ILYA BORISOVICH KATUNIN
1908 – 1944
Hero of the Soviet Union
Katunin Ilya Borisovich was born in the city of Gomel in a working class family. He was brought up in an orphanage. He served in the Navy in 1932-1935. In June 1941, he was re-drafted into the Red Army. Since July 1941, Lieutenant Katunin was an instructor at the military aviation school of initial training. Since 1942 he served in the 1st reserve aviation regiment of the Navy Air Force. He was sent to the army in the spring of 1943, in the 46th assault air regiment of the Northern Fleet.
On April 23, 1944, an eight "silts" flew under the cover of 14 fighters to destroy the enemy convoy. The group was led by captain I.B. Katunin. In the Vardo region (Northern Norway), his attack aircraft definitely reached the caravan. Katunin's attack aircraft, breaking through dense anti-aircraft fire, rushed to the transports. The presenter went on the attack on the lead transport, but his IL-2 was hit and caught fire. Captain Katunin introduced the car in the peak and sent it to transport. A strong explosion followed, and the enemy ship sank. On April 27, the whole country sounded: "The other day, our aircraft defeated an enemy convoy in the Barents Sea. In this battle, Captain Katunin and the shooter board Markin were heroically killed. Katunin on a burning plane rammed large German transport.... " On May 31, 1944, Captain Katunin Ilya Borisovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).
He was awarded the Medal of Lenin (posthumously), the Red Banner (24.10.1943). By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of September 16, 1959, Hero of the Soviet Union I.B. Katunin was forever enrolled in the lists of his native military unit. The village of Lakhta in the Primorsky district of the Arkhangelsk region, where the assault air regiment was based during the war, is named after him. His busts are installed on the Alley of Heroes Aviators of the Northern Fleet in the village of Safonovo, Murmansk Region, in the village of Katunino, Arkhangelsk Region. Streets in Katunino and Bryansk are named after him.
In Gomel, a memorial plaque was installed at the passage of the machine tool factory in which the Hero worked.