Aleksandr Nikitovich Karasyov (; 30 August 1916 – 14 March 1991) was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force who became a flying ace in both World War II and the Korean War, tallying 20 solo and two shared shootdowns in WWII and subsequently being credited with seven in Korea. Awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in the midst of World War II for his first 14 shootdowns, he later became a survivor of the infamous Mauthausen concentration camp, having been shot down and taken captive by the Nazis. Eventually after the camp was liberated and he was released from the prisoner of war filtration camp, he returned to flying, going on to become the first pilot in his regiment to gain an aerial victory in the Korean war. Having been promoted in October 1951 to a post that left him little time for combat sorties, he nevertheless credited as an ace in the war and was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union for a second time, but it was downgraded to an additional Order of Lenin instead.
Early life
Karasyov was born on 30 August 1916 to Russian family in what is now Vladikavkaz; his father was a bricklayer. After completing his seventh grade of school in 1932 he attended trade school, which he finished in 1934 before getting a job at a garment factory. Upon being drafted into the Red Army in 1937, he was originally assigned to the North Caucasian Military District before being given the opportunity to study to become a pilot in April 1940. After graduating from the Nakhichevan Military Aviation School of Pilots in December that year, he went on to attend the Batay Military Aviation School of Pilots before being assigned to the 282nd Fighter Aviation Regiment, stationed in Kremenchug.
World War II
Five days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Karasyov saw his first aerial combat, piloting an I-16 fighter at the time. Over the course of the next year he briefly served with various aviation units (specifically the 5th Separate Air Defense Squadron, 248th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and 164th Fighter Aviation Regiment) before eventually gaining his first aerial victory (a shared kill of a Do-215 bomber) while with the 6th Fighter Aviation Regiment during the Battle of Stalingrad in August 1942. Having distinguished himself as a skilled fighter pilot, he was subsequently sent to the prestigious 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment the following month. Having started out as a pilot in the 1st squadron, then under the command of Aleksey Alelyukhin he rapidly increased his tally of aerial shootdowns, flying the Yak-1 and later the P-39 after unit received them in summer 1943. Earlier that year on 10 May 1943 he was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union, having been a flight commander with 301 sorties, 14 solo and 9 nine shared shootdowns at the time. After being awarded the title on 23 August he went on to receive a promotion to captain and squadron commander in November after Alelyukhin was promoted to a higher command position in the unit. On 25 February 1944, the day he was promoted to major, he shot down his last enemy aircraft during the war, taking out a Bf 109 over Kherson. On 7 April 1944 during the battle for Crimea he was shot down after engaging five Messerschmitts, damaging two before his plane became engulfed in flames. Wounded and knocked unconscious from the incident, he was taken prisoner by the Nazis and detained first in Sevastopol before enduring imprisonment in various other POW and concentration camps after several unsuccessful escape attempts. Eventually he was sent to Mauthausen, where after being liberated on 8 May 1945 he learned that his division was stationed nearby and requested to be sent there. Upon receiving his letter the 6th Guards Aviation Division sent a Po-2 flew to retrieve him. After passing through questioning in a filtration camp for officers that were held prisoner in November 1945 he was reinstated into the air force and his medals returned to him. After returning to his wartime regiment in January 1946 he went on to master piloting new jet aircraft, and in January 1951 he received command of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment.