To the 76th anniversary of the Great Victory
Vasily Semyonovich Chochiev (December 12 [25], 1917, the village of Orteu, now the Tskhinval district of South Ossetia - January 8, 1947) - Hero of the Soviet Union (November 1, 1943), major (1944), military pilot.
Born on December 12 (25), 1917 in the village of Orteu, Tskhinval district of South Ossetia. In 1920-1930 he was living in the city of Tbilisi (Georgia), since 1930 - in the city of Tskhinval (South Ossetia). In 1933 he graduated from the 8th grade of the school. In 1933-1935 he was workeing as a typesetter at the Tbilisi printing house. In 1935 he graduated from the Tbilisi Aero Club.
In 1938 he graduated from the Bataisk flight school of the Civil Air Fleet. He was working as an instructor pilot in the aeroclub of the city of Staliniri (now the city of Tskhinval).
In the army since March 1941. He was serving in combat units of the Air Force (in the Odessa Military District). In June 1941, he graduated from the flight commander courses. June - July 1941 - test pilot of the military acceptance of the aircraft factory № 135 (Kharkov); tested serial bombers Su-2.
Veteran of the Great Patriotic War: in August - October 1941 - flight commander of the 289th near-bombardment Aviation Regiment (South-Western Front). He took part in defensive battles in Ukraine. On October 25, 1941, while performing a combat mission, he was seriously wounded in the left leg and until December 1941 was in the hospital. Then he underwent retraining in the 3rd reserve aviation regiment (Astrakhan).
In July 1942 - May 1944 - flight commander, squadron commander of the 807th Assault Aviation Regiment. He was fighting on the Kalinin, Western, Stalingrad, Southern and 4th Ukrainian fronts. He took part in the Rzhev-Sychev operation, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Rostov offensive and Donbass operations, the liberation of the southern part of the Left-Bank Ukraine and Crimea. By October 1943, he made 100 sorties to bombard and attack enemy personnel and equipment.
For courage and heroism shown in battles, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 1, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Chochiev Vasily Semyonovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
In August 1944 - May 1945 - squadron commander of the 232nd Assault Aviation Regiment. He was fighting on the 3rd, 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts. Participated in the liberation of the Baltic States and the blockade of the enemy's Kurland grouping. During the war, he flew 148 sorties (18 - on the Su-2 bomber and 130 - on the Il-2 attack aircraft).
In December 1945 he graduated from advanced training courses for command personnel at the Grozny Military Aviation School. He continued to serve in the combat units of the Air Force (in the Carpathian Military District). Major V.S.Chochiev perished on January 8, 1947 while flying on an Il-10 attack aircraft. He was buried in the city of Dubno (Rivne region, Ukraine), later reburied at the Zguder cemetery in the city of Tskhinval (South Ossetia).
Awards:
• Hero of the Soviet Union (11/01/1943);
• Order of Lenin (11/01/1943);
• Two Orders of the Red Banner (12.12.1942, 27.08.1943)
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (11/26/1944);
• Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (06/13/1945);
• Medals.
