Golovko, Arsenii

Born June 10 (23), 1906. in the city of Prokhladnyi, in present-day Kabarda-Balkar ASSR; died May 17, 1962, in Moscow. Soviet military leader, admiral (1944). Became a member of the CPSU in 1927. The son of an office worker.

Golovko served in the navy beginning in 1925. He graduated from the Frunze Naval School in 1928, the special courses for command personnel in 1931, and the Naval Academy in 1938. From 1938 to 1940 he commanded a division of destroyers and was chief of staff of the Northern Fleet, and then commanded the Caspian and Amur military flotillas. He commanded the Northern Fleet (1940–46), which, during the Great Patriotic War, successfully defended the coast of the Barents Sea and protected maritime communications during the offensive operations in the liberation of Pecheneg’ Oblast and northern Norway. In 1946, he became assistant chief and, from 1947 to 1950, chief of the Main Staff of the navy. He was chief of the Naval General Staff and first deputy minister of the navy from 1950 to 1952. From 1952 to 1956 he commanded the Baltic Fleet. In November 1956 he was appointed first deputy commander in chief of the navy. He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for the second and fourth convocations. He was awarded four Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Ushakov First Class, the Order of Nakhimov First Class, two Orders of the Red Star, and medals.