Shakht, Ernst Genrikhovich
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Shakht was born in the city of Basel, Sweden on April 14, 1904. In 1918 he became involved in the Communist Youth Movement (CYM) in Sweden. He served as the Technical Secretary of the Central Committee of the Swedish CYM, and later as a representative from Sweden to the Communist Youth International in Berlin. He emigrated to the Soviet Union in April, 1922[1].
He joined the Red Army in May, 1923. In 1924 he completed the Borisoglebsk Military Pilots School, and in 1925 the Advanced School for Air Gunnery and Bombing in the city of Serpukhov[1].
From December, 1926 to December, 1931 he participated in operations against the Basmachi insurgents[2], serving as a flight commander in the 35th Air Detachment and later the 37th Air Squadron, both part of the Central Asian Military District. He received an Order of the Red Banner for his service during that period[1].
Starting in December, 1931, Shakht served as commander of a special operations squadron based at the central airfield in Moscow and responsible for transporting senior commanders of the Red Army[1].
He participated in the Spanish Civil War from September, 1936 to February, 1937. Initially he trained Spanish pilots at Alcalá de Henares airfield. In October, 1936 he became commander of the 1st Bomber Squadron and flew dozens of sorties in the SB bomber as part of the unit. On December 31, 1936, he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union[1].
On return from Spain he served as commander of the Lipetsk Advanced Air Tactics School, and later the Ryazan Air Force Advanced Development course. He himself completed the advanced academic course at the General Staff Academy in 1940[1].
In April, 1940 he was named commander of the 167th Reserve Air Regiment in Ryazan. In November, 1940 he became the Deputy Commander of the Orlovsk Military District Air Forces[1].
On May 30, 1941, he was arrested as a "German spy and member of an anti-Soviet military conspiracy" that was passing information on Soviet aircraft construction to the Germans. On February 23, 1942, he was executed[1].
[edit] Sources
- Shakht, Ernst Genrikhovich at National Heroes (Герои Страны)
