Patriotic War II,0092784,Pilot,1st Ferry Aviation Regiment,Civil Air Fleet

[Tommy]

Dzugutov.jpg

Award Card

Order Booklet: 140926

1. Last name: Dzugutov
2. Name and patronymic: Mukhtarbek *******ich
3. Rank: Senior Lieutenant
4. Gender: Male
5. Birthyear: 10th May 1912
6. Birthplace: North-Ossetia Oblast Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Right Bank of the river, village of Old Batakoyurt
7. Party membership: Party member since 09.1944
8. Education: Secondary
9. Nationality: Ossetian
10. Time in Red Army: Since April 1933
11. Place of service at awarding: Aircraft Commander - 1st Red Banner Ferry Aviation Division of the Civil Air Fleet
12. Place of work at present: Detachment Commander – 19th Independent Ferry Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet
13. Home address: Moscow Oblast, Old Doleoprudial, 2 Soviet Street, Apartment 2
14. Awards:

Designation Serial Number Document Number Awarding Organization

Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 92784 Order Book 140926 Decree of 13.3.1944
Medal For Combat Service 1778799 Temporary Certificate 163060 Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of 3.11.1944
Medal For Victory Over Germany - Temporary Certificate No.0148568 Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of 9.5.1945


Signature of the awardee: [signed]

Verified by the head of department for combatants and staff of the 19th Independent Ferry Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet

[Signed] / Skripnichenko

18th February 1946

[Tommy]

Award Sheet

1. Last name, name, and patronymic: Dzugutov, Mukhtarb *******ich
2. Rank: Senior Lieutenant
3. Duty position: Aircraft Commander, 1st Ferry Aviation Regiment, 1st Ferry Aviation Division
Recommendation for the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class

4. Born: 1912
5. Nationality: Ossetian
6. Party membership: Party Candidate since 1939
7. Previous combat: Participated in the Patriotic War from 22.6.1941 to August 1942 on the Leningrad & Western fronts
8. Wounds or shell-shock: None
9. In Red Army: Since 1941. In the Civil Air Fleet since 1933
10. Inducted by: Arrived from the Civil Air Fleet
11. Previous awards: None
12. Home of record: [trans: entry intentionally obscured]

Short description of personal combat feat or accomplishment

Comrade Dzugutov participated in the Patriotic War on the Leningrad and Western fronts, where he made 40 combat sorties in the LI-2 aircraft, of which 20 missions were on the front lines and 7 were in the rear of the enemy, 3 of which involved landing in territory occupied by the enemy. He has flown for 250 hours.

Comrade Dzugutov has been working on the routes since August 1942 as commander of a C47 Aircraft, transporting flight personnel of the ferrying regiment, importing cargo and ferrying in the C47 aircraft.
During this period, Comrade Dzugutov in the challenging conditions of the extreme north, flying on all sections of the route, which is over 5000km, has made more than 200 flights and has flown in the C47 for 1200 hours. He has transported 150 tonnes of imported cargo and 1100 passengers. Furthermore, comrade Dzugutov on the route from Fairbanks-Uelkal ferried back 30 C47 aircraft, a route 1400km in length.

He is an excellent pilot who flies in the day time, at night and in adverse weather conditions. He has logged 4000 flying hours. He is a disciplined and competent officer.

For the personal completion of 40 combat missions in the Patriotic War, for his dedication and excellent work on the route in the ferrying of aircraft, transport of flight crews and importing of cargo he is worthy of the government award the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.

Commander of the 1st Ferry Aviation Division
Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel / [signed] / Mazuruk
20th December 1943

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[Tommy]

During the Early days of the war, comrade Dzugutov was involved in a very important mission and is mentioned in the memoirs of others detailing that day.

