Marshal Nedelin is a legendary figure, and not only on the scale of the Strategic Missile Forces. In 1920 he entered the service of the Red Army. He went from private to marshal, at the beginning of the war he commanded an artillery brigade, in 1943 he was appointed commander of the artillery of the Southwestern (later renamed Ukrainian) front. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for competent leadership of artillery and courage shown in repelling large forces of enemy tanks and infantry northeast of Lake Balaton. After the end of the war, Mitrofan Ivanovich changed several command posts, and in December 1959 an order was signed to appoint him commander-in-chief of the newly created type of troops - the Strategic Missile Forces. On November 24, 1960, Marshal Nedelin died tragically at the Baikonur cosmodrome while testing a new nuclear missile.
Strategic missile forces today are the main deterrent for our "partners", the guarantor of Russia's security. And today only rocket scientists, and even then not everyone, know what it cost to create this impenetrable shield.
There were not only heroic but also tragic pages in the history of the Strategic Missile Forces. One of them is the explosion of an R-16 rocket when launched from the Baikonur test site. The first commander-in-chief of the missile forces, Marshal of Artillery, Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin, was killed in this disaster.
Marshal Nedelin is a legendary figure, and not only on the scale of the Strategic Missile Forces. There are different versions of its origin. According to one, he comes from a noble family, on the other - from a working-class family. In 1920 he entered the service in the Red Army. He went from private to marshal, at the beginning of the war he commanded an artillery brigade, in 1943 he was appointed commander of the artillery of the Southwestern (later renamed Ukrainian) front. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for competent leadership of artillery and courage shown in repelling large forces of enemy tanks and infantry northeast of Lake Balaton. After the end of the war, Mitrofan Ivanovich changed several command posts, and in December 1959 an order was signed to appoint him commander-in-chief of the newly created type of troops - the Strategic Missile Forces.
Marshal Nedelin approached his new position with all responsibility. He was engaged not only in organizing the activities of the Missile Forces, but also actively involved in the development of the first strategic missiles. Under his leadership, tests of these first samples were also carried out. Thanks to the interest of Nedelin, the Strategic Missile Forces developed rapidly. But the marshal did not have to lead the most formidable troops in the world for a long time.
On October 24, 1960, he did not change tradition - at the Baikonur cosmodrome he personally took part in the tests of the new R-16 intercontinental rocket. The rocket was launched from an open start. At a safe distance, a concrete bunker was installed, going underground to a depth of more than 10 meters. It contained everyone who participated in the preparation of the launch, as well as the equipment necessary to control the missile. For guests of honor in the open space in front of the bunker. However, only the commander-in-chief decided to take a place there.
There were only a few minutes left before the start, and at this time the experts reported that the diagnostics revealed a threat of unauthorized fuel flow into the second stage engines. It was risky to launch in such conditions, so it was decided to carry out additional diagnostics. She confirmed the previous results.
Until the final decision was made, preparations for the scheduled launch continued. The system has already started … 42 years later, General Konstantin Gerchik, who held the post of chief of Baikonur in 1960, said: “Contrary to logic and common sense, the R-16 came to us" raw ", with major defects and flaws. But then there was no one able to report "upward" the truth about the unpreparedness of the P-16 for testing. The calculation was based on "chance". We, the testers, were faced with the fact and became hostages of the situation …"
At 18 hours 5 minutes, an unauthorized start of the second stage engine occurred, and the escaping hot gas instantly destroyed everyone who was in the zone of its influence. Almost immediately the first rocket block exploded, the propellant components scattered many tens of meters in different directions, destroying everything on the way. When a hot jet burst out of the rocket, Marshal Nedelin was in the affected area. His remains were identified only by the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
The liquid components of the fuel rose up and then settled in the form of a toxic condensate consisting of nitric acid. Everyone who inhaled this "air" at least once burned their lungs.
126 people died in the crash on October 24, 1960. Another 50 launch participants were injured and burned.
The media reported on the death of the marshal in the crash. And for several decades, the biography of the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Missile Forces Nedelin ended with the words "… died in the line of duty."
