Aces of World War II. Pilots-aces of the Great Patriotic War

Every war is a terrible grief for any people that it affects in one way or another. Throughout its history, mankind has known many wars, two of which were world wars. The First World War almost completely destroyed Europe and led to the fall of some large empires, such as the Russian and Austro-Hungarian. But even more terrible in its scale was the Second World War, in which many countries from almost all over the world were involved. Millions of people died, and even more were left without a roof over their heads. This terrible event still affects modern man in one way or another. Its echoes can be found throughout our lives. This tragedy left behind a lot of mysteries, disputes over which have not subsided for decades. He took upon himself the heaviest burden in this battle not for life, but for death, then not quite strong from the revolution and civil wars and only the Soviet Union, which was building up its military and civilian industry. An irreconcilable rage and a desire to fight the invaders who encroached on territorial integrity and the freedom of the proletarian state. Many went to the front voluntarily. At the same time, the evacuated industrial capacities were reorganized for the production of products for the needs of the front. The struggle took on the scale of a truly popular one. That is why it is called the Great Patriotic War.

Who are the aces?

Both the German and Soviet armies were well trained and equipped with equipment, aircraft and other weapons. The personnel numbered in the millions. The collision of these two war machines gave birth to its heroes and its traitors. One of those who can rightfully be considered heroes are the aces of World War II. Who are they and why are they so famous? An ace can be considered a person who has achieved such heights in his field of activity that few people have managed to conquer. And even in such a dangerous and terrible business as the military, there have always been professionals. Both the USSR and the allied forces, and Nazi Germany had people who showed the best results in terms of the number of destroyed enemy equipment or manpower. This article will tell about these heroes.

The list of aces of World War II is extensive and includes many individuals famous for their exploits. They were an example for a whole nation, they were adored, admired.

Aviation is without a doubt one of the most romantic, but at the same time dangerous branches of the military. Since any technique can fail at any moment, the pilot's work is considered very honorable. It requires iron restraint, discipline, the ability to control oneself in any situation. Therefore, aviation aces were treated with great respect. After all, to be able to show a good result in such conditions, when your life depends not only on technology, but also on yourself, is the highest degree of military art. So, who are they - the aces of the Second World War, and why are their exploits so famous?

One of the most productive Soviet aces pilots was Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub. Officially, during his service on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, he shot down 62 German aircraft, and he is also credited with 2 American fighters, which he destroyed at the end of the war. This record-breaking pilot served in the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment and flew a La-7 aircraft.

The second most successful during the war was Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin (who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times). He fought in southern Ukraine, in the Black Sea region, liberated Europe from the Nazis. During his service he shot down 59 enemy aircraft. He did not stop flying even when he was appointed commander of the 9th Guards Aviation Division, and won some of his air victories while already in this position.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev is one of the most famous military pilots, who set a record - 4 sorties for one destroyed aircraft. In total, during his military service, he destroyed 57 enemy aircraft. Awarded twice the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

He also shot down 55 German aircraft. Kozhedub, who happened to serve for some time with Evstigneev in the same regiment, spoke very respectfully about this pilot.

But, despite the fact that the tank troops were among the most numerous in the Soviet army, tank aces of the Second World War, for some reason, were not found in the USSR. Why this is so is unknown. It is logical to assume that many personal scores were deliberately overestimated or underestimated, so it is not possible to name the exact number of victories of the aforementioned tank battle masters.

German tank aces

But the German tank aces of World War II have a much longer track record. This is largely due to the pedantry of the Germans, who strictly documented everything, and they had much more time to fight than their Soviet "colleagues". Active actions german army began to lead in 1939.

German tankman number 1 is Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann. He fought on many tanks (Stug III, Tiger I) and destroyed 138 vehicles during the entire war, as well as 132 self-propelled artillery installations of various enemy countries. For his successes he was repeatedly awarded various orders and signs of the Third Reich. Killed in action in 1944 in France.

You can also single out such a tank ace as For those who are somehow interested in the history of development tank troops Third Reich, the book of his memoirs "Tigers in the Mud" will be very useful. During the war years, this man destroyed 150 Soviet and American self-propelled guns and tanks.

Kurt Knispel is another record holder tanker. He knocked out 168 tanks and self-propelled guns of the enemy for his military service. About 30 cars are unconfirmed, which does not allow him to catch up with Wittmann in terms of results. Knispel was killed in battle near the village of Vostits in Czechoslovakia, in 1945.

In addition, Karl Bromann had good results - 66 tanks and self-propelled guns, Ernst Barkmann - 66 tanks and self-propelled guns, Erich Mausberg - 53 tanks and self-propelled guns.

As can be seen from these results, both the Soviet and German tank aces of World War II knew how to fight. Of course, the quantity and quality of Soviet combat vehicles was an order of magnitude higher than that of the Germans, however, as practice has shown, both of them were used quite successfully and became the basis for some post-war tank models.

But the list of military branches in which their masters distinguished themselves does not end there. Let's talk a little about aces-submariners.

Submarine Warfare Masters

Just as in the case of aircraft and tanks, the most successful are the German sailors. During the years of its existence, the Kriegsmarine submariners sank 2603 ships of the allied countries, the total displacement of which reaches 13.5 million tons. This is a truly impressive number. And the German submarine aces of World War II could also boast of impressive personal scores.

The most productive German submariner is Otto Kretschmer, who has 44 ships, including 1 destroyer. The total displacement of the ships sunk by him is 266629 tons.

In second place is Wolfgang Luth, who sent 43 enemy ships to the bottom (and according to other sources - 47) with a total displacement of 225,712 tons.

He was also a famous sea ace who even managed to sink the British battleship Royal Oak. It was one of the first officers to receive oak leaves for Prien and destroyed 30 ships. Killed in 1941 during an attack on a British convoy. He was so popular that his death was hidden from the people for two months. And on the day of his funeral, mourning was declared throughout the country.

Such successes of the German sailors are also quite understandable. The fact is that Germany began a naval war back in 1940, with a blockade of Britain, thus hoping to undermine its maritime greatness and, taking advantage of this, to carry out a successful capture of the islands. However, very soon the plans of the Nazis were frustrated, as America entered the war with its large and powerful fleet.

The most famous Soviet sailor of the submarine fleet is Alexander Marinesko. He sank only 4 ships, but what! Heavy passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff", transport "General von Steuben", as well as 2 units of heavy floating batteries "Helene" and "Siegfried". For his exploits, Hitler put the sailor on the list of personal enemies. But the fate of Marinesko did not work out well. He fell out of favor with the Soviet authorities and died, and his exploits were no longer talked about. The great sailor received the Hero of the Soviet Union award only posthumously in 1990. Unfortunately, many aces of the USSR of the Second World War ended their lives in a similar way.

Also famous submariners of the Soviet Union are Ivan Travkin - sank 13 ships, Nikolai Lunin - also 13 ships, Valentin Starikov - 14 ships. But Marinesko topped the list of the best submariners of the Soviet Union, as he caused the greatest damage to the German navy.

Accuracy and Stealth

Well, how can one not remember such famous fighters as snipers? Here the Soviet Union takes the well-deserved palm from Germany. Soviet sniper aces of World War II had very high service records. In many respects, such results were achieved thanks to the mass state training of the civilian population in shooting from various weapons. About 9 million people were awarded the Voroshilovsky shooter badge. So, what are the most famous snipers?

The name of Vasily Zaitsev frightened the Germans and inspired courage in the Soviet soldiers. This ordinary guy, a hunter, killed 225 Wehrmacht soldiers from his Mosin rifle in just a month of fighting near Stalingrad. Among the outstanding sniper names are Fedor Okhlopkov, who (for the entire war) accounted for about a thousand Nazis; Semyon Nomokonov, who killed 368 enemy soldiers. There were also women among the snipers. An example of this is the famous Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who fought near Odessa and Sevastopol.

German snipers are less known, although in Germany since 1942 there were several sniper schools that were engaged in professional training. Among the most successful German shooters are Matthias Hetzenauer (345 killed), (257 destroyed), Bruno Sutkus (209 soldiers shot dead). Also a famous sniper from the countries of the Hitler bloc is Simo Hayha - this Finn killed 504 Red Army soldiers during the war years (according to unconfirmed reports).

Thus, sniper training The Soviet Union was immeasurably higher than that of the German troops, which allowed the Soviet soldiers to wear the proud title of aces of the Second World War.

How did they become aces?

So, the concept of "ace of the Second World War" is quite extensive. As already mentioned, these people achieved truly impressive results in their work. This was achieved not only due to good army training, but also due to outstanding personal qualities. After all, for a pilot, for example, coordination and quick reaction are very important, for a sniper - the ability to wait for the right moment to sometimes fire a single shot.

Accordingly, it is impossible to determine who had the best aces of the Second World War. Both sides committed unparalleled heroism, which made it possible to single out individuals from the general mass. But one could become a master only by training hard and improving one's combat skills, since war does not tolerate weakness. Of course, the dry lines of statistics will not be able to convey to a modern person all the hardships and hardships that war professionals experienced during their establishment on an honorary pedestal.

We, the generation that lives without knowing such terrible things, should not forget about the exploits of our predecessors. They can become an inspiration, a reminder, a memory. And we must try to do everything to ensure that such terrible events as past wars do not happen again.

Most of the names from the list of pilot-aces of the Great Patriotic War are well known to everyone. However, apart from Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, among Soviet aces they undeservedly forget another master of air combat, whose courage and bravery can be envied even by the most titled and productive pilots.

Better than Kozhedub, cooler than Hartman...
The names of the Soviet aces of the Great Patriotic War Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin are known to everyone who is at least superficially familiar with national history. Kozhedub and Pokryshkin are the most productive Soviet fighter pilots. On account of the first 64 enemy aircraft shot down personally, on account of the second - 59 personal victories, and he shot down 6 more aircraft in the group.
The name of the third most successful Soviet pilot is known only to aviation lovers. Nikolai Gulaev during the war years destroyed 57 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in the group.
An interesting detail- Kozhedub needed 330 sorties and 120 air battles to achieve his result, Pokryshkin - 650 sorties and 156 air battles. Gulaev, on the other hand, achieved his result by carrying out 290 sorties and conducting 69 air battles.
Moreover, according to award documents, in their first 42 dogfights he destroyed 42 enemy planes, that is, on average, each battle ended for Gulaev with a destroyed enemy machine.
Fans of military statistics have calculated that the efficiency ratio, that is, the ratio of air battles and victories, Nikolai Gulaev was 0.82. For comparison, Ivan Kozhedub had 0.51, and Hitler's ace Erich Hartman, who officially shot down the most aircraft during World War II, had 0.4.
At the same time, people who knew Gulaev and fought with him claimed that he generously recorded many of his victories on the followers, helping them receive orders and money - Soviet pilots were paid for each downed enemy aircraft. Some believe that the total number of aircraft shot down by Gulaev could reach 90, which, however, cannot be confirmed or denied today.

Don guy.
About Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, air marshals, many books have been written, many films have been shot.
Nikolai Gulaev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was close to the third "Gold Star", but he never received it and did not go to the marshals, remaining a colonel general. And in general, if in the post-war years Pokryshkin and Kozhedub were always in sight, engaged in the patriotic education of young people, then Gulaev, who was practically in no way inferior to his colleagues, remained in the shadows all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the military and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit too well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya, which has now become the city of Aksay Rostov region. Don freemen was in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days to the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and studied at the flying club. This passion helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940. Gulaev was assigned to the air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of industrial centers in the rear.

Reprimand complete with award.
Gulaev ended up at the front in August 1942 and immediately demonstrated both the talent of a combat pilot and the wayward character of a native of the Don steppes.
Gulaev did not have a permit for night flights, and when on August 3, 1942, Nazi planes appeared in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bresponsibility of the regiment where the young pilot served, experienced pilots went into the sky. But then the mechanic urged Nikolai:
- What are you waiting for? The plane is ready, fly!
Gulaev, determined to prove that he was no worse than the "old men", jumped into the cockpit and took off. And in the first battle, without experience, without the help of searchlights, he destroyed a German bomber. When Gulaev returned to the airfield, the general who arrived said: “For the fact that I flew out without permission, I announce a reprimand, but for the fact that I shot down an enemy plane, I increase my rank and present for a reward.”

Nugget.
His star shone especially brightly during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. On May 14, 1943, repelling a raid on the Grushka airfield, he single-handedly entered into battle with three Yu-87 bombers, covered by four Me-109s. Having shot down two "Junkers", Gulaev tried to attack the third, but the cartridges ran out. Without hesitating for a second, the pilot went to ram, shooting down another bomber. Gulaev's uncontrolled "Yak" went into a tailspin. The pilot managed to level the plane and land it at the front edge, but on its own territory. Arriving at the regiment, Gulaev again flew on a combat mission on another plane.
In early July 1943, Gulaev, as part of the four Soviet fighters, taking advantage of the surprise factor, attacked the German armada of 100 aircraft. Having upset the battle formation, shooting down 4 bombers and 2 fighters, all four returned safely to the airfield. On this day, Gulaev's link made several sorties and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft.
July 1943 was generally extremely productive for Nikolai Gulaev. Here is what is recorded in his flight book: "July 5 - 6 sorties, 4 victories, July 6 - Focke-Wulf 190 was shot down, July 7 - three enemy aircraft were shot down as part of the group, July 8 - Me-109 was shot down" , July 12 - two Yu-87s were shot down.
Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Arkhipenko, who happened to command the squadron where Gulaev served, wrote about him: “He was a nugget pilot, one of the top ten aces of the country. He never hesitated, he quickly assessed the situation, his sudden and effective attack created panic and destroyed the enemy’s battle formation, which disrupted his targeted bombing of our troops. He was very brave and decisive, often came to the rescue, sometimes he felt the real excitement of a hunter.

Flying Stenka Razin.
On September 28, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In early 1944, Gulaev was appointed squadron commander. His not too rapid career growth is explained by the fact that the ace's methods of educating subordinates were not quite ordinary. So, one of the pilots of his squadron, who was afraid to get close to the Nazis at close range, he cured of fear of the enemy, giving a burst of airborne weapons next to the cockpit of the wingman. The fear of the subordinate was taken away as if by hand ...
The same Fyodor Arkhipenko in his memoirs described another characteristic episode related to Gulaev: “Flying up to the airfield, I immediately saw from the air that Gulaev’s plane was empty ... After landing, I was informed that all six of Gulaev were shot down! Nikolai himself, wounded, sat down at the airfield with attack aircraft, and nothing is known about the rest of the pilots. Some time later, they reported from the front line: two jumped out of planes and landed at the location of our troops, the fate of three more is unknown ... And today, many years later, Gulaev’s main mistake made then, I see that he took with him in combat the flight of three young, not at all shelled pilots at once, who were shot down in their first battle. True, Gulaev himself scored 4 air victories that day at once, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he risked his subordinates with the same ease, which at times looked completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “air Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who mastered the combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Aircobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them personally by Gulaev.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short leave home. From this trip to the Don, he returned closed, taciturn, bitter. He rushed into battle furiously, with some transcendent fury. During a trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation, his father was executed by the Nazis ...

The Soviet ace was almost killed by a pig ...
On July 1, 1944, Guard Captain Nikolai Gulaev was awarded the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for 125 sorties, 42 air battles, in which he shot down 42 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
And then another episode occurs, about which Gulaev frankly told his friends after the war, an episode that perfectly shows his violent nature, a native of the Don. The fact that he became twice Hero of the Soviet Union, the pilot learned after the next flight. Brother-soldiers have already gathered at the airfield, who said: the award should be “washed”, there is alcohol, but there are problems with the snack.
Gulaev remembered that when he returned to the airfield, he saw grazing pigs. With the words "there will be a snack," the ace boards the plane again and, after a few minutes, puts it near the barns, to the amazement of the owner of the pigs.
As already mentioned, the pilots were paid for downed planes, so Nikolai had no problems with cash. The owner willingly agreed to sell the boar, which was loaded with difficulty into the fighting vehicle. By some miracle, the pilot took off from a very small platform along with a boar distraught with horror. A combat aircraft is not designed for the fact that a plump pig will dance inside it. Gulaev had difficulty keeping the plane in the air...
If a catastrophe had happened that day, it would probably have been the most ridiculous case of the death of a twice Hero of the Soviet Union in history. Thank God, Gulaev made it to the airfield, and the regiment cheerfully celebrated the hero's award.
Another anecdotal case is related to the appearance of the Soviet ace. Once in battle, he managed to shoot down a reconnaissance aircraft piloted by a Hitlerite colonel, holder of four Iron Crosses. The German pilot wanted to meet the one who managed to interrupt his brilliant career. Apparently, the German expected to see a stately handsome man, a “Russian bear”, who is not shameful to lose ... But instead, a young, short, overweight captain Gulaev came, who, by the way, in the regiment did not have the heroic nickname “Kolobok” at all. The disappointment of the Germans knew no bounds...

A fight with political overtones.
In the summer of 1944, the Soviet command decides to recall the best Soviet pilots from the front. The war is coming to a victorious end, and the leadership of the USSR begins to think about the future. Those who proved themselves in the Great Patriotic War must graduate from the Air Force Academy in order to then take leadership positions in the Air Force and Air Defense.
Gulaev was among those who were called to Moscow. He himself did not rush to the academy, he asked to be left in the army, but was refused. On August 12, 1944, Nikolai Gulaev shot down his last Focke-Wulf 190.
And then there was a story that, most likely, became main reason why Nikolai Gulaev did not become as famous as Kozhedub and Pokryshkin. There are at least three versions of what happened, which combine two words - "brawl" and "foreigners". Let's focus on the one that occurs most often.
According to her, Nikolai Gulaev, by that time already a major, was called to Moscow not only to study at the academy, but also to receive the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Given the combat achievements of the pilot, this version does not look implausible. In the company of Gulaev, there were other honored aces who were waiting for the award.
The day before the ceremony in the Kremlin, Gulaev went to the restaurant of the Moskva Hotel, where his fellow pilots were relaxing. However, the restaurant was full, and the administrator said: "Comrade, there is no place for you!". It was not worth it at all to say something like that to Gulaev with his explosive character, but then, unfortunately, he also came across the Romanian military, who at that moment were also relaxing in the restaurant. Shortly before this, Romania, which had been an ally of Germany since the beginning of the war, went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The enraged Gulaev said loudly: “What is it, there is no place for the Hero of the Soviet Union, but are there enemies?”
The words of the pilot were heard by the Romanians, and one of them issued an insulting phrase in Russian to Gulaev. A second later, the Soviet ace was near the Romanian and relish hit him in the face.
Less than a minute later, a fight broke out in the restaurant between Romanians and Soviet pilots.
When the fighters were separated, it turned out that the pilots had beaten the members of the official Romanian military delegation. The scandal reached Stalin himself, who decided: to cancel the awarding of the third star of the Hero.
If it were not about the Romanians, but about the British or Americans, most likely, the case for Gulaev would have ended quite badly. But the leader of all peoples did not break the life of his ace because of yesterday's opponents. Gulaev was simply sent to a unit, away from the front, the Romanians and, in general, any attention. But how true this version is is unknown.

General who was friends with Vysotsky.
Despite everything, in 1950 Nikolai Gulaev graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and five years later - from the Academy of the General Staff. He commanded the 133rd Aviation Fighter Division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, which covered the northern borders of the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Dmitrievich had a wonderful family, he adored his granddaughter Ira, was a passionate fisherman, loved to treat guests with personally salted watermelons...
He also visited pioneer camps, participated in various veteran events, but still there was a feeling that an order had been given from above, saying modern language, do not promote his persona too much.
Actually, there were reasons for this even at a time when Gulaev was already wearing the general's shoulder straps. For example, he could use his power to invite Vladimir Vysotsky to a speech at the House of Officers in Arkhangelsk, ignoring the timid protests of the local party leadership. By the way, there is a version that some of Vysotsky's songs about pilots were born after his meetings with Nikolai Gulaev.

Norwegian complaint.
Colonel-General Gulaev retired in 1979. And there is a version that one of the reasons for this was a new conflict with foreigners, but this time not with the Romanians, but with the Norwegians. Allegedly, General Gulaev organized a hunt for polar bears using helicopters near the border with Norway. The Norwegian border guards appealed to the Soviet authorities with a complaint about the actions of the general. After that, the general was transferred to a headquarters position away from Norway, and then sent to a well-deserved rest.
It is impossible to say with certainty that this hunt took place, although such a plot fits very well into the vivid biography of Nikolai Gulaev. Be that as it may, the resignation had a bad effect on the health of the old pilot, who could not imagine himself without service, to which his whole life was devoted.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow, at the age of 67. The place of his last resting place was the Kuntsevo cemetery of the capital.

Representatives of the Soviet air force made a huge contribution to the defeat of the Nazi invaders. Many pilots gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our Motherland, many became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Some of them forever entered the elite of the Russian Air Force, the famous cohort of Soviet aces - the thunderstorm of the Luftwaffe. Today we recall the 10 most productive Soviet fighter pilots, who chalked up the most enemy aircraft shot down in air battles.

On February 4, 1944, the outstanding Soviet fighter pilot Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was awarded the first star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. By the end of the Great Patriotic War, he was already three times Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war years, only one more Soviet pilot was able to repeat this achievement - it was Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin. But the history of Soviet fighter aviation during the war does not end with these two most famous aces. During the war, another 25 pilots were twice presented with the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union, not to mention those who were once awarded this highest military award of the country of those years.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

During the war years, Ivan Kozhedub made 330 sorties, conducted 120 air battles and personally shot down 64 enemy aircraft. He flew on La-5, La-5FN and La-7 aircraft.

The official Soviet historiography featured 62 downed enemy aircraft, but archival research showed that Kozhedub shot down 64 aircraft (for some reason, two air victories s - April 11, 1944 - PZL P.24 and June 8, 1944 - Me 109). Among the trophies of the Soviet ace pilot were 39 fighters (21 Fw-190, 17 Me-109 and 1 PZL P.24), 17 dive bombers (Ju-87), 4 bombers (2 Ju-88 and 2 He-111), 3 attack aircraft (Hs-129) and one Me-262 jet fighter. In addition, in his autobiography, he indicated that in 1945 he shot down two American P-51 Mustang fighters, which attacked him from a long distance, mistaking him for a German aircraft.

In all likelihood, had Ivan Kozhedub (1920-1991) started the war in 1941, his account of downed aircraft could have been even higher. However, his debut came only in 1943, and the future ace shot down his first plane in the battle of Kursk. On July 6, during a sortie, he shot down a German Ju-87 dive bomber. Thus, the performance of the pilot is really amazing, in just two war years he managed to bring the score of his victories to a record in the Soviet Air Force.

At the same time, Kozhedub was never shot down during the entire war, although he returned to the airfield several times in a badly damaged fighter. But the last could have been his first air battle, which took place on March 26, 1943. His La-5 was damaged by a German fighter burst, the armored back saved the pilot from an incendiary projectile. And upon returning home, his own air defense fired at his plane, the car received two hits. Despite this, Kozhedub managed to land the plane, which was no longer subject to full restoration.

The future best Soviet ace made his first steps in aviation while studying at the Shotkinsky flying club. At the beginning of 1940, he was drafted into the Red Army and in the fall of the same year he graduated from the Chuguev Military Aviation Pilot School, after which he continued to serve at this school as an instructor. With the outbreak of war, the school was evacuated to Kazakhstan. The war itself began for him in November 1942, when Kozhedub was seconded to the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 302nd Fighter Aviation Division. The formation of the division was completed only in March 1943, after which it flew to the front. As mentioned above, he won his first victory only on July 6, 1943, but a start was made.

Already on February 4, 1944, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Kozhedub was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, at that time he managed to make 146 sorties and shoot down 20 enemy aircraft in air battles. He received his second star in the same year. He was presented for the award on August 19, 1944, already for 256 combat missions and 48 enemy aircraft shot down. At that time, as a captain, he served as deputy commander of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.

In air battles, Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was distinguished by fearlessness, composure and automatism of piloting, which he brought to perfection. Perhaps the fact that before being sent to the front he spent several years as an instructor played a very large role in his future success in the sky. Kozhedub could easily conduct aimed fire at the enemy at any position of the aircraft in the air, and also easily performed complex aerobatic maneuvers. Being an excellent sniper, he preferred to conduct air combat at a distance of 200-300 meters.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub won his last victory in the Great Patriotic War on April 17, 1945 in the sky over Berlin, in this battle he shot down two German FW-190 fighters. Three times Hero of the Soviet Union, the future air marshal (the title was awarded on May 6, 1985), Major Kozhedub became on August 18, 1945. After the war, he continued to serve in the country's Air Force and went through a very serious path in career ladder bringing many more benefits to the country. The legendary pilot died on August 8, 1991, was buried on Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin

Alexander Ivanovich Tires fought from the very first day of the war to the last. During this time, he made 650 sorties, in which he conducted 156 air battles and officially personally shot down 59 enemy aircraft and 6 aircraft in the group. He is the second most successful ace of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition after Ivan Kozhedub. During the war he flew MiG-3, Yak-1 and American P-39 Airacobra.

The number of downed aircraft is very conditional. Quite often, Alexander Pokryshkin made deep raids behind enemy lines, where he also managed to win victories. However, only those of them were counted that could be confirmed by ground services, that is, if possible, over their own territory. He could have had 8 such unrecorded victories only in 1941. At the same time, they accumulated throughout the war. Also, Alexander Pokryshkin often gave the planes he shot down to the account of his subordinates (mostly followers), stimulating them in this way. In those days it was quite common.

Already during the first weeks of the war, Pokryshkin was able to understand that the tactics of the Soviet Air Force were outdated. Then he began to enter his notes on this account in a notebook. He kept an accurate record of the air battles in which he and his friends took part, after which he made a detailed analysis of what was written. At the same time, at that time he had to fight in very difficult conditions of the constant retreat of the Soviet troops. He later said: “Those who did not fight in 1941-1942 do not know real war».

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and massive criticism of everything that was connected with that period, some authors began to "cut down" the number of Pokryshkin's victories. This was also due to the fact that at the end of 1944, official Soviet propaganda finally made the pilot "a bright image of a hero, the main fighter of the war." In order not to lose the hero in a random battle, it was ordered to limit the flights of Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin, who by that time had already commanded the regiment. On August 19, 1944, after 550 sorties and 53 officially won victories, he became three times Hero of the Soviet Union, the first in history.

The wave of “revelations” that swept over him after the 1990s also went through him because after the war he managed to take the post of Commander-in-Chief of the country’s air defense forces, that is, he became a “major Soviet official.” If we talk about the low ratio of victories to completed sorties, then it can be noted that for a long time at the beginning of the war, Pokryshkin on his MiG-3, and then the Yak-1, flew to attack enemy ground forces or perform reconnaissance flights. For example, by mid-November 1941, the pilot had already completed 190 sorties, but the vast majority of them - 144 were to attack enemy ground forces.

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin was not only a cold-blooded, courageous and virtuoso Soviet pilot, but also a thinking pilot. He was not afraid to criticize the existing tactics of using fighter aircraft and advocated its replacement. Discussions on this issue with the regiment commander in 1942 led to the fact that the ace pilot was even expelled from the party and sent the case to the tribunal. The pilot was saved by the intercession of the regimental commissar and the higher command. The case against him was dropped and reinstated in the party. After the war, Pokryshkin was in conflict with Vasily Stalin for a long time, which adversely affected his career. Everything changed only in 1953 after the death of Joseph Stalin. Subsequently, he managed to rise to the rank of air marshal, which was awarded to him in 1972. The famous ace pilot died on November 13, 1985 at the age of 72 in Moscow.

Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov

Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov fought from the very first day of the Great Patriotic War. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war years, he completed more than 450 sorties, shooting down 56 enemy aircraft in person and 6 in a group in 122 air battles. According to other sources, the number of his personal air victories could exceed 60. During the war years, he flew the I-153 Chaika, I-16, Yak-1, P-39 Airacobra aircraft.

Probably no other Soviet fighter pilot had such a variety of downed enemy vehicles as Grigory Rechkalov. Among his trophies were Me-110, Me-109, Fw-190 fighters, Ju-88, He-111 bombers, Ju-87 dive bomber, Hs-129 attack aircraft, Fw-189 and Hs-126 reconnaissance aircraft, as well as such a rare car as the Italian "Savoy" and the Polish PZL-24 fighter, which was used by the Romanian Air Force.

Surprisingly, the day before the start of the Great Patriotic War, Rechkalov was suspended from flying by decision of the medical flight commission, he was diagnosed with color blindness. But upon returning to his unit with this diagnosis, he was still allowed to fly. The beginning of the war forced the authorities to simply turn a blind eye to this diagnosis, simply ignoring it. At the same time, he served in the 55th Fighter Aviation Regiment since 1939, together with Pokryshkin.

This brilliant military pilot was distinguished by a very contradictory and uneven character. Showing a model of determination, courage and discipline within the framework of one sortie, in another, he could be distracted from the main task and just as resolutely start pursuing a random enemy, trying to increase the score of his victories. His combat fate in the war was closely intertwined with the fate of Alexander Pokryshkin. He flew with him in the same group, replaced him as a squadron commander and regiment commander. Pokryshkin himself considered frankness and directness to be the best qualities of Grigory Rechkalov.

Rechkalov, like Pokryshkin, fought from June 22, 1941, but with a forced break for almost two years. In the first month of fighting, he managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft on his outdated I-153 biplane fighter. He also managed to fly on the I-16 fighter. On July 26, 1941, during a sortie near Dubossary, he was wounded in the head and leg by fire from the ground, but managed to bring his plane to the airfield. After this injury, he spent 9 months in the hospital, during which time the pilot underwent three operations. And once again, the medical commission tried to put an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the future illustrious ace. Grigory Rechkalov was sent to serve in a reserve regiment, which was equipped with U-2 aircraft. The future twice Hero of the Soviet Union took this direction as a personal insult. At the headquarters of the district air force, he managed to ensure that he was returned to his regiment, which at that time was called the 17th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. But very soon the regiment was withdrawn from the front for re-equipment with the new American Airacobra fighters, which went to the USSR as part of the Lend-Lease program. For these reasons, Rechkalov began to beat the enemy again only in April 1943.

Grigory Rechkalov, being one of domestic stars fighter aircraft, could perfectly interact with other pilots, guessing their intentions and working together as a group. Even during the war years, a conflict arose between him and Pokryshkin, but he never sought to throw out some kind of negativity about this or blame his opponent. On the contrary, in his memoirs he spoke well of Pokryshkin, noting that they managed to unravel the tactics of the German pilots, after which they began to apply new techniques: they began to fly in pairs, not in flights, it is better to use radio for guidance and communication, to separate their cars in the so-called " whatnot."

Grigory Rechkalov won 44 victories on the Aerocobra, more than other Soviet pilots. Already after the end of the war, someone asked the famous pilot what he most appreciated in the Airacobra fighter, on which so many victories were won: the power of a fire salvo, speed, visibility, engine reliability? To this question, the ace pilot replied that all of the above, of course, mattered, these were the obvious advantages of the aircraft. But the main thing, he said, was in the radio. The Airacobra had excellent, rare radio communications in those years. Thanks to this connection, the pilots in battle could communicate with each other, as if by telephone. Someone saw something - immediately all the members of the group are aware of it. Therefore, in combat missions, we did not have any surprises.

After the end of the war, Grigory Rechkalov continued his service in the Air Force. True, not as long as other Soviet aces. Already in 1959, he retired with the rank of major general. After that he lived and worked in Moscow. He died in Moscow on December 20, 1990 at the age of 70.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev

Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev ended up on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War in August 1942. In total, during the war years, he made 250 sorties, conducted 49 air battles, in which he personally destroyed 55 enemy aircraft and 5 more aircraft in the group. Such statistics make Gulaev the most effective Soviet ace. For every 4 sorties, he had a downed aircraft, or an average of more than one aircraft for each dogfight. During the war, he flew the I-16, Yak-1, P-39 Airacobra fighters, most of his victories, like Pokryshkin and Rechkalov, he won on the Airacobra.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev shot down not much less aircraft than Alexander Pokryshkin. But in terms of the effectiveness of the battles, he far surpassed both him and Kozhedub. At the same time, he fought for less than two years. At first, in the deep Soviet rear, as part of the air defense forces, he was engaged in the protection of important industrial facilities, protecting them from enemy air raids. And in September 1944, he was almost forcibly sent to study at the Air Force Academy.

The Soviet pilot made his most productive battle on May 30, 1944. In one air battle over Skuleni, he managed to shoot down 5 enemy aircraft at once: two Me-109s, Hs-129s, Ju-87s and Ju-88s. During the battle, he himself was seriously wounded in the right hand, but having concentrated all his strength and will, he was able to bring his fighter to the airfield, bleeding, landed and, having already taxied to the parking lot, lost consciousness. The pilot came to his senses only in the hospital after the operation, here he learned about the award of the second title of Hero of the Soviet Union to him.

All the time while Gulaev was at the front, he fought desperately. During this time, he managed to make two successful rams, after which he managed to land his damaged aircraft. Several times during this time he was wounded, but after being wounded he invariably returned back to duty. In early September 1944, the ace pilot was forcibly sent to study. At that moment, the outcome of the war was already clear to everyone, and they tried to protect the famous Soviet aces by sending them to the Air Force Academy by order. Thus, the war ended unexpectedly for our hero.

Nikolai Gulaev was called the brightest representative"romantic school" of air combat. Often the pilot dared to commit "irrational actions" that shocked the German pilots, but helped him win victories. Even among other far from ordinary Soviet fighter pilots, the figure of Nikolai Gulaev stood out for his colorfulness. Only such a person, possessing unparalleled courage, would be able to carry out 10 super-successful air battles, recording two of his victories for a successful ramming of enemy aircraft. Gulaev’s modesty in public and in his self-esteem was dissonant with his exceptionally aggressive and persistent manner of conducting air combat, and he managed to carry openness and honesty with boyish spontaneity through his whole life, retaining some youthful prejudices until the end of his life, which did not prevent him from rising to the rank of rank of Colonel General of Aviation. The famous pilot died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow.

Kirill Alekseevich Evstigneev

Kirill Alekseevich Evstigneev twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Like Kozhedub, he began his military career relatively late, only in 1943. During the war years, he made 296 sorties, conducted 120 air battles, personally shooting down 53 enemy aircraft and 3 in a group. He flew La-5 and La-5FN fighters.

The almost two-year "delay" with the appearance at the front was due to the fact that the fighter pilot suffered from stomach ulcers, and they were not allowed to go to the front with this disease. From the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he worked as an instructor at a flight school, and after that he overtook Lend-Lease Aerocobras. Work as an instructor gave him a lot, like another Soviet ace Kozhedub. At the same time, Evstigneev did not stop writing reports to the command with a request to send him to the front, as a result, they were nevertheless satisfied. Kirill Evstigneev received his baptism of fire in March 1943. Like Kozhedub, he fought as part of the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment, flew a La-5 fighter. On his first sortie on March 28, 1943, he scored two victories.

For the entire duration of the war, the enemy never managed to bring down Kirill Evstigneev. But from his own he got twice. For the first time, the Yak-1 pilot, who was carried away by air combat, crashed into his plane from above. The Yak-1 pilot immediately jumped out of the plane, which had lost one wing, with a parachute. But Evstigneev's La-5 suffered less, and he managed to reach the positions of his troops by landing the fighter next to the trenches. The second case, more mysterious and dramatic, occurred over its territory in the absence of enemy aircraft in the air. The fuselage of his plane was burst through, damaging Yevstigneev's legs, the car caught fire and went into a dive, and the pilot had to jump out of the plane with a parachute. At the hospital, doctors were inclined to amputate the pilot's foot, but he overtook them with such fear that they abandoned their idea. And after 9 days, the pilot escaped from the hospital and with crutches got to the location of his native part of 35 kilometers.

Kirill Evstigneev constantly increased the number of his air victories. Until 1945, the pilot was ahead of Kozhedub. At the same time, the doctor of the unit periodically sent him to the hospital to treat an ulcer and a wounded leg, which the ace pilot terribly opposed. Kirill Alekseevich was seriously ill from the pre-war times, in his life he underwent 13 surgical operations. Very often, the famous Soviet pilot flew, overcoming physical pain. Evstigneev, as they say, was obsessed with flying. IN free time he tried to train young fighter pilots. He was the initiator of training air battles. For the most part, Kozhedub turned out to be his opponent in them. At the same time, Evstigneev was completely devoid of a sense of fear, even at the very end of the war he calmly went into a frontal attack on the six-gun Fokkers, winning victories over them. Kozhedub spoke of his comrade-in-arms like this: "Flint pilot."

Captain Kirill Evstigneev finished the war of the Guards as a navigator of the 178th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. The pilot spent his last battle in the sky of Hungary on March 26, 1945, on his fifth La-5 fighter during the war. After the war, he continued to serve in the USSR Air Force, in 1972 he retired with the rank of Major General, and lived in Moscow. He died on August 29, 1996 at the age of 79, was buried at the Kuntsevsky cemetery of the capital.

Information sources:
http://svpressa.ru
http://airaces.narod.ru
http://www.warheroes.ru

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... the squadron lost 80 pilots in a fairly short period of time,
of which 60 never shot down a single Russian aircraft
/Mike Speke "Aces of the Luftwaffe"/

Crashed with a deafening roar Iron curtain", and in the means mass media independent Russia has risen a storm of revelations Soviet myths. The theme of the Great Patriotic War became the most popular - an inexperienced Soviet person was shocked by the results of German aces - tankers, submariners and, especially, Luftwaffe pilots.
Actually, the problem is this: 104 German pilots have an account of 100 or more downed aircraft. Among them are Erich Hartmann (352 wins) and Gerhard Barkhorn (301), who showed absolutely phenomenal results. Moreover, Harmann and Barkhorn won all their victories on the Eastern Front. And they were no exception - Gunther Rall (275 victories), Otto Kittel (267), Walter Novotny (258) - also fought on the Soviet-German front.

At the same time, the 7 best Soviet aces: Kozhedub, Pokryshkin, Gulaev, Rechkalov, Evstigneev, Vorozheikin, Glinka were able to overcome the bar of 50 downed enemy aircraft. For example, Three times Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub destroyed 64 German aircraft in air battles (plus 2 American Mustangs shot down by mistake). Alexander Pokryshkin is a pilot about whom, according to legend, the Germans warned by radio: “Akhtung! Pokryshkin in der Luft!”, chalked up “only” 59 air victories. The little-known Romanian ace Constantin Contacuzino has about the same number of victories (according to various sources, from 60 to 69). Another Romanian, Alexandru Serbanescu, shot down 47 aircraft on the Eastern Front (another 8 victories remained “unconfirmed”).

The situation is much worse for the Anglo-Saxons. The best aces were Marmaduke Pettle (about 50 wins, South Africa) and Richard Bong (40 wins, USA). In total, 19 British and American pilots managed to shoot down more than 30 enemy aircraft, while the British and Americans fought on the best fighters in the world: the inimitable P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning or the legendary Supermarine Spitfire! On the other hand, the best ace of the Royal Air Force did not have a chance to fight on such wonderful aircraft - Marmaduke Pettle won all his fifty victories, flying first on the old Gladiator biplane, and then on the clumsy Hurricane.
Against this background, the results of the Finnish fighter aces look completely paradoxical: Ilmari Yutilainen shot down 94 aircraft, and Hans Wind - 75.

What conclusion can be drawn from all these figures? What is the secret of the incredible performance of the Luftwaffe fighters? Maybe the Germans just didn't know how to count?
The only thing that can be asserted with a high degree of certainty is that the accounts of all aces without exception are overstated. To extol the successes of the best fighters is a standard practice of state propaganda, which, by definition, cannot be honest.

German Meresyev and his "Thing"

As an interesting example, I propose to consider the incredible story of the bomber pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel. This ace is less known than the legendary Erich Hartmann. Rudel practically did not participate in air battles, you will not find his name in the lists of the best fighters.
Rudel is famous for having made 2530 sorties. He piloted the Junkers-87 dive bomber, at the end of the war he moved to the helm of the Focke-Wulf 190. During his combat career, he destroyed 519 tanks, 150 self-propelled guns, 4 armored trains, 800 trucks and cars, two cruisers, a destroyer and heavily damaged the battleship Marat. In the air he shot down two Il-2 attack aircraft and seven fighters. He landed six times on enemy territory to save the crews of wrecked Junkers. The Soviet Union placed a reward of 100,000 rubles on the head of Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Just the epitome of a fascist

He was shot down 32 times by return fire from the ground. In the end, Rudel's leg was torn off, but the pilot continued to fly on a crutch until the end of the war. In 1948, he fled to Argentina, where he became friends with the dictator Peron and organized a mountaineering club. He climbed the highest peak of the Andes - the city of Aconcagua (7 kilometers). In 1953 he returned to Europe and settled in Switzerland, continuing to talk nonsense about the revival of the Third Reich.
Without a doubt, this outstanding and controversial pilot was a tough ace. But for any person accustomed to thoughtfully analyze events, one important question should arise: how was it established that Rudel destroyed exactly 519 tanks?

Of course, there were no camera guns or cameras on the Junkers. The maximum that Rudel or his gunner-radio operator could notice was the covering of a column of armored vehicles, i.e. possible damage to tanks. The exit speed of the Yu-87 from a dive is more than 600 km / h, while overloads can reach 5g, in such conditions it is unrealistic to see anything accurately on the ground.
Since 1943, Rudel moved to the Yu-87G anti-tank attack aircraft. The characteristics of this "lappet" are simply disgusting: max. speed in level flight - 370 km / h, rate of climb - about 4 m / s. Two VK37 cannons (caliber 37 mm, rate of fire 160 rds / min) became the main aircraft, with only 12 (!) shells per gun. Powerful guns mounted in the wings, when firing, created a large turning moment and rocked the light aircraft so that firing in bursts was pointless - only single sniper shots.

And here is a funny report on the results of field tests aircraft gun VYa-23: in 6 sorties on the Il-2, the pilots of the 245th Assault Aviation Regiment, with a total expenditure of 435 shells, achieved 46 hits on the tank column (10.6%). It must be assumed that in real combat conditions, under intense anti-aircraft fire, the results will be much worse. Where is the German ace with 24 shells on board the Stukka!

Further, hitting a tank does not guarantee its defeat. An armor-piercing projectile (685 grams, 770 m/s) fired from the VK37 cannon pierced 25 mm of armor at an angle of 30° from the normal. When using sub-caliber ammunition, armor penetration increased by 1.5 times. Also, due to the aircraft's own speed, armor penetration in reality was about 5 mm more. On the other hand, the thickness of the armored hull of Soviet tanks was only in some projections less than 30-40 mm, and there was nothing to dream of hitting a KV, IS or heavy self-propelled gun in the forehead or side.
In addition, breaking through the armor does not always lead to the destruction of the tank. Echelons with damaged armored vehicles regularly arrived in Tankograd and Nizhny Tagil, which were restored in a short time and sent back to the front. And the repair of damaged rollers and chassis was carried out right on the spot. At this time, Hans-Ulrich Rudel drew himself another cross for the "destroyed" tank.

Another question for Rudel is related to his 2530 sorties. According to some reports, in the German bomber squadrons it was accepted as an encouragement to count a difficult sortie for several sorties. For example, the captured captain Helmut Putz, commander of the 4th detachment of the 2nd group of the 27th bomber squadron, explained the following during interrogation: “... in combat conditions, I managed to make 130-140 night sorties, and a number of sorties with a complex combat mission were credited to me , like others, for 2-3 departures. (protocol of interrogation dated 06/17/1943). Although it is possible that Helmut Putz, having been captured, lied, trying to reduce his contribution to attacks on Soviet cities.

Hartmann vs everyone

There is an opinion that aces-pilots filled their bills uncontrollably and fought "on their own", being an exception to the rule. And the main work at the front was carried out by pilots of medium qualification. This is a profound misconception: in a general sense, pilots of "medium qualification" do not exist. There are either aces or their prey.
For example, let's take the legendary Normandy-Neman air regiment, which fought on Yak-3 fighters. Of the 98 French pilots, 60 did not win a single victory, but the “selected” 17 pilots shot down 200 German aircraft in air battles (in total, the French regiment drove 273 aircraft with a swastika into the ground).
A similar pattern was observed in the 8th US Air Force, where out of 5,000 fighter pilots, 2,900 did not win a single victory. Only 318 people chalked up 5 or more downed aircraft.
The American historian Mike Spike describes the same episode related to the actions of the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front: "... the squadron lost 80 pilots in a fairly short period of time, of which 60 did not shoot down a single Russian aircraft."
So, we found out that aces pilots are the main force of the Air Force. But the question remains: what is the reason for that huge gap between the performance of the aces of the Luftwaffe and the pilots of the Anti-Hitler coalition? Even if you divide the incredible accounts of the Germans in half?

One of the legends about the failure of large accounts of German aces is associated with an unusual system for counting downed aircraft: by the number of engines. Single-engine fighter - one downed aircraft. Four-engine bomber - four downed aircraft. Indeed, for the pilots who fought in the West, a parallel offset was introduced, in which for the destruction of the “Flying Fortress” flying in battle formation, the pilot was credited with 4 points, for a damaged bomber that “fell out” of the battle formation and became easy prey other fighters, the pilot was recorded 3 points, because. he did most of the work - breaking through the hurricane fire of the Flying Fortresses is much more difficult than shooting a damaged single plane. And so on: depending on the degree of participation of the pilot in the destruction of the 4-engine monster, he was awarded 1 or 2 points. What happened then with these reward points? They must have been converted into Reichsmarks somehow. But all this had nothing to do with the list of downed aircraft.

The most prosaic explanation for the Luftwaffe phenomenon is that the Germans had no shortage of targets. Germany fought on all fronts with the numerical superiority of the enemy. The Germans had 2 main types of fighters: Messerschmitt-109 (34 thousand were produced from 1934 to 1945) and Focke-Wulf 190 (13 thousand were produced in the fighter version and 6.5 thousand in the attack aircraft version) - a total of 48 thousand fighters.
At the same time, about 70 thousand Yaks, Lavochkins, I-16s and MiG-3s passed through the Red Army Air Force during the war years (excluding 10 thousand fighters supplied under Lend-Lease).
In the Western European theater of operations, Luftwaffe fighters were opposed by about 20 thousand Spitfires and 13 thousand Hurricanes and Tempests (this is how many aircraft visited the Royal Air Force from 1939 to 1945). And how many more fighters did Britain get under Lend-Lease?
Since 1943, American fighters have appeared over Europe - thousands of Mustangs, P-38s and P-47s plowed the skies of the Reich, escorting strategic bombers during raids. In 1944, during the landings in Normandy, the Allied aviation had a sixfold numerical superiority. “If there are camouflage planes in the sky, this is the Royal Air Force, if there are silver ones, the US Air Force. If there are no planes in the sky, it is the Luftwaffe,” the German soldiers joked sadly. How could British and American pilots have big bills under such conditions?
Another example - the Il-2 attack aircraft became the most massive combat aircraft in the history of aviation. During the war years, 36154 attack aircraft were produced, of which 33920 Ils entered the army. By May 1945, the Red Army Air Force included 3585 Il-2 and Il-10, another 200 Il-2 were naval aviation.

In a word, the Luftwaffe pilots did not have any superpowers. All their achievements are explained only by the fact that there were many enemy aircraft in the air. Allied fighter aces, on the contrary, needed time to detect the enemy - according to statistics, even the best Soviet pilots had an average of 1 air battle for 8 sorties: they simply could not meet the enemy in the sky!
On a cloudless day, from a distance of 5 km, a WWII fighter is visible like a fly on a window pane from the far corner of the room. In the absence of radars on aircraft, air combat was more of an unexpected coincidence than a regular event.
It is more objective to count the number of downed aircraft, taking into account the number of pilot sorties. Viewed from this angle, Erich Hartmann's achievement pales in comparison: 1,400 sorties, 825 dogfights, and "only" 352 aircraft shot down. This figure is much better for Walter Novotny: 442 sorties and 258 victories.

Friends congratulate Alexander Pokryshkin (far right) on receiving the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union

It is very interesting to trace how aces pilots began their careers. The legendary Pokryshkin in the very first sorties demonstrated piloting skills, audacity, flight intuition and sniper shooting. And the phenomenal ace Gerhard Barkhorn did not win a single victory in the first 119 sorties, but he himself was shot down twice! Although there is an opinion that Pokryshkin also did not go smoothly: the Soviet Su-2 became his first downed plane.
In any case, Pokryshkin has his own advantage over the best German aces. Hartman was shot down fourteen times. Barkhorn - 9 times. Pokryshkin was never shot down! Another advantage of the Russian miracle hero: he won most of his victories in 1943. In 1944-45. Pokryshkin shot down only 6 German aircraft, focusing on training young personnel and managing the 9th Guards Air Division.

In conclusion, it should be said that one should not be so afraid of the high scores of the Luftwaffe pilots. This, on the contrary, shows what a formidable enemy the Soviet Union defeated, and why the Victory is of such high value.

Aces Luftwaffe World War II

The film tells about the famous German aces pilots: Erich Hartmann (352 downed enemy aircraft), Johan Steinhoff (176), Werner Mölders (115), Adolf Galland (103) and others. Rare shots of interviews with Hartman and Galland are presented, as well as unique newsreel of air battles.

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What prompted me to choose this topic?
War is a time of testing, where everyone shows their true nature. Someone betrays and sells loved ones, their ideals and values ​​in order to save their miserable life, which is essentially worthless.
But there is another group of people who, on the "scale" of values, assign to saving their lives, if not the last, then not the first place. Combat pilots also belong to this group of people.
I do not distinguish pilots by belonging to one or another opposing side. I don't draw any conclusions. Let everyone, having read the material provided by me, draw conclusions for himself. I just wrote about the brave people who were, are and will be in history. And I set these people as an example.

ace(fr. as - ace; first in his field) - master of air combat. For the first time this word was applied in the First World War to military pilots who are fluent in the art of piloting and air combat and shot down at least 5 enemy aircraft.
In World War II, the best ace of the USSR and allies is Ivan Kozhedub, who shot down 62 aircraft. Among the aces (experts) of Nazi Germany who fought on the Eastern Front, there were those whose combat score was in the hundreds. The absolute record for the number of confirmed victories in the history of aviation - 352 enemy aircraft - belongs to the Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann. Among the aces of other countries, the leadership belongs to the Finn Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, who has 94 enemy aircraft on his account.
After the end of World War II and the advent of jet aircraft, the number of downed aircraft per pilot fell, which was caused by the relative limitations of local conflicts. The appearance of new aces was noted only in the Korean, Vietnamese, Iranian-Iraqi, Arab-Israeli and Indo-Pakistani wars. Soviet pilots Yevgeny Pepelyaev and Nikolai Sutyagin won a record number of victories on a jet aircraft during Korean War- 23 and 21 enemy aircraft, respectively. The third place in the number of downed aircraft in the history of jet aviation is occupied by Israeli Air Force Colonel Giora Epstein - 17 aircraft, and 9 of them - in two days.

Aces of the USSR

27 Soviet fighter pilots, awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times and twice for military exploits, won from 22 to 62 victories, in total they shot down 1044 enemy aircraft (plus 184 in the group). Over 800 pilots have 16 or more victories. Our aces (3% of all pilots) destroyed 30% of enemy aircraft.

Kozhedub, Ivan Nikitovich

Figure 1 - Three times Hero of the Soviet Union, Air Marshal Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub (June 8, 1920, Obrazhievka village, Glukhovsky district, Chernigov province, Ukrainian SSR - August 8, 1991, Moscow) - Soviet military leader, ace pilot of the Great Patriotic War, the most successful fighter pilot in Allied aviation (64 personal victories ). Three times Hero of the Soviet Union. Air Marshal (May 6, 1985).
Ivan Kozhedub was born in Ukraine into a peasant family. He made his first steps in aviation while studying at the Shostka flying club. Since 1940 - in the ranks of the Red Army. In 1941 he graduated from the Chuguev Military Aviation Pilot School, where he began his service as an instructor.
After the outbreak of war, together with the aviation school, he was evacuated to Central Asia. In November 1942, Kozhedub was seconded to the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 302nd Fighter Aviation Division, which was being formed in Ivanovo. In March 1943, as part of a division, he flew to the Voronezh Front.

Figure 2 - Ivan Kozhedub against the background of La-5FN (tail number 14)


Figure 3 - La-7 I.N. Kozhedub, 176th GvIAP, spring 1945

The first air battle ended in failure for Kozhedub and almost became the last - his La-5 was damaged by a Messerschmitt-109 cannon burst, the armored back saved him from an incendiary projectile, and upon returning he was fired upon by Soviet anti-aircraft gunners and 2 anti-aircraft shells hit the plane. Despite the fact that he managed to land the plane, it was not subject to full restoration, and Kozhedub had to fly on the "remnants" - free planes available in the squadron. Soon they wanted to take him to the alert post, but the regiment commander stood up for him. On July 6, 1943, on the Kursk Bulge, during the fortieth sortie, Kozhedub shot down his first German aircraft, the Junkers 87 bomber. The very next day he shot down the second, and on July 9 he shot down 2 Bf-109 fighters at once. The first title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Kozhedub on February 4, 1944 for 146 sorties and 20 downed enemy aircraft.
Since May 1944, Ivan Kozhedub fought on the La-5FN (side number 14), built at the expense of the collective farmer-beekeeper of the Stalingrad region V.V. Konev. In August 1944, he was appointed deputy commander of the 176th guards regiment and began to fight on the new La-7 fighter. The second medal "Gold Star" Kozhedub was awarded on August 19, 1944 for 256 sorties and 48 downed enemy aircraft.

Figure 4 - La-7 early series
Figure 5 - La-7 cockpit

By the end of the war, Ivan Kozhedub, by that time a major in the guards, flew La-7, made 330 sorties, shot down 62 enemy aircraft in 120 air battles, including 17 Ju-87 dive bombers, 2 Ju-88 and He bombers. -111, 16 Bf-109 and 21 Fw-190 fighters, 3 Hs-129 attack aircraft and 1 Me-262 jet fighter. Last Stand in the Great Patriotic War, in which he shot down 2 FW-190s, Kozhedub spent in the sky over Berlin. Throughout the war, Kozhedub was never shot down. Kozhedub received the third Gold Star medal on August 18, 1945 for high military skill, personal courage and courage shown on the war fronts. He was an excellent shooter and preferred to open fire at a distance of 200-300 meters, rarely approaching a shorter distance.

Figure 6 - Medal "Gold Star" - an attribute of the Hero of the Soviet Union

In addition to A.I. Pokryshkin and I.N. Kozhedub three times Hero of the USSR was S.M. Budyonny. More stars (four) had L.I. Brezhnev and G.K. Zhukov.
Kozhedub's flight biography also includes two US Air Force P-51 Mustangs shot down in 1945, which attacked him, mistaking him for a German aircraft.
At the end of the war, Kozhedub continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1949 he graduated from the Red Banner Air Force Academy, in 1956 - the Military Academy of the General Staff. During the Korean War, he commanded the 324th Fighter Aviation Division as part of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps. From April 1951 to January 1952, the division's pilots scored 216 air victories, losing only 27 aircraft (9 pilots died).
In 1964-1971 - Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District. Since 1971 he served in the central apparatus of the Air Force, and since 1978 - in the Group of General Inspectors of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. In 1985, I. N. Kozhedub was awarded the military rank of Air Marshal. He was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 2-5 convocations, people's deputy THE USSR.
Died August 8, 1991. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. The bronze bust was installed at home in the village of Obrazhievka. His La-7 (tail number 27) is on display at the Air Force Museum in Monino. Also, a park in the city of Sumy (Ukraine) was named after Ivan Kozhedub; a monument to the pilot was erected near the entrance.

Pokryshkin, Alexander Ivanovich

Figure 7 - Three times Hero of the Soviet Union, Air Marshal Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin - Soviet ace pilot, the second most successful Soviet fighter pilot of the Great Patriotic War. The first three times Hero of the Soviet Union. Air Marshal (1972). Honorary citizen of Mariupol and Novosibirsk.
Pokryshkin was born in Novosibirsk, the son of a factory worker. Grew up in poverty. But unlike his peers, he was more interested in studying than in fights and petty crimes. In his youth he had the nickname Engineer. He became interested in aviation at the age of 12, at a local air show, and the dream of becoming a pilot never left him after that. In 1928, after graduating from a seven-year school, he went to work at a construction site. In 1930, despite his father's protests, he left home and entered the local technical school, where he studied for 18 months. Then he voluntarily joined the army and was sent to an aviation school. His dream seemed about to come true. Unfortunately, the profile of the school was suddenly changed and I had to study as an aircraft mechanic. Official requests for transfer to the flight department received the standard answer "Soviet aviation needs technicians." After graduating in 1933 from the Perm military-technical school, he quickly rose in position. In December 1934, he became Chief Aircraft Mechanic 74 infantry division. He remained in this position until November 1938. During this period, his creative nature began to come to light: he proposed a number of improvements to the ShKAS machine gun and a number of other things.
In the end, Pokryshkin outwitted his superiors: during his vacation in the winter of 1938, he completed the annual civilian pilot program in 17 days. This automatically made him eligible for flight school. Without even packing his suitcase, he boarded the train. He graduated with top marks in 1939, and with the rank of first lieutenant was assigned to the 55th Fighter Regiment.
He was in Moldova in June 1941, close to the border, and his airfield was bombed on June 22, 1941, the first day of the war. His first dogfight was a disaster. He shot down a Soviet plane. It was a Su-2, a light bomber, its pilot survived, but the gunner was killed.
He scored his first victory against the illustrious Bf-109 the next day, when he and his wingman were reconnaissance. On July 3, having won several more victories, he was hit by a German anti-aircraft gun behind the front line and made his way to his unit for four days. During the first weeks of the war, Pokryshkin clearly saw how outdated Soviet military doctrine was, and gradually began to enter his ideas into a notebook. He carefully recorded all the details of the air battles in which he and his friends participated and made a detailed analysis. He had to fight in the extremely difficult conditions of constant retreat. He later said "he who did not fight in 1941-1942 does not know the real war."
Pokryshkin was close to death several times. A machine gun round went through his seat on the right side, damaged his shoulder strap, ricocheted off the left side, and scratched his chin, covering his dashboard in blood.

Figure 8 - MiG-3 fighter A.I. Pokryshkin, 55th IAP, summer 1941

In the winter of 1941, Pokryshkin, flying a MiG-3, took off despite mud and rain after two other pilots crashed while trying to take off. His mission was to locate von Kleist's tanks, which were stopped in front of the town of Shakhty and then lost. Soviet troops. After he, despite running out of fuel and terrible weather was able to return and report this important information, he was awarded the Order of Lenin.
In the late winter of 1942, his regiment was called back from the front to learn a new type of fighter P-39 Airacobra. During training, Pokryshkin often disagreed with the new regiment commander, who did not accept Pokryshkin's criticism of Soviet military aviation doctrine. The commander fabricated a case against Pokryshkin in a field court, accusing him of cowardice, lack of subordination and disobedience to orders. However, the highest authority acquitted him. In 1943, Pokryshkin fought in the Kuban against the famous German fighter air formations. His new tactics for patrolling the airspace, and the use of ground-based radar and an advanced ground-based control system, brought the Soviet Air Force its first major victory over the Luftwaffe.
In January 1943, the 16th Guards Aviation Regiment was sent to the border with Iran to receive new equipment and new pilots. The regiment returned to the front on April 8, 1943. During this period, Pokryshkin chalked up ten downed Bf-109s during his first flight on the Aerocobra. The next day, April 9, he was able to confirm 2 of the 7 aircraft he shot down. Pokryshkin received his first title of Hero of the Soviet Union on April 24, 1943., the rank of major was awarded to him in June.
In most sorties, Pokryshkin took on the most difficult task of shooting down the leader. As he understood from the experience of 1941-1942, knocking out the leader meant demoralizing the enemy and often forcing him to return to his airfield. Pokryshkin received the second Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union on August 24, 1943 after an investigation by the Specialists.

Figure 9 - MiG-3 at the field airfield
Figure 10 - Cockpit

Figure 11 - Installation of ShVAK guns on the MiG-3

In February 1944, Pokryshkin received a promotion and an offer of light paperwork to manage the training of new pilots. But he immediately rejected this offer and remained in his old regiment in his former rank. However, he did not fly as much as before. Pokryshkin became a famous hero and became a very important propaganda tool, so he was not allowed to fly much for fear of him being killed in battle. Instead of flying, he spent a lot of time in the bunker directing the battles of his regiment by radio. In June 1944, Pokryshkin was promoted to colonel and commanded the 9th Guards Air Division. On August 19, 1944, after 550 sorties and 53 official victories, Pokryshkin was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the third time. He became the first to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times. He was forbidden to fly with everyone, but sometimes allowed. Of his 65 official victories, only 6 were won in the last two years of the war.

Figure 12 - Medal "Gold Star" - an attribute of the Hero of the Soviet Union

After the war, he was passed over again and again for promotion. Only after Stalin's death did he again find himself in favor and was finally promoted to aviation general. However, he never held the highest positions in aviation. His highest post was the post of head of DOSAAF. Pokryshkin was again ostracized for his honesty and directness. Despite strong pressure, he refused to glorify Brezhnev and his role in the battle for the Kuban. Pokryshkin died on November 13, 1985 at the age of 72.

Aces of Germany

During World War II, according to German data, the Luftwaffe pilots scored about 70,000 victories. More than 5,000 German pilots became aces with five or more victories. More than 8,500 German fighter pilots were killed, 2,700 were missing or taken prisoner. 9,100 pilots were wounded during sorties.

Hartmann, Erich Alfred

Figure 13 - Erich Alfred "Bubi" Hartmann

Erich Alfred "Bubi" Hartmann German ace pilot, considered the most successful fighter pilot in the history of aviation. According to German data, during the Second World War, he made 1425 sorties, shooting down 352 enemy aircraft (of which 345 were Soviet) in 825 air battles. During this time, his plane was shot down 14 times, always for the same reasons - due to damage from the wreckage of the downed plane, or technical malfunctions, but he was never shot down by the enemy. During such occasions, Hartmann always managed to jump out with a parachute. Friends called him "the blond knight of Germany."
As a pre-war glider pilot, Hartmann joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 and completed pilot training in 1942. He was soon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Squadron (Jagdgeschwader 52) on the eastern front, where he came under the tutelage of experienced Luftwaffe fighter pilots. Under their guidance, Hartmann developed his skills and tactics, which eventually earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on 25 August 1944 (only 27 men in the German armed forces held this distinction), for the 301st confirmed air victory.

Figure 14 - Fighter: Messerschmitt Bf 109

Figure 15 - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

Until the end of the war, Hartmann made more than 1,400 sorties, in which he conducted 825 air battles. Hartmann himself often said that the fact that he did not lose a single wingman during the entire war was dearer to him than all victories.
Erich Hartmann made his 352nd and last air victory on May 8, 1945. He and the remaining members of JG 52 surrendered to American forces, but were handed over to the Soviet Army. Accused of war crimes, sentenced to 25 years in maximum security camps, Hartmann would spend 10 and a half years in them, until 1955. In 1956, he joined the rebuilt West German Luftwaffe, and became the first squadron commander of JG 71 Richthoffen. In 1970, he left the army, largely due to his rejection of American fighter Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, which was then equipped with the troops of the Federal Republic of Germany, and constant conflicts with superiors. Erich Hartmann died in 1993.

Rudel, Hans-Ulrich (Attack Luftwaffe)

Figure 16 - Hans-Ulrich Rudel

Hans-Ulrich Rudel (German: Hans-Ulrich Rudel; July 2, 1916 - December 18, 1982) - the most famous and successful pilot of the Yu-87 Stuka dive bomber during the Second World War. The only holder of the full bow of the Knight's Cross: with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (since December 29, 1944). The only foreigner to be awarded Hungary's highest award, the Gold Medal for Valor. Only Hermann Göring surpassed Rudel in the number of awards. Active Nazi, never criticized Hitler.
Hans-Ulrich Rudel is rightfully considered the most famous combat pilot of the Second World War. In less than four years, piloting mainly the slow and vulnerable Ju-87 "Shtuka" dive bombers, he made 2530 sorties, more than any other pilot in the world, destroyed 519 Soviet tanks (more than five tank corps), more than 1000 locomotives , cars and other vehicles, sank the battleship "Marat", a cruiser, a destroyer, 70 landing craft, bombed 150 artillery positions, howitzer, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, destroyed many bridges and pillboxes, shot down 7 Soviet fighters and 2 Il-2 attack aircraft, himself was shot down by anti-aircraft fire about thirty times (and never by fighters), was wounded five times, two of them seriously, but continued to fly sorties after the amputation of his right leg, saved six crews who made an emergency landing in enemy territory, and at the end of the war became the only soldier of the German army to receive the highest and specially established award of his country for bravery, "Golden Oak Leaves with Swords and Diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross".

Figure 17 - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

Rudel started the war as a modest lieutenant, whom his colleagues bullied for his love of milk and for a long time was not allowed to take part in combat sorties as unable to learn how to fly an aircraft, and ended it with the rank of oberst, commander of the oldest and most famous aviation unit of the Ju-87 dive bombers (Schlachtgeschwader) SG2 " Immelman". Hitler forbade him to fly several times, believing that his death would be a severe blow to the nation, Field Marshal Ferdinand Scherner called him worthy of an entire division, and Stalin estimated his head at 100,000 rubles, which he promised to pay to anyone who could deliver Rudel, dead or alive, into the hands of the Soviet command.

Figure 18 - Junkers-87 "Thing" (Junkers Ju-87 Stu rz ka mpfflugzeug - dive bomber)

After the war, a book of Rudel's war memoirs, "Trotzdem", better known by her English title"Pilot" Stuka ", since then repeatedly reprinted in many languages ​​​​of the world with a total circulation of more than a million copies. However, the book, unanimously recognized in its time as a literary event and which has become a military memoir classic over the past decades, has never been translated into Russian, despite the fact that Rudel made almost all of his sorties on the Eastern Front (according to other sources, the book was still published in Russia at least twice).The reasons for this will become clear to the reader after viewing the very first chapters.From the pages of the book we see a portrait of a man thinking, cold-blooded, strong-willed, fearless, with bright commanding qualities, although not alien to emotions, vulnerable, sometimes doubting himself, continuously struggling with inhuman tension and fatigue.At the same time, Rudel remains a convinced fascist.This is not some yesterday's a student who hastily trained to fly on a shortened program and thrown into battle, and a regular officer of the Luftwaffe, who strives to inflict maximum damage on a hated enemy by any means and with any weapon at his disposal, the meaning of life of which is to exterminate Germany's enemies, conquer her "living space" , successful missions, military career, awards, respect for subordinates, favorable attitude of Hitler, Goering, Himmler, adoration of the nation. Rudel will remain in the history of the Second World War and Hitler's Germany as a finished product of Nazi "indoctrination", the archetype of a fascist military officer, completely devoted to Hitler and the Third Reich, until his death, he believed that Hitler's fight against the "Asian communist hordes" was the only possible and fair.

Figure 19 - Ju 87G "Shtuka" - tank destroyer. With two 37 mm BK 37 cannons mounted in pods under the wings

Figure 20 - "Pieces" - sortie

In mid-April 1946, after being discharged from a hospital in Bavaria where he was recovering from an amputation, Rudel worked as a transport contractor in Kösfeld, Westphalia. On his prosthesis, made especially for him by the famous master Strijde from Tyrol, he took part in a number of ski competitions and, together with his friends and fellow soldiers Bauer and Niermann, made a mountain trip to South Tyrol. Later, having lost his job and any prospects, with the label of "an ardent militarist and fascist", he moved to Rome, and in July 1948 v to Argentina, where, along with a number of other well-known Luftwaffe veterans, Generals Werner Baumbach and Adolf Galland, test pilots Behrens and Steinkamp, ​​the former Focke-Wulf designer Kurt Tank helped create Argentine military aviation, worked as a consultant in the aircraft industry.
Rudel, having settled in the vicinity of the Argentine city of Cordoba, where there was a large aircraft factory, was actively involved in his favorite sports in swimming, tennis, javelin and discus throwing, skiing and rock climbing in the Sierra Grande. In his spare time he worked on his memoirs, first published in Buenos Aires in 1949. Despite his prosthesis, he took part in the South American Alpine Skiing Championship in San Carlos de Bariloja and finished fourth. In 1951, Rudel climbed Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes, the highest peak on the American mainland, and reached 7,000 meters when bad weather forced him to turn back.
Being in South America, Rudel met and became close friends with Argentine President Juan Peron and Paraguayan President Alfredo Stroessner. He was active in social work among the Nazis who left Europe and immigrants of German origin, participating in the Kameradenhilfe, as his opponents believed, an "NSDAP-like" organization, which, nevertheless, sent food parcels to German prisoners of war and helped their families.
In 1951, Rudel published two political pamphlets in Buenos Aires - "We, the front-line soldiers and our opinion on the rearmament of Germany" and "Stab in the back or Legend." In the first book, Rudel, speaking on behalf of all front-line soldiers, claims that he is again ready to fight against the Bolsheviks and for the "living space" in the east, which is still necessary for the survival of the German nation. In the second, devoted to the consequences of the assassination attempt on Hitler in June 1944, Rudel explains to the reader that the responsibility for the defeat of Germany in the war lies with the generals who did not understand the strategic genius of the Fuhrer and, in particular, the conspiring officers, since the political crisis caused by their assassination attempt allowed Allies gain a foothold in Europe.
After the end of the contract with the Argentine government in the early 1950s. Rudel returned to Germany, where he continued his successful career as a consultant and businessman. In 1953, in the midst of the first stage cold war, when public opinion became more tolerant of the former Nazis, he first published his "Trotzdem" in his homeland. Rudel also made an attempt to run for the Bundestag on behalf of the ultra-conservative DRP, but was defeated in the elections. He took an active part in the annual meetings of veterans "Immelmann", in 1965 he opened a memorial to the dead SG2 pilots in Burg-Staufenburg. Despite a stroke in 1970, Rudel continued to play sports actively and contributed to the organization of the first German championships for disabled athletes. He spent the last years of his life in Kufstein, Austria, continuing to embarrass official Bonn with his far-right political statements.
Hans-Ulrich Rudel died in December 1982 from a cerebral hemorrhage in Rosenheim, Germany, at the age of 66.

Aces of Japan

Nishizawa, Hiroyoshi

Figure 21 - Hiroyoshi Nishizawa

Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (January 27, 1920 - October 26, 1944) - Japanese ace, pilot of the Imperial Naval Aviation in World War II.
Perhaps Nishizawa was the best Japanese ace in the entire war: by the time of his death, he had won 87 aerial victories. These statistics are not very accurate, as in Japanese aviation it was customary to keep statistics of the squadron, and not personally pilots, and also because of excessively stringent accounting requirements. Newspapers wrote after his death about 150 victories, he told his family about 147, some sources mention 102, and even 202 are supposed.
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa gained fame after his death, to a large extent this was facilitated by his comrade Saburo Sakai. Both of these pilots were among the best aces of Japanese naval aviation. Nishizawa was born on January 27, 1920 in Nagano Prefecture in the family of a successful manager. In June 1936, he entered the service in the navy, his decision was the result advertising campaign, calling on young people to connect their lives with the Imperial Navy. Hiroyoshi had only one dream - to become a pilot. He carried it out by completing a flight training course in March 1939.
Before the outbreak of the Pacific War, Nishizawa served in the Chitose air group, which was based in the Marshall Islands and was armed with Type 96 Claude fighters. In February 1942 he was transferred to the 4th air group. On February 3, 1942, Nishizawa shot down his first aircraft over Rabaul, flying an obsolete Claude.
With the arrival of the Tainan air group in Rabaul, the pilot was included in the 2nd squadron. Nishizawa got into the pleasant campaign of Saburo Sakai. Sakai, Nishizawa and Ota formed the famous "Brilliant Trio". The young pilot quickly became a skilled air fighter. He scored his first victory as part of the Tainan air group on May 1, 1942, shooting down an American Airacobra over Port Moresby. The next day, two P40s fell victim to his fighter's cannons. Opponents of the pilots of the Tainan air group in May 1942 were the pilots of the 35th and 36th squadrons of the US Air Force.
August 7, 1942 was the most successful day in the career of Hiroyoshi Nishizawa. During his very first encounter with American carrier-based fighter pilots, the Japanese shot down six F4Fs from the VF5 squadron. "Zero" Nishizawa was also damaged, but the pilot managed to return to his airfield.

Figure 22 - A6M2 "Zero" model 21 on the deck of the aircraft carrier "Shokaku" preparing for an attack on Pearl Harbor

On November 8, the 251st Air Group was created on the basis of the remnants of the Tainan Air Group.
On May 14, 1943, 33 Zero fighters escorted 18 Betty bombers flying to bomb American ships in Oro Bay. All planes of the 49th Fighter Air Group of the US Air Force, three P40 squadrons, rose to intercept. In the ensuing skirmish, Nishizawa shot down one Warhawk reliably and two suspected, then he scored his first victory over a twin-engined Lightning. In total, Japanese pilots chalked up 15 aircraft shot down in air combat; in fact, the Americans lost only one P38 Lightning fighter from the 19th Fighter Squadron of the US Air Force.
Sooner or later, Nishizawa had to meet in the air the best fighter of the Pacific War, the F4U Corsair. Such an encounter took place on June 7, 1943 over Russells, when 81 Zeros grappled with a hundred American and New Zealand fighters. Four Corsairs from the VMF112 squadron were shot down in that battle, three pilots managed to escape. Nishizawa chalked up one US Marine Corps Corsair and one New Zealand Air Force P40.
For the rest of the summer of 1943, Nishizawa flew almost daily combat missions around Rendova and Vella Lavella. American pilots from squadrons VMF121, VMF122, VMF123, VMF124 and VMF221 stubbornly and unsuccessfully hunted for the "Pacific Devil". For success in combat work, the commander of the 11th Air Fleet, Admiral Inichi Kusaka, solemnly presented Hiroyoshi Nishizawa with a samurai sword.
In September, the 251st air group began to prepare for night interceptions, and Nishizawa was transferred to the 253rd air group, which was based at the Rabaul airfield of Tobira. The ace fought in the new unit for only a month, after which he was recalled in October to instructor work in Japan. In November, Nishizawa was promoted to warrant officer.
The veteran of the Pacific battles perceived the new appointment as if he were appointed as a nurse in a nursery. Nishizawa rushed to the front. His numerous requests were granted: the pilot left for the Philippines at the disposal of the headquarters of the 201st air group. The Japanese were preparing to repel the American invasion of the Philippines.
The date of the first successful kamikaze attack is October 25, 1944, when Lieutenant Yukio Shiki and four other pilots attacked American aircraft carriers in Leyte Gulf. Nishizawa played a certain role in the success of the first suicidal action: he, at the head of the four fighters, accompanied the planes of kamikaze pilots. Nishizawa shot down two Hellcat patrols, allowing Shiki to launch his last assault. Nishizawa himself asked the command to allow him to become a kamikaze. The most experienced fighter pilot is too valuable to use in a suicide strike. Nishizawa's request was denied.
On October 26, Nishizawa flew the 1021st Naval Air Transport Group from Kubi Island to Mabalakat (Clark Field area) to receive a new Zero. On the route, the plane went missing, the radio operator managed to transmit an SOS signal. For a long time, nothing was known about the circumstances of the death of the car.
The circumstances of Nishizawa's death became clear only in 1982. The transport plane was intercepted over the northern tip of Mindoro Island by a pair of Helkets from VF14 squadron, which shot it down.
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In accordance with the official data of the Japanese Navy, Nishizawa personally shot down 36 aircraft and damaged two during his service in the 201st air group. Shortly before his death, the pilot submitted a report to his commander, Commodore Harutoshi Okamoto, which indicated the number of victories won by Nishizawa in air battles - 86. In post-war studies, the number of aircraft shot down by the ace increased to 103 and even 147.

Link List

1. Wikipedia. Ace pilot. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace Pilot

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7. Wikipedia. List of pilots-aces of the Second World War. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pilot-aces_of_Second_World_War

8. Corner of the sky. Sky knights. Pilots-aces of the Second World War. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://www.airwar.ru/history/aces/ace2ww/skyknight.html

9. Corner of the sky. MiG-3. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/mig3.html

10. Wikipedia. Air Force Germany 1933-1945. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe

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13. Stalin's falcons. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://www.hranitels.ru/

14. Dokuchaev A. Whose pilots were better in World War II? [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/ge/publ/03.dat

15. Sinitsyn E. Alexander Pokryshkin - the genius of the air war. Psychology of heroism (fragments from the book). [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: http://www.s-genius.ru/vse_knigi/pokrishkin_universal.htm

16. Bakursky V. Comparison of fighters of the second world war. [Electronic resource] - Article access mode: