Twice, three times and four times heroes. The first twice hero of the Soviet Union 2 hero of the USSR

From the Monroe Doctrine to the Marshall Plan: Why Europe Became Increasingly Dependent on the United States On June 5, 1947, US Secretary of State George Catlett Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University outlining a plan to help European countries. The United States allocated a lot of money for the restoration of Europe, and the goal was to eliminate trade barriers, supply its goods and products to Europe, and oust communists from power structures. The US State Department considers this initiative one of the most successful in foreign policy. Vladimir Sverzhin talks about how and why the United States came to the Marshall Plan. In the history of cinema, there is a genre that was extremely popular in the 1960-1970s. It was called "spaghetti western". Dashing cowboys rush across the endless prairies, shoot without missing, save beauties, carry out the law and punish scoundrels. They are always in the minority and always win. They push the boundaries of the civilized world and sweep away evil bandits and insidious scoundrels from the path of progress. And so that in general plans the audience does not confuse the main character with the main villain and his gang, the first wears a white hat, his enemies wear black ones. Of course, the audience followed the exploits of the owner of the white hat. Monroe's Three Points If you remember the history of the United States of America and look at a map, it is easy to see that on the day of independence the new power occupied a relatively small territory along the Atlantic coast. The expansion of the country deep into the mainland occupied almost the entire 19th century. It was then that the brave “border pushers” created a living myth of the conquest of the Wild West and, thanks to this, became the idols of millions. But one fine day there was nowhere to carry universal goodness. It should be noted that in this case, “universal good” was indeed not an empty phrase. At that time, the United States was created as a country with the most perfect political system. It was originally the fruit of the joint creativity of brilliant thinkers and organizers of its time, and the laws that formed the basis of the constitution were a true masterpiece of freedom-loving thought of the Enlightenment. Of course, any business related to the will of many people is doomed in advance to global problems, but the vector for the development of society has been given. And suddenly the lands where the torch of freedom, equality and brotherhood should have been carried ended. But the question “what to do when America reaches natural boundaries” has long been asked, and the answer has been given. Back in 1823, the country's fifth president, James Monroe, in an address to Congress, shared his views on the country's politics in his contemporary world. The Monroe Doctrine contained three clauses, two of which were proclaimed openly, the other was “for official use.” First, the President of the United States stated: As a principle to which the rights and interests of the United States are bound up, we declare that the American continents, in view of the free and independent condition which they have achieved and maintained, should not hereafter be considered as an object for future colonization. As you can see, the owners of white hats did not want anything bad. On the contrary, they acted as a guarantor that not a single European monarch would encroach on the freedom and independence of the countries of the Americas. Otherwise, it will be considered an “unfriendly” step towards the United States, in fact, a pretext for war. The second point was also logical and direct: We have never taken part in the wars of the European powers, in matters concerning themselves, and this is consistent with our policy... We have not interfered and will not interfere in the affairs of existing colonies or dependent territories of any European state . But in the case of governments which have declared their independence and have succeeded in maintaining it, and whose independence we have recognized upon mature reflection and in accordance with the principles of justice, we cannot contemplate interference in their affairs by any European power with a view to their subjection or control by any in any other way they are anything but a manifestation of an unfriendly attitude towards the United States. And again, the protection of the weak and disadvantaged on the territory of both Americas and, if we abandon diplomatic verbal laces, “don’t meddle in our hemisphere, and we won’t meddle in yours.” The third principle - the principle of “non-transition” - asserted the right to fight against the transfer of the territories of both Americas to the rule of other states. One may ask, on what is such an expanded understanding of one’s own rights based? But the answer is simple: the most progressive society in the world with the most advanced social system has the inalienable right to have the right as it wants. During the 19th century, the Monroe Doctrine at least satisfied the American leadership. Although the further you go, the less. Business interests constantly dictated amendments and additions to it. From Mexico (where most of the black hats came from in Westerns), this doctrine made it possible to bite off about 55% of the territory, send troops into Panama, overthrow the government in Nicaragua, plant a puppet in Cuba... But when it came to Haiti and the colonial possessions of Spain, it turned out that The American continent is too small for serious business people (it was at that time that the United States acquired Haiti, Costa Rica and Guam). Wilson's 14 points The situation turned out to be not very beautiful; the reality no longer aligned with the once declared doctrine. But while lawyers and politicians were wondering how to explain the actions of the state, political turmoil received a solution worthy of the white hat of the heroes of the Wild West. The First World War destroyed the previous world order. The Russian, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and German empires collapsed before our eyes, the British survived, but were deeply knocked down. This is where a new fateful document appeared that completely annulled the Monroe Doctrine - the so-called “14 points”, the peace settlement program of American President Wilson. By taking on the role of global peacemaker, Wilson actually shaped the new European reality in the way he considered correct and fair. Since the United