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Vladimir SudecHero of the Soviet Union, Air Marshal
Date of Birth: 10.10.1904
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Biography of Vladimir Sudets
- Early Career
- Contributions to the Soviet Union
- Post-War Career
- Later Years and Honors
Biography of Vladimir Sudets
Vladimir Anatolyevich Sudets was born on October 10, 1904, in the village of Nizhnedneprovsk, Ukraine. He began his military service in 1925 and went on to have a distinguished career in the Soviet Air Force.
Early Career
Sudets completed his education at the Air Force Military Technical School in 1927 and the Aviation School for Pilots in 1929. He later attended advanced courses at the Military Air Academy of the Red Army in 1933 and the General Staff Military Academy in 1950.
In his early years, Sudets served as a junior mechanic in an aviation squadron before becoming a pilot and the commander of a flight and aviation detachment. He also held positions as a commander and commissar of a separate aviation detachment.
Contributions to the Soviet Union
In 1933, Sudets served as an instructor and advisor to the commander of an aviation brigade in the Mongolian People's Republic. He later commanded a Soviet Air Force aviation group in Mongolia. Upon his return to the USSR in 1938, Sudets commanded a fighter squadron and served as the assistant commander of an aviation brigade.
During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940, Sudets actively participated in the conflict as the commander of an aviation brigade. When the Great Patriotic War began in 1941, Sudets was appointed as the commander of the Air Force of the 51st Army in Crimea. He later became the commander of the Air Force of the PriVO (Leningrad Military District) and then the commander of the 1st Air Bombing Army.
In recognition of his leadership and bravery in commanding the air army, Sudets was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. His aviation units and formations played significant roles in various battles and operations, including the breakthrough of the Leningrad blockade, the Battle of Kursk, and the liberation of Donbass, Left-Bank, and Right-Bank Ukraine.
Post-War Career
After the war, Sudets held important positions within the Soviet Air Force. He served as the Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force from April 1946. In October 1951, he became the Chief of the Lipetsk Higher Officer Courses of the Air Force, and in June 1953, he was appointed as the commander of the 26th Air Army.
Sudets continued his career as the commander of the Long-Range Aviation from March 1955, and from 1955 to 1958, he concurrently served as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. In April 1962, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Air Defense Forces and the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.
Later Years and Honors
During the period of rearmament of the Long-Range Aviation with jet aircraft, Sudets played a significant role in the training and adoption of these new combat machines. From 1966, he served in the General Inspection Group of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. Sudets was also a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In addition to being a Hero of the Soviet Union, Sudets received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, including four Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, five Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov I and II Class, the Order of Kutuzov I Class, the Order of the Red Star, and the "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" III Class. He was also honored with medals from foreign countries, including the Order of the Hero of Yugoslavia (1964) and the Order of the Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1971).