From the memoirs of Stepan Feofanovich Novikov

Attachment 78511

The 160th Fighter Regiment participated in the war from June 22nd 1941. They fought in the sky over Belarus. Captain Novikov S.F was in this regiment and the commander of a squadron. From August 1941 Novikov arrived as deputy, to pilot & flight commander Junior Lieutenant (to become Senior Lieutenant) Silant'ev A.P, who also subsequently became a Hero of the Soviet Union and Marshal of the Soviet Air Force.

Together they participated in aerial combat, as Silant'ev recalled. Excerpts from the memoirs of Silant’ev are below.

At the beginning of September 1941 Novikov’s squadron of planes accompanied the LI-2 ("Douglas"), transport plane which flew to Leningrad to take Army General Zhukov to the Leningrad front.

Silant'ev was born August 28, 1918 in Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), in a working class family and completed 7 years of schooling. In 1934 he graduated from factory training school number 94. He worked as a turner at the "Metalist" in Sverdlovsk. From September 1935 he was a glider instructor located at Pervouralskay and from April 1937 he was a pilot instructor at the Sverdlovsk Aeroclub.

He joined the Red Army in 1937 and in 1940 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation Pilot School. In June he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and left to continue his service in Minsk, in the 153rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (later 28th Guards Fighter Leningrad Order of Kutuzov Aviation Regiment), flying a biplane.

In August 1941, Silant’ev was transferred to the 160th (later 137th Fighter Minsk Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov) Aviation Regiment near Leningrad, flying the new fighter, the LaGG-3. In this division, he was promoted from deputy squadron commander to the navigator of the regiment.
On September 12th 1941 he accompanied the transport aircraft, which flew the commander of the Leningrad Front, Army General Georgy Zhukov.

In his memoirs, Zhukov writes about his departure from Moscow to Leningrad:
"On the morning September 10, 1941 it was cool and overcast. At the Central Airport of the capital, where I arrived to fly into besieged Leningrad, the plane loomed on the runway and there stood 3 figures: First - Lieutenant General M.S Khozina; Second - Major General I. Fedyuninsko; Third – the pilot & commander of the airship.
The commander reported on the readiness of the crew and aircraft to fly. As happens in such cases, all of us, as if on cue, raised our eyes to the heavens, mentally trying to predict the weather on the flight path. There were thick, low clouds.
“This weather is the most suitable to fly over the front of the enemy” said the commander of the aircraft, smiling.
Immediately we took flight. Ahead was Leningrad, and mentally we were already there”

In the low cloud & rain, pilot Lebedev took the plane. If the weather on the way over Lake Ladoga remained the same, they could fly without any cover. The calculation was based on the fact that enemy fighters do not fly in such weather and the experienced Aeroflot crew would safely reach Leningrad.
But over Ladoga, the weather brightened. Zhukov decided to go back and take a fighter escort as cover. The 160th Fighter Regiment was ordered to accompany the transport aircraft squadron.

Aleksandr Petrovich Silant'ev, at that time Lieutenant, was one of those who participated in this assignment.

“Our regiment was then based in Sarozhe” recalls Silant'ev. “Flights that day were not planned because of bad weather, but suddenly at dawn the squadron raised the alarm we were ordered to fly immediately to a nearby airfield at Kayvaksa.
After a short flight and landing the fighters met, and it seemed strange air group commander Colonel E. Kholzyakov was personally responsible for the organization of receiving the aircraft. He was gesticulating vigorously, showing where to stand by our machines.
A few minutes later landed the regiment commander, Major J. Drozd and his deputy, regiment navigator, Captain N. Panyukov.
The pilots wondered why they had flown to Kayvaksa so quickly. And why had those with such high ranks flown in also?
Then a "Douglas" Aircraft descended from the skies. It taxied to the edge of the forest and stopped not far from us. His motors silenced and the aircraft door opened. A technician appeared in the doorway and attached an iron ladder to the fuselage. From the airplane descended generals in new coats. Then, a stocky man of medium height stepped out of the plane. He was wearing a light brown leather coat without buttonholes and insignia and a khaki cap on his head. The Generals immediately respectfully turned to him and he nodded in response, as if allowing that they can now act freely and he walked away silently, hands clasped behind his back, lost in his own thoughts, walking along the edge of the forest.
Kholzyakov immediately rushed to him. After hearing Kholzyakov, the man in a leather coat approached the generals. And then I looked more closely and gasped: Was that Army General Zhukov? And I remembered the photo that stood in a stand in the Officers quarters in the garrison at the town of Balbasovo near Orsha, where our 160th Fighter Regiment was based before the war. It was a memorable photograph of a soldier with a large head, characteristic face and chest with a pair of binoculars. It was a photograph depicting Zhukov during the events at Khalkhin-Gol.
The high ranked officers conducted a short meeting. Zhukov said something to Kholzakov, and he came over to the fighter pilots and very clearly stated our mission: to accompany the "Douglas" in to Leningrad and landing at the airfield.

We took off without delay. The clouds floated almost over the treetops. Drizzling rain washed down the planes canopy, worsening the already poor visibility. We flew, hugging the ground. By the shores of Lake Ladoga, between the mouths of the rivers Volkhov and Svir the clouds ends abruptly and the sun shone brightly. The commander of the "Douglas" decided to continue flying over the middle of the lake, staying away from Schliesselburg which was occupied by the Germans.

"We were flying low over Lake Lagoda. As we approached the lake the clouds began to dissipate, the lake completely brightened and the anxiety of the crew increased. When we weren’t even half way across the lake, co-pilot Dzugutov reports he sees a group of "Messers” on the Horizon. It was clear at this point that the enemy had also noticed us. At this point, our "hawks" went to intercept the enemy and thwarted the attack. The fighting raged over us…
The tangle of this fiery carousel gradually shifted to the northwest, towards the Karelian Isthmus. Everything indicated that the air battle was coming to an end and the last moments were happy ones for me. One of the enemy fighters whether due to the pilot’s inexperience, by accident or perhaps because of a lack of vigilance was in my sights after a drawn out manoeuvre. I immediately pulled the trigger. The last volley from my machine guns hit the "Messer" several times and it began throwing flames from its nose, leaving behind him a plume of smoke as he pulled toward the ground.

After losing their fighters the heat from the Nazis cooled off considerably and they rushed to leave the battlefield, ducking into a grey veil of clouds...
The escort fulfilled its task: we intercepted eight ME-109, tying them into a fight and didn’t allow them to get close to the transport aircraft. But the mission would only be considered complete on the condition that the "Douglas" landed at the Leningrad airport. We kept going in the direction of Leningrad and after that there were no more complications along the way. We landed at the airfield and the “hawks” landed behind us.

Marshal Silant'ev recalled: "Aviation was a fashion of the thirties, and the pilots for us boys – were our idols.”

Attachment 78512

[Tommy]

Pilot Lebedev - memoirs

“On September 10th 1941, two days after the siege of Leningrad began, I received orders to transport Army General Georgy Zhukov, who had been appointed commander of the Leningrad Front, to the encircled city. I understood the importance of this task very well.

The morning was overcast. Exactly on time Zhukov arrived at the airfield. He was accompanied by generals MS Khozin, I. Fedyuninsky and other military leaders.

Before Zhukov climbed into the cabin, I told him the whole shape of the readiness of the aircraft and the flight crew. Zhukov listened to my report, nodded and easily climbed the iron ladder. He was followed by others.

Before flying from Tikhvin I had to decide about the cover. While co-pilot Dzugutov finished final preparations for departure, I ran to the command post. There I was waiting for the Major, who had to pick a group of fighters for the escort. We quickly agreed on the details of the flight. I flew first, and I-16 had to catch up with me and secure our landing.

Over Lake Ladoga the weather was cloudy. Then it brightened, the visibility improved. And then out of nowhere Dzugutov exclaimed - "Messerschmitt!". Our nerves were strained to the limit. Imagine if we had not brought the fighter escort! Our "hawks" rushed to intercept enemy aircraft.

Our fighter escort consisted of two attacking groups. The first regiment was headed by navigator, Captain Panyukov; the second - Kiyanchenko. They immediately attacked the Nazis, trying to pull them as far away from our aircraft as they could. This plan didn’t fail. They gradually moved the fight to the Karelian Isthmus. In the vicinity of Cape Cul, Senior Lieutenant A.P Silant'ev (now Marshal), shot down one "Messer". Our fighters did their job and cleared the way for us. There were no more complications along the way. The plane landed at the airport and Georgy silently shook my hand.

Attachment 78513

[Tommy]

G.A Luzanska – Belated memories

“Vasiliev, Khasaev Roman Aleksandrovich, Khloptsev Vasily Ivanovich, Dzugutov & Spiridonov were all pilots and commanders of crews manning Douglas C-47 aircraft, who were more highly qualified in the Aeroflot before the war. Vasiliev formally led this squadron, though they acted separately and independently. Spiridonov crew and another (cannot remember the names) were killed in crashes involving complex weather conditions.”

The Alaska-Siberia Route

The administrative centre of the ferry route was chosen to be Yakutsk, located approximately in the middle of the route. They also took into account the fact that in Yakutsk it was possible to organise the repair of aircraft and that it most powerful radio-centre in the north-east. The Ferry Division headquarters was located in Yakutsk and Krasnoyarsk airway was the base of the 4th Ferry Regiment, as well as the 8th Transport Regiment, formed in June 1943.

Attachment 78514

Besides the ferrying of transport aircraft and its ability to serve the needs of Alaska-Siberia route, the regiment and its location was crucial to the execution of national economic work. During the three years of operation its crew was made 15 flights on ice reconnaissance, 29 to service the gold and fishing organisations & 15 to deliver food and property to the meteorological stations, In 1943, at the request of the People's Commissariat of the electro-industry, flights were made to deliver technology, equipment and food to the mines at the Aldan Trust expedition No.13, which produced "defence minerals”.

The fighters and bombers from the American aircraft plants were delivered across Canada to Alaska by crews & pilots of the 7th Ferry Group USAF. In Fairbanks, at the Ladd Field airbase, the machines were accepted by the Red Air Force, and were given to the personnel of the 1st Red Banner Ferry Aviation Division whose headquarters was in Yakutsk and consisted of 5 Ferry Aviation Regiments.

The 1st Regiment ferried the aircraft from Fairbanks across the Bering Strait to Uelkal. The 2nd regiment based in Uelkal ferried the aircraft on to Seimchan. The 3rd Regiment, then on from Seimchan to Yakutsk, The 4th Regiment ferried from Yakutsk to Kirenska and the 5th Regiment - from Kirenska to Krasnoyarsk. When the planes passed had been passed on to the next regiment, the pilots returned to their base of the special transport aircraft squadron, which was later transformed into the 8th Transport Regiment.

The winter of 1942/43 was an unusually harsh in Alaska and the frost exceed -60 degrees. It hardened the mercury in thermometers and froze fur-clad animals. The war, however, was not interested in the weather and did not allow military people to simply "sit by the stove".

Attachment 78515

On one of the coldest days on the route, eleven people were killed due to the cold. At Watson Lake one of the planes was hit by a storm and crashed. Two pilots were killed instantly and two others wearing ski boots on their hands, crawled on all fours to search for rescue. They were found alive four days later, 6km from the site of the accident in -59 degree temperatures.
The amputation of frostbitten fingers on the route was commonplace as was the inhalation of dental fillings that fell out, there were many cases of frostbitten lungs, and one sufferer even had a frostbitten lip amputated. "They fly even at -68 degrees!" noted one war correspondent who visited the coldest route.
133 machines and nearly as many pilots were lost by the U.S. Air Force in their section of the ferrying path from to Alaska through Canada nicknamed “AlKanes by the Red Air force.

[Tommy]

Remebering the Past


Attachment 78516


“If we turn to the people of our country and those from the United States and ask the question: "What do you know about air route from Krasnoyarsk - Uelkal or the Alaska-Siberia air routes? - It is likely the answer will be “nothing”. This route is not widely known, because it was classified as secret. Yet this is an important chapter in the history of the two countries. This is an example of friendship and cooperation between the two great nations. At a difficult moment they joined together in the fight against fascism and Japanese militarism, establishing good intergovernmental relations.
You ask where it was easier to work on the route or at the front? My answer is this: on the route and at the front were both very difficult, but the difference was that the chance to stay alive on the route was of course, higher than at the front, as there, there is an enemy keeping you at gunpoint. But on the route, we also lost a lot of people and are still collecting their remains. I repeat: the airway from Alaska to Siberia - this route contained enormous difficulties, where people showed great bravery, heroism and courage.

The ferrying of combat and transport aircraft were sent to the front by pilots from the Civil Air Fleet and in general - crews with many years of flight operations in the northern and arctic conditions, the navigators had good training and combat experience in the Great Patriotic War. Among them were the commanders of the Aircraft; VI Lads, IG Shashin, V. Shelehov, V. Ustinov, GS Benkunsky, BS Osipov, VL Bratash, F. Kozin, FA Nodules, PA Masliukov, MM Dzugutov, NA Anuria, Zhuravlev, VM Perov, GV Sorokin, II *******, P. Gamow, VA Pushchino, P. Danilov, VP Smirnov, PG Zotov, DM Lobarev, Borttehnik, NA Shelud'ko, S. Shilov, DF Ostrovenko, A. Bryantsev, V. Raina, KY Maslovets, VH Yashkin. Radio operators - VM Elsukov, GT Klimatsky, Botanogov, YI Spiridonov, AA Khomyakoc, & VN Nechepurenko.

Attachment 78517

I also want to remember the good work of the engineers of the 8th Regiment Savely Savelyevich Novikov, Bukareva, Fokine and others. Technicians B. Miroshin, B. Marinin, BA Garinova, NM Romanenko & AS Tkachenko ... Unfortunately, it is simply impossible to name them all, whose golden fingers enabled us to descend from those severe frosts. But I bow low to them all. I bow low to the American pilots, Aircraft technicians, their machines, engineers, workers & the American people, who in the war against fascism stood next to us, helping our aviation with fuel, food, ammunition, and many other things.”

[CtahhR]

Here is the original citation to Mukhtarb Мoseevich Dzugutov with the downgrade.

It is a great example of a recipient being mentioned in the history books. Every so often this happens and the heart is set racing.

It is also strange that this "wing" is all male. In Britain during the war the "ferrying" of aeroplanes was a woman's (WAAF) job. Male pilots (from across the empire) were put in fighters and bombers. The question arises - where are the women in this tale?

[Tommy]

Reference Card for Pilots and Reserve Pilots of Air Force of the Red Army

Family name: Dzugutov
Name: Mukhtarbek
Patronymic: *******ich
Commander of the Air force with Military Speciality No.1
Of the Sverdlovsk Regional Military Commissariat, Sverdlovsk Region
Communist Party candidate since 1939, Booklet No.19638A
Born: Old Batakoyurt, North Ossetian Autonomous Republic in 1912
Background: Peasant
Social Status: Labourer
Military Education: Bataysky Flying School in 1936

1. Flying on what type of Aircraft: U2 & P5
2. What class pilot: 3rd
3. Total flying time by aircraft type: P5 = 60 Hours, U2 = 1340 Hours
4. Name of the organization and position. which carries flight service: Sverdlovsk, 206 Squadron Commander
5. Airworthiness for service on health grounds: Fit
6. Attended training:
7. On which type of aircraft and to which reserve queue does he belong: Bomber. 1st queue
8. Conclusions of the Commission:

Attributed to the Military Specialty: “1”
or to strike off the register of the Air Force reserve: -

Chairman of the Commission: Dzugutov
Commission members: Alekya

22nd May 1940

Service record


1. Last name, first name and patronymic: Dzugutov, Mukhtarbek *******ich
2. Date and Place of Birth: 10th March 1912, Village of Old Batakoyurt, Right Bank. North Ossetian SSR
3. Nationality: Ossetian
4. Knowledge of foreign languages and level of mastery: Russian
5. Social status and background: Worker from a peasant background
6. Party affiliation
Member of the Communist Party since: 1944
Party membership booklet nr: 3822588
Candidate member of the Communist Party since:
Member of the Komsomol since:
Not a party member:
Membership of other parties:
Party penalties and changes in party affiliation:
7. Education
General education: School for Factory Training 1932
Military education (indicate full names of all military educational institutions, month and year of graduation, and whether a full or accelerated course was attended): 1st Aviation School non-military training course in 1936
Political education: None
8. Participation on which fronts: Leningrad Front from July 1941 to September 1941 & Western Front from October 1941 to August 1942
9. Wounds and Contusions: None
10. Awards (orders and medals): Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class in 1944, Medal for Combat Merits in 1945, Medal for the Defence of Moscow 1943, Medal for Victory over Germany 1945
11. Has he been in captivity or surrounded; when, where and for how long (if he was surrounded, only note escapes separate from his unit): No

[note] Civilian Occupation: Therapist
12. Registration Numbers:
13. Registered at which Military Commissariat: Molotov Region Military Commissariat, City of Tbilisi, Georgian SSR
14. Military promotions By whose order Order nr. Date
Guards Senior Lieutenant Long Range Aviation Command 05 4.1.1944
Captain 043/6 27.9.52
Major 0202 9.11.59

15. Personnel category: Commanding Officers Reserve: 1st rank
16. Branch of service: Aviation Military Occupational Specialty: 89
17. State of health: Healthy
18. Attended training:
19. Place of service and position (or nature of activities outside military service): Georgian SSR, Civil Air Fleet, Aircraft Commander
20. Family situation and home address: Wife – Dzugutova Ranas Nesendskova, Daughter – Svetlana 1940, Daughter – Tatyana 1947. 10 Kiev Street
21. Special remarks: Military ID issued Molotov Region Military Commissariat, City of Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. With ID no “Zh” 0D82D
22. Service in the Red Army:

Name of the position Name of the unit By whose order Order nr. Date
Aircraft Commander Independent Aviation Detachment, Red Banner Baltic Fleet 9.7.41 to 9.41
Worker Flight Center 9.41 to 10.41
Copilot 10th Aviation Transport Division 10.41 to 6.42
Aircraft Commander 10th Aviation Transport Division 6.42 to 8.42
Aircraft Commander 1st Aviation Transport Division 8.42 to 04.45
Aircraft Commander 19th Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet 4.45 to 11.45
Commander of the 1st Squad 19th Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet 11.45 to 8.46
Aircraft Commander 18th Aviation Regiment, Georgian Control Centre 8.46 to 9.46

Regional Military Commissar
Lieutenant Colonel / [signed] / Khiptividze
11.1945
Head of the 3rd Section
Captain / [signed] / Kharebavach
23. Transferred to the reserve of the 1st category with the rank of Guards Senior Lieutenant, in accordance with Article 085 of 28th September 1946

[Tommy]

One of his daughter Svetlana Mukhtarbevich Kakhishvili (nee. DZUGUTOVA) grew up to become an artist.

Here is some of her work.

Attachment 126153

Attachment 126154

She was also costume designer on the 1985 film "Bagration"

Attachment 126155

I love the internet...

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Seems like Dzugutov was also awarded the title, "Honoured Pilot of the USSR"

A post from his grandson on a forum somewhere also states that too.

Cool Stuff

[PaulR]

Nicely done! Great award and research. It was a pleasure to read. Thanks!