Photo of Air Force Captain Fatkin S.S., Hero of the Soviet Union

The original photo is in excellent collector's condition. The size is 85*115 mm. A photo from a personal file. Guarantee of authenticity.

Sergei Stepanovich Fatkin (September 11, 1918 — January 28, 1999) was a flight commander of the 165th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 10th Guards Assault Aviation Division of the 17th Air Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, a senior lieutenant in the Guards. Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was born on September 11, 1918 in the village of Chernava, now in the Miloslavsky district of the Ryazan region. Member of the CPSU since 1943. He graduated from seven grades of junior high school and an aeroclub. He worked at the Moscow Hammer and Sickle factory, as an aircraft technician at the aero club. In 1940, he was drafted into the Red Army. In 1942, he graduated from the Engels Military Aviation School of Pilots. In the battles of the Great Patriotic War since May 1943. He fought on the Voronezh, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. He participated in the battles for the liberation of Kharkov, Sumy, Kiev, Lviv. He fought in the skies of Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade. During the fierce fighting on the Kursk Bulge, Second Lieutenant S. S. Fatkin was ordered by the Guards to attack enemy tanks north of Butovo station. Taking special anti-tank bombs, he flew out on a combat mission. Seven tanks were disabled. In the autumn of 1943, Guard Lieutenant S. S. Fatkin, as part of a group of eighteen aircraft, successfully flew a bombing mission against an enemy airfield in the Uman area. Our pilots destroyed 27 enemy planes.

In 1944, Senior Lieutenant S. S. Fatkin of the Guards was assigned the task of destroying the railway bridge over the Danube south of the town of Oslek. Having overcome the dense barrage of anti-aircraft batteries, the experienced pilot broke through to the target and destroyed the bridge with a well-aimed bombing strike. By April 1945, Senior Lieutenant S. S. Fatkin, flight commander of the 165th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, had carried out 160 combat sorties to reconnoiter, bomb and attack enemy personnel and equipment, causing great damage to it.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 18, 1945, Senior Lieutenant Fatkin Sergey Stepanovich 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 to destroy enemy manpower and equipment and for his courage and heroism of the Guard.

Victory Day was celebrated on the territory of Czechoslovakia. Participated in the Victory Day Parade in Moscow in June 1945. He continued his military service. In 1949, he graduated from the Higher Officer Flight Tactical Advanced Training Courses. Since 1957, Colonel S. S. Fatkin has been in reserve. He lived in the city of Kremenchuk, Poltava region. Until 1973, he worked as an inspector of the personnel department of the Kremenchug City Council. He took an active part in the military-patriotic education of young people. He died on January 28, 1999.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Order of the Red Star, and medals.