Rakov, Vasilii

Born Jan. 26 (Feb. 8), 1909, in St. Petersburg. Major general of aviation (1958). Doctor of naval science (1967); professor (1969). Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (Feb. 7, 1940, and July 22, 1944). Member of the CPSU from 1932. Son of an office worker.

Rakov joined the Red Army in 1928. He graduated from the Military Theoretical School for Pilots in 1929, from the First Military School for Pilots, from the Military School for Naval Pilots in 1931, from the Naval Academy in 1942, and from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1946. Rakov saw service in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–40 as a squadron commander in the 57th Bombardment Aviation Regiment. In the Great Patriotic War he served in the Black Sea and Baltic fleets as commander of a naval aviation brigade, deputy commander of the 3rd Special Mission Sevastopol’ Air Group in 1942–43, assistant commander of the 9th Attack Aviation Division in 1944, and commander of the 12th Guards Air Regiment from May 1944 to February 1945. He completed 68 combat flights and participated in the sinking of the German antiaircraft cruiser Niobe in the port of Kotka.

After the war, Rakov held responsible positions in the armed forces. He taught at the Naval Academy from 1948 and was head of a department from 1952. He went into the reserve in 1971. Rakov was awarded two Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and various medals.