Leonov is a scout twice a hero of the Soviet Union. Soviet naval commando viktor nikolaevich leonov
In one of the museums in Murmansk, the exhibition begins with a stand with the names of the most famous people on the Kola Peninsula. There is the name and twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain 1st Rank Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov.
Fights in the Far North
After being called up for military service in the Northern Fleet and undergoing "training" in the submarine detachment, the Red Navy sailor Viktor Leonov was sent to the submarine. In the fall of 1941, after serving, he was supposed to go to "civilian life", but the war made adjustments. A few months later, Victor was already in command of a squad in the naval reconnaissance detachment, where he asked himself. 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 scouts carried out only special assignments: they obtained secret documents behind enemy lines, brought in "tongues" from behind the front line, cleared bridgeheads for the landing ... The effectiveness of combat work was fantastic: it never happened that the sailors returned to the base empty-handed. Leonov, on the personal instructions of the commander of the Northern Fleet, was presented to the Hero's Star back in 1943, but the leadership "above" turned out to know better. The scout then received the Order of the Battle Red Banner.
The soldiers respectfully called him Batey, even though he was not yet twenty-seven. A little later, Leonov became the "Beard" for everyone in the Northern Fleet, when he let go of the 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.
Perhaps that is 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 near the port of Liinakhamari, for which we spent several hours. The Nazis turned the cape into a powerful defensive area on the land side, and they never imagined that we could go to 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 broke into a theater in the city of Polyarny and ... fell in love. At first sight. He then said to his friend: "Will be my wife." When, after the performance, it turned out that the beauty was the wife of a military pilot and she had two little sons, Victor seemed to cut off: "I will marry her anyway."
And he got married. Six months later, they were together. The boys, however, could not be adopted (their own father did not allow), but the Leonovs lived happily for a long time for almost forty years, giving birth and raising two more children - a son and a daughter ...
One against a thousand
In the Far East, the legendary "Beard" was ordered by 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. The People's Commissar of the USSR Navy, Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov, personally instructed Senior Lieutenant Leonov to lead this detachment.
Only two military operations in the war with the Japanese were enough for the naval reconnaissance officers to immediately receive several people from Leonov's detachment to receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and "Beard" himself became a Hero for the second time.
The most striking episode happened in North Korea: 110 scouts and 40 marines assigned to them as reinforcements blew up a bridge over the river and blocked a group of troops stationed in the port of Seishin. 16,000 enemy soldiers were held by Leonov's detachment for two days, until our main forces approached.
The Japanese, as it turned out later, thought that they were opposed by an equal number of troops.
Character
The war for Lieutenant-Commander Leonov ended in September 1945. He was getting ready to go to "civilian life", but the Deputy People's Commissar of the Navy, Admiral Ivan Isakov suggested that he graduate from the Higher Naval School in Baku. There, after the war, special classes were created for officers with no higher education. It was at the school that Captain 3rd Rank Leonov had to part with 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 all began to let go of their beards, and the head of the political department literally begged the brave 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 the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov - a real sailor, Hero of the Soviet Union - he did not want to serve under the command of his successor ...
Such is the character.
Viktor Leonov's stars
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 did not leave the house. All domestic issues were helped by his daughter, who lived in a neighboring apartment. I was then an acting officer of the press service of the Ministry of Defense and volunteered to go to the Hero with a specific mission. Not his own - he was "too small" for this both in rank and in position, but he understood perfectly well: if no one has come to the veteran so far, then he will 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 Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, by his order, conferred on Viktor Leonov another military rank - caperanga. Together with the extract from the order, the officer is handed shoulder straps and only after that it is 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 on such occasions, and shook the outstretched hand.
Thank!
And wash the stars? - I took out the bottle of vodka I brought with me.
This is without me, I have already drunk mine.
But "for life" then we still talked with him ...
About five years ago I had a chance to visit the Murmansk museum, and I involuntarily caught my eye on the metal letters with which the surname of Viktor Leonov was engraved. His military rank on the stand was indicated one step below. I asked the museum director 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. He passed away in 2003.
Exploration again
On January 3, 2018, CNN broadcast an urgent news: a reconnaissance ship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy SSV-175 "Viktor Leonov" was discovered in international waters 160 km southeast of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina.
“This Russian ship can carry out radio interception of communication channels, relay closed communication channels, conduct telemetric and radio-technical reconnaissance,” the announcers of CNN news programs read out “terrible” information about the Russian reconnaissance ship all day. "The US Navy dispatched the destroyer USS Cole to track Viktor Leonov's actions."
How can you track him, so dashing ...
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Commander of the reconnaissance and sabotage detachment of the Northern Fleet; Commander of the reconnaissance and sabotage detachment of the Pacific Fleet
Our detachment, operating behind enemy lines, was always inferior to him in numbers, in technical equipment, - says Leonov, - but we always won in hand-to-hand combat. Neither the Germans nor the Japanese have ever acted as decisively as we do ... The psychological law is this - in a fight between two opponents, one will surely surrender.
One of the most notorious cases of Leonov's detachment is the capture of 3,500 Japanese soldiers and officers in the Korean port of Wonsan.
There were 140 of us. We suddenly landed for the enemy at a Japanese airfield and entered into negotiations. After that, we, ten representatives, were taken to the headquarters of the colonel, the commander of the aviation unit, who wanted to make us hostages. I joined the conversation when I felt that the representative of the command of the captain of the 3rd rank Kulebyakin, who was with us, was, as they say, pinned to the wall. Looking into the eyes of the Japanese, I said that we had fought the entire war in the west and had enough experience to assess the situation, that we would not be hostages, but rather we would die, but that we would die along with everyone at the headquarters. The difference is, I added, that you will die like rats and we will try to get out of here. Hero of the Soviet Union Mitya Sokolov immediately stood behind the back of the Japanese colonel, the rest also knew their business. Pshenichnykh locked the door with a key, put the key in his pocket and sat down on a chair, and Volodya Olyashev (after the war - Honored Master of Sports) lifted Andrei along with the chair and put him right in front of the Japanese commander. Ivan Guzenkov went to the window and reported that we were not high, and Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Agafonov, standing at the door, began tossing an anti-tank grenade in his hand. The Japanese, however, did not know that there was no fuse in it. The colonel, forgetting about the scarf, began to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his hand and after a while signed the act of surrender of the entire garrison.
They built three and a half thousand prisoners in a column of eight people each. They performed all my commands already at a run. We had no one to escort such a convoy, so I put the commander and chief of staff with me in the car. If at least one, I say, runs away, blame yourself ... While they were leading the team, there were already up to five thousand Japanese in it.
After the very first battles in the summer of 1941, senior sailor Viktor Leonov was awarded the medal "For Courage" and was seriously wounded by a mine fragment. After the very first battle, when his friend, with whom they joined the detachment, died, Leonov began to think - how to fight?
In the fall of 1942, the campaign to Cape Mogilny, from where the German garrison tracked our ships and aircraft, was extremely unsuccessful. The commander of the infantry unit accompanying the detachment was later put on trial by a military tribunal for criminal negligence and slowness, and shot. Detachment commander and political officer. A small group of scouts to Mogilny was led by Leonov, a foreman of the 2nd class. The attack was successful, the stronghold was destroyed, but only 15 sailors turned out to be on a small patch (the widest part of the cape did not exceed 100 meters). The German huntsmen surrounded them with a double ring, blocked the escape route with two machine guns, and stone boulders burst from the mortar shelling.
The Germans were in a hurry, as the sailor who heard their commands and knew German understood, to finish the job before dark. The scouts were running out of ammunition. One of them, shouting: "That's it, the song is sung! We can't get out of here!", - blew himself up with a grenade. Another wanted to do the same ... "Coward! Shoot! Throw a grenade!" - ordered Leonov.
We were pinned to the ground by those two machine guns firing continuously. It was necessary to decide something. I jumped up and hit the stone with the last bullets, behind which the machine gunners were lying. It was important for me that they hide, stop firing. And one of our best fighters, Semyon Agafonov, on my order, rushed to this stone 20 meters away from us. He managed to jump onto a stone, and from there - down onto the Germans. When I, wounded in the leg, limped there, one machine gunner was already dead, with two others Semyon, clutching, rolled on the ground. I hit one, then another on the head with a rifle butt, we grabbed these machine guns and escaped from there.
Agafonov was considered fearless. When asked about this case, he said with a laugh that when he saw from the stone that the Germans' hands were trembling, he realized that such hands would not hit him. But he confessed to his friends that at the moment after the order he thought - well, Semyon, that was the end of your combat career ... Everyone felt fear, but you had to act as expected.
Then Yuri Mikheev, with the last bunch of grenades, with an amazingly accurate, long-range throw, blew up a German dugout with a throw of 20 meters. The grenades were still flying, and he had already died, hit by the burst. But we broke through the second ring and went along the gorge to the shore. The falling snow hid our tracks. Agafonov was the last to go, he had three cartridges in his pistol, I had a few more ... We climbed into the coastal bush, several times a chain of gamekeepers passed close to us, and we sat hiding, squeezing the handles of knives. They waited a long time for their own, finally two sea hunters came, saw our signals the second time and took us from Mogilny.
Leonov was awarded the rank of junior lieutenant, he became a political officer, and in May 1943 and a detachment commander. He received the first Gold Star of the Hero for the largest operation of the detachment in November 1944. Before the start of the general offensive in the North, an order was received to defeat the strategically important powerful stronghold of the Germans at Cape Krestovy.
Then we did not manage to catch the enemy by surprise. At the last moment, 30-40 meters from the pillboxes, an alarm was hit, the Germans found us and opened fire from guns and machine guns. Everything is illuminated, in front of us is a powerful barbed wire fence. I gave the order: to act as best they can, in accordance with the situation, in groups, but in a minute everyone will be on the battery.
