Aksandr Alexandrovich Kozakov
15/01/1889 - Kherson
01/08/1919 - Benezniky

Alexsandr Alexandrovich Kozakov

Russia's highest scoring ace was educated in military schools and entered the army in 1908. After serving in the cavalry, he transferred to aviation in 1913 and by the following year was posted to the 4th Corps Air Detachment in Poland where he flew reconnaissance and bombing missions in a Morane-Saulnier. Having made several unsuccessful attempts to bring down enemy aircraft by dangling explosives and grappling hooks beneath his plane, Kozakov scored his first victory in the spring of 1915 by ramming his opponent. In September 1915, he assumed command of the 19th Corps Air Detachment but scored no additional victories that year and only 2 more by August 1916 when he assumed command of the 1st Combat Air Group. In February 1917, his CAG was ordered to Romania where Kozakov scored eight more victories before being wounded in action on 27 June 1917. With 20 victories, he resigned his commission in January 1918 and joined the British Joint Military forces at Murmansk in June. Promoted to the rank of Major, he commanded the Slavo-British air detachment at Benezniky and continued flying combat missions until he was again wounded in January 1919. In March, he returned to duty but became deeply depressed by the withdrawal of British forces from Russia in the summer of 1919. On the evening of 1 August 1919, ignoring an invitation to a farewell dinner for British pilots, he took off in a Sopwith only to crash to his death a few moments later. Having watched Kozakov pull a loop at low altitude and stall the plane, Ira Jones concluded the Russian Ace of Aces "brought about his own death and staged it in the most dramatic manner."

Alexander Kozakov was born in Kherson, Russia, on 15th January 1889. Educated at military school, Kozakov entered the Russian Army in 1908. After serving in the Russian cavalry, Kozakov transferred to the Russian Army Air Service in 1913.

Flying a French Morane-Saulnier, Kozakov scored his first victory in the spring of 1915 by ramming his opponent. In August 1916 Kozakov was given command of the 1st Combat Air Group. In 1917 Kozakov was active over the skies of Rumania where he scored eight more victories. He was wounded on 27th June 1917 and was still out of action when Russian withdrew from the war. Kozakov's twenty victories made him the leading flying ace in the Russian Army Air Service.

In June1918 Kozakov joined the British Joint Military Forces at Murmansk. On 1st August 1919, Alexander Kozakov was killed while flying a loop. Depressed by the withdrawal of British forces from Russia, it is generally believed that Kozakov committed suicide.