Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was born into a working-class family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1942.
In 1931, after finishing the seven-year school, he entered the FZO at the Moscow Kalibr plant, and then worked at the same plant as a mechanic for four years. In 1937 he was drafted into the Navy. Served on a submarine in the Northern Fleet.
During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Northern Navy. A detachment of naval reconnaissance more than once destroyed enemy rear lines, cut off his communications, and obtained valuable information. In 1945, V.N. Leonov took part in battles against Japanese militarists in the Far East. The naval reconnaissance detachment was awarded the title of Guards.
In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School, and in 1956 he completed two courses at the Naval Academy. In reserve since 1956.
Currently, V. N. Leonov lives and works in Moscow. In 1956, his book “Face to Face” was published, and in 1973, “Get ready for a feat today.”
In his dreams, he built Magnitogorsk blast furnaces and hoisted a red flag over the North Pole. He cut through the centuries-old taiga on the banks of the Amur to light the lights of the city of his youth. He crossed the Karakum in an amazing automobile race and, together with Chkalov, flew over the white expanses of the Arctic, paving the shortest air route to America. He drove the first Soviet tractor from the assembly line, rose on a stratospheric balloon, and hurried to the aid of the Chelyuskinites to rescue them from captivity in the ice. He became a participant in the heroic deeds with which every day of our reality is so rich. He grew up together with his country, selflessly loved his Motherland, and was proud of it.
Just like the other kids in the small town of Zaraysk near Moscow, he still stood out among his peers precisely because of his amazing ability to dream. And also with his persistence and will, which manifested itself even in childish undertakings. And when they came up with something interesting, friends without hesitation chose Vitya Leonov as their leader.
This is how my youth passed. The question was increasingly and persistently disturbing: who to be? I wanted to become a writer, a sailor, a pilot, an engineer. Each profession seemed exciting, promised broad horizons, and the difficulty of choice lay precisely in the fact that the Motherland opened all the roads to a great life.
Victor knew one thing for sure: no matter what he had to do, he would do it well, giving all the heat of his heart. So he came to Moscow and entered the factory. A working-class family, a factory Komsomol, public teachings, and evening classes polished the best traits of a restless, sometimes overly harsh character.
Conscription into the army. Victor asked to be sent to the navy and decided to become a submariner. Apparently, my childhood passion for the sea took its toll. The request was granted. A boy from Zaraysk went to the North. He rode full of bright hopes. He was assigned to the submarine IZ-402. But in 1940, after suffering an illness, Victor was decommissioned to a floating workshop for health reasons. It was hard to give up my dream, but also... here he found himself, devoting himself entirely to a new business. After all, everything needs to be done well - Victor remained true to his motto.
Through hard work, discipline, and exemplary service, he won the respect of his comrades. In his free hours, Leonov wrote poetry. At first, of course, only for myself. Then he shared the fruits of his creativity with friends. They praised him and insisted that Victor send his poems to the newspaper. Sent. The poems were published. It gave me inspiration. I decided to take poetic experiments more seriously. They were successful, and gradually the desire to enter the Literary Institute after serving in the army matured. But war broke out, and plans had to be changed.
During these menacing days, Viktor Leonov was unable to remain in the workshops. He heard the voice of the Fatherland, calling him to fight the enemy who had brazenly invaded the territory of his native country. Victor, not without difficulty (the doctors were stubborn again), got him transferred to the front. He ended up in the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Front.
Military work is hard, and especially the service of a scout operating behind enemy lines. Selected, tougher people were in the detachment. The detachment flawlessly carried out the most difficult command tasks. In his first operations, having honorably accepted baptism by fire, Victor proved that he was worthy of his comrades in arms. His military abilities were increasingly revealed. Even among these unparalleled brave and persistent fighters, he stood out for his courage and endurance. In addition, he revealed such valuable qualities as a warrior, such as the ability to influence his comrades with a firm word and personal example, quickly and accurately assess the current situation, and instantly make the most correct decision.
A detachment of naval reconnaissance instilled fear in the enemy with its bold raids. The Nazis could never predict where the scouts would appear, or which unit's headquarters, sometimes located far in the rear, was doomed to destruction. Suddenly appearing behind the stunned enemy, delivering devastating blows, the scouts just as suddenly and disappeared without a trace. The most “reliable” Jaeger units of Hitler’s army were concentrated on the Northern Front. All the more honor and glory to our soldiers who crushed the seasoned Nazi warriors.
On the eve of May 1, 1942, the detachment received an unusual mission. The difficulty was that this time it was ordered to act demonstratively, in every possible way attracting the attention of the enemy. By bearing the brunt of the blow upon themselves, the scouts ensured the success of a major landing operation.
On the night before the holiday, two platoons of reconnaissance boats crossed one of the bays of the Barents Sea. On a steep wave we approached the shore, but failed to land: the enemy coastal defenses opened fire. The scouts jumped into the water, as cold as ice, shouted “Hurray”, got to land and immediately launched grenades. The pre-dawn darkness was illuminated by flashes of explosions; machine guns were banging furiously, now choking, now again joining the menacing chorus of battle. The rangers withstood the blow, and our warriors broke through into the mountains that towered above the uninhabited coast.
The scouts walked through a labyrinth of hills and ravines. The clothes were heavy after the icy plunge: fur jackets, trousers with deer fur on the outside. There was still snow in the gorges, and on top it melted and formed entire lakes, which at this early hour of May Day morning were covered with an ice crust. The rangers spotted the movement of the detachment. They were probably already anticipating victory, watching as the scouts were drawn further and further into the trap, and took measures to cut off their escape routes. And the scouts stubbornly moved forward to the height “415” that dominated the area.
After a sleepless night, after a battle with the coast guard and a tiring journey, many were exhausted. The commander ordered Sergeant Major Viktor Leonov to pull up those lagging behind. Who better than him can cheer people up and infuse them with new strength! And Sergeant Major Leonov carried out the commander’s order: the stretched out detachment again gathered into a fist, ready to fall on the enemy.
With a skillful maneuver, the scouts shot down the rangers from height “415”; They fortified themselves on it and, watching how the encirclement ring closed, prepared to repel enemy attacks. The more a handful of brave men perched at a height attract the attention and forces of the enemy, the more successful the main operation will be.
The day came into its own, and now, having finished maneuvering, the first wave of fascists poured into the attack. It gushed out and retreated, as if smashed against a granite cliff. The Nazis launched many attacks, and they all ended the same way.
Night has fallen. It seemed as if the stone was cracking due to the severe cold. Not a single person on the heights slept a wink; everyone was on guard. At dawn, the rangers again rushed to height “415” and until dusk tried unsuccessfully to capture it 12 times. The detachment acted as if there were no sleepless nights or extreme strain of strength.
