Air aces of World War II. Were they the best? Aces of World War II

Any war is a terrible grief for any people that it affects in one way or another. Throughout its history, humanity has experienced 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 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 many more were left homeless. This terrible event still affects us in one way or another modern man. Its echoes can be found everywhere in our lives. This tragedy left behind a lot of mysteries, disputes over which have not subsided for decades. The heaviest burden was assumed in this life-and-death battle by the Soviet Union, which was not yet fully strengthened from the revolution and civil wars and was only expanding its military and peaceful industry. An irreconcilable rage and a desire to fight the invaders who encroached on settled in the hearts of people. territorial integrity and freedom of the proletarian state. Many went to the front voluntarily. At the same time, the evacuated industrial facilities were reorganized to produce products for the needs of the front. The struggle has assumed a truly national scale. 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 such two war machines gave birth to its heroes and its traitors. Some 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 heights in his field of activity that few others have managed to conquer. And even in such a dangerous and terrible matter as the military, there have always been their professionals. Both the USSR and the Allied forces, and Nazi Germany had people who showed top scores by the number of enemy equipment or manpower destroyed. This article will tell about these heroes.

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

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

One of the most effective Soviet pilot aces 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 productive 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, and 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 achieved some of his aerial victories while already in this position.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev is one of the most famous military pilots, who set a record of 4 flights per destroyed aircraft. In total for your military service destroyed 57 enemy aircraft. Twice awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

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

But, despite the fact that the tank forces were one of the most numerous in the Soviet army, for some reason the USSR did not have ace tankers of the Second World War. Why this is so is unknown. It is logical to assume that many personal scores were deliberately inflated or underestimated, so to name the exact number of victories of the above-mentioned masters tank battle does not seem possible.

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.” The German army began active operations back in 1939.

German tanker No. 1 is Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann. He fought on many tanks (Stug III, Tiger I) and destroyed 138 vehicles, as well as 132 self-propelled ones, throughout the war artillery installations various enemy countries. For his successes he was repeatedly awarded various orders and badges of the Third Reich. Killed in action in 1944 in France.

You can also highlight such a tank ace as For those who are in one way or another interested in the history of the development of the tank forces of the 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-breaking tanker. During his military service, he knocked out 168 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns. About 30 cars are unconfirmed, which prevents him from matching Wittmann's results. Knispel died in battle near the village of Vostits in Czechoslovakia in 1945.

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

As can be seen from these results, both 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 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 submarine aces.

Masters of Submarine Warfare

Just as in the case of aircraft and tanks, the most successful are the German sailors. Over the years of its existence, Kriegsmarine submariners sank 2,603 ​​ships of allied countries, the total displacement of which reaches 13.5 million tons. This is a truly impressive figure. And the German submarine aces of World War II could also boast of impressive personal accounts.

The most successful German submariner is Otto Kretschmer, who has 44 ships, including 1 destroyer. The total displacement of the ships sunk by him is 266,629 tons.

In second place is Wolfgang Lüth, 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 naval ace who even managed to sink the British battleship Royal Oak. This was one of the first officers to receive oak leaves; Prien 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 German sailors are also quite understandable. The fact is that Germany began naval war back in 1940, from the blockade of Britain, thus hoping to undermine its maritime greatness and, taking advantage of this, to carry out a successful seizure of the islands. However, very soon the plans of the Nazis were thwarted, as America entered the war with its large and powerful fleet.

The most famous Soviet submarine sailor is Alexander Marinesko. He sank only 4 ships, but what ones! The heavy passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff", the transport "General von Steuben", as well as 2 units of the heavy floating battery "Helene" and "Siegfried". For his exploits, Hitler added the sailor to his list of personal enemies. But Marinesko’s fate did not work out well. He fell out of favor with the Soviet regime and died, and people stopped talking about his exploits. The great sailor received the Hero of the Soviet Union award only posthumously in 1990. Unfortunately, many USSR aces of World War II ended their lives in a similar way.

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

Accuracy and stealth

Well, how can we 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 a very high track record. In many ways, such results were achieved thanks to mass government training of the civilian population in shooting from various weapons. About 9 million people were awarded the Voroshilov Shooter badge. So, what are the most famous snipers?

The name of Vasily Zaitsev frightened the Germans and inspired courage in Soviet soldiers. This ordinary guy, a hunter, killed 225 Wehrmacht soldiers with his Mosin rifle in just a month of fighting at Stalingrad. Among the outstanding sniper names are Fedor Okhlopkov, who (during 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 several sniper schools have existed in Germany since 1942, which provided professional training. Among the most successful German shooters are Matthias Hetzenauer (345 killed), (257 killed), Bruno Sutkus (209 soldiers shot). Also a famous sniper from the countries of the Hitler bloc is Simo Haiha - this Finn killed 504 Red Army soldiers during the war years (according to unconfirmed reports).

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

How did you become aces?

So, the concept of “ace of World War II” is quite broad. As already mentioned, these people achieved truly impressive results in their business. This was achieved not only through good army training, but also through 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 World War II. Both sides performed unparalleled heroism, which made it possible to single out individual people from the general mass. But it was possible to become a master only by training hard and improving your combat skills, since war does not tolerate weakness. Of course, dry statistics will not be able to convey to modern people all the hardships and adversities that war professionals experienced during their rise to the 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 the past wars do not happen again.

