Kravchenko, Grigorii

Born Sept. 29 (Oct. 12), 1912, in the village of Golubkova, now in Novo-Moskovsk Raion, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast; died Feb. 23, 1943. Soviet military commander; lieutenant general of aviation (1940); twice Hero of the Soviet Union (Feb. 22, 1939, and Aug. 29, 1939). Member of the CPSU from 1931.

Kravchenko graduated from the A. F. Miasnikov Kachin Military School for Pilots in 1932 and served as pilot instructor, flight commander, detachment commander, squadron commander, test pilot, and commander of a fighter air regiment and a special air group. In 1938–40 he participated in fighting against the Japanese imperialists in China, on the Khalkin-Gol River, and in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40. In July 1940, Kravchenko became commander of the air force of the Baltic Special Military District and, subsequently, commander of an air division. In the Great Patriotic War (1941^5), Kravchenko participated in fighting on the Briansk, Kalinin, Western, Volkhov, and Leningrad fronts, commanding the 11th Mixed Air Division from 1941, the air force of the Third Army and the striking force of the Headquarters of the Supreme Command from 1942, and the 215th Fighter Air Division from July 1942. He died in an air battle. Kravchenko was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War Second Class, the Order of the Badge of Honor, and the Order of the Mongolian People’s Republic. He is buried in Moscow in Red Square at the Kremlin wall.