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Alexander Pokryshkin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin
Soviet aviator (1913-1985)
Key facts
- Native name
- Александр Иванович Покрышкин
- Born
- 6 March [ O.S. 21 February ] 1913, Novonikolayevsk , Tomsk Governorate , Russian Empire
- Died
- 13 November 1985 (1985-11-13) (aged 72), Moscow , Russian SFSR , Soviet Union
- Buried
- Novodevichy Cemetery
- Allegiance
- Soviet Union
- Branch
- Soviet Air Force
- Service years
- 1932–1981
- Rank
- Marshal of Aviation
- Unit
- 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
- Conflicts
- World War II
- Awards
- Hero of the Soviet Union (thrice), US Army Distinguished Service Medal
- Spouse
- Mariya Kuzminichna
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Aleksandr
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Soviet Union
- Place of birth
- Novosibirsk
- Place of death
- Moscow
- Occupation
- politician
- Political party
- Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Languages spoken
- Russian
- Participant in
- 21st Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Conflict
- Eastern Front
- Military branch
- Soviet Air Defence Forces
- Military rank
- marshal of the branch
- Image
- Alexander Pokryshkin 1.jpg
Show 9 more facts
- place of burial
- Novodevichy Cemetery
- Commons category
- Alexander Pokryshkin
- date of birth
- 1913-02-21
- date of death
- 1985-11-13
- allegiance
- Soviet Union
- start of work period
- 1932-00-00
- ethnic group
- Russians
- name in native language
- Александр Покрышкин
via Wikidata · CC0
~29 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin (Russian: Александр Иванович Покрышкин; 6 March [O.S. 21 February] 1913 – 13 November 1985) was a Soviet fighter pilot in World War II, and later a marshal of aviation. He was one of the highest-scoring Soviet aces, and the highest-scoring pilot ever to fly an American aircraft, having achieved the great majority of his kills in the Lend-Lease Bell P-39 Airacobra. During the war Pokryshkin earned the title Hero of the Soviet Union three times: 24 May 1943, 24 August 1943, and 19 August 1944. After the war, he served in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, reaching the rank of Marshal of Aviation; he retired in 1981.
During the war, he strongly promoted training in and use of improved aerial combat techniques, such as vertical maneuvers that newer fighter aircraft were capable of carrying out, and he spent much of his time studying aerobatics for combat situations.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Alexander Pokryshkin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.