Russia – Soviet: A Fine Pilot's 'Sturmovik' Ground Assault Squadron Commander’s Order of the Red Banner awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Grigorievich Zanozdra, the Commander of the 765th Assault Aviation “Warsaw” Regiment, 197th Assault Aviation Division “Demblin”, 6th Assault Aviation Corps for commanding his Regiment during as period in which its pilots conducted over 900 successful combat sorties, 2 of which Zanozdra himself commanded, inflicting a significant amount of damage on the retreating Germans. He had earlier won an Order of the Red Banner during the Defence of Moscow in the autumn of 1941 during which time he conducted 14 sorties in his IL-2 ‘Sturmovik’. A highly decorated individual, he would go on to receive 3 Orders of the Red Banner, an Order of Lenin, 2 Orders of Alexander Nevsky and two Orders of the Red Star, he is also known to have served in Korea.
Order of the Red Banner, type 3, variation 2, numbered 209888
Condition: Good very fine
Vladimir Grigorievich Zanozdra was a Ukrainian national born in 1910, he volunteered to the Military Theory Pilot School in 1927, and later joined the Communist Party in 1940, a year prior to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War.
Zanozdra was to become a highly decorated pilot and Squadron Commander during the Great Patriotic War, he initially served on the Western Front during the defensive phase of the Battle of Moscow, being awarded his first Order of the Red Banner, the citation for which was as follows:
‘He proved himself as a brave and fearless pilot in the course of the Patriotic War against the German Fascism.
He has been in combat deployment since 6th November 1941. During the period 06/Nov/1941 – 08/Dec/1941, he conducted 14 combat sorties in his IL-2. Of these, the 12 missions were conducted in the capacity of a leading pilot of an aviation group. The two other missions were done as part of a group.
Defending the approaches to the Soviet capital, the city of Moscow, Captain Zanozdra delivered bomb and machine-gun ground strikes at the enemy and inflicted huge enemy losses at the following locations: Mikhailovskoe, Pokrovskoe, Istra, Obukhovo, Novozavidovo, Kozlovo, Yadromino, Nikolskoe, Rubtsovo, Troitskoe, Solnechnogorsk.
The flying formations led by Captain Zanozdra achieved the following results in the past 14 combat sorties:
Tanks – 52
Trucks – 74
AA positions – 7
Enemy Personnel – 580
Horses – 25
Headquarters of a German unit in the village of Pokrovskoe.
Apart from that, captain Zanozdra also inflicted notable losses to the German Fascism when flying as part of a group.
Captain Zanodra always confidently detected targets and led his group into assault, despite through enemy camouflage and anti-aircraft fire.
His aircraft often returned damaged by the AA fire to the airfield. Especially on 28th November 1941, when his aircraft returned with damaged rudders and the fuselage and wings numerously perforated by the bullets and fragments. Many times he returned from the mission with holes caused by AA fire.
Despite all of that, captain Zanozdra could land safely on his airfield thanks to his courage and devotion to the Motherland.
For excellent execution of the combat objectives and exhibited gallantry, captain Zanozdra deserves an award – a combat order ‘Red Banner’’
After this award Zanozdra would win an Order of the Red Star in the Moscow counterattack during January and February 1942, before his unit was withdrawn in late spring 1942 for retraining and replenishment in the Kuibyshev area. During the following months, Zanozdra was appointed Commander of the 765th Assault Aviation Regiment, in which role he served for the remainder of the war.
After the period of training, Zanozdra was moved south to the Mosdok area of the Caucasus where he was to fight with the North Caucasus front during the operations to remove the Germans from the area and the Kuban Peninsula during 1943. He was to awarded an Order of Alexander Nevsky for his role in commanding the unit during this period.
After the conclusion of these operations, Zanozdra’s unit moved to Belarus where it served attached to the 1st Belarussian Front during Operation Bagration, and the subsequent Vistula-Oder offensive. In November 1944 he was to receive the Order of the Red Star for 15 years long service.
Zanozdra’s next award was this Order of the Red Banner issued to him on 11th April 1945 whilst serving as Commander of the 765th Assault Aviation ‘Warsaw’ Regiment, 197th Assault Aviation ‘Demblin’ Red Banner Division, 6th Assault Aviation Corps, the citation for the award was as follows:
‘Lt. Colonel Zanozdra has been the regiment commander since February 1942 and led his unit at different fronts of the Patriotic War. During initial period of the regiment redeployment in the 197th Assault Aviation Division in February 1944, he exhibited initiative and persistently improved on the personnel training. In the short time available, he trained and raised 35 freshmen pilots and thus had his regiment ready for combat deployment.
During the periods 18/07/44-04/09/44 and 15/01/45-27/03/45, the regiment provided air support to the 1st Belarussian Front in the following operations: enemy defence breakthrough west of Kovel, forced crossing of Western Bug river, Warsaw-Poznan operation extension of the bridgehead on the western bank of Oder river. The pilots conducted 902 successful combat sorties, of which 558 sorties near Oder and Vistula rivers. The regiment incurred 6 combat losses, but had no serious flying incidents.
Personally Lt. Colonel Zanozdra conducted 2 successful combat sorties in the Vistula and Oder operations. He flew as the formation leader and led his men courageously and bravely into battle against the retreating enemy. The damage inflicted to the enemy: 45 tanks, 215 trucks, 111 loaded horse carriages, 8 rail wagons, 1 steam engine, 5 depots, 94 fires ignited, 10 explosions and 1 river crossing.
For excellent combat performance, the regiment was granted with ‘Warsaw’ honour name.
For gallant command of his regiment in combat, for successful 902 combat sorties on 1st Belarussian Front, for personal 5 combat sorties (2 of which were in the winter period) for inflicting enemy losses, he serves order ‘Red Banner’ according to the decree #294 of the People Commissariat of Defence, part 2, section 7b.’
Zanozdra continued to serve in the unit during the Berlin Offensive, and he was to be awarded a second Order of Alexander Nevsky on 12th August 1945 for his role commanding the Squadron, during this, the final major offensive in the war against Germany.
Post war Zanozdra would continue to see service in the Red Air Force, being awarded an Order of the Red Banner for 20 years long service on 24th June 1948, and an Order of Lenin for 25 years long service on 20th June 1953. In addition to his decorations, he was in receipt of the Medal for the Defence of Moscow, the Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw, the Medal for the Capture of Berlin and the Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45.
Zanozdra is noted as having served in the Korean War, and finally left the Red Air Force in 1960 at a time when it’s personnel levels were being reduced due to a transference to Missile Technology by the then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, he went on to work at a Voronezh Mechanical Plant as a Mechanic, living with his wife in the city.
765th Assault Aviation Regiment having been formed on 20th February 1942 was to become a highly decorated unit, going on to see service in the Battle for Rzhev, the Battle for the Caucasus, the Belarussian Operation (Bagration), the Minsk Operation, the Lublin-Brest Operation, the Vistula-Oder Operation, the Warsaw-Poznan Operation, the East Pomeranian operation and the Berlin Operation all whilst flying the Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ aircraft. It was to receive five Commendations from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief:
For distinction in battles during the capture of the city and fortress of Demblin (Ivangorod) – a large railway junction and a powerful stronghold of the German defence on the Vistula River.
For distinction in battles during the capture of the city of Warsaw - the most important strategic centre of the Germans’ defence on the Vistula River.
For distinction in battles in the capture fo cities and major communication centres of Sochaczew, Skierniewice and Lowicz – important strongholds of the German defence.
For distinction in battles during the capture of the cities of Berwalde, Tempelburg, Falkenburg, Dramburg, Wangerin, Labes, Freienwalde, Schiefelbein, Regenwalde and Kerlin – important communications centres and powerful strongholds of the German defence in Pomerania.
For the difference in the battles during the capture of the cities of Stargard, Naugard, Poltsin – important communications and powerful strongholds of the German defences in the Stettin direction.
The unit boasted four heroes of the Soviet Union – Vladimir Ignatievich Belousov, Andrei Nikiforovich Vitruk, Sergey Leonidovich Krasnopyorov and Georgy Terentyevich Nevkipely as well as twice Hero of the Soviet Union Georgy Mikhailovich Parshin.
