Our ace pilots terrified the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. The exclamation “Akhtung! Akhtung! Pokryshkin is in the sky!” became widely known. But Alexander Pokryshkin was not the only Soviet ace. We remembered the most productive ones.
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 American Mustang planes shot down in 1945, 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 personally has such a variety of types of downed aircraft as Rechkalov, these include bombers, attack aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, fighters, 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 skies over Leningrad and won the largest number of victories in naval aviation, personally shot down at least 20 enemy aircraft and 34 in the 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.
"...When we're talking about about some private issues, doubts remain. The personal accounts of German aces and pilots of any other countries look too different. 352 aircraft of Hartmann and 60 aircraft of Kozhedub, the best of the Allied fighter pilots, involuntarily give rise to different thoughts.
First of all, I want to point out the typical mistakes of Soviet historiographers. But besides them, we often have to deal with examples of forgery and falsification, alas:
1. “Erich Hartmann flew only 800 combat missions.”
Hartmann flew about 1,400 combat missions during the war. The number 800 is the number of air battles. By the way, it turns out that Hartmann ALONE made 2.5 times more sorties than the ENTIRE Normandie-Niemen SQUADRILE combined. This characterizes the intensity of the actions of German pilots on the Eastern Front; for them, 3–4 sorties per day were the norm. And if Hartmann spent 6 times more air battles than Kozhedub, then why can’t he, accordingly, shoot down 6 times more planes? By the way, another holder of the “Iron Cross with Oak Flatteries, Swords and Diamonds,” Hans-Ulrich Rudel, flew more than 2,500 combat missions during the war years.
2. “The Germans recorded victories using a machine gun.”
Confirmation was required from witnesses - pilots participating in the battle, or ground observers. Sometimes, pilots waited a week or more for confirmation of their victories.
3. “The Germans recorded “hits,” not “victories.”
Here we are faced with another version of an unfair multiple translation of the memoirs of German pilots. German - English - Russian. Even a conscientious translator can get confused here, and there is generally room for forgery. The expression "claim hit" has nothing in common with the expression "claim victory". The first was used in bomber aviation, where it was rarely possible to say more definitely. Fighter pilots didn't use it. They only talked about victories or downed planes.
4. "Hartmann has only 150 confirmed victories, the rest are known only from his words."
This, unfortunately, is an example of direct forgery. Hartmann's first flight book has been preserved, in which the FIRST 150 victories are recorded. The second disappeared during his arrest. You never know that it was seen, and it was filled by the squadron headquarters, and not Hartmann. Well, she’s gone - that’s all! Like the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This means that since December 13, 1943, Erich Hartmann has not shot down a single plane. Interesting conclusion, isn't it?
5. “German aces simply could not shoot down so many planes in one flight.”
They very much could. Read more carefully the description of Hartmann's attacks. First, a strike is made on a group of covering fighters, then on a group of bombers, and if you're lucky, then on a mop-up group. That is, in one run, 6-10 aircraft came into his sights one by one. And he didn’t shoot down everyone.
6. “You can’t destroy our plane with a couple of shots.”
Who said it was a couple? Here is a description of the flight of German aircraft from Crimea. The Germans transport technicians and mechanics in the fuselages of their fighters, but do not remove the wing containers with 30-mm cannons. How long can a Soviet fighter survive under fire from 3 guns? At the same time, this shows to what extent they despised our aircraft. After all, it is clear that with 2 containers under the wings the Me-109 flew a little better than a piece of wood.
7. “The Germans took turns firing at one plane and each chalked it up to his own account.”
Just no comments.
8. “The Germans sent elite fighter units to the Eastern Front to seize air superiority.”
Yes, the Germans did not have elite fighter units, except for the Galland JV-44 jet squadron created at the very end of the war. All other squadrons and groups were the most ordinary front-line formations. No “Aces of Diamonds” or other nonsense there. It’s just that many of the German units, in addition to numbers, also had a proper name. So all these “Richthofens”, “Greifs”, “Condors”, “Immelmanns”, even “Grun Hertz” are ordinary squadrons. Notice how many brilliant aces served in the mediocre, nameless JG-52.
What actually happened? For example, this is a completely paradoxical conclusion that arises after reading Hartmann’s memoirs: Erich Hartmann did not conduct ALMOST A SINGLE air battle. He rejected the aerial carousel, so dear to the hearts of our pilots, on principle. Climb, dive to target, immediately leave. Shot down - shot down, didn't shoot down - it doesn't matter. The fight is over! If there is a new attack, it will only be based on the same principle. Hartmann himself says that at least 80% of the pilots he shot down were not even aware of the danger. And certainly no hovering over the battlefield to “cover your troops.” By the way, Pokryshkin once rebelled against this. “I can’t catch bombs with my plane. We’ll intercept the bombers as they approach the battlefield.” They intercepted it, it worked. And after the fight, Pokryshkin received a hat for his ingenuity. But Hartmann did nothing but hunt. So, it would be more fair to call his 800 battles air clashes or something.
And remember the undisguised irritation that shows in the memoirs of our pilots regarding the tactics of the German aces. Free hunt! And there’s no way you can force a fight on him! Such helplessness is obviously due solely to the fact that the Yak-3 was the best fighter in the world. The shortcomings of our best fighters were also shown by the authors of the Russian film “Fighters Eastern Front" A. Yakovlev writes about the maximum ceiling of 3–3.5 km for our fighters in all his books, passing it off as a big plus. But only after watching the film did I remember the constantly flashing line of Hartmann’s own memories. “We were approaching the battle area at an altitude of 5.5–6 km.” Here! That is, the Germans, in principle, received the right of first strike. Right on the ground! This was determined by the characteristics of the aircraft and the vicious Soviet tactics. It’s not hard to guess what the price of such an advantage is.
Hartmann made 14 forced landings. This is true. However, read more carefully the descriptions of these cases, for example, the battle with 8 Mustangs. Hartmann ran out of fuel and what did he do? - trying to save the plane? Not at all. He just chooses the moment to safely jump out with a parachute. He doesn’t even have the thought of saving the plane. So, only our pilots returned on the planes that received 150 hits. The rest reasonably believed that life was more valuable than a heap of iron. In general, it seems that the Germans treated the fact of the forced landing quite casually. The car broke down, okay, let’s change it and move on. Remember Johannes Wiese's 5 forced landings in one day. Despite the fact that on the same day he shot down 12 planes!
Valery Pavlovich Chkalov- Soviet test pilot, Hero of the USSR. He was the captain of the plane that made the first non-stop flight over the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver.
Chkalov began his breathtaking career as a pilot as an aircraft assembler at the 4th Kanavinsky Aviation Park in Nizhny Novgorod.
From December 3, 1931, he participated in tests - he tested the latest fighter aircraft of the 1930s, I-15 and I-16, designed by Polikarpov. He took part in testing tank destroyers VIT-1, VIT-2, heavy bombers TB-1, TB-3, a large number of experimental and experimental vehicles of the Polikarpov Design Bureau.
Chkalov was famous for his “recklessness.” After the accident that occurred in Bryansk, Chkalov was accused of numerous violations of discipline. By the verdict of the military tribunal of the Belarusian Military District on October 30, 1928, Chkalov was sentenced to a year in prison and was also dismissed from the Red Army. He served his sentence for a short time; at the request of Kliment Voroshilov, less than a month later the sentence was replaced with a suspended sentence.
Chkalov became the author of new aerobatic maneuvers - an upward corkscrew and a slow roll. On May 5, 1935, aircraft designer Nikolai Polikarpov and test pilot Valery Chkalov were awarded the highest government award - the Order of Lenin - for creating the best fighter aircraft.
On July 20, 1936, the flight of Chkalov’s crew from Moscow to the Far East began. It lasted 56 hours before landing on a sandy spit of Udd Island in the Sea of Okhotsk. The total length of the record route was 9,375 kilometers.
On June 18, 1937, Chkalov began flying on an ANT-25 plane across the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver (Washington State, USA). The flight took place in difficult weather conditions. On June 20, the plane landed safely in Vancouver, Washington, USA. The length of the flight was 8504 kilometers.
Stalin personally invited Chkalov to take the post of People's Commissar of the NKVD, but he refused and continued to engage in flying test work. Chkalov died on December 15, 1938 during the first test flight of the new I-180 fighter at the Central Airfield.
Stalin, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Chkalov and Belyakov. Meeting after the flight to the Far East. Shchelkovo airfield, August 10, 1936
STEPAN MIKOYAN
Stepan Mikoyan was born on July 12, 1922. He is the son of the famous political figure Anastas Mikoyan. Stepan Mikoyan - Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation. In 1940, he entered the Kachin Military Aviation Pilot School in Crimea. In 1941, he retrained to fly the Yak-1 fighter and in December was sent to a fighter regiment defending Moscow.
From the first days of 1942, Stepan began to participate in Yak-1 flights to cover our troops in the Volokolamsk area. In the winter of 1941–1942, Stepan Mikoyan made 10 successful combat missions as part of this regiment. The 11th sortie to cover Istra on January 16, 1942 almost became fatal for Mikoyan - his Yak was mistakenly shot down by junior lieutenant Mikhail Rodionov from the 562nd regiment.
Mikoyan mastered 102 types aircraft and flew about 3.5 thousand hours. By October 1942, he had flown 14 combat missions. Having carried out 3 air battles, he shot down 6 enemy aircraft as part of a group. Stepan Mikoyan ended the war with two orders.
Photo: Hayk/Wikimedia Commons
MIKHAIL GROMOV
Soviet pilot Mikhail Gromov was born on February 12, 1899. He became Colonel General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union. As an extremely gifted person, he early showed a variety of abilities, including in music and drawing. After high school, he entered the medical faculty of Moscow University and then served as a military doctor.
Gromov tested many famous aircraft. Performed a number of long-haul flights across Europe, China and Japan.
On September 10–12, 1934, on an ANT-25 aircraft, he made a record flight in terms of range and duration along a closed route - 12,411 km in 75 hours. In 1937, the ANT-25-1 made a non-stop flight from Moscow to the North Pole to the USA, setting 2 world aviation records. For this flight, Gromov was awarded the Order of Lenin.
VLADIMIR AVERYANOV
Colonel, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Vladimir Averyanov was born on October 11, 1934. In 1953, Averyanov graduated from the Stalingrad Aero Club. In 1955 he graduated from the Armavir military aviation school pilots, then served as a pilot in air defense aviation.
From May 1965 to December 1968 - test pilot at the Kazan aircraft plant. In 1965–1966 he tested serial jet bombers Tu-16 and Tu-22, in 1966–1968 he tested Il-62 passenger aircraft (as a co-pilot), as well as their modifications.
From January 1969 to September 1994 - test pilot at the Saratov Aviation Plant. Tested production passenger aircraft Yak-40 (in 1969–1981) and Yak-42 (in 1978–1994). He has many medals and is an Honored Test Pilot of the USSR.
Photo: testpilot.ru
IVAN DZYUBA
Colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Ivan Dzyuba was born on May 1, 1918. Graduated from the Odessa flight school (1938), participated in the Great Patriotic War like a fighter pilot.
From June 1941 to September 1943, he made 238 combat missions and conducted 25 air battles. By February 1942, he shot down 6 enemy aircraft personally and 2 in the group.
On July 21, 1942, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism displayed, Major Ivan Dzyuba was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. Since 1943 he served as a test pilot.
NIKOLAI ZAMYATIN
USSR test pilot, captain Nikolai Zamyatin was born on May 9, 1916 in Perm, graduated from Sverdlovsk in 1940 State University and Sverdlovsk flying club.
In January-November 1942 he served as a pilot of the 608th Bomber Aviation Regiment, in November 1942 - December 1944 - a pilot, senior pilot and flight commander of the 137th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
Zamyatin fought on the Karelian Front. Participated in the defense of the Arctic. He made 30 combat missions on the Pe-2 bomber. From 1947 to 1971 - test pilot at the Flight Research Institute. Conducted tests of the refueling system on the Tu-2 aircraft, tests of turbojet engines: VK-7 on the Tu-4LL, AL-7 on the Tu-4LL, VK-3 on the Tu-4LL, AM-3M on the Tu-16LL, VD-7 on the M-4LL. Awarded the Order October revolution, two Orders of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree.
MIKHAIL IVANOV
The famous test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Mikhail Ivanov was born on July 18, 1910. Since 1925 he worked as a turner's apprentice in Poltava. Completed the course theoretical training in the Poltava aviation circle of Osoaviakhim. IN Soviet army- since 1929. In 1932 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation School of Pilots, then served in combat units of the Air Force.
In 1939–1941, he was a test pilot for military acceptance at aircraft plant No. 301, testing production UT-2 training aircraft and Yak-1 fighters. In 1941, he was a test pilot for military acceptance at aircraft factory No. 31. Ivanov tested production fighters LaGG-3, La-5FN and Yak-3.
In November 1941, during the evacuation of the aircraft plant in Tbilisi, he took part in hostilities on the Southwestern Front. In total he made about 50 combat missions.
On April 24, 1946, he tested one of the first Yak-15 fighters. Conducted tests of various modifications of the Yak-3 and Yak-11 fighters. He received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for the strength and courage shown when testing new aircraft.
Most of the names from the list of ace pilots of the Great Patriotic War are well known to everyone. However, besides Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, among the Soviet aces, another master of air combat is undeservedly forgotten, whose courage and courage even the most titled and successful pilots can envy.
Better than Kozhedub, better than Hartman...
The names of the Soviet aces of the Great Patriotic War, Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin, are known to everyone who is at least superficially familiar with Russian history. Kozhedub and Pokryshkin are the most successful Soviet fighter pilots. The first has 64 enemy aircraft shot down personally, the second has 59 personal victories, and he shot down 6 more planes in the group.
The name of the third most successful Soviet pilot is known only to aviation enthusiasts. During the war, Nikolai Gulaev destroyed 57 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in a group.
An interesting detail - Kozhedub needed 330 sorties and 120 air battles to achieve his result, Pokryshkin - 650 sorties and 156 air battles. Gulaev achieved his result by carrying out 290 sorties and conducting 69 air battles.
Moreover, according to award documents, in his first 42 air battles he destroyed 42 enemy aircraft, that is, on average, each battle ended for Gulaev with a destroyed enemy aircraft.
Fans of military statistics have calculated that Nikolai Gulaev’s efficiency coefficient, that is, the ratio of air battles to victories, was 0.82. For comparison, for Ivan Kozhedub it was 0.51, and for Hitler’s ace Erich Hartmann, who officially shot down the most aircraft during the Second World War world war, - 0,4.
At the same time, people who knew Gulaev and fought with him claimed that he generously recorded many of his victories on his wingmen, helping them receive orders and money - Soviet pilots were paid for each enemy aircraft shot down. Some believe that the total number of planes shot down by Gulaev could reach 90, which, however, cannot be confirmed or denied today.
A guy from the Don.
Many books have been written and many films have been made about Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, air marshals.
Nikolai Gulaev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was close to the third “Golden Star”, but never received it and did not become a marshal, remaining a colonel general. And in general, if in the post-war years Pokryshkin and Kozhedub were always in sight, engaged in patriotic education youth, then Gulaev, who was practically in no way inferior to his colleagues, remained in the shadows all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the war and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksai, which has now become the city of Aksai Rostov region. The Don freemen were in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days until the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and attended a flying club. This hobby helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940. Gulaev was assigned to air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of the industrial centers in the rear.
Reprimand complete with reward.
Gulaev arrived at the front in August 1942 and immediately demonstrated both the talent of a combat pilot and the wayward character of a native of the Don steppes.
Gulaev did not have permission to fly at night, and when on August 3, 1942, Hitler’s planes appeared in the area of responsibility of the regiment where the young pilot served, experienced pilots took to the skies. But then the mechanic egged Nikolai on:
- What are you waiting for? The plane is ready, fly!
Gulaev, deciding to prove that he was no worse than the “old men,” jumped into the cockpit and took off. And in the very first battle, without experience, without the help of searchlights, he destroyed a German bomber. When Gulaev returned to the airfield, the arriving general said: “For the fact that I flew out without permission, I am reprimanding, and for the fact that I shot down an enemy plane, I am promoting him in rank and presenting him for a reward.”
Nugget.
His star shone especially brightly during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. On May 14, 1943, repelling a raid on the Grushka airfield, he single-handedly entered into battle with three Yu-87 bombers, covered by four Me-109s. Having shot down two Junkers, Gulaev tried to attack the third, but ran out of ammunition. Without hesitating for a second, the pilot went to ram, shooting down another bomber. Gulaev’s uncontrollable “Yak” went into a tailspin. The pilot managed to level the plane and land it at the leading edge, but on his own territory. Having arrived at the regiment, Gulaev again flew on a combat mission on another plane.
At the beginning of July 1943, Gulaev, as part of four Soviet fighters, taking advantage of the surprise factor, attacked a German armada of 100 aircraft. Having disrupted the battle formation, shooting down 4 bombers and 2 fighters, all four returned safely to the airfield. On this day, Gulaev’s unit made several combat sorties and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft.
July 1943 was generally extremely productive for Nikolai Gulaev. This is what is recorded in his flight log: “July 5 - 6 sorties, 4 victories, July 6 - Focke-Wulf 190 shot down, July 7 - three enemy aircraft shot down as part of a group, July 8 - Me-109 shot down , July 12 - two Yu-87s were shot down.”
Hero of the Soviet Union Fedor Arkhipenko, who had the opportunity to command the squadron where Gulaev served, wrote about him: “He was a genius pilot, one of the top ten aces in the country. He never hesitated, quickly assessed the situation, his sudden and effective attack created panic and destroyed the enemy’s battle formation, which disrupted his targeted bombing of our troops. He was very brave and decisive, often came to the rescue, and sometimes one could feel the real passion of a hunter in him.”
Flying Stenka Razin.
On September 28, 1943, the deputy squadron commander of the 27th Fighter Aviation Regiment (205th Fighter Aviation Division, 7th Fighter Aviation Corps, 2nd Air Army, Voronezh Front), Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the beginning of 1944, Gulaev was appointed squadron commander. His not very rapid career growth is explained by the fact that the ace’s methods of educating his subordinates were not entirely ordinary. Thus, he cured one of the pilots of his squadron, who was afraid of getting close to the Nazis, from fear of the enemy by firing a burst from his on-board weapon next to the wingman’s cabin. The subordinate’s fear disappeared as if by hand...
The same Fyodor Archipenko in his memoirs described another characteristic episode associated with Gulaev: “Approaching the airfield, I immediately saw from the air that the parking lot of Gulaev’s plane was empty... After landing, I was informed that all six of Gulaev were shot down! Nikolai himself landed wounded at the airfield with the attack aircraft, but nothing is known about the rest of the pilots. After some time, they reported from the front line: two jumped out of planes and landed at the location of our troops, the fate of three more is unknown... And today, many years later, main mistake I see Gulaev’s mistake made then in the fact that he took with him on a combat mission three young pilots who had not been shot at at all, who were shot down in their very first battle. True, Gulaev himself won 4 aerial victories that day, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.”
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he also risked his subordinates with the same ease, which sometimes seemed completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “aerial Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who had mastered a combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Airacobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them by Gulaev personally.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short-term leave home. From this trip to the Don he came withdrawn, taciturn, and bitter. He rushed into battle frantically, with some kind of transcendental rage. During the trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation his father was executed by the Nazis...
The Soviet ace was almost killed by a pig...
On July 1, 1944, Guard Captain Nikolai Gulaev was awarded the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for 125 combat missions, 42 air battles, in which he shot down 42 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
And then another episode occurs, which Gulaev openly told his friends about after the war, an episode that perfectly shows his violent nature as a native of the Don. The pilot learned that he had become a twice Hero of the Soviet Union after his next flight. Fellow soldiers had already gathered at the airfield and said: the award needed to be “washed,” there was alcohol, but there were problems with snacks.
Gulaev recalled that when returning to the airfield, he saw pigs grazing. With the words “there will be a snack,” the ace boards the plane again and a few minutes later lands it near the barns, to the amazement of the pig owner.
As already mentioned, the pilots were paid for downed planes, so Nikolai had no problems with cash. The owner willingly agreed to sell the boar, who was loaded with difficulty into the combat vehicle. By some miracle, the pilot took off from a very small platform together with the boar, distraught with horror. A combat aircraft is not designed for a well-fed pig to dance inside it. Gulaev had difficulty keeping the plane in the air...
If a catastrophe had happened that day, it would probably have been the most ridiculous case of the death of a twice Hero of the Soviet Union in history. Thank God, Gulaev made it to the airfield, and the regiment cheerfully celebrated the hero’s award.
Another anecdotal incident is related to the appearance of the Soviet ace. Once in battle he managed to shoot down a reconnaissance plane piloted by a Nazi colonel, cavalier four Iron Krestov. The German pilot wanted to meet with the one who managed to interrupt his brilliant career. Apparently, the German was expecting to see a stately handsome man, a “Russian bear” who would not be ashamed to lose... But instead, a young, short, plump captain Gulaev came, who, by the way, in the regiment had a not at all heroic nickname “Kolobok”. The German's disappointment knew no bounds...
A fight with political overtones.
In the summer of 1944, the Soviet command decided to recall the best Soviet pilots from the front. The war is coming to a victorious end, and the leadership of the USSR begins to think about the future. Those who distinguished themselves in the Great Patriotic War must graduate from the Air Force Academy in order to then take leadership positions in the Air Force and Air Defense.
Gulaev was also among those summoned to Moscow. He himself was not eager to go to the academy; he asked to remain in the active army, but was refused. On August 12, 1944, Nikolai Gulaev shot down his last Focke-Wulf 190.
And then a story happened that, most likely, became main reason, why Nikolai Gulaev did not become as famous as Kozhedub and Pokryshkin. There are at least three versions of what happened, which combine two words - “brawler” and “foreigners”. Let's focus on the one that occurs most often.
According to it, Nikolai Gulaev, already a major by that time, was summoned to Moscow not only to study at the academy, but also to receive the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Considering the pilot’s combat achievements, this version does not seem implausible. Gulaev’s company included other honored aces who were awaiting awards.
The day before the ceremony in the Kremlin, Gulaev went to the restaurant of the Moscow Hotel, where his pilot friends were relaxing. However, the restaurant was crowded, and the administrator said: “Comrade, there is no room for you!” It was not worth saying such a thing to Gulaev with his explosive character, but then, unfortunately, he also came across Romanian soldiers, who at that moment were also relaxing in the restaurant. Shortly before this, Romania, which had been an ally of Germany since the beginning of the war, went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The angry Gulaev said loudly: “Is it that there is no place for the Hero of the Soviet Union, but there is room for enemies?”
The Romanians heard the pilot’s words, and one of them uttered an insulting phrase in Russian towards Gulaev. A second later, the Soviet ace found himself near the Romanian and hit him in the face.
Not even a minute had passed before a fight broke out in the restaurant between the Romanians and Soviet pilots.
When the fighters were separated, it turned out that the pilots had beaten members of the official Romanian military delegation. The scandal reached Stalin himself, who decided to cancel the awarding of the third Hero star.
If we were talking not about the Romanians, but about the British or Americans, most likely, the matter for Gulaev would have ended quite badly. But the leader of all nations did not ruin the life of his ace because of yesterday’s opponents. Gulaev was simply sent to a unit, away from the front, Romanians and any attention in general. But how true this version is is unknown.
A general who was friends with Vysotsky.
Despite everything, in 1950 Nikolai Gulaev graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and five years later from the General Staff Academy. He commanded the 133rd Aviation Fighter Division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, and the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, which covered the northern borders of the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Dmitrievich had a wonderful family, he adored his granddaughter Irochka, was a passionate fisherman, loved to treat guests to personally pickled watermelons...
He also visited pioneer camps, participated in various veteran events, but still there was a feeling that instructions had been given from above, saying modern language, do not promote his person too much.
Actually, there were reasons for this even at a time when Gulaev was already wearing general’s shoulder straps. For example, he could, with his authority, invite Vladimir Vysotsky to speak at the House of Officers in Arkhangelsk, ignoring the timid protests of the local party leadership. By the way, there is a version that some of Vysotsky’s songs about pilots were born after his meetings with Nikolai Gulaev.
Norwegian complaint.
Colonel General Gulaev retired in 1979. And there is a version that one of the reasons for this was a new conflict with foreigners, but this time not with the Romanians, but with the Norwegians. Allegedly, General Gulaev organized a hunt for polar bears using helicopters near the border with Norway. Norwegian border guards appealed to Soviet authorities with a complaint about the general's actions. After this, the general was transferred to a staff position away from Norway, and then sent to a well-deserved rest.
It is impossible to say with certainty that this hunt took place, although such a plot fits very well into the vivid biography of Nikolai Gulaev. Be that as it may, the resignation had a bad effect on the health of the old pilot, who could not imagine himself without the service to which his whole life was dedicated.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow, at the age of 67 years. His final resting place was the Kuntsevo cemetery in the capital.
Test pilots are the heroes of our time, the bravest representatives of their nation, possessing leadership qualities, intelligence, responsibility, concentration and good health. Each flight may be their last, and yet they must experience the pleasure of flying, this is the main condition for admission into the ranks of these brave guys. They sit at the helm of their car so that the designers can refine or improve
Legendary test pilots
The former USSR is simply overflowing with heroes. Some remained unknown in the history of the country, but not the test pilots. The names of these brave guys were immediately recognized by the country's political elite. Almost all of them received the title of Hero of the USSR.
One of these people, whose name went down in the history of the domestic aircraft industry, is Valery Chkalov. Valery Pavlovich started as a welder at the Aviation Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. And already in 1931 he tested brand new I-15 and I-16 fighter aircraft.
For his stunts in the air, he even received a prison sentence and was sentenced to a year in prison, which was later replaced with a suspended sentence. After all, Valery’s “recklessness” was recognized as new aerobatic maneuvers. In 1935, Chkalov was awarded the Order of Lenin. Chkalov's crew was the first to fly from the capital to the Far East. And two years later he flew through the North Pole and landed in Vancouver. After such merits, Stalin offered Chkalov the post of People's Commissar of the NKVD, but Valery Pavlovich refused and continued to fly. Test pilots who die during a flight are doubly heroes. In December 1938 he made his last flight. He died while testing the new I-180 fighter.
Military pilots
Test pilots played an important role in military aviation during World War II. Despite the harsh conditions of the war, Soviet Union increased military power. Aircraft design companies produced new, improved aircraft that required testing. One of these heroes of the military sky was Sergei Nikolaevich Anokhin. In 1931 he graduated from the Higher Gliding School. And already in 1933 he set a record in his country. I spent almost 16 hours in the sky on one glider. Before the war he tested experimental gliders.
During the war, he tested aircraft and gliders. The first to test a liquid-fueled interceptor fighter. In May 1945, during testing of the Yak-3 fighter, the aircraft broke down, the pilot was seriously injured and lost an eye, but did not stop flying. Conducted test flights on such aircraft as Yak, Mig, Su. In 1959, among the first ten, he received the title “Honored Test Pilot.” He made his last flight at the age of 73.
Test pilot awards
Until 1958, test pilots were not awarded all kinds of orders for services to the Motherland; many retired without a single medal. Many received the title “Hero of the USSR” only in 1957. And in 1958, by decree of the Presidium of the Armed Forces, the honorary titles “Honored Test Navigator of the USSR” and “Honored Test Pilot of the USSR” were established. Only 1st class pilots could receive such a rank and the corresponding order.
In total, 419 test pilots were awarded this title during the Soviet period.
Post-war period
The development of aircraft manufacturing in the USSR became a priority task in the post-war period. Cold War between the USSR and the USA led to an arms race. There was also ahead
Another outstanding test pilot is Yuri Petrovich Sheffer. Since 1977, he was the leading tester at the Tupolev plant. Was in the Buran VKS detachment. Participated in testing Su-25 and Mig-25 fighters.
Volk Igor Petrovich - Hero of the USSR, Honored Test Pilot, Test Cosmonaut. Tested domestic aircraft of all types since 1965. Performed a special skill showed when performing “cobra” and “corkscrew”.
Viktor Vasilyevich Zabolotsky is a Soviet test pilot, at flight test work since 1975. During his work, he mastered more than 200 types of aircraft.
Modern period
After the collapse of the Union and loss in the Cold War, Russia, as the successor to the USSR, did not curtail its aviation programs. And today, high-speed aircraft, fighters, and the latest helicopters capable of conquering the skies are being designed.
Bogdan Sergei Leonidovich - Hero of the Russian Federation and Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation. Conducted testing of Su and MiG fighters. Since 2000, test pilot at the Sukhoi Design Bureau.
Magomed Tolboev has been a test pilot since 1981, received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation. Tested Su and MiG fighters. For the first time he took several types of ultralight aircraft into the air.
This list can be continued for a long time, because many people in our country are capable of feats, but only for those chosen by fate. In the modern period, the latest supersonic aircraft, bombers, and airliners are being developed and tested; only thanks to these brave people, many models will see the world.