In the meantime, while significant enemy forces were bogged down in the battle for the heights, the main operation was successfully carried out. Having landed in a given area, our landing units moved forward. The command plan was carried out exactly. The detachment commander ordered Leonov, taking scouts Losev and Motovilin, to establish contact with the main units.
It was necessary to slip through the enemy ring, overcome six kilometers of difficult path, and return...
The blizzard, which suddenly appeared and became more ferocious by the minute, helped. Leonov took advantage of this: he signaled to his comrades and rolled down a steep slope into the impenetrable snow darkness. And so all three seemed to melt into her. These six kilometers seemed endlessly long, and my body was constrained by inhuman fatigue. But Leonov stubbornly walked forward, and his friends did not lag behind him. The storm died down when we reached the battalion headquarters. They were warmed, fed, and persuaded to rest. But Leonov refused, he hurried to height “415”, he knew how precious every person there was, and by the end of the day, three daredevils returned to the detachment, having completed a seemingly impossible task.
The huntsmen dared to fight at night. Five times they rushed to storm the inaccessible height and rolled back each time, littering its slopes with corpses. But the situation in the reconnaissance detachment became more and more difficult every hour. UI not because people haven’t taken a nap for a minute for several days, not because there is a very insignificant supply of food left. The ammunition was running out, and the minutes came when every cartridge was accounted for. And the morning was approaching, and it was clear that the Nazis would not give up their goal of capturing the heights.
Through the gloomy haze of dawn, Leonov’s keen eye saw small gray hummocks or mounds on one of the slopes. No, he knows for sure: there were no such people here. He reported to the detachment commander about the mounds that had grown overnight. Leonov’s suspicions were justified: in the darkness of the night, cunningly disguised, enemy machine gunners crept up to nearby firing positions. Our snipers came into action, and the gray hills came to life.
At some point, Leonov, overwhelmed by the excitement of the battle, jumped up and immediately fell, stunned by a blow to the head. Fortunately, the explosive bullet hit the stone. However, stone fragments seriously injured my left cheek. Leonov crawled away, bandaged his head and then saw a rocket shoot up into the sky, heard a mighty “hurray”: a detachment of marines, crushing the Nazis, was rushing to help the defenders of the height.
In operations like this - can you really count how many there were! - the military skill of the fearless naval reconnaissance was honed, his character was tempered. Could Victor have foreseen that his name would become legendary? He didn't think about fame. No, he simply fulfills his duty as a defender of the Motherland, as befits a Soviet patriot. With his heart and mind, combat experience, acquired at a high price and enriched from raid to raid, from campaign to campaign, he served the great, national cause of Victory.
And so it was natural what happened one day in the landing. The detachment was left without a commander, and everyone, by silent agreement, recognized Leonov as the eldest. The operation was completed successfully.
Having assessed the military merits and leadership talent of Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov, the command considered it possible, despite the lack of special training, to award him an officer rank.
The day came when Leonov led a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers. The military glory of the detachment increased even more. With brave raids, the scouts opened up the enemy's defense system, destroyed the enemy's communications, destroyed his bases, destroyed manpower, and contributed to the success of the offensive actions of the Soviet troops.
The front passed through the deserted, gloomy expanses of the Arctic. Delivered by ships to the enemy rear, the detachment overcame swamps, tundras, icy hills, severe blizzards and blinding blizzards when the furious wind knocked them down. Sometimes the campaign lasted a week before the scouts reached their goal and entered into a quick, merciless battle with the Nazis. Another raid, another enemy base destroyed, another enemy tactical plan collapsed.
Leonov and his scouts penetrated the fiords of Norway fortified by the Nazis. They were the first to visit the land of Petsamo and Kirkenes to prepare for the landing of Soviet troops. Step by step they cleared the North from invaders. Luck accompanied the detachment.
Luck? No! Incomparable military skill, the art of taking advantage of a sudden blow, determination, moral superiority over the enemy, physical hardening, which helped to overcome incredible difficulties - these were the elements that made up the wonderful alloy of victory.
When obstacles that seemed insurmountable at first glance arose, Leonov repeated Suvorov’s words about a Russian soldier who would go where not even a deer could go. And the scouts, following their commander, crossed places that even animals avoided. The military valor of our ancestors, who glorified our weapons in battles against foreign invaders, in the victorious battles of the civil war, lived in the blood of Soviet soldiers and led them forward to victory.
The example of the communists, loyalty to the oath, and fiery love for the Motherland welded the detachment into a single family. The commander believed in his people, just as they believed in him, firmly knowing that the lieutenant commander would find a way out of any difficult situation, would always outwit the enemy and bring the matter to victory. That is why success accompanied the naval reconnaissance squad of Viktor Leonov.
A tradition that was not written down anywhere arose and strengthened by itself: no one was sent to Leonov’s detachment without the consent of the commander. Just as demanding and demanding as he was of himself, Leonov carefully studied the person before accepting him into the family of intelligence officers.
Little of. He sought to make a person able to take risks, instantly navigate, be self-possessed, calmly assess the situation, and act decisively at the right moment. Finally, the difficult profession of a front-line intelligence officer requires excellent physical training, the ability to endure hardships and engage in single combat with the enemy. If these conditions are met, it means that you will receive a greater guarantee that a person, if he gets into severe troubles, will remain alive.
And Viktor Nikolaevich made it a rule, made it an immutable law of the detachment, to learn everyone and everything that could be useful in a battle with the enemy. During short breaks between raids, scouts could be seen doing something unusual for the front-line situation. They competed in running and jumping, in lifting weights, fiercely, until they sweated, they fought with each other, practicing sambo techniques, and performed cross-country skiing. At times it seemed that there was no war nearby, but some kind of Spartakiad of a completely peaceful time was going on. The fighters even engaged in mountaineering, climbed steep rocks, and crossed precipices. And how all this later, in a combat situation, contributed to success - the unit was always ready to carry out any command assignment.
And the detachment commander also taught people to think, not just to follow orders, but to bring creative initiative to their actions. During classes, he gave his subordinates such unexpected introductions that required both imagination and hard work of thought. That is why the tasks assigned to the detachment were solved intelligently, exactly in accordance with the idea of the general plan. “Do every task well!” - Lieutenant Commander Leonov remained faithful to this covenant of his youth.
Under the blows of Soviet troops, the entire fascist defense in the Arctic inevitably collapsed. Enraged by the failure of their plans, the Nazis finally lost their belts. In Northern Norway, they blew up bridges, set fire to villages, robbed and drove away civilians. A detachment of naval reconnaissance officers was ordered to land on the coast of the Varangerfjord, cut off the enemy’s main communications, and protect the Norwegians from the rapists.
