Habibullah Huseynov

Habibullah Huseynov (; 10 October 1910 16 April 1945) was an Iranian Azerbaijani Red Army colonel and a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. Huseynov emigrated to Baku, working as a loader and a fitter. He was drafted into the Red Army on a Komsomol direction in 1928 and became an artillery officer. He was arrested and imprisoned as an Iranian spy during the Great Purge. He was released months later and became an anti-aircraft artillery battalion commander, serving in this role during World War II.

After his unit, part of the 13th Rifle Division, was encircled in western Belarus following the Germans' launch of Operation Barbarossa, Huseynov led the remnants of his command in a breakout. The battalion was then reorganized and provided air defense for Kalinin and Rybinsk. In June 1942, Huseynov became commander of an anti-aircraft battalion defending Ivanovo. In October 1942, he became commander of an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, which transferred to the 1st Guards Army two months later. The regiment fought in the Tatsinskaya Raid while attached to the 24th Tank Corps. Between June and September 1943 Huseynov was chief of staff of the 4th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division. In September 1943, he took command of the 67th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division, which he led until his death. The division fought in the Baltic Offensive, Courland Pocket, East Prussian Offensive, and Samland Offensive. Huseynov was killed in action during the Samland Offensive on 16 April 1945.

Early life and interwar military service Huseynov was born on 10 October 1910 in Ardabil in a working-class family. He worked as a loader at the port of Baku and studied at a night school for working youth, graduating from seventh grade. Huseynov then worked as an apprentice fitter at the Lieutenant Schmidt Plant. In April 1943, the regiment became the 268th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. On 5 April he was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner. On 23 April, Huseynov was promoted to colonel. During the Samland Offensive in April, the division advanced its guns to provide fire support to the infantry. Huseynov directed their fire from the forward area. On 16 April Huseynov was killed in action north of Fischhausen. He was buried in the Marijampolė Officers Cemetery. On 29 June 1945, he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin.

Legacy A trawler of the Ministry of Fisheries was named for Huseynov.