Karelin, Anatoly Mikhailovich - military activities. Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin: biography

Born on July 16, 1922 in the village of Dalmatovo, now a city in the Kurgan region. In 1940 he graduated from special school No. 12 in Krasnodar. In the Red Army since June 1941. He graduated from the Krasnodar Military Pilot School in 1944. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since December 1944.

Then he remained to serve in the Air Force. Participant in the Korean War 1950 - 1953. On July 14, 1953, for exemplary performance of duty, the deputy commander of the fighter aviation regiment, Major A. M. Karelin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Then he continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1957 he graduated from the Air Force Academy, and in 1964 from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Since 1970, General - Aviation Major A.M. Karelin has been in reserve. Lived in Leningrad. Awarded the Order of Lenin (twice), the Red Banner (twice), the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree, the Red Star, and medals. Died January 3, 1974.

Captain A. M. Karelin arrived in North Korea in the early summer of 1951, as part of the 351st IAP, armed with La-11 fighters. When flying these planes, pilots operated, as a rule, only at night.

By the beginning of the summer of 1951, the US Strategic Bomber Aviation significantly limited daytime raids on military targets, and in October it stopped them completely. From then on, B-29s began to operate exclusively at night. Sensing a change in the enemy’s tactics and strategy, the Soviet command urgently began preparing a special air regiment to conduct night combat operations in the skies of Korea.

The 351st Air Regiment began to be created on the basis of the 153rd Fighter Aviation Division and was armed with La-11 piston fighters. Pilots who had experience of night flights in difficult weather conditions began to arrive there. In June 1951, the regiment was completed and on the 13th, in full force, flew from Sanshilipu to Anshan. Colonel I. A. Efimov became its commander. The main task of the regiment was to cover the most important strategic objects: the bridge over the Yalu River in the area of the city of Andong, a hydroelectric power station in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Xingisiu, the Andong airfield hub and Anshan itself. Soon the regiment, consisting of 3 squadrons (10 aircraft each), began night duty.

The first victory was won by Senior Lieutenant V. Kurganov, who shot down the twin-engine B-26 Invader, but since September 1951, B-29s appeared in the night sky and it became difficult to compete with them on the La-11. The “fortresses” climbed to a height of up to 10 km and, after delivering a bomb attack, with a sharp decline, went towards the bay, where our pilots were forbidden to enter. At the same time, they accelerated to 700 km/h and La-11, having a maximum speed of 680 km/h, could not catch up with them...

Best of the day

At the beginning of December, the most experienced pilots of the regiment began to take up combat duty. One night, two deputy regiment commanders, Majors Galyshevsky (in political affairs, later shot down 2 B-29s) and Karelin (in flight training) became ready. Having met the B-29 in the night sky, Karelin attacked it, but unsuccessfully, the “Fortress” left. After conducting a series of experiments, it was found that only jet MiG-15s can fight the B-29.

At the beginning of January 1952, the 97th Air Defense Fighter Division arrived in China under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel A.P. Shevtsov. One of its squadrons was transferred to the 351st Aviation Regiment to train the regiment's pilots to fly the MiG-15. In May 1952 the first victory was won. Major Karelin saw a single B-29 in the light of searchlights and, coming close to it, shot at point-blank range. On July 10, 1952, the Americans launched a massive raid on objects guarded by pilots of the 351st Air Regiment. In this night air battle, three B-29s were shot down, several more aircraft received heavy damage (of which 2 aircraft were shot down by Karelin and another 1 was damaged).

In one of the subsequent flights, Karelin went up to intercept the B-29 according to radar data and was aimed so accurately that when approaching the enemy aircraft, he struck the carriage of his MiG near the aft gun of the guidance operator (bringing a dent on the carriage). The gunner of the B-29 aft mount, not seeing the enemy, began to randomly fire from his cannons and thereby gave himself away. Based on its fire, our pilot determined where the plane was and shot the “Fortress” at point-blank range. This happened at the end of November 1952.

In February 1953, near the city of Ansyu, Karelin intercepted another B-29 and shot it down. However, his car was also damaged by shooters from the bomber. Due to a broken pipeline, after turning home, some time later, the engine stopped. But our Ace did not lose his composure and, reaching the airfield runway, accurately and calmly landed the wounded car on the runway. 117 holes were found in Karelin’s plane, only in the pilot’s cockpit there were 9. Fortunately, the pilot himself was not injured.

