Iumashev, Andrei Borisovich

Born Mar. 18 (31), 1902, in St. Petersburg. Soviet pilot; major general of aviation (1943). Hero of the Soviet Union (Sept. 1, 1937). Member of the CPSU since 1941.

Iumashev entered the Soviet Army in 1918. He graduated from the Egor’evsk Flight School in 1923 and the Borisoglebsk and Serpukhov flight schools in 1924. Iumashev became a test pilot in 1927 and set altitude records for aircraft flying with control cargoes of 5 tons, 10 tons, and 20 tons in 1936. In 1937, he and M. M. Gromov and S. A. Danilin flew across the north pole from Moscow to the USA, setting an absolute distance record for a nonstop flight (10,148 km). Iumashev held the position of deputy director of the Institute of Flight Research in 1940 and 1941.

Iumashev served in the Great Patriotic War. He was appointed commander of a fighter squadron in July 1941 and later served as commander of an air regiment, deputy commander of the Third and First Air armies of the Western Front, and commander of the VI Fighter Air Corps on the Kalinin, Western, and Southwestern fronts. He was named air force commander of the air defense forces of the Eastern Front in July 1943 and chief of the directorate of fighter aviation of the Air Force Main Directorate of Combat Training in 1944. Iumashev was placed on reserve status in 1946.

Iumashev was a deputy to the first convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He has been awarded two Orders of Lenin, five Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and various medals. Iumashev has also received the De Lavaux Medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.