Leonov Viktor Nikolaevich
Scout marines
First tests
We met the war beyond the sixty-ninth parallel, in one of the naval bases Northern Fleet.
The first day of the war… The white caps and peakless caps, so familiar to the eyes of the residents of the port city, disappeared almost instantly. Summer is in full swing, the sun, which is desired by the northerners, shines all day and night, as it should be in these latitudes, and a light southern breeze promises stable weather. We are not happy with this weather. The meteorological reports say: "visibility is clear," and enemy air reconnaissance aircraft fly over the base, to Murmansk and back. White covers of headdresses on a dark background of granite of berths and pavements can unmask us sailors. Therefore, they were ordered to be removed.
Quite a bit of time has passed, and the tedious howling of sirens seems already familiar and the usual - the endless clatter of hammers in the workshop where we work. Me and Sasha Senchuk were transferred there from a submarine. We were told: "You know locksmithing and turning, we are sending you to a combat post." So we changed our sailor's uniforms for dark blue overalls and stood at the workbenches.
An order is an order. We obey him, although he does not fit in with our idea of what a combat post is, especially now, in the days of war. I am silent, Sasha Senchuk cannot be silent, and besides me, he has no one to express his offense to. After a long tiring day at work, we go to bed right here in the workshop. Sasha can't sleep.
No, you still say it! He shakes me by the shoulders. - Tell me, Victor, why does the working class take up arms, and we were assigned to workbenches? Special mission, you say? Order? Yes?..
I remain silent, and he shouts angrily in my ear:
Drykhnesh, damn it!
Sasha walks from corner to corner, and I know that he will stir me up more than once and will offer various plans for returning to the submarine or, at worst, leaving for the marines.
As soon as I thought about it, Sasha ran up to me, pulled me off the workbench with a sharp jerk.
In Sasha's eyes - a joyful gleam and adamant determination of a man who defies fate. At such moments, Senchuk seems handsome and strong, although he is unprepossessing in appearance: thin, narrow and bony in the shoulders, and his swarthy, oblong face under a mop of tar-black hair is densely covered with dots of blackheads.
Idea! - Sasha shouts again and immediately sets out his plan, which, as far as I, half-asleep, can still understand, is to escape from the "combat post" to the front, to the Marine Corps brigade.
Let's say we volunteer! We will be forgiven...
I agree to everything, if only he would leave me alone and let me sleep for at least an hour.
Morning comes, and Sasha, carried away by his work, furiously hits the polished head of the chisel with a hammer, saws, drills, striking everyone with his energy. He must have forgotten about yesterday's "idea", as he urges me to quickly finish the repair of the submarine - then we will immediately be returned to the crew. It is impossible to argue with Sasha, but I want to believe him, although the work in the studio is increasing every day.
The head of the workshop dryly promised: "You will be replaced in due time." We would probably have been patient and waiting, “if the news had not excited us: friends from the submarine, three Nikolai and Alexei, ran into the workshop and said that a special detachment of naval reconnaissance officers was being created to operate behind enemy lines. They, as excellent athletes, have already been enlisted in the reconnaissance squad.
Missed! - Sasha reproached me angrily, as if I were guilty of something. - You're an expert skier and a famous yacht racing champion, - he stepped on me, but then he turned abruptly and bombarded his friends with questions: - Where is the detachment? Who to contact? Who to submit a report to?
Sasha grimaced in annoyance when the electrician Kolya Damanov stepped forward, Kolya-one, as we called him. He stuttered, and yet he was talkative:
S-sasha-sha! Don't boil! The headquarters knows that Victor and you are good s-athletes-shifts. And we'll tell you about us to senior lieutenant Lebedev from the intelligence department. The only bad thing is that you have to s-change the naval uniform to the infantry. Lebedev s-said: there must be a sailor's soul under an infantryman's tunic. And the soul of the r-raz-spy. Here! - pointedly finished Kolya-one.
I can’t say anything about the intelligence officer’s soul, I must admit that I was surprised that three Nikolaev - Damanov, Losev and Ryabov, whom I taught to ski and throw grenades, were enrolled in the intelligence detachment, but they forgot about me. I looked inquiringly at the foreman of the first article, Alexei Radyshevtsev, with whom I often challenged the championship in various competitions. Alexei smiled reassuringly.
The detachment is just being formed... Everything will be all right. It turned out that a representative of the fleet headquarters went to Murmansk to select a group of Komsomol members for the detachment. Another group will be sent by the Lesgaft Leningrad Institute of Physical Education, and the main part of the scouts will be recruited from sailors.
The people will be selected one by one, which is n-necessary! - put on airs the future naval intelligence officer Kolya Damanov. “Hitler’s elite units are operating against us here. Mountain rangers. Let's give the Jaegers some heat...
Friends once again promised to take care of us and left. We looked forward to the evening when it would be possible to write a report to a member of the Military Council of the Northern Fleet.
If it were possible to convey the feelings that overwhelm you on a piece of paper! Write in such a way that, after reading this leaflet, the rear admiral would say: “Send senior sailor Viktor Leonov, the third year of service, to the naval intelligence detachment!” I can't write like this...
“I ask you to second me to the reconnaissance detachment of the fleet headquarters” ... And that's it? To this and sign? How does the Rear Admiral find out about my desire and vocation to serve in intelligence? I wrote about that too, but then I crossed out the last lines, tore up the report and started writing a new one. It is not for me to judge the vocation, and it sounds immodest. Sasha and I are obsessed with an ardent desire to become sea scouts. But desire is not a calling!
Then I remembered how, while still a schoolboy, I got it into my head that I was called to become a poet. After reading a poem by a seventh grader about snipe hunting in the school wall newspaper, I decided that I could write better. I came home, sat down at the table and composed a poem for so long that my father, who was not used to seeing me diligently studying, asked:
Vitya, what are you so passionate about?
I showed my father the beginning of the poem. The father smiled patronizingly, but, having understood what was written, he began to frown. Finally, slowly and very inexpressively, he read the first lines aloud:
Once I was a praying mantis
I believed in god and king.
Now I'm a pioneer
A fighter for the labor society!
What are you?! he asked me sternly. - When were you a praying mantis for a communist father? And the king in your head is a book ... What kind of verse is this if there is no truth in it? You read a lot, but you write clumsily ...
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was born into a working-class family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1942.
In 1931, after graduating from the seven-year plan, he entered the FZO at the Moscow Caliber plant, and then worked as a mechanic at the same plant for four years. In 1937 he was drafted into the Navy. He served on a submarine in the Northern Fleet.
During the years of the Great Patriotic War commanded a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Northern Navy. A detachment of naval scouts more than once smashed the rear of the enemy, cut off his communications, and obtained valuable information. In 1945, V.N. Leonov participated in the battles against the Japanese militarists on Far East. A detachment of naval scouts was awarded the title of Guards.
In 1950 he graduated from higher naval school, and in 1956 - two courses of the Naval Academy. Reserved since 1956.
At present, V.N. Leonov lives and works in Moscow. In 1956, his book "Face to Face" was published, and in 1973 - "Prepare for a feat today."
In his dreams, he built Magnitogorsk blast furnaces and hoisted a red flag over north pole. He cut through the centuries-old taiga on the banks of the Amur to light the fires of the city of youth. He crossed the Karakum in an amazing automobile run and, together with Chkalov, flew over the white expanses of the Arctic, laying the shortest air way in America. He drove the first Soviet tractor from the conveyor, climbed on a stratospheric balloon, hurried to the aid of the Chelyuskinites in order to rescue them from ice captivity. He became a participant in the heroic deeds with which every day of our reality is so rich. He grew up with his country, selflessly loved his Motherland, was proud of it.
The same as other guys from the small town of Zaraysk near Moscow, he nevertheless stood out among his peers with precisely this amazing ability to dream. And also with their perseverance, will, which manifested themselves even in childish undertakings. And when they came up with something interesting, friends without hesitation chose Vitya Leonov as the leader.
This is how my youth passed. More and more often and more persistently disturbed the question: who to be? I wanted to become a writer, sailor, pilot, engineer. Each profession seemed fascinating, promised wide horizons, and the difficulty of choosing was precisely in the fact that the Motherland opened all the paths to a great life.
Best of the day
Victor knew one thing for sure: whatever he had to do, he would do well, giving all the heat of his heart. So he came to Moscow and entered the factory. The working family, the factory Komsomol, social teachings, evening classes polished the best features of a restless, sometimes overly harsh character.
Call to the army. Victor asked to be sent to the fleet, he decided to become a submariner. It can be seen that the children's passion for the sea affected. The request was granted. The boy from Zaraysk went to the North. He rode full of bright hopes. He was assigned to the submarine IZ-402. But in 1940, after suffering an illness, Viktor was written off for health reasons to a floating workshop. It was hard to part with the dream, but also. here he found himself, giving himself entirely to the new business. After all, everything must be done well - Victor remained true to his motto.
By hard work, discipline, and exemplary service, he won the respect of his comrades. In his free time, Leonov wrote poetry. At first, of course, only for themselves. Then he shared the fruits of his creativity with friends. They praised, insisted that Victor send the poems to the newspaper. Sent. The poems have been printed. It inspired. I decided to seriously engage in poetic experiments. They succeeded, and the desire gradually matured after serving in the army to enter the Literary Institute. But the war broke out, and plans had to be changed.
In these terrible days, Viktor Leonov was unable to stay in the workshops. He heard the voice of the Fatherland, calling him to fight the enemy, who brazenly invaded the territory of his native country. Victor, not without difficulty (again, the doctors came up against him) managed to get him transferred to the front. He got into the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Front.
Military work is hard, and especially the service of a scout operating behind enemy lines. Selected, the people who became stronger were in the detachment. The detachment impeccably carried out the most difficult tasks of the command. In the very first operations, having honorably accepted the baptism of fire, Victor proved that he was worthy of his comrades in arms. More and more revealed his military abilities. Even among these unparalleled brave and steadfast fighters, he stood out for his courage and endurance. In addition, he discovered such valuable qualities as a warrior, such as the ability to influence his comrades hard word And personal example, quickly and accurately assess the current situation, instantly make the most correct decision.
A detachment of naval scouts with their bold raids inspired fear in the enemy. The Nazis could never predict where the scouts would appear, the headquarters of which unit, sometimes located far in the rear, was doomed to defeat. Suddenly rising up behind the back of a stunned enemy, inflicting devastating blows, the scouts just as suddenly and without a trace disappeared. The most "reliable" - the Jaeger units of the Nazi army were concentrated on the Northern Front. All the more honor and glory to our soldiers who smashed hardened Nazi warriors.
On the eve of May 1, 1942, the detachment received an unusual task. The difficulty was that this time it was ordered to act defiantly, in every possible way attracting the attention of the enemy. By bearing the brunt of the blow, the scouts ensured the success of a major landing operation.
On the night before the holiday, two platoons of reconnaissance boats crossed one of the bays of the Barents Sea. On a steep wave, they approached the shore, but failed to land: the enemy coastal defenses opened fire. The scouts jumped into the water, which was as cold as ice, reached the land with a cry of “hurray” and immediately launched grenades into action. The pre-dawn darkness was lit up by flashes of explosions, furiously, now choking, then again entering into a formidable chorus of battle, machine guns pounded. The huntsmen withstood the blow, and our warriors broke through into the mountains that towered over the uninhabited coast.