The population of the Varanger Peninsula greeted their saviors with tears of joy and emotional words of gratitude. Ahead of them, as if on wings, the message was carried from mouth to mouth: “The Russians have come!” As soon as they heard it, the fascist rangers took flight, just to get away from these “black devils,” as they called our scouts.
Abandoning the loot and their food warehouses, the invaders fled from the fishing village of Kiberg. By order of Leonov, the warehouses were opened to the hungry population, and the old fisherman, the most respected man in Kiberga, addressed the crowd with the words:
Watch and listen! The Nazis robbed us. The Russians are returning our property to us. They only ask that everything be fair. So that every family receives its due share.
Long-lasting cries of approval were the response to this brief and expressive speech.
Where the scouts passed, life was resurrected, people returned from secret shelters in the mountains. The detachment moved forward. On the eve of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Great October Revolution, a message was received on the radio that Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov had been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his military exploits.
When his friends and comrades congratulated him, he always said: “The war is not over yet. And we still need to work hard to justify the “Golden Star,” and this means doing everything to speed up the complete defeat of fascism.”
And he “worked” brilliantly until that bright hour when people, like madmen, joyfully threw themselves into each other’s arms and the word “peace” was pronounced in all the languages of Europe with love and hope.
Victory Day has arrived. Hitler's Germany unconditionally surrendered. The peoples of the earth rejoiced and glorified the army of the Soviet people, which had fulfilled its great liberation mission with honor. But the flames of war still continued to burn in the Far East. In the interests of the security of its Far Eastern borders, the socialist power sent its armed forces to defeat militaristic Japan.
And again in battle, a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov. He participates in the liberation of Korea from Japanese invaders.
In the Korean port of Seishin, a very difficult situation was created in the battle for the bridge. The Japanese had a large numerical superiority and tried their best to hold the bridge - the only communication that provided them with the possibility of withdrawal. They fought desperately. At the decisive moment of the battle, the experience acquired in the North again helped out the scouts. He suggested that in hand-to-hand combat it is not possible for both opponents to fight with the same tenacity. If one side has the willpower and determination to fight to the end, it will definitely win. It cannot be otherwise. And so, under fierce enemy fire, our scouts, led by the commander, got up and went forward. Outwardly calm, they inexorably approached, and when there were twenty meters left before the enemy, the Japanese began to rush about: their nerves could not withstand the bayonet strike. The battle was won! New brilliant pages were written in the chronicle of the military glory of naval reconnaissance officers. Along the entire front, the name of the detachment commander, Lieutenant Commander Leonov, who was awarded the second “Gold Star,” was passed from mouth to mouth.
In the town of Zaraysk near Moscow, on Uritsky Square, there is a beautiful park. On a July day in 1950, a crowded meeting gathered here, among the dense greenery of young lindens and acacias. A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov rises on a pedestal. And on the podium, unable to hide his excitement, stood a modest, simple Soviet man. In the flurry of applause, he heard the splash of a distant wave, the faces of his fighting friends appeared before his blurred gaze. And it seemed: the gentle hand of the Motherland lay on the shoulder, raising and exalting its faithful son for his feat of arms, for his devoted service to the people.
On November 5, 1944, Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On September 14, 1945, for new military exploits at the front, he was awarded a second Gold Star medal. He was also awarded many orders and medals.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was born into a working-class family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1942.
In 1931, after finishing the seven-year school, he entered the FZO at the Moscow Kalibr plant, and then worked at the same plant as a mechanic for four years. In 1937 he was drafted into the Navy. Served on a submarine in the Northern Fleet.
During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Northern Navy. A detachment of naval reconnaissance more than once destroyed enemy rear lines, cut off his communications, and obtained valuable information. In 1945, V.N. Leonov took part in battles against Japanese militarists in the Far East. The naval reconnaissance detachment was awarded the title of Guards.
In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School, and in 1956 he completed two courses at the Naval Academy. In reserve since 1956.
Currently, V. N. Leonov lives and works in Moscow. In 1956, his book “Face to Face” was published, and in 1973, “Get ready for a feat today.”
In his dreams, he built Magnitogorsk blast furnaces and hoisted a red flag over the North Pole. He cut through the centuries-old taiga on the banks of the Amur to light the lights of the city of his youth. He crossed the Karakum in an amazing automobile race and, together with Chkalov, flew over the white expanses of the Arctic, paving the shortest air route to America. He drove the first Soviet tractor from the assembly line, rose on a stratospheric balloon, and hurried to the aid of the Chelyuskinites to rescue them from captivity in the ice. He became a participant in the heroic deeds with which every day of our reality is so rich. He grew up together with his country, selflessly loved his Motherland, and was proud of it.
Just like the other kids in the small town of Zaraysk near Moscow, he still stood out among his peers precisely because of his amazing ability to dream. And also with his persistence and will, which manifested itself even in childish undertakings. And when they came up with something interesting, friends without hesitation chose Vitya Leonov as their leader.
This is how my youth passed. The question was increasingly and persistently disturbing: who to be? I wanted to become a writer, a sailor, a pilot, an engineer. Each profession seemed exciting, promised broad horizons, and the difficulty of choice lay precisely in the fact that the Motherland opened all the roads to a great life.
Victor knew one thing for sure: no matter what he had to do, he would do it well, giving all the heat of his heart. So he came to Moscow and entered the factory. A working-class family, a factory Komsomol, public teachings, and evening classes polished the best traits of a restless, sometimes overly harsh character.
Conscription into the army. Victor asked to be sent to the navy and decided to become a submariner. Apparently, my childhood passion for the sea took its toll. The request was granted. A boy from Zaraysk went to the North. He rode full of bright hopes. He was assigned to the submarine IZ-402. But in 1940, after suffering an illness, Victor was decommissioned to a floating workshop for health reasons. It was hard to give up my dream, but also... here he found himself, devoting himself entirely to a new business. After all, everything needs to be done well - Victor remained true to his motto.
Through hard work, discipline, and exemplary service, he won the respect of his comrades. In his free hours, Leonov wrote poetry. At first, of course, only for myself. Then he shared the fruits of his creativity with friends. They praised him and insisted that Victor send his poems to the newspaper. Sent. The poems were published. It gave me inspiration. I decided to take poetic experiments more seriously. They were successful, and gradually the desire to enter the Literary Institute after serving in the army matured. But war broke out, and plans had to be changed.
During these menacing days, Viktor Leonov was unable to remain in the workshops. He heard the voice of the Fatherland, calling him to fight the enemy who had brazenly invaded the territory of his native country. Victor, not without difficulty (the doctors were stubborn again), got him transferred to the front. He ended up in the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Front.
Military work is hard, and especially the service of a scout operating behind enemy lines. Selected, tougher people were in the detachment. The detachment flawlessly carried out the most difficult command tasks. In his first operations, having honorably accepted baptism by fire, Victor proved that he was worthy of his comrades in arms. His military abilities were increasingly revealed. Even among these unparalleled brave and persistent fighters, he stood out for his courage and endurance. In addition, he revealed such valuable qualities as a warrior, such as the ability to influence his comrades with a firm word and personal example, quickly and accurately assess the current situation, and instantly make the most correct decision.
A detachment of naval reconnaissance instilled fear in the enemy with its bold raids. The Nazis could never predict where the scouts would appear, or which unit's headquarters, sometimes located far in the rear, was doomed to destruction. Suddenly appearing behind the stunned enemy, delivering devastating blows, the scouts just as suddenly and disappeared without a trace. The most “reliable” Jaeger units of Hitler’s army were concentrated on the Northern Front. All the more honor and glory to our soldiers who crushed the seasoned Nazi warriors.
On the eve of May 1, 1942, the detachment received an unusual mission. The difficulty was that this time it was ordered to act demonstratively, in every possible way attracting the attention of the enemy. By bearing the brunt of the blow upon themselves, the scouts ensured the success of a major landing operation.
On the night before the holiday, two platoons of reconnaissance boats crossed one of the bays of the Barents Sea. On a steep wave we approached the shore, but failed to land: the enemy coastal defenses opened fire. The scouts jumped into the water, as cold as ice, shouted “Hurray”, got to land and immediately launched grenades. The pre-dawn darkness was illuminated by flashes of explosions; machine guns were banging furiously, now choking, now again joining the menacing chorus of battle. The rangers withstood the blow, and our warriors broke through into the mountains that towered above the uninhabited coast.
The scouts walked through a labyrinth of hills and ravines. The clothes were heavy after the icy plunge: fur jackets, trousers with deer fur on the outside. There was still snow in the gorges, and on top it melted and formed entire lakes, which at this early hour of May Day morning were covered with an ice crust. The rangers spotted the movement of the detachment. They were probably already anticipating victory, watching as the scouts were drawn further and further into the trap, and took measures to cut off their escape routes. And the scouts stubbornly moved forward to the height “415” that dominated the area.
After a sleepless night, after a battle with the coast guard and a tiring journey, many were exhausted. The commander ordered Sergeant Major Viktor Leonov to pull up those lagging behind. Who better than him can cheer people up and infuse them with new strength! And Sergeant Major Leonov carried out the commander’s order: the stretched out detachment again gathered into a fist, ready to fall on the enemy.
With a skillful maneuver, the scouts shot down the rangers from height “415”; They fortified themselves on it and, watching how the encirclement ring closed, prepared to repel enemy attacks. The more a handful of brave men perched at a height attract the attention and forces of the enemy, the more successful the main operation will be.
The day came into its own, and now, having finished maneuvering, the first wave of fascists poured into the attack. It gushed out and retreated, as if smashed against a granite cliff. The Nazis launched many attacks, and they all ended the same way.
Night has fallen. It seemed as if the stone was cracking due to the severe cold. Not a single person on the heights slept a wink; everyone was on guard. At dawn, the rangers again rushed to height “415” and until dusk tried unsuccessfully to capture it 12 times. The detachment acted as if there were no sleepless nights or extreme strain of strength.
In the meantime, while significant enemy forces were bogged down in the battle for the heights, the main operation was successfully carried out. Having landed in a given area, our landing units moved forward. The command plan was carried out exactly. The detachment commander ordered Leonov, taking scouts Losev and Motovilin, to establish contact with the main units.
It was necessary to slip through the enemy ring, overcome six kilometers of difficult path, and return...
The blizzard, which suddenly appeared and became more ferocious by the minute, helped. Leonov took advantage of this: he signaled to his comrades and rolled down a steep slope into the impenetrable snow darkness. And so all three seemed to melt into her. These six kilometers seemed endlessly long, and my body was constrained by inhuman fatigue. But Leonov stubbornly walked forward, and his friends did not lag behind him. The storm died down when we reached the battalion headquarters. They were warmed, fed, and persuaded to rest. But Leonov refused, he hurried to height “415”, he knew how precious every person there was, and by the end of the day, three daredevils returned to the detachment, having completed a seemingly impossible task.
The huntsmen dared to fight at night. Five times they rushed to storm the inaccessible height and rolled back each time, littering its slopes with corpses. But the situation in the reconnaissance detachment became more and more difficult every hour. UI not because people haven’t taken a nap for a minute for several days, not because there is a very insignificant supply of food left. The ammunition was running out, and the minutes came when every cartridge was accounted for. And the morning was approaching, and it was clear that the Nazis would not give up their goal of capturing the heights.
Through the gloomy haze of dawn, Leonov’s keen eye saw small gray hummocks or mounds on one of the slopes. No, he knows for sure: there were no such people here. He reported to the detachment commander about the mounds that had grown overnight. Leonov’s suspicions were justified: in the darkness of the night, cunningly disguised, enemy machine gunners crept up to nearby firing positions. Our snipers came into action, and the gray hills came to life.
At some point, Leonov, overwhelmed by the excitement of the battle, jumped up and immediately fell, stunned by a blow to the head. Fortunately, the explosive bullet hit the stone. However, stone fragments seriously injured my left cheek. Leonov crawled away, bandaged his head and then saw a rocket shoot up into the sky, heard a mighty “hurray”: a detachment of marines, crushing the Nazis, was rushing to help the defenders of the height.
In operations like this - can you really count how many there were! - the military skill of the fearless naval reconnaissance was honed, his character was tempered. Could Victor have foreseen that his name would become legendary? He didn't think about fame. No, he simply fulfills his duty as a defender of the Motherland, as befits a Soviet patriot. With his heart and mind, combat experience, acquired at a high price and enriched from raid to raid, from campaign to campaign, he served the great, national cause of Victory.
And so it was natural what happened one day in the landing. The detachment was left without a commander, and everyone, by silent agreement, recognized Leonov as the eldest. The operation was completed successfully.
Having assessed the military merits and leadership talent of Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov, the command considered it possible, despite the lack of special training, to award him an officer rank.
The day came when Leonov led a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers. The military glory of the detachment increased even more. With brave raids, the scouts opened up the enemy's defense system, destroyed the enemy's communications, destroyed his bases, destroyed manpower, and contributed to the success of the offensive actions of the Soviet troops.
