The most famous German pilot of World War II. Air aces of World War II…. Reprimand complete with award
Aces of the Second World War
The question of the ASAH is not about the German gods (although... how can I say... :-)), but about the top-class fighter pilots - from the Second World War, is still open. Over the past twenty or thirty years, so much custom-made nonsense has been written on this topic (as a rule, "from not our side"!), That all the rather boring and monotonous Soviet agitprop on this topic, published in 1961-1985, drowned in it. Separating the "wheat from the chaff" there is obviously pointless, because the opponents will plug their ears and, on the one hand, will stubbornly repeat about "the Safkovs did not know how to fly planes, fuck the fields of land, and on the other hand, they will incessantly mutter about" Fritz are cowards, Japanese fanatics, the rest of all the kromina to conquer the niumelirazu! It's boring and embarrassing to listen to. Ashamed in front of the people who fought, you know. Before everyone. Therefore, in the first part of this article of mine (and the second part, in general, does not belong to me), I will simply give a summary table of the "leading triplets" for all the main warring countries. Only with numbers. Only with CONFIRMED and VERIFIED figures. So...
|
Quantity shot down enemy aircraft |
|
|
"Allies" |
|
|
USSR |
|
| A.L. Pokryshkin | |
| I.N. Kozhedub | |
| G.A. Rechkalov | |
|
British Empire |
|
|
Great Britain |
|
| D.E. Johnson | |
| W. Weil | |
| J.R.D. Braham | |
|
Australia |
|
| C.R. Caldwell | |
| A.P. Holdsmith | |
| John L. Waddy | |
|
Canada |
|
| G.F. Bjurling | |
| H.W.McLeod | |
| V.K.Woodworth | |
|
New Zealand |
|
| Colin F. Gray | |
| E.D. McKee | |
| W. W. Crawford-Campton | |
|
South Africa |
|
| Marmaduke Thomas St. John Pattle | |
| A.G. Mallon | |
| Albert G. Lewis | |
|
Belgium |
|
| Rudolph de Chemricourt de Grune | |
| Vic Ortmans | |
| Dumonso de Bergandal | |
| Richard Gere Bong | |
| Thomas McQuirey | |
| David McCampbell | |
|
France |
|
| Marcel Albert | |
| Jean E.F. demaze | |
| Pierre Klosterman | |
|
Poland |
|
| Stanislav Skalsky | |
| B.M. Gladysh | |
| Vitold Urbanovich | |
|
Greece |
|
| Vassilios Vassiliades | |
| Ioanis Kellas | |
| Anastassios Bardivilias | |
|
Czechoslovakia |
|
| K.M.Kuttelwasher | |
| Joseph Frantisek | |
|
Norway |
|
| Svein Heglund | |
| Hellner G.E. Grun-Span | |
|
Denmark |
|
| Kai Birkstead | |
|
China |
|
| Lee Kwei-Tan | |
| Liu Tsui-Kan | |
| Lo Chi | |
|
"Axis" |
|
|
Germany |
|
| Gerhardt Barkhorn | |
| Walter Novotny | |
| Gunther Rahl | |
|
Finland |
|
| Eino Ilmari Juutilainen | |
| Hans Henrik Wind | |
| Antero Eino Luukanen | |
|
Italy |
|
| Teresio Vittorio Martinolli | |
| Franco Luccini | |
| Leonardo Ferruli | |
|
Hungary |
|
| Deji Sentyuderji | |
| Gyor Debrody | |
| Laszlo Molnar | |
|
Romania |
|
| Constantine Cantacuzino | |
| Alexander Serbanescu | |
| Ion Milu | |
|
Bulgaria |
|
| Iliev Stoyan Stoyanov | |
| Angelov Petar Bochev | |
| Nenov Ivan Bonev | |
|
Croatia |
|
| Mato Dukovac | |
| Tsvitan Galich | |
| Dragutin Ivanich | |
|
Slovakia |
|
| Jan Rezhniak | |
| Isidor Kovarik | |
| Jan Hertsover | |
|
Spain |
|
| Gonzalo Hevia | |
| Mariano Medina Quadra | |
| Fernando Sanchez-Ariona | |
|
Japan |
|
| Hiroyoshi Nishizawa | |
| Shoiki Sugita | |
| Saburo Sakai | |
Conclusion:
So, based on the foregoing, we can conclude that ramming, as a form of combat, was characteristic not only of Soviet pilots - pilots of almost all countries participating in the battles made ramming. ... it must be admitted that the Japanese still surpassed us in the field of "purely Soviet form of combat." If we evaluate only the effectiveness of the "kamikaze" (operating since October 1944), then at the cost of the lives of more than 5000 Japanese pilots, about 50 enemy warships were sunk and about 300 warships were damaged, of which 3 sunk and 40 damaged were aircraft carriers with a huge the number of aircraft on board.
Dedicated to the victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany in the Second World War ...
During the Second World War, the level of development of military aviation technology in countries such as the USA, England, Germany, the USSR reached such a high level that the outcome of air combat began to depend not on which aircraft the pilots of the opposing sides flew, but solely on personal qualities of pilots, from their talent, skill and a certain amount of luck, good luck.
Goering's chicks.
During the Second World War, the level of development of military aviation technology in countries such as the USA, England, Germany, the USSR reached such a high level that the outcome of air combat began to depend not on which aircraft the pilots of the opposing sides flew, but solely on personal qualities of pilots, from their talent and skill.
From this position, German pilots seem to be the most "high-quality".
So by the end of the war, there were 34 pilots in the Luftwaffe who shot down more than 150 enemy aircraft, and about 60 who scored from 100 to 150 victories.
The best German pilot Erich Hartman destroyed 352 aircraft.
Against the background of such indicators, the successes of the masters of air combat of the countries - opponents of Germany look rather pale.
For example, the American ace number one R. Bong won only 40 victories, and the most successful English pilot D. Johnson - 38.
The Soviet pilots showed themselves somewhat better.
At the end of the war, the Soviet Air Force had 7 pilots who destroyed more than 50 enemy aircraft. The most productive ace was Ivan Kozhedub, who won 62 victories. He is followed by A. Pokryshkin - 59 victories, Gulaev - 57, G. Rechkalov - 56, K. Evstigneev - 53, A. Vorozheikin - 52, D. Glinka - 50. 
The most fantastic successes of the pilots were on the Eastern Front.
The best Luftwaffe pilots fought here: Erich Harmann - 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn - 301, Gunther Rall - 275, Otto Kitel - 267, Walter Novotny - 258, Wilhelm Batz - 242.
The six pilots listed above destroyed 1695 enemy aircraft.
For comparison: one of the most productive fighter corps of the Soviet Air Force under the command of Hero Soviet Union K. Savitsky destroyed 1653 aircraft.
That is, it turns out that 6 German aces were higher in their effectiveness than several Soviet fighter regiments.
The achievements of Erich Hartmann seem even more incredible: fighting on the Eastern Front, he destroyed more than 3 air divisions.
It seems that the German pilots were a head taller than the Soviet pilots.
