Nikolai Kirtok

Nikolai Naumovich Kirtok (; ; 6 December 1920 – 25 September 2022) was a Soviet pilot who served during World War II. Kirtok flew 210 missions, mainly as a pilot of an attack aircraft, and in the summer of 1945, received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Early life Kirtok was born on 6 December 1920 in the village of Marynivka in Mykolaiv Oblast of Ukrainian SSR, into a peasant family of Ukrainian ethnicity.

Kirtok began flying missions in the Ilyushin Il-2 attack aircraft as part of the 2nd and 5th Air Armies of the Steppe, 1st Ukrainian and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts. He joined the Communist Party of Soviet Union in 1943. He flew missions as a pilot and flight commander of the 66th Assault Aviation Regiment and the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment. In October 1944, he was transferred as a squadron commander to the 143rd Guards Attack Aviation Regiment. He received his baptism of fire at the battles of Kursk and Dnieper in 1943. Kirtok later flew missions in the Dnieper-Carpathian, Lvov-Sandomierz and Vistula-Oder offensives.

During the period from 27 July 1943 to 11 May 1945, Kirtok made 210 successful sorties in the face of strong opposition from German anti-aircraft artillery and fighter aircraft. According to his combat account, he destroyed and damaged 38 enemy tanks and armored personnel carriers, 54 vehicles, 7 fuel tanks, 1 ammunition train and 6 anti-aircraft artillery batteries. During aerial battles, he was credited with 1 solo and 4 shared aerial shootdowns of enemy aircraft. He was appointed squadron commander of the 143rd Guards Assault Aviation Regiment on 10 May 1945.

On 24 June 1945, he took part in the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow.

Post war After the war, he continued to serve in the Soviet Air Force, commanding the 143rd Guards Assault Aviation Regiment until May 1946. After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1951, Kirtok served at the Air Force Scientific Testing Institute as head of the tactical aircraft testing department. From 1954 to 1976, he served in the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. He attained the rank of colonel in 1957. Kirtok died on 25 September 2022, at the age of 101.

Awards and decorations His awards include:

jubilee medals