1946, S.P. Denisov was sent to the aviation department of the Military Academy of the General Staff, but he studied there for only six months and in November 1947, at the age of 38, he was transferred to the reserve due to illness. Died June 16, 1971. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery.

* * *

Summing up a brief summary of the activities of S. P. Denisov after Spain, O. S. Smyslov writes in his book “Aces against Aces”:

“The fate of the famous pilot, General S.P. Denisov, whose repeated notes about the shortcomings of our fighters did not reach Stalin for 2 years, turned out somewhat differently than many of his fellow “Spaniards” who were destroyed at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. But he also did not find himself among the military leaders. After all, an excellent pilot cannot always be an excellent commander. Unfortunately, this contradiction still exists today.

Sergei Prokofievich graduated from aviation school in 1931. Passed the positions of junior, senior pilot and flight commander. Then Spain and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Since 1937, in 4 months, Denisov grew in rank from Senior Lieutenant to Colonel (Captain - 2.5 months, Major - 1 month), and in positions - from detachment commander to air brigade commander (through squadron and regiment).

In 1938, as a brigade commander, he commanded the 2nd Special Purpose Aviation Army at Khalkhin Gol, and then, with the rank of Air Force Division Commander, he commanded the 7th Army in the Soviet-Finnish War, where he became twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

From April 1940 he was commander of the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District, but in August he was appointed head of the Kachin Aviation School. Who knows, if he had not then written his notes on the qualitative improvement of fighters, where he would have been instead of Kacha?.. Stalin did not forget this act, and therefore forgave him a lot. And there was something to forgive. After all, it was there that this 33-year-old General in 1942 “proved himself not to be a strong enough and strong-willed commander.” According to the inspectors, he “in some cases showed cowardice and an inability to decisively eliminate shortcomings in the work... He enjoyed little authority as the head of the school. Personally, I rarely flew and mostly flew on old-type training aircraft. He abuses alcoholic beverages, due to which he is not at work for 2-3 days...“ And this was during the harsh years of the war!

In November 1942, Denisov was relieved of his post and kept at the disposal of the Air Force Personnel Directorate, and in February 1943 he was appointed commander of a fighter air division. He commands it for a year, but continues to drink and shows no desire to master modern fighters. So, I failed again...

Now he is appointed with a demotion - senior assistant to the head of the 4th department for tactical training in the Air Force Formation and Combat Training Directorate. But nothing worked out there either. His boss wrote: “Due to Denisov’s lack of sufficient willpower and his weak character, such a great exaltation turned his head, he began to drink, and was not serious about his official duties and personal improvement.” Even in the rear, in the warmth and comfort, the young Lieutenant General and twice Hero of the Soviet Union did not want to work, unable and unwilling to develop current documents. Periodically, and on average once a month, he also went on binges that lasted from 3 to 5 days.

In 1946, he was given another attempt to command the division in peaceful skies, but the appointment did not take place. As a result - the aviation department of the Academy of the General Staff, and six months later (in November 1947, at the age of 38) - discharge from the army due to illness to the reserve. In general, nothing came of the flight commander, just as nothing came of some of his colleagues, excellent and fearless pilots in Mongolia, Spain, and China...

And all because they could not rise above their level - the level of flight and squadron commander. In modern warfare, such “military leaders,” like those who distinguished themselves in the Civil War, turned out to be unnecessary. But at the same time, none of them refused high positions.”

Denisov Sergey Prokofievich- Sergei Prokofievich Denisov December 12 (25), 1909 (19091225) June 6, 1971 Place of birth ... Wikipedia

Denisov Sergey Prokofievich Encyclopedia "Aviation"

Denisov Sergey Prokofievich- S.P. Denisov Denisov Sergei Prokofievich (19091971) Soviet pilot, lieutenant general of aviation (1940), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1940). IN Soviet army since 1929. Graduated from the military pilot school (1931), courses... ... Encyclopedia "Aviation"

DENISOV Sergey Prokofievich- (1909 71), Soviet pilot, lieutenant general of aviation (1940), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937,1940). Participant in the war in Spain, battles on the river. Khalkhin Gol, Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars. In 1943 44 he was the commander of a fighter... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

