- Aleksandr Kazakov
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Kazakov (or Kozakov) ( _ru. Александр Александрович Казаков) (15 January 1889 - 1 August 1919) {British
Distinguished Service Order andMilitary Cross and the FrenchLégion d'honneur order.}was the most successful Russianflying ace and fighter pilot during the First World War.Born in a Russian noble family in Kherson province, Kazakov graduated from Yelizavetgrad
cavalry school in 1908.In 1913 he began formal training as a pilot and graduated at the beginning of World War I fromGatchina military aviation school.Aleksander Kazakov flew on
Morane-Saulnier , Spad – SА2,Nieuport 11 andNieuport 17 planes and is alleged to have the largest number of victories over enemy aircraft amongImperial Russian Air Force pilots. Unofficially he shot down 32 German and Austro-Hungarian planes, although his official tally is only 17 because only planes crashed in Russian-held territory were counted. Russian military aviation tradition during World War I was different from that of its Western allies and rivals and the individual scores of pilots were considered to be of lesser value compared to their contribution to the overall war effort.On 19 March 1915 Aleksandr Kazakov successfully repeated the
ramming attack first attempted byPyotr Nesterov .Between 1915 and 1917 he fought on the Russian front as well as inRomania and participated in theBrusilov Offensive as a commander of 1st Combat Air Group. On July 29, 1916 he brought down his 3rd "kill". See [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/people/35274-ltn-karl-crome-ffa4b.html Ltn. Karl Crome from FFA4b - The Aerodrome Forum ] at www.theaerodrome.com]Aleksandr Kazakov was awarded 18 medals including the British
Distinguished Service Order andMilitary Cross and the FrenchLégion d'honneur order.During the
Russian Civil War Kazakov joined the Slavo-British Allied Legion inArkhangelsk and fought against theBolshevik Red Army airforce.On 1 August 1918 Kazakov became amajor in theRoyal Air Force and was appointed to be commanding officer in charge of an aviation squadron of the Slavo-British Allied Legion made up ofSopwith Camel planes.After the British withdrawal from Russia which left the Russian White Army in a desperate situation, Kazakov died in a plane crash during an air show on 1 August 1919 which was performed to boost the morale of the Russian anti-Bolshevik troops. Most witnesses of the incident thought Kazakov committed suicide.References
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/russia/kozakov.php The Aerodrome Aleksandr Kozakov] - in English
* [http://www.milrussia.ru/history/people/index.mhtml?card=725&letter=%CA Military History of Russia - Kazakov Aleksandr] - in Russian.
* [http://www.avia-hobby.ru/publ/aces/files/E_K/Kozakov.html Personal file, victory list, color schemes] - in Russian.
* [http://www.wio.ru/ww1a/ace1.htm Russian WWI aces] - in English and Russian
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