CONTENTS HENRY SAKAIDA was born in Santa Monica, California, in 1951. After a Russian language course, he developed an interest in Russian culture and military history, later leading to his research in the Ukraine and Russia. Elite 90: Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941- 45 is based on this research, as is this companion volume. His other area of interest is Japanese combat aviation history about which he has written several books. Henry lives with his wife and two children in Temple City, near Los Angeles. CHRISTA HOOK began her illustrating career in 1986. Her work has featured extensively in the worlds of publishing and television, and she has established herself as one of Osprey's most popular illustrators. Her illustrations combine the historian's attention to detail with the artist's sense of drama and atmosphere, and they are sought after by collectors worldwide. She has had work selected for the Laing Land and Seascape Exhibition 2000 at the Mall, and the Not the Royal Academy Exhibition 2000 at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery. INTRODUCTION: THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 3 HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION 5 HEROES OF THE SOVIET UNION BY ETHNIC GROUP/NATIONALITY 8 THE HEROES 9 • • • • • • • Aviators Snipers Tank drivers/commanders Naval troops Spies Partisans Infantrymen THE PLATES 60 INDEX 64 Elite - 111 Heroes of the Soviet Union 1941 - 45 Henry Sakaida • Illustrated by Christa Hook Consultant Editor Martin Windrow OSPREY PUBLISHING First published in Great Britain in 2004 by Osprey Publishing Elms Court. Chapel Way. Botley. Oxford 0X2 9LP. United Kingdom Email:
[email protected] © 2004 Osprey Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. CIP data for this publication is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 84176 769 7 The right of Christa Hook to be identified as the illustrator of this work has Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance: Warrick L "Rick" Barrett, Art Bates at www.soviet-awards.com, Belarussian State Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War, Arka Chatterjee, Eric at www.motka.com (Russian Antiquity), Nathalie Fagnou (Normandie-Niemen Museum at www.normandie.niemen.free.fr/), Frunze Museum, Gregori Ivanov, Kim Johansson, Ludmila Khantaeva, Lubov Legasova (National War Museum and Memorial Complex of Kiev), George Mellinger. Igor Moiseyev at www.CollectRussia.com, Paul McDaniel, Gennady Mukhanov (National Museum of Tatarstan in Kazan), Natalya Poupysheva, John Rupp, Russian State Film & Photo Archive (RGAKFD) in Krasnogorsk, Donna and Allison Sakaida, Paul J. Schmitt, David Schwind, Yegor Shishigin (Yakutsk State United Museum of History & Culture of the Northern Peoples), Vale