Photo of the mine-torpedo aviation pilot N.A. Tokarev– Hero of the Soviet Union

The original wartime photo is in good collector's condition. The size is 77*90 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Guarantee of authenticity.

Ikolai Alexandrovich Tokarev (1907-1944) was a Soviet pilot of mine-torpedo aviation, a participant in the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, Hero of the Soviet Union (04/21/1940). Major General of Aviation (01/22/1944).

He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. Major N. A. Tokarev, commander of the 3rd Squadron of the 1st mine-torpedo Aviation Regiment of the 8th Bomber Aviation Brigade of the Baltic Fleet Air Force, flew 57 combat missions, causing significant damage to the enemy in manpower and equipment. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 21, 1940, Major Tokarev Nikolai Alexandrovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for exemplary performance of combat missions of the command in the Soviet-Finnish War. The 3rd squadron, which he commanded, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

He participated in the Great Patriotic War as part of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force since June 1941. During the first summer of the war, at the head of large groups of aircraft, the regiment carried out air raids on the main Romanian naval base of Constanta, the Ploiesti oil fields and military installations in the Bucharest area. In November 1941, he was appointed commander of the 2nd mine-torpedo Aviation Regiment, transformed in April 1942 into the 5th Guards mine-torpedo Aviation Regiment, with which he participated in the defense of Sevastopol and in the Battle for the Caucasus. From October 1942 to July 14, 1943, he commanded the 63rd long-range heavy bomber Aviation Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force, and from July 1943, the 1st mine—torpedo Aviation Division, created on its basis, whose naval pilots distinguished themselves during the Novorossiysk-Taman operation of the Soviet troops and in the liberation of the cities of Novorossiysk and Anapa.. In June 1942, Lieutenant Colonel N. A. Tokarev was presented with the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, but the award was replaced by the Order of the Red Banner by the higher command. On January 22, 1944, Colonel Tokarev N. A. was awarded the military rank of Major General of Aviation. During the Great Patriotic War, he completed 72 combat missions.

On January 30, 1944, he died in the area of the village of Cozy near Yevpatoria. According to the memoirs of the division's flagship navigator, later Aviation Lieutenant General P. I. Khokhlov, Tokarev was dissatisfied with the unsuccessful bombing of one of the regiments carried out on a transport convoy en route to Yevpatoria, and decided to attempt a torpedo attack on the convoy before the convoy could take refuge in the port of Yevpatoria. As a result, in a short time, it was possible to prepare only two torpedo bombers for takeoff, one of which returned to the airfield due to a malfunction. Tokarev carried out the torpedo attack on one A-20 Boston torpedo bomber, under the cover of seven Aerocobra fighters, who tried to distract the enemy by attacking ships. Nevertheless, anti-aircraft artillery fire concentrated on Tokarev's plane, whose right engine caught fire. Tokarev managed to land the plane in the Moynak Lake area, while he himself died, and navigator Major Nikolai Andreevich Markin and radio operator Sergeant Vasily Goncharov were captured in serious condition. This combat episode is discussed in detail in M. E. Morozov's book "Naval Torpedo-carrying Aviation", which includes a detailed description of K. D. Denisov, who covered Tokarev on one of the "Aircobras". Tokarev's death is considered the most likely as a result of an injury he received while still in the air. In addition, based on archival data, Morozov indicates that for Tokarev this was the first combat mission on the Boston he had recently mastered, and the first flight for low-altitude torpedo bombing. Tokarev's motive for making a risky attack could have been the euphoria of receiving a high rank: on January 29, Admiral L. A. Vladimirsky, commander of the fleet, personally presented Tokarev with general's shoulder straps. General Tokarev's targets turned out to be the F 333 BDB, F 382 and the Uj 308 hunter, which were anchored, but which were not damaged (as confirmed by both German data and Denisov's combat report).