The front passed through the deserted, gloomy expanses of the Arctic. Delivered by ships to the enemy rear, the detachment overcame swamps, tundras, icy hills, severe blizzards and blinding blizzards when the furious wind knocked them down. Sometimes the campaign lasted a week before the scouts reached their goal and entered into a quick, merciless battle with the Nazis. Another raid, another enemy base destroyed, another enemy tactical plan collapsed.
Leonov and his scouts penetrated the fiords of Norway fortified by the Nazis. They were the first to visit the land of Petsamo and Kirkenes to prepare for the landing of Soviet troops. Step by step they cleared the North from invaders. Luck accompanied the detachment.
Luck? No! Incomparable military skill, the art of taking advantage of a sudden blow, determination, moral superiority over the enemy, physical hardening, which helped to overcome incredible difficulties - these were the elements that made up the wonderful alloy of victory.
When obstacles that seemed insurmountable at first glance arose, Leonov repeated Suvorov’s words about a Russian soldier who would go where not even a deer could go. And the scouts, following their commander, crossed places that even animals avoided. The military valor of our ancestors, who glorified our weapons in battles against foreign invaders, in the victorious battles of the civil war, lived in the blood of Soviet soldiers and led them forward to victory.
The example of the communists, loyalty to the oath, and fiery love for the Motherland welded the detachment into a single family. The commander believed in his people, just as they believed in him, firmly knowing that the lieutenant commander would find a way out of any difficult situation, would always outwit the enemy and bring the matter to victory. That is why success accompanied the naval reconnaissance squad of Viktor Leonov.
A tradition that was not written down anywhere arose and strengthened by itself: no one was sent to Leonov’s detachment without the consent of the commander. Just as demanding and demanding as he was of himself, Leonov carefully studied the person before accepting him into the family of intelligence officers.
Little of. He sought to make a person able to take risks, instantly navigate, be self-possessed, calmly assess the situation, and act decisively at the right moment. Finally, the difficult profession of a front-line intelligence officer requires excellent physical training, the ability to endure hardships and engage in single combat with the enemy. If these conditions are met, it means that you will receive a greater guarantee that a person, if he gets into severe troubles, will remain alive.
And Viktor Nikolaevich made it a rule, made it an immutable law of the detachment, to learn everyone and everything that could be useful in a battle with the enemy. During short breaks between raids, scouts could be seen doing something unusual for the front-line situation. They competed in running and jumping, in lifting weights, fiercely, until they sweated, they fought with each other, practicing sambo techniques, and performed cross-country skiing. At times it seemed that there was no war nearby, but some kind of Spartakiad of a completely peaceful time was going on. The fighters even engaged in mountaineering, climbed steep rocks, and crossed precipices. And how all this later, in a combat situation, contributed to success - the unit was always ready to carry out any command assignment.
And the detachment commander also taught people to think, not just to follow orders, but to bring creative initiative to their actions. During classes, he gave his subordinates such unexpected introductions that required both imagination and hard work of thought. That is why the tasks assigned to the detachment were solved intelligently, exactly in accordance with the idea of the general plan. “Do every task well!” - Lieutenant Commander Leonov remained faithful to this covenant of his youth.
Under the blows of Soviet troops, the entire fascist defense in the Arctic inevitably collapsed. Enraged by the failure of their plans, the Nazis finally lost their belts. In Northern Norway, they blew up bridges, set fire to villages, robbed and drove away civilians. A detachment of naval reconnaissance officers was ordered to land on the coast of the Varangerfjord, cut off the enemy’s main communications, and protect the Norwegians from the rapists.
The population of the Varanger Peninsula greeted their saviors with tears of joy and emotional words of gratitude. Ahead of them, as if on wings, the message was carried from mouth to mouth: “The Russians have come!” As soon as they heard it, the fascist rangers took flight, just to get away from these “black devils,” as they called our scouts.
Abandoning the loot and their food warehouses, the invaders fled from the fishing village of Kiberg. By order of Leonov, the warehouses were opened to the hungry population, and the old fisherman, the most respected man in Kiberga, addressed the crowd with the words:
Watch and listen! The Nazis robbed us. The Russians are returning our property to us. They only ask that everything be fair. So that every family receives its due share.
Long-lasting cries of approval were the response to this brief and expressive speech.
Where the scouts passed, life was resurrected, people returned from secret shelters in the mountains. The detachment moved forward. On the eve of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Great October Revolution, a message was received on the radio that Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov had been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his military exploits.
When his friends and comrades congratulated him, he always said: “The war is not over yet. And we still need to work hard to justify the “Golden Star,” and this means doing everything to speed up the complete defeat of fascism.”
And he “worked” brilliantly until that bright hour when people, like madmen, joyfully threw themselves into each other’s arms and the word “peace” was pronounced in all the languages of Europe with love and hope.
Victory Day has arrived. Hitler's Germany unconditionally surrendered. The peoples of the earth rejoiced and glorified the army of the Soviet people, which had fulfilled its great liberation mission with honor. But the flames of war still continued to burn in the Far East. In the interests of the security of its Far Eastern borders, the socialist power sent its armed forces to defeat militaristic Japan.
And again in battle, a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov. He participates in the liberation of Korea from Japanese invaders.
In the Korean port of Seishin, a very difficult situation was created in the battle for the bridge. The Japanese had a large numerical superiority and tried their best to hold the bridge - the only communication that provided them with the possibility of withdrawal. They fought desperately. At the decisive moment of the battle, the experience acquired in the North again helped out the scouts. He suggested that in hand-to-hand combat it is not possible for both opponents to fight with the same tenacity. If one side has the willpower and determination to fight to the end, it will definitely win. It cannot be otherwise. And so, under fierce enemy fire, our scouts, led by the commander, got up and went forward. Outwardly calm, they inexorably approached, and when there were twenty meters left before the enemy, the Japanese began to rush about: their nerves could not withstand the bayonet strike. The battle was won! New brilliant pages were written in the chronicle of the military glory of naval reconnaissance officers. Along the entire front, the name of the detachment commander, Lieutenant Commander Leonov, who was awarded the second “Gold Star,” was passed from mouth to mouth.
In the town of Zaraysk near Moscow, on Uritsky Square, there is a beautiful park. On a July day in 1950, a crowded meeting gathered here, among the dense greenery of young lindens and acacias. A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov rises on a pedestal. And on the podium, unable to hide his excitement, stood a modest, simple Soviet man. In the flurry of applause, he heard the splash of a distant wave, the faces of his fighting friends appeared before his blurred gaze. And it seemed: the gentle hand of the Motherland lay on the shoulder, raising and exalting its faithful son for his feat of arms, for his devoted service to the people.
In one of the museums in Murmansk, the exhibition begins with a stand on which are the names of the most famous people of the Kola Peninsula. There is the name of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain 1st Rank Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov.