The question arises: is this true, and if so, is there any real explanation for the phenomenon of German aces, or should it be explained by all sorts of intangible factors, such as the predisposition of the German nation to air supremacy, as the head of the Luftwaffe Hermann Goering said.
It must be said right away that Goering's statement should not be taken seriously.
His words could explain, say, the high average level of German pilots, which, by the way, was not higher than the average level of pilots of any other country, but in no way the achievements of the best German aces.
After all, in any other country, talented pilots should have been found, albeit in smaller numbers than in Germany; and other things being equal, their results should have been approximately equal to those of the best German pilots.
It is hard to believe that neither in England, nor in the USA, nor in the Soviet Union was there a single as talented pilot as Erich Hartman or Walter Novotny.
However, none of the countries opposing Germany gave pilots with as many downed aircraft as the German aces.
Therefore, apparently, the real causes and conditions underlie the phenomenal success of Goering's chicks. 
Flight training of Stalin's falcons.
The simplest, most plausible at first glance, and the most common explanation for the high performance of the German aces is the low flight training of Soviet pilots.
On the surface, this seems to be true.
In the initial period of the war, a significant part of Soviet aviation was destroyed.
Only on June 22, 1941, the losses of the Soviet Air Force amounted to 1200 aircraft, of which 800 were destroyed at airfields, and 400 in the air.
The losses of personnel were also great.
In this situation, Soviet aviation schools organized accelerated pilot training courses.
By 1942, this pilot training system began to operate at full capacity, and many young pilots began to enter the combat regiments of the Soviet Air Force.
So, the average flight time of a graduate of an aviation school ranged from 13 to 34 hours, of which only 3-4 hours on military equipment.
It would be natural to assume that young Soviet pilots became easy prey even for ordinary Luftwaffe pilots, who, after graduating from flying schools, had a flight time of 400 hours, not to mention aces.
If we accept the version that the Soviet Air Force crushed the Luftwaffe with a large number of poorly trained pilots, then it would be natural to assume that in this case, the losses of the Soviet aviation should significantly exceed the losses of the German one.
And this is just not observed. The losses of both sides during the Second World War are approximately equal.
By the way, the German aces themselves never pointed out the weakness of the flight training of Soviet pilots, moreover, they claimed that of all the pilots they had to meet in air battles, the Russians are the strongest and cannot be compared to any with the Americans, neither with the British, nor with the French, who can in no way be reproached for poor flight training.
Indeed, on the Eastern Front there were no such numbers as the German ace Erich Rudorfer threw out in 1943, when he shot down 13 British Spitfires during a 17-minute air battle.
In this regard, the reason for the success of the Goering chicks, probably, does not lie in the weakness of the flight training of Soviet pilots. What then? 
Russians are great fighters, but....
“The Russians are excellent fighters, but they are not prepared to fight in a coordinated manner, in squadrons ...” - these words belong to Major Günter Rall, who won 275 victories.
It can be seen from his words that the German aces themselves saw the reason for their phenomenal success not in the weak flight, but in the poor tactical training of Soviet pilots and, consequently, in the superiority of their tactics. 
German ace - Günter Rall
In the initial period of the war, the tactics of the German fighter units were more effective than the tactics of the Soviet fighter units.
First of all, they were more rationally organized.
The main task of German fighter aircraft was the destruction of enemy aircraft. It was carried out by elite fighter units, such as the squadrons of Melders and Richthofen, or specially trained squadrons in ordinary squadrons.
The best pilots were selected for these units from the rank and file, who solved secondary tasks - covering ground troops and escorting bombers - and promising graduates of aviation schools.
These privileged parts also used appropriate tactics.
The main tactic of the German aces was free air hunting, which consisted in the action in small groups, most often in pairs, with a free search for the enemy.
As a rule, German hunters appeared from the direction of the sun, in order to make their detection difficult, made a swift attack and, having shot down one or two aircraft, quickly hid without getting involved in a long air battle.
In other words, the German aces themselves decided which target to attack and which not, to accept the battle with superior enemy forces, or not to do so, that is, thanks to this tactic, they always had the initiative and could impose unfavorable battle conditions on the enemy. 
Thrice Heroes of the Soviet Union Pokryshkin, Zhukov, Kozhedub.
For the Soviet fighter aviation, the main task was to cover ground troops from enemy air strikes and escort their bombers.
In accordance with these tasks, the tactics of fighter aircraft were passive and defensive. Tactical formations were not always correct even for such tactics. The weakness of tactics in the initial period of the war was also recognized by the famous Soviet ace and air combat strategist Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin.
He noted that the air combat instructions were fundamentally wrong, tied the pilots hand and foot and, as a result, led to heavy losses.
Based on his own combat experience, Pokryshkin developed a number of new tactics that brought success not only to himself, but also to many Soviet aces - the students of Alexander Ivanovich: Gulaev, Rechkalov, Glinka.
By the end of 1943, Pokryshkin's tactics were introduced in many fighter units of the Soviet Air Force.
Pokryshkin also advocated the introduction of fighter units and the tactics of free air hunting into combat activities.
This tactic was used by Soviet pilots only sporadically until the end of 1944, when regiments of air hunters began to form from the best pilots.
The best Soviet ace, at that time twice Hero of the Soviet Union I. Kozhedub, ended up serving in one of these regiments.
With the implementation of Pokryshkin's tactics in 1943, the tactics of Soviet aviation became quite advanced.
Nevertheless, it was during the period from 1943 to 1945 that the German aces achieved the greatest success on the Eastern Front.
Therefore, the backwardness of the tactical training of Soviet pilots was hardly the main reason for the unprecedented success of Goering's chicks. 
Ivan Kozhedub 
Eric Hartman
The extraordinary efficiency of Ivan Nikitich
So what is the reason for the success of the German aces on the Eastern Front, if not in the weakness of the flight and tactical training of Soviet pilots?
Perhaps it is best to understand this on the example of two pilots: the best German - Erich Hartmann and the best Soviet - Ivan Kozhedub.
Major Erich Hartmann - ace aces, considered the best pilot of the Second World War, was born in Stuttgart in 1922. His father was a doctor and his mother was a glider athlete.
Thanks to her, Erich begins to fly a glider on his own at the age of ten, at sixteen he becomes a glider instructor. Hartman continued his flying education at the flight school near Koenigsberg.
At the beginning of 1942, Hartmann was still learning to fly at the Zerbst airbase.
Only in August 1942, the young pilot gets to the front.
Hartman fought his first fight in the foothills of the Caucasus, and I must say frankly that his actions cannot be called successful.
It was only Hartman's third sortie. On this flight, he was the wingman of Wing Commander Edmund Rosman.
A pair of Rosman met two Soviet fighters in the air.
Seeing them, Hartman moved closer and opened fire from a long distance. Then, spinning in a "carousel" with Soviet aircraft, he entered the clouds, lost his leader, orientation and, left alone, made an emergency landing, not reaching his airfield. For all this, Hartman was suspended from flying and studied combat tactics as part of a pair for two weeks.
Hartman won his first victory on November 5, 1942.
On this day, he destroyed the Il-2 attack aircraft, which, exploding in the air, damaged Hartman's plane, and he barely made it to the base. By the end of April 1943, Hartman already had 11 air victories, and by the end of the summer of that year, 88.
August 20, 1943 Hartman makes an emergency landing on Soviet territory and is captured.
A day later, he runs, crosses the front line and returns to his unit.
By the end of the war, Hartman was less than 23 years old, he had 352 downed aircraft on his account, and all the highest awards of the Third Reich adorned his chest.
About his air combat tactics, Hartman himself wrote the following after the war in his memoirs: “My tactic is to wait for the moment, the chance to attack. I approached at high speed, approached as close as possible, and when the enemy plane closed the front sphere of the lantern, I fired a short burst - I saved ammunition. An unprepared pilot approaches up to 100 m and opens fire, while a trained pilot comes even closer, presses the trigger and shoots down.
Shooting from such a distance is associated with great risk. I myself flew over the wreckage of the planes I shot down 16 times, escaped by parachute eight times. 
The famous Soviet ace Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was born into a peasant family in Ukraine in 1920. In 1940, after graduating from the Shostka flying club, he entered the Chuguev flying school.
After graduating from college at the end of the same year, he is left to work as an instructor.
In the future, this, perhaps, saved Ivan Kozhedub's life more than once, because he arrived at the front not with a meager raid, but already a well-trained pilot.
The war finds Kozhedub an instructor at the Chuguev School. Together with him, he is evacuated to Chimkent.
Here he trains young pilots and trains himself until the end of 1942. Ivan Kozhedub gets to the front a little later than Erich Hartman, in March 1943.
The combat fate of the Soviet ace has much in common with the fate of the German colleague.
Just like Hartman, Kozhedub spent his first fight very badly.
Taking off on combat duty over his own airfield on one of the March days of 1943 with his leading junior lieutenant Gabunia, Kozhedub lost sight of him immediately after takeoff, then almost lost his bearings, saw a group of Messerschmitts-110 and decided to attack them, but during the attack he was shot down by German air hunters, came under fire from his own anti-aircraft guns and barely landed his wounded Lavochkin.
Kozhedub shot down the first enemy aircraft on July 6, 1943, it was a Junkers-87 dive bomber.
Before his first shot down, the young pilot made more than 30 unsuccessful sorties.
During the war years, Ivan Kozhedub destroyed 62 enemy aircraft, was never shot down or wounded, and did not lose a single wingman.
By the end of the war, he, like Hartman, was a major, as well as the owner of three Gold Stars of a Hero - the highest award of the Soviet Union - and other military orders.
Ivan Kozhedub recalled his tactics after the war: “By shooting down a plane, especially the leading one, you demoralize the enemy group, almost always put it to flight. This is what I was trying to achieve, trying to seize the initiative. You have to try to attack the enemy with lightning speed, seize the initiative, skillfully use the tactical flight qualities of the vehicle, act prudently, hit from a short distance, and achieve success from the first attack, and always remember that in air combat every second counts.
As you can easily see, both majors - both Harman and Kozhedub - sing praises of the same air combat tactics.
And yet, what secret did Hartman know, because he shot down more than 5 times more enemy aircraft than Kozhedub?
And the answer is simple, Hartman did not know any such secret.
Yes, it does not exist in nature.
By what criterion can one determine the skill of a fighter pilot?
Many, without hesitation, will say - by the number of downed aircraft: whoever shot down the most is the best pilot.
And yet this is not true.
So, for example, Hartman shot down his 352 aircraft in 825 dogfights.
Ivan Kozhedub destroyed his 62 in 120 air battles. That is, the Soviet ace during the entire war met with an air enemy more than 6 times less often than Hartman.
Naturally, it was almost impossible for him to shoot down the same number of aircraft in 120 battles as Hartman shot down in 825.
Therefore, the qualities of a fighter pilot must be assessed not by the number of downed aircraft, but by a certain coefficient equal to the ratio of the number of enemy aircraft shot down to the number of air battles conducted. Let's call this coefficient conventionally the coefficient of effectiveness of one air battle.
For Hartman, this coefficient will be equal to 0.43, for example, if Ivan Kozhedub conducted as many air battles with such effectiveness as Hartman did, then he would have 429 downed enemy aircraft on his account.
And if Erich Hartmann met the enemy not 825, but only 120 times, then the number of his victories would be 51. 
Soviet ace Grigory Rechkalov
If we compare, thus, other Soviet and German pilots, it becomes obvious that their class is approximately equal.
Only Ivan Kozhedub is significantly superior to all other masters of air combat - German and Soviet.
Otherwise, there is an amazing correspondence between Soviet and German pilots.
So, Pokryshkin has an air combat efficiency coefficient close to Hartman, Rechkalov with Barkhorn, Evstigneev with Rall, Vorozheikin with Novotny.
In other words, it can be argued that the mystery of the high efficiency of Luftwaffe aces does not exist.
German pilots simply had to fly more, and therefore shoot down more.
From these positions, it becomes quite obvious: the greatest successes of the German aces fall on 1943-1945.
During this period, the flight load of German pilots increased dramatically.
This happened because since 1943, Soviet aviation began to sharply outnumber the German one.
As a result, the activity of the Soviet Air Force increased significantly. Naturally, the pilots of the smaller Luftwaffe had to take to the air more often to counter Soviet aviation.
For many years, Erich Hartmann has been considered a superace, the best pilot of the Second World War. Of course, Major Hartman was an excellent pilot and air sniper, but if we consider his military operations in terms of the effectiveness of his air battles, then there are doubts that this title belongs to him by right.
The highest indicator of combat effectiveness among the aces of all countries is Ivan Kozhedub, who, in fact, is the best pilot of the Second World War.
Comparing the number of victories won by German and Soviet pilots, disputes about the authenticity of the given numbers of their victories still do not subside. Indeed, the accounts of German pilots are an order of magnitude higher! And obviously there are explanations for that. In addition to large raids (and each sortie potentially increases the chance of shooting down an enemy aircraft) of German aces and a greater likelihood of finding an enemy aircraft (due to its greater number), the tactics of German experts also contributed to the success. Here, for example, is what the most productive pilot of World War II E. Hartman wrote in his book:
« ... I never cared about air combat issues. I just never got into a duel with the Russians. My tactic was surprise. Climb higher and, if possible, go from the side of the sun ... Ninety percent of my attacks were sudden, in order to catch the enemy by surprise. If I succeeded, I quickly left, paused a little and re-evaluated the situation.
Enemy detection depended on ground combat and visual inspection capabilities. From the ground, we were told by radio the coordinates of the enemy, which we plotted on our maps. Therefore, we could search in the right direction and choose the best height for our attacks. I preferred an effective attack from below, so that against the background of a white cloudy sky one could detect enemy aircraft from afar. When a pilot sees his enemy first, that's half the battle.
Making a decision was the second stage of my tactics. When the enemy is in front of you, you need to decide whether to attack him immediately or wait for a more favorable moment. And it was possible to change position or completely abandon the attack. The main thing is to keep yourself under control. There is no need to immediately, forgetting about everything, rush into battle. Wait, look around, use all the benefits of your position. For example, if you have to attack the enemy against the sun, and you have not gained enough altitude, and, in addition, the enemy aircraft is flying among ragged clouds, keep it in sight, and in the meantime change your position relative to the sun, rise higher above the clouds, or, if necessary, dive in order to achieve an advantage in speed at the expense of height.