DENISOV Sergey Prokofievich- (1909 71) pilot, lieutenant general of aviation (1940), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937,1940). Participant in the war in Spain, battles on the river. Khalkhin Gol, Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars. In 1943 44 he was commander of a fighter air division... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Denisov Sergey Prokofievich-, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (4/7/1937 and 21/3/1940), lieutenant general of aviation (1940). Member of the CPSU since 1930. Born into a working-class family. In the Soviet Army since 1929. Graduated from the military... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Denisov Sergey Prokofievich- (1909 1971) Soviet pilot, lieutenant general of aviation (1940), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1940). In the Soviet Army since 1929. He graduated from the military pilot school (1931), advanced training courses for command personnel at the General Staff Academy (1939). Participant … Encyclopedia of technology

Denisov, Sergey Prokofievich- (12/25/1909 06/16/1971) fighter pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1940), lieutenant general of aviation (1940). In aviation since 1929. Commanded a regiment, an air brigade, and the 2nd Special Purpose Army. He fought in Spain and at Khalkhin Gol. Shot down... ... Large biographical encyclopedia

Sergei Prokofievich Denisov(December 12, 1909, Rossosh - June 6, 1971, Moscow) - Soviet fighter pilot and military leader, participant in the Spanish Civil War, the battles at Khalkhin Gol, the Soviet-Finnish War, and the Great Patriotic War. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1940). Lieutenant General of Aviation.

Biography

Born in the settlement of Rossosh (according to other sources, in the village of Postoyaly), in a working-class family. Russian by nationality. He received his primary education at a school in the Novokharkovka settlement. He worked as a mechanic at a machine and tractor station in Rossoshi.

Military service in the pre-war period

In the Red Army - since October 1929. He served as a motor mechanic in the 17th aviation fleet, and in February 1931 he was sent to study. In 1931 he graduated from the military pilot school at the 83rd aviation detachment. Since August 1931 - junior pilot and senior pilot of the 33rd air squadron. Since May 1934 - detachment commander in the 41st aviation squadron of the 83rd fighter aviation brigade of the Air Force of the Belarusian Military District.

From November 1936 to April 1937 he volunteered to participate in civil war in Spain, where he was commander of an aviation detachment. He fought on the I-16 fighter. In Spain he made more than 200 combat missions, shot down 3 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in the group. However, after returning to the USSR, at a meeting with the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR for Aviation, Ya.I. Alksnis reported to him in April 1937 that he personally shot down 12 planes (this figure is often found in the literature).

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 4, 1937, Sergei Prokofievich Denisov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin, and after the establishment of a special degree of distinction - the Gold Star medal No. 51.

Since May 1937 - fighter commander aviation regiment. From August 1938 to April 1939 - commander of the 142nd light bomber aviation brigade of the Air Force of the Belarusian Military District. In 1939 he graduated from the Advanced Courses for Command Staff at the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army. Since April 1939 - commander of the 2nd Special Purpose Army (AON-2) with headquarters in Voronezh.

In 1939, he took part in the military conflict with Japan in the area of ​​the Khalkhin Gol River, being a senior member of a group of military specialists sent to assist air units operating in the combat zone.

Since January 10, 1940 - Commander of the Air Force of the 7th Army. In this position he participated in Soviet-Finnish war. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 21, 1940, for skillful leadership of combat operations during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, divisional commander Sergei Prokofievich Denisov was awarded the second Gold Star medal (No. 4). It is noteworthy that Denisov became the fifth and last of the pre-war twice Heroes of the Soviet Union.

In April 1940, S.P. Denisov was appointed commander of the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District. This position became the peak of his career. He was relieved of duty on June 20, 1941 “for the low combat training of the units and the unsatisfactory condition of the equipment.”

The Great Patriotic War

During the Great Patriotic War, from August 1941, he was the head of the Kachin Military Aviation Pilot School named after A.F. Myasnikov. By order of the commander of the Red Army Air Force A. A. Novikov dated November 20, 1942, he was relieved of his post as head of the aviation school as he could not cope. In addition, he was accused of inability to eliminate shortcomings in his work, lack of authority among his subordinates, and alcohol abuse. He was in the air force commander's reserve for three months.

Since February 1943 - commander of the 283rd Fighter Aviation Division of the 16th air army. At the head of the division he showed himself well during Battle of Kursk and the battle for the Dnieper. But Hero was again let down by alcohol abuse, for which he first received a severe reprimand from the party line, and on December 14, 1943 he was removed from his post as division commander. Since February 1944 - senior assistant to the head of the 4th department for tactical training of the Directorate of Formation and military training Red Army Air Force. From October 1946 to November 1947 he studied at the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov.

Retired due to illness in 1947. Sergei Prokofievich Denisov died on June 6, 1971 in Moscow. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Member of the CPSU since 1930. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 1st convocation (1937-1946).

Awards

• Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union No. 51 (07/04/1937).
• Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union No. 4 (03/21/1940).
• Order of Lenin (07/04/1937).
• 2 Orders of the Red Banner (01/2/1937, 08/29/1939).
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (07/28/1943).
• Jubilee medal "XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" (1938)
• Medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" (awarded in 1943)
• Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" (1945)
• anniversary medals
• Order of the Red Banner (Mongolian People's Republic, 10.08.1939).

Military ranks

• First Lieutenant (1936)
• captain (1937)
• Major (1937)
• Colonel (1937)
• brigade commander (02/22/1938)
• division commander (08/08/1939)
• Lieutenant General of Aviation (06/04/1940)

Memory

• A bronze bust of the Hero was installed in the village of Postoyaly, Olkhovatsky district, Voronezh region.
• On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory, the building of the school in the village of Novokharkovka, where the Hero studied, was inaugurated Memorial plaque.
• Bust in Olkhovatka.

Literature

• Cherushev N. S. 1937: The Elite of the Red Army on Calvary. - M.: Veche, 2003.
• Team of authors. Great Patriotic War: Divisional Commanders. Military biographical dictionary/ V. P. Goremykin. - M.: Kuchkovo pole, 2014. - T. 2. - P. 521. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9950-0341-0.

A native of the Olkhovatsky district, Sergei Denisov, did at one time simply a dizzying career. At the age of 22, he graduated from pilot school, and at 31 he already became a lieutenant general of aviation. By this point, he had serious combat experience behind him, twice awarded the title of Hero. However, after 7 years the young general was transferred to the reserve. The official wording was “due to illness,” but his colleagues knew that the real reason was different: Denisov was drinking heavily...

Well, Heroes are people too, not bronze statues. Their life path is much more multifaceted than a short list of merits on pedestals, and personality is not limited to a set of stereotyped “heroic” characteristics. All this fully applies to the biography of our fellow countryman, but in any case, as local historian Vladimir Eletskikh says: “Sergei Prokofievich was an extraordinary person.”
Special topic
For Vladimir Leonidovich, the fate of Denisov is a special topic associated with family memories. The father of the local historian, Leonid Fedorovich, was personally acquainted with the pilot. At one time he ran a school in the village of Drozdovo near settlement, where Sergei Prokofievich was born in 1909. Even during the life of the Twice Hero, his bronze bust* was installed in Denisov’s small homeland. This was the impetus for studying biography famous fellow countryman. Leonid Fedorovich, who always had great interest in the history of his native land, was inspired by the idea of ​​​​meeting a living legend and he succeeded. He was able to contact Denisov, and he, at his invitation, met with the Drozdov pioneers. Then there were excursions to Moscow and new memorable meetings. The friendship continued until the death of Sergei Prokofievich in 1971. Leonid Eletskikh carefully preserved all materials related to Denisov’s personality, but, unfortunately, his life was also cut short a few years later. Then Vladimir Leonidovich continued the relay of memory. He studied archival documents and talked with the pilot’s relatives and colleagues. The data obtained formed the basis of a remarkable essay,** which over time, according to our interlocutor’s idea, could turn into a whole book. Here are just some facts from Denisov’s biography.
Aerial duel
Sergei Prokofievich was born in the town of Lobodino near the village of Postoyaly, in the family of the manager of the master's estate. Denisov Sr. was a smart owner and tried to ensure that his children also “came into the public eye.” Sergei’s sister became a teacher, one of the brothers supervised the mills, and our hero connected his life with aviation, but, of course, not right away. At first he worked at a machine and tractor station in Rossosh*** and was drafted from here into the army. The capable mechanic was assigned to serve in the air regiment, but Sergei was eager to take the helm. Soon he was sent to a training flight detachment in Bobruisk. In this city, he not only acquired his first skills as a pilot, but also found love, which almost became fatal for him. The fact is that his comrade, also a pilot, did not remain indifferent to the charms of Sergei’s chosen one, the young beauty Anna. A rivalry developed between the young people, which during one of the exercises resulted in a real aerial duel. Then the pilots could have crashed, but, fortunately, they remained unharmed and escaped with punishment in the form of “serving time” in the guardhouse. After this story, Sergei’s friend abandoned the girl, and Anna soon became Denisov’s wife...
Spanish epic
The pilot received his baptism of fire in Spain, where from November 1936 to April 1937 he led a fighter squadron. Here Denisov made more than 200 sorties, showing remarkable courage and skill as a pilot and commander, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He returned to his homeland with the reputation of an ace or “Stalin’s falcon,” as the best pilots were called then.
Another fact contributed to the growth of his authority. After the Spanish epic, officers were required to compile reports on how our aircraft performed. Denisov’s report, where he sensibly explained the flaws of technology from the position of a practitioner, was liked by Stalin himself. These events became a powerful springboard for career takeoff Sergei Prokofievich. During 1937, he received three early military ranks. And in 1938, he became the commander of a special-purpose aviation army, which was stationed in Voronezh (Denisov himself lived in a house near the Stone Bridge and the building is intact to this day). At that time he was taking Active participation in public life: the heroic pilot was continually invited to meetings with pioneers and meetings of workers, and the staff of stud farm No. 10 nominated him as a candidate for deputy of the regional Council... But the peaceful period in Denisov’s biography turned out to be short-lived.
At the zenith of glory
In 1939, he took part in battles with the Japanese on the Khalkhin Gol River. Then he commanded the aviation of the 7th Army in the Finnish campaign and “for skillful leadership of combat operations during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line” received another Gold Star. Thus, Sergei Prokofievich became the first native of Voronezh to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice.
This was in March 1940, and in April Denisov went to Transcaucasia as commander of the Air Force of the military district. He was then at the zenith of his fame. 31 years old and already a lieutenant general! The heads of the aviation industry and the defense department listened to his opinion. What is there! The leader himself considered him a smart commander! There was something to make my head spin. However, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Denisov did not show specific signs of star fever. On the contrary, he was always open to contacts. But communication increasingly took place in an atmosphere of copious libations. Later, alcohol began to turn into a habit. Meanwhile, the fateful year 1941 was approaching...
On the Kursk Bulge
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Sergei Prokofievich was appointed head of the Kachin Aviation School. The choice of the command was logical: Denisov is a high-class pilot, and he “holds the cards” in personnel training. But... it didn’t work. In 1942, the commission identified a number of shortcomings in the organization of the school’s work and its head was relieved of his position. For several months he was at the disposal of the Air Force Personnel Administration and all this time he bombarded his superiors with requests to send him to the front. Finally, in February 1943, he was appointed commander of the 283rd Fighter Division, and here he showed himself as he had once been in his best times. Under the leadership of Denisov, the personnel flew 1,400 sorties in the battle of Orel and Kursk, conducted 67 air battles, shooting down 73 enemy aircraft, while losing only 16 of their own (4:1 ratio). One of the division's regiments became a guards regiment, the second was awarded the order Red Banner. Dozens of pilots received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But a year later the division commander took up his old ways. As a result, he was sent to solve tactical issues in the rear. He never returned to the troops...

*Such monuments to Heroes were erected twice according to the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
**The essay “The Terrible Sky of Sergei Denisov” can be found in the publication “Heroes of Other People’s Battles”.
***Later, this fact gave Rossoshi grounds to claim the installation of a bronze bust of Denisov, but it was decided to erect the monument closer to the Hero’s birthplace - in the village of Postoyaly.

Fun fact: The fame of the pilot Denisov was so great that scammers used it for their own purposes. At the same time, they practiced a “scenario” of extortion, similar to the “scheme” with the pseudo-children of Lieutenant Schmidt, described by Ilf and Petrov. Only in in this case scammers pretended to be the sons of twice Hero Sergei Denisov...

An extra star Denisov was “attributed” to the sculptor who made the bronze bust of the Hero, installed in the Voronezh region. We are talking about the Order of the Red Star, which is depicted on the monument by mistake. This “author’s license” was noticed many years ago by local historian Vladimir Eletskikh. Then he even made a special trip to the Museum of the Armed Forces, where the Heroes' awards are kept, to clarify the data. The expedition confirmed this fact: the sculptor “went too far” with the stars.

On the picture: Sergei Denisov shortly after returning from Spain; Soviet pilots after being awarded in the Kremlin with Mikhail Kalinin (Denisov is first on the left in the front row); Sergey Denisov and Leonid Eletskikh; Denisov with his fellow countrymen at his bronze bust; schoolchildren at the monument to the pilot; Sergei Prokofievich at a meeting with fellow countrymen in the capital; funeral of a twice Hero, pioneer honor guard; Vladimir Yeletskikh at the monument to Sergei Prokofievich at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Photos from the personal archive of Vladimir Eletsky.