The scouts walked through the labyrinth of hills and hollows. Clothes were heavy after the ice font: fur jackets, trousers with reindeer fur outside. Snow still lay in the gorges, and on top it melted and formed whole lakes, which at this early hour of May Day morning were covered with an ice crust. Jaegers spotted the movement of the detachment. Perhaps they were already looking forward to victory, watching as the scouts were drawn deeper and deeper into the trap, and they took measures to cut off their escape routes. And the scouts stubbornly moved forward, to the height “415” dominating the area.
After a sleepless night, after a skirmish with the coast guard and a tiring road, many were exhausted. The commander ordered Sergeant Major Viktor Leonov to pull up the lagging behind. Who better than him can cheer up people, pour new strength into them! And foreman Leonov carried out the order of the commander: the detachment that had been stretched out again gathered into a fist, ready to fall on the enemy.
With a skillful maneuver, the scouts shot down the rangers from the height of "415"; fortified on it and, watching how the encirclement closes, they prepared to repel enemy attacks. The more a handful of brave men, seated at a height, will attract the attention and forces of the enemy, the more successful the main operation will be.
The day came into its own, and now, having finished maneuvering, the first wave of fascists poured into the attack. It gushed - and recoiled, as if crashing against a granite cliff. The Nazis made many attacks, and they all ended the same way.
The night has fallen. It seemed that a stone was cracking from a fierce cold. Not a single person at the top closed his eyes; everyone was alert. At dawn, the rangers again rushed to the height of "415" and until dusk 12 times unsuccessfully tried to master it. The detachment acted as if there were no sleepless nights, no extreme exertion of forces.
In the meantime, while significant enemy forces were bogged down in the battle for the heights, the main operation was successfully carried out. Having landed in a given area, our landing units moved forward. The command plan was carried out accurately. The detachment commander ordered Leonov, taking scouts Losev and Motovilin, to establish contact with the main units.
It was necessary to slip through the enemy ring, overcome six kilometers of a difficult path, return ...
A blizzard helped, suddenly appearing and ferocious with every minute. Leonov took advantage of this: he signaled to his comrades and rolled down a steep slope into impenetrable snowy haze. And now all three seemed to melt into it. These six kilometers seemed infinitely long, the body was fettered by inhuman fatigue. But Leonov stubbornly walked forward, and his friends did not lag behind him. The blizzard subsided when they reached the battalion headquarters. They were warmed, fed, persuaded to rest. But Leonov refused, he hurried to the height of "415", he knew how dear each person was there, and by the end of the day the three daredevils returned to the detachment, having completed a seemingly impossible task.
Jaegers ventured into a night fight. Five times they rushed to storm the impregnable height and each time rolled back, covering its slopes with corpses. But the situation in the scout detachment became more and more difficult every hour. UI not because for several days people did not take a nap, not because there was a completely insignificant supply of food left. Ammunition was running out, the minutes came when every cartridge was registered. And the morning was approaching, and it was clear that the Nazis would not give up their goal of capturing the height.
Leonov's keen eye, through the gloomy haze of dawn, made out small gray bumps or mounds on one of the slopes. No, he knows for sure: there were no such people here. He reported to the squad leader about the mounds that had grown overnight. Leonov's suspicions were justified: in the darkness of the night, cunningly disguised, the enemy machine gunners crept into close firing positions. Our snipers stepped in and the gray mounds came to life.
At some point, Leonov, seized with the excitement of the battle, jumped up and immediately fell down, stunned by a blow to the head. Fortunately, explosive, the bullet hit the stone. Nevertheless, stone fragments seriously injured the left cheek. Leonov crawled away, bandaged his head, and then he saw a rocket soaring into the sky, heard a mighty “hurrah”: a detachment of marines, crushing the Nazis, hurried to help the defenders of the height.
Here in such operations - can you count how many there were! - the military skills of the fearless naval intelligence officer were honed, his character was tempered. Could Victor have foreseen that his name would become legendary? He didn't care about fame. No, he simply fulfills the duty of defending the Motherland, as befits a Soviet patriot. With heart and mind, combat experience, acquired at a high price and enriched from raid to raid, from campaign to campaign, he served the great, nationwide cause of Victory.
And it was so natural what happened once in the landing. The detachment was left without a commander, and everyone, by silent agreement, recognized Leonov as senior. The operation was completed successfully.
Having assessed the military merits and commanding talent of Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov, the command considered it possible, despite the lack of special training, to assign him an officer rank.
The day came when Leonov led a detachment of naval scouts. The combat glory of the detachment increased even more. With courageous raids, scouts opened the enemy defense system, destroyed enemy communications, smashed his bases, destroyed manpower, contributed to the success of offensive actions Soviet troops.
The front passed through the deserted, gloomy expanses of the Arctic. Delivered by ships to the enemy's rear, the detachment overcame swamps, tundras, icy hills, severe snowstorms and blinding snowstorms, when a violent wind fell from their feet. Sometimes the campaign lasted a week before the scouts reached their goal and entered into a fleeting merciless battle with the Nazis. Another raid, another enemy base destroyed, another tactical plan of the enemy collapsed.
Leonov and his scouts penetrated the fjords of Norway fortified by the Nazis. They were the first to visit the land of Petsamo and Kirkenes in order to prepare the landing of Soviet troops. Step by step, they cleared the North from the invaders, Good luck accompanied the detachment.
Luck? No! Incomparable military skill, the art of taking advantage of a sudden blow, decisiveness, moral superiority over the enemy, physical conditioning, which helped to overcome incredible difficulties - these are the elements that made up a wonderful fusion of victory.
When seemingly insurmountable obstacles arose, Leonov repeated Suvorov's words about the Russian soldier who would pass where even a deer would not pass. And the scouts, following their commander, crossed places that even animals avoided. The military prowess of the ancestors who glorified our weapons in battles against foreign invaders, in victorious battles civil war, lived in the blood of Soviet soldiers, led them forward to victory.
