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Pavel GolovachevFighter pilot, major general of aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Date of Birth: 15.12.1917
Country:  Belarus |
Content:
Biography of Pavel Golovachev
Pavel Yakovlevich Golovachev was a fighter pilot, Major General of Aviation, and a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on November 1, 1943, for his 225 combat flights, 92 air battles, and 17 personally shot down enemy aircraft as the commander of the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.
Early Life and Career
Golovachev was born in the village of Koshelyovo, in what is now the Buda-Koshelyovsk district of the Gomel region. He came from a peasant family and was of Belarusian descent. In 1943, he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. After completing school in Novo-Belitsa in 1935, Golovachev worked as a lathe operator and milling machine operator at a timber mill. He also played as a forward for the factory football team and pursued aviation training at the Gomel Aero Club.
In 1938, Golovachev was selected to attend the 8th Odessa Military Aviation Pilot School named after P.D. Osipenko, which he graduated from in late 1940. He was then assigned to the 168th Fighter Aviation Regiment based in Crimea.
World War II
Golovachev entered World War II as a fighter pilot flying the I-16 and saw action in the Battle of Yassy. On the second day of the war, he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Me-109, but was wounded in the process. In October 1941, he was transferred to the 69th Odessa Aviation Regiment under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union L.L. Shestakov. He fought in the skies over Stalingrad and shot down several enemy planes while flying the LaGG-3.
After the Battle of Stalingrad, Golovachev was appointed as a squadron commander. He distinguished himself in battles near Rostov-on-Don and in the Donbass region. In March 1943, during a battle near Bataysk, Golovachev and his fellow pilots engaged in combat with 100 enemy bombers and 60 fighters. Through skillful maneuvering and protecting each other, they destroyed 42 enemy aircraft while losing only 3 of their own. Golovachev's personal tally reached 18 victories during this battle.
Golovachev continued to fight in Crimea and near Melitopol. On December 30, 1944, while flying an La-7 in the East Prussian region, he engaged in combat with an enemy reconnaissance aircraft heading towards Soviet troops. Despite attacking the aircraft four times, Golovachev was unable to shoot it down. However, he managed to hit the shooter and set the plane on fire, but the German pilot extinguished the flames. When his ammunition ran out, Golovachev engaged in a ramming attack, hitting the tail of the enemy aircraft with his propeller. The German plane plummeted down, and Golovachev barely managed to recover his own fighter from a steep dive and return to his airfield. For his bravery in this battle, Golovachev was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Golovachev achieved his 20th victory during the assault on Königsberg and shot down 10 more enemy planes before retiring the aircraft and donating it to a museum. He was awarded a second Gold Star medal on June 29, 1945, for his 385 combat flights and 26 personally shot down enemy aircraft.
Post-War Career and Legacy
After the war, Golovachev continued his service in the Soviet Air Force. In 1951, he graduated from the Red Banner Military Air Academy, and in 1959, he completed his studies at the Military Academy of the General Staff. He held various high-ranking positions in the Soviet Army and attained the rank of Major General of Aviation in 1957. Golovachev was awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, 6 Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, 2 Orders of the Red Star, and several medals.
Golovachev passed away on July 2, 1972, after a brief illness. He was buried in Minsk. His bronze bust was erected in his hometown of Koshelyovo, and in Gomel, a memorial plaque was dedicated to him, along with a street and school named after him. Additionally, a memorial plaque was installed on Golovachev's street in the city of Gorodok, Lviv Oblast. He was honored as an honorary citizen of Novo-Belitsa.
