Ivan Ivanovich Tsapov was born on November 13, 1922, in the village of Voskresensk, now in the Pochinok district of the Smolensk region, into a peasant family. He completed 7 grades of school and a factory apprenticeship school. Before the war, he worked as a patternmaker at the “Borets” factory in Moscow.
In 1940, he joined the Red Army and graduated from the Serpukhov Military Aviation Pilot School. He served in the Baltic region. With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, Tsapov was sent to the front.
He served as a flight commander, commissar of a fighter squadron, deputy commander, and then squadron commander. He actively participated in the defense of Kronstadt, Leningrad, the Moonsund Archipelago, and islands in the Gulf of Finland.
By early June 1944, Guards Captain I. I. Tsapov, squadron commander of the 3rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (1st Guards Fighter Aviation Division, Baltic Fleet Air Force), had completed 530 combat sorties. In 58 aerial engagements, he personally shot down 13 enemy aircraft and 11 more as part of a group.
Leningrad Blockade and Special Missions
An excerpt from his memoirs states: “The Siege of Leningrad, which began on September 8, 1941, and ended on January 27, 1944, is unforgettable. During this time, we covered our ships, delivered bombing and assault strikes against enemy vessels in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland.
We also assaulted enemy tank columns and motorized infantry, and engaged in difficult air battles. In 1944, I had to rescue one of our submarines that had become entangled in nets in the Gulf of Finland. The Gulf of Finland, at its narrowest point, was blocked by special boom barriers.
The submarine was returning from a combat mission and got caught in these defenses, which were guarded by patrol ships. Enemy ships remained quiet and motionless, using acoustics to immediately pinpoint the submarine if it attempted to start its engines and break through. So, my squadron, of which I was already commander and which was based at Lavensari, was tasked with striking the German ships. The objective was to force them to start their engines and begin active maneuvering. At that moment, our submarine, detecting acoustically that the ships had started moving, would initiate its breakthrough.
We made calculations for this mission, but the required area was far from the airfield, and we wouldn’t have enough fuel for a prolonged assault on the ships. Therefore, the task was set: to make two passes at the ships and, at all costs, force them to start their engines. However, as we approached the area, we encountered dreadful weather that broke all our preliminary calculations. Fuel for the return journey might not be enough. So, I made the decision: three aircraft would immediately return without completing the combat mission, while I would continue alone.
In my La-5, I broke through the clouds from 5000 down to 600 meters and came out precisely over the ships. Beneath the clouds, it was raining heavily. After making two attacks and completing the task, I began to return to my airfield. Both shores of the Gulf of Finland were occupied by the enemy, and to save fuel, I decided to return home over the southern coast of the Gulf, which was occupied by the Germans. When I arrived at my airfield, the flight duration was already beyond limits, and the remaining fuel was, literally, for 1–2 minutes of flight.”
On July 22, 1944, for his courage and military valor demonstrated in battles against the enemy, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In total, he completed 543 successful combat sorties. In 68 aerial battles, he personally shot down 13 enemy aircraft and 11 more in a group with comrades.
Post-War Service and Honors
After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, he was assigned to the Far East, to the Air Force of the Pacific Fleet. He participated in the brief combat operations against the Japanese army in August 1945.
After the war, he continued to serve in the Navy. In 1955, he graduated from the Air Force Academy, and in 1960, from the Military Academy of the General Staff. He served in the Air Defense inspection. From 1985, Lieutenant General of Aviation I. I. Tsapov was in the reserve. He currently lives in Moscow.
He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner (four times), the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (twice), the Order of the Red Star, the Order “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” 3rd Class, and various medals.