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Petr PetrovFighter pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Soviet-Finnish War
Date of Birth: 16.01.1910
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Childhood and Early Life
- Military Career
- Soviet-Finnish War
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- World War II
- Tragic Death
- Legacy
Childhood and Early Life
Pyotr Mikhailovich Petrov was born into a working-class family in Petrozavodsk, Russia. He attended a railway school, graduating in the 7th grade, and then completed an apprenticeship in factory work. He worked as a mechanic in a depot before joining the Red Army in 1929.
Military Career
Petrov graduated from the Leningrad Aviation-Technical School of the Air Force in 1931 and served as an aviation technician in the Air Force units of the Moscow Military District. In 1932, he became a member of the Communist Party. In 1936, he graduated from the 2nd Red Banner Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School and became a squadron commander.
Soviet-Finnish War
During the Soviet-Finnish War, Petrov commanded the 3rd Squadron of the 68th Independent Fighter Aviation Regiment. On February 17, 1940, he landed on the ice of Lake Muola-Yarvi, under enemy fire, to rescue pilot Nikolai Kosichkin, whose plane had been shot down. Petrov's plane sustained over a hundred bullet holes by the time he returned to base.
Hero of the Soviet Union
For his exceptional heroism, Petrov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on April 7, 1940. He received the medal "Golden Star" number 300.
World War II
Petrov participated in World War II and commanded the 254th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 36th Fighter Aviation Division of the Southwestern Front. He shot down six enemy aircraft during the conflict and was wounded in the shoulder, but he continued to fight.
Tragic Death
Major Petrov tragically perished in action on November 23, 1941. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner in December 1941. He is buried in the village of Urazove, Belgorod Oblast.
Legacy
Petrov's name is honored in Petrozavodsk, where a street and a pioneer group of School No. 40 bear his name.
