Known submariner and novelist Viktor Dygalo buried in Moscow

07.09.2011 Renowned naval officer who commanded the first Pacific Fleet (PF) ballistic missile submarine launched the first ballistic missile in 1958 Rear Admiral Viktor Dygalo on Sept 6 was followed to his grave by veterans and active naval officers, relatives and friends, reports RIA Novosti.

Dygalo died in Moscow on Sept 2 as a result of serious and long-lasting illness. The funeral ceremony was held on Sept 6 at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow with all due military honors.

The commemoration meeting was conducted in Russian Navy Main HQ later on that day; among attendants were relatives, friends and colleagues of the admiral. Viktor Ananievich Dygalo was born in 1926 in Odessa. His service started in 1942 at Black Sea Fleet. After graduation from the Frunze Naval School in 1947, he used to serve in submarines of Pacific and Northern fleets. In 1958 he was appointed commanding officer of the first Pacific Fleet's SSBN and carried out the first submarine launch of ballistic missile in the same year.

In 1963 he graduated from Naval Academy and was appointed ballistic missile submarine division commander. In 1973-1977 he was editor-in-chief of the Maritime Digest magazine. Since 1978 Dygalo served in Navy Main HQ, and since 1985 he had been conducting scientific work in Defense Ministry Research Institute.

Candidate of Naval Science, member of Soviet Journalists' Guild, author of numerous Navy-oriented novels and essays.