Azi Ahad Aslanov Soviet military leader, guard major general, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Date of Birth: 22.01.1910 Country: Azerbaijan

Biography of Aziz Aslanov

Aziz Aslanov was a Soviet military leader, a Guards Major General, and a twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He participated in the "liberation campaign" in Western Ukraine and the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. He was born on January 22, 1910, in Lenkoran, Azerbaijan, in a working-class family of Talish ethnicity. Aslanov joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1937. He had an incomplete secondary education and worked at the Lenkoran Brick Factory. Aslanov joined the Red Army in 1924 and attended the Zakavkazskaya Military Preparatory School No.1 in Baku. After completing his studies at the military preparatory school, he was sent to the Borisoglebsk-Leningrad Cavalry School (formerly the Nikolaev Cavalry School) by the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Zakavkazsky Military District. After graduating from the school in June 1931, Aslanov was appointed as the commander of a platoon in the 15th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Bessarabian Cavalry Division named after Kotovsky.

Aslanov completed courses at the Military Academy of Armored Forces and was appointed as the commander of a separate tank company in June 1933. He then served in positions such as deputy commander of the company's technical part, commander of a tank company in the 2nd Infantry Division. Later, he was transferred to the 60th Infantry Division as a senior lieutenant and served as the commander of a separate tank battalion, and then as the head of a school. In early 1939, he became the chief of the motor transport battalion in the Kiev Military District. In February of the same year, he was promoted to captain.

He participated in the "liberation campaign" in Western Ukraine and the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. In November 1940, he was promoted to major. Aslanov entered the Great Patriotic War as part of the 10th Tank Division, which was transferred to the 15th Mechanized Corps. He commanded an motor transport battalion. In August 1941, he temporarily commanded a tank battalion and took part in the defense of Kiev.

From September, he served as the deputy commander of the 10th Rifle Regiment in charge of technical matters. In early 1942, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and sent to Moscow under the command of the Commander of the Armored and Mechanized Forces. He was appointed to the Crimean Front and assumed the position of deputy commander of the 55th Separate Tank Brigade in charge of combat training. He temporarily commanded a tank battalion. Since the summer of 1942, he commanded the 55th Separate Tank Regiment, which was formed from the remnants of the 55th Tank Brigade that had suffered heavy losses in defensive battles near Stalingrad.

On November 19, 1942, the Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive near Stalingrad. In the course of one day, Aslanov's tank troops, in cooperation with the 1378th Rifle Regiment under the command of Colonel M.S. Diasamidze, advanced more than 40 kilometers through fierce battles. On November 21, the 55th Separate Tank Regiment cut the railway line Stalingrad-Salsk. On November 22-23, Aslanov's tank troops, advancing further, captured the Abganerovo station and the village of Verkhne-Kumsky. In December 1942, the 55th Tank Regiment confronted the advanced units of Army Group Don under the command of E. Manstein, who were trying to break through to the surrounded 6th Army under F. Paulus. During fierce battles in the Verkhne-Kumsky area, Aslanov's tank troops destroyed 30 tanks, 26 artillery pieces, 50 vehicles, and up to 2,000 enemy soldiers and officers.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on December 22, 1942, Aslanov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union "For exemplary execution of command tasks on the front lines against the German fascist invaders, demonstrating fearlessness and heroism, for skillful and courageous leadership of subordinate units." The 55th Separate Tank Regiment was renamed as a Guards regiment. The newspaper "Krasnaya Zvezda" wrote on December 24, 1942: "The history of wars has never seen fighters who fought as bravely as A.A. Aslanov and his combat comrades. No matter how strong the enemy tanks and infantry were, they could not compare to the part led by the mighty and determined commander, the Hero of the Soviet Union, Aziz Aslanov."

In January 1943, Aziz Aslanov was promoted to colonel and appointed as the commander of the 35th Guards Tank Brigade. On January 13, 1943, the newspaper "Son Otechestva" of the Stalingrad Front noted: "... we need to learn from the example of the tank operations coordinated with the actions of infantry and artillery from the brigade of Guard Colonel A. Aslanov. Let the combat proficiency of the tankers led by Hero of the Soviet Union A. Aslanov be an example for all our divisions..."

Aslanov's tank troops participated in the liberation of the cities of Belgorod, Sumy, Akhtyrka, Poltava, Lebedyn, and Mirgorod. On March 13, 1944, Aziz Aslanov was promoted to Major General of Tank Forces. During the summer and autumn, Aslanov's brigade took part in the liberation of the cities of Vileyka, Minsk, Molodechno, Vilnius, Shaulay, and Jelgava, among others. The brigade received eight commendations from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On July 27, 1944, the 35th Guards Tank Brigade was given the honorary name "Shaulay."

In January 1945, the 35th Guards Order of Suvorov 2nd Degree Shaulayskaya Red Banner Tank Brigade reached the Baltic coast. On January 24, 1945, near Priekule in the Liepaja region, while on a reconnaissance mission, Guards Major General of Tank Forces Aziz Aslanov was severely wounded and died a few hours later.

In 1990, the recommendation of the Commander of the 3rd Belarusian Front, I.D. Chernyakhovsky, dated July 4, 1944, to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice to Guards Major General Aziz Aslanov was reinstated. On June 21, 1991, for courage and heroism demonstrated on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union Guards Major General of Tank Forces Aziz Akhadovich Aslanov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov 2nd Degree, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Degree, 2 Orders of the Red Star, and several medals.

Aslanov was buried in Baku in the Nagorny Park (now the Alley of Martyrs). His name is forever engraved in the lists of the first company of the Baku Higher Command Joint Military School (now the Azerbaijan Higher Military School). A metro station and the House of Officers in Baku, streets and schools in Baku and Volgograd, as well as a tanker, are named after him. The Aziz Aslanov House-Museum was established in Lenkoran. He is the subject of the poem "Aziz Aslanov" by E. Meerovich. A feature film was made about him.