Ivan Lysenko, a resident of the Urals, a wrestling champion, the most physically strong in the squadron, saved us from heavy losses. He tore from the ground the cross-rail on which the coils of barbed wire were fastened and lifted it onto his shoulders. We went into the formed passage. When Lysenko could no longer stand alone - more than twenty bullets hit him - our doctor Aleksey Lupov helped him (don't look for cynical irony - he helped hold the crosspiece - V. Potapov). Both of them died, but we broke into the covering battery, and, having captured the guns, opened fire from them, fortunately, we knew the captured weapons quite well.
The enemy sensed our strength. I remember that they brought a captured officer at the very beginning of the war. I've already changed. Then our head of the information department jumped out of the room where they were interrogated and said: "Here, you bastard, he doesn't say anything! He only laughs." I told him: "Now he will speak ..." I went and put on again what the officer was wearing into my hands. I entered that room, he sits cross-legged and smokes a cigarette. I tell the translator: tell this scoundrel that these admirals (I point to the staff officers, and there was also one admiral) will leave soon, even if they don't know anything, but he will stay with me. He turned and left. And the German began to tell ... I spoke to the Germans in Russian, and they understood me better than others in German.
Admiral Golovko gave the order - "The right to select scouts rests with the detachment commander." So they could not appoint anyone to us. I had a connection with the personnel department, they sent me those who seemed to fit. I talked to the person and watched how he reacted to my questions. The most important thing for me was his eyes and hands. The position of the hands determines the psychological state of a person, his character. I needed my hands not to grab onto anything, so that they were ready for action, but remained calm ...
And my first order, when I became a commander, was this - not to let the authorized Special Department into the detachment. Otherwise, we come back from the campaign, and he is right there, occupies an office and begins to call in turn, to interrogate who behaved how ... If you want to check - go with us on the assignment, you can see everyone there as in the palm of your hand. Then the second order. I already knew almost all the informers in the detachment, because I myself was recruited and I refused this case. I collected them and said: "Write whatever you like, invent any disease, but so that in a day you will not be in the squadron." And he kicked them all out. After that, a member of the Military Council told me: "They will jail you soon." I say: "What are you for?" He: "They can bypass me too." And I knew - in this way they planted Lunin, who later became a famous submariner. I say: “I don’t need you to protect me, you just tell me and give me a plane. I’ll jump to Norway, and I’ll lead the detachment from there. Let them take me there ...” He laughed: “Well, you, he says, an adventurer "But when it was necessary to help the detachment, he helped.
We essentially had one family. We carried Lieutenant Fyodor Shelavin from Mogilny ... We stayed there because of him, both of his legs were wounded. O wanted to shoot himself to untie our hands. But I knew - if we leave Shelavin, in the next campaign someone will think: "That's it, since the officer was abandoned, then if I am wounded, all the more they will leave." If such a thought even slightly sunk into a person's head, then he is no longer a real warrior, not a fighter. This thought will crush you, persecute you, whether you like it or not. "From the day Leonov became the commander and until the end of the war, the detachment lost nine people, seven of them on Krestovoy, mainly at the time of overcoming the barbed wire." I didn't like to lose people at all. Ask anyone: everyone knew that I would fight for the life of every person to the last.
Born November 21, 1916 in the city of Zaraysk, Moscow Region, into a working class family. Russian. From 1931 to 1933 he studied at a factory school at the Moscow plant "Kalibr", after which he worked as a pattern fitter, combining work with social activities: a member of the Komsomol factory committee, chairman of the workshop committee of inventors, head of the youth brigade.
In the ranks of the Navy since 1937. Drafted to the Northern Fleet, where he completed a training course at the S.M. Kirov diving training detachment in the city of Polyarny, Murmansk region, and was sent for further service on the Shch-402 submarine.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, senior sailor V.N. Leonov sent a report on his enrollment in the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet, in which he conducted about 50 military operations in the rear of the enemy since July 18, 1941. Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1942. Since December 1942, after being awarded an officer rank, he was deputy detachment commander for political affairs, and a year later, in December 1943, he was commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. In April 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant.
In October 1944, during the period of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation of the Soviet troops, scouts under the command of V.N. Leonov landed on the shore occupied by the enemy and made their way to the designated point in off-road conditions for two days. On the morning of October 12, they suddenly attacked an enemy 88-millimeter battery at Cape Krestovoy, captured it, and captured a large number of Nazis. When a boat with a Nazi landing appeared, together with a detachment of Captain I.P. Barchenko-Emelyanov, they repulsed enemy attacks, capturing about 60 Nazis. This battle ensured the success of the landing in Linahamari, the capture of the port and city.
Thus, Leonov's detachment, by 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 the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 5, 1944, Lieutenant V. N. Leonov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 5058) with the wording: at the same time courage and heroism. "
After the defeat of Nazi Germany for the front-line intelligence officer 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 is 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's scouts disarmed and captured about two thousand soldiers and two hundred officers, capturing 3 artillery batteries, 5 aircraft, several ammunition depots.
By the 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 USSR Navy. In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School. In 1952 he was awarded the military rank of captain of the 2nd rank. He studied at the Naval Academy, completing two courses. Since July 1956 - in reserve.
He was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Orders of Alexander Nevsky, the First Class of the Patriotic War, the Red Star, medals, as well as the Order of the DPRK. Awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Polyarny".
VN Leonov died in Moscow on October 7, 2003 (on the day of the 59th anniversary of the start of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation). Buried at the Leonovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
Proceedings
- Leonov V.N. Face to face. Moscow: Military Publishing, 1957.
Memory
In 1998, the children's and youth sports school of the city of Polyarny was named after V. N. Leonov. One of the ships of the Northern Fleet bears his name.
On the eve of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Victory, the RTR channel aired the "Military Program" dedicated to Viktor Leonov.
November 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, true patriot of the Motherland, Captain First Rank Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov. In my youth, I was lucky to meet Viktor Nikolaevich, this amazing person. The legend of the intelligence of the Navy, the commander of 181 reconnaissance and sabotage detachment of the Northern, and then the Pacific fleets.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was born on November 21, 1916 in the city of Zaraisk, Ryazan province, now the Moscow region. From 1937 he served in the Northern Fleet, where he completed a training course in the SM Kirov diving training unit in the city of Polyarny and was sent for further service on the submarine Shch-402. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, senior sailor V.N. Leonov more than once appealed to the command with a report on his enrollment in the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet, where it was possible to meet the enemy face to face. The request of the senior sailor was granted, and in July 1941 the young soldier was enlisted in the 181 reconnaissance and sabotage detachment. From this momentous moment, the birth of a scout can be considered, who conducted more than 50 combat exits to the rear of the enemy. For exceptional restraint, courage and composure in the fight against the fascist invaders in December 1942, Viktor Nikolaevich was awarded the first officer rank, and a year later, in December 1943, he was appointed commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet.
Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov is a real patriot of the Motherland, a legendary intelligence man, one of those few heroes who went through the entire war, from bell to bell, not even on the "front end", but rather behind the front line of defense.
Captain First Rank Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov repeatedly came to our unit, where in a warm and friendly atmosphere he met with sailors, warrant officers and officers, talked not only about heroic deeds at the front, but, above all, instilled in us courage and courage, love for the Motherland. For us, young people, the stories of the front-line soldier were extremely interesting and instructive. We have remembered these lessons of courage for the rest of our lives, as well as the scout's commandment to always think with your head and not make hasty decisions.
The exploits of scouts have always attracted the attention of writers, screenwriters and directors. A lot of adventure books have been written about them, hundreds of fascinating films have been shot. And, of course, in these films or books, brave heroes always defeat enemies, skillfully emerging from the most dangerous and incredible situations. But in life, the enemy was not so "stupid". On the contrary, our opponent was smart, cunning and cruel. He was well trained and perfectly equipped for the war in the Arctic, where it was simply impossible to hide among the bare hills and rocks. And to defeat such a strong and worthy enemy is real valor!
It so happened that the name of the legendary intelligence officer - Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov is mentioned as often as we would like. Apparently, this is the fate of all scouts. However, it should be noted that none of the most eminent military leaders conducted such daring military operations as this courageous man who returned from the war in the modest rank of lieutenant commander, but with two gold stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union on his chest.
Real front-line intelligence officers left behind very few memories or memoirs. The more valuable are the scanty lines they wrote. Yes, and survived them, scouts, too, not so many. Like the infantry, the reconnaissance suffered significant losses. Nevertheless, there are scouts' books. Including books written by Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov. For example, the most famous “Face to Face; Get ready for a feat today. " To some extent, these are not even memories, but, rather, a real manual for soldiers of special forces.
In the harsh conditions of the Arctic, Leonov's reconnaissance detachment not only provided reconnaissance activities in the rear of the Nazis, but solved an equally important task of protecting the main transport artery - the polar port of Murmansk. It should be noted that the detachment under the command of a young officer in combat exits and directly in battles with the enemy for all the time lost only a few fighters! And this is intelligence! In fact, Viktor Nikolaevich developed a whole system of how to defeat a strong and superior enemy! His unique experience of preserving people during military operations, people with excellent combat training, skillfully acting in close hand-to-hand combat, certainly deserves research and study. Just what is the operation of 181 Leonov's reconnaissance detachment on Cape Krestovy, when, after the assault on a strategically important fortified area and a two-day battle on the defensive, the soldiers of the detachment still managed to win an unequal battle. In those battles on Krestovoy, ten scouts were killed, and this was the largest numerical loss of the detachment during the entire period of hostilities. Viktor Nikolayevich himself recalls this with sorrow in one of his books: “Captive huntsmen are walking by. Enemies see ten killed Soviet intelligence officers, and they remember how many they buried their own ... The huntsmen tear off their caps from their heads, press their hands to their hips and walk past the grave with a marching step. " The scout's stories are simple, truthful and uncomplicated: “Our detachment, operating behind enemy lines, was always inferior to him in numbers, in technical equipment, but we always won in hand-to-hand combat. Neither the Germans nor the Japanese have ever acted as decisively as we do ... The psychological law is this - in a fight between two opponents, one will surely surrender. In close combat, you should first of all rivet his gaze on yours - firm and imperious ... "And then he continued:" Admiral Golovko gave the order - "the right to select the scouts of the detachment rests with the commander of the detachment." So they could not appoint anyone to us. I had a connection with the personnel department, they sent me those who seemed to fit. I talked to the person and watched how he reacted to my questions. The most important thing for me was his eyes and hands. The position of the hands determines the psychological state of a person, his character. I needed my hands not to grasp at anything, so that they were ready for action, but remained calm ... "
In his wonderful book "Lessons of Courage", which became for many reconnaissance sailors "a start in life", VN Leonov writes: "For the old soldiers who fought in their lifetime, military comradeship is a holy and indestructible concept. And the inspirational, like a song, Gogol's line "there are no bonds holier than comradeship", many could put an epigraph to their combat biographies. "
During his meetings with naval sailors, Viktor Nikolaevich repeatedly mentioned that in his youth he dreamed of becoming a poet, entering a literary institute. He wrote poetry and was published. But I had to become a sailor. At first - a submariner, and then - a marine.
VN Leonov devoted most of his life to the special forces. As a boy, he dreamed that units like the 181st would be in every Russian Fleet. Even when, as a result of the Khrushchev transformations, Viktor Nikolaevich did not find a place in the Navy, he continued to actively participate in the creation of the Soviet special forces.
In 1956, he retired with the rank of captain of the 2nd rank, but continued to engage in social work, traveled a lot with performances around the country ... I especially remember the story of a front-line intelligence officer about a smile. As Viktor Nikolaevich recalled, a smile is also a weapon. “When I suddenly faced the enemy face to face, I smiled sweetly at him. He hesitated for a few seconds, and this gave me the opportunity to stay alive and do something. "
Today's boys, like we once did, dream of accomplishing a feat, but they do not think much about what a feat is? Of course, every courageous deed, including on peaceful days, is necessarily associated with courage and courage. Nowadays, young people everywhere are fond of selfies, for which they sometimes perform dizzying risky stunts. They think that this is real courage and courage. Thus, they are trying to assert themselves, to arouse the admiration of others with their extreme photograph. Sometimes such "heroism" ends in death.
But can every brave deed be considered a heroic deed? On this occasion, the famous Czech writer Julius Fucik remarkably said: "A hero is a person who, at a decisive moment, does what needs to be done in the interests of human society." And this means that a feat is not only a bold act, but, above all, an act that benefits the Motherland! But today's boys forget about this ... So real heroes are replaced by “fictional” ones imposed on us all from the outside, through colorful American films.
Why are we somehow ashamed to speak of mass heroism during the war years? In my youth, I sincerely believed that the most ordinary person, like me, like you, cannot become a hero. I believed that heroism is a kind of special gift, and heroes are people with special abilities, such as talented artists, poets, scientists, and sports champions.
However, when I happened to read the wartime archival documents, read the award lists and simply - reports, reports, orders - all this in an instant destroyed my harmful delusion. In fact, the message from our grandfathers and great-grandfathers sounds like this: “We could - and you can! We have held out - and you will hold out! We have overcome - and you will be able to overcome! ".
Agree, well, there cannot be such a coincidence that 28, 40, 100 or 1000 heroes accidentally gathered in one place and at one time. These are ordinary people who, due to life circumstances, were really able to overcome their fear and accomplish a feat!
What is a feat? Here is how Viktor Nikolaevich told about it: - Many, very many people see in him the meaning of their life. I think I will not be mistaken in saying that almost every honest young man dreams of a heroic deed. Even if he does not always think about some special courageous act, foreseen by fate itself, but at least passionately dreams of becoming known to the Motherland, the people in labor, art, sports, and especially in military affairs. Known for the fact that with his labor he left people a memory of himself. When I hear the phrase: “This is a real man,” I remember my peers, twenty, thirty-year-old guys. All these people are absolutely not outstanding, surprisingly simple, accessible, imperturbable, temperamental in a lively and direct perception of life. But there was nothing in them and there is nothing so special, unaccounted for, or something ... All these people are relatives, close to you, perhaps, and unfamiliar, with whom fate brought together for the first time. But these are real men. Because they see, understand the meaning of life and subordinate themselves to it completely, because they stubbornly expose their chests to the headwind and walk for themselves, go, no matter how difficult it is for them, to a great life goal, not exchanging for trifles, not succumbing to dubious temptations, clouding the great prospect of service to people, service to the Motherland. It was with such that I went into a harsh battle. And I have never been wrong about them. Where you can rely on a person, where he will not let you down, even if you have to sacrifice your well-being, or even your life itself in the name of the Motherland, in the name of lofty goals, then a man begins. Man and feat are, in my opinion, inseparable concepts. Only a real man, strong and courageous, strong in spirit and body, armed with knowledge and skill, inspired by love for the Motherland, for people, is capable of feat. The path of achievement, I emphasize once again, is steep, winding, difficult and rocky. It requires not only knowledge and physical strength, it requires that a person be psychologically tuned in to a victorious struggle against any difficulties and dangers. And our youth are attracted by this path! She is eager for her, longs to test herself for strength. During the Great Patriotic War, I served in the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet ...