Kozhedub Ivan Nikitich: To the 62 German planes officially shot down by I.N. Kozhedub during the Great Patriotic War Patriotic War, we should also add 2 American fighters shot down by him at the very end of the war. In April 1945, Kozhedub drove off a pair of German fighters from an American B-17 with a barrage, but was attacked by covering fighters that opened fire from a long distance. With a flip over the wing, Kozhedub quickly attacked the outer car. It started smoking and descended towards our troops (the pilot of this car soon jumped out with a parachute and landed safely). The second photo is his plane. - La-7 I.N. Kozhedub, 176th GvIAP, spring 1945)


2. Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich: On May 24, Pokryshkin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By this time, he had already shot down 25 enemy aircraft. Three months later he was awarded a second Gold Star. While fighting the Luftwaffe in southern Ukraine, Pokryshkin chalked up 18 more Junkers, including two high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. In November 1943, using drop tanks, he hunted for Ju.52s operating on air communications over the Black Sea. Over four missions in variable conditions sea ​​weather Soviet pilot sent five three-engine transport aircraft to the bottom.

In May 1944, Pokryshkin was appointed commander of the 9th Guards Air Division, but despite his high position, he did not stop combat missions, scoring another seven victories by the end of the year. Combat activity the most famous ace of the USSR ended in Berlin. In total, during the war years, he made 650 sorties, conducted 156 air battles, shot down 59 enemy aircraft personally and 6 in a group. (pictured below is his plane)


3.
Gulaev Nikolai Dmitrievich: In total, during the war, Major Gulaev conducted 240 combat missions, in 69 air battles he personally shot down 57 and 3 enemy aircraft in a group. Its “productivity”, 4 sorties per shot down, became one of the highest in Soviet fighter aviation.


4.
Evstigneev Kirill Alekseevich: In total, during the war years he made about 300 combat missions, conducted over 120 air battles, shot down 52 personally and 3 enemy aircraft as part of a group. “The pilot is a flint,” - this is how Ivan Kozhedub, who served for some time with Evstigneev in the same regiment, spoke of him.


5.
Glinka Dmitry Borisovich: After almost six months of vacation, study and replenishment, the pilots of the 100th GIAP took part in the Iasi operation. In early May, in a battle where 12 Cobras attacked about fifty Yu-87s, Glinka shot down three bombers, and in just a week of fighting here he destroyed 6 enemy aircraft.
While flying on a Li-2, he had an accident: the plane hit the top of a mountain. What saved him and his comrades was that they were located at the rear of the car - they slept on airplane covers. All other passengers and crew were killed. As a result of the accident, he was seriously injured: he was unconscious for several days. He was discharged from the hospital two months later and during the Lvov-Sandomierz operation he managed to destroy 9 German vehicles. In the battles for Berlin, he shot down 3 planes in one day, and won his last victory on April 18, 1945, at point-blank range, from 30 meters, shooting an FV-190.
In total, during the war he conducted about 300 sorties, 100 air battles, and personally shot down 50 enemy aircraft, 9 of them in the Yak-1, the rest in the Airacobra.

A huge flow of information that literally collapsed into Lately on all of us, sometimes plays an extremely negative role in the development of the thinking of the guys who are replacing us. And it cannot be said that this information is deliberately false. But in its “naked” form, without a reasonable explanation, it sometimes carries a monstrous and inherently simply destructive character.

How can this be?

Let me give you one example. More than one generation of boys in our country has grown up with the firm conviction that our famous pilots Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin are the best aces of the last war. And no one ever argued with this. Neither here nor abroad.

But one day I bought in a store a children’s book “Aviation and Aeronautics” from the encyclopedic series “I Explore the World” from one very famous publishing house. The book, published in a circulation of thirty thousand copies, turned out to be really very “educational”...

For example, in the section “Gloomy Arithmetic” there are quite eloquent figures regarding air battles during the Great Patriotic War. I quote verbatim: “Three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, fighter pilots A.I. Pokryshkin and I.N. Kozhedub shot down 59 and 62 enemy aircraft, respectively. But the German ace E. Hartmann shot down 352 aircraft during the war years! And he was not alone. In addition to him, the Luftwaffe had such masters of air combat as G. Barkhorn (301 downed aircraft), G. Rall (275), O. Kittel (267)... In total, 104 pilots of the German Air Force had more than a hundred downed aircraft each, and the top ten destroyed a total of 2,588 enemy aircraft!”

Soviet ace, fighter pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Baranov. Stalingrad, 1942 Mikhail Baranov - one of the best fighter pilots of the Second World War, the most productive Soviet ace, fighter pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Baranov. Stalingrad, 1942 Mikhail Baranov is one of the best fighter pilots of the Second World War, the most effective at the time of his death, and many of his victories were won in the initial, most difficult period of the war. If not for his accidental death, he would have been as famous a pilot as Pokryshkin or Kozhedub - aces of the Second World War.

It is clear that any child who sees such numbers of air victories will immediately come to mind that it was not ours, but the German pilots who were the best aces in the world, and our Ivans were oh so far from them (by the way, the authors For some reason, the aforementioned publications did not provide data on the achievements of the best ace pilots of other countries: the American Richard Bong, the British James Johnson and the Frenchman Pierre Klosterman with their 40, 38 and 33 aerial victories, respectively). The next thought that flashes through the guys’ heads, naturally, will be that the Germans flew much more advanced aircraft. (It must be said that during the survey, not even schoolchildren, but students of one of the Moscow universities responded to the presented figures of aerial victories in a similar way).

But how should one generally react to such, at first glance, blasphemous figures?

It is clear that any schoolchild, if he is interested this topic, will go to the Internet. What will he find there? It’s easy to check... Let’s type in the search engine the phrase “The best ace of the Second World War.”

The result is quite expected: a portrait of blond Erich Hartmann, hung with iron crosses, is displayed on the monitor screen, and the entire page is replete with phrases like: “German pilots are considered the best ace pilots of the Second World War, especially those who fought on the Eastern Front...”

Here you go! Not only did the Germans turn out to be the best aces in the world, but most of all they defeated not just any British, Americans or French and Poles, but our guys.

So, is it really possible that the true truth was laid out in educational books and on the covers of notebooks by uncles and aunts who bring knowledge to children? Just what did they mean by this? Why did we have such careless pilots? Probably not. But why do the authors of many printed publications and information hanging on the pages of the Internet, citing a lot of seemingly interesting facts, never bother to explain to readers (especially young ones): where did such numbers come from and what do they mean?

Perhaps some of the readers will find the further story uninteresting. After all, this topic has been discussed more than once on the pages of serious aviation publications. And this is all clear. Is it worth repeating? It’s just that this information never reached ordinary boys in our country (considering the circulation of specialized technical magazines). And it won't come. What about the boys? Show the above figures to your school history teacher and ask him what he thinks about this and what he will tell the children about this? But the boys, having seen the results of the aerial victories of Hartman and Pokryshkin on the back of their student notebooks, will probably ask him about it. I'm afraid that the result will shock you to the core... That's why the material presented below is not even an article, but rather a request to you, dear readers, to help your children (and maybe even their teachers) understand some "stunning" numbers . Moreover, on the eve of May 9, we will all again remember that distant war.

Where did these numbers come from?

But really, where did, for example, such a figure as Hartman’s 352 victories in air battles come from? Who can confirm it?

It turns out, no one. Moreover, the entire aviation community has known for a long time that historians took this figure from Erich Hartmann’s letters to his bride. So the first question that arises is: did the young man embellish his military achievements? There are known statements by some German pilots that at the final stage of the war, Hartmann’s aerial victories were simply attributed for propaganda purposes, because the collapsing Hitler regime needed a superhero along with a mythical miracle weapon. It is interesting that many of the victories claimed by Hartman are not confirmed by losses that day on our part.

The study of archival documents from the period of World War II convincingly proved that absolutely all types of troops in all countries of the world sinned with postscripts. It is no coincidence that in our army, soon after the start of the war, the principle of strict recording of downed enemy aircraft was introduced. The plane was considered downed only after ground troops discovered its wreckage and thereby confirmed the aerial victory.

The Germans, as well as the Americans, did not require confirmation from ground troops. The pilot could fly in and report: “I shot down the plane.” The main thing is that the film machine gun at least records the impact of bullets and shells on the target. Sometimes this allowed us to score a lot of “points”. It is known that during the “Battle of Britain” the Germans claimed to have shot down 3,050 British aircraft, while the British actually lost only 910.

From here the first conclusion should be drawn: our pilots were given credit for the planes they actually shot down. For the Germans - air victories, sometimes not even leading to the destruction of an enemy aircraft. And often these victories were mythical.

Why didn’t our aces have 300 or more air victories?

All that we mentioned just above in no way relates to the skill of ace pilots themselves. Let's look at this question: could German pilots even have shot down the stated number of planes? And if they could, then why?

A.I. Pokryshkin, G.K. Zhukov and I.N. Kozhedub

Oddly enough, Hartman, Barkhorn, and other German pilots, in principle, could have over 300 aerial victories. And it must be said that many of them were doomed to become aces, since they were real hostages of the Nazi command, which threw them into the war. And they fought, as a rule, from the first to the last day.

The command took care of and valued the ace pilots of England, the USA and the Soviet Union. The leadership of the listed air forces believed this: since a pilot shot down 40-50 enemy aircraft, it means that he is a very experienced pilot who can teach flying skills to a dozen talented young guys. And let each of them shoot down at least ten enemy aircraft. Then the total number of destroyed planes will be much greater than if they were shot down by a professional who remained at the front.

Let us remember that already in 1944, our best fighter pilot Alexander Pokryshkin was completely forbidden by the Air Force command to participate in air battles, entrusting him with command of an air division. And it turned out to be correct. By the end of the war, many pilots from his formation had more than 50 confirmed air victories to their combat account. Thus, Nikolai Gulaev shot down 57 German planes. Grigory Rechkalov - 56. Dmitry Glinka chalked up fifty enemy aircraft.

The command of the American Air Force did the same, recalling its best ace Richard Bong from the front.

It must be said that many Soviet pilots could not become aces only for the reason that there was often simply no enemy in front of them. Each pilot was assigned to his own unit, and therefore to a specific section of the front.

For the Germans, everything was different. Experienced pilots were constantly transferred from one sector of the front to another. Each time they found themselves in the hottest spot, in the thick of things. For example, during the entire war, Ivan Kozhedub took to the skies only 330 times and fought 120 air battles, while Hartman made 1,425 sorties and participated in 825 air battles. Yes, our pilot, even if he wanted to, could not even see as many German planes in the sky as Hartman caught in his sights!

By the way, having become famous aces, the Luftwaffe pilots did not receive indulgence from death. Literally every day they had to participate in air battles. So it turned out that they fought until their death. And only captivity or the end of the war could save them from death. Only a few of the Luftwaffe aces survived. Hartman and Barkhorn were just lucky. They became famous only because they miraculously survived. But Germany's fourth most successful ace, Otto Kittel, died during an air battle with Soviet fighters in February 1945.

A little earlier, Germany's most famous ace, Walter Nowotny, met his death (in 1944, he was the first Luftwaffe pilot to reach 250 aerial victories). Hitler’s command, having awarded the pilot all the highest orders of the Third Reich, instructed him to lead a formation of the first (still “raw” and unfinished) Me-262 jet fighters and threw the famous ace into the most dangerous part of the air war - to repel raids on Germany by American heavy bombers. The pilot's fate was sealed.

By the way, Hitler also wanted to put Erich Hartmann on a jet fighter, but the smart guy got out of this dangerous situation, having managed to prove to his superiors that he would be more useful if he was put back on the old reliable Bf 109. This decision allowed Hartmann to save his life from imminent death and, in the end, become the best ace in Germany.

The most important proof that our pilots were in no way inferior in air combat skills to the German aces is eloquently shown by some figures that people abroad don’t really like to remember, and some of our journalists from the “free” press, who undertake to write about aviation, they just don’t know.

For example, aviation historians know that the most effective Luftwaffe fighter squadron that fought on the Eastern Front was the elite 54th Air Group "Green Heart", which brought together the best aces of Germany on the eve of the war. So, out of 112 pilots of the 54th squadron who invaded the airspace of our Motherland on June 22, 1941, only four survived to see the end of the war! A total of 2,135 fighters from this squadron remained lying in the form of scrap metal in a vast area from Ladoga to Lvov. But it was the 54th squadron that stood out among other Luftwaffe fighter squadrons in that it had the lowest level of losses in air battles during the war years.

It is interesting to note one more little known fact, which few people pay attention to, but which very well characterizes both our and German pilots: already at the end of March 1943, when air supremacy still belonged to the Germans, bright “green hearts” proudly shone on the sides of the Messerschmitts and the Focke-Wulfs of the 54th squadron, the Germans painted them with matte gray-green paint, so as not to tempt the Soviet pilots, who considered it a matter of honor to “take down” some vaunted ace.

Which plane is better?

Anyone who has been interested in the history of aviation to one degree or another has probably heard or read statements from “experts” that the German aces had more victories not only because of their skill, but also because they flew better aircraft.

No one disputes that a pilot flying a more advanced aircraft will have a certain advantage in combat.

Hauptmann Erich Hartmann (04/19/1922 - 09/20/1993) with his commander Major Gerhard Barkhorn (05/20/1919 - 01/08/1983) studying the map. II./JG52 (2nd group of the 52nd fighter squadron). E. Hartmann and G. Barkhorn are the most successful pilots of the Second World War, having 352 and 301 aerial victories, respectively. In the lower left corner of the photo is E. Hartmann's autograph.

In any case, the pilot of a faster aircraft will always be able to catch up with the enemy, and, if necessary, leave the battle...

But here’s what’s interesting: the entire world experience of air wars suggests that in an air battle it is usually not the better plane that wins, but the one with the best pilot. Naturally, all this applies to aircraft of the same generation.

Although the German Messerschmitts (especially at the beginning of the war) were superior to our MiGs, Yaks and LaGGs in a number of technical indicators, it turned out that in the real conditions of the total war that was waged on the Eastern Front, their technical superiority was not so obvious.

The German aces gained their main victories at the beginning of the war on the Eastern Front thanks to the experience accumulated during previous military campaigns in the skies over Poland, France, and England. At the same time, the bulk of Soviet pilots (with the small exception of those who managed to fight in Spain and Khalkhin Gol) had no combat experience at all.

But a well-trained pilot, who knew the merits of both his plane and the enemy’s plane, could always impose his air combat tactics on the enemy.

On the eve of the war, our pilots had just begun to master the latest fighters type Yak-1, MiG-3 and LaGG-3. Lacking the necessary tactical experience, solid skills in controlling an aircraft, and not knowing how to shoot properly, they still went into battle. And therefore they suffered great losses. Neither their courage nor heroism could help. I just needed to gain experience. And this took time. But there was no time for this in 1941.

But those pilots who survived the brutal air battles of the initial period of the war later became famous aces. They not only beat the Nazis themselves, but also taught young pilots how to fight. Nowadays you can often hear statements that during the war years, poorly trained young people came to fighter regiments from flight schools, who became easy prey for German aces.

But at the same time, such authors for some reason forget to mention that already in fighter regiments, senior comrades continued to train young pilots, sparing neither effort nor time. They tried to make them experienced air fighters. Here typical example: from mid-autumn 1943 to the end of winter 1944 alone, the 2nd Guards Aviation Regiment flew about 600 flights just to train young pilots!

For the Germans, at the end of the war, the situation turned out to be worse than ever. In fighter squadrons, armed with the most modern fighters, unfired, hastily prepared boys were sent, who were immediately sent to their deaths. “Horseless” pilots from defeated bomber air groups also ended up in fighter squadrons. The latter had extensive experience in air navigation and knew how to fly at night. But they could not conduct maneuverable air battles on equal terms with our fighter pilots. Those few experienced “hunters” who were still in the ranks could in no way change the situation. No amount of technology, even the most advanced technology, could save the Germans.

Who was shot down and how?

People far from aviation have no idea that Soviet and German pilots were placed in completely different conditions. German fighter pilots, and Hartmann among them, very often engaged in so-called “free hunting.” Their main task enemy aircraft were destroyed. They could fly when they saw fit, and where they saw fit.

If they saw a single plane, they rushed at it like wolves at a defenseless sheep. And if they encountered a strong enemy, they immediately left the battlefield. No, it was not cowardice, but precise calculation. Why run into trouble if in half an hour you can again find and calmly “kill” another defenseless “lamb”. This is how German aces earned their awards.

It is interesting to note the fact that after the war, Hartman mentioned that more than once he hastily left for his territory after he was informed by radio that Alexander Pokryshkin’s group had appeared in the air. He clearly didn’t want to compete with the famous Soviet ace and run into trouble.

What happened to us? For the command of the Red Army main goal there was a powerful bombing attack on the enemy and air cover ground forces. Bomb attacks on the Germans were carried out by attack aircraft and bombers - relatively slow-moving aircraft and representing a tasty morsel for German fighters. Soviet fighters constantly had to accompany bombers and attack aircraft on their flight to and from their targets. And this meant that in such a situation they had to conduct not an offensive, but a defensive air battle. Naturally, all the advantages in such a battle were on the enemy’s side.

While covering the ground forces from German air raids, our pilots were also placed in very difficult conditions. The infantry constantly wanted to see the red star fighters above their heads. So our pilots were forced to “buzz” over the front line, flying back and forth at low speed and at low altitude. And at this time, the German “hunters” from a great height were only choosing their next “victim” and, having developed enormous speed in a dive, shot down our planes with lightning speed, the pilots of which, even seeing the attacker, simply did not have time to turn around or pick up speed.

Compared to the Germans, our fighter pilots were not allowed to fly on free hunts as often. Therefore, the results were more modest. Unfortunately, free hunting for our fighter aircraft was an unaffordable luxury...

The fact that free hunting made it possible to gain a significant number of “points” is evidenced by the example of French pilots from the Normandie-Niemen regiment. Our command took care of the “allies” and tried not to send them to cover troops or on deadly raids to escort attack aircraft and bombers. The French were given the opportunity to engage in free hunting.

And the results speak for themselves. So, in just ten days of October 1944, French pilots shot down 119 enemy aircraft.

Soviet aviation not only at the beginning of the war, but also at its final stage, had a lot of bombers and attack aircraft. But serious changes occurred in the composition of the Luftwaffe as the war progressed. To repel enemy bomber raids, they constantly needed more and more fighters. And the moment came that the German aviation industry was simply unable to produce both bomb carriers and fighters at the same time. Therefore, already at the end of 1944, the production of bombers in Germany almost completely ceased, and only fighters began to emerge from the workshops of aircraft factories.

This means that Soviet aces, unlike the Germans, no longer encountered large, slow-moving targets in the air so often. They had to fight exclusively with the fast Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and the latest Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bombers, which were much more difficult to shoot down in air combat than a clumsy bomb carrier.

From this overturned Messerschmitt, damaged in battle, Walter Nowotny, who was at one time the No. 1 ace in Germany, had just been extracted. But his flying career (as, indeed, life itself) could well have ended with this episode…

Moreover, at the end of the war the skies over Germany were literally teeming with Spitfires, Tempests, Thunderbolts, Mustangs, Silts, Pawns, Yaks and Lavochkins. And if each flight of the German ace (if he managed to take off at all) ended with the accrual of points (which no one really counted then), then the Allied aviation pilots still had to look for an aerial target. Many Soviet pilots recalled that since the end of 1944 their personal tally of air victories stopped growing. We didn't meet so often in the sky anymore german planes, and combat missions of fighter air regiments were mainly carried out for the purpose of reconnaissance and attack of enemy ground forces.

What is a fighter jet for?

At first glance, this question seems very simple. Any person, even those not familiar with aviation, will answer without hesitation: a fighter is needed to shoot down enemy planes. But is it really that simple? As you know, fighter aircraft are part of the air force. The Air Force is an integral part of the Army.

The task of any army is to defeat the enemy. It is clear that all the forces and means of the army must be united and aimed at defeating the enemy. The army is led by its command. And the result of military operations depends on how the command manages to organize the management of the army.

The Soviet and German commands had different approaches. The Wehrmacht command instructed its fighter aircraft to gain air supremacy. In other words, German fighter aircraft had to stupidly shoot down all enemy aircraft seen in the air. The hero was considered the one who shot down the most enemy planes.

It must be said that this approach greatly appealed to the German pilots. They gladly took part in this “competition”, considering themselves real hunters.

And everything would be fine, but the German pilots never completed the task. A lot of planes were shot down, but what was the point? Every month Soviet aircraft, and there were more and more Allied aircraft in the air. The Germans were still unable to cover their ground forces from the air. And the loss of bomber aviation only made life even more difficult for them. This alone suggests that the Germans completely lost the air war in strategic terms.

The command of the Red Army saw the tasks of fighter aviation in a completely different way. First of all, Soviet fighter pilots had to cover ground forces from attacks by German bombers. They also had to protect attack and bomber aircraft during their raids on the positions of the German army. In other words, fighter aviation did not act on its own, like the Germans, but exclusively in the interests of the ground forces.

It was hard, thankless work, during which our pilots usually received not glory, but death.

It is not surprising that the losses of Soviet fighters were enormous. However, this does not mean at all that our planes were much worse, and the pilots were weaker than the German ones. IN in this case The outcome of the battle was determined not by the quality of the equipment and the skill of the pilot, but by tactical necessity and a strict order from the command.

Here, probably, any child will ask: “And what are these stupid battle tactics, what are these idiotic orders, because of which both planes and pilots died in vain?”

This is where the most important thing begins. And you need to understand that in fact, this tactic is not stupid. After all, the main impact force of any army - its ground forces. A bomb attack on tanks and infantry, on weapons and fuel depots, on bridges and crossings can greatly weaken the combat capabilities of ground forces. One successful air strike can radically change the course of an offensive or defensive operation.

If a dozen fighters are lost in an air battle while protecting ground targets, but not a single enemy bomb hits, for example, an ammunition depot, then this means that the fighter pilots have completed their combat mission. Even at the cost of their lives. Otherwise, an entire division, left without shells, may be crushed by the advancing enemy forces.

The same can be said about escort flights for attack aircraft. If they destroyed an ammunition depot, bombed a railway station filled with trains with military equipment, destroyed the strong point of defense, this means that they made a significant contribution to the victory. And if at the same time the fighter pilots provided the bombers and attack aircraft with the opportunity to break through to the target through enemy air barriers, even if they lost their comrades, then they also won.

And this is truly a real aerial victory. The main thing is that the task set by the command is completed. A task that could radically change the entire course of hostilities in a given sector of the front. From all this the conclusion suggests itself: German fighters are hunters, Red Army Air Force fighters are defenders.

With the thought of death...

No matter what anyone says, there are no fearless pilots (as well as tank crews, infantrymen or sailors) who are not afraid of death. In war there are plenty of cowards and traitors. But for the most part, our pilots, even in the most difficult moments of air combat, adhered to the unwritten rule: “die yourself, but help your comrade.” Sometimes, no longer having any ammunition, they continued to fight, covering their comrades, going to ram, wanting to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. And all because they defended their land, their home, their family and friends. They defended their homeland.

The fascists who attacked our country in 1941 consoled themselves with the thought of world domination. At that time, German pilots could not even think that they would have to sacrifice their lives for the sake of someone or for the sake of something. Only in their patriotic speeches were they ready to give their lives for the Fuhrer. Each of them, like any other invader, dreamed of receiving a good reward after the successful completion of the war. And in order to get a tasty morsel, you had to live until the end of the war. In this state of affairs, it was not heroism and self-sacrifice for the sake of achieving great goal, but cold calculation.

Don't forget that boys Soviet country, many of whom later became military pilots, were brought up somewhat differently than their peers in Germany. They took their cue from such selfless defenders of their people as, for example, the epic hero Ilya Muromets and Prince Alexander Nevsky. At that time, the military exploits of the legendary heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the heroes of the Civil War were still fresh in the memory of the people. And in general, Soviet schoolchildren were brought up mainly on books whose heroes were true patriots of the Motherland.

End of the war. Young German pilots receive a combat mission. In their eyes there is doom. Erich Hartmann said about them: “These young men come to us and are almost immediately shot down. They come and go like surf waves. This is a crime... I think our propaganda is to blame here.”

Their peers from Germany also knew what friendship, love, patriotism and native land were. But we should not forget that in Germany, with its centuries-old history of chivalry, the latter concept was especially close to all boys. Knightly laws, knightly honor, knightly glory, fearlessness were placed at the forefront. It is no coincidence that even the main award of the Reich was the knight's cross.

It is clear that every boy in his soul dreamed of becoming a famous knight.

However, we should not forget that the entire history of the Middle Ages indicates that the main task of the knight was to serve his master. Not to the Motherland, not to the people, but to the king, duke, baron. Even the independent knights-errant glorified in legends were, in essence, the most ordinary mercenaries, earning money by the ability to kill. And all these crusades glorified by chroniclers? Pure robbery.

It is no coincidence that the words knight, profit and wealth are inseparable from each other. Everyone also knows well that knights rarely died on the battlefield. In a hopeless situation, they, as a rule, surrendered. The subsequent ransom from captivity was quite an ordinary matter for them. Ordinary commerce.

And is it any wonder that the chivalric spirit, including in its own negative manifestations, had a direct impact on the moral qualities of future Luftwaffe pilots.

The command knew this very well, because it considered itself a modern knighthood. No matter how much it wanted, it could not force its pilots to fight the way Soviet fighter pilots fought - sparing neither strength nor life itself. This may seem strange to us, but it turns out that even in the charter of German fighter aviation it was written that the pilot himself determines his actions in air combat and no one can forbid him to leave the battle if he considers it necessary.

It is clear from the faces of these pilots that these are victorious warriors. The photo shows the most successful fighter pilots of the 1st Guards Fighter Air Division of the Baltic Fleet: Senior Lieutenant Selyutin (19 victories), Captain Kostylev (41 victories), Captain Tatarenko (29 victories), Lieutenant Colonel Golubev (39 victories) and Major Baturin (10 victories)

That is why the German aces never protected their troops over the battlefield, that is why they did not protect their bombers as selflessly as our fighters did. As a rule, German fighters only cleared the way for their bomb carriers and tried to hinder the actions of our interceptors.

The history of the last world war is replete with facts of how German aces, sent to escort bombers, abandoned their charges when the air situation was not in their favor. The hunter's prudence and self-sacrifice turned out to be incompatible concepts for them.

As a result, it was aerial hunting that became the only acceptable solution that suited everyone. The Luftwaffe leadership proudly reported on its successes in the fight against enemy aircraft, Goebbels's propaganda enthusiastically told the German people about the military merits of the invincible aces, and they, working out the chance given to them to stay alive, scored points with all their might.

Perhaps something changed in the minds of German pilots only when the war came to the territory of Germany itself, when Anglo-American bomber aircraft began to literally wipe out entire cities from the face of the earth. Women and children died in tens of thousands under Allied bombs. Horror paralyzed the civilian population. Only then, gripped by fear for the lives of their children, wives, mothers, did the German pilots leave the forces Air defense selflessly began to rush into deadly air battles with superior numbers of enemies, and sometimes even went to ram “flying fortresses”.

But it was already too late. By that time, there were almost no experienced pilots or a sufficient number of aircraft left in Germany. Individual ace pilots and hastily trained boys could no longer save the situation even with their desperate actions.

The pilots who fought on the Eastern Front at that time were, one might say, lucky. Practically deprived of fuel, they almost never took off, and therefore at least survived until the end of the war and remained alive. As for the famous fighter squadron “Green Heart” mentioned at the beginning of the article, its last aces acted quite like a knight: on the remaining planes they flew to surrender to their “knight friends” who understood them - the British and Americans.

It seems that after reading all of the above, you will probably be able to answer your children’s question about whether German pilots were the best in the world? Were they really an order of magnitude superior to our pilots in their skill?

Sad note

Not long ago I saw in a bookstore a new edition of the same children's book on aviation with which I started the article. In the hope that the second edition would differ from the first not only with a new cover, but also give the guys some kind of intelligible explanation of such a fantastic performance of the German aces, I opened the book to the page that interested me. Unfortunately, everything remained unchanged: 62 planes shot down by Kozhedub looked like ridiculous numbers against the background of Hartman’s 352 aerial victories. Such sad arithmetic...

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 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 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 on Kursk Bulge. 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 enter his notes on this account in 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 Soviet troops. Later he 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 completed missions, then it can be noted that long time at the beginning of the war, Pokryshkin flew out 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 best qualities Grigory Rechkalov believed in frankness and directness.

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 the 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 phone. 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 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 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 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.

Our ace pilots terrified the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. The exclamation “Achtung! Achtung! Pokryshkin is in the sky! But Alexander Pokryshkin was not the only Soviet ace. We remembered the most productive...

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub
Ivan Kozhedub was born in 1920 in the Chernigov province. He is considered the most successful Russian fighter pilot in personal combat, with 64 aircraft shot down.
The start of the famous pilot’s career was unsuccessful; in the very first battle, his plane was seriously damaged by an enemy Messerschmitt, and when returning to base, he was mistakenly fired upon by Russian anti-aircraft gunners, and only by a miracle did he manage to land.


The plane could not be restored, and they even wanted to repurpose the unlucky newcomer, but the regiment commander stood up for him. Only during his 40th combat mission on the Kursk Bulge, Kozhedub, having already become a “father” - deputy squadron commander, shot down his first “laptezhnik”, as ours called the German “Junkers”. After that, the count went to tens.
Kozhedub fought his last battle in the Great Patriotic War, in which he shot down 2 FW-190s, in the skies over Berlin. In addition, Kozhedub also has two shot down in 1945. American aircraft"Mustang", which attacked him, mistaking his fighter for a German plane. The Soviet ace acted according to the principle that he professed even when working with cadets - “any unknown aircraft is an enemy.”
Throughout the war, Kozhedub was never shot down, although his plane often received very serious damage.
Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin
Pokryshkin is one of the most famous aces of Russian aviation. Born in 1913 in Novosibirsk. He won his first victory on the second day of the war, shooting down a German Messerschmitt. In total, he has 59 planes shot down personally and 6 in a group. However, this is only official statistics, since, as the commander of an air regiment, and then an air division, Pokryshkin sometimes gave downed planes to young pilots in order to encourage them in this way.


His notebook, entitled “Fighter Tactics in Combat,” became a veritable manual for air warfare. They say that the Germans warned about the appearance of the Russian ace with the phrase: “Akhtung! Achtung! Pokryshkin in the air." The one who shot down Pokryshkin was promised a big reward, but the Russian pilot turned out to be too tough for the Germans.
Pokryshkin is considered the inventor of the “Kuban whatnot” - a tactical method of air combat; the Germans nicknamed him the “Kuban escalator”, since the planes arranged in pairs resembled a giant staircase. In the battle, German planes leaving the first stage came under attack from the second, and then the third stage. His other favorite techniques were the falcon kick and the high-speed swing.
It is worth noting that Pokryshkin won most of his victories in the first years of the war, when the Germans had a significant superiority in the air.
Nikolay Dmitrievich Gulaev
Born in 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya near Rostov. His first battle is reminiscent of the feat of the Grasshopper from the movie “Only Old Men Go to Battle”: without an order, for the first time in his life, taking off at night under the howl of an air raid on his Yak, he managed to shoot down a German Heinkel night fighter. For such self-will, he was punished and presented with a reward.


Subsequently, Gulaev usually did not limit himself to one downed plane per mission; three times he scored four victories in a day, twice destroyed three planes, and made a double in seven battles. In total, he shot down 57 aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
Gulaev rammed one enemy plane when it ran out of ammunition, after which he himself got into a tailspin and barely had time to eject. His risky style of fighting became a symbol of the romantic trend in the art of aerial combat.
Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov
Born in 1920 in the Perm province. On the eve of the war, a slight degree of color blindness was discovered at the medical flight commission, but the regiment commander did not even look at the medical report - pilots were very much needed.


He won his first victory on the outdated I-153 biplane number 13, which was unlucky for the Germans, as he joked. Then he ended up in Pokryshkin’s group and was trained on the Airacobra, an American fighter that became famous for its tough temperament - it very easily went into a tailspin at the slightest mistake by the pilot; the Americans themselves were reluctant to fly such aircraft.
In total, he shot down 56 aircraft personally and 6 in a group. Perhaps no other ace of ours has personal account there is not such a variety of types of downed aircraft as Rechkalov’s, these are bombers, and attack aircraft, and reconnaissance aircraft, and fighters, and transport aircraft, and relatively rare trophies - “Savoy” and PZL-24.
Georgy Dmitrievich Kostylev
Born in Oranienbaum, present-day Lomonosov, in 1914. He began his flight practice in Moscow at the legendary Tushinsky airfield, where the Spartak stadium is now being built.
The legendary Baltic ace, who covered the sky over Leningrad, who won greatest number victories in naval aviation, personally shot down at least 20 enemy aircraft and 34 in a group. He shot down his first Messerschmitt on July 15, 1941. He fought on a British Hurricane, received under lend-lease, on the left side of which there was a large inscription “For Rus'!”


In February 1943, he ended up in a penal battalion for causing destruction in the house of a major in the quartermaster service. Kostylev was amazed by the abundance of dishes with which he treated his guests, and could not restrain himself, since he knew first-hand what was happening in the besieged city. He was deprived of his awards, demoted to the Red Army and sent to the Oranienbaum bridgehead, to the places where he spent his childhood.
The penalty officers saved the hero, and already in April he again takes his fighter into the air and wins victory over the enemy. Later he was reinstated in rank and his awards were returned, but he never received the second Hero Star.
Maresyev Alexey Petrovich
A legendary man, who became the prototype of the hero of Boris Polevoy’s story “The Tale of a Real Man,” a symbol of the courage and perseverance of the Russian warrior. Born in 1916 in the city of Kamyshin, Saratov province.
In a battle with the Germans, his plane was shot down, and the pilot, wounded in the legs, managed to land on territory occupied by the Germans. After which he crawled to his people for 18 days, in the hospital both legs were amputated. But Maresyev managed to return to duty, he learned to walk on prosthetics and took to the skies again.


At first they didn’t trust him; anything can happen in battle, but Maresyev proved that he could fight no worse than others. As a result, to the 4 German planes shot down before the injury, 7 more were added. Polevoy’s story about Maresyev was allowed to be published only after the war, so that the Germans, God forbid, would not think that there was no one to fight in the Soviet army, they had to send disabled people.
Popkov Vitaly Ivanovich
This pilot also cannot be ignored, because it was he who became one of the most famous incarnations of an ace pilot in cinema - the prototype of the famous Maestro from the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle.” The “Singing Squadron” actually existed in the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, where Popkov served, it had its own choir, and two aircraft were given to it by Leonid Utesov himself.


Popkov was born in Moscow in 1922. He won his first victory in June 1942 over the city of Kholm. He took part in battles on the Kalinin Front, on the Don and the Kursk Bulge. In total, he flew 475 combat missions, conducted 117 air battles, and personally shot down 41 enemy aircraft plus 1 in the group.
On the last day of the war, Popkov, in the sky over Brno, shot down the legendary German Hartmann, the most successful ace of World War II, but he managed to land and survive, however, this still did not save him from captivity. Popkov's popularity was so great that a monument was erected to him during his lifetime in Moscow.
Grigory Shuvalov