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{{Short description|Soviet aviator (1909–1993)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Valentina Grizodubova
| image = Валентина Степановна Гризодубова, 1938.jpg
| birth_date = {{OldStyleDate|
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1993|4|28|1909|5|10}}
| birth_place = [[
| death_place = [[Moscow]], [[Russia]]
| caption =
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| laterwork =
}}
'''Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova''' ({{
==Early life and pre-war career==
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She flew many types of aircraft and set seven world records{{Sfn|Cottam|1998|p=4}} including one for highest altitude reached by a female pilot on a two-seater seaplane, 3,267 meters (10718.5 feet) on 15 October 1937, (FAI Record File Number 121.16) three speed records and one for long-distance flying between Moscow and [[Aktobe|Aktyubinsk]] together with [[Marina Raskova]].{{Sfn|Milanetti|2011|p=117}}
On September 24–25, 1938, flying as pilot-in-command with Marina Raskova as navigator and [[Polina Osipenko]] as co-pilot, she completed the 5,910-kilometer-long flight named ''Rodina'' (Russian for "Motherland") on an
==
Starting in March 1942, she served in the
Grizodubova's Li-2s had a [[crew]] of six [[aviators]]: pilot, [[co-pilot]], [[navigator]], flight-technician, [[radio operator]] and [[air gunner]]. The unit had initially the task of bombing enemy troops, to fly to [[Partisan (military)|partisans]] and{{snd}} in June 1942{{snd}} to help supply the besieged [[Leningrad]]. Subsequently, the 101st Long-Range Bomber Air Regiment was ordered to bomb [[Wehrmacht]] units that had broken the [[Bryansk]] and South-Western Fronts and were heading for [[Voronezh]]. Grizodubova led her regiment almost every night, overcoming strong [[flak]] defences and [[Luftwaffe]] [[night fighters]] in the [[Kursk]], [[Oryol|Orel]], and [[Lgov, Kursk Oblast|L'gov]] areas.{{Sfn|Cottam|1998|p=6}}
In September 1942, the 101st Long-Range Aviation Regiment was placed at the disposal of the [[Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement|Central HQ of the Partisan Movement]]. The unit flew more than 1,850 sorties to partisan-held areas, delivering about 1,500 tons of arms and ammunition and hundreds of tons of radio equipment, printing presses, film cameras, and reading matter for Soviet partisan leaders. The Regiment also evacuated 2,500 wounded partisans and homeless orphans.{{Sfn|Cottam|1998|p=7}} However, poor airstrips and enemy fighters were a constant threat to the Li-2s and their crews. On Grizodubova's initiative, by March 1943 partisans had built an improved airstrip on the right bank of the [[Dnieper]], where up to a dozen aircraft could be parked in daytime.{{Sfn|Cottam|1998|p=8}} On 27 May 1944 her regiment was awarded the honorific title ''Krasnosel'skiy'' for participating to break the siege of Leningrad. By the time Grizodubova was recalled to Moscow, in June 1944, she had flown about 200 sorties. Two months later, on 30 August, the 101st Long-Range Aviation Regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and, later, the honorific of "Guards".{{Sfn|Cottam|1998|p=8}}
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==See also==
{{Portal|Soviet Union|Aviation
* [[List of female Heroes of the Soviet Union]]
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