Vladimir Garanin was born in 1914.

He graduated from Yeysk VMAU flight school in 1937.

Leitenant Garanin took part in the conflict at Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia against the Japanese in the summer and early autumn of 1939, flying Polikarpov I-15bis and I-153s in 22 IAP.

On 21 August, kaptain Aleksandr Nikolayev from 22 IAP (I-153) claimed one Ki-27 destroyed, one shared with another pilot and a third ”in group” while Ki-27s were claimed individually by leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153), leitenant Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) and leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (I-16).
Leitenant Ivan Rybkin (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 with another pilot (possibly kaptain Nikolayev). Leitenant Ivan Groshev (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 ”in group” at an unknown time and place while leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov (I-16) claimed one enemy bomber as a shared ”in group”.

The 22 IAP was in combat on 25 August and leitenant Mikhail Abzianidze (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with three other pilots north-east of the source to Orshun Gol River. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Yakimov (I-153) claimed two shared Ki-27s with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 north of Lake Usur-Nur together with seven other pilots. South of Lake Kuhun-Nu, he claimed another shared Ki-27 and a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) together with twelve other pilots (including major Vasily Naydenko). Major Naydenko claimed a second Ki-27 together with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko (I-16) claimed one destroyed over Dzhinzhin, one shared with another pilot north-east of Lake Uzur-Nur and a third shared with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu (shared with Naydenko?). Major Grigoriy Kravchenko (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 north of Lake Yanhu. Mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov claimed one shared Ki-27 north of Lake Usur-Nur together with another pilot, a second shared Ki-27 south of Lake Kuhun-Hu together with ten other pilots. Finally he claimed a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) south of Lake Kuhun-Hu together with ten other pilots. Leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 with seven other pilots north of Lake Usur-Nur. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Kostygov claimed two shared Ki-27s during the day. Starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 and one enemy bomber south of Kuhun-Hu River together with twelve other pilots. These claims are included among the claims above. Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153) claimed one Ki-27 and two shared ”in group” during the day. Batalyonnyy komissar Ivan Golyshev claimed a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) and a shared Ki-27, both together with another pilot while starshiy leitenant Nikolay Tochkov did the same but claimed as shared ”in group”. Leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 ”in group”. Georgiy Marchenko claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a I-97”) together with another pilot. Leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov claimed one Ki-27 destroyed as did Aleksandr Tsygankov (who also claimed two more Ki-27s as shared ”in group” at unknown dates between August-September). Kapitan Ivan Solyannikov claimed one Ki-27 together with two other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Leitenant Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) claimed two shared Ki-27s ”in group”. Starshiy politruk Leonid Kolesnikov (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 and one shared enemy bomber during the day; both ”in group”. Leitenant Ivan Rybkin (I-16) claimed three bombers (reported as ”LBs”) and one Ki-27 during the day; all these claims were made ”in group”. Leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (I-16) claimed three shared bombers (reported as ”LBs”) while starshiy leitenant Grigoriy Shabashov claimed one shared bomber together with another pilot.
A pair of I-16s from 22 IAP forced three bombers (reported as a ”LBs”) to land and two of them was destroyed; one during landing, which was shot down by starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss and a second which was destroyed by strafing on the ground after landing.

Over Lake Buir-Nur on 2 September, three Ki-10s from the 33rd Sentai’s 2nd chutai led by 1st Lieutenant Soichi Okamoto, met some reported 30 I-16s. Okamoto claimed the unit’s first four victories of the Incident while Sergeant Major Shozo Saito in vain tried to ram one, but was instead obliged to force-lend.
They had met 22 IAP led by starshiy leitenant Fedor Cheremukhin. This experienced leader rightly reasoned that the I-16 tip 10 had significantly greater speed and firepower, and less manoeuvrability, and initiated the correct tactic for the fight: shooting from further away and avoiding close level manoeuvres. After the skirmish, his unit reported two downed Kawasaki Ki-10s for no own losses.
The encounter again escalated into an air battle. Excellent visibility allowed a great area to be observed, and each engagement was as visible as a flare by pilots on the ground; they immediately scrambled and flew across to assist their comrades. First to arrive were the 1st Sentai Ki-27. More Soviet fighters followed them, and the previous day’s events repeated themselves. The fight developed overhead Hamar-Daba Mountain and the Humurgin-Gol River, at the same levels that offered optimum performance to both sides: 3500 to 5000m. After 45 minutes that had witnessed over 250 machines fighting (175 of them Soviet), the sky grew quiet.
The Japanese admitted losing one Ki-27 when Sergeant Yukio Kijima (Sho-4) of the 1st Sentai was killed and suffering damage to four more fighters and totally claimed seven victories (four by Okamoto).
The Soviets fighters only lost one aircraft and totally claimed eight victories, six of them Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97”). Known claiming pilots from 22 IAP were leitenant Petr Agafonov (I-153), who claimed a shared Ki-27 together with six other pilots north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur, leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16), who claimed two Ki-27s together with five other pilots over squares 531-533 and 633, kapitan Andrey Dekhtyarenko (I-16), who claimed a shared Ki-27 south-east of Lake Uzur-Nur together with three other pilots and kapitan Aleksandr Nikolayev (I-153), who claimed a Ki-27. Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153), leitenant Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) and mladshiy Viktor Ushakov (I-16) all claimed one shared Ki-27 ”in group”. Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 (”in group”).

When Germany attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, starshiy leitenant Garanin had converted to a transport pilot flying PS-84s (Li-2s, which was a license-built DC-3).

On 31 July 1941, his aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and he was killed.

At the time of his death, Garanin was credited with 1 biplane victory.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1939
1	21/08/39		1	Ki-27	Destroyed	Polikarpov I-15bis or I-153		Nomonhan	22 IAP
	25/08/39		1/?	Ki-27	Shared destroyed	Polikarpov I-15bis or I-153		Nomonhan	22 IAP
	25/08/39		1/?	Ki-27	Shared destroyed	Polikarpov I-15bis or I-153		Nomonhan	22 IAP
	02/09/39		1/?	Ki-27	Shared destroyed	Polikarpov I-15bis or I-153		Nomonhan	22 IAP

Biplane victories: 1 and 3 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 and 3 shared destroyed.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov