Aleksei Filippovich Romanov

Aleksei Filippovich Romanov

Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class nr. 189456 was awarded by Order of the 4th Air Army of April 30, 1945 to 22-year-old Guards Junior Lieutenant Aleksei Filippovich Romanov, senior pilot in the 189th Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment, 196th Ground-Attack Aviation Division, 4th Ground-Attack Aviation Corps, 4th Air Army, 2nd Belorussian Front.


Promotions	Date
Junior Lieutenant	November 1, 1943
Lieutenant	June 5, 1945
Senior Lieutenant	February 10, 1949
Captain	June 24, 1954

Award citation

1. Last name, first name, and patronymic: Romanov, Aleksei Filippovich
2. Rank: Guards Junior Lieutenant
3. Position and unit: Senior pilot in the 189th Brest Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment

Nominated for: Order of the Red Banner

4. Year of birth: 1923
5. Nationality: Russian
6. Party membership and period: Member of the Komsomol since 1943
7. Participation in the Civil War, the subsequent combat actions to defend the USSR, and the Patriotic War (where and when): From August 2, 1944 up to the present time on the 2nd Belorussian Front
8. Wounds and contusions received during the Patriotic War: No
9. Since when in the Red Army: Since 1941
10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Military Commissariat of Uralsk District, city of Uralsk
11. Previous awards (for which achievements): Order of the Red Star by Order of the 196th Zhlobin Ground-Attack Aviation Division nr. 04/N of August 18, 1944
12. Permanent home address of the prospective awardee and his family's address: _______________

Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:

Guards Junior Lieutenant Romanov has been serving on the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts since August 20, 1944. In combat he acts boldly and decisively. He exhibits bravery and heroism. He executes combat missions in a good or excellent manner. He has been guiding a flight of 4 Il-2 aircraft into battle on his own, without suffering any casualties. He flies in adverse weather conditions. For the exemplary execution of combat missions on the 2nd Belorussian Front and for 11 successfull combat sorties he has been awarded the Order of the Red Star. For 32 combat sorties he was nominated for a second award, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class. Following this nomination for a second award comrade Romanov completed 24 successful combat missions. He took part in the fighting aimed at seizing the cities of Osowiec and Ostrołęka in East Prussia and Pomerania.

On February 27, 1945 he carried out a mission near Bublitz in adverse weather conditions. He was tasked with destroying field artillery pieces at their firing positions, which were holding back the advance of our ground troops. Conducting a precise bomb run and firing his machine guns, Guards Junior Lieutenant Romanov suppressed the fire of the field artillery batteries. As a result of the successfully completed mission, our ground troops advanced and took the town of Zechendorf. He particularly distinguished himself during the destruction of the Danzig pocket.

On March 23, 1945 during an attack on warships and barges in Gdańsk Bay, Guards Junior Lieutenant Romanov achieved a direct hit, causing a large fire on a motorized barge carrying enemy materiel and troops.

On March 27, 1945 he carried out a combat mission aimed at striking enemy stockpiles and depots in the area 2 kilometers north of Oxhцft. The successful mission caused 2 large blazes and 3 powerful explosions in the depots, which was confirmed by the guidance station.

For the exemplary execution of combat missions, for the bravery, boldness, and perseverance, for flying 24 successful sorties, and for the harm inflicted on the enemy, Guards Junior Lieutenant Romanov deserves the Order of the Red Banner.

Commanding officer of the 189th Brest Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment
Guards Lieutenant Colonel [signed] /Slyunkin/
April 2, 1945

Aleksei Filippovich Romanov

Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class nr. 189456, reverse

Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class nr. 189456, obverse and reverse

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image.

Romanov (second from left) with fellow pilots Tyurin (second from right) and Ulanov (far right) in front of an Ilyushin Il-2 aircraft	Personnel of the 189th Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment
Pilots of the 189th Guards in front of the Reichstag, Berlin, 1945	Officers of the 189th Guards in Berlin, May 30, 1945. Romanov is possibly standing in the center
Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft	Romanov's last name is scratched into the reverse of the order