Kuznetsov Mikhail Vasilyevich died on April 20, 1945. Soviet aces. Essays on Soviet pilots. "Kuznetsov Mikhail Vasilyevich" in books

Born on November 7, 1913 in the village of Agarino, now the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region, in a working class family. He graduated from the 7th grade in 1930. In the Red Army since 1933. He graduated from the Yeysk Naval Pilot School in 1934. Member of the campaign of the Red Army in Western Belarus in 1939 and the Soviet - Finnish War of 1939 - 1940.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War at the front. He was a squadron commander, and then commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. He fought on the Leningrad, Southwestern, 3rd and 1st Ukrainian fronts.

By August 1943, the commander of the 814th Fighter Aviation Regiment (207th Fighter Aviation Division, 3rd Mixed Aviation Corps, 17th Air Army, Southwestern Front) Major M.V. in air battles personally shot down 17 enemy aircraft and 6 as part of a group. On September 8, 1943, for courage and military prowess shown in battles with enemies, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

By May 1945, the commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps, 2nd Air Army, 1st Ukrainian Front) Guards Lieutenant Colonel M. V. Kuznetsov completed 330 successful sorties, conducted 72 air battles, in which he personally shot down 21 enemy aircraft and 6 in a group with comrades. On June 27, 1945 he was awarded the second medal "Gold Star" of the Hero.

After the war he continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1951 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. Since 1959 Major General of Aviation. In 1974 he retired. Lived in the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region. He was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner (four times), Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree, the Patriotic War 1st degree, the Red Banner of Labor, the Red Star (twice), and medals. The bronze bust was installed at home. Died December 15, 1989.

There were legends about the fearlessness of M.V. Kuznetsov and the pilots of his squadron at the front. Indeed, already in the first months of the war, the commander himself personally shot down 7 enemy aircraft.

The war began for him on June 22, 1941: on this day, fighter pilot M.V. Kuznetsov made his first sortie, and ended on May 8, 1945, when he saw the last Nazi aircraft he had killed. All these almost 4 years were devoted to their military work. The result of this work weighs: 345 sorties, 72 air battles, 22 enemy aircraft were personally shot down and 6 as part of a group.

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Mikhail Kuznetsov was born in the village of Agarino, not far from Serpukhov near Moscow, on November 7, 1913. From 1928 he lived with his parents in Moscow, after graduating from the 2nd stage school he worked at a factory. In 1932, he was elected secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the Moscow Machine Tool Plant named after S. Ordzhonikidze. In 1933, due to party mobilization, he was sent to the Yeysk Naval Pilot School. From 1934 he served in fighter aviation units.

In September 1939 he participated in the occupation of Eastern Poland, and at the end of the year - in the fighting against Finland during the Winter War.

The squadron commander of the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Captain M.V. Kuznetsov, performed the first sorties near Leningrad in July 1941 on a MiG-3 fighter (in August the regiment was based at the Seversky airfield).

This fight remained in his memory for the rest of his life. Over the airfield of the Nazis, he was "pressed" to the ground. He became interested in attacking the enemy’s parking lot with an airplane, dropped to 30-40 meters and did not notice how 4 Me-109s immediately fell on him from above. I already noticed when I was about to make a second circle over the Junkers' parking lot, and was horrified: "I got stuck. Now I can't get out." A pair of Me-109s attacked from behind, and another pair opened fire from above from a long distance, and the fiery streams of tracer bursts passed near the planes of his MiG-3.

Those fascists from above were quickly approaching, but so far the bursts of their machine guns did not reach the target. "They smear it or they do it on purpose, they decided to drive a living person into the ground ... You're being naughty. We'll see..."

Kuznetsov abruptly pushed the control stick away from himself, made a short dive and immediately pulled the handle back. The obedient "MiG" went up like a candle.

The first German fighter from those that were at the top did not expect such a "quick" from the Russian, missed his maneuver, and for Kuznetsov these fractions of a second were enough to catch the belly of a Nazi aircraft in the crosshairs of the sight and fire a short burst point-blank. It took another second to turn the plane to the side and get out of the attack, quickly gaining a saving height, he noticed that the first Me-109 crashed into the ground, and our fighters, his fighting friends, were hurrying towards him.

Then there were many sorties, for the war - 345. But this one remained in my memory forever. Years will pass, and he will remember him and the assessment of his actions, which he gave himself, sorting out his air duel with the squadron pilots.

You can’t get carried away in combat to the point of recklessness - the pilot must see everything, understand everything, and keep a clear head to the end. I have nothing to hide in front of you - I survived by a miracle, according to all the laws of tactics, my passion for attacking should have ended in death. I ask everyone to draw the appropriate conclusions from this case.

He left. And the pilots looked after their commander, and everyone repeated his words to himself with amazement. They themselves have already been in difficult bindings more than once, but, coming out victorious, they rarely admitted their mistakes. Komesk proved to be more courageous. To win, and then ruthlessly expose their mistakes - not everyone will be able to.

Kuznetsov was brought up in such a way - to face the truth, to be able to honestly admit his mistakes. And another time, just as boldly and just as ruthlessly, he spoke of his mistakes. The pilots then realized that the squadron commander was not drawn, but wanted, first of all, to teach each of them to courageously and skillfully defeat the enemy.

It was in August 1941 near Leningrad. A group of fighters under the command of Mikhail Vasilyevich met unexpectedly with the same Me-109 group. The Germans did not evade the battle and, using a slight advantage in height, rushed at our MiGs. It turned out that for every Soviet pilot there was one German fighter, and the battle, as it were, broke up into separate fights - duels.

Kuznetsov's opponent was the presenter German band fighters. From the handwriting of the German, Kuznetsov realized that the enemy was heavy. “We must pay tribute to the enemy in his ability to pilot an aircraft, in the art of air combat,” Mikhail Vasilyevich later said. “It was felt that an ace, a skilled fighter and an excellent aerobatic pilot, were at the helm of an enemy fighter.”

Kuznetsov tried to gain altitude and gain an advantage over the enemy, but he quickly figured out the maneuver of the Soviet pilot and also began to gain altitude. He responded to Kuznetsov's "dead loop" with a military turn and a clear "half-barrel".

"Sometimes it seemed that he knew my actions before me, my every maneuver. He skillfully used my mistakes in piloting technique and always got more pluses than me for some share. I was in a hurry and lagged behind, nervous and wrong..."

Resentment fueled Kuznetsov, and hatred for the one who now, apparently, grinned maliciously, anticipating a victory over the Soviet pilot, helped to gather his thoughts, become prudent and economical in choosing maneuvers.

“No, Fritz, you won’t take me easily,” he thought calmly, noticing that the German pilot had nevertheless gained a large margin of altitude and was preparing to attack from the rear hemisphere. Having sharply made a sharp turn - it went dark before his eyes - Kuznetsov threw his plane into a frontal attack. At breakneck speeds, they raced towards each other. Now the outcome of the duel was decided by the will. At the German, it turned out to be weaker, at some point his nerves could not stand it, and he jerked the plane up, trying to save himself with this maneuver. But he was late. That moment, when the German showed the belly of his "Messer", Kuznetsov was enough to catch him in the scope and shoot him.

The destruction of the leaders of groups of enemy aircraft later became his creed. Relying on his high skill and tactical literacy, the air fighter sought, first of all, to decapitate the enemy’s battle formations ...

The pilots of Kuznetsov's squadron fought fearlessly in air battles over besieged Leningrad. Again, he studied himself and forced the pilots to train in aerobatics, study practical aerodynamics, and analyze every air battle. More attention in the squadron began to be given to strong-willed training, the education of courage, perseverance, and determination. Newspapers, books, films, stories of participants in air battles - everything went into the arsenal of means of moral and combat education.

"A courageous air fighter will win even with a wooden seat back, a coward will die even under an armor cap," he said to his subordinates.

Glory to the pilots of his squadron came in the sky of Leningrad, and at the same time he was ordered to form a fighter aviation regiment and take command of it. But that's on another front...

In 1942, Major M.V. Kuznetsov was appointed commander of the 814th IAP on the Southwestern Front, flying first on the Hurricanes, and later on the Yak-1.

There were night flights - young pilots flew. It was especially lively at the squadron camp. Pilots who have just completed complex flight missions to intercept air enemy, squeezed closer to the General and listened to his story about the pilots - front-line soldiers of the 106th Guards Aviation Regiment.

Now I remember how I built the regiment for the first time after its reorganization, - said Mikhail Vasilyevich. - Lined up at the edge of the forest. The chief of staff reported - everything is as it should be according to the charter. The commissar and I went around the frozen ranks and both, as if agreed, said in one voice: "The boys - and that's it."

