Azi Aslanov
Encyclopedia
Azi Agadovich Aslanov commonly described as A. A. Aslanov, known as Hazi Aslanov or Hezi Aslanov in the Republic of Azerbaijan; January 22, 1910, Lankaran
— January 24, 1945, Latvia
) was an Azerbaijani Major-General of the Soviet armoured troops during World War II
. Aslanov was awarded twice Hero of the Soviet Union
.
in a working class family. When he lost his father at the age of 13, he quit local school number 1 and worked in the Lankaran Brick Plant.
In 1929, Aslanov graduated from the Transcaucasian Preparatory Military School in Baku
and continued his education at Leningrad
Cavalry School, where he passed courses at the Military Academy of Armored Forces.
After graduation, he was appointed commander of a 15th Cavalry Regiment platoon of 3rd Cavalry Division Bessarabia named after Grigory Kotovsky in June, 1931. In June, 1933, he was appointed commander of the separate tank company
. In 1937, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
. Aslanov also served as deputy commander for the technical part of company, commander of 2nd Rifle Division and 60th Rifle Divisions, followed by motor transport battalion of the Kiev Military District
, where he gained captain rank in February, 1939.
and fought in the Karelian Isthmus
, then took part in the breaking of the Mannerheim Line
during the Soviet-Finnish War. He was promoted to the major
in November, 1940.
battalion, composed of 12-15 machines type T-26
, BT-5, BT-7
and T-34
.
In the fierce fights near the areas of Shostka
, Bakhmach
, Piryatin, his tankers fought to the last tank, while Aslanov personally led his battalion in the attack. In one of these battles, Azi Aslanov, received two bullet wounds in his right leg and severe shrapnel wound to the head, but continued to remain in the service. When the battalion lost all of its tanks, the Major was recalled to the reserve in September, 1941. He also appointed of 10th deputy for the technical units, where he fought in the areas of Piryatin, Okhtyrka
, Bohodukhiv
and Kharkiv
. The next year, he received command of the 55th Tank Regiment.
to Vilnius
and Riga
, and participated in the battles of Rostov
and Taganrog
. His brigade liberated the town Pleshinitsy. Aslanov was famous for his "thrust from flank" technique, which was launching an attack by heading straight toward the enemy, while other Soviet troops were sent to attack from the sides.
during the reconnaissance, Major General
Azi Aslanov was seriously wounded and died after five and a half hours. He died heroically on the battlefield and was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War
, 1st degree for his leadership Tank Brigade.
Azi Aslanov received his first star in 1943 for the heroism in Stalingrad. The second one was supposed to be given for the cross of Berezino
river, under the recommendation of General of the Army
Ivan Chernyakhovsky
, but because of discriminatory treatment, he got it posthumously, 46 years later, in 1991, after a special appeal by Azerbaijani intelligentsia
to Mikhail Gorbachev
.
A subway
station, school, oil tanker and a streets in Baku
, Imishli
and Volgograd
, monument in Vialejka were named after him. The village in Agstafa
region carries his name and his house museum functions in Lankaran
. A special granite memorial plate was constructed in memory of him on Mamayev Kurgan
.
Lankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
— January 24, 1945, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) was an Azerbaijani Major-General of the Soviet armoured troops during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Aslanov was awarded twice Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
.
Early years
Azi Aslanov was born on January 22, 1910 in LankaranLankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
in a working class family. When he lost his father at the age of 13, he quit local school number 1 and worked in the Lankaran Brick Plant.
In 1929, Aslanov graduated from the Transcaucasian Preparatory Military School in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and continued his education at Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
Cavalry School, where he passed courses at the Military Academy of Armored Forces.
After graduation, he was appointed commander of a 15th Cavalry Regiment platoon of 3rd Cavalry Division Bessarabia named after Grigory Kotovsky in June, 1931. In June, 1933, he was appointed commander of the separate tank company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
. In 1937, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
. Aslanov also served as deputy commander for the technical part of company, commander of 2nd Rifle Division and 60th Rifle Divisions, followed by motor transport battalion of the Kiev Military District
Kiev Military District
The Kiev Military District was a Russian unit of military-administrative division of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Ukrainian Army, RKKA, and Soviet Armed Forces...
, where he gained captain rank in February, 1939.
Winter War
He served during the 1939 Soviet invasion of PolandSoviet invasion of Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland can refer to:* the second phase of the Polish-Soviet War of 1920 when Soviet armies marched on Warsaw, Poland* Soviet invasion of Poland of 1939 when Soviet Union allied with Nazi Germany attacked Second Polish Republic...
and fought in the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
, then took part in the breaking of the Mannerheim Line
Mannerheim Line
The Mannerheim Line was a defensive fortification line on the Karelian Isthmus built by Finland against the Soviet Union. During the Winter War it became known as the Mannerheim Line, after Field Marshal Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. The line was constructed in two phases: 1920–1924 and...
during the Soviet-Finnish War. He was promoted to the major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in November, 1940.
Battle of Moscow
In August, 1941, he replaced the injured commander of a tankTank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
battalion, composed of 12-15 machines type T-26
T-26
The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s....
, BT-5, BT-7
BT-7
The BT-7 was the last of the BT tank series of Soviet cavalry tanks that were produced in large numbers between 1935 and 1940. They were lightly armoured, but reasonably well-armed for their time, and had much better mobility than other contemporary tank designs...
and T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
.
In the fierce fights near the areas of Shostka
Shostka
Shostka is a town in Sumy Oblast in north-east of Ukraine. The population is 85,800 . The town lies on the river Shostka, a tributary of Desna, from which it gets its name...
, Bakhmach
Bakhmach
Bakhmach is a city located in the Chernihiv Oblast , in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Bakhmatsky Raion , and is located at around . As of January 1, 2005, the city's population is 20,300.-History:...
, Piryatin, his tankers fought to the last tank, while Aslanov personally led his battalion in the attack. In one of these battles, Azi Aslanov, received two bullet wounds in his right leg and severe shrapnel wound to the head, but continued to remain in the service. When the battalion lost all of its tanks, the Major was recalled to the reserve in September, 1941. He also appointed of 10th deputy for the technical units, where he fought in the areas of Piryatin, Okhtyrka
Okhtyrka
Okhtyrka is a city in Ukraine, a raion centre within Sumy Oblast. It is situated near the Vorskla River, on an eleven-mile spur of the Kiev–Kharkiv railway line. It is home to Akhtyrka air base...
, Bohodukhiv
Bohodukhiv
Bohodukhiv is a city in the Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Bohodukhivsky Raion , and is located on the Kharkiv-Sumy railway at around ....
and Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
. The next year, he received command of the 55th Tank Regiment.
Battle of Stalingrad
Later in 1942, he led the 35th Guards Tank Brigade from Stalingrad through Borisovo, Vileyka, and MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
to Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, and participated in the battles of Rostov
Battle of Rostov
Three battles of the Eastern Front of World War II around the city of Rostov-on-Don on the Sea of Azov are known as the Battle of Rostov:*In the Battle of Rostov , the German 1st Panzer Army captured the city but was driven out by the Soviet 37th Army...
and Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
. His brigade liberated the town Pleshinitsy. Aslanov was famous for his "thrust from flank" technique, which was launching an attack by heading straight toward the enemy, while other Soviet troops were sent to attack from the sides.
Death
On January 24, 1945 near Priekule, in the Liepāja DistrictLiepaja District
Liepāja District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region, in the country's west.Districts were eliminated during the administrative-territorial reform in 2009....
during the reconnaissance, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Azi Aslanov was seriously wounded and died after five and a half hours. He died heroically on the battlefield and was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War
Order of the Patriotic War
The Order of the Patriotic War is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the German-Soviet War, known by the former-Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.- History :The Order was...
, 1st degree for his leadership Tank Brigade.
Awards and honors
Berezina River
The Berezina is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River.The Berezina Preserve by the river is in the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves.-Historical significance:...
river, under the recommendation of General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Ivan Chernyakhovsky
Ivan Chernyakhovsky
Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, also Cherniakhovsky, ; Oksanina, Uman, Russian Empire , - Mehlsack, today Pieniężno, Poland, 18 February 1945) was a Soviet General of the Army , twice Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, who died from wounds received outside...
, but because of discriminatory treatment, he got it posthumously, 46 years later, in 1991, after a special appeal by Azerbaijani intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
to Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
.
A subway
Baku Metro
Baku Metro is a rapid transit system serving Baku the capital of Azerbaijan. First opened on November 6, 1967, during the time of the Soviet Union, it has the features found in most other ex-Soviet systems, including very deep central stations, and exquisite decorations that blend traditional...
station, school, oil tanker and a streets in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Imishli
Imishli
Imishli is a rayon of Azerbaijan.Imishli and Sabirabad rayons share the largest lake of Azerbaijan Sarysu...
and Volgograd
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
, monument in Vialejka were named after him. The village in Agstafa
Agstafa
-Overview:Agstafa raion was created on 24 January 1939 as an independent administrative unit out of larger Qazakh region of Azerbaijan. On 4 December 1959, the status of the raion was abolished and it was incorporated into Qazakh Rayon...
region carries his name and his house museum functions in Lankaran
Lankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
. A special granite memorial plate was constructed in memory of him on Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai"....
.