Then attack. Well, if you come across an inexperienced or gape pilot. This is usually not difficult to determine. By knocking him down - and this must be done - you thereby weaken the morale of the enemy. The most important thing is to destroy the enemy aircraft. Maneuver quickly and aggressively, open fire at close range to secure a hit with point-blank range and conserve extra ammo. I always advised my subordinates: "Press the trigger only when your sight is full of enemy aircraft!"
After shooting, immediately move to the side and leave the battlefield. Hit or not, now think only about how to carry your legs. Do not forget what is happening behind you, look around, and if everything is in order and your position is comfortable, try to repeat it again..
By the way, A.I. used the same tactics of warfare. Pokryshkin, his famous “falcon strike” and the “altitude-speed-maneuver-strike” formula are essentially a repetition of the tactics of the German aces and the effectiveness of such tactics was confirmed by his victories.
Here is what Ivan Kozhedub wrote about his tactics after the war:
“By shooting down a plane, especially the leading one, you demoralize the enemy group, almost always put it to flight. This is what I was trying to achieve, trying to seize the initiative. distance, and succeed from the first attack, and always remember that in air combat every second counts".
As you can see, both German and Soviet aces pilots achieved high performance using the same methods. Despite the substantial difference in the number of shot down (we will not question the official data of the parties, if there is any inaccuracy in them, it is obviously approximately equal for both sides), the skill of the best Soviet aces is no worse than the skill of the German ones and in terms of the number of shot down per sortie the gap is not that big. And in terms of the number of shot down per air battle, sometimes even higher, for example, Hartman shot down his 352 aircraft in 825 air battles, while Ivan Kozhedub destroyed his 62 in 120 air battles. That is, the Soviet ace during the entire war met with an air enemy more than 6 times less often than Hartman.
It is worth noting, however, the much higher combat load of German pilots, because the intensity of their use and the number of sorties they have is higher than that of the Soviet aces and sometimes significantly. For example, having started fighting six months earlier than Kozhedub, Hartman has 1425 sorties against 330 for Kozhedub. But a person is not an airplane, he gets tired, exhausted and needs rest.
Ten of the best German fighter pilots:
1. Erich Hartman- 352 downed aircraft, of which 347 were Soviet.
2.Gerhard Barkhorn - 301
3. Gunther Rall - 275
4. Otto Kitel - 267,
5.Walter Novotny - 258
6. Wilhelm Batz - 242
7. H.Lipfert -203
8. J. Brendel - 189
9.G.Shak - 174
10. P. Dutmann- 152
If we continue this list for another ten, then A. Resch will be in 20th place with a total of 91 aircraft shot down, which once again shows the high efficiency of German fighter aircraft as a whole.
The top ten Soviet fighter pilots look like this:
1. I.N. Kozhedub - 62
2. A.I. Pokryshkin - 59
3.G.A. Rechkalov - 56
4. N.D. Gulaev - 53
5.K.A. Evstigneev - 53
6. A.V. Vorozheikin - 52
7. D.B. Glinka - 50
8.N.M. Skomorokhov - 46
9.A.I. Koldunov - 46
10. N.F. Krasnov - 44
In general, when calculating the ratio of sorties (not air battles, namely sorties) for one credited air victory for a German ace from the top ten, there are approximately 3.4 sorties, for the Soviet - 7.9, that is, about 2 times the German ace turned out to be more effective in this indicator. But we repeat that it was much easier for a German ace to meet a Soviet aircraft than for a Soviet one to find a German one, in view of the quantitative superiority of the Soviet Air Force, and since 1943. many times, and in 1945 in general by an order of magnitude.
A few words about E. Hartman. 
During the war, he was "shot down" 14 times. The word "shot down" is in quotation marks because he received all the damage to his aircraft from the wreckage of Soviet aircraft shot down by him. Hartman did not lose a single wingman throughout the war.
Erich Hartmann was born on April 19, 1922 in Weissach. He spent much of his childhood in China, where his father worked as a doctor. But Erich followed in the footsteps of his mother, Elisabeth Machtholf, who was a sports pilot. In 1936, she organized a gliding club near Stuttgart, where her son learned to fly a glider. At the age of 14, Erich already had a gliding license, becoming a fairly experienced pilot, and by the age of 16 he had already become a highly qualified gliding instructor. According to brother Alfred, he was generally an excellent athlete and achieved almost everywhere good results. And among his peers, he was a born leader, able to lead everyone along.
On October 15, 1940, he was assigned to the 10th Luftwaffe Training Regiment at Neukuhren, near Königsberg, in East Prussia. After receiving primary flight training there, Hartmann continued his studies at the flight school in Berlin-Gatow. He completed the basic flight training course in October 1941, and at the beginning of 1942 he was sent to the 2nd Fighter Pilot School, where he trained on the Bf. 109.
One of his instructors was expert and former German aerobatic champion Erich Hogagen. The German ace encouraged Hartmann in every possible way to study the maneuvering characteristics of this type of fighter in more detail and taught his cadet many tricks and tricks of its piloting. In August 1942, after a long training in the art of air combat, Hartman joined the JG-52 squadron, which fought in the Caucasus. At first, Lieutenant Hartman was unlucky. During the third sortie, he found himself in the thick of an air battle, got confused and did everything wrong: he didn’t keep his place in the ranks, got into the firing zone of the leader (instead of covering his rear), got lost, lost speed and sat down on a sunflower field, putting the plane out of action. Once 20 miles from the airfield, Hartman got to him on a passing army truck. He received the most severe scolding and was suspended from flying for three days. Hartman vowed never to make the same mistake again. Having received permission to continue flying, on November 5, 1942, he shot down his first aircraft (it was an Il-2 attack aircraft). Excited by such a victory, Hartman did not notice that a LaGG-3 fighter approached him from behind, and was immediately shot down himself. He jumped out with a parachute.
The second victory (MiG fighter) Erich Hartman was able to record on his combat account only on January 27, 1943. German fighter pilots used to say that those who started slowly got "newbie fever". Erich Hartmann recovered from his "fever" only in April 1943, when he shot down several planes in one day. This was the beginning. Hartman broke through. July 7, 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, he shot down 7 Soviet aircraft. The air combat techniques that Hartman used were reminiscent of the tactics of the Red Baron. He tried to get as close to the enemy as possible before opening fire. Hartman believed that a fighter pilot should not be afraid of a mid-air collision. He himself recalled that he pressed the trigger only when "... when the enemy plane was already covering the whole wide world with itself." This tactic was extremely dangerous. Hartman was pressed to the ground 6 times, and repeatedly his plane received severe damage from flying debris from his victims. Surprisingly, he himself was never even hurt. Hartman narrowly escaped death in August 1943 when his plane was shot down over Soviet territory and he was taken prisoner. To weaken the vigilance of the guards, the quick-witted pilot pretended to be seriously wounded. They threw him into the back of a truck. A few hours later, a German dive bomber Ju. 87. The driver threw the truck into a ditch, and he, together with two guards, ran for cover. Hartman also ran, but in the opposite direction. He walked to the front line at night, and hid in the woods during the day, until he finally reached the German trenches, where he was fired upon by some nervous sentry. The bullet tore through Hartman's trouser leg, but did not hit him himself. Meanwhile, the fame of Erich Hartmann grew every day on both sides of the front. Goebbels' propaganda dubbed him "the blond German knight." In early 1944, Hartman became commander of the 7th Squadron, JG-52. After 7./JG52 he commanded the staffs of 9./JG52 and then 4./JG52. His battle score continued to grow by leaps and bounds. In August 1944 alone, he shot down 78 Soviet aircraft, 19 of them in two days (August 23 and 24). Thereafter, in recognition of the extraordinary number of his victories, Hitler personally awarded Hartmann the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords to him.
Hartman then took a leave of absence and on September 10 married Ursula Patch, who had been his sweetheart since he was 17 and she was 15. Then he returned to the Eastern Front, where the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe were already on the verge of defeat. Hartman received the extraordinary rank of major (he was 22 years old) and was appointed commander of I./JG52. Major Hartmann won the last, 352nd victory on May 8, 1945 in the sky over Brune in Germany. Having completed the last, 1425th sortie, he ordered the surviving aircraft to be burned, and with his subordinates, accompanied by dozens of refugees fleeing the Russians, headed towards the American positions. Two hours later, in the Czech city of Pisek, they all surrendered to soldiers of the 90th Infantry Division of the US Army. But on May 16, the entire group, including women and children, was handed over to the Soviet occupation authorities. When the Russians discovered that Erich Hartmann himself had fallen into their hands, they decided to break his will. Hartman was kept in solitary confinement in complete darkness and denied him the opportunity to receive letters. Therefore, he learned about the death of the three-year-old son Peter Erich, whom Hartman never saw, only after 2 years. Major Hartman, despite all the efforts of the jailers, did not become an adherent of communism. He refused to cooperate with his tormentors, did not go to construction work and provoked the guards, apparently hoping that they would shoot him. Perhaps it will seem surprising, but, having gone through all the trials, Erich Hartmann was imbued with great sympathy for the Russian people.
Finally, in 1955, Hartman was released, and after 10 and a half years in prison, he returned home. Erich's parents were already dead, but the faithful Ursula was still waiting for his return. With the help of his wife, the emaciated ex-Luftwaffe officer quickly recovered and began to rebuild his life. In 1958, a daughter was born in the Hartman family, who was named Ursula. In 1959, Hartman joined the newly created German Air Force and received under his command the 71st Fighter Regiment "Richthofen", stationed at the Ahlhorn airbase in Oldenburg. In the end, Erich Hartmann, having risen to the rank of Oberstleutnant, retired and lived out his life in the suburbs of Stuttgart. Harman passed away in 1993.
The legendary Soviet pilot, Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was born on June 8, 1920 in the village of Obrazheevka, Sumy region. In 1939, he mastered the U-2 at the flying club. The following year he entered the Chuguev Military Aviation Pilot School. He is learning to fly UT-2 and I-16 aircraft. As one of the best cadets, he is left as an instructor. In 1941, after the start of the Great Patriotic War, together with the school staff, he was evacuated to Central Asia. There he asked to join the active army, but only in November 1942 he was sent to the front in the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment, commanded by a participant in the war in Spain, Major Ignatius Soldatenko.
He made his first sortie on March 26, 1943 on La-5. He was unsuccessful. During an attack on a pair of Messerschmitt Bf-109s, his Lavochkin was damaged and then fired upon by his anti-aircraft artillery. Kozhedub was able to bring the car to the airfield, but it was not possible to restore it. The following sorties were made on old aircraft and only a month later received a new La-5.
Kursk Bulge. July 6, 1943 It was then that the 23-year-old pilot opened his combat account. In that duel, having joined the squadron in a fight with 12 enemy aircraft, he wins the first victory - he shoots down a Ju87 bomber. The next day he wins another victory. July 9 Ivan Kozhedub destroys two Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. In August 1943, the young pilot became a squadron commander. By October, he already had 146 sorties, 20 downed aircraft, he was presented to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (assigned on February 4, 1944). In the battles for the Dnieper, the pilots of the regiment in which Kozhedub is fighting met with Goering's aces from the Melders squadron and defeated him. Increased his account and Ivan Kozhedub.
In May-June 1944, he fought on the received La-5FN for No. 14 (a gift from the collective farmer Ivan Konev). First shoots down Ju-87. And then for six next days destroys 7 more enemy vehicles, including five Fw-190s. The pilot is presented for the second time to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (awarded on August 19, 1944) ...
Once, a group of German pilots led by an ace who won 130 air victories (of which 30 were withdrawn from his account for the destruction of three of his fighters in a fever), dozens of victories had his colleagues. To counter them, Ivan Kozhedub arrived at the front with a squadron of experienced pilots. The result of the fight is 12:2 in favor of the Soviet aces.
At the end of June, Kozhedub transferred his fighter to another ace - Kirill Evstigneev and transferred to the training regiment. However, in September 1944, the pilot was sent to Poland, to the left wing of the 1st Belorussian Front, to the 176th Guards Proskurov Red Banner Order of Alexander Nevsky Fighter Aviation Regiment (deputy commander) and fought in the "free hunting" way - on the latest Soviet fighter La-7. On the machine with number 27, he will fight until the end of the war, knocking down another 17 enemy vehicles.
On February 19, 1945, Kozhedub destroys a Me 262 jet aircraft over the Oder. He shoots down the sixty-first and sixty-second enemy aircraft (Fw 190) over the capital of Germany on April 17, 1945 in an air battle, which is studied as a classic model in military academies and schools. In August 1945, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the third time. Ivan Kozhedub finished the war with the rank of major. In 1943-1945. he completed 330 sorties, conducted 120 air battles. The Soviet pilot did not lose a single fight and is the best Allied aviation ace. The most productive Soviet pilot Ivan Kozhedub during the war was never shot down or wounded, although he had to land a damaged aircraft.
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Aces of the Luftwaffe
At the suggestion of some Western authors, carefully accepted by domestic compilers, German aces are considered the most productive fighter pilots of the Second World War, and, accordingly, in history, who achieved fabulous success in air battles. Only the aces of Nazi Germany and their Japanese allies are charged with victory accounts containing more than a hundred aircraft. But if the Japanese have only one such pilot - they fought with the Americans, then the Germans already had 102 pilots "winning" more than 100 victories in the air. Most of the German pilots, with the exception of fourteen: Heinrich Baer, Hans-Joachim Marseil, Joachim Münchenberg, Walter Oesau, Werner Melders, Werner Schroer, Kurt Buhligen, Hans Hahn, Adolf Galland, Egon Mayer, Josef Wurmheller and Josef Priller, as well as night pilots Hans-Wolfgang Schnaufer and Helmut Lent, the bulk of their "victories" were achieved, of course, on the Eastern Front, and two of them - Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn - recorded more than 300 victories.
