The communication helmet was a part of the equipment of Soviet aviators. It was designed to protect not only from injuries, but also from increased noise. Communication helmets were used by crews and pilots of combat and special vehicles, aircraft, as well as sailors at combat posts and engineering personnel.
The communication helmet presented in the exposition belonged to Victor Samodelkin, a native of the village Trufakintsy, now Nagorskiy district of Kirov region. On June 22, 1941, the first day of the Great Patriotic War, he went to the front. Just a week later, on June 29th he took part in his first combat flight. On September 17 of the same year Samodelkin, performing combat mission, delivered an accurate strike on buildings in Zhitomir, where at that time there was a meeting of Luftwaffe aviation commanders. He killed and seriously wounded over a hundred high-ranking Nazis. For this flight Samodelkin was awarded with the Order of the Red Star. At the moment of presentation of award, he had already performed 27 combat night flights. He was considered one of the best pilots of the regiment.
Samodelkin fought as a squadron commander of the 130th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 7th Guards Debretsensk Red Banner Aviation Division. He participated in fights for liberation of Ukraine, Moldova and Hungary. By January 1945 Samodelkin performed 119 combat missions on attack of enemy troops and equipment. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on May 15, 1946 for exemplary performance of combat tasks of the command and displayed courage and heroism Guards captain Samodelkin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and received the Order of Lenin and the ‘Gold Star’ medal.
During the war Samodelkin performed 211 sorties, during which he destroyed 20 tanks, 10 field guns, 9 anti-aircraft artillery guns, 95 vehicles, 70 wagons, 1 locomotive, and suppressed fire of 11 anti-aircraft batteries. In the air fights as a pilot of his IL-2 he shot down six enemy planes. The last combat flight Samodelkin made in 1945 near Vienna and Bratislava. After the war he continued his service in the Air Force. In 1954 Samodelkin graduated from Flying and Tactical Courses of Advanced Training of the Command Staff and retrained to use the new equipment — jet aircrafts. From the position of the regiment commander in 1958 Colonel Samodelkin retired to the reserve. He lived in Kirov until the end of his life. He died in 1999.
The communication helmet presented in the exposition belonged to Victor Samodelkin, a native of the village Trufakintsy, now Nagorskiy district of Kirov region. On June 22, 1941, the first day of the Great Patriotic War, he went to the front. Just a week later, on June 29th he took part in his first combat flight. On September 17 of the same year Samodelkin, performing combat mission, delivered an accurate strike on buildings in Zhitomir, where at that time there was a meeting of Luftwaffe aviation commanders. He killed and seriously wounded over a hundred high-ranking Nazis. For this flight Samodelkin was awarded with the Order of the Red Star. At the moment of presentation of award, he had already performed 27 combat night flights. He was considered one of the best pilots of the regiment.
Samodelkin fought as a squadron commander of the 130th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 7th Guards Debretsensk Red Banner Aviation Division. He participated in fights for liberation of Ukraine, Moldova and Hungary. By January 1945 Samodelkin performed 119 combat missions on attack of enemy troops and equipment. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on May 15, 1946 for exemplary performance of combat tasks of the command and displayed courage and heroism Guards captain Samodelkin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and received the Order of Lenin and the ‘Gold Star’ medal.
During the war Samodelkin performed 211 sorties, during which he destroyed 20 tanks, 10 field guns, 9 anti-aircraft artillery guns, 95 vehicles, 70 wagons, 1 locomotive, and suppressed fire of 11 anti-aircraft batteries. In the air fights as a pilot of his IL-2 he shot down six enemy planes. The last combat flight Samodelkin made in 1945 near Vienna and Bratislava. After the war he continued his service in the Air Force. In 1954 Samodelkin graduated from Flying and Tactical Courses of Advanced Training of the Command Staff and retrained to use the new equipment — jet aircrafts. From the position of the regiment commander in 1958 Colonel Samodelkin retired to the reserve. He lived in Kirov until the end of his life. He died in 1999.
