Tamara Konstantinova

Tamara Fyodorovna Konstantinova
Photograph of Tamara Konstantinova, Heroine of the Soviet Union
Lieutenant Tamara Konstantinova, 1944
Native name Тамара Фёдоровна Константинова
Born (1919-11-07)November 7, 1919
Nigeryovo village, Russian SFSR
Died July 28, 1999(1999-07-28) (aged 79)
Voronezh, Russia
Allegiance  Soviet Union
Service/branch Soviet Air Force
Years of service 1943–1945
Rank Lieutenant
Unit 566th Attack Aviation Regiment
Battles/wars Eastern Front of World War II
Awards

Tamara Fyodorovna Konstantinova (November 7, 1919 – July 28, 1999) was a pilot in the Soviet Air Force during the Second World War. On 29 June 1945, she was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Her brother, Vladimir Konstantinov, was also a Hero of the Soviet Union.[1]

Early life

Konstantinova was born on 7 November 1919 to a Russian peasant family in Tver province of the RSFR. Her father was a blacksmith and her mother was a schoolteacher. After graduating from secondary school she enrolled in flight school and in 1940 graduated from flight instructor courses at the Kalinin aeroclub.[2]

War War II

After completing nursing courses Konstantinova joined the Red Army in March 1943 and was assigned to an aviation unit as a medic. Due to previous experience at the Kalinin aeroclub, she sent letters to her superiors requesting to the reassigned as a pilot. In March 1944 she was assigned to the 386th light Bomber Regiment as the pilot of a Po-2 bomber. Later she was transferred to the 566th Attack Aviation Regiment (999th Ground Attack Regiment, 277th Assault Aviation Division, 1st Air Army, 3rd Belorussian Front) as a squadron navigator in an Ilyushin Il-2 plane. She flew a total of 66 daylight combat missions attacking enemy forces and infrastructure, 40 of which were over East Prussia in which she damaged 25 mortars and 18 anti-aircraft guns, after which she was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union. She was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with an Order of Lenin as well as two Orders of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star.[3][4]

Later life

After the war Konstantinova joined the reserve but retired from the military shortly afterward. She worked in the social welfare department of the Executive Committee of Voronezh Oblast and became a member of the Communist Party in 1949. She passed away on 28 July 1999 at the age of 79 and was buried in the Kominternovskoye cemetery.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Janina., Cottam, Kazimiera (1998). Women in war and resistance : selected biographies of Soviet women soldiers. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co. ISBN 1585101605. OCLC 228063546.
  2. 1 2 "Константинова Тамара Фёдоровна". www.warheroes.ru. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  3. ↑ "Константинова Тамара Федоровна". podvignaroda.mil.ru. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  4. ↑ "Константинова Тамара Федоровна". airaces.narod.ru. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
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