The example of the communists, loyalty to the oath, fiery love for the Motherland soldered the detachment into a single family. The commander believed in his people, just as they believed in him, firmly knowing that the lieutenant commander would find a way out of any most difficult situation, always outwit the enemy and bring the matter to victory. That is why the naval scouts of Viktor Leonov's detachment were successful.
A tradition that was nowhere recorded and strengthened by itself: no one was sent to Leonov's detachment without the consent of the commander. Just as exacting and exacting as to himself, Leonov closely studied a person before accepting him into a family of scouts.
Little of. He sought to make a person capable of taking risks, instantly orienting himself, being self-possessed, calmly assessing the situation, and acting decisively at the right moment. Finally, the difficult profession of a front-line intelligence officer requires excellent physical training, the ability to endure hardships and engage in single combat with the enemy. If you meet these conditions, then you get a greater guarantee that a person, getting into severe alterations, will remain alive.
And Viktor Nikolayevich took it as a rule, made it an immutable law of the detachment to learn everything and everything that could be useful in a fight with the enemy. In short breaks between raids, scouts could be seen doing something unusual for a front-line situation. They competed in running and jumping, in lifting weights, fiercely, to the point of sweat, fought each other, practicing sambo techniques, and cross-country skiing. Sometimes it seemed that there was no war nearby, but some kind of sports and athletics of a completely peaceful time was going on. The fighters were even engaged in mountaineering, climbed steep cliffs, climbed over abysses. And how all this later, in a combat situation, contributed to success - the unit was always ready to fulfill any task of the command.
And the commander of the detachment taught people to think, not just to follow orders, but to bring creative initiative into their actions. In the classroom, he gave his subordinates such unexpected introductions that required both imagination and hard work of thought. That is why the tasks assigned to the detachment were solved intelligently, exactly in accordance with the idea general plan. "Do every job well!" - Captain-Lieutenant Leonov remained true to this covenant of youth.
Under the blows of the Soviet troops, the entire fascist defense in the Arctic inevitably collapsed. Enraged by the failure of their plans, the Nazis finally unbelted. In northern Norway, they blew up bridges, set fire to villages, robbed and stole civilians. A detachment of naval scouts was ordered to land on the coast of the Varanger Fjord, cut off the enemy's main communications, and protect the Norwegians from rapists.
The population of the Varanger peninsula greeted their saviors with tears of joy and excited words of gratitude. Outstripping them, as if on wings, the message passed from mouth to mouth: “The Russians have come!” As soon as they heard it, the fascist rangers took to flight, if only to get away from these "black devils", as they called our scouts.
Having abandoned the stolen goods and their food warehouses, the invaders also fled from the fishing village of Kiberg. By order of Leonov, the warehouses were opened for the starving population, and the old fisherman, the most respected person in Kiberg, addressed the crowd with the words:
Watch and listen! The Nazis robbed us. The Russians are returning our goods to us. They only ask that everything be fair. So that every family gets their fair share.
Long unceasing cries of approval were the answer to this short and expressive speech.
Where the scouts passed, life resurrected, people returned from secret shelters in the mountains. The squad moved forward. On the eve of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Great October Revolution, a message was received on the radio that Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was awarded the title of Hero for military exploits. Soviet Union.
When his friends-comrades-in-arms congratulated him, he always said: “The war is not over yet. And we still need to work hard to justify the Golden Star, which means doing everything to accelerate the complete defeat of fascism.
And he "worked" for glory until that bright hour, when people, like crazy, joyfully threw themselves into each other's arms and in all the languages of Europe the word "peace" was pronounced with love and hope.
Victory Day has arrived. Nazi Germany capitulated unconditionally. The peoples of the earth rejoiced and glorified the army of the Soviet people, which honorably fulfilled its great liberation mission. But the flames of war still continued to blaze in the Far East. In the interests of the security of its Far Eastern borders, the socialist power sent its armed forces to defeat militaristic Japan.
And again in the battles, a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov. He participates in the liberation of Korea from the Japanese invaders.
In the Korean port of Seishin, a very difficult situation arose in the battle for the bridge. The Japanese had a large numerical superiority and tried their best to keep the bridge - the only communication that provided them with the opportunity to withdraw. They fought desperately. At the decisive moment of the battle, the experience gained in the North once again came to the rescue of the scouts. He suggested that in hand-to-hand combat it does not happen that both opponents fight with the same tenacity. If one side has the willpower and determination to fight to the end, it will definitely win. It cannot be otherwise. And now, under fierce enemy fire, our scouts, led by the commander, got up and went forward. Outwardly calm, they were inexorably approaching, and when twenty meters remained before the enemy, the Japanese rushed about: their nerves could not withstand the bayonet strike. The fight has been won! New brilliant pages were inscribed in the annals of military glory of naval scouts. Along the entire front, the name of the detachment commander, Captain-Lieutenant Leonov, who was awarded the second "Gold Star", was passed from mouth to mouth.
In the town of Zaraysk near Moscow, on Uritsky Square, there is a beautiful park. On a July afternoon in 1950, a crowded meeting gathered here, among the dense greenery of young lindens and acacias. A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov rises on a pedestal. And on the podium, unable to hide the unrest, stood a modest, simple Soviet man. In the flurry of applause, he heard the splash of a distant wave, the faces of fighting friends appeared in front of a clouded look. And it seemed: the gentle hand of the Motherland lies on the shoulder, raising and glorifying her faithful son for his feat of arms for dedicated service to the people.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov - participant in the Great Patriotic War, commander of the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet and the 140th special forces detachment Pacific Fleet. Viktor Leonov is a true legend of the Soviet...
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov - participant in the Great Patriotic War, commander of the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet and the 140th special forces detachment of the Pacific Fleet. Viktor Leonov is a true legend of Soviet naval intelligence. For his exploits during the war, he was twice presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Viktor Leonov was born on November 21, 1916 in the small town of Zaraysk, Ryazan province, in a simple working-class family, Russian by nationality. After graduating from the seven-year plan, Leonov from 1931 to 1933. He studied at the school of factory apprenticeship at the Moscow plant "Caliber". After completing his studies, he worked as a fitter, combining work at the factory with social activities. In particular, he was the chairman of the workshop committee of inventors, a member of the factory committee of the Komsomol and the head of the youth brigade.
In 1937, Viktor Leonov was called to military service. Viktor Nikolaevich got into the navy. In the Northern Fleet, he took a course in the S. M. Kirov diving training detachment, the detachment was based in the city of Polyarny in the Murmansk region. For further passage military service he was sent to the Shch-402 submarine. This boat belongs to a large family of well-known Soviet submarines project Shch (Pike).
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the senior Red Navy sailor Viktor Leonov turned to the command with a report on enrolling him in the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. Two weeks later, his wish was granted. He ended up in the Marine Corps along with his friend Alexander Senchuk. Unfortunately, his friend died in the very first battle with the German rangers, which was a shock to the newly minted marine Leonov, but did not convince him of the correctness of his choice.
Later, as part of a reconnaissance detachment, starting on July 18, 1941, Leonov conducted more than 50 combat operations behind enemy lines. Since December 1942, after being assigned to him officer rank he was deputy commander of the detachment 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 the rank of lieutenant. In September 1945, Viktor Leonov smashed the Japanese already in the rank of senior lieutenant.
In the summer of 1941, his glorious military path was just beginning, there were many hard battles and awards ahead. A few days after the first battle, Viktor Leonov heads straight to the rear of the enemy, the 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 going on here). Senior sailor Leonov bravely fought the enemy and in the summer of 1941 he was awarded one of the most honorary "soldier" medals "For Courage". In the battle at Cape Pikshuev, he was seriously wounded by a mine fragment. After being treated at the hospital, having received a certificate stating that he was no longer fit for military service, he nevertheless returned to his reconnaissance detachment. Sitting in the rear when friends are fighting the Nazi invaders, Viktor Leonov did not want to. Very difficult sorties behind enemy lines in winter conditions awaited him again. In the snow, in the terrible cold, in camouflage, Soviet intelligence officers they made their way behind enemy lines without the right to make a mistake, any mistake could lead to the death of not only one scout, but the entire detachment.
In early May 1942, Viktor Leonov, already in the rank of foreman of the 2nd article, commanded a control group consisting of 10 intelligence officers. It was at this time that he took part in the operation, which was later described in his 1957 book, Facing the Enemy, in which the intelligence officer called the operation the "May Raid". As part of this operation, with incredible efforts, a detachment of marines managed to break through to a given 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 forces to carry out their operation behind enemy lines. Seven days behind enemy lines, in continuous battles, it would seem that nothing could be more difficult. Many scouts were wounded and received frostbite (May turned out to be quite severe in the Arctic), including foreman Leonov. However, the most difficult battles and trials were waiting for him ahead.
One of these fights really happened quite soon. It was an operation on Cape Mogilny, where the scouts had to destroy the German radar base, which detected our ships and aircraft. The operation was led by Senior Lieutenant Frolov, Leonov's new commander. 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 heavy German fire, practically stepping straight ahead on enemy guns. Having captured the enemy 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 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 - from all sides, either the sea or German soldiers, the widest part of the cape, on which the scouts were surrounded, did not exceed 100 meters. This rocky area was shot through 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 got out alive, while many survivors were injured. Heroically died Zinovy Ryzhechkin, who to the last covered his comrades with machine gun fire, and Yuri Mikheev, who destroyed a whole group of German rangers with a bunch of grenades. 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 Order 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 behind enemy lines continued. After one of them (the scouts had to deliver the “language”), the commander of the detachment was dismissed near the Varanger Peninsula, since the operation was considered unsuccessful. Leonov is appointed as the new commander and given three days to prepare. It was a kind of test, and the newly minted second lieutenant coped with it perfectly well. On the very first day of the operation, the soldiers under the command of Leonov captured the lighthouse employee, having learned a lot from him useful information. The next day, in just two hours, they not only made their way through the mountains behind enemy lines, but also captured two rangers without firing a shot. The composure and amazing calculation shown at the same time could only be inherent in true professionals in their field.
Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov was born into a working-class family. Russian by nationality. Member of the CPSU since 1942.
In 1931, after graduating from the seven-year plan, he entered the FZO at the Moscow Caliber plant, and then worked as a mechanic at the same plant for four years. In 1937 he was drafted into the Navy. He served on a submarine in the Northern Fleet.
During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Northern Navy. A detachment of naval scouts more than once smashed the rear of the enemy, cut off his communications, and obtained valuable information. In 1945, V.N. Leonov participated in the battles against the Japanese militarists in the Far East. A detachment of naval scouts was awarded the title of Guards.
In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School, and in 1956 - two courses of the Naval Academy. Reserved since 1956.
At present, V.N. Leonov lives and works in Moscow. In 1956, his book "Face to Face" was published, and in 1973 - "Prepare for a feat today."
In his dreams, he built Magnitogorsk blast furnaces and hoisted a red flag over the North Pole. He cut through the centuries-old taiga on the banks of the Amur to light the fires of the city of youth. He crossed the Karakum in an amazing automobile run and, together with Chkalov, flew over the white expanses of the Arctic, paving the shortest air route to America. He drove the first Soviet tractor from the conveyor, climbed on a stratospheric balloon, hurried to the aid of the Chelyuskinites in order to rescue them from ice captivity. He became a participant in the heroic deeds with which every day of our reality is so rich. He grew up with his country, selflessly loved his Motherland, was proud of it.