The total number of victories in the air, won by more than 30 thousand German fighter pilots and their allies, is mathematically described by the law of large numbers, more precisely, the “Gaussian curve”. If we build this curve only on the basis of the results of the first hundred of the best German fighters (Germany's allies will no longer enter there) with a known total number of pilots, then the number of victories declared by them will exceed 300-350 thousand, which is four to five times more than the number of victories declared by the Germans themselves , - 70 thousand shot down, and catastrophically (to the point of losing any objectivity) exceeds the estimate of sober, politically unbiased historians - 51 thousand shot down in air battles, of which 32 thousand on the Eastern Front. Thus, the reliability coefficient of the victories of the German aces is in the range of 0.15-0.2.
The order for victory for the German aces was dictated by the political leadership of Nazi Germany, intensified as the Wehrmacht collapsed, did not formally require confirmation and did not tolerate the revisions adopted in the Red Army. All the "accuracy" and "objectivity" of German claims for victory, so insistently mentioned in the works of some "researchers", oddly enough, grown and actively published in Russia, is actually reduced to filling in the columns of lengthy and tastefully laid out standard questionnaires, and writing , even if it is calligraphic, even if it is in Gothic type, it has nothing to do with air victories.
Aces of the Luftwaffe, who recorded more than 100 victories
Erich Alfred Bubi Hartmann - first Luftwaffe ace in World War II, 352 victories, Colonel, Germany.
Erich Hartmann was born on April 19, 1922 in Weissach in Württemberg. His father is Alfred Erich Hartmann and his mother is Elisabeth Wilhelmina Machtholph. He spent his childhood with his younger brother in China, where his father, under the patronage of his cousin, the German consul in Shanghai, worked as a doctor. In 1929, frightened by the revolutionary events in China, the Hartmans returned to their homeland.
Since 1936, E. Hartman flew gliders in the aviation club under the guidance of his mother, an athlete-pilot. At the age of 14, he received a diploma as a glider pilot. He has been piloting airplanes since the age of 16. Since 1940 he was trained in the 10th training regiment of the Luftwaffe in Neukurn near Koenigsberg, then in the 2nd flight school in the Berlin suburb of Gatow.
After successfully graduating from the aviation school, Hartman was sent to Zerbst - to the 2nd Fighter Aviation School. In November 1941, Hartmann took to the air for the first time in the 109th Messerschmitt, the fighter aircraft with which he made his distinguished flying career.
E. Hartman began combat work in August 1942 as part of the 52nd Fighter Squadron, which fought in the Caucasus.
Hartman was lucky. The 52nd was the best German squadron on the Eastern Front. The best German pilots fought in its composition - Hrabak and von Bonin, Graf and Krupinski, Barkhorn and Rall ...
Erich Hartmann was a man of average height, with rich blond hair and bright blue eyes. His character - cheerful and inexploring, with a good sense of humor, obvious flying skills, the highest art of aerial shooting, perseverance, personal courage and nobility impressed the new comrades.
October 14, 1942 Hartman went on his first sortie to the Grozny region. During this sortie, Hartman made almost all the mistakes that a young combat pilot can make: he broke away from the wingman and could not follow his order, opened fire on his aircraft, he himself fell into the fire zone, lost orientation and landed “on his belly” 30 km from your airport.
The 20-year-old Hartman won his first victory on November 5, 1942, shooting down a single-seat Il-2. During the attack of the Soviet attack aircraft and Hartman's fighter was heavily damaged, but the pilot again managed to land the damaged car on the "belly" in the steppe. The aircraft was not subject to restoration and was decommissioned. Hartman himself immediately "sick with a fever" and ended up in the hospital.
The next victory for Hartman was recorded only on January 27, 1943. The victory was recorded over the MiG-1. It was hardly the MiG-1, which were produced and delivered to the troops even before the war in a small series of 77 vehicles, but there are plenty of such "overexposures" in German documents. Hartman flies wingman with Dammers, Grislavsky, Zwerneman. From each of these strong pilots, he takes something new, replenishing his tactical and flight potential. At the request of sergeant major Rossmann, Hartman becomes the follower of V. Krupinski, an outstanding Luftwaffe ace (197 "victories", the 15th in a row of the best), distinguished, as it seemed to many, by intemperance and stubbornness.
It was Krupinski who nicknamed Hartman Bubi, in English "Baby" - baby, a nickname that remained with him forever.
Hartmann made 1,425 Einsatz and took part in 800 rabarbaras during his career. His 352 victories included many sorties with several enemy aircraft shot down in one day, the best achievement in one sortie was six Soviet aircraft shot down on August 24, 1944. This included three Pe-2s, two Yaks, one Airacobra. The same day turned out to be his best day as well, with 11 victories in two sorties, on his second sortie he became the first person in history to shoot down 300 aircraft in dogfights.
Hartman fought in the sky not only against Soviet aircraft. In the skies of Romania, at the helm of his Bf 109, he also met with American pilots. Hartman has several days on his account when he reported several victories at once: on July 7 - about 7 shot down (2 Il-2 and 5 La-5), on August 1, 4 and 5 - about 5, and on August 7 - again immediately about 7 (2 Pe-2, 2 La-5, 3 Yak-1). January 30, 1944 - about 6 shot down; February 1 - about 5; March 2 - immediately about 10; May 5 about 6; May 7 about 6; June 1st about 6; June 4 - about 7 Yak-9; June 5 about 6; June 6 - about 5; June 24 - about 5 "Mustangs"; August 28 "shot down" 11 "Aircobra" in a day (Hartman's daily record); October 27 - 5; November 22 - 6; November 23 - 5; April 4, 1945 - again 5 victories.
After a dozen "victories" "won" on March 2, 1944, E. Hartmann, and with him Lieutenant V. Krupinski, Hauptmann J. Wiese and G. Barkhorn were summoned to the Führer at the Berghof to present awards. Lieutenant E. Hartman, who by that time had chalked up 202 "downed" Soviet aircraft, was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.
Hartman himself was shot down more than 10 times. Basically, he "collided with the wreckage of Soviet aircraft shot down by him" (a favorite interpretation of his own losses in the Luftwaffe). On August 20, “flying over the burning Il-2”, he was again shot down and made another forced landing in the area of the Donets River and fell into the hands of the “Asians” - Soviet soldiers. Skillfully feigning an injury and lulling the vigilance of careless soldiers, Hartman fled, jumping out of the body of the "lorry" that was carrying him, and returned to his own on the same day.
As a symbol of the forced separation from his beloved Ursula Petch, Hartman painted a bleeding heart pierced by an arrow on his plane, and drew an "Indian" cry under the cockpit: "Karaya".
Readers of German newspapers knew him as the "Black Devil of Ukraine" (the nickname was invented by the Germans themselves) and with pleasure or with irritation (against the retreat of the German army) read about all the new exploits of this "promoted" pilot.
In total, Hartman recorded 1404 sorties, 825 air battles, 352 victories were counted, of which 345 were Soviet aircraft: 280 were fighters, 15 Il-2s, 10 twin-engine bombers, the rest were U-2 and R-5.
