Gafur Mammadov

Gafur Nasir oglu Mammadov (Azerbaijani: Qafur Nəsir oğlu Məmmədov; 5 March 1922 18 October 1942) was an Azerbaijani Soviet Navy Matros (ordinary seaman) and a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. Mammadov was posthumously awarded the title on 31 March 1943 for reportedly shielding his commander from fire with his body.[1]

Gafur Mammadov
Native name
Qafur Nəsir oğlu Məmmədov
Born5 March 1922
Baku, Azerbaijan SSR
Died19 October 1942(1942-10-19) (aged 20)
northwest of Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, RSFSR, Soviet Union
AllegianceSoviet Union
Service/branchSoviet Navy
Years of service1941–42
RankMatros
Unit323rd Separate Naval Infantry Battalion
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union

Early life

Mammadov was born on 5 March 1922 in Baku in a working-class family. He graduated from primary school. Mammadov became a typesetter in the Printing House named after the 26 Baku Commissars.[1][2]

World War II

Mammadov was drafted into the Red Army in August 1941 following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Mammadov became a naval infantryman in the Black Sea Fleet's 323rd Separate Naval Infantry Battalion. Mammadov fought in combat from September 1941. He fought in the Battle of the Caucasus. Mammadov fought in the defense of Tuapse. On 19 October 1942, during a battle northwest of Tuapse, the battalion's defenses were penetrated by German troops. The command post of Mammadov's company was surrounded by German troops. Mammadov and other soldiers reportedly repulsed German attacks. He reportedly killed thirteen German soldiers, before being killed shielding his commander from German fire. Mammadov was buried in Tuapse. On 31 March 1943, Mammadov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his actions.[1][2][3]

Legacy

Mammadov was permanently listed on the rolls of his unit. The Baku Marine College was named after him. A ship of the Ministry of the River Fleet of the USSR was named for him. A street in Baku was named after him, and a bust was placed there.[1][2] A park in Baku also bears his name and contains a statue of him.[4]

References

  1. "Gafur Mammadov". warheroes.ru (in Russian).
  2. Shkadov, Ivan, ed. (1988). Герои Советского Союза: Краткий биографический словарь [Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). 2 Lyubov-Yashchuk. Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 31. ISBN 5203005362.
  3. Hero of the Soviet Union citation, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru
  4. "Ilham Aliyev visited the park, named after Soviet Hero Gafur Mammadov". Official Website of the President of Azerbaijan. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
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