The same as other guys from the small town of Zaraysk near Moscow, he nevertheless stood out among his peers with precisely this amazing ability to dream. And also with their perseverance, will, which manifested themselves even in childish undertakings. And when they came up with something interesting, friends without hesitation chose Vitya Leonov as the leader.
This is how my youth passed. More and more often and more persistently disturbed the question: who to be? I wanted to become a writer, sailor, pilot, engineer. Each profession seemed fascinating, promised wide horizons, and the difficulty of choosing was precisely in the fact that the Motherland opened all the paths to a great life.
Victor knew one thing for sure: whatever he had to do, he would do well, giving all the heat of his heart. So he came to Moscow and entered the factory. The working family, the factory Komsomol, social teachings, evening classes polished the best features of a restless, sometimes overly harsh character.
Call to the army. Victor asked to be sent to the fleet, he decided to become a submariner. It can be seen that the children's passion for the sea affected. The request was granted. The boy from Zaraysk went to the North. He rode full of bright hopes. He was assigned to the submarine IZ-402. But in 1940, after suffering an illness, Viktor was written off for health reasons to a floating workshop. It was hard to part with the dream, but also. here he found himself, giving himself entirely to the new business. After all, everything must be done well - Victor remained true to his motto.
By hard work, discipline, and exemplary service, he won the respect of his comrades. In his free time, Leonov wrote poetry. At first, of course, only for themselves. Then he shared the fruits of his creativity with friends. They praised, insisted that Victor send the poems to the newspaper. Sent. The poems have been printed. It inspired. I decided to seriously engage in poetic experiments. They succeeded, and the desire gradually matured after serving in the army to enter the Literary Institute. But the war broke out, and plans had to be changed.
In these terrible days, Viktor Leonov was unable to stay in the workshops. He heard the voice of the Fatherland, calling him to fight the enemy, who brazenly invaded the territory of his native country. Victor, not without difficulty (again, the doctors came up against him) managed to get him transferred to the front. He got into the reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Front.
Military work is hard, and especially the service of a scout operating behind enemy lines. Selected, the people who became stronger were in the detachment. The detachment impeccably carried out the most difficult tasks of the command. In the very first operations, having honorably accepted the baptism of fire, Victor proved that he was worthy of his comrades in arms. More and more revealed his military abilities. Even among these unparalleled brave and steadfast fighters, he stood out for his courage and endurance. In addition, he showed such valuable qualities as a warrior, such as the ability to influence his comrades with a firm word and personal example, quickly and accurately assess the current situation, and instantly make the most correct decision.
A detachment of naval scouts with their bold raids inspired fear in the enemy. The Nazis could never predict where the scouts would appear, the headquarters of which unit, sometimes located far in the rear, was doomed to defeat. Suddenly rising up behind the back of a stunned enemy, inflicting devastating blows, the scouts just as suddenly and without a trace disappeared. The most "reliable" - the Jaeger units of the Nazi army were concentrated on the Northern Front. All the more honor and glory to our soldiers who smashed hardened Nazi warriors.
On the eve of May 1, 1942, the detachment received an unusual task. The difficulty was that this time it was ordered to act defiantly, in every possible way attracting the attention of the enemy. By bearing the brunt of the blow, the scouts ensured the success of a major landing operation.
On the night before the holiday, two platoons of reconnaissance boats crossed one of the bays of the Barents Sea. On a steep wave, they approached the shore, but failed to land: the enemy coastal defenses opened fire. The scouts jumped into the water, which was as cold as ice, reached the land with a cry of “hurray” and immediately launched grenades into action. The pre-dawn darkness was lit up by flashes of explosions, furiously, now choking, then again entering into a formidable chorus of battle, machine guns pounded. The huntsmen withstood the blow, and our warriors broke through into the mountains that towered over the uninhabited coast.
The scouts walked through the labyrinth of hills and hollows. Clothes were heavy after the ice font: fur jackets, trousers with reindeer fur outside. Snow still lay in the gorges, and on top it melted and formed whole lakes, which at this early hour of May Day morning were covered with an ice crust. Jaegers spotted the movement of the detachment. Perhaps they were already looking forward to victory, watching as the scouts were drawn deeper and deeper into the trap, and they took measures to cut off their escape routes. And the scouts stubbornly moved forward, to the height “415” dominating the area.
After a sleepless night, after a skirmish with the coast guard and a tiring road, many were exhausted. The commander ordered Sergeant Major Viktor Leonov to pull up the lagging behind. Who better than him can cheer up people, pour new strength into them! And foreman Leonov carried out the order of the commander: the detachment that had been stretched out again gathered into a fist, ready to fall on the enemy.
With a skillful maneuver, the scouts shot down the rangers from the height of "415"; fortified on it and, watching how the encirclement closes, they prepared to repel enemy attacks. The more a handful of brave men, seated at a height, will attract the attention and forces of the enemy, the more successful the main operation will be.
The day came into its own, and now, having finished maneuvering, the first wave of fascists poured into the attack. It gushed - and recoiled, as if crashing against a granite cliff. The Nazis made many attacks, and they all ended the same way.
The night has fallen. It seemed that a stone was cracking from a fierce cold. Not a single person at the top closed his eyes; everyone was alert. At dawn, the rangers again rushed to the height of "415" and until dusk 12 times unsuccessfully tried to master it. The detachment acted as if there were no sleepless nights, no extreme exertion of forces.
In the meantime, while significant enemy forces were bogged down in the battle for the heights, the main operation was successfully carried out. Having landed in a given area, our landing units moved forward. The command plan was carried out accurately. The detachment commander ordered Leonov, taking scouts Losev and Motovilin, to establish contact with the main units.
It was necessary to slip through the enemy ring, overcome six kilometers of a difficult path, return ...