This was the last - 5th victory of A. M. Karelin - after this battle he was forbidden to fly out on combat missions and was given a rest. And on February 18, the 351st IAP returned to the USSR, having recorded about 15 downed enemy aircraft in its combat account. On July 14, 1953, Major A.M. Karelin was awarded the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for 5 victories won in the night sky of Korea (in total he made about 50 combat missions).

It should be noted that Anatoly Karelin made his last flights on an aircraft with tail number "325", transferred to the 351st IAP from the 97th Air Defense Aviation Division. The plane was completely painted light gray, over which dark green stripes, spots and stains were applied to the upper and side surfaces using a spray gun.

Born on July 16, 1922 in the village of Dalmatovo, now a city in the Kurgan region. In 1940 he graduated from special school No. 12 in Krasnodar. Since June 1941 in the ranks of the Red Army. In 1944 he graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation Pilot School.

Since December 1944 on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.

Participant in the Korean War 1950 - 1953. On July 14, 1953, for exemplary performance of duty, the deputy commander of the 351st Fighter Aviation Regiment, Major A. M. Karelin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Then he continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1957 he graduated from the Air Force Academy, and in 1964 from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Since 1970, Aviation Major General A. M. Karelin has been in reserve. Lived in Leningrad. Died January 3, 1974. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Serafimovskoye cemetery.

Awarded the orders: Lenin (twice), Red Banner (twice), Patriotic War 2nd degree, Red Star; medals.

* * *

Anatoly Karelin began his combat activities in December 1944, on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He took an active part in hostilities in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Germany. For the courage and military skill shown in battles, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, the Red Star, and the medals “For Military Merit,” “For the Capture of Berlin,” and “For the Liberation of Prague.”

After the end of the war, A. M. Karelin served in the aviation units of the Leningrad Military District and in the Far East. He carried out special assignments and was on a business trip abroad during the military conflict in Korea.

On June 13, 1951, as part of the 351st Fighter Aviation Regiment, Captain A. M. Karelin left for North Korea to provide international assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea against American military aggression.

Now we know something about one of the most little-known military conflicts that arose in the summer of 1950 on the Korean Peninsula. There, fighting between North and South Korea began on June 25. This war lasted exactly 3 years and one month. In this war, the interests of two superpowers of that time were affected - the USA and the USSR. Both of these powers actively participated in the war, with the only difference being that the USA did it openly under the UN flag, and the USSR did it behind the scenes on the side of North Korea. Moreover, the Americans participated in battles with all branches of the military, while our country participated in only one aviation fighter corps. Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin also fought in it, shooting down 6 American B-29 long-range bombers in the skies of North Korea.

Anatoly Karelin’s combat biography in the skies of Korea was not easy. In June 1951, the 351st Fighter Wing was formed to protect North Korea from American aircraft. Major Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin was appointed deputy commander for flight training.

Soon the regiment, consisting of 3 squadrons (10 aircraft each), began night duty. The first victory was won by senior lieutenant V. Kurganov, who shot down the twin-engine B-26 Invader bomber, but since September 1951, B-29s appeared in the night sky and it became difficult to compete with them on the La-11. The “fortresses” climbed to a height of up to 10 km and, after delivering a bomb attack, with a sharp decline, went towards the bay, where our pilots were forbidden to enter. At the same time, they accelerated to 700 km/h and our La-11s, having a maximum speed of 680 km/h, could not catch up with them...

After the pilot landed, the angry General Lobov scolded Karelin. A thorough analysis of the failure took place. And although the commission concluded that the pilot really could not catch up with the American under these conditions, Karelin still had to personally explain himself to the chief aviation adviser in the PRC, Colonel General Krasovsky.

“On the carpet” the chief adviser had the following dialogue:

What kind of fighter are you that you couldn’t shoot down a bomber? - Krasovsky said irritably.

The offended Karelin answered sharply:

And you yourself, Comrade General-Colonel, would board the plane and try to catch up with him! It's not at all as easy as it seems!

Krasovsky laughed and asked seriously:

So what does it take to successfully intercept a B-29?

Now, if we had MiG jets in our regiment, we wouldn’t miss them...

There will be MiGs for you. How long will it take you to relearn how to fly them?

We'll try in a month or a month and a half.

At the beginning of January 1952, the 97th Air Defense Fighter Division arrived in China under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel A.P. Shevtsov. One of its squadrons was transferred to the 351st Aviation Regiment to train the regiment's pilots to fly the MiG-15. Soon the pilots won their first victories.

On the night of June 10-11, B-29 bombers from the 19th BAG raided Kvaksan. On approaching the target, they were attacked by two MiG-15bis from the 147th GvIAP and four MiGs from the 351st IAP. In this night battle, Captain A. M. Karelin shot down two B-29s at once and seriously damaged one. Another “Fortress” was shot down in the light of searchlights by the commander of the 147th GvIAP, Major M.I. Studilin.

At the end of January 1953, Major Karelin was lucky. In one of the flights, he went up to intercept a B-29 according to radar data and was aimed so accurately that when approaching the enemy aircraft, he struck the carriage of his MiG near the stern gun of the guidance operator (bringing a dent on the carriage). The gunner of the B-29 aft mount, not seeing the enemy, began to randomly fire from his cannons and thereby gave himself away. Based on its fire, our pilot determined where the plane was, fired at it again and shot it down.

On the night of January 30, 1953, near the city of Anshu, Karelin intercepted another B-29 and shot it down. However, his car was also damaged by shooters from the bomber. Due to a broken pipeline, after turning home, the engine stopped some time later. But our ace did not lose his composure and, reaching the airfield runway, accurately and calmly landed the wounded car on the runway. 117 holes were found in Karelin’s plane (!), only in the pilot’s cockpit there were 9 of them (!). Fortunately, the pilot himself was not injured.

This was the last - 6th - victory of A. M. Karelin, after this battle he was forbidden to fly out on combat missions and was given a rest.

On February 18, 1953, the 351st Night Fighter Aviation Regiment, having fulfilled its military and international duty, left in full force for the Soviet Union. During combat work (from June 19, 1951 to February 18, 1953), the pilots of the 351st IAP under the command of Lieutenant Colonel I.A. Efimov recorded 15 downed enemy aircraft (including 9 B-29, 5 B-26 and 1 RB-50) and shot down 7 more (5 B-29 and 2 B-26). In addition, presumably on November 7, 1952, Senior Lieutenant I.P. Kovalev shot down or damaged the FЗD-2 Skynight night interceptor. Of the total number of victories, the regiment's pilots shot down 10 US aircraft with MiG-15bis jet fighters and knocked out 3, and with La-11 piston night fighters they shot down 5 US aircraft (all B-26 types) and knocked out 3 enemy aircraft: 2 B-29 and 1 B-26. The regiment's losses in the skies of Korea during this period amounted to: 2 MiG-15 and 2 La-11, and both Lavochkins were lost not in battles, but in accidents, only one pilot died in the regiment, the rest all returned to their homeland.

The deputy commander of the regiment, Major A.M. Karelin, especially distinguished himself in battles, becoming an ace of night battles - he shot down 6 US aircraft in the skies of Korea and knocked out 2 more (in 50 sorties and 10 air battles).

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 14, 1953, for exemplary performance of official duty, Major Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 10832).

Since 1964, after graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff, Aviation Major General A.M. Karelin commanded an aviation division on the territory of Belarus and Estonia. Since 1970, Aviation Major General A. M. Karelin has been in reserve. Lived in Leningrad. Died on January 3, 1974.

2. Military activities

The first victory was won by senior lieutenant V. Kurganov, who shot down the twin-engine B-26 Invader, but since September 1951, B-29s appeared in the night sky and it became difficult to compete with them on the La-11. The “fortresses” climbed to a height of up to 10 km and, after delivering a bomb attack, with a sharp decline, went towards the bay, where our pilots were forbidden to enter. At the same time, they accelerated to 700 km/h and our La-11s, having a maximum speed of 680 km/h, could not catch up with them...

At the beginning of December, the most experienced pilots of the regiment began to take up combat duty. One night, 2 deputy regiment commanders, Majors Galyshevsky and Karelin, became ready. Having met the B-29 in the night sky, Karelin attacked it, but unsuccessfully, the “Fortress” left. After conducting a series of experiments, it was found that only jet MiG-15s can fight the B-29.

At the beginning of January 1952, the 97th Air Defense Fighter Division arrived in China under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel A.P. Shevtsov. One of its squadrons was transferred to the 351st Aviation Regiment to train the regiment's pilots to fly the MiG-15. In May 1952 the first victory was won. Major A.M. Karelin saw a single American B-29 bomber in the light of searchlights and, coming close to it, invisible to the enemy, he simply shot the “flying fortress” at point-blank range.

On July 10, 1952, the Americans launched a massive raid on objects guarded by pilots of the 351st Air Regiment. In this night air battle, 3 B-29s were shot down, and several more aircraft were seriously damaged.

In one of the subsequent flights, Karelin rose to intercept the B-29 according to radar data and was aimed so accurately that when approaching the enemy aircraft, he struck the carriage of his MiG near the guidance operator’s stern gun. The gunner of the B-29 aft mount, not seeing the enemy, began to randomly fire from his cannons and thereby gave himself away. Based on its fire, our pilot determined where the plane was and shot it point blank. This happened at the end of November 1952.

In February 1953, near the city of Ansyu, Karelin intercepted another B-29 and shot it down. However, his car was also damaged by shooters from the bomber. Due to a broken pipeline, after turning home, the engine stopped some time later. But our ace did not lose his composure and, reaching the airfield runway, accurately and calmly landed the wounded car on the runway. 117 holes were found in Karelin’s plane, only in the pilot’s cockpit there were 9. Fortunately, the pilot himself was not injured.

This was the last 5th victory of A. M. Karelin, after this battle he was forbidden to fly out on combat missions and was given a rest.

It should be noted that Anatoly Karelin made his last flights on an aircraft with tail number “325”, transferred to the 351st IAP from the 97th Air Defense Aviation Division. The plane was completely painted light gray, over which dark green stripes, spots and stains were applied to the upper and side surfaces using a spray gun.

Returning to his homeland, A. M. Karelin commanded an aviation fighter regiment and was deputy commander of an aviation division in the Turkestan Military District. In 1957 he graduated from the Air Force Academy, and in 1964 from the Military Academy of the General Staff. After graduating from this academy, General Aviation Major A.M. Karelin commanded an aviation division on the territory of Belarus and Estonia. Since 1970, General Aviation Major A. M. Karelin in reserve. Lived in Leningrad. Died on January 3, 1974.

TO arelin Anatoly Mikhailovich - deputy commander for flight training - pilot-inspector for piloting techniques of the 351st separate night fighter aviation regiment (64th fighter aviation corps), major.
Born on July 16, 1922 in the village of Dalmatovo, now a city in the Kurgan region. Russian. In 1940 he graduated from special school of the Air Force No. 12 in Krasnodar.
In the Red Army since June 28, 1941. In 1942 he graduated from the Maikop Military Aviation School of Initial Pilot Training, in 1944 - from the Krasnodar Military Aviation School of Pilots. Since September 1944 - pilot of the 15th separate training aviation regiment. At the front during the Great Patriotic War, junior lieutenant A.M. Karelin since December 1944, pilot of the 203rd separate reconnaissance aviation regiment at Leningradsky, since April 1945 - at the 1st Ukrainian font. He took an active part in hostilities during the liquidation of the enemy’s Courland group, as well as in the Berlin and Prague operations. On the 1st Ukrainian Front in April-May 1945, he carried out 20 combat missions to reconnaissance and cover spotter aircraft, conducted 1 air battle (he drove away an attacking German fighter from the spotter he was accompanying, but was unable to shoot it down). For the courage and military skill shown in battles, he was awarded the order.
After the Victory A.M. Karelin continued to serve in the Air Force. From October 1945 he served in the 89th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (7th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Air Army, Central Group of Forces in Austria): pilot, from November 1945 - senior pilot, from October 1946 - flight commander. Since April 1947, he served in the 304th Fighter Aviation Regiment (32nd Fighter Aviation Division, 9th and 54th Air Armies, Far East). Since February 1950 - flight commander, and since June 1951 - navigator of the squadron of the 531st separate night fighter air regiment there.
As part of the consolidated group of Soviet air defenses under the command of Colonel General P.F. Batitsky took part in military operations in China to cover the Shanghai area from Kuomintang air raids from the island of Taiwan. He performed 10 combat missions over Shanghai on a La-11 fighter (he had no air combat), while at the same time he did a lot of work training pilots of the Air Force of the People's Republic of China.
From June 1951 to February 1953 - participant in the Korean War of 1950-1953. For a year and a half of participation in hostilities, senior lieutenant A.M. Karelin became a captain and then a major. Also in January 1952, he was promoted to deputy commander for flight training - pilot inspector for piloting techniques of the 351st Separate Night Fighter Aviation Regiment.
The start of hostilities turned out to be unsuccessful, because the 351st night aviation regiment was armed with La-11 piston fighters, which were already hopelessly inferior to enemy jet aircraft. When Karelin was attacked by a US bomber in November 1951, after the first shots it easily broke away from the pursuit, even despite the damage received. Soon, the regiment's command turned to the higher command about the transfer of MiG-15 jet fighters into service. Karelin was one of the first to master this aircraft directly in the combat zone.
The pilot's first aerial victory turned out to be grandiose: on July 10, 1952, the American command launched a massive raid on objects guarded by pilots of the 351st Fighter Aviation Regiment in the city of Kwaksan. In this large-scale night air battle, Major Karelin A.M. two B-29s were shot down (one exploded in the air over Kvaksan, the second crashed and burned during an emergency landing), one enemy plane was shot down by flight commander Captain Zhakhman Ikhsangaliev, another was damaged by the commander of the 147th Guards Fighter Regiment, Major Studilin (after an emergency landing, the Americans wrote off this bomber).
In a battle on January 30, 1953, near the city of Anshu, Major Alexander Karelin intercepted one B-29 and shot it down, but his winged vehicle was also damaged by shooters from an American bomber. Moreover, during his return he was attacked by an American night interceptor, which added to the damage. They managed to fight him off, but due to a broken pipeline, after turning to their airfield, after some time, Karelin’s fighter engine stopped. The Soviet pilot did not lose his composure and, reaching his runway, accurately and calmly landed the crippled car on the runway. In Karelin’s MiG, 117 (!) bullet and fragmentation holes were discovered, only in the pilot’s cockpit there were nine (!). Fortunately, Major Karelin A.M. not injured. This was his last - fifth - victory. After this battle, the deputy commander of the fighter aviation regiment, Karelin, was forbidden to fly out on combat missions and was given a rest. In February 1953, he left with the regiment for the Soviet Union.
In the Korean War, he made about 50 combat missions, conducted about 10 air battles, personally shot down 6 US aircraft (5 B-29 strategic bombers and one RB-29 reconnaissance aircraft), and also damaged two bombers. All victories were won at night, the best night fighter pilot of the Korean War. A rare case - all victories are confirmed by subsequently published data from the American side.
U of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 14, 1953 for exemplary performance of official duty to Major Karelin Anatoly Mikhailovich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
Returning to his homeland, A.M. Karelin continued to serve in the same regiment, transferred to the 25th Air Army of the Leningrad Air Defense Region, and left for study in August 1954. In 1957 he graduated from the Air Force Academy in Monino. Since November 1957 - commander of the 149th Guards Aviation Fighter Regiment (13th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, 6th Air Army. Leningrad). Since July 1960 - head of the department of combat training and combat use of the 30th separate corps of the country's Air Defense Forces. Since February 1961 - deputy commander of the 17th air defense division.
In 1964 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Since July 1964 - Deputy Chief of Aviation of the 2nd Separate Air Defense Army. From December 1965 he commanded the 4th, and from September 1968 - the 14th air defense divisions. Since December 1969 - at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces, since March 1970, Aviation Major General Karelin A.M. - in reserve.
Lived in Leningrad (since 1991 - St. Petersburg). Died on January 3, 1974. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Serafimovskoye cemetery.
Major General of Aviation (02/23/1967). Awarded two Orders of Lenin (06/21/1952, 07/14/1953), two Orders of the Red Banner (09/25/1952, 02/22/1968), Orders of the Patriotic War 2nd degree (06/26/1945), Red Star (12/30/1956), medals “For military merit” (06/13/1952), “For the capture of Berlin”, “For the liberation of Prague”, other medals.

Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin( - ) - fighter pilot, participant in the Great Patriotic and Korean Wars. Hero of the Soviet Union (1953).

Biography

After the war he continued to serve in the Air Force. From July 1951 to February 1953, he participated in the Korean War as part of the 351st Fighter Aviation Regiment (50th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Division). The regiment took part as a separate night fighter jet flying La-11 and (from February 1952) MiG-15 aircraft. In 1953 he was admitted to the CPSU. In 1960, Lieutenant Colonel Karelin graduated from the Air Force Academy in Monino, in 1964 -. Since 1970, Aviation Major General Karelin has been in reserve.

Military activities

Anatoly Karelin began his combat activities in December 1944, on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He took an active part in hostilities in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Germany.

