The title ace, in reference to military pilots, first appeared in French newspapers during the First World War. In 1915 journalists nicknamed "aces", and in translation from French the word "as" means "ace", the pilots who shot down three or more enemy aircraft. The first to be called an ace was the legendary French pilot Roland Garros (Roland Garros)
The most experienced and successful pilots in the Luftwaffe were called experts - "Experte"
Luftwaffe
Eric Alfred Hartman (Bubi)
Erich Hartmann (German Erich Hartmann; April 19, 1922 - September 20, 1993) - German ace pilot, considered the most successful fighter pilot in the history of aviation. According to German data, during the Second World War, he shot down "352" enemy aircraft (of which 345 were Soviet) in 825 air battles.
Hartmann graduated from the flying school in 1941 and in October 1942 was assigned to the 52nd Fighter Squadron on the Eastern Front. His first commander and mentor was the well-known Luftwaffe expert Walter Krupinsky.
Hartmann shot down his first plane on November 5, 1942 (IL-2 from the 7th GShAP), but over the next three months he managed to shoot down only one plane. Hartmann gradually improved his flying skills, emphasizing the effectiveness of the first attack.
Oberleutnant Erich Hartman in the cockpit of his fighter, the famous emblem of the 9th staffel of the 52nd squadron is clearly visible - a heart pierced by an arrow with the inscription "Karaya", in the upper left segment of the heart the name of Hartman's bride "Ursel" is written (the inscription is almost invisible in the picture) .
German ace Hauptmann Erich Hartmann (left) and Hungarian pilot Laszlo Pottiondi. German fighter pilot Erich Hartmann - the most productive ace of World War II
Krupinski Walter the first commander and mentor of Erich Hartmann!!
Hauptmann Walter Krupinski commanded the 7th Staffel of the 52nd Squadron from March 1943 to March 1944. The picture shows Krupinski wearing the Knight's Cross with oak leaves, he received the leaves on March 2, 1944 for 177 victories in air battles. Shortly after this photo was taken, Krupinski was transferred to the West, where he served in 7 (7-5, JG-11 and JG-26, the ace ended the war on Me-262 as part of J V-44.
Pictured in March 1944, from left to right: commander of 8./JG-52, Lieutenant Friedrich Obleser, commander of 9./JG-52, Lieutenant Erich Hartmann. Lieutenant Karl Gritz.
The wedding of Luftwaffe ace Erich Hartmann (1922-1993) and Ursula Paetsch. To the left of the married couple is Hartmann's commander, Gerhard Barkhorn (1919 - 1983). On the right is Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz (1916-1988).
bf. 109G-6 of Hauptmann Erich Hartmann, Buders, Hungary, November 1944.
Barkhorn Gerhard "Gerd"
Major / Major Barkhorn Gerhard / Barkhorn Gerhard
Began flying with JG2, transferred to JG52 in autumn 1940. From 01/16/1945 to 04/01/45 he commanded JG6. He ended the war in the "squadron of aces" JV 44, when on 04/21/1945 his Me 262 was shot down during landing by American fighters. He was severely wounded and was held captive by the Allies for four months.
The number of victories - 301. All victories on the Eastern Front.
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 productive pilots of the Second World War, having 352 and 301 air victories in their combat account, respectively. In the lower left corner of the picture is E. Hartmann's autograph.
The Soviet fighter LaGG-3 destroyed by German aircraft on the railway platform.
The snow melted faster than the white winter coloration from the Bf 109 was washed away. The fighter is taking off straight through the spring puddles.)!.
Captured Soviet airfield: I-16 stands next to Bf109F from II./JG-54.
The Ju-87D bomber from the StG-2 "Immelmann" and the "Friedrich" from I./JG-51 are in close formation to carry out the combat mission. At the end of the summer of 1942, the pilots of I./JG-51 will transfer to FW-190 fighters.
Commander of the 52nd Fighter Squadron (Jagdgeschwader 52) Lieutenant Colonel Dietrich Hrabak, Commander of the 2nd Group of the 52nd Fighter Squadron (II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52) Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn and an unknown Luftwaffe officer at the Messerschmitt fighter Bf.109G-6 at Bagerovo airfield.
Walter Krupinski, Gerhard Barkhorn, Johannes Wiese and Erich Hartmann
The commander of the 6th Fighter Squadron (JG6) of the Luftwaffe, Major Gerhard Barkhorn, in the cockpit of his Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 fighter.
Bf 109G-6 "double black chevron" commander I./JG-52 Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn, Kharkov-South, August 1943
Note the aircraft's own name; Christi is the name of the wife of Barkhorn, the second most successful fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe. The picture shows the aircraft that Barkhorn flew when he was the commander of I./JG-52, then he had not yet crossed the milestone of 200 victories. Barkhorn survived, shooting down 301 aircraft in total, all on the eastern front.
Gunther Rall
German ace fighter pilot Major Günther Rall (03/10/1918 - 10/04/2009). Günter Rall is the third most successful German ace of World War II. On account of his 275 air victories (272 on the Eastern Front), won in 621 sorties. Rall himself was shot down 8 times. On the pilot's neck is visible the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords, which he was awarded on 09/12/1943 for 200 air victories won.
"Friedrich" from III./JG-52, this group in the initial phase of the operation "Barbarossa" covered the troops of the Xi countries operating in the coastal zone of the Black Sea. Pay attention to the unusual angular side number "6" and "sine wave". Apparently, this aircraft belonged to the 8th Staffel.
Spring 1943, Rall watches approvingly as Lieutenant Josef Zwernemann drinks wine from a bottle
Gunther Rall (second from left) after his 200th aerial victory. Second from right - Walter Krupinski
Downed Bf 109 by Günther Rall
Rally in his Gustav 4th
After severe wounds and partial paralysis, Oberleutnant Günther Rall returned to 8./JG-52 on 28 August 1942, and two months later he was made a Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Rall ended the war, taking the honorable third place among Luftwaffe fighter pilots in terms of performance.
won 275 victories (272 - on the Eastern Front); shot down 241 Soviet fighters. He made 621 sorties, was shot down 8 times and wounded 3 times. His "Messerschmitt" had a personal number "Devil's Dozen"
The commander of the 8th Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Squadron (Staffelkapitän 8.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 52), Lieutenant Günther Rall (Günther Rall, 1918-2009) with the pilots of his squadron, in between sorties, plays with the squadron's mascot - a dog named "Rata" .
Pictured in the foreground, from left to right: Sergeant Manfred Lotzmann, Sergeant Werner Höhenberg, and Lieutenant Hans Funcke.
In the background, from left to right: Lieutenant Günther Rall, Lieutenant Hans Martin Markoff, Sergeant Major Karl-Friedrich Schumacher and Lieutenant Gerhard Luety.
The picture was taken by front-line correspondent Reissmüller on March 6, 1943 near the Kerch Strait.
photo of Rall and his wife Herta, originally from Austria
The third in the triumvirate of the best experts of the 52nd squadron was Gunther Rall. Rall flew a black fighter with tail number "13" after his return to service on August 28, 1942 after being seriously wounded in November 1941. By this time, Rall had 36 victories on his account. Before being transferred to the West in the spring of 1944, he shot down another 235 Soviet aircraft. Pay attention to the III./JG-52 symbolism - the emblem in the front of the fuselage and the "sine wave" painted closer to the tail.
Kittel Otto (Bruno)
Otto Kittel (Otto "Bruno" Kittel; February 21, 1917 - February 14, 1945) was a German ace pilot, fighter, participant in World War II. He made 583 sorties, scored 267 victories, which is the fourth result in history. The Luftwaffe record holder for the number of downed Il-2 attack aircraft is 94. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords.
in 1943, luck turned to face him. On January 24, he shot down the 30th aircraft, and on March 15, the 47th. On the same day, his plane was seriously damaged and crashed 60 km behind the front line. With a frost of thirty degrees, Kittel went out to his own on the ice of Lake Ilmen.
So Kittel Otto returned from a four day trip!! His plane was shot down behind the front line, at a distance of 60 km!!
Otto Kittel on vacation, summer 1941. Then Kittel was the most common Luftwaffe pilot with the rank of non-commissioned officer.
Otto Kittel in the circle of comrades! (marked with a cross)
At the head of the table "Bruno"
Otto Kittel with his wife!
He died on February 14, 1945 during the attack of the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft. Shot down by the gunner's return fire, Kittel's Fw 190A-8 aircraft (serial number 690 282) fell in a swampy area in the location of the Soviet troops and exploded. The pilot did not use the parachute, as he died while still in the air.
Two Luftwaffe officers bandaging the hand of a wounded captured Red Army soldier near the tent
Plane "Bruno"
Novotny Walter (Novi)
German ace pilot of the Second World War, during which he made 442 sorties, scoring 258 victories in the air, 255 of them on the Eastern Front and 2 over 4-engine bombers. He won the last 3 victories flying a Me.262 jet fighter. He won most of his victories flying the FW 190, and about 50 victories on the Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was the first pilot in the world to score 250 victories. Awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Our aces pilots during the Great Patriotic War terrified the Germans. 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.
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 beginning of the career of the famous pilot was unsuccessful, in the very first battle his plane was seriously damaged by the enemy Messerschmit, and when returning to the base, Russian anti-aircraft gunners fired on him by mistake, and only by a miracle did he manage to land. The plane was not subject to restoration, and they even wanted to retrain the unlucky newcomer, but the regiment commander stood up for him. Only during his 40th sortie on the Kursk Bulge, Kozhedub, having already become a “batya” - deputy squadron commander, shot down his first “lappet”, as ours called the German Junkers. After that, the score went to tens.
The last battle in the Great Patriotic War, in which he shot down 2 FW-190s, Kozhedub fought in the sky over Berlin. In addition, Kozhedub also has two American Mustang aircraft shot down in 1945, which attacked him, mistaking his fighter for a German aircraft. The Soviet ace acted on 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 often his plane 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 the German Messerschmitt. In total, he accounted for 59 personally shot down aircraft and 6 in the group. However, this is only official statistics, because, being 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 real guide to air warfare. They say that the Germans warned about the appearance of a Russian ace with the phrase: “Akhtung! Achtung! Pokryshkin in the air. The one who knocked 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 called him the "Kuban escalator", since the planes arranged in pairs resembled a giant staircase. In battle, German aircraft leaving the first stage were hit by the second, and then the third stage. His other favorite tricks were "falcon strike" and "high-speed" swing ". It is worth noting that Pokryshkin won most of his victories in the early years of the war, when the Germans had a significant air superiority.
Nikolai 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 arbitrariness, he was punished, while presenting him for a reward. In the future, Gulaev was usually not limited to one downed aircraft per flight, he scored four victories three times a day, destroyed three aircraft twice, and made a double in seven battles. In total, he shot down 57 aircraft personally and 3 in the group. One enemy plane Gulaev, when he ran out of ammunition, took to ram, after which he himself fell into a tailspin and barely managed to eject. His risky manner of fighting became a symbol of the romantic trend in the art of aerial duel.
Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov
Born in 1920 in the Perm province. On the eve of the war, at the medical flight commission, he was found to have a slight degree of color blindness, but the regiment commander did not even look at the medical report - the pilots were very needed. He won his first victory on an outdated I-153 biplane number 13, unlucky for the Germans, as he joked. Then he got into Pokryshkin’s group and was trained on the Aerocobra, an American fighter, which became famous for its tough temper - it very easily went into a tailspin at the slightest pilot error, the Americans themselves were reluctant to fly on such. In total, he shot down 56 aircraft personally and 6 in the group. Perhaps none of our other ace on a personal account has such a variety of types of downed aircraft as Rechkalov, these are bombers, and attack aircraft, and reconnaissance aircraft, and fighters, and transport workers, and relatively rare trophies - "Savoy" and PZL -24.
Georgy Dmitrievich Kostylev
Born in Oranienbaum, now Lomonosov, in 1914. He began flying practice in Moscow at the legendary Tushino airfield, where the Spartak stadium is now being built. The legendary Baltic ace, who covered the sky over Leningrad, won the largest number of 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 Russia!". In February 1943, he landed in a penal battalion for having arranged a rout in the house of a major of the commissary service. Kostylev was struck by the abundance of dishes with which he regaled his guests, and could not restrain himself, because he knew firsthand what was happening in the besieged city. He was deprived of awards, demoted to the Red Army and sent to the Oranienbaum bridgehead, to the places where he spent his childhood. The prisoner saved the hero, and already in April he again lifts his fighter into the air and defeats the enemy. Later he was reinstated in the rank, the awards were returned, but he never received the second Star of the Hero.
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 stamina of a Russian warrior. Born in 1916 in the city of Kamyshin, Saratov province. In a battle with the Germans, his plane was shot down, the pilot, wounded in the legs, managed to land on the territory occupied by the Germans. After that, for 18 days he crawled out to his own, in the hospital both legs were amputated. But Maresyev managed to return to duty, he learned to walk on prostheses and again took to the skies. At first, they did not trust him, anything can happen in battle, but Maresyev proved that he can fight no worse than others. As a result, 7 more German aircraft were added to the 4 German aircraft shot down before being wounded. Polevoy's story about Maresyev was allowed to be printed 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 invalids.
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 art - the prototype of the famous Maestro from the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle”. The "Singing Squadron" really existed in the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, where Popkov served, it had its own choir, and Leonid Utyosov himself presented two aircraft to it.
Popkov was born in Moscow in 1922. He won his first victory in June 1942 over the city of Holm. Participated in battles on the Kalinin front, on the Don and the Kursk Bulge. In total, he made 475 sorties, conducted 117 air battles, personally shot down 41 enemy aircraft plus 1 in the group. On the last day of the war, Popkov shot down the legendary German Hartman, the most productive ace of World War II, in the sky over Brno, but he managed to land and stay alive, 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.
Names of Soviet aces of the Great Patriotic War Ivan Kozhedub and Alexandra Pokryshkina known to everyone who is at least superficially familiar with national history.
Kozhedub and Pokryshkin are the most productive Soviet fighter pilots. On account of the first 64 enemy aircraft shot down personally, on account of the second - 59 personal victories, and he shot down 6 more aircraft in the group.
The name of the third most successful Soviet pilot is known only to aviation lovers. Nikolai Gulaev during the war he destroyed 57 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in the group.
An interesting detail - Kozhedub needed 330 sorties and 120 air battles to achieve his result, Pokryshkin - 650 sorties and 156 air battles. Gulaev, on the other hand, achieved his result by carrying out 290 sorties and conducting 69 air battles.
Moreover, according to award documents, in his first 42 air battles, he destroyed 42 enemy aircraft, that is, on average, each battle ended for Gulaev with a destroyed enemy machine.
Fans of military statistics have calculated that the efficiency ratio, that is, the ratio of air battles and victories, Nikolai Gulaev was 0.82. For comparison, it was 0.51 for Ivan Kozhedub, and for the Nazi ace Erich Hartmann, which officially shot down the most aircraft during the Second 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 the followers, helping them receive orders and money - Soviet pilots were paid for each downed enemy aircraft. Some believe that the total number of aircraft shot down by Gulaev could reach 90, which, however, cannot be confirmed or denied today.
Heroes of the Soviet Union pilots Alexander Pokryshkin (second from left), Grigory Rechkalov (center) and Nikolai Gulaev (right) on Red Square. Photo: RIA Novosti
Guy from the Don
About Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, air marshals, many books have been written, many films have been shot.
Nikolai Gulaev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was close to the third "Gold Star", but he never received it and did not go to the marshals, remaining a colonel general. And in general, if in the post-war years Pokryshkin and Kozhedub were always in sight, engaged in the patriotic education of young people, then Gulaev, who was practically in no way inferior to his colleagues, remained in the background all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the military and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit too well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya, which has now become the city of Aksay, Rostov Region.
Don freemen was in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days to the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and studied at the flying club. This passion helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940.
Gulaev was assigned to the air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of the industrial centers in the rear.
Reprimand complete with award
Gulaev ended up at the front in August 1942 and immediately demonstrated both the talent of a combat pilot and the wayward character of a native of the Don steppes.
Gulaev did not have a permit for night flights, and when on August 3, 1942, Nazi planes appeared in the area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility of the regiment where the young pilot served, experienced pilots went into the sky.
But then the mechanic urged Nikolai:
— What are you waiting for? The plane is ready, fly!
Gulaev, determined to prove that he was no worse than the "old men", jumped into the cockpit and took off. And in the first battle, without experience, without the help of searchlights, he destroyed a German bomber.
When Gulaev returned to the airfield, the general who arrived said: “For the fact that I flew out without permission, I announce a reprimand, but for the fact that I shot down an enemy plane, I increase my rank and present for a reward.”
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union pilot Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev. Photo: RIA Novosti
Nugget
His star shone especially brightly during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. On May 14, 1943, repelling a raid on the Grushka airfield, he single-handedly entered into battle with three Yu-87 bombers, covered by four Me-109s. Having shot down two "Junkers", Gulaev tried to attack the third, but the cartridges ran out. Without hesitating for a second, the pilot went to ram, shooting down another bomber. Gulaev's uncontrolled "Yak" went into a tailspin. The pilot managed to level the plane and land it at the front edge, but on its own territory. Arriving at the regiment, Gulaev again flew on a combat mission on another plane.
In early July 1943, Gulaev, as part of four Soviet fighters, using the surprise factor, attacked the German armada of 100 aircraft. Having upset the battle formation, shooting down 4 bombers and 2 fighters, all four returned safely to the airfield. On this day, Gulaev's link made several sorties and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft.
July 1943 was generally extremely productive for Nikolai Gulaev. Here is what is recorded in his flight book: "July 5 - 6 sorties, 4 victories, July 6 - Focke-Wulf 190 was shot down, July 7 - three enemy aircraft were shot down as part of the group, July 8 - Me-109 was shot down" July 12 - two Yu-87s were shot down.
Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Archipenko, who happened to command the squadron where Gulaev served, wrote about him: “He was a nugget pilot, one of the top ten aces of the country. He never hesitated, he quickly assessed the situation, his sudden and effective attack created panic and destroyed the enemy’s battle formation, which disrupted his targeted bombing of our troops. He was very brave and decisive, often came to the rescue, sometimes he felt the real excitement of a hunter.
Flying Stenka Razin
On September 28, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In early 1944, Gulaev was appointed squadron commander. His not too rapid career growth is explained by the fact that the ace's methods of educating subordinates were not quite ordinary. So, one of the pilots of his squadron, who was afraid to get close to the Nazis at close range, he cured of fear of the enemy, giving a burst of airborne weapons next to the cockpit of the wingman. The fear of the subordinate was taken away as if by hand ...
The same Fyodor Arkhipenko in his memoirs described another characteristic episode related to Gulaev: “Flying up to the airfield, I immediately saw from the air that Gulaev’s plane was empty ... After landing, I was informed that all six of Gulaev were shot down! Nikolai himself, wounded, sat down at the airfield with attack aircraft, and nothing is known about the rest of the pilots. Some time later, they reported from the front line: two jumped out of planes and landed at the location of our troops, the fate of three more is unknown ... And today, after many years, I see the main mistake of Gulaev, made then, in what he took with him in combat the flight of three young, not at all shelled pilots at once, who were shot down in their first battle. True, Gulaev himself scored 4 air victories that day at once, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he risked his subordinates with the same ease, which at times looked completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “air Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who mastered the combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Aircobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them personally by Gulaev.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short leave home. From this trip to the Don, he returned closed, taciturn, bitter. He rushed into battle furiously, with some transcendent fury. During a trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation, his father was executed by the Nazis ...
On July 1, 1944, Guard Captain Nikolai Gulaev was awarded the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for 125 sorties, 42 air battles, in which he shot down 42 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
And then another episode occurs, about which Gulaev frankly told his friends after the war, an episode that perfectly shows his violent nature, a native of the Don.
The fact that he became twice Hero of the Soviet Union, the pilot learned after the next flight. Brother-soldiers have already gathered at the airfield, who said: the award should be “washed”, there is alcohol, but there are problems with the snack.
Gulaev remembered that when he returned to the airfield, he saw grazing pigs. With the words "there will be a snack," the ace boards the plane again and, after a few minutes, puts it near the barns, to the amazement of the owner of the pigs.
As already mentioned, the pilots were paid for downed planes, so Nikolai had no problems with cash. The owner willingly agreed to sell the boar, which was loaded with difficulty into the fighting vehicle.
By some miracle, the pilot took off from a very small platform along with a boar distraught with horror. A combat aircraft is not designed for the fact that a plump pig will dance inside it. Gulaev had difficulty keeping the plane in the air...
If a catastrophe had happened that day, it would probably have been the most ridiculous case of the death of a twice Hero of the Soviet Union in history.
Thank God, Gulaev made it to the airfield, and the regiment cheerfully celebrated the hero's award.
Another anecdotal case is related to the appearance of the Soviet ace. Once in battle, he managed to shoot down a reconnaissance aircraft piloted by a Hitlerite colonel, holder of four Iron Crosses. The German pilot wanted to meet the one who managed to interrupt his brilliant career. Apparently, the German expected to see a stately handsome man, a “Russian bear”, who is not shameful to lose ... But instead, a young, short, overweight captain Gulaev came, who, by the way, in the regiment did not have the heroic nickname “Kolobok” at all. The disappointment of the Germans knew no bounds...
Fight with political overtones
In the summer of 1944, the Soviet command decides to recall the best Soviet pilots from the front. The war is coming to a victorious end, and the leadership of the USSR begins to think about the future. Those who proved themselves in the Great Patriotic War must graduate from the Air Force Academy in order to then take leadership positions in the Air Force and Air Defense.
Gulaev was among those who were called to Moscow. He himself did not rush to the academy, he asked to be left in the army, but was refused. On August 12, 1944, Nikolai Gulaev shot down his last Focke-Wulf 190.
There are at least three versions of what happened, which combine two words - "brawl" and "foreigners". Let's focus on the one that occurs most often.
According to her, Nikolai Gulaev, by that time already a major, was called to Moscow not only to study at the academy, but also to receive the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Given the combat achievements of the pilot, this version does not look implausible. In the company of Gulaev, there were other honored aces who were waiting for the award.
The day before the ceremony in the Kremlin, Gulaev went to the restaurant of the Moskva Hotel, where his fellow pilots were relaxing. However, the restaurant was full, and the administrator said: "Comrade, there is no place for you!".
It was not worth it at all to say something like that to Gulaev with his explosive character, but then, unfortunately, he also came across the Romanian military, who at that moment were also relaxing in the restaurant. Shortly before this, Romania, which had been an ally of Germany since the beginning of the war, went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The enraged Gulaev said loudly: “Is it that there is no place for the Hero of the Soviet Union, but are there enemies?”
The words of the pilot were heard by the Romanians, and one of them issued an insulting phrase in Russian to Gulaev. A second later, the Soviet ace was near the Romanian and relish hit him in the face.
Less than a minute later, a fight broke out in the restaurant between Romanians and Soviet pilots.
When the fighters were separated, it turned out that the pilots had beaten the members of the official Romanian military delegation. The scandal reached Stalin himself, who decided: to cancel the awarding of the third star of the Hero.
If it were not about the Romanians, but about the British or Americans, most likely, the case for Gulaev would have ended quite badly. But the leader of all peoples did not break the life of his ace because of yesterday's opponents. Gulaev was simply sent to a unit, away from the front, the Romanians and, in general, any attention. But how true this version is is unknown.
General who was friends with Vysotsky
Despite everything, in 1950 Nikolai Gulaev graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and five years later - from the Academy of the General Staff.
He commanded the 133rd Aviation Fighter Division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, which covered the northern borders of the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Dmitrievich had a wonderful family, he adored his granddaughter Ira, was a passionate fisherman, loved to treat guests with personally salted watermelons...
He also visited pioneer camps, participated in various veteran events, but still there was a feeling that the top was instructed, in modern terms, not to promote his person too much.
Actually, there were reasons for this even at a time when Gulaev was already wearing the general's shoulder straps. For example, he could, by his authority, invite Vladimir Vysotsky, ignoring the timid protests of the local party leadership. By the way, there is a version that some of Vysotsky's songs about pilots were born after his meetings with Nikolai Gulaev.
Norwegian complaint
Colonel-General Gulaev retired in 1979. And there is a version that one of the reasons for this was a new conflict with foreigners, but this time not with the Romanians, but with the Norwegians.
Allegedly, General Gulaev organized a hunt for polar bears using helicopters near the border with Norway. The Norwegian border guards appealed to the Soviet authorities with a complaint about the actions of the general. After that, the general was transferred to a headquarters position away from Norway, and then sent to a well-deserved rest.
It is impossible to say with certainty that this hunt took place, although such a plot fits very well into the vivid biography of Nikolai Gulaev.
Be that as it may, the resignation had a bad effect on the health of the old pilot, who could not imagine himself without service, to which his whole life was devoted.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow, at the age of 67. The place of his last resting place was the Kuntsevo cemetery of the capital.
Kozhedub Ivan Nikitich: To the 62 German aircraft officially shot down by I.N. Kozhedub during the Great Patriotic War, one should add 2 American fighters shot down by him at the very end of the war. In April 1945, Kozhedub drove a couple of German fighters away from the American B-17 with a barrage of fire, but was attacked by cover fighters who opened fire from a long distance. With a coup over the wing, Kozhedub quickly attacked the last car. He began to smoke and with a decrease went 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. Kozheduba, 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 already had 25 downed enemy aircraft on his account. Three months later he was awarded a second Gold Star. While fighting the Luftwaffe in southern Ukraine, Pokryshkin chalked up another 18 Junkers, including two high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. In November 1943, using external tanks, he hunted for Ju.52s operating on air communications over the Black Sea. For four sorties in the conditions of changeable sea weather, the Soviet pilot sent five three-engine transport ships 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 sorties, scoring another seven victories by the end of the year. The combat activity of 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, Major Gulaev conducted 240 sorties during the war of the Guards, in 69 air battles he shot down 57 personally and in a group of 3 enemy aircraft. Its "productivity", 4 sorties per shot down, became one of the highest in the Soviet fighter aviation.
4.
Evstigneev Kirill Alekseevich: In total, during the war years, he made about 300 sorties, conducted over 120 air battles, personally shot down 52 and as part of a group - 3 enemy aircraft. “The pilot is flint,” Ivan Kozhedub, who served for some time with Evstigneev in the same regiment, spoke of him.
5.
Glinka Dmitry Borisovich: After almost a six-month 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.
When flying on Li-2, he had an accident: the plane hit the top of the mountain. He and his comrades were saved by the fact that they settled down in the tail 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 aircraft in one day, and won his last victory on April 18, 1945, point-blank, from 30 meters, shooting FV-190.
In total, during the war, he conducted about 300 sorties, 100 air battles, personally shot down 50 enemy aircraft, 9 of them on the Yak-1, the rest - on the Aerocobra.
Most of the names from the list of pilot-aces of the Great Patriotic War are well known to everyone. However, in addition to Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, among the Soviet aces, another master of air combat is undeservedly forgotten, whose courage and courage even the most titled and productive pilots can envy.
Better than Kozhedub, cooler than Hartman...
The names of the Soviet aces of the Great Patriotic War Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin are known to everyone who is at least superficially familiar with Russian history. Kozhedub and Pokryshkin are the most productive Soviet fighter pilots. On account of the first 64 enemy aircraft shot down personally, on account of the second - 59 personal victories, and he shot down 6 more aircraft in the group.
The name of the third most successful Soviet pilot is known only to aviation lovers. Nikolai Gulaev during the war years destroyed 57 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in the group.
An interesting detail - Kozhedub needed 330 sorties and 120 air battles to achieve his result, Pokryshkin - 650 sorties and 156 air battles. Gulaev, on the other hand, achieved his result by carrying out 290 sorties and conducting 69 air battles.
Moreover, according to award documents, in his first 42 air battles, he destroyed 42 enemy aircraft, that is, on average, each battle ended for Gulaev with a destroyed enemy machine.
Fans of military statistics have calculated that the efficiency ratio, that is, the ratio of air battles and victories, Nikolai Gulaev was 0.82. For comparison, Ivan Kozhedub had 0.51, and Hitler's ace Erich Hartman, who officially shot down the most aircraft during World War II, had 0.4.
At the same time, people who knew Gulaev and fought with him claimed that he generously recorded many of his victories on the followers, helping them receive orders and money - Soviet pilots were paid for each downed enemy aircraft. Some believe that the total number of aircraft shot down by Gulaev could reach 90, which, however, cannot be confirmed or denied today.
Don guy.
About Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, air marshals, many books have been written, many films have been shot.
Nikolai Gulaev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was close to the third "Gold Star", but he never received it and did not go to the marshals, remaining a colonel general. And in general, if in the post-war years Pokryshkin and Kozhedub were always in sight, engaged in the patriotic education of young people, then Gulaev, who was practically in no way inferior to his colleagues, remained in the background all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the military and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit too well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya, which has now become the city of Aksay, Rostov Region. Don freemen was in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days to the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and studied at the flying club. This passion helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940. Gulaev was assigned to the air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of the industrial centers in the rear.
Reprimand complete with award.
Gulaev ended up at the front in August 1942 and immediately demonstrated both the talent of a combat pilot and the wayward character of a native of the Don steppes.
Gulaev did not have a permit for night flights, and when on August 3, 1942, Nazi planes appeared in the area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility of the regiment where the young pilot served, experienced pilots went into the sky. But then the mechanic urged Nikolai:
- What are you waiting for? The plane is ready, fly!
Gulaev, determined to prove that he was no worse than the "old men", jumped into the cockpit and took off. And in the first battle, without experience, without the help of searchlights, he destroyed a German bomber. When Gulaev returned to the airfield, the general who arrived said: “For the fact that I flew out without permission, I announce a reprimand, but for the fact that I shot down an enemy plane, I increase my rank and present for a reward.”
Nugget.
His star shone especially brightly during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. On May 14, 1943, repelling a raid on the Grushka airfield, he single-handedly entered into battle with three Yu-87 bombers, covered by four Me-109s. Having shot down two "Junkers", Gulaev tried to attack the third, but the cartridges ran out. Without hesitating for a second, the pilot went to ram, shooting down another bomber. Gulaev's uncontrolled "Yak" went into a tailspin. The pilot managed to level the plane and land it at the front edge, but on its own territory. Arriving at the regiment, Gulaev again flew on a combat mission on another plane.
In early July 1943, Gulaev, as part of four Soviet fighters, using the surprise factor, attacked the German armada of 100 aircraft. Having upset the battle formation, shooting down 4 bombers and 2 fighters, all four returned safely to the airfield. On this day, Gulaev's link made several sorties and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft.
July 1943 was generally extremely productive for Nikolai Gulaev. Here is what is recorded in his flight book: "July 5 - 6 sorties, 4 victories, July 6 - Focke-Wulf 190 was shot down, July 7 - three enemy aircraft were shot down as part of the group, July 8 - Me-109 was shot down" , July 12 - two Yu-87s were shot down.
Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Arkhipenko, who happened to command the squadron where Gulaev served, wrote about him: “He was a nugget pilot, one of the top ten aces of the country. He never hesitated, he quickly assessed the situation, his sudden and effective attack created panic and destroyed the enemy’s battle formation, which disrupted his targeted bombing of our troops. He was very brave and decisive, often came to the rescue, sometimes he felt the real excitement of a hunter.
Flying Stenka Razin.
On September 28, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In early 1944, Gulaev was appointed squadron commander. His not too rapid career growth is explained by the fact that the ace's methods of educating subordinates were not quite ordinary. So, one of the pilots of his squadron, who was afraid to get close to the Nazis at close range, he cured of fear of the enemy, giving a burst of airborne weapons next to the cockpit of the wingman. The fear of the subordinate was taken away as if by hand ...
The same Fyodor Arkhipenko in his memoirs described another characteristic episode related to Gulaev: “Flying up to the airfield, I immediately saw from the air that Gulaev’s plane was empty ... After landing, I was informed that all six of Gulaev were shot down! Nikolai himself, wounded, sat down at the airfield with attack aircraft, and nothing is known about the rest of the pilots. Some time later, they reported from the front line: two jumped out of planes and landed at the location of our troops, the fate of three more is unknown ... And today, after many years, I see the main mistake of Gulaev, made then, in what he took with him in combat the flight of three young, not at all shelled pilots at once, who were shot down in their first battle. True, Gulaev himself scored 4 air victories that day at once, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he risked his subordinates with the same ease, which at times looked completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “air Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who mastered the combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Aircobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them personally by Gulaev.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short leave home. From this trip to the Don, he returned closed, taciturn, bitter. He rushed into battle furiously, with some transcendent fury. During a trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation, his father was executed by the Nazis ...
The Soviet ace was almost killed by a pig ...
On July 1, 1944, Guard Captain Nikolai Gulaev was awarded the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for 125 sorties, 42 air battles, in which he shot down 42 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
And then another episode occurs, about which Gulaev frankly told his friends after the war, an episode that perfectly shows his violent nature, a native of the Don. The fact that he became twice Hero of the Soviet Union, the pilot learned after the next flight. Brother-soldiers have already gathered at the airfield, who said: the award should be “washed”, there is alcohol, but there are problems with the snack.
Gulaev remembered that when he returned to the airfield, he saw grazing pigs. With the words "there will be a snack," the ace boards the plane again and, after a few minutes, puts it near the barns, to the amazement of the owner of the pigs.
As already mentioned, the pilots were paid for downed planes, so Nikolai had no problems with cash. The owner willingly agreed to sell the boar, which was loaded with difficulty into the fighting vehicle. By some miracle, the pilot took off from a very small platform along with a boar distraught with horror. A combat aircraft is not designed for the fact that a plump pig will dance inside it. Gulaev had difficulty keeping the plane in the air...
If a catastrophe had happened that day, it would probably have been the most ridiculous case of the death of a twice Hero of the Soviet Union in history. Thank God, Gulaev made it to the airfield, and the regiment cheerfully celebrated the hero's award.
Another anecdotal case is related to the appearance of the Soviet ace. Once in battle, he managed to shoot down a reconnaissance aircraft piloted by a Hitlerite colonel, holder of four Iron Crosses. The German pilot wanted to meet the one who managed to interrupt his brilliant career. Apparently, the German expected to see a stately handsome man, a “Russian bear”, who is not shameful to lose ... But instead, a young, short, overweight captain Gulaev came, who, by the way, in the regiment did not have the heroic nickname “Kolobok” at all. The disappointment of the Germans knew no bounds...
A fight with political overtones.
In the summer of 1944, the Soviet command decides to recall the best Soviet pilots from the front. The war is coming to a victorious end, and the leadership of the USSR begins to think about the future. Those who proved themselves in the Great Patriotic War must graduate from the Air Force Academy in order to then take leadership positions in the Air Force and Air Defense.
Gulaev was among those who were called to Moscow. He himself did not rush to the academy, he asked to be left in the army, but was refused. On August 12, 1944, Nikolai Gulaev shot down his last Focke-Wulf 190.
And then a story happened, which, most likely, became the main reason why Nikolai Gulaev did not become as famous as Kozhedub and Pokryshkin. There are at least three versions of what happened, which combine two words - "brawl" and "foreigners". Let's focus on the one that occurs most often.
According to her, Nikolai Gulaev, by that time already a major, was called to Moscow not only to study at the academy, but also to receive the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Given the combat achievements of the pilot, this version does not look implausible. In the company of Gulaev, there were other honored aces who were waiting for the award.
The day before the ceremony in the Kremlin, Gulaev went to the restaurant of the Moskva Hotel, where his fellow pilots were relaxing. However, the restaurant was full, and the administrator said: "Comrade, there is no place for you!". It was not worth it at all to say something like that to Gulaev with his explosive character, but then, unfortunately, he also came across the Romanian military, who at that moment were also relaxing in the restaurant. Shortly before this, Romania, which had been an ally of Germany since the beginning of the war, went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The enraged Gulaev said loudly: “Is it that there is no place for the Hero of the Soviet Union, but are there enemies?”
The words of the pilot were heard by the Romanians, and one of them issued an insulting phrase in Russian to Gulaev. A second later, the Soviet ace was near the Romanian and relish hit him in the face.
Less than a minute later, a fight broke out in the restaurant between Romanians and Soviet pilots.
When the fighters were separated, it turned out that the pilots had beaten the members of the official Romanian military delegation. The scandal reached Stalin himself, who decided: to cancel the awarding of the third star of the Hero.
If it were not about the Romanians, but about the British or Americans, most likely, the case for Gulaev would have ended quite badly. But the leader of all peoples did not break the life of his ace because of yesterday's opponents. Gulaev was simply sent to a unit, away from the front, the Romanians and, in general, any attention. But how true this version is is unknown.
General who was friends with Vysotsky.
Despite everything, in 1950 Nikolai Gulaev graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and five years later - from the Academy of the General Staff. He commanded the 133rd Aviation Fighter Division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, which covered the northern borders of the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Dmitrievich had a wonderful family, he adored his granddaughter Ira, was a passionate fisherman, loved to treat guests with personally salted watermelons...
He also visited pioneer camps, participated in various veteran events, but still there was a feeling that the top was instructed, in modern terms, not to promote his person too much.
Actually, there were reasons for this even at a time when Gulaev was already wearing the general's shoulder straps. For example, he could use his power to invite Vladimir Vysotsky to a speech at the House of Officers in Arkhangelsk, ignoring the timid protests of the local party leadership. By the way, there is a version that some of Vysotsky's songs about pilots were born after his meetings with Nikolai Gulaev.
Norwegian complaint.
Colonel-General Gulaev retired in 1979. And there is a version that one of the reasons for this was a new conflict with foreigners, but this time not with the Romanians, but with the Norwegians. Allegedly, General Gulaev organized a hunt for polar bears using helicopters near the border with Norway. The Norwegian border guards appealed to the Soviet authorities with a complaint about the actions of the general. After that, the general was transferred to a headquarters position away from Norway, and then sent to a well-deserved rest.
It is impossible to say with certainty that this hunt took place, although such a plot fits very well into the vivid biography of Nikolai Gulaev. Be that as it may, the resignation had a bad effect on the health of the old pilot, who could not imagine himself without service, to which his whole life was devoted.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow, at the age of 67. The place of his last resting place was the Kuntsevo cemetery of the capital.