A blizzard helped, suddenly appearing and ferocious with every minute. Leonov took advantage of this: he signaled to his comrades and rolled down a steep slope into impenetrable snowy haze. And now all three seemed to melt into it. These six kilometers seemed infinitely long, the body was fettered by inhuman fatigue. But Leonov stubbornly walked forward, and his friends did not lag behind him. The blizzard subsided when they reached the battalion headquarters. They were warmed, fed, persuaded to rest. But Leonov refused, he hurried to the height of "415", he knew how dear each person was there, and by the end of the day the three daredevils returned to the detachment, having completed a seemingly impossible task.
Jaegers ventured into a night fight. Five times they rushed to storm the impregnable height and each time rolled back, covering its slopes with corpses. But the situation in the scout detachment became more and more difficult every hour. UI not because for several days people did not take a nap, not because there was a completely insignificant supply of food left. Ammunition was running out, the minutes came when every cartridge was registered. And the morning was approaching, and it was clear that the Nazis would not give up their goal of capturing the height.
Leonov's keen eye, through the gloomy haze of dawn, made out small gray bumps or mounds on one of the slopes. No, he knows for sure: there were no such people here. He reported to the squad leader about the mounds that had grown overnight. Leonov's suspicions were justified: in the darkness of the night, cunningly disguised, the enemy machine gunners crept into close firing positions. Our snipers stepped in and the gray mounds came to life.
At some point, Leonov, seized with the excitement of the battle, jumped up and immediately fell down, stunned by a blow to the head. Fortunately, explosive, the bullet hit the stone. Nevertheless, stone fragments seriously injured the left cheek. Leonov crawled away, bandaged his head, and then he saw a rocket soaring into the sky, heard a mighty “hurrah”: a detachment of marines, crushing the Nazis, hurried to help the defenders of the height.
Here in such operations - can you count how many there were! - the military skills of the fearless naval intelligence officer were honed, his character was tempered. Could Victor have foreseen that his name would become legendary? He didn't care about fame. No, he simply fulfills the duty of defending the Motherland, as befits a Soviet patriot. With heart and mind, combat experience, acquired at a high price and enriched from raid to raid, from campaign to campaign, he served the great, nationwide cause of Victory.
And it was so natural what happened once in the landing. The detachment was left without a commander, and everyone, by silent agreement, recognized Leonov as senior. The operation was completed successfully.
Having assessed the military merits and commanding talent of Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov, the command considered it possible, despite the lack of special training, to assign him an officer rank.
The day came when Leonov led a detachment of naval scouts. The combat glory of the detachment increased even more. With courageous raids, the scouts opened up the enemy defense system, destroyed enemy communications, smashed his bases, destroyed manpower, and contributed to the success of the offensive operations of the Soviet troops.
The front passed through the deserted, gloomy expanses of the Arctic. Delivered by ships to the enemy's rear, the detachment overcame swamps, tundras, icy hills, severe snowstorms and blinding snowstorms, when a violent wind fell from their feet. Sometimes the campaign lasted a week before the scouts reached their goal and entered into a fleeting merciless battle with the Nazis. Another raid, another enemy base destroyed, another tactical plan of the enemy collapsed.
Leonov and his scouts penetrated the fjords of Norway fortified by the Nazis. They were the first to visit the land of Petsamo and Kirkenes in order to prepare the landing of Soviet troops. Step by step, they cleared the North from the invaders, Good luck accompanied the detachment.
Luck? No! Incomparable military skill, the art of taking advantage of a sudden blow, decisiveness, moral superiority over the enemy, physical conditioning, which helped to overcome incredible difficulties - these are the elements that made up a wonderful fusion of victory.
When seemingly insurmountable obstacles arose, Leonov repeated Suvorov's words about the Russian soldier who would pass where even a deer would not pass. And the scouts, following their commander, crossed places that even animals avoided. The military prowess of our ancestors, who glorified our weapons in battles against foreign invaders, in the victorious battles of the civil war, lived in the blood of Soviet soldiers, led them forward to victory.
The example of the communists, loyalty to the oath, fiery love for the Motherland soldered the detachment into a single family. The commander believed in his people, just as they believed in him, firmly knowing that the lieutenant commander would find a way out of any most difficult situation, always outwit the enemy and bring the matter to victory. That is why the naval scouts of Viktor Leonov's detachment were successful.
A tradition that was nowhere recorded and strengthened by itself: no one was sent to Leonov's detachment without the consent of the commander. Just as exacting and exacting as to himself, Leonov closely studied a person before accepting him into a family of scouts.
Little of. He sought to make a person capable of taking risks, instantly orienting himself, being self-possessed, calmly assessing the situation, and acting decisively at the right moment. Finally, the difficult profession of a front-line intelligence officer requires excellent physical fitness, the ability to endure hardships and engage in single combat with the enemy. If you meet these conditions, then you get a greater guarantee that a person, getting into severe alterations, will remain alive.
And Viktor Nikolayevich took it as a rule, made it an immutable law of the detachment to learn everything and everything that could be useful in a fight with the enemy. In short breaks between raids, scouts could be seen doing something unusual for a front-line situation. They competed in running and jumping, in lifting weights, fiercely, to the point of sweat, fought each other, practicing sambo techniques, and cross-country skiing. Sometimes it seemed that there was no war nearby, but some kind of sports and athletics of a completely peaceful time was going on. The fighters were even engaged in mountaineering, climbed steep cliffs, climbed over abysses. And how all this later, in a combat situation, contributed to success - the unit was always ready to fulfill any task of the command.
And the commander of the detachment taught people to think, not just to follow orders, but to bring creative initiative into their actions. In the classroom, he gave his subordinates such unexpected introductions that required both imagination and hard work of thought. That is why the tasks assigned to the detachment were solved intelligently, exactly in accordance with the idea of a general plan. "Do every job well!" - Captain-Lieutenant Leonov remained true to this covenant of youth.