Is it possible to find sets of postcards with portraits of cosmonauts, with portraits of Heroes of the Soviet Union in Soyuzpechat kiosks today? And what do we see among the huge number of books in stores? You can find memoirs of German generals and soldiers, colorfully telling how they valiantly killed our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. But to find books about our heroes, oh, how difficult it is.
Having retired, Viktor Nikolaevich tried to teach young people courage, resilience, endurance. He, like no one else, knew the cost of losing comrades in arms, he understood what confusion and cowardice cost in a combat situation ... He spoke without embellishment about the war, about how to fight. Viktor Nikolaevich received his first Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the participation of 181 reconnaissance detachment in November 1944 in the Petsamo - Kirkenes offensive operation of the Northern Fleet. But before starting the operation, the scouts received an order to defeat the strategically important powerful stronghold of the Germans at Cape Krestovy ...
The same hot summer as the current one, only in 1970 in the Exhibition Hall on Kuznetsky Most in Moscow was exhibited a painting by artists Alexander Tikhomirov and Joseph Ilyin "The Feat of Sergeant Lysenko." In this picture, the bogatyr - scout Ivan Lysenko holds a metal crosspiece with wire spirals on his shoulders, and our scouts rush to the enemy's battery under the wire. Of course, there were also skeptics who doubted, believing that if there was such a thing, it was only in a military impulse. Here is what Viktor Nikolayevich himself told about this picture: “I want to answer the skeptics: everything was as the artist depicted. After all, it happened in our detachment, in the operation to liberate the city of Pechenga. We then received the task to go to Cape Krestovy and destroy the German defenses. By a difficult path, through the tundra and hills, we made our way to Krestovy and went there only on the third day. On the morning of October 12, we suddenly attacked an enemy 88mm battery at Cape Krestovoy. The night was very dark, and one of the scouts ran into the signal wire. The rocket took off. Before us was a fascist battery protected by a powerful barbed-wire fence. Enemies opened fire. A decisive shot is required. I give the command: "Whoever can, but everyone be on the battery." Komsomolets Volodya Fatkin threw his jacket onto the barbed spiral and, rolling over it, found himself in front of the enemy machine gunners. The secretary of our Komsomol organization Sasha Manin did the same. Volodya died from the fire of a coaxial machine-gun installation, and Sasha, jumping over a deadly stream, jumped into a concreted machine-gun cell and blew himself up along with the German machine gunners.
Communist Ivan Lysenko was next to me. Noticing my intentions, he shouted: "Commander, you can't go through the wire, you will die, I'll pick it up now!"
I jumped over the wire and did not see what Lysenko was doing. The scouts later said that Ivan threw a jacket over his head, crawled under the cross-piece, tore it out of the ground and, putting it on his shoulders, stood up to his full height, letting his comrades into the battery. Bullets, one after another, dug into the body of the hero, and, weakening, Ivan whispered:
Faster, no more strength.
Be patient a little, Ivan, there is not much left, - asked one of the scouts.
- Then help me, otherwise I will fall.
Next to Ivan Lysenko stood the communist senior lieutenant Aleksey Lupov. They let all the scouts into the enemy's battery and fell side by side. Alexey Lupov died immediately, and Ivan Lysenko, having received 21 bullet wounds, was still alive.
When the battle on the battery ended, I went up to Ivan, and the first question he asked me was:
How is the task?
We did it, Ivan, thank you, - I replied.
How many guys died?
Very few, a few people, - I reassured Ivan.
Then right. If through the wire, there would be more ...
These were his last words. While dying, the warrior-hero thought about the task that had to be completed, about the comrades who had to live in order to continue the fight against the fascists. Of course, this is not a battle passion, but a conscious sacrifice in the name of the Motherland, in the name of the happiness of future generations, and this is precisely the great feat of the communists Ivan Lysenko, Alexei Lupov and other heroes.
This operation of the reconnaissance sailors ensured the success of our landing in Linahamari, the capture of the seaport and city. Leonov's detachment, with its active hostilities, neutralized the coastal battery and created favorable conditions for the landing in the ice-free port of Linahamari, as well as the subsequent liberation of Petsamo (Pechenga) and Kirkenes.
By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 5, 1944, Lieutenant VN Leonov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 5058). Several years ago, a documentary was made about this legendary scout trooper. Yes, they only show it extremely rarely. As they say now - "not a format". And when you ask a direct question, why are we not showing films about our heroes, you hear in response - this is not interesting to anyone, there will be no rating. Forgive me, what rating do we need if we talk about the exploits of OUR fathers and grandfathers? Love for the Motherland cannot be brought up from time to time, from one significant date to another.
One of the most significant operations of the Leonov reconnaissance detachment was the capture of 3.5 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers in the Korean port of Wonsan. As Viktor Nikolaevich recalled, “There were 140 of us. We suddenly landed for the enemy at a Japanese airfield and entered into negotiations. After that, we, ten representatives, were taken to the headquarters of the colonel, the commander of the aviation unit, who wanted to make us hostages.
I joined the conversation. Looking into the eyes of the Japanese, I said that we had fought the entire war in the west and had enough experience to assess the situation, that we would not be hostages, but rather die, but that we would die along with everyone at the headquarters. The difference is, I added, that you will die like rats, and we will try to get out of here ... The colonel, forgetting about the scarf, began to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his hand and after a while signed the act of surrender of the entire garrison. We lined up three and a half thousand prisoners in a column of eight men each. They performed all my commands at a run. We had no one to escort such a convoy, so I put the commander and chief of staff with me in the car. If at least one, I say, runs away, blame yourself ... While the team was leading, there were already up to five thousand Japanese in it ... ".
In the course of a bold scouting operation in the port of Genzan, the sailors disarmed and captured about two thousand soldiers and two hundred officers, while capturing 3 artillery batteries, 5 aircraft, and several ammunition depots. For this operation, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated September 14, 1945, Senior Lieutenant Leonov Viktor Nikolaevich was re-awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and was awarded the second Gold Star medal.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov died in Moscow on October 7, 2003, on the same memorable day of the 59th anniversary of the start of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation. He was buried at the Leonovskoye cemetery in Moscow. You won't find it right away, you have to look. But in a conspicuous place at the entrance rest some incomprehensible personalities, whether swindlers, or "successful entrepreneurs". Even after the death of the good gentlemen from the "Ritual" divided our Memory into those who are "dear" to them and those who simply defended the Motherland, thus becoming twice a Hero.
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of this courageous Man. He deserves to be remembered ...
He deserved to have a worthy one installed over his grave.twice Hero of the Soviet Union monument!
I appeal to numerous veteran organizations, to the Union of Officers of Russia, to all patriotic forces with a huge request - let us send our petitions to the President of Russia with a request to perpetuate the memory of this Man in a proper and dignified manner! Let's organize together an anniversary worthy of the memory of a courageous and courageous person, a true patriot of our Motherland!
Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov - veteran of 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 school of factory apprenticeship at the Moscow plant "Caliber". After completing his studies, he worked as a pattern fitter, combining work at the plant with social activities. In particular, he was the chairman of the workshop committee of inventors, a member of the plant committee of the Komsomol and the head 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 S.M.Kirov scuba diving training detachment, the detachment was based in the city of Polyarny in the Murmansk region. For further military service, he was sent to the submarine Sch-402. This boat belongs to a large family of well-known Soviet submarines of the Shch (Shchuka) project.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, senior sailor Viktor Leonov appeals 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 ended up in the marines along with his friend Alexander Senchuk. Unfortunately, his friend died in the very first battle with the German rangers, which was a shock for the newly minted Marine Leonov, but did not convince him of the correctness of his choice.
Later, as part of the reconnaissance detachment, starting on July 18, 1941, Leonov conducted more than 50 military operations behind enemy lines. Since December 1942, after being awarded an 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 lieutenant. In September 1945, Viktor Leonov smashed the Japanese already with the rank of senior lieutenant.
In the summer of 1941, his glorious combat path was just beginning, there were many heavy battles and awards ahead. A few days after the first battle, Viktor Leonov is heading straight to the enemy's rear, scouts go to the western bank of the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa River (the valley of this river during the war years was called the "valley of death" for the bloody and fierce battles taking place here). Senior sailor Leonov bravely fought the enemy and in the summer of 1941 was awarded one of the most honorable "soldier" medals "For Courage". In the battle at Cape Pikshuev, he was seriously wounded by a mine fragment. After hospital treatment, having received a certificate stating that he was no longer fit for combat service, he nevertheless returned to his reconnaissance detachment. Viktor Leonov did not want to sit in the rear when his friends were fighting the Nazi invaders. Very difficult sorties behind enemy lines in winter conditions awaited him again. Through the snow, in the terrible cold, in camouflage coats, Soviet scouts made their way to the rear of the enemy without the right to make a mistake, 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 in the rank of foreman of the 2nd class, commanded a command group consisting of 10 scouts. It was at this time that he took part in the operation, which was later described in his 1957 book entitled "Face the Enemy", in the book the scout called the operation "the May raid." As part of this operation, with incredible efforts, a detachment of marines managed to break through to a predetermined 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 force to carry out their operation behind enemy lines. Seven days behind enemy lines, in continuous battles, it would seem, nothing could be more difficult. Many scouts were wounded and frostbite (May in the Arctic was quite severe), including Sergeant Major Leonov. However, the most difficult battles and trials awaited him ahead.
One of these fights really happened pretty soon. It was an operation on Cape Mogilny, where the scouts had to destroy the German radar base, which was tracking our ships and aircraft. The operation was headed by Senior Lieutenant Frolov, the new commander of Leonov. Inexperience, inability to predict the actions of the enemy, or, more simply, the negligence of the newly made commander, led to the fact that surprise was lost, the soldiers had to go on the attack under dense German fire, practically advancing on the enemy guns. Having captured the enemy's stronghold, the scouts saw that reinforcements arrived in time for the Germans, after which the detachment was surrounded by a dense ring of rangers. At the cost of their lives, the Marines broke through the blockade, but at some point it became clear that 15 people were cut off from the main forces on a small heel - either the sea or German soldiers on all sides, the widest part of the cape, on which the scouts were surrounded, did not exceed 100 meters. This rocky area was shot 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 people out of 15 survived, while many of the survivors were wounded. Zinovy \u200b\u200bRyzhechkin, who until recently covered his comrades with machine gun fire, and Yuri Mikheev, who destroyed a whole group of German rangers with a bunch of grenades, died heroically. For this feat, Viktor Leonov and his comrades in arms (Agafonov, Babikov, Baryshev, Barinov, Kashtanov, Kurnosenko), some of them posthumously (Abramov, Kashutin, Mikheev, Ryzhechkin, Florinsky) were awarded the Orders of the Red Banner. In addition, in the recent past, an ordinary sailor, Viktor Leonov, was awarded an officer rank, he became a junior lieutenant.
With the assignment of an officer rank, a new stage began in his life, and raids into the rear of the enemy continued. After one of them (the scouts had to deliver the "tongue"), the detachment commander was dismissed near the Varanger Peninsula, as the operation was deemed unsuccessful. Leonov was appointed as the new commander and he was given three days to prepare. It was a kind of test, and the newly minted junior lieutenant coped with it perfectly. Soldiers under the command of Leonov on the very first day of the operation captured a lighthouse employee, having learned a lot of useful information from him. The next day, in just two hours, they not only made their way through the mountains to the rear of the enemy, but also captured two rangers without a single shot. The composure and amazing calculation displayed at the same time could be inherent only to real professionals in their field.
Viktor Nikolayevich 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 the operation at Cape Krestovy, unique in its complexity. Even he himself, after the war, noted that the landing on Cape Krestovy in its complexity was several times superior to all previous raids of naval scouts.
In October 1944, when Soviet troops were conducting the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation, scouts of the 181st separate detachment under the command of Viktor Leonov landed on the German-occupied coast and made their way to their destination in off-road conditions for two days. On the morning of October 12, they suddenly attacked for the enemy an 88-mm battery located at Cape Krestovoy, captured a fortified position and captured a large number of German soldiers. When a boat with a Nazi landing came to the rescue, the scouts, together with the detachment of Captain I.P. Barechenko-Emelyanov, repulsed the enemy attack, capturing about 60 more enemy soldiers. This battle ensured the success of the landing in Linahamari, 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 a 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 award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. courage and heroism. "
The operation of Leonov's detachment was really carried out brilliantly: the Nazis, possessing many times a large number of forces and surrounded by impregnable 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 the Soviet paratroopers. Each soldier from Leonov's detachment performed 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 scouts buried here were marked on the pedestal.
After the end of World War II and the defeat of Germany, the war did not end for Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov, he was sent to the Far East. Here the brave polar explorer headed a separate reconnaissance detachment of the Pacific Fleet. Under his direct command, the detachment's fighters were the first to land at the ports of Racine, Seishin and Genzan. These operations were fanned by 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 at once. They surrendered to a detachment of 140 Soviet sailors. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union dated September 14, 1945, Senior Lieutenant Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov was re-awarded the Gold Star medal, becoming twice 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 of the 2nd rank. He studied at the Naval Academy, managed to complete two courses, and from June 1956 he was in reserve (the last rank was captain of the 1st rank). Having retired as a result of the reduction of the armed forces in the framework of the "Khrushchev" reform, Leonov was actively involved in educational activities through the Knowledge Society. In those years, he did a lot in order to pass on his rich life and combat experience to the younger generation. Viktor Nikolayevich traveled a lot around the country, met with students and schoolchildren, lectured and wrote books. Like no one else, he knew the cost of losing his comrades in arms, he understood how cowardice and confusion could turn out in battle. That is why he considered it his duty to teach the younger generation of stamina, endurance, courage. He talked without embellishment about the past war and how to fight.
In addition to two Gold Star medals, he was a holder of the Orders of Alexander Nevsky, the Red Banner, the Red Star, the First Class of the Patriotic War, as well as numerous medals, including the Order of the DPRK. He was an Honorary Citizen of the city of Polyarny.
The legendary intelligence officer of the Soviet Navy 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 hometown of the hero 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 SSV-175 medium reconnaissance ship from the Northern Fleet of Russia was named after him.
Based on materials from open sources
