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Nikolay EgipkoVice-Admiral of the USSR Navy, Hero of the Soviet Union
Date of Birth: 09.11.1903
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Content:
- Early Life and Career
- Submariner and Hero
- Spanish Civil War
- World War II
- Diplomat and Educator
- Later Life and Legacy
Early Life and Career
Nikolai Pavlovich Yegipko was born on February 22, 1939, in the city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine. The son of a working-class family, he joined the Komsomol (Young Communist League) in 1925 and enlisted in the Soviet Navy.
Submariner and Hero
Yegipko completed his naval education in 1931 and served as an assistant commander on the submarine "Shch-102." In 1936, as commander of "Shch-117," his crew set a new record for time spent at sea. Yegipko's innovative tactics earned him and his crew the Order of Lenin, marking the first time an entire submarine crew received the honor.
Spanish Civil War
During the Spanish Civil War, Yegipko traveled to Spain under the alias "Don Severino de Moreno" and commanded the Republican submarine "S-6." He successfully transported vital supplies to republican forces and, later, navigated the heavily fortified Gibraltar Strait aboard the submarine "S-2."
World War II
Returning to the Soviet Union, Yegipko commanded the Second Brigade of Submarines in the Black Sea Fleet and later the Submarine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, where he participated in the Soviet-Finnish War. In 1941, he was appointed Commander of the First Brigade of Submarines in the Baltic Fleet, and later the Joint Submarine Brigade.
Diplomat and Educator
After the outbreak of World War II, Yegipko served as a military attaché at the Soviet embassy in Great Britain, where he observed British naval operations. Upon his return, he held various positions in the Soviet Navy, including Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Chief of the Naval Academy Course.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1954, Yegipko was promoted to Rear Admiral and later to Vice Admiral in 1963. He continued to serve in the Navy as the Head of the First Submarine Higher Naval School and the Lenin Komsomol Higher Naval School of Submarine Navigation. Retiring in 1967, he resided in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) until his passing in 1985. In his honor, the Museum of Combat Glory of the Submariners of the Baltic Sea bears his name.