The first victory was won by senior lieutenant V. Kurganov, who shot down the B-26 Invader, but since September 1951, B-29s appeared in the night sky and it was difficult to compete with them on the La-11. The “fortresses” climbed to a height of up to 10 km and, after delivering a bomb attack, with a sharp decline, went towards the bay, where our pilots were forbidden to enter. At the same time, they accelerated to 700 km/h, and our La-11s, having a maximum speed of 680 km/h, could not catch up with them.

At the beginning of December, the most experienced pilots of the regiment began to take up combat duty. One night, 2 deputy regiment commanders, Majors Galyshevsky (deputy for political affairs, later shot down 2 B-29s) and Karelin (deputy for flight training) took over readiness. Having met the B-29 in the night sky, Karelin attacked it, but was unsuccessful, the “Fortress” left. After a series of experiments, it was found that only jet MiG-15s can fight the B-29.

At the beginning of January 1952, the 97th Air Defense Fighter Division arrived in China under the command of Colonel A.P. Shevtsov. One of its squadrons was transferred to the 351st Aviation Regiment to train the regiment's pilots to fly the MiG-15. In May 1952, the first victory was won. Major A.M. Karelin saw a single American B-29 bomber in the light of searchlights and, coming close to it, invisible to the enemy, he simply shot the “flying fortress” at point-blank range.

On July 10, 1952, the Americans launched a massive raid on objects guarded by pilots of the 351st Air Regiment. In this night air battle, 3 B-29s were shot down, several more aircraft received heavy damage (of which 2 aircraft were shot down by Karelin and another 1 was damaged).

In one of the subsequent flights, Karelin went up to intercept the B-29 according to radar data and was aimed so accurately that when approaching the enemy aircraft, he struck the carriage of his MiG near the stern gun of the guidance operator (bringing a dent on the carriage). The gunner of the B-29 aft mount, not seeing the enemy, began to randomly fire from his cannons and thereby gave himself away. Based on its fire, the Soviet pilot determined where the plane was and shot it point blank. This happened at the end of November 1952.

In February 1953, near the city of Ansyu, Karelin intercepted another B-29 and shot it down. However, his car was also damaged by shooters from the bomber. Some time after turning home, the engine stopped due to a broken pipeline. But the pilot did not lose his composure and, reaching the airfield runway, managed to land the car. 117 holes were found in Karelin’s plane, only in the pilot’s cockpit there were 9. The pilot himself was not injured.

This was the last - the 5th victory of A. M. Karelin, after this battle he was forbidden to fly out on combat missions and was given a rest.

On February 18, 1953, the 351st Night Fighter Aviation Regiment, having fulfilled its military and international duty, left in full force for the Soviet Union. During combat work, its pilots recorded about 15 downed enemy aircraft. A. M. Karelin’s personal account included 5 victories won in 50 combat missions. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 14, 1953, Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

Returning to his homeland, A. M. Karelin commanded an aviation fighter regiment and was deputy commander of an aviation division in the Turkestan Military District. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1957 and from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1964. After graduating from this academy, Aviation Major General A.M. Karelin commanded an aviation division on the territory of Belarus and Estonia. Since 1970, Aviation Major General A. M. Karelin has been in reserve.

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Notes

Literature

M. Yu. Bykov. All Stalin's Aces 1936-1953 - Popular science publication. - M.: LLC "Yauza-press", 2014. - P. 501. - 1392 p. - (Air Force Elite Encyclopedia). - 1500 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9955-0712-3.
Team of authors. History of the command faculty of the Yu. A. Gagarin Air Force Academy / V.E. Zenkov. - Moscow: JSC JV “Contact RL”, 2007. - P. 268. - 368 p. - ISBN 5-902908-02-7.

Awards

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 14, 1953, for exemplary performance of official duty, Major Anatoly Mikhailovich Karelin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 10832).
He was awarded another Order of Lenin (1952), two Orders of the Red Banner (1952, 1968), the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree (1945), the Red Star (1956) and numerous medals, including For Military Merit, For the Capture of Berlin, For the liberation of Prague.

Sources

Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M.: Voenizdat, 1987. - T. 1 /Abaev - Lyubichev/. - 911 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN ex., Reg. No. in RKP 87-95382.

Links

. Website "Heroes of the Country".

An excerpt characterizing Karelin, Anatoly Mikhailovich

When they brought Nikolushka to Prince Andrei, who was looking at his father in fear, but was not crying, because no one was crying, Prince Andrei kissed him and, obviously, did not know what to say to him.
When Nikolushka was taken away, Princess Marya went up to her brother again, kissed him and, unable to resist any longer, began to cry.
He looked at her intently.
-Are you talking about Nikolushka? - he said.
Princess Marya, crying, bowed her head affirmatively.
“Marie, you know Evan...” but he suddenly fell silent.
- What are you saying?
- Nothing. There’s no need to cry here,” he said, looking at her with the same cold gaze.

When Princess Marya began to cry, he realized that she was crying that Nikolushka would be left without a father. With great effort he tried to return to life and was transported to their point of view.
“Yes, they must find it pathetic! - he thought. “How simple it is!”
“The birds of the air neither sow nor reap, but your father feeds them,” he said to himself and wanted to say the same to the princess. “But no, they will understand it in their own way, they will not understand! What they cannot understand is that all these feelings that they value are all ours, all these thoughts that seem so important to us are that they are not needed. We can't understand each other." - And he fell silent.

Prince Andrei's little son was seven years old. He could barely read, he didn't know anything. He experienced a lot after this day, acquiring knowledge, observation, and experience; but if he had then possessed all these later acquired abilities, he could not have understood better, more deeply the full meaning of that scene that he saw between his father, Princess Marya and Natasha than he understood it now. He understood everything and, without crying, left the room, silently approached Natasha, who followed him out, and shyly looked at her with thoughtful, beautiful eyes; his raised, rosy upper lip trembled, he leaned his head against it and began to cry.
From that day on, he avoided Desalles, avoided the countess who was caressing him, and either sat alone or timidly approached Princess Marya and Natasha, whom he seemed to love even more than his aunt, and quietly and shyly caressed them.
Princess Marya, leaving Prince Andrei, fully understood everything that Natasha’s face told her. She no longer spoke to Natasha about the hope of saving his life. She alternated with her at his sofa and did not cry anymore, but prayed incessantly, turning her soul to that eternal, incomprehensible, whose presence was now so palpable over the dying man.

Prince Andrei not only knew that he would die, but he felt that he was dying, that he was already half dead. He experienced a consciousness of alienation from everything earthly and a joyful and strange lightness of being. He, without haste and without worry, awaited what lay ahead of him. That formidable, eternal, unknown and distant, the presence of which he never ceased to feel throughout his entire life, was now close to him and - due to the strange lightness of being that he experienced - almost understandable and felt.
Before, he was afraid of the end. He experienced this terrible, painful feeling of fear of death, of the end, twice, and now he no longer understood it.
The first time he experienced this feeling was when a grenade was spinning like a top in front of him and he looked at the stubble, at the bushes, at the sky and knew that death was in front of him. When he woke up after the wound and in his soul, instantly, as if freed from the oppression of life that held him back, this flower of love, eternal, free, independent of this life, blossomed, he was no longer afraid of death and did not think about it.
The more he, in those hours of suffering solitude and semi-delirium that he spent after his wound, thought about the new beginning of eternal love that had been revealed to him, the more he, without feeling it himself, renounced earthly life. Everything, to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love, meant not loving anyone, meant not living this earthly life. And the more he was imbued with this principle of love, the more he renounced life and the more completely he destroyed that terrible barrier that, without love, stands between life and death. When, at first, he remembered that he had to die, he said to himself: well, so much the better.
But after that night in Mytishchi, when the one he desired appeared in front of him in a semi-delirium, and when he, pressing her hand to his lips, cried quiet, joyful tears, love for one woman imperceptibly crept into his heart and again tied him to life. Both joyful and anxious thoughts began to come to him. Remembering that moment at the dressing station when he saw Kuragin, he now could not return to that feeling: he was tormented by the question of whether he was alive? And he didn't dare ask this.

His illness took its own physical course, but what Natasha called: this happened to him happened to him two days before Princess Marya’s arrival. This was the last moral struggle between life and death, in which death won. It was the unexpected consciousness that he still valued the life that seemed to him in love for Natasha, and the last, subdued fit of horror in front of the unknown.
It was in the evening. He was, as usual after dinner, in a slight feverish state, and his thoughts were extremely clear. Sonya was sitting at the table. He dozed off. Suddenly a feeling of happiness overwhelmed him.
“Oh, she came in!” - he thought.
Indeed, sitting in Sonya’s place was Natasha, who had just entered with silent steps.
Since she began following him, he had always experienced this physical sensation of her closeness. She sat on an armchair, sideways to him, blocking the light of the candle from him, and knitted a stocking. (She learned to knit stockings since Prince Andrei told her that no one knows how to take care of the sick like old nannies who knit stockings, and that there is something soothing in knitting a stocking.) Thin fingers quickly fingered her from time to time the clashing spokes, and the pensive profile of her downcast face was clearly visible to him. She made a movement and the ball rolled off her lap. She shuddered, looked back at him and, shielding the candle with her hand, with a careful, flexible and precise movement she bent, raised the ball and sat down in her previous position.
He looked at her without moving, and saw that after her movement she needed to take a deep breath, but she did not dare to do this and carefully took a breath.
In the Trinity Lavra they talked about the past, and he told her that if he were alive, he would forever thank God for his wound, which brought him back to her; but since then they never spoke about the future.
“Could it or could it not have happened? - he thought now, looking at her and listening to the light steel sound of the knitting needles. - Was it really only then that fate brought me so strangely together with her that I might die?.. Was the truth of life revealed to me only so that I could live in a lie? I love her more than anything in the world. But what should I do if I love her? - he said, and he suddenly groaned involuntarily, according to the habit that he acquired during his suffering.
Hearing this sound, Natasha put down the stocking, leaned closer to him and suddenly, noticing his glowing eyes, walked up to him with a light step and bent down.
- You are not asleep?
- No, I’ve been looking at you for a long time; I felt it when you came in. No one like you, but gives me that soft silence... that light. I just want to cry with joy.
Natasha moved closer to him. Her face shone with rapturous joy.
- Natasha, I love you too much. More than anything else.
- And I? “She turned away for a moment. - Why too much? - she said.
- Why too much?.. Well, what do you think, how do you feel in your soul, in your whole soul, will I be alive? What do you think?
- I'm sure, I'm sure! – Natasha almost screamed, taking both his hands with a passionate movement.
He paused.
- How good it would be! - And, taking her hand, he kissed it.
Natasha was happy and excited; and immediately she remembered that this was impossible, that he needed calm.
“But you didn’t sleep,” she said, suppressing her joy. – Try to sleep... please.
He released her hand, shaking it; she moved to the candle and sat down again in her previous position. She looked back at him twice, his eyes shining towards her. She gave herself a lesson on the stocking and told herself that she wouldn't look back until she finished it.
Indeed, soon after that he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He did not sleep for long and suddenly woke up in a cold sweat.
As he fell asleep, he kept thinking about the same thing he had been thinking about all the time - about life and death. And more about death. He felt closer to her.
"Love? What is love? - he thought. – Love interferes with death. Love is life. Everything, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists only because I love. Everything is connected by one thing. Love is God, and to die means for me, a particle of love, to return to the common and eternal source.” These thoughts seemed comforting to him. But these were just thoughts. Something was missing in them, something was one-sided, personal, mental - it was not obvious. And there was the same anxiety and uncertainty. He fell asleep.
He saw in a dream that he was lying in the same room in which he was actually lying, but that he was not wounded, but healthy. Many different faces, insignificant, indifferent, appear before Prince Andrei. He talks to them, argues about something unnecessary. They are getting ready to go somewhere. Prince Andrey vaguely remembers that all this is insignificant and that he has other, more important concerns, but continues to speak, surprising them, some empty, witty words. Little by little, imperceptibly, all these faces begin to disappear, and everything is replaced by one question about the closed door. He gets up and goes to the door to slide the bolt and lock it. Everything depends on whether he has time or not time to lock her. He walks, he hurries, his legs don’t move, and he knows that he won’t have time to lock the door, but still he painfully strains all his strength. And a painful fear seizes him. And this fear is the fear of death: it stands behind the door. But at the same time, as he powerlessly and awkwardly crawls towards the door, something terrible, on the other hand, is already, pressing, breaking into it. Something inhuman - death - is breaking at the door, and we must hold it back. He grabs the door, strains his last efforts - it is no longer possible to lock it - at least to hold it; but his strength is weak, clumsy, and, pressed by the terrible, the door opens and closes again.
Once again it pressed from there. The last, supernatural efforts were in vain, and both halves opened silently. It has entered, and it is death. And Prince Andrei died.
But at the same moment as he died, Prince Andrei remembered that he was sleeping, and at the same moment as he died, he, making an effort on himself, woke up.
“Yes, it was death. I died - I woke up. Yes, death is awakening! - his soul suddenly brightened, and the veil that had hitherto hidden the unknown was lifted before his spiritual gaze. He felt a kind of liberation of the strength previously bound in him and that strange lightness that has not left him since then.