Fighting in the Far North
After being called up for military service in the Northern Fleet and undergoing “training” in a submarine detachment, Red Navy man Viktor Leonov was sent to a submarine. In the fall of 1941, after serving, he was supposed to go into civilian life, but the war made adjustments. A few months later, Victor already commanded a squad in a naval reconnaissance detachment, where he asked for it. And in May 1944, when he was awarded the first officer rank, he became a detachment commander. By that time, the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet already had a whole baggage of glorious deeds.
Naval reconnaissance officers carried out only special missions: they obtained secret documents behind enemy lines, brought back “tongues” from behind the front line, cleared bridgeheads for landings... The effectiveness of combat work was fantastic: it never happened that the sailors returned to base with nothing. Leonov, on the personal instructions of the commander of the Northern Fleet, was nominated for the Hero’s Star back in 1943, but the leadership “at the top” turned out to know better. The scout then received the Order of the Red Banner of Battle.
The soldiers respectfully called him Batya, even though he was not yet twenty-seven. A little later, Leonov became “Beard” for everyone in the Northern Fleet when he grew a beard, which he did not part with until the last days of his life. Legends were made about the exploits of the scout in the Arctic.
This is probably why many reference books still erroneously indicate his military rank, and for which he was awarded his first Hero Star.
“This is not for the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation, which lasted almost a month,” Viktor Nikolaevich told me at our meeting, “this is for the capture of Cape Krestovy in the area of the port of Liinakhamari, for which we spent several hours. The Nazis turned the cape into a powerful defensive area from the land side, and never imagined that we could attack them from the sea. I made exactly this decision. It’s just a pity that many of our guys were killed during that assault - they ran into booby traps, but we completed the task.”
Love
The scout commander was dashing not only on the battlefield. Somehow, between battles, Leonov escaped to a theater in the city of Polyarny and... fell in love. At first sight. He then told his friend: “She will be my wife.” When after the performance it turned out that the beauty was the wife of a military pilot and had two little sons, Victor seemed to snap: “I’ll marry her anyway.”
And he got married. Six months later they were together. True, they were unable to adopt the boys (their father did not allow it), but the Leonovs lived happily and for a long time for almost forty years, giving birth to and raising two more children - a son and a daughter...
One against a thousand
The legendary “Beard” ended up in the Far East by order of the command, when the war in the West was already coming to an end. The Pacific Fleet had its own naval reconnaissance detachment, but its fighters had no combat experience. People's Commissar of the USSR Navy, Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov, personally instructed Senior Lieutenant Leonov to lead this detachment.
Just two combat operations in the war with the Japanese were enough for naval reconnaissance officers to immediately receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for several people from Leonov’s detachment, and “Beard” himself became a Hero for the second time.
The most striking episode happened in North Korea: 110 reconnaissance officers and 40 marines reinforced by them blew up a bridge across the river and blocked a group of troops located in the port of the city of Seishin. 16,000 enemy soldiers were held by Leonov’s detachment for two days, until our main forces arrived.
The Japanese, as it turned out later, thought that they were opposed by an equal group of troops.
Character
The war for Lieutenant Commander Leonov ended in September 1945. He was about to go into civilian life, but the Deputy People's Commissar of the Navy, Admiral Ivan Isakov, invited him to graduate from the Higher Naval School in Baku. After the war, special classes were created there for officers without higher education. It was at the school that Captain 3rd Rank Leonov had to give up his beard for some time.
The cadets and officers who studied in Baku were so eager to be like the legendary intelligence officer that they began to grow beards, and the head of the political department literally begged the gallant hero to shave...
After graduating from college, Leonov served for some time in the intelligence department of the General Staff of the Navy. Then he was sent to study at the Naval Academy in Leningrad, but before graduation (he only had to write his thesis) with the rank of captain 2nd rank, Viktor Nikolaevich unexpectedly retired to the reserve. Why? There is no explanation for this in any encyclopedia, but he told me that after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, a real sailor, Hero of the Soviet Union, was removed from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, he did not want to serve under his successor...
Such is the character.
Stars of Viktor Leonov
We met with Viktor Nikolaevich on the eve of Victory Day in 2002 in his Moscow apartment. He was then already 86 years old, and he practically never left the house. His daughter, who lived in a neighboring apartment, helped solve all everyday issues. I was then an active officer in the press service of the Ministry of Defense and volunteered to go to Hero with a specific mission. Not his own - he was “too small” for this both in rank and position, but he understood perfectly well: if no one had yet come to the veteran, then they would never come again.
The fact is that about six months earlier, on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the legendary intelligence officer, the then Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov, by his order, awarded Viktor Leonov another military rank - caperang. Along with an extract from the order, the officer is given shoulder straps and only after that is it customary to put them on.
Naturally, Viktor Nikolaevich knew about all these traditions and that the title had been awarded to him, so he did not brush it off. He silently listened to my solemn words, which are usually said in such cases, and shook my outstretched hand.
Thank you!
How about washing the stars? - I took out the bottle of vodka I brought with me.
This is without me, I already drank mine.
But “for life” then we still talked to him...
About five years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Murmansk museum, and my gaze involuntarily caught my eye on the metal letters with which the name of Viktor Leonov was embossed. His military rank on the stand was indicated one step lower. I asked the director of the museum to correct the mistake by telling the story of my meeting with the veteran.
The director took my word for it. The stand now says: Captain 1st Rank Viktor Leonov.
Today he would have turned 102 years old. He passed away in 2003.
Back in exploration
On January 3, 2018, CNN broadcast breaking news: the Russian Northern Fleet reconnaissance ship SSV-175 “Viktor Leonov” was discovered in international waters 160 km southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina.
“This Russian ship can carry out radio interception of communication channels, relay closed communication channels, conduct telemetric and radio reconnaissance,” the announcers of CNN news programs read out “terrible” information about the Russian reconnaissance ship all day long. “To monitor the actions of the Viktor Leonov, the US Navy command sent the destroyer USS Cole.”
How can you track him, such a dashing...
The name of the legendary naval intelligence officer, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov (1916 - 2003) is well known among intelligence service professionals. In the West, Leonov is called “the luminary of the Soviet naval commandos” and is compared only with saboteur number one Otto Skorzeny.
Apparently, this is the fate of a scout - the better he masters his skills, the less is known about him. At the same time, perhaps, none of the eminent military leaders carried out such daring military operations as this man, who returned from the war with the modest rank of lieutenant commander, but with two gold stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union on his chest.
In the harsh conditions of the Arctic, Leonov’s detachment not only provided reconnaissance and sabotage activities behind Nazi lines, but also protected the main transport artery of the Second World War. At the same time, in battles and campaigns under his command, the detachment lost only a few people! This is a unique experience of preserving people during combat operations, people of incredible combat skills, invincible in hand-to-hand combat.
Born on November 21, 1916 in the city of Zaraysk, Ryazan province, into a working-class family. Russian. From 1931 to 1933, he studied at the factory school at the Moscow Kalibr plant, after which he worked as a mechanic, combining work with social activities: member of the Komsomol factory committee, chairman of the workshop committee of inventors, leader of the youth brigade.
In the ranks of the Navy since 1937. He was drafted into the Northern Fleet, where he completed a training course in the underwater diving training squad named after S. M. Kirov in the city of Polyarny, Murmansk region, and was sent for further service to the submarine Shch-402.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, senior Red Navy man V.N. Leonov submitted a report on his enrollment in the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet, in which, from July 18, 1941, he carried out about 50 combat operations behind enemy lines. Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1942. From December 1942, after being awarded the officer rank, he was deputy detachment commander for political affairs, and a year later, in December 1943, commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. In April 1944 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
In October 1944, during the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation of the Soviet troops, reconnaissance officers under the command of V.N. Leonov landed on the enemy-occupied coast and spent two days making their way to the designated point in off-road conditions. On the morning of October 12, they suddenly attacked an enemy 88-mm battery at Cape Krestovy, captured it, and captured a large number of Nazis. When a boat with Nazi troops appeared, together with the detachment of Captain I.P. Barchenko-Emelyanov, they repelled enemy attacks, capturing about 60 Nazis. This battle ensured the success of the landing in Linahamari and the capture of the port and city.
Thus, Leonov’s detachment, through its actions, created favorable conditions for the landing of Soviet troops in the ice-free port of Linahamari and the subsequent liberation of Petsamo (Pechenga) and Kirkenes. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 5, 1944, Lieutenant V. N. Leonov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 5058) with the wording: “for exemplary performance of combat missions of command behind enemy lines and demonstrated at the same time courage and heroism.”
After the defeat of Nazi Germany was completed, for the front-line reconnaissance Leonov, the war continued in the Far East, where a separate reconnaissance detachment of the Pacific Fleet under his command was the first to land in the ports of Racine, Seishin and Genzan. One of the most “high-profile” cases of V.N. Leonov’s detachment was the capture of about three and a half thousand Japanese soldiers and officers in the Korean port of Wonsan. And in the port of Genzan, Leonov scouts disarmed and captured about two thousand soldiers and two hundred officers, capturing 3 artillery batteries, 5 aircraft, and several ammunition depots.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 14, 1945, Senior Lieutenant V.N. Leonov was awarded the second Gold Star medal.
After the war, V. N. Leonov continued his military service in the Northern Fleet and in the Central Office of the Navy. In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School. In 1952 he was awarded the military rank of captain 2nd rank. He studied at the Naval Academy, completing two courses. Since July 1956 - in reserve.
Leonov dedicated most of his life to special forces. He dreamed that every Russian fleet would have detachments like the 181st. That is why, after the war, Viktor Nikolaevich actively participated in the creation of Soviet special forces.
He was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, the Red Star, medals, and the Order of the DPRK. Awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Polyarny”.
V. N. Leonov died in Moscow on October 7, 2003 (on the day of the 59th anniversary of the start of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation). He was buried at the Leonovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov - participant in the Great Patriotic War, commander of the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet and the 140th special purpose detachment of the Pacific Fleet. Viktor Leonov is a true legend of Soviet naval intelligence. For his exploits during the war, he was twice nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Viktor Leonov was born on November 21, 1916 in the small town of Zaraysk, Ryazan province, into a simple working-class family, Russian by nationality. After graduating from the seven-year school, Leonov from 1931 to 1933. studied at the factory apprenticeship school at the Moscow Kalibr plant. After completing his studies, he worked as a metalworker, combining work at a factory with social activities. In particular, he was the chairman of the workshop committee of inventors, a member of the Komsomol factory committee and the leader of the youth brigade.
In 1937, Viktor Leonov was called up for military service. Viktor Nikolaevich ended up in the navy. In the Northern Fleet, he completed a training course in the underwater diving training detachment named after S. M. Kirov, the detachment was based in the city of Polyarny in the Murmansk region. For further military service, he was sent to the submarine Shch-402. This boat belongs to a large family of well-known Soviet submarines of the Shch (Pike) project.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, senior Red Navy man Viktor Leonov turns to the command with a report on his enrollment in the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. Two weeks later his wish was fulfilled. He joined the Marine Corps along with his friend Alexander Senchuk. Unfortunately, his friend died in the first battle with German rangers, which was a shock for the newly minted marine Leonov, but did not convince him of the correctness of his choice.
Subsequently, as part of a reconnaissance detachment, starting from July 18, 1941, Leonov conducted more than 50 combat operations behind enemy lines. From December 1942, after he was awarded the officer rank, he was deputy detachment commander for political affairs, and a year later, in December 1943, he became commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. In April 1944 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In September 1945, Viktor Leonov defeated the Japanese already with the rank of senior lieutenant.
In the summer of 1941, his glorious military journey was just beginning; there were many difficult battles and awards ahead. Just a few days after the first battle, Viktor Leonov heads straight to the enemy’s rear, the scouts go to the western bank of the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa River (the valley of this river was called the “valley of death” during the war because of the bloody and fierce battles taking place here). Senior sailor Leonov fought bravely with the enemy and already in the summer of 1941 he was awarded one of the most honorable “soldier’s” medals “For Courage”. In the battle at Cape Pikshuev he was seriously wounded by a mine fragment. After treatment in the hospital, having received a certificate stating that he was no longer fit for military service, he nevertheless returned to his reconnaissance detachment. Viktor Leonov did not want to sit in the rear while his friends were fighting the Nazi invaders. Again, very difficult forays behind enemy lines in winter conditions awaited him. In the snow, in the terrible cold, in camouflage suits, Soviet scouts made their way behind enemy lines with no room for error; any mistake could lead to the death of not only one scout, but the entire detachment.
At the beginning of May 1942, Viktor Leonov, already with the rank of foreman of the 2nd article, commanded a control group consisting of 10 reconnaissance officers. It was at this time that he took part in an operation that was later described in his 1957 book entitled “Facing the Enemy,” in the book the intelligence officer called the operation the “May Raid.” As part of this operation, with incredible efforts, a detachment of marines managed to break through to a given height of 415 in the area of \u200b\u200bCape Pikshuev. A detachment of marines pinned down large enemy forces and for 7 days helped the main landing forces carry out their operation behind enemy lines. Seven days behind enemy lines, in continuous battles, it would seem that nothing could be more difficult. Many scouts were wounded and suffered frostbite (May in the Arctic turned out to be quite harsh), including Sergeant Major Leonov. However, the most difficult battles and trials lay ahead of him.
One of these battles actually happened quite soon. This was an operation at Cape Mogilny, where the scouts had to destroy the German radar base, which detected our ships and aircraft. The operation was led by Senior Lieutenant Frolov, Leonov’s new commander. Inexperience, inability to predict enemy actions, or, more simply, the negligence of the newly appointed commander, led to the fact that surprise was lost; the soldiers had to go on the attack under heavy German fire, practically advancing head-on into enemy guns. Having captured the enemy stronghold, the scouts saw that reinforcements had arrived to the Germans, after which the detachment was surrounded by a dense ring of rangers. At the cost of their lives, the Marines broke the blockade, but at some point it became clear that 15 people were cut off from the main forces on a small spot - on all sides either the sea or German soldiers, the widest part of the cape on which the scouts were surrounded, did not exceed 100 meters. This rocky area was shelled by German mortars; even stone boulders burst from mine explosions.
At the cost of incredible efforts, the scouts managed to get out of the trap, wait for the sea hunters and evacuate. True, only 8 out of 15 people came out alive, while many survivors were wounded. Zinoviy Ryzhechkin, who until the last covered his comrades with machine gun fire, and Yuri Mikheev, who destroyed an entire group of German rangers with a bunch of grenades, died heroically. For this feat, Viktor Leonov and his comrades (Agafonov, Babikov, Baryshev, Barinov, Kashtanov, Kurnosenko), some of them posthumously (Abramov, Kashutin, Mikheev, Ryzhechkin, Florinsky) were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In addition, in the recent past, an ordinary sailor, Viktor Leonov, was awarded the rank of officer and became a junior lieutenant.
With the awarding of the officer rank, a new stage began in his life, and raids behind enemy lines continued. After one of them (the scouts needed to deliver a “tongue”) near the Varanger Peninsula, the detachment commander was dismissed, as the operation was considered unsuccessful. Leonov is appointed as the new commander and given three days to prepare. It was a kind of test, and the newly minted junior lieutenant coped with it perfectly. The soldiers under the command of Leonov captured a lighthouse employee on the very first day of the operation, learning a lot of useful information from him. The next day, in just two hours, they not only made their way through the mountains behind enemy lines, but also captured two rangers without firing a shot. The composure and amazing calculation demonstrated in this case could only be characteristic of true professionals in their field.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov received the first star of the Hero of the Soviet Union at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War. He was awarded for an operation at Cape Krestovy that was unique in its complexity. Even he himself noted after the war that the landing on Cape Krestovy was several times more complex than all previous raids by naval reconnaissance officers.
In October 1944, when Soviet troops carried out the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation, reconnaissance officers of the 181st separate detachment under the command of Viktor Leonov landed on the German-occupied shore and spent two days making their way to their destination in off-road conditions. On the morning of October 12, they unexpectedly attacked the 88-mm battery located on Cape Krestovy, captured a fortified position and captured a large number of German soldiers. When a boat with Nazi troops came to the rescue, the scouts, together with the detachment of Captain I.P. Barechenko-Emelyanov, repelled the enemy attack, capturing about 60 more enemy soldiers. This battle ensured the success of the landing in Linahamari and the capture of the city and port.
Thanks to their actions, Viktor Leonov’s detachment created favorable conditions for the landing of Soviet troops in the ice-free port of Linahamari and the subsequent liberation of Petsamo (Pechenga) and Kirkenes from the Nazis. On November 5, 1944, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Leonov was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 5058) with the wording: “for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command behind enemy lines and the courage and heroism."
The operation of Leonov’s detachment was indeed carried out brilliantly: the Nazis, possessing many times more forces and surrounded by impenetrable rocks, being in their rear, were defeated. For about two days, the scouts reached their target through completely impassable places, which allowed them to suddenly attack the enemy. Their bold and effective actions opened the way for Soviet paratroopers. Each fighter from Leonov’s detachment committed an act that was beyond human strength, bringing victory in the war closer. 20 scouts remained forever at Cape Krestovy. After the war, a monument to the fallen Soviet sailors was erected here; the names of all the intelligence officers buried here were indicated on the pedestal.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War and the defeat of Germany, the war did not end for Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov; he was sent to the Far East. Here the brave polar explorer led a separate reconnaissance detachment of the Pacific Fleet. Under his direct command, the detachment's fighters were the first to land in the ports of Racine, Seishin and Genzan. These operations were covered in the glory of Soviet weapons. In the port of Genzan, Leonov's scouts disarmed and captured about two thousand enemy soldiers and officers, capturing several ammunition depots, 3 artillery batteries and 5 aircraft. An even more “high-profile” case of Leonov’s detachment was the capture of 3.5 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers in the Korean port of Wonsan. They surrendered to a detachment of 140 Soviet sailors. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union dated September 14, 1945, senior lieutenant Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was again awarded the Gold Star medal, becoming twice a Hero of the Soviet Union.
After the end of hostilities, Viktor Leonov continued his military service in the Northern Fleet and in the Central Office of the USSR Navy. In 1950, he successfully graduated from the Higher Naval School. In 1952 he was awarded the rank of captain 2nd rank. He studied at the Naval Academy, managed to complete two courses, and since June 1956 he was in the reserve (his last rank was captain 1st rank). Having retired as a result of the reduction of the armed forces as part of the Khrushchev reform, Leonov was actively involved in educational activities through the Knowledge Society. In those years, he did a lot to pass on his rich life and combat experience to the younger generation. Viktor Nikolaevich traveled a lot around the country, met with students and schoolchildren, gave lectures and wrote books. Like no one else, he knew the cost of losing comrades in battle, he understood how cowardice and confusion could result in battle. That is why he considered it his duty to teach the younger generation perseverance, endurance, and courage. He spoke without embellishment about the past war and how to fight.
In addition to two Gold Star medals, he was a holder of the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Red Banner, the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, as well as numerous medals, including the Order of the DPRK. He was an Honorary Citizen of the city of Polyarny.
The legendary Soviet naval intelligence officer died in the Russian capital on October 7, 2003 at the age of 86. Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was buried at the Leonovskoye cemetery in Moscow. The memory of the twice Hero of the Soviet Union was immortalized during his lifetime. So in the hero’s hometown of Zaraysk in 1950, his memorial bust was erected, and in 1998 a children’s and youth sports school in the city of Polyarny was named after Leonov. In 2004, after the death of the hero, the Project 864 medium reconnaissance ship SSV-175 from the Russian Northern Fleet was named after him.
Based on materials from open sources