Nikolay Krasnov

World War II Immediately after the start of German invasion of the Soviet Union, Krasnov was on the frontlines of war; for the first few months he served as a pilot in the 402nd Special-purpose Fighter Aviation Regiment before sustaining a serious injury on 6 October during an aerial battle that confined him to a hospital for several months. Nevertheless, during that brief amount of time in combat during the difficult days of the German advance, he managed to tally one shared and three solo aerial victories, piloting the MiG-3.

Shortly after returning to combat in March 1942 as a navigator in the 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment, his LaGG-33 was shot down over enemy territory on 31 May, leaving him with a wounded leg. Due to the gravity of the situation, he burned the wreckage of his aircraft to prevent it from being used by the enemy, and then made his way through the forest to Soviet-controlled territory, and nine days later he returned. Later that April he returned to flying, and on 31 May he scored what would be his only aerial victory for 1942 when he shot down a Bf 110 over a Kursk airfield.

Awards

Hero of the Soviet Union (4 February 1944 ) Order of Lenin (4 February 1944) Two Order of the Red Banner (27 November 1941 and 30 July 1943) Order of Alexander Nevsky (6 March 1944) Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (5 November 1942 and 14 February 1945) campaign medals