Polbin, Ivan Semenovich

Born Jan. 14 (27), 1905, in the village of Rtishchevo-Kamenka, now in Maina Raion, Ul’ianovsk Oblast; died Feb. 11, 1945. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (Nov. 23, 1942, and Apr. 6, 1945), major general of aviation (1943). Member of the CPSU from 1927.

Polbin joined the Soviet Army in 1927. He graduated from the Orenburg Military School for Pilots in 1931. He commanded a bomber regiment in fighting on the Khalkhin Gol River. He served on several fronts in the Great Patriotic War (1941–45), commanding the 150th Bomber Aviation Regiment in 1941–42, the 301st Bomber Aviation Division in 1942–43, and the VI Guards Bomber Aviation Corps from 1943 to 1945. Polbin made 157 combat flights to bomb vital military targets. He died carrying out a combat mission.

Polbin was awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov Second Class, the Order of Bogdan Khmel’nitskii, the Order of the Patriotic War First Class, and various medals.