Krasovskii, Stepan Akimovich
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[edit] Biography
Krasovskii joined the Russian army in May, 1916 and served on the Western Front as the communications chief for a corps aviation unit[1].
Krasovskii joined the Red Guards in 1917, and the Red Army in 1918. During the Russian Civil War he served on the Eastern and Southern Fronts, as a motor mechanic, communications officer for the 33rd Aviation Unit, a pilot-observer, and as an aviation unit commissar[1].
After the Russian Civil War, Krasovskii served as commissar of an aviation unit and later of an aviation squadron. In 1927 Krasovskii completed the Command Staff Development Course at the Voroshilov Military Pilot-Observer School and was posted to the 30th Aviation Squadron[2]. In November, 1927 he became commander of an aviation unit, followed by commands of an aviation brigade starting in March, 1934, an aviation corps starting in November, 1937, and an air base region starting in October, 1939[1].
Krasovskii participated in the Soviet-Finnish War as commander of the Murmansk Aviation Brigade[1].
In 1940 he became commander of the Krasnodarsk Military Aviation College. He later became an assistant commander of the air forces in the North Caucasus Military District for ***, and in June, 1941 he became overall commander of air forces in the district[1].
After the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, Krasovskii became commander of air forces for the 56th Army on the Southern Front. In January, 1942 he became commander of air forces for the Bryansk Front. In May, 1942 he became commander of the 2nd Air Army, which was formed out of units from the Bryansk Front's air forces. In November, 1942 he became commander of air forces for the South-Western Front, out of which the 17th Air Army was formed. The 17th Air Army under Krasovskii's command participated in the Battle of Kursk. In March, 1943, he once again became commander of the 2nd Air Army and wound continue in command of the unit for the rest of the war[1].
On May 29, 1945 Krasovskii was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his leadership of the 2nd and 17th Air Armies during the war[1].
[edit] Publications
- A Life in Aviation, 1968, is Krasovskii's memoirs
[edit] Sources
- Krasovskii, Stepan Akimovich at National Heroes (in Russian)
