Vladimir Konovalov Rear Admiral of the USSR Navy, Hero of the Soviet Union Date of Birth: 05.12.1911 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Vladimir Konovalov

Vladimir Konovalov was a Soviet naval officer and a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was born in the village of Nadezhnoye in the Gulaypol district of the Zaporozhye region. Before joining the military, Konovalov worked as a mechanic in a mine in Donetsk. In 1932, he enrolled in the Industrial Institute and later joined the Frunze Naval Academy through the Komsomol recruitment program. He graduated in 1936 and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet as a navigator on the submarine "M-51".

From August 1936 to June 1938, Konovalov held various positions in the Black Sea Fleet's aviation. He then served on the submarine "D-4" - "Revolutionary" as a navigator and later as the assistant commander. In October 1940, after completing the advanced training course at the Kirov Submarine Command Staff Special Courses, he was appointed as the assistant commander of the submarine "L-2" and "Frunzevets".

During the war, Konovalov commanded the submarine "L-2" and "Frunzevets" in eight campaigns, where they successfully destroyed 28 enemy ships and vessels using torpedoes and mines. In early 1943, Konovalov joined the command of a submarine mine-laying barrier. In March of the same year, Admiral Tributs, the commander of the Baltic Fleet, awarded him the Guard Naval Flag in recognition of the achievements of the submarine "L-2" during the years 1941-1942.

In the autumn of 1944, the submarine conducted three campaigns in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. In 1944-45, under Konovalov's command, the submarine "L-2" and "Frunzevets" completed 11 torpedo attacks, sinking four enemy transports with a total displacement of 11,785 tons. They also carried out five mine-laying operations, resulting in the destruction of several enemy vessels.

In early February 1945, Konovalov's submarine engaged in a torpedo attack against a group of German ships that were conducting artillery shelling of Soviet positions near the Zemland Peninsula. Despite the shallow waters and the counterattack from the enemy, Konovalov successfully hit one of the ships. For this feat, the entire crew of the submarine was awarded the "For the Capture of Königsberg" medal.

In April 1945, Konovalov attacked and destroyed the transport ship "Goya" from a long distance. The ship was part of an enemy convoy and carried over 7,000 German soldiers. According to German historians, the sinking of the "Goya" became one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. Konovalov and four members of his crew participated in the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945.

After the war, Konovalov held various positions in the Soviet Navy, including commanding the captured German submarine "U-3515" and serving as the head of the tactics department at the Naval Academy. He was awarded eight orders, including three Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class, the Order of the Red Star, and the Order of Ushakov 2nd Class. Konovalov's combat awards are now displayed in the Central Naval Museum. He was buried in Leningrad.