MAKSIMENKO VASILY IVANOVICH

 MAKSIMENKO VASILY IVANOVICH
senior lieutenant, participant in World War II, Hero of the Soviet Union (23.11.1942)

   He was born on February 12, 1913, in the village of Khartsyzsk (now Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine) in the Russian Empire. In the ranks of the Red Army since 1935. He was summoned by the Samarkand city military commissariat of the Uzbek SSR. In 1938 he graduated from the Orenburg Military Aviation Pilot School.
   In 1939, he participated in the liberation of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus by Soviet troops.
   Lieutenant Maksimenko participated in World War II from July 1941. He was Deputy Commander of the Squadron and Squadron Commander of the 88^th Fighter Aviation Regiment (216^th Fighter Aviation Division, 4^th Air Force, Caucasus Front). On August 25, 1942, he was severely wounded in a battle near Mozdok and returned to the front.
   By October 1942, it had flown 250 combat sorties, shooting down 7 enemy aircraft in 15 air battles. On November 23, 1942, Senior Lieutenant Maksimenko Vasily Ivanovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union “For exemplary performance of the command’s combat duties and for his courage and heroism.”
   For almost a year he fought as the stormtrooper of the 88^th Fighter Regiment. From August 1943 to Victory, he was commander of the 88^th Fighter Regiment. In April 1944, under his command, the regiment received the title of Guardsman and was renamed the 159^th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, as well as the honorary title of “Novorossiysk”, awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
   The regiment under his command will take part in offensive operations in Novorossiysk-Taman, Crimea, Belarus, East Prussia and East Pomerania. Prior to the victory, Lieutenant Colonel Maksimenko made 516 combat sorties, shot down 7 enemy planes personally and 9 planes in his group.
   He lived in Riga and worked at the “Rigaselmash” plant. He died on June 5, 2004.