Three times Hartman was also slightly wounded. As the commander of the 1st Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Squadron, which was based at a small airfield near Strakovnice in Czechoslovakia, at the end of the war, Hartman knew (he saw the advancing Soviet units rising into the sky) that the Red Army was about to capture this airfield as well. He gave the order to destroy the remaining aircraft and headed west with all his personnel to surrender to the US Army. But by that time there was an agreement between the allies, according to which all Germans leaving the Russians should be transferred back at the first opportunity.
In May 1945, Major Hartman was handed over to the Soviet occupation authorities. At the trial, Hartman insisted on his 352 victories, with emphatic respect, recalling his comrades-in-arms and the Fuhrer with defiance. The course of this trial was reported to Stalin, who spoke of the German pilot with satirical contempt. Hartman's self-confident position, of course, irritated the Soviet judges (the year was 1945), and he was sentenced to 25 years in the camps. The sentence under the laws of Soviet justice was commuted, and Hartman was sentenced to ten and a half years in prisoner of war camps. He was released in 1955.
Returning to his wife in West Germany, he immediately returned to aviation. He successfully and quickly completed a training course on jet aircraft, and this time the Americans became his teachers. Hartman flew F-86 Sabers and F-104 Starfighters. The last machine, during active operation in Germany, turned out to be extremely unsuccessful and brought death to 115 German pilots in peacetime! Hartmann spoke disapprovingly and harshly of this jet fighter (which was quite right), prevented its adoption by Germany and upset his relations with both the Bundes-Luftwaffe command and with the high American military. He was retired with the rank of colonel in 1970.
After being transferred to the reserve, he worked as an instructor pilot in Hangelare, near Bonn, and performed in the aerobatic team of Adolf Galland "Dolfo". In 1980, he fell seriously ill, and had to part with aviation.
It is interesting that the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet and then Russian Air Force, General of the Army P.S. Deinekin, taking advantage of the warming of international relations in the late 80s and early 90s, several times insistently expressed his desire to meet with Hartman, but did not find mutual understanding among the German military officials.
Colonel Hartman was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the German Cross in Gold.
Gerhard Gerd Barkhorn, second Luftwaffe ace (Germany) - 301 air victories.
Gerhard Barkhorn was born in Königsberg, East Prussia on March 20, 1919. In 1937, Barkhorn was accepted into the Luftwaffe as a Fanenjunker (officer candidate rank) and began his flight training in March 1938. After graduating from flight training, he was selected as a lieutenant and at the beginning of 1940 was accepted into the 2nd Fighter Squadron "Richthofen", known for old combat traditions that had been formed in the battles of the First World War.
The combat debut of Gerhard Barkhorn in the Battle of England was not very successful. He did not shoot down a single enemy aircraft, but he himself twice left a burning car with a parachute, and once right over the English Channel. Only during the 120th sortie (!), Which took place on July 2, 1941, Barkhorn managed to open an account with his victories. But after that, his successes gained an enviable stability. The hundredth victory came to him on December 19, 1942. On the same day, Barkhorn shot down 6 planes, and on July 20, 1942 - 5. He also shot down 5 planes before that, on June 22, 1942. Then the pilot's performance decreased slightly - and he reached the two hundredth mark only on November 30, 1943.
Here is how Barkhorn comments on the actions of the enemy:
“Some Russian pilots didn’t even look around and rarely looked back.
I shot down a lot of those who were not even aware of my presence. Only a few of them were a match for European pilots, the rest did not have the necessary flexibility in air combat.
Although it is not explicitly expressed, it can be inferred from reading that Barkhorn was a master of surprise attacks. He preferred dive attacks from the direction of the sun or came from below behind the tail of an enemy aircraft. At the same time, he did not shy away from classic turning combat, especially when he was piloting his beloved Me-109F, even the version that was equipped with only one 15-mm cannon. But not all Russians succumbed to the German ace so easily: “Once in 1943, I withstood a forty-minute battle with a stubborn Russian pilot and could not achieve any results. I was so wet with sweat, as if I had just stepped out of the shower. I wonder if it was as difficult for him as it was for me. The Russian flew the LaGG-3, and both of us performed all conceivable and inconceivable aerobatic maneuvers in the air. I couldn't get him, and he couldn't get me. This pilot belonged to one of the guards aviation regiments, in which the best Soviet aces were assembled.
It should be noted that a one-on-one dogfight lasting forty minutes was almost a record. There were usually other fighters nearby, ready to intervene, or on the rare occasions when two enemy aircraft actually met in the sky, one of them, as a rule, already had an advantage in position. In the battle described above, both pilots fought, avoiding unfavorable positions for themselves. Barkhorn was wary of enemy actions (probably because of his experience with RAF fighters), and the reasons for this were as follows: firstly, he achieved his numerous victories by flying more sorties than many other experts; secondly, in 1104 sorties, with a flight time of 2000 hours, his plane was shot down nine times.
On May 31, 1944, with 273 victories on his account, Barkhorn returned to his airfield after completing a combat mission. In this sortie, he came under attack from the Soviet Airacobra, was shot down and wounded in right leg. Apparently, the pilot who shot down Barkhorn was the outstanding Soviet ace Captain F. F. Arkhipenko (30 personal and 14 group victories), later Hero of the Soviet Union, who on that day was recorded the victory over the Me-109 in the fourth sortie. Barkhorn, making his 6th sortie of the day, managed to escape, but was out of action for four long months. After returning to JG 52, he brought the score of personal victories to 301, and then was transferred to the Western Front and appointed commander of JG 6 "Horst Wessel". Since then, he no longer had success in air battles. Enlisted soon in the Galland strike group JV 44, Barkhorn learned to fly the jet Me-262. But already in the second sortie, the plane was hit, lost traction, and Barkhorn was seriously injured during an emergency landing.
In total, during the Second World War, Major G. Barkhorn made 1104 sorties.
Some researchers note that Barkhorn was 5 cm taller than Hartman (about 177 cm tall) and 7-10 kg heavier.
He called the Me-109 G-1 with the lightest possible weapons: two MG-17 (7.92 mm) and one MG-151 (15 mm) his favorite car, preferring the lightness and, consequently, the maneuverability of his car, the power of its weapons.
After the war, German ace No. 2 returned to flying as part of the new West German Air Force. In the mid-60s, while testing a VTOL aircraft, he "dropped" and crashed his Kestrel. When the wounded Barkhorn was dragged with difficulty and slowly from broken car, he, despite the most severe injuries, did not lose his sense of humor and muttered through force: "Three hundred and second ..."
In 1975, G. Barkhorn retired with the rank of major general.
In winter, in a snowstorm, near Cologne on January 6, 1983, together with his wife, Gerhard Barkhorn got into a severe car accident. His wife died immediately, and he himself died in the hospital two days later - on January 8, 1983.
He was buried at the Durnbach Military Cemetery in Tegernsee, Upper Bavaria.
Major of the Luftwaffe G. Barkhorn was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the German Cross in Gold.
Gunter Rall - third ace of the Luftwaffe, 275 victories.
