Pyotr Pavlovich Kitkin

Pyotr Pavlovich Kitkin (12 June 1877, St. Petersburg - September 18, 1954, Leningrad) was a Russian military commander in both world wars, being promoted twice to Rear Admiral (05.11.1944) and (28.07.1917)

Tsarist naval officer
In 1896 he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps, on September 25, 1896, was promoted to midshipman with the appointment to the Black Sea Fleet and enlisted in the 29th naval crew.

In 1896-1899 he served on the battleships "Chesma" and "George the Victorious", the cruiser "The Memory of Mercury", the trawler "Ingul" and the training ship "Berezan".

In the campaign of 1899, he was flag officer under the flagship of the practical squadron of the Black Sea.

In September 1899, he was appointed a listener in a mined officer class. Since September 7, 1900 - a mine officer of the 2nd rank.

In 1900-1901, a mine officer of the Uralets KL.

From January 1901 he was promoted to lieutenant. In 1901, watch officer of the US "Berezan".

In October 1901 he was appointed to the squadron of the Pacific Ocean.

In February 1902 he was appointed a junior mine officer of the 1st rank cruiser Gromoboy.

Since June 1903 - the youngest mined officer of the cruiser of the 1st rank "Rurik".

Since September 1903 he was appointed the senior mine officer of the cruiser I of the rank "Askold". Participant of the Russo-Japanese War and Defense of Port Arthur.

Since March 1904 - a mine officer of the 1st rank.

After the battle in the Yellow Sea on July 28, 1904, together with the cruiser, interned in Shanghai. After the war ended, he went to the Black Sea.

Since June 1906 - a mine officer of the TR "Danube".

Since May 1906 - the senior mine officer of the EbR "George the Victorious".

In February 1907, he was transferred to the Baltic Fleet and enlisted in the 8th naval crew.

In June 1907, he was promoted to senior lieutenant. In September 1907 he was appointed a mine officer of the destroyer "Light".

In January 1908 he was seconded to the ITC for training.

Since June 1908 - commander of the torpedo boat "Insightful".

In November 1908 he was appointed flagship mine officer of the headquarters of the commander of the destroyer division (since March 12, 1909, the 2nd mine division) of the Baltic Sea.

Since December 1908 - First lieutenant.

From October 1909 to July 1910 - senior officer of the KV Khivinets.

Since 1910, he devoted himself entirely to the matter of trawling, as minesweeping was called in Russia.

Since April 1911 - captain of the 2nd rank. On January 15, 1912, he was appointed head of the Baltic Sea mines sweeping party.

Since November 1913, he was appointed commander of the flagship of the trawling party, TR "Wrecker".

Since September 1914 - Captain of the 1st rank for courageously resisting the enemy.

In December 1914, he was dismissed from the post of commander of the minesweeper.

Since May 1915, he was admitted to the temporary discharge of the duties of the head of the division of the Baltic Sea trawling (before being confirmed in office).

In May 1915 he was appointed commander, under the banner-pennant, with the division for trawling the Baltic Sea.

In July 1917, promoted to rear admiral.

Soviet service
After 1918 he served in the Soviet Navy (RKKF).

In 1918-1919 - the head of affairs of mines of an obstacle and trawling,

in 1919-1921 - the chief of the mine defense of the Baltic Sea.

In 1921 he was arrested by the Petrograd Special Department of the GPU, but was soon released.

In 1921-1923, he was chairman of the Scientific and Technical Commission of Mine-Trial Experiments.

in 1923-1924 - chairman of the mine section of the NTC.

In 1924-1926 he was the head of a mine test site.

in 1926-1931 - Chairman of the Commission for Marine Mine Experiments. Simultaneously, in 1922-1941, he was teaching at the Naval Academy.

In February 1931, enlisted in the RKKF reserve, in February 1936 he was dismissed to the reserve.

In 1931-1942 he was an employee of the Russian Navy. In May 1942, he was appointed captain of the 1st rank.

In 1942-1943 - commander of the ship "Svir".

In 1943-1944, a specialist on naval mines for the Military Council of the KBF, from October 1944, senior engineer-designer of the technical department of the NIMTI Navy.

October 27, 1944, the Order of the People's Commissariat of the Navy, the freelance hire service (1936-1942) was counted as an active service in the Navy.

November 5, 1944 was promoted to the rear admirals. In January 1947, he was appointed head of the department of shooting rules and instructions of the Navy's NIMTI.

In 1946, for large inventions in the field of mine-arms, the WAC approved him in the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences.

Since May 1948, retired.

On September 18, 1954, he died in Leningrad, and was buried on the Literary Bridge of the Volkov Orthodox cemetery.

Scientific activity
During his service in the Navy, many of Kitkin's inventions in the field of mines and trawls were adopted for service: mines arr. 1906, 1908, 1912, a cutter trawl (1913), a cartridge with two drums for the trawler boat (1920), a mine protector and a special purpose subversive cartridge (1928), a device known as a snake trawl (1929) a milestone (1929), special trawling units for convoys (1936), and a device for the self-explosion of mines (1942).

Ship
After Admiral Kitkin's death, a Soviet ship was named in his honour

Awards of the Russian Empire

 * St. George's gold sword (1916)
 * Order of St. Anna II degree (1913), swords to him (1915);
 * Order of St. Vladimir III degree with swords (1915);
 * Cross "For Port Arthur" (191? Year);
 * Order of St. Vladimir IV degree (1912);
 * Order of St. Stanislaus II degree with swords (1907);
 * Order of St. Anne III degree with swords and a bow (1905).

Awards of the USSR

 * Order of Lenin (1945);
 * Order of the Red Banner (1944);
 * Order of the Red Banner (1948);
 * Order of the Red Star (1943);
 * Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" (1943);
 * Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."
 * A gold watch "A staunch defender of the proletarian revolution from the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR" (1928).

Foreign awards

 * Officer of the Order of the Legion d'Honneur ( France ).