Many of them did not have to live to see the bright day of our victory. Our people will never forget the feat of those boys who showed themselves to be real heroes, courageous soldiers of war, fearless falcons ... I was not used to working with Komsomol members, because I was the secretary of the Komsomol cell in the FZU, and then at the plant secretary of the Komsomol committee. And what about Muscovites, it’s quite good - fellow countrymen, hurry up mutual language find.

Kuznetsov really quickly found a common language with them. Young pilots immediately felt that "dad" would not give concessions, strict, but fair, bold, but cautious. There were also resentments. They were eager to fight, but he did not let them. They were tired of textbooks in schools, and he again put them behind books and instructions. They were fed up with transport flights, and he again "carried" them as cadets of initial training. Then they realized that their time would come, but they themselves looked with envy at the elders, who every day went on a "free hunt" towards the front.

In the evenings, in a cramped dugout adapted for a classroom, he would collect them and talk in detail about each air battle, draw maneuver patterns on the blackboard, and show the dynamics of the battle on mock-up airplanes. His tactical flyers were always a great school of ingenuity and instant reaction. Asking a tactical problem, he sought an instant, accurate answer.

In the morning, what they had learned in the theoretical classes was practically practiced over the airfield. He himself led special training flights for the pairing of pairs. The pilots in pairs were assigned by order to the regiment. As an incentive, the best aircraft were given to the best pairs upon receipt of equipment.

He personally taught the youth to attack the enemy. To do this, he himself became an "opponent" and demanded that he be attacked from the smallest distance, boldly, "impudently."

"Air combat should be carried out with energetic attacks from short distances and be sure to bring it to the end, that is, until the attacked enemy is destroyed," he said.

And he also taught his pilots "free hunting".

Some pilots often resort to boosting the engine during "free hunting". You don't have to do this. On the contrary, it is necessary to fly in economical flight modes, but be prudent, be the first to see the enemy, change the propeller from a large pitch to a small one in a timely manner, change the engine operation mode in order to achieve the necessary speed to take up the starting position and fight. When the enemy succeeds in attacks with an advantage over our fighters in height and speed, this is the result of the enemy's better discretion in this case, and not the result of patrolling at high speeds.

He taught his deputies, squadron and flight commanders something else - to lead groups of fighters into battle. I learned from my own experience.

Escorting the Pe-2 bombers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Sandalov, I divided our group of fighters into two subgroups. One direct escort subgroup of 2 aircraft on each side of the "bomber" formation with an excess of 250 - 300 meters above them, and the second subgroup is a shock one, also 4 aircraft in pairs with an excess of 400 meters above the first subgroup. This battle formation provided us with freedom of maneuver and reliable all-round visibility. And given that we approached the enemy airfield from the rear, and changed direction several times on the route, you can imagine that not a single enemy anti-aircraft gun had time to fire, and we quickly discovered the fighters that came at our bombers from below and, having an advantage in height, vigorously attacked and destroyed. 53 enemy aircraft then burned Sandalov's Pe-2 at one of the airfields. The entire group returned home without loss.

Mikhail Vasilievich did not say about one thing: he himself shot down one of the attacking Me-109s ...

The turn came to the young eaglets of Kuznetsov. With an anxious look, he followed them into the first battle. I tried to be in time everywhere myself, at every opportunity to lead the group. But every day he became more and more confident - the youth learned the science of winning correctly. The number of downed enemy planes grew, the first ones shone on the young tunics military awards. But he did not leave them unattended: he demanded, taught, educated: “To cover not with“ your body ”, but with fire, maneuver. Patrol not only over your territory, but also over the enemy (depth of 10 - 15 kilometers behind the front line). Winged the head is responsible for the leader, but the leader is also responsible for the follower. Cases of an enemy breakthrough to a defended object should be considered a shame for the Guardsman - fighter ... "

He led the regiment through the crucible of fighting in Ukraine, where he personally shot down 12 enemy aircraft. Under his command, on August 24, 1943, the regiment was awarded the Guards rank and became known as the 106th Guards IAP. Receiving the Guards banner, the regiment commander M.V. Kuznetsov then said in front of his brother-soldiers:

At the Guards banner, we swear that the enemy will always see his death in our pilots. We will soon come to Nazi Germany, soon on our swift wings we will fly over Berlin.

On the personal account of even the youngest pilots, there were 8 - 10 enemy aircraft shot down, and Khimushin, Bobkov, Timoshenko, Artemnikov - 12 each; Savelyev shot down 16 vultures. The commander himself set an example of courage and bravery.

On September 8, 1943, after the liberation of Donbass, Major M.V. Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for 17 personally shot down aircraft of the Guard. His award list says:

"Major Kuznetsov in air battles shows exceptional courage and resourcefulness, courage and courage. He has excellent piloting technique, fights with the enemy competently and skillfully. Despite the numerically superior enemy, he always imposes a fight on him and emerges from it as a winner, showing real heroism and courage The air battles conducted by Comrade Kuznetsov show his remarkable qualities as a fighter pilot."

Once Kuznetsov flew out at the head of the six "Yakovlevs" on a free hunt for the Seversky Donets. Against the background of a crimson sunset, the pilots noticed a large group of German bombers that were flying under the cover of Messers. Kuznetsov immediately rushed to the attack, dragging his wingmen with him. He set out to shoot down the leader, decapitate the enemy cover group, and then deal with the bombers.

German fighters did not accept the battle, pressed against the bombers. "Yaks" on the move crashed into the already faltering formation of the enemy. One by one, 3 bombers fell to the ground in flames. Kuznetsov relentlessly pursued the car of the leader of the enemy group and knocked it down with a well-aimed burst. Pilots N. Khimushin and G. Artemchenko destroyed one plane each in this battle.

Day and night, the aviators fought hot battles with the enemy, helping ground forces in the liberation of the cities of Donbass, as well as Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, and Krivoy Rog. Somehow, M.V. Kuznetsov had to fly over the ancient Ukrainian city of Pereyaslav - Khmelnitsky - the birthplace of the great son of the Ukrainian people, the wise statesman, the outstanding commander Bogdan Khmelnitsky. Here, on January 8, 1654, the Pereyaslav Rada, convened by Khmelnytsky, expressed the unanimous will of the Ukrainian people to live as a friendly family with the fraternal Russian people and, together with Russia, by common efforts to crush foreign invaders. And now, in a difficult time, all the peoples of our multinational Motherland have come to the aid of the Ukrainian people. In the sky of Ukraine, M. V. Kuznetsov personally shot down 12 enemy aircraft and 4 in group battles. He was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree.

In the book "Soviet Military - Air Force in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945 "there is an assessment of the actions of the 106th Guards Aviation Regiment under the command of M.V. Kuznetsov in the skies of Poland:

"With strikes and blocking airfields, as well as continuous patrols, our pilots covered tank troops when they overcame the line of defense on the Nida River during the battles for the cities of Pinchuv and Indrzejow. Not a single group of enemy aircraft was able to strike at our troops. In solving this problem, he distinguished himself 106th Guards Fighter Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel M.V. Kuznetsov.

And finally, Germany. How much effort it took to come here! How to measure sleepless nights and anxious days, nervous tension fights?

Winter 1945. Troops of the 1st Ukrainian front crossed the Oder and launched battles for the cities of Gubin and Forst, located 100 kilometers from Berlin. Victory is close, but the enemy is desperately resisting. Our aviation supports ground troops, preventing the enemy from bringing up reserves.

Wet winter was that year in the region of Guben. It often rained tediously, heavy gray clouds hung over the earth. On one of those days, February 23, 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Vasilievich Kuznetsov led the six "Yakovs" on a "free hunt". They passed along the front line at low altitude, then climbed higher and were about to leave for their airfield, but suddenly they noticed a large group of FW-190s, which calmly stormed the positions of our infantrymen. "Well, impudence," Kuznetsov thought, and immediately ordered to attack the enemy by radio.

The clouds allowed them to approach unnoticed by the Nazi pilots. Quickly assessing the situation, the commander decided to first attack the Fokker group of 4 aircraft, which were 400 - 500 meters higher than the main group and, apparently, had the task of covering it. The four fascists, seeing Soviet fighters, did not accept the battle and "dipped" under her main group.

Kuznetsov decided to join them. At first, the Germans did not notice anything, but when the first 3 Fokkers, enveloped in flames, collapsed down, they rushed about, began to randomly drop bombs and leave the battlefield. 4 more enemy planes fell to the ground. "A total of 7 downed enemy planes on the Day of the Red Army is a worthy gift," thought Mikhail Vasilievich, and, declaring gratitude to the pilots on the radio, ordered them to follow him to his airfield.

This was one of the last air battles in which Lieutenant Colonel M. V. Kuznetsov took part.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Kuznetsov participated in the battles on the Leningrad and Kalinin fronts, smashed the enemy at Stalingrad, liberated the Donbass, Ukraine, Poland, Czechoslovakia. He made his last sorties over Berlin, where on May 8, 1945 he shot down the 28th enemy aircraft. The pilots of the regiment, pupils of Kuznetsov, destroyed 299 enemy aircraft in battle.

In total, Guards Colonel M.V. Kuznetsov conducted 72 air battles in 345 sorties, personally destroyed 22 enemy aircraft and 6 - as part of a group. For courage and courage shown in battles with the Nazi invaders, for the skillful leadership of military operations and the education of high-class fighter pilots, on June 27, 1945, he was awarded the second Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war, Mikhail Vasilyevich continued to serve in the Air Force, flying jet and supersonic aircraft. In 1951 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. For a long time he headed one of the military schools for pilots, transmitted new family Soviet aces with their rich combat experience. Demobilized in 1974 with the rank of Major General of Aviation. Last years lived in the city of Berdyansk.

In the city of Pushchino, in 1981, a bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union M. V. Kuznetsov (authors - sculptor I. Slonim, architect M. Mantulin) was installed near the building of the executive committee of the city council, transferred there from the village of Agarino, in which the hero was born. The bust always has fresh flowers. Schoolchildren of the Pushchino school, which bears the name of M. V. Kuznetsov, take care of the bust of the Hero.

7.11.1913 - 15.12.1989

Kuznetsov Mikhail Vasilyevich - commander of the 814th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 207th Fighter Aviation Division of the 3rd Mixed Aviation Corps of the 17th Air Army of the Southwestern Front; Commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division of the 2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps of the 2nd Air Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front.

Born November 7, 1913 in the village of Agarino (today the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region) in a working class family. Russian. Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1932. In 1930 he graduated from 7 classes.

In the Red Army since 1933. In 1934 he graduated from the Yeisk Naval Pilot School. Participant liberation campaign Soviet troops in Western Belarus in 1939 and the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-40. as Assistant Squadron Leader.

Member of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. Fought on the Leningrad, Kalinin, Western, Southwestern, 1st and 3rd Ukrainian fronts as a squadron commander, regiment navigator (1941-42), commander of fighter regiments (1942 -1945).

By August 1943, the commander of the 814th Fighter Aviation Regiment (207th Fighter Aviation Division, 3rd Mixed Air Corps, 17th Air Army, Southwestern Front), Major Kuznetsov M.V. made 245 sorties and in 53 air battles personally shot down 17 enemy aircraft and 6 in the group.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 8, 1943, for the heroism and courage shown in air battles, and the skillful command of the regiment, Kuznetsov Mikhail Vasilievich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 1 714).

By May 1945, the commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Attack Air Corps, 2nd Air Army, 1st Ukrainian Front), Lieutenant Colonel Kuznetsov M.V. made 330 sorties, conducted 72 air battles, personally shot down 21 enemy aircraft and 6 in the group.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 27, 1945, Kuznetsov Mikhail Vasilyevich was awarded the second Gold Star medal (No. 82) for new military exploits.

In total, over the years of the warriors M.V. Kuznetsov made 345 sorties, conducted 72 air battles, personally shot down 22 enemy aircraft and 6 in group battles.

After the war, the famous fighter pilot held a number of command positions in the USSR Air Force. In 1951 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. In 1959 he was awarded military rank"Major General of Aviation" Since 1974 Kuznetsov M.V. - in the reserve, and then retired. Lived in the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. He died on December 15, 1989. He was buried in Moscow at the Troekurovsky cemetery.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree, Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, Red Banner of Labor, 2 Orders of the Red Star, medals.

Bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union M.V. Kuznetsov was installed in his homeland in the village of Agarino, but due to the disappearance of the latter, he was transferred to the city of Pushchino, Moscow Region - Biological science Center Russian Academy Sciences.

Mikhail Vasilievich Kuznetsov

Mikhail Vasilyevich Kuznetsov was born on October 25 (November 7), 1913. in the village of Agarino, Serpukhov district, Moscow province, in a working class family. Russian.

• 1921 - the family moved to Moscow.
• 1930 - graduated from school of the 2nd stage (7 classes).
• 1930-1933 - employee of the plant "Moselectric" / since 1931, the plant "Moselectric" named after. S. Ordzhonikidze/, secretary of the Komsomol committee of the plant. In 1932 - at the age of 19! - joined the CPSU (b).
• 1933 - on party mobilization he was sent to the Yeisk military aviation school for naval pilots (Yeisk VMAU).
• 1933-1934 - cadet of the Yeysk military aviation school of naval pilots.
• Since 1934 - served in the fighter aviation units of the Red Army.
• September 1939 - a member of the Polish campaign of the Red Army.
• 1939-1940 - Member of the Soviet-Finnish war. Senior lieutenant, assistant squadron commander.
• Battle episode: " 03/12/1940 troika of the 15th IAP: regiment commander Major V.L. Bobrik, captain Shavrov and Art. Lieutenant M.V. Kuznetsov flew out to search for pilots of the 38th IAP Bobrov and Romashkov who had made an emergency landing, who were on the ice of the Gulf of Finland 30 kilometers southwest of Helsinki. Two comrades were on the ice. Bobrov put the wounded Romashkov on a parachute and dragged him across the ice. His strength was exhausted, but he did not abandon his comrade, dragging him 18 kilometers towards his shore, approached the non-freezing part of the Gulf of Finland. There they were discovered by a flying group. Major Bobrik made a quick decision. He skilfully landed his car on the ice, followed by Captain Shavrov. Art. Lieutenant Kuznetsov was in the air in case of a sudden attack by the enemy. Bobrik took the wounded Romashkov into his plane, and Major Bobrov sat next to Shavrov. Overloaded planes struggled off the uneven ice. The pilots landed safely at their airfield."
• Since June 1941 - Member of the Great Patriotic War.
• · Captain Kuznetsov, commander of the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment, performed the first sorties near Leningrad in July 1941 on a MiG-3. Soon he won his first victory here, shooting down the leader of the Me-109 group. The destruction of the leaders of groups of enemy aircraft became his creed. Kuznetsov sought, first of all, to decapitate the enemy's battle formations. For a short time he was a navigator of an aviation regiment.
• · In May 1942, Major Kuznetsov was appointed commander of the 814th Fighter Aviation Regiment on the Southwestern Front, fought in the skies over Ukraine, where he personally shot down 12 enemy aircraft.
• · On August 24, 1943, the regiment was awarded the rank of Guards and became the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.
• Battle episode: "Summer 1943. Once Kuznetsov flew out at the head of the six Yakovlevs on a free hunt for the Seversky Donets. Against the background of a crimson sunset, the pilots noticed a large group of German bombers that were under cover of the Messers. Kuznetsov immediately rushed to the attack, dragging along wingmen. He set out to shoot down the leader, decapitate the enemy cover group, and then deal with the bombers. The German fighters did not accept the battle, clung to the bombers. "Yaks" on the move crashed into the enemy's already faltering formation. One by one, 3 engulfed in flames fell to the ground bomber. Kuznetsov relentlessly pursued the car of the leader of the enemy group and shot it down with a well-aimed burst. Pilots N. Khimushin and G. Artemchenko destroyed one aircraft in this battle.
• · By August 1943 - Major Kuznetsov made 245 sorties and in 53 air battles personally shot down 17 enemy aircraft and 6 in the group.
• September 8, 1943 - Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "for heroism and courage shown in air battles, and skillful command of the regiment" awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (actually for 17 downed aircraft).
• · Passed through Poland and Czechoslovakia to Berlin.
• · By May 9, 1945, he made 345 sorties, conducted 72 air battles, shot down 22 personally and in a group - 6 enemy aircraft. Guard Colonel. Commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps, 2nd Air Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front.
• · June 24, 1945 - participant in the Victory Parade in Moscow.
• June 27, 1945 - awarded the second Gold Star medal "for courage and courage shown in battles with fascist german invaders, for the skillful leadership of military operations and the education of high-class fighter pilots."
• After the war, he continued to serve in the Air Force, flying jet and supersonic aircraft.
• 1951 - graduated from the Air Force Academy.
• 1951-1957 - the first head of the 57th Military Aviation School for Air Force Pilots (later - the Chernihiv Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots named after Lenin Komsomol).
• He served as Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Kyiv and Moscow Military Districts for Logistics.
• 1974 - transferred to the reserve.
• Lived in the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region of Ukraine.
• He died on December 15, 1989. He was buried in Moscow at the Troekurovsky cemetery.

Fighter pilot, commander of the 814th fighter aviation regiment of the 207th fighter aviation division of the 3rd mixed aviation corps of the 17th air army of the Southwestern Front; commander of the 106th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division of the 2nd Guards Attack Aviation Corps of the 2nd Air Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front, twice Hero of the Soviet Union,