Under the blows of the Soviet troops, the entire fascist defense in the Arctic inevitably collapsed. Enraged by the failure of their plans, the Nazis finally unbelted. In northern Norway, they blew up bridges, set fire to villages, robbed and stole civilians. A detachment of naval scouts was ordered to land on the coast of the Varanger Fjord, cut off the enemy's main communications, and protect the Norwegians from rapists.
The population of the Varanger peninsula greeted their saviors with tears of joy and excited words of gratitude. Outstripping them, as if on wings, the message passed from mouth to mouth: “The Russians have come!” As soon as they heard it, the fascist rangers took to flight, if only to get away from these "black devils", as they called our scouts.
Having abandoned the stolen goods and their food warehouses, the invaders also fled from the fishing village of Kiberg. By order of Leonov, the warehouses were opened for the starving population, and the old fisherman, the most respected person in Kiberg, addressed the crowd with the words:
Watch and listen! The Nazis robbed us. The Russians are returning our goods to us. They only ask that everything be fair. So that every family gets their fair share.
Long unceasing cries of approval were the answer to this short and expressive speech.
Where the scouts passed, life resurrected, people returned from secret shelters in the mountains. The squad moved forward. On the eve of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Great October Revolution, a message was received on the radio that Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov had been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for military exploits.
When his friends-comrades-in-arms congratulated him, he always said: “The war is not over yet. And we still need to work hard to justify the Golden Star, which means doing everything to accelerate the complete defeat of fascism.
And he "worked" for glory until that bright hour, when people, like crazy, joyfully threw themselves into each other's arms and in all the languages of Europe the word "peace" was pronounced with love and hope.
Victory Day has arrived. Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally. The peoples of the earth rejoiced and glorified the army of the Soviet people, which honorably fulfilled its great liberation mission. But the flames of war still continued to blaze in the Far East. In the interests of the security of its Far Eastern borders, the socialist power sent its armed forces to defeat militaristic Japan.
And again in the battles, a detachment of naval reconnaissance officers of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Commander Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov. He participates in the liberation of Korea from the Japanese invaders.
In the Korean port of Seishin, a very difficult situation arose in the battle for the bridge. The Japanese had a large numerical superiority and tried their best to keep the bridge - the only communication that provided them with the opportunity to withdraw. They fought desperately. At the decisive moment of the battle, the experience gained in the North once again came to the rescue of the scouts. He suggested that in hand-to-hand combat it does not happen that both opponents fight with the same tenacity. If one side has the willpower and determination to fight to the end, it will definitely win. It cannot be otherwise. And now, under fierce enemy fire, our scouts, led by the commander, got up and went forward. Outwardly calm, they were inexorably approaching, and when twenty meters remained before the enemy, the Japanese rushed about: their nerves could not withstand the bayonet strike. The fight has been won! New brilliant pages were inscribed in the annals of military glory of naval scouts. Along the entire front, the name of the detachment commander, Captain-Lieutenant Leonov, who was awarded the second "Gold Star", was passed from mouth to mouth.
In the town of Zaraysk near Moscow, on Uritsky Square, there is a beautiful park. On a July afternoon in 1950, a crowded meeting gathered here, among the dense greenery of young lindens and acacias. A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov rises on a pedestal. And on the podium, unable to hide the unrest, stood a modest, simple Soviet man. In the flurry of applause, he heard the splash of a distant wave, the faces of fighting friends appeared in front of a clouded look. And it seemed: the gentle hand of the Motherland lies on the shoulder, raising and glorifying her faithful son for his feat of arms, for devoted service to the people.
Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov (1916-2003) - Soviet sailor, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of separate reconnaissance detachments of the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
Born on November 21, 1916 in the city of Zaraysk, Moscow Region, in a working class family. Russian. From 1931 to 1933 he studied at the factory school at the Moscow plant "Caliber", after which he worked as a 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. He was called up to the Northern Fleet, where he completed a course in the S. M. Kirov diving training detachment in the city of Polyarny, Murmansk Region, and was sent for further service to the Shch-402 submarine.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the senior Red Navy sailor V.N. Leonov submitted a report on his enrollment in the 181st separate reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet, in which, from July 18, 1941, he conducted about 50 combat operations behind enemy lines. Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1942. From December 1942, after being promoted to the rank of officer, he was deputy commander of the detachment 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 the rank of lieutenant.
In October 1944, during the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation 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 for two days in off-road conditions. On the morning of October 12, they suddenly attacked an enemy 88-mm battery at Cape Krestovoy, captured it, and captured a large number of Nazis. When a boat with a Nazi landing force appeared, together with a detachment of Captain I.P. Barchenko-Emelyanov, they repelled enemy attacks, capturing about 60 Nazis. This battle ensured the success of the landing in Linahamari, the capture of the port and the city.
Thus, Leonov's detachment, by its actions, created favorable conditions for the landing of Soviet troops in the non-freezing port of Linakhamari and the subsequent liberation of Petsamo (Pechenga) and Kirkenes. By 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 Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 5058) with the wording: “for exemplary performance of combat missions of command behind enemy lines and shown this courage and heroism.
Upon completion of the defeat of fascist 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 Rashin, Seishin and Genzan. One of the most “high-profile” cases of V.N. Leonov’s detachment was 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, the Leonovites disarmed and captured about two thousand soldiers and two hundred officers, capturing 3 artillery batteries, 5 aircraft, and several ammunition depots.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 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 Navy THE USSR. In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Naval School. In 1952 he was awarded military rank 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, Orders of Alexander Nevsky, Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Red Star, medals, as well as the Order of the DPRK. He was awarded the title "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 beginning of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation).
In 1998, a children's and youth sports school in the city of Polyarny was named after V.N. Leonov. One of the ships of the Northern Fleet bears his name.
Taken from Wikipedia