The third ace of the Luftwaffe in terms of the number of victories counted is Gunther Rall - 275 enemy aircraft shot down.
Rall fought against France and England in 1939–1940, then in Romania, Greece and Crete in 1941. From 1941 to 1944 he fought on the Eastern Front. In 1944, he returns to the skies of Germany and fights against the aviation of the Western Allies. All his rich combat experience was gained as a result of more than 800 "rabarbars" (air battles) carried out on the Me-109 of various modifications - from Bf 109 B-2 to Bf 109 G -14. Rall was badly wounded three times and shot down eight times. On November 28, 1941, in a tense air battle, his plane was so badly damaged that during an emergency landing "on its belly" the car simply fell apart, and Rall broke his spine in three places. There was no hope of a return to duty. But after ten months of treatment in the hospital, where he met his future wife, he was nevertheless restored to health and recognized as fit for flight work. At the end of July 1942, Rall again took off his plane, and on August 15 over the Kuban he won his 50th victory. On September 22, 1942, he chalked up his 100th victory. Subsequently, Rall fought over the Kuban, over the Kursk Bulge, over the Dnieper and Zaporozhye. In March 1944, he exceeded the achievement of V. Novotny, having chalked up 255 air victories and, until August 20, 1944, topped the list of Luftwaffe aces. On April 16, 1944, Rall won his last, 273rd, victory on the Eastern Front.
As the best German ace of that time, he was appointed commander of II by Göring. / JG 11, which was part of air defense Reich and armed "109" new modification - G-5. Defending Berlin in 1944 from attacks by the British and Americans, Rall fought more than once with US Air Force aircraft. Once, the Thunderbolts tightly clamped his plane over the capital of the Third Reich, damaging his control, and one of the bursts given through the cockpit cut off the thumb on his right hand. Rall was shell-shocked, but returned to service a few weeks later. In December 1944, he became head of the Luftwaffe fighter aviation commander training school. In January 1945, Major G. Rall was appointed commander of the 300th Fighter Air Group (JG 300), armed with the FV-190D, but he no longer won victories. It was difficult to come up with a victory over the Reich - downed planes fell over German territory and only then received confirmation. Not at all like in the Don or Kuban steppes, where it was enough to report on the victory, confirm the wingman and the statement on several printed forms.
During his combat career, Major Rall made 621 sorties, chalked up 275 “downed” aircraft, of which only three were shot down over the Reich.
After the war, when a new German army was created - the Bundeswehr, G. Rall, who did not think of himself otherwise than as a military pilot, joined the Bundes-Luftwaffe. Here he immediately returned to flight work and mastered the F-84 Thunderjet and several modifications of the F-86 Saber. The skill of the major, and then Oberst Lieutenant Rall, was highly appreciated by American military experts. In the late 50s, he was appointed to the Bundes-Luftwaffe Art. inspector supervising the retraining of German pilots for the new F-104 Starfighter supersonic fighter. Retraining was successfully carried out. In September 1966, G. Rall was awarded the rank of brigadier general, and a year later - major general. At that time, Rall led the Bundes-Luftwaffe fighter division. In the late 80s, Lieutenant General Rall was dismissed from the Bundes-Luftwaffe from the post of inspector general.
G. Rall came to Russia several times, talked with Soviet aces. On the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation G. A. Baevsky, who knew German well and communicated with Rall at the demonstration of aircraft in Kubinka, this communication made a positive impression. Georgy Arturovich found Rall's personal position rather modest, including his three-digit account, and as an interlocutor, an interesting person who deeply understands the concerns and needs of pilots and aviation.
Gunther Rall died on October 4, 2009. Lieutenant General G. Rall was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the German Cross in Gold; Grand Federal Cross of the Worthy with a Star (a cross of the VI degree from the VIII degrees); Order of the Legion of the Worthy (USA).
Adolf GALLAND - an outstanding organizer of the Luftwaffe, who recorded 104 victories on the Western Front, lieutenant general.
Mildly bourgeois in his refined habits and deeds, he was a versatile and courageous man, an exceptionally gifted pilot and tactician, enjoyed the favor of political leaders and the highest authority among German pilots, and yet they left their bright mark on the history of the world wars of the 20th century.
Adolf Galland was born into the family of a manager in the town of Westerholt (now within the boundaries of Duisburg) on March 19, 1912. Galland, like Marseille, had French roots: his Huguenot ancestors fled France in the 18th century and settled on the estate of Count von Westerholt. Galland was the second oldest of his four brothers. The upbringing in the family was based on strict religious principles, while the strictness of the father significantly softened the mother. FROM early years Adolf became a hunter, having obtained his first trophy - a hare - at the age of 6 years. An early passion for hunting and hunting successes are also characteristic of some other outstanding fighter pilots, in particular for A. V. Vorozheikin and E. G. Pepelyaev, who found not only entertainment in hunting, but also a significant help for their meager diet. Of course, the acquired hunting skills - the ability to hide, shoot accurately, follow the trail - had a beneficial effect on the formation of the character and tactics of future aces.
In addition to hunting, the energetic young Galland was actively interested in technology. This interest led him in 1927 to the glider school in Gelsenkirchen. Graduation from the glider school, the acquired ability to soar, find and select air currents was very useful for the future pilot. In 1932, after graduating from high school, Adolf Galland entered the German School of Air Communications in Braunschweig, from which he graduated in 1933. Shortly after leaving school, Galland received an invitation to short-term courses for military pilots, secret in Germany at that time. After completing the courses, Galland was sent to Italy for an internship. From the autumn of 1934, Galland flew as a co-pilot on the passenger Junkers G-24. In February 1934, Galland was drafted into the army, in October he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and sent to instructor service in Schleichsheim. When the creation of the Luftwaffe was announced on March 1, 1935, Galland was transferred to the 2nd Group of the 1st Fighter Squadron. Possessing an excellent vestibular apparatus and impeccable vasomotor skills, he quickly became an excellent aerobatic pilot. In those years, he suffered several accidents that almost cost him his life. Only exceptional perseverance, and sometimes cunning, allowed Galland to stay in aviation.
In 1937, he was sent to Spain, where he made 187 sorties for attack on the Xe-51B biplane. He had no air victories. For fights in Spain he was awarded the German Spanish Cross in gold with Swords and Diamonds.
In November 1938, upon his return from Spain, Galland became commander of JG433, re-equipped with Me-109, but before the start of hostilities in Poland he was assigned to another group armed with XSh-123 biplanes. In Poland, Galland made 87 sorties, received the rank of captain.
On May 12, 1940, Captain Galland won his first victories, shooting down three English Hurricanes at once on the Me-109. By June 6, 1940, when he was appointed commander of the 3rd Group of the 26th Fighter Squadron (III. / JG 26), Galland had 12 victories. On May 22, he shot down the first Spitfire. On August 17, 1940, at a meeting at the Goering estate of Karinhalle, Major Galland was appointed commander of the 26th squadron. On September 7, 1940, he participated in a massive Luftwaffe raid on London, consisting of 648 fighters covering 625 bombers. For the Me-109, this was a flight almost to the maximