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Semen KosinovGunner-bombardier of the 125th Bomber Aviation Regiment
Date of Birth: 02.02.1917
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Content:
Early Life
Sergei Konstantinovich Kosinov was born on February 2, 1917, in the village of Beloye in the Timsky district of the Kursk region. He was the son of a peasant. After completing his seven-year education, he worked on his family's collective farm.
Military Career
In autumn 1935, Kosinov enrolled in the Tambov Krasnoznamennoye Military Infantry School. Upon graduation, he became a rifle platoon commander. When an order was issued to select the best young officers for aviation, Kosinov was among the first to volunteer. He was sent to the Kharkov Military Aviation School.
World War II
In the summer of 1940, Kosinov graduated and was assigned to the 125th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Belarusian Military District. He served as a navigator and bombardier in the crew of Junior Lieutenant I.S. Chernykh.
From the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, Kosinov participated in combat missions, bombing enemy units advancing in Belarus. On the Western Front, he flew four sorties in an SB bomber. In early July, he was wounded but returned to duty after recovering in hospital.
From September 1941, Kosinov fought on the Leningrad Front with his regiment. In a month of intense fighting, he completed 32 combat missions.
Heroic Sacrifice
By mid-December 1941, Kosinov had flown 61 combat sorties, destroying enemy manpower and equipment. On December 16, 1941, Chernykh's crew (including Kosinov as navigator and bombardier and N.P. Gubina as airgunner and radio operator) was assigned to attack an enemy vehicle column near Chudovo.
During the attack, their aircraft was severely damaged by anti-aircraft artillery. Despite the damage, Kosinov successfully dropped his bombs on the target. When the crew was unable to extinguish the flames, they decided to perform a ramming attack. Their burning aircraft crashed into the enemy formation, killing all three crew members.
Recognition and Legacy
For his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice, Sergei Konstantinovich Kosinov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on January 23, 1942. His name is inscribed on the memorial wall on the Field of Mars in St. Petersburg, honoring the Defenders of Leningrad.