States entered the First World War at the very end, it represented the only real military force, moreover, almost all the warring countries were connected with the industry and banks of the United States, which had thoroughly risen in the overseas carnage. No one could oppose anything to Wilson’s peace initiative, and no one wanted to. The war exhausted everyone except the United States. And therefore Woodrow Wilson could dictate to Europe “the only possible program for universal peace”: Basic: - Open peace treaties, no secret international agreements; - Absolute freedom of navigation; - The removal, as far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of equal conditions of trade for all nations who stand for peace...; - Fair guarantees that national armaments will be reduced to the minimum that guarantees security; - Free, frank and absolutely impartial resolution of all colonial disputes...; - Liberation of all Russian territories... ensuring her a warm welcome in the community of free nations under the form of government that she chooses for herself...; Belgium, - the whole world will agree, - must be evacuated and restored, without attempting to limit its sovereignty...; -All French territory must be liberated and the occupied parts returned...; -The correction of Italy's borders should be carried out on the basis of clearly distinguishable national borders; -The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place in the League of Nations we want to see protected and secured, must receive the broadest opportunity for autonomous development; Romania, Serbia and Montenegro must be evacuated. Occupied territories must be returned. Serbia must be given free and reliable access to the sea; -The Turkish parts of the Ottoman Empire, in its modern composition, must receive secure and lasting sovereignty; -An independent Polish state must be created; -A general association of nations should be formed on the basis of special statutes for the purpose of creating a mutual guarantee of the political independence and territorial integrity of both large and small states; Now no one was embarrassed by the open, albeit peacekeeping, intervention of the United States in European affairs. The roles have changed. If before America was still perceived by Europeans as a distant place where they went in search of a better life, now it showed itself as a global regulator. The opinion of the US President - the architect of the post-war world - should have been interpreted as the most correct possible. Despite the apparent honesty and fairness of Wilson’s memorandum, it contained a number of obvious “BUTs” that seemed quite natural to the President of the United States himself. So, let’s say, “absolute freedom of navigation”, and the elimination of “all economic barriers”, and “establishing equality for trade” sounded very nice, but only the USA at that time had a serious merchant fleet, and an active industry, and an economy, received the maximum benefit from the war going on overseas. However, the European structure resulting from Wilson’s memorandum still turned out to be unstable. The League of Nations, formed at Wilson's insistence, never gained real power. European powers, as they emerged from their economic peak, began to acquire and defend their own interests, which often did not coincide with the interests of the United States. And then production, which had been heated up during the war years, lost its usual volume of orders. And a crisis broke out, remaining in American history as the Great Depression. Millions of people were unemployed, the economy was on its last legs, and the years of the First World War were remembered with nostalgia. Meanwhile, the situation in Europe was once again becoming more and more explosive. The role of the United States in the brewing military storm is the topic of a separate investigation. First of all, because American business, which was keenly interested in sales markets and actually built the German economy in the interwar period, did not always reflect the political interests of the United States. It turned out that the United States supported both sides. It is incorrect to forget or reduce the importance of America's assistance under Lend-Lease during the Second World War, but in fairness it is worth recalling the fuel for German submarines supplied by Standard Oil, and the gold of Holland transferred to the Nazis... But still during the Second World War World War II, the USA and the USSR were on the same side, and the meeting on the Elbe once again clearly showed that the nice guys on one side and the other easily find a common language with each other. Marshall Plan But the end of the war again gave rise to a reality that both sides desperately wanted to transform at their own discretion. The plan for a new world order was invented by the US Secretary of State, and most recently Army General George Marshall. In April 1947, returning from Moscow, he publicly announced that Central and Western Europe were in dire need of US economic assistance. But such a gesture of goodwill did not smell of charity. America had at least two compelling reasons for active action: the strengthening of the communists and leftist parties, as well as the galloping inflation of national European currencies. Western Europe had been considered a semi-colony in the United States for 30 years, and the idea that Soviet ideology could prevail there was unbearable for the American establishment. And the instability of currencies created the precondition for the introduction of a common monetary unit for mutual settlements - the American dollar. As part of the Marshall Plan, over 4 years, Europe was provided with $12.317 billion in the form of grants, cheap loans and long-term leasing. The largest financial injections went to five countries: England received 2.8 billion, France - 2.5 billion, Italy - 1.3 billion, Germany - 1.3 billion and the Netherlands - 1 billion. But, of course, every dollar had political significance. In fact, the state administrations of the largest European countries have turned into local management companies. The new world was built like the American world. And, from Washington’s point of view, this was the best choice for Europe, promising it a well-fed and calm future. But at this moment, the vital interests of the Western world collided head-on with the interests of the Soviet Union. And here Stalin had his own dazzling white hat - the fight for the bright future of all progressive humanity, for the freedom of the proletariat. War became possible again. Vladimir Sverzhin

83.51.5.34. Major General I.S. Polbin. By December 1942, he made 107 combat missions to bomb Nazi troops in the Battle of Smolensk, during the defense of Moscow and Stalingrad. He took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge and in the battle for the Dnieper. took part in the Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenko, Uman-Botashan, Lvov-Sandomierz, Yassy-Kishinev and Vistula-Oder offensive operations. Flew on SB-2, B-3, PE-2, PE-3 bombers. In total, made 157 combat missions , Polbin I.S.’s plane was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery fire during the bombing of the German fortified city of Breslau on February 11, 1945.
51.20.17.2.29. Lieutenant Colonel Boris Safonov. Soviet naval pilot. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he distinguished himself in air battles with the Luftwaffe. There are legends that the Germans transmitted a special message: “Safonov is in the air,” which meant that German planes had to return to base. By the beginning of January 1942, B. F. Safonov was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner (July 14 and December 22, 1941). On September 15, 1941, seven fighters led by Safonov entered into battle with 52 enemy aircraft. The result of the battle was 13 enemy aircraft shot down, and our seven returned to their airfield without losses
51.20.17.1.28. PE-2 dive bomber
83.51.5.36 Major S.I. Gritsevets, major of the Red Army, famous Soviet fighter pilot of the 1930s, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. volunteered to participate in the Spanish Civil War, where he fought since 1938 (the mission lasted from June 10 to October 26, 1938), it was in this year that all Soviet pilots were recalled.
Flew on an I-16 fighter. In Soviet historical and propaganda literature, the number of victories of Gritsevets in Spain is widely announced - 30 personal victories and 7 in a group with other pilots. Confirmation of this data based on documents, or even a simple list of victories of S. I. Gritsevets has never been published. In 2005, S. Abrosov’s book “In the Skies of Spain” was published, where, based on the surviving documents of all the warring parties, all air battles of the Spanish Civil War were restored, and many archival documents were also published for the first time. According to this information, in Spain S.I. Gritsevets made 88 combat missions, conducted 42 air battles, and personally shot down 7 enemy aircraft. These are very high combat results, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on February 22, 1939. On May 9, 1939, a group of 48 experienced pilots under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Yakov Smushkevich, among whom was Gritsevets, was sent to Mongolia to the combat area on the Khalkhin Gol River. The main task of the group was to gain air supremacy, previously captured by Japanese aircraft. Here Gritsevets made 138 combat missions and took part in about 30 air battles against Japanese aircraft. On June 26, during the battle near Khalkhin Gol, Gritsevets landed his I-16 not far from the plane of his unit commander, Major V. Zabaluev, who crashed due to engine failure deep in enemy territory, 60 km deep into the Japanese defense line. Zabaluev climbed onto Gritsevets’ plane and was taken out by him.



Boris Safonov, at the beginning of March 1942, the head of the British mission, Lieutenant General McForlan, awarded four North Sea pilots (and among them B.F. Safonov) the highest aviation order of Great Britain - the Cross “For Distinguished Flying Merit.” The English pilots, together with the North Sea pilots, carried out combat missions - patrolled in the air, fought with the enemy. They shot down 15 enemy aircraft. Captain Rook and Sergeant G. Howe especially distinguished themselves by shooting down 3 aircraft each. Our government highly appreciated the feat of the British pilots. Five of them were awarded the Order of Lenin (one of them, Charleston Howe, having already returned to his homeland, called Boris Safonov “the great pilot of his time”). He was the first of the Soviet naval aviation aces who, already in May 1942, had at least 25 enemy aircraft destroyed personally and in a group with his comrades. In many publications, the number of victories he won varies: from 25 to 41, including group victories. According to B. F. Safonov’s last award list, his combat score, excluding the last battle on May 30, 1942, was 19 personal and 3 group victories. Taking into account the last 3 victories (recorded based on radio traffic only!), the final score is 22 personal and 3 group victories.
EVERY combat mission of an attack aircraft or bomber in the Great Patriotic War can be equated to a feat, so great was the danger of being shot down. As it seems, a harsh picture of this is the photograph “Returning from a combat mission,” which shows a meeting between the command of a bomber (possibly American-made) returning from battle . The shadows of the greeters are visible at the bottom left, the crew members are still under the impression of the flight, detached and still don’t seem to believe that they are alive, the commander, who has not removed his parachute, is not paying attention to the greeters, is busy with his own business and seems to be swearing through his teeth at the pompous meeting...

Andrei Borovykh was born in Kursk on October 30, 1921 under the sign of Scorpio, which guarded his fate, as well as the fate of the relative majority of aces born under this constellation. He graduated from 7 classes, worked as a driver, after which the strong and intelligent young man was accepted into the Chuguev Military Pilot School, renamed in March 1941 into the Chuguev Military Aviation School, from which he graduated the same year.

Despite the cadet's objections, he was retained at the school as an instructor, and instructors always retain the best of the best. Note that the issue of 1941 gave the country 54 Heroes of the Soviet Union, 4 twice and 1 three times Heroes, that over the next 3.5 years they would shoot down about 1000 enemy vehicles in the air, that is, in its composition this issue had no equal in history Soviet Air Force.

The future ace won his first victory in his first battle. Success rarely came to the pilot right away, and although Borovoy was an instructor at the school for six months, his victory can only be explained by the exceptional persistence and daring attacks of the young pilot. True, the Hurricane, which he was flying then, was modernized in terms of weapons: with the light hand of B.F. Safonov, whose experience was quite widely known, 4 wing-mounted Browning machine guns with a caliber of 7.7 mm were replaced with 4 ShVAK cannons with a caliber of 20 mm.

8 combat sorties made by Borov on the Kalinin Front, as part of the 728th Fighter Aviation Regiment, brought 3 victories, he was appointed flight commander, and awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Soon the pilot conducted a successful air battle in the Zubtsov area, where, in front of the front commander, Colonel General I. Konev, he shot down first a Ju-88 bomber and then an Me-109 fighter, receiving gratitude for the excellent conduct of the battle. His name becomes known in parts of the front, with experience comes composure, and confidence in his abilities is further strengthened.

Borovykh spent most of his combat missions on aircraft whose flight and technical characteristics were inferior to German ones (Hurricane Mk.II, Yak-7B). Tactical literacy and military cunning, which our ace never forgot, helped to compensate for the advantage of enemy aircraft: “The pilot must not only master the aircraft perfectly, but also have military cunning. Knowledge, multiplied by military cunning, is the success of the battle, the key to victory over the most powerful and insidious enemy.” He was considered an ace and admired for his courage. When engaging in battle with an enemy outnumbered, he knew how to accurately determine when to open fire.

In mid-1942, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense General A. Novikov entrusted the famous Soviet pilot I. E. Fedorov with the formation of a separate regiment of aces under the 3rd Air Army of the Kalinin Front - in defiance of the Germans. They already had a special air group of 28 experienced pilots flying Messers with playing cards painted on the fuselages.

And in one of the battles in August 1942, Fedorov, paired with Andrei Borovykh on a Yak-7, patrolling along the front line, encountered a large group of Me-109Gs. A fierce, fleeting battle ensued. In just 5 minutes, the Borovs shot down a Messer with the queen of spades on board, and Fedorov defeated the ace of hearts (as it turned out later, the commander of the enemy air group).

In heavy air battles on the Central Front, on the Kursk Bulge, already flying a Yak-7B, he shot down 8 German planes. The area of ​​combat operations of ground forces, limited to a minimum, left a unique imprint on the nature of air battles there. Shot down planes easily escaped behind the front line, and pilots who parachuted out, if not captured, then soon reached their units.

In one of the battles, Andrei Borovykh could not avoid the enemy’s line. He left the fighter with a parachute, and his wingman Mikhail Redkin prevented the Nazis from shooting the pilot in the air. He spun in the air until Andrei fell to the ground. The very next day, having barely returned to the regiment, Borovoy again flew out on a combat mission. In these battles, Borovoy literally stood up to defend his home, because his parents, brothers and sisters remained in the recently liberated Kursk. Later he learns that his father, Yegor Grigorievich, died in a German air raid on Kursk.

Here is what Andrei Egorovich Borovykh himself writes about those days:

“Air battles over Kursk, in which I happened to be a participant, began long before the historical Battle of Kursk. Already in April - May 1943, their tension reached extraordinary strength. I remember that on some days the pilots of our 157th Fighter Aviation Regiment had to make 5-6 combat sorties. But everyone withstood this load with honor, and many fought bravely and daringly.

Fighter pilot Andrei Borovykh fights on a Yak-9 aircraft.

In the battles for Kursk, I was a squadron commander and I must note that all the pilots of the unit fought courageously, steadfastly and selflessly. Of course, I was pleased that each subordinate devoted himself entirely to the creativity of battle, but it was doubly pleasant that we fought for the liberation of my hometown.

Yes, I was born in Kursk. This is where I spent my childhood. Here I fell in love with aviation once and for all. With a Komsomol voucher, he entered the flying club and successfully completed it. In the Kursk sky I took off for the first time on a training sports aircraft, not suspecting that relatively soon I would have to defend Kursk on a combat Yak-7B. The Osoaviakhim Aero Club gave us a ticket to the military aviation school, where teachers and instructors developed in us the qualities necessary for combat, for victory.

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 illustrious cohort of Soviet aces - the threat of the Luftwaffe. Today we remember the 10 most successful Soviet fighter pilots, who accounted for 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 war does not end with these two most famous aces of Soviet fighter aviation. During the war, another 25 pilots were twice nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, not to mention those who were once awarded this highest military award in the country of those years.

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

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

Official Soviet historiography listed 62 downed enemy aircraft, but archival research showed that Kozhedub shot down 64 aircraft (for some reason, two air victories were missing - 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 plane.

In all likelihood, if Ivan Kozhedub (1920-1991) had started the war in 1941, his count 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 combat mission, he shot down a German Ju-87 dive bomber. Thus, the pilot’s performance is truly amazing; in just two war years he managed to bring 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 heavily 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 burst from a German fighter; the armored back saved the pilot from an incendiary shell. And upon returning home, his plane was fired upon by its own air defense, the car received two hits. Despite this, Kozhedub managed to land the plane, which could no longer be fully restored.

The future best Soviet ace took 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 School of Pilots, after which he continued to serve in this school as an instructor. With the beginning of the 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 had been 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 fly 146 combat missions 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 for 256 combat missions and 48 downed enemy aircraft. 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 automatic 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 successes 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 aerobatics. 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 skies over Berlin, in this battle he shot down two German FW-190 fighters. The future air marshal (title awarded on May 6, 1985), Major Kozhedub, became a three-time Hero of the Soviet Union on August 18, 1945. After the war, he continued to serve in the country's Air Force and went through a very serious career path, bringing many more benefits to the country. The legendary pilot died on August 8, 1991, and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshki fought from the very first day of the war to the last. During this time, he made 650 combat missions, 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 aircraft.

The number of aircraft shot down is very arbitrary. Quite often, Alexander Pokryshkin made deep raids behind enemy lines, where he also managed to win victories. However, only those that could be confirmed by ground services were counted, that is, if possible, over their territory. He could have had 8 such unaccounted victories in 1941 alone. Moreover, they accumulated throughout the war. Also, Alexander Pokryshkin often gave the planes he shot down at the expense of his subordinates (mostly wingmen), thus stimulating them. In those years this 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 write down his notes on this matter in a notebook. He kept a careful record of the air battles in which he and his friends took part, after which he made a detailed analysis of what he had written. Moreover, at that time he had to fight in very difficult conditions of constant retreat of Soviet troops. He later said: “Those who did not fight in 1941-1942 do not know the real war.”

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and massive criticism of everything that was associated 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 already commanded the regiment. On August 19, 1944, after 550 combat missions and 53 officially won victories, he became a three-time Hero of the Soviet Union, the first in history.

The wave of “revelations” that washed over him after the 1990s also affected 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 sorties, it can be noted that for a long time at the beginning of the war, Pokryshkin flew on his MiG-3, and then the Yak-1, to attack enemy ground forces or perform reconnaissance flights. For example, by mid-November 1941, the pilot had already completed 190 combat missions, but the vast majority of them - 144 - were to attack enemy ground forces.

Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin was not only a cold-blooded, brave 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 matter with the regiment commander in 1942 led to the fact that the ace pilot was even expelled from the party and the case was sent to the tribunal. The pilot was saved by the intercession of the regiment commissar and higher command. The case against him was dropped and he was reinstated in the party. After the war, Pokryshkin had a long conflict with Vasily Stalin, which had a detrimental effect on 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 he flew more than 450 combat missions, shooting down 56 enemy aircraft personally and 6 in a group in 122 air battles. According to other sources, the number of his personal aerial victories could exceed 60. During the war, he flew 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 cleared 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 had a very contradictory and uneven character. Showing an example of determination, courage and discipline in one mission, in another he could be distracted from the main task and just as decisively begin the pursuit of 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, replacing him as squadron commander and regiment commander. Pokryshkin himself considered frankness and directness to be the best qualities of Grigory Rechkalov.

Rechkalov, like Pokryshkin, fought since June 22, 1941, but with a forced break of almost two years. In the first month of fighting, he managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft in his outdated I-153 biplane fighter. He also managed to fly on the I-16 fighter. On July 26, 1941, during a combat mission 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 on the path of the future famous 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 district Air Force headquarters, 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 recalled from the front to be re-equipped with new American Airacobra fighters, which were sent 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 the domestic stars of fighter aviation, was perfectly able to 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 any 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 use new techniques: they began to fly in pairs rather than in flights, it was better to use radio for guidance and communication, and echeloned their machines with the so-called “ bookcase."

Grigory Rechkalov won 44 victories in the Airacobra, more than other Soviet pilots. After the end of the war, someone asked the famous pilot what he valued most in the Airacobra fighter, on which so many victories were won: the power of the fire salvo, speed, visibility, reliability of the engine? 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, according to him, was the radio. The Airacobra had excellent radio communication, rare in those years. Thanks to this connection, pilots in battle could communicate with each other, as if on the telephone. Someone saw something - immediately all members of the group are aware. Therefore, we did not have any surprises during combat missions.

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 to the reserve with the rank of major general. After which he lived and worked in Moscow. He died in Moscow on December 20, 1990 at the age of 70.

Nikolay Dmitrievich Gulaev

Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev found himself on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War in August 1942. In total, during the war years he made 250 combat missions, 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 missions he had a plane shot down, or on average more than one plane for every air battle. During the war, he flew I-16, Yak-1, P-39 Airacobra fighters; most of his victories, like Pokryshkin and Rechkalov, he won on Airacobra.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev shot down not much fewer planes than Alexander Pokryshkin. But in terms of effectiveness of fights, he far surpassed both him and Kozhedub. Moreover, 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 performed his most effective battle on May 30, 1944. In one air battle over Skuleni, he managed to shoot down 5 enemy aircraft at once: two Me-109, Hs-129, Ju-87 and Ju-88. During the battle, he himself was seriously wounded in his right arm, but concentrating all his strength and will, he was able to bring his fighter to the airfield, bleeding, landed and, having taxied to the parking lot, lost consciousness. The pilot only came to his senses in the hospital after the operation, and here he learned that he had been awarded the second title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The entire time 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 plane. He was wounded several times during this time, but after being wounded he invariably returned back to duty. At the beginning of 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 ordering them to the Air Force Academy. Thus, the war ended unexpectedly for our hero.

Nikolai Gulaev was called the brightest representative of the “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 its colorfulness. Only such a person, possessing unparalleled courage, would be able to conduct 10 super-effective air battles, recording two of his victories by successfully ramming 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 throughout his 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 combat missions, conducted 120 air battles, personally shooting down 53 enemy aircraft and 3 in the group. He flew La-5 and La-5FN fighters.

The almost two-year “delay” in appearing at the front was due to the fact that the fighter pilot suffered from a stomach ulcer, and with this disease he was not allowed to go to the front. Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he worked as an instructor at a flight school, and after that he drove Lend-Lease Airacobras. Working as an instructor gave him a lot, as did 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 and flew the La-5 fighter. On his first combat mission, on March 28, 1943, he scored two victories.

During the entire war, the enemy never managed to shoot down Kirill Evstigneev. But he got it twice from his own people. The first time the Yak-1 pilot, 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 damage, and he managed to reach the positions of his troops, landing the fighter next to the trenches. The second incident, more mysterious and dramatic, occurred over our territory in the absence of enemy aircraft in the air. The fuselage of his plane was pierced by a burst, damaging Evstigneev’s legs, the car caught fire and went into a dive, and the pilot had to jump from the plane with a parachute. At the hospital, doctors were inclined to amputate the pilot’s foot, but he filled them with such fear that they abandoned their idea. And after 9 days, the pilot escaped from the hospital and with crutches traveled 35 kilometers to his home unit.

Kirill Evstigneev constantly increased the number of his aerial victories. Until 1945, the pilot was ahead of Kozhedub. At the same time, the unit doctor periodically sent him to the hospital to treat an ulcer and a wounded leg, which the ace pilot terribly resisted. Kirill Alekseevich was seriously ill since 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 his free time, he tried to train young fighter pilots. He was the initiator of training air battles. For the most part, his opponent in them was Kozhedub. At the same time, Evstigneev was completely devoid of any sense of fear, even at the very end of the war he calmly launched 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 ended the Guard War as a navigator of the 178th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. The pilot spent his last battle in the skies of Hungary on March 26, 1945, on his fifth La-5 fighter of the war. After the war, he continued to serve in the USSR Air Force, retired in 1972 with the rank of major general, and lived in Moscow. He died on August 29, 1996 at the age of 79, and was buried at the Kuntsevo cemetery in the capital.

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

Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko (September 27 (October 10) 1912, the village of Golubovka, Ekaterinoslav province - February 23, 1943, the village of Sinyavino, Leningrad region) - lieutenant general of aviation, ace pilot. Together with Gritsevets S.I., the first twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1939). Born on September 27 (October 10), 1912 in the village of Golubovka, Novomoskovsk district, Ekaterinoslav province (now Novomoskovsk district, Dnepropetrovsk region) in the family of a poor peasant. Ukrainian In 1930, he graduated from the school for peasant youth and entered the Perm Land Management College, which was soon transferred to Moscow. After his first year at the Moscow Land Management College in 1931, he was drafted into the Red Army. In the same year he joined the CPSU(b). In aviation When in the winter of 1931 the appeal of the IX Congress of the Komsomol was published with the call “Komsomolets - get on the plane!”, the answer of the Soviet youth was unanimous “Let's give 100,000 pilots!” Grigory took the call as personally addressed to him and submitted an application with a request to send him to aviation. According to the special recruitment of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks in May 1931, he was sent to the 1st Military Pilot School named after. Comrade Myasnikov in Kutch. At the aviation school he mastered the U-1 and R-1 aircraft. The persistent and disciplined cadet completed the training program in 11 months. In 1932, after graduating from the Kachin Military Aviation School named after A.F. Myasnikov, he remained to work there as an instructor pilot. In 1933-1934. served in the 403rd IAB, commanded by brigade commander P.I. Pumpur. He quickly mastered the I-3, I-4, and I-5 fighters. Since 1934, he served near Moscow in the 116th Special Purpose Fighter Squadron under the command of Colonel Thomas Susi. He was a flight commander. The squadron carried out special tasks for the Air Force Research Institute. Participated in testing dynamo-reactive aircraft guns of the Kurchevsky APK 4-bis aircraft on I-Z aircraft (N 13535). For success in his service he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor on May 25, 1936. In August 1936, he was awarded a diploma from the Central Committee of the Komsomol and the Central Council of Osoaviakhim of the USSR for excellent work in preparing and holding the aviation festival, which took place on August 24, 1936. Participation in hostilities in China and Khalkhin Gol Senior Lieutenant Kravchenko took part in hostilities in China from March 13 to August 24, 1938. Flew on I-16 (76 hours of combat flight time). On April 29, he shot down 2 bombers, but he himself was shot down, with difficulty he landed the plane in emergency mode and took more than a day to get to his airfield in Nanchang. On July 4, while covering Anton Gubenko, who had jumped out of a parachute, he pinned down a Japanese fighter so much that it crashed into the ground. After the group's flight to Canton, Kravchenko took part in a raid on an enemy airfield. On May 31, 1938, he destroyed 2 aircraft while repelling an enemy raid on Hanhou. A few days later he destroyed 3 enemy fighters in one battle, but he himself was shot down. In the summer of 1938, he won his last victory over Hanhou - he shot down a bomber. In total, in China he shot down about 10 enemy aircraft and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. At the end of December 1938, Kravchenko was awarded the extraordinary military rank of major. He continued flight test work at the Air Force Research Institute in Stefanovsky's detachment. Conducted state tests of fighters: I-16 type 10 with wing “M” (December 1938 - January 1939), I-16 type 17 (February-March 1939). Conducted a number of test works on I-153 and DI-6 fighters. On February 22, 1939, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin. After the establishment of the special insignia “Golden Star”, he was awarded medal No. 120. On May 29, from the Central Airfield named after. Frunze, a group of 48 pilots and engineers who had combat experience, led by the Deputy Head of the Air Force Directorate, Corps Commander Ya. V. Smushkevich, flew on 3 Douglas transport aircraft along the route Moscow - Sverdlovsk - Omsk - Krasnoyarsk - Irkutsk - Chita for strengthening units participating in the Soviet-Japanese conflict near the Khalkhin Gol River. K.E. Voroshilov came to see them off, who prohibited the flight until parachutes were delivered for everyone. On June 2, 1939, Kravchenko arrived in Mongolia and was appointed an adviser to the 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (based at Tamsag-Bulak). After the death in battle of the regiment commander, Major N. G. Glazykin, and then the lieutenant regiment commander, Captain A. I. Balashev, he was appointed regiment commander. The regiment's pilots destroyed more than 100 enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. Kravchenko himself, from June 22 to July 29, conducted 8 air battles, shot down 3 aircraft personally and 4 in the group, including the famous ace Major Marimoto. Participated in 2 assault strikes on enemy airfields, in which 32 enemy aircraft were destroyed under his command, on the ground and in the air. On August 10, for courage in battles with aggressors, the Presidium of the Small Khural of the MPR awarded Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko the Order of the Red Banner for Military Valor. The order was presented by Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorlogin Choibalsan.

Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorlogin Choibalsan with Soviet pilots awarded for participation in the battles at Khalkhin Gol, 1939.

Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorlogin Choibalsan. On August 29, 1939, Major Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (medal No. 1/II) for the second time. G. P. Kravchenko and S. I. Gritsevets became the first twice Heroes of the Soviet Union. In addition to Kravchenko himself, 13 more pilots of the 22nd IAP were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, 285 people were awarded orders and medals, and the regiment became Red Banner. On September 12, 1939, a group of Heroes of the Soviet Union flew from the area of ​​the Khalkhin Gol River to Moscow on 2 transport planes. In Ulaanbaatar, the Soviet pilots were greeted by Marshal Choibalsan. A dinner was given in their honor. On September 14, 1939, the heroes of Khalkhin Gol were met in Moscow by representatives of the Air Force General Staff and relatives. A gala dinner took place at the Central House of the Red Army. On September 15, 1939, he left for the Kiev Military District to participate in the operation to liberate the western regions of Ukraine as an adviser to the aviation division. On October 2, 1939, Major G.P. Kravchenko was recalled from the Kyiv Military District and appointed head of the fighter aviation department of the Main Directorate of the Red Army Air Force. Kravchenko was given an apartment in Moscow on Bolshaya Kaluzhskaya Street (now Leninsky Prospekt). His parents and younger brother and sister moved in with him. On November 4, 1939, for the first time in the country, Gold Star medals were awarded to Heroes of the Soviet Union. The first in the country and two Gold Star medals at once, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin attached Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko to his tunic. On November 7, 1939, he was the leader of five fighters and opened the air parade over Red Square. In November 1939, Kravchenko was nominated as a candidate for deputy of the Moscow Regional Council of Workers' Deputies (he was elected in December). Soviet-Finnish War Participant in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. Initially, the Kravchenko air group (or Special Air Group) consisted of two regiments - SB bombers and I-153 fighters and was stationed on the island of Ezel (Dago) in Estonia, but gradually increased to 6 air regiments (71st fighter, 35th, 50th and the 73rd high-speed bomber, 53rd long-range bomber and 80th mixed air regiments). Operationally, the brigade was subordinate to the head of the Red Army Air Force, corps commander Ya. Smushkevich. During hostilities, this brigade often assisted the 10th mixed air brigade of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet Air Force in organizing joint attacks on Finnish ports and battleships. The distribution of targets between the brigades was as follows: the 10th brigade bombed the ports of the western and southwestern coasts of Finland, as well as enemy transports and warships at sea, and the Kravchenko group bombed populated areas in central and southern Finland. Awarded the second Order of the Red Banner. On February 19, 1940, he was awarded the rank of brigade commander, and in April he was awarded the rank of division commander. In the summer of 1940 he participated in the annexation of Estonia. In May-July 1940 - head of the fighter aviation department of the Flight Technical Inspectorate of the Red Army Air Force. By a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated June 4, 1940, G. P. Kravchenko was awarded the military rank of lieutenant general of aviation. From July 19 to November 1940 - Commander of the Air Force of the Baltic Special Military District. Since November 23, 1940, he attended advanced training courses for command personnel at the Academy of the General Staff. In March 1941, after graduating from KUVNAS, he was appointed commander of the 64th IAD of the Kiev Special Military District (12th, 149th, 166th, 246th and 247th IAP), which he commanded until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Great Patriotic War With the outbreak of the war with Germany after the death of the leadership of the 11th mixed aviation division of the Western Front on June 22, 1941, he was appointed commander of this air division, in July-August 1941 he participated in the Battle of Smolensk (the 11th air division was attached to the 13th Army of the Central , then Bryansk Front). From November 22, 1941 to March 1942 - Commander of the Air Force of the 3rd Army of the Bryansk Front. Then, in March-May 1942 - commander of the 8th strike aviation group of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (Bryansk Front). From May 1942, he formed the 215th Fighter Aviation Division, and as its commander participated in battles on the Kalinin (November 1942 - January 1943) and Volkhov (from January 1943) fronts. On February 23, 1943, in an air battle, Kravchenko shot down a Focke-Wulf 190, but his La-5 plane caught fire. Having flown over the front line, Kravchenko was unable to reach his airfield and was forced to abandon the plane, but the parachute did not open, the exhaust cable with which the parachute pack was opened was broken by a shrapnel, and he died. The urn with ashes was buried in a columbarium in the Kremlin wall on February 28, 1943. The total number of victories won by G. P. Kravchenko is not given in any of the sources (with the exception of P. M. Stefanovsky’s book “300 Unknowns,” which lists 19 victories won in battles with the Japanese. Perhaps these figures reflect his overall result of combat activity). According to some memoir sources, in his last battle he won 4 victories at once (he shot down 3 planes with cannon fire, and drove another one into the ground with a skillful maneuver). Some Western sources indicate 20 victories won in 4 wars.