Vladimir Konovalov
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Rear Admiral Vladimir Konstantinovich Konovalov, Владимир Константинович Коновалов (1911-12-05 – 1966-11-29) was a Soviet Navy submarine commander.
Born in a Jewish family in a village Nadyezhnoe in current Ukraine, he joined the Navy in 1932 and graduated from a naval school in 1936. In 1940 he was made a second in command of the Soviet submarine L-3, then, from March 1943, her commander. During the Great Patriotic War, as a commander he undertook 11 torpedo attacks. On 1945-04-16, the L-3 sunk the German ship, which appeared to be the Goya refugee ship. at least 6,000 people drowned and only 165 people were saved. It was his only confirmed combat success, but it was one of the worst maritime disasters of all time (according to some sources, he also might have sunk another 1411 BRT ship on 1945-01-31). His submarine also laid five mine barrages of 52 mines, on which one 1141 BRT ship was sunk on 1945-01-21.
For sinking of the Goya, Konovalov was awarded the honorary title of the Hero of the Soviet Union on 1945-07-08.
After the war, from May 1946 to November 1947 he commanded the N-27 (former German Type XXI U-Boot U-3515). On 1966-05-07 he was made a rear admiral. He died in Leningrad.
Konovalov was awarded with the Order of Lenin (three times), Order of Ushakov II class, Order of the Patriotic War I class (two times), Order of the Red Star (two times).
In the book/movie The Hunt for Red October, Soviet Alfa class nuclear powered attack submarine (that sinks herself at the end of the movie) is named V. K. Konovalov.
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