Soviet Union
Major Valentin Dmitriyevich Afanas’yev
Soviet Union
Major Valentin Dmitriyevich Afanas’yev
1917 –
| Date | Decoration | Note |
| 21/02/42 | Order of the Red Banner | |
| 08/02/43 | Order of Lenin | |
| 22/08/44 | Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class | |
| 12/06/45 | Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class | 1st |
| 20/06/49 | Medal ”For Combat Merit” | |
| 21/08/53 | Order of the Red Star | |
| 11/03/85 | Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class | 2nd |
Valentin Afanas’yev was born in 1917.
He graduated from Kachinskaya flight school in 1939.
Starshiy leytenant Afanas’yev joined joined 269 IAP in December 1941 and was to serve in this unit until the end of the war in May 1945. During his time in the unit he was to fly combat missions with the I-153, LaGG-3, Yak-1 and Yak-9.
The I-153s from 269 IAP was in combat on the Crimean Front on 15 January 1942. During the day, leitenant Artavazd Avetisian claimed one Ju 88 destroyed while starshiy Afanas’yev claimed one shared Bf 109 and one shared Ju 88.
Two days later, 269 IAP again was in combat with Ju 88s over the Crimean Front and both leitenant Artavazd Avetisian and starshiy leitenant Afanas’yev claimed one Ju 88 as shared ”in group” (same aircraft?).
On 18 March, 269 IAP’s I-153s intercepted Ju 87s on the Crimean Front and Artavazd Avetisian claimed one shared with another pilot while Afanas’yev claimed two as shared ”in group”.
Between May-July 1942, 269 IAP was placed in reserve and re-equipped with LaGG-3s.
They went into combat again on 2 August 1942, on the North Caucasus Front.
Afanas’yev ended the war with 1 biplane victory and a total of 5.
These had been claimed during 249 combat missions and 48 air combats.
Claims:
| Kill no. | Date | Time | Number | Type | Result | Plane type | Serial no. | Locality | Unit |
| 1942 | |||||||||
| 15/01/42 | 1/? | Bf 109 | Shared destroyed | I-153 | Crimean Front | 269 IAP | |||
| 15/01/42 | 1/? | Ju 88 | Shared destroyed | I-153 | Crimean Front | 269 IAP | |||
| 17/01/42 | 1/? | Ju 88 | Shared destroyed | I-153 | Crimean Front | 269 IAP | |||
| 1 | 27/02/42 | 1 | Bf 109 | Destroyed | I-153 | Crimea | 269 IAP | ||
| 18/03/42 | 1/? | Ju 87 | Shared destroyed | I-153 | Crimean Front | 269 IAP | |||
| 18/03/42 | 1/? | Ju 87 | Shared destroyed | I-153 | Crimean Front | 269 IAP | |||
| 2 | 08/08/42 | 1 | Bf 110 | Destroyed | LaGG-3 | Abinskaya-Kurgannaya | 269 IAP | ||
| 1943 | |||||||||
| 3 | 14/02/43 | 1 | Bf 109 | Destroyed | LaGG-3 | SE Myskhako | 269 IAP | ||
| 1944 | |||||||||
| 4 | 07/07/44 | 1 | FW 190 | Destroyed | Yak-1 | Lithuania | 269 IAP | ||
| 5 | 04/09/44 | 1 | FW 190 | Destroyed | Yak-1 | Kordovo | 269 IAP |
Biplane victories: 1 and 5 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 5 and 5 shared destroyed.
Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov
