Ivan Konev
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Wing Commander Konev (799 UC (1 NIC / 490 IC / 3599 CE)) | |
Gender: | Male |
Affiliation: | Free Planets Alliance |
Rank: | Wing commander |
Occupation: | Spartanian squadron commander |
Status: | Deceased (killed in action) |
Died: | April 799 UC (1 NIC / 490 IC / 3599 CE) |
Played by: | Suzuoki Hirotaka |
Ivan Konev (Japanese: イワン・コーネフ) was an Alliance Spartanian pilot and squadron commander who served under Yang Wen-li.
Contents |
Military career
As pilot of Spartanian 155, Konev had achieved the rank of flying officer by September 795 UC (486 IC / 3595 CE) and was assigned to the Alliance 2nd Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Paeta. By this time he had become acquainted with Flying Officer Olivier Poplin, who he would continue to serve with for the remainder of his career. The two pilots participated in dog fights during the Fourth Battle of Tiamat. (My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars)
Konev and Poplin remained with the 2nd Fleet into the beginning of 796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE), when the two pilots once again engaged Imperial fighters, this time at the Battle of Astarte. Although Konev considered the battle hopeless, the Alliance were able to force an Imperial retreat, thanks to the actions of Commodore Yang (who had taken command of the fleet after Paeta was injured). (LOGH: 'In the Eternal Night', 'The Battle of Astarte'; Overture to a New War)
Following this success, Yang was assigned to command the newly formed 13th Fleet; Konev was also transferred to the new fleet and was promoted to flight lieutenant. He subsequently participated in the Battle of Amritsar Starzone in October of that year, and once again survived, despite his Spartanian sustaining damage to its port hull. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone')
Although the battle at Amritsar was not a victory for the FPA, Yang was able to successfully withdraw what forces he could. For this, at the end of 796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE), he was made commander of Iserlohn Fortress and its stationed fleet, which became known as the Yang Fleet. Once again Konev was incorporated into the new military structure — this time as commander of the fleet's 2nd Spartanian Squadron (with Poplin assigned as commander of the 1st). Coinciding with this change in position, Konev was promoted to squadron leader. (LOGH: 'New Trends')
Konev was subsequently involved in the majority of the Yang Fleet's significant battles. He was present at the Battle of Doria Starzone in July 797 UC (488 IC / 3597 CE), and later, at the beginning of 798 UC (489 IC / 3598 CE), participated in a skirmish between trainee FPA pilots and the Imperial Eihendorf Fleet. During this battle alone he shot down at least 23 enemy fighters. (LOGH: 'First Battle')
His next combat experience came in April of that year, when the warping of Geiersburg Fortress into the Iserlohn Corridor sparked the Eighth Battle of Iserlohn. Both Konev's squadron and Poplin's participated in this battle, which ultimately resulted in a decisive FPA victory. (LOGH: 'Fortress vs Fortress')
In January 790 UC (481 IC / 3590 CE), the two squadrons fought again, this time opposite the Imperial forces of Oskar von Reuenthal in the Ninth Battle of Iserlohn. Whilst they were successful in defending the Alliance personnel on the fortress, Yang ultimately chose to abandon Iserlohn, and the Fleet returned (along with the FPA civilians who had lived on the fortress) to Heinessen. (LOGH: 'Admiral Yang's Ark Fleet', 'The Darkness Before Dawn')
Death
Following the Yang Fleet's return, Konev was promoted to wing commander, and he accompanied the Fleet to the Vermilion Starzone in early 799 UC (1 NIC / 490 IC / 3599 CE). During the gruelling Battle of Vermilion which ensued, his Spartanian was hit by Imperial cruiser fire, and Konev was killed. He was succeeded as commander of the 2nd Squadron by Flight Lieutenant Caldwell. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)')
Relationships
After his promotion to squadron commander, Konev became somewhat of a regular amongst Iserlohn's military leaders. He was a frequent participant in their discussions, often in Iserlohn's command centre, and seemed particularly fond of Julian Mintz. (LOGH: 'First Battle', 'War Without Weapons', 'A Departure')
Konev also had a cousin on Fezzan; however, the two had never actually met. (LOGH: 'A Departure')
Olivier Poplin
Amongst his colleagues, Konev was closest to Olivier Poplin, and the two served as foils to each other. In comparison to Poplin's more brash and excitable nature, Konev typically was the voice of calm rationality. However, he did occasionally respond to Poplin's sarcastic remarks with similar retorts. Despite these superficial differences, he and Poplin were close friends, and the latter was shown to be clearly distraught when Konev died in battle. (LOGH: 'Fortress vs Fortress', 'Battle After Battle', 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part One)')
Interests
Konev was an avid fan of cross-word puzzles, and was frequently seen playing them before and between battles. His last discussion with Poplin involved a cross-word; the answer to the clue he had sought — seven letters, 'Something that everybody experiences once' — was 'FUNERAL', which appeared to presage his death. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Doria Starzone, And...', 'First Battle', 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)')
He was also known occasionally to engage in discussions of politics. He supported the FPA's harbouring of Erwin Josef II on the basis that the young emperor was not responsible for the actions of his forebears, and in the hope of procuring a peace between the two nations. His political arguments, as in other things, were typically nuanced and rational, such that Olivier Poplin once compared them to those of Paul von Oberstein. (LOGH: 'The Arrow Is Released', 'War Without Weapons')
Appendices
Appearances
- My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars (first appearance)
- LOGH:
- 'In the Eternal Night'
- 'The Battle of Astarte'
- 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone'
- 'New Trends'
- 'Before the Storm'
- 'The Yang Fleet Goes Out'
- 'The Battle of Doria Starzone, And...'
- 'First Battle'
- 'War Without Weapons'
- 'Fortress vs Fortress'
- 'The Return'
- 'The Arrow Is Released'
- 'A Departure'
- 'The Sounding of Gjallarhorn'
- 'Admiral Yang's Ark Fleet'
- 'The Darkness Before Dawn'
- 'Battle After Battle'
- 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part One)'
- 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)' (death)
- 'Running Start Towards the Future' (memory)
- Overture to a New War
- DNT:
Name variations
- Ivan Konev (LD/DVD subtitles)
- イワン・コーネフ (LD/DVD subtitles)
Background information
Konev mentions in 'A Departure' that he has a cousin on Fezzan; this would seem to be a reference to Boris Konev. Japanese fan sources appear to agree, but this is never actually stated outright in the OVA.
Ivan Konev was the name of a Soviet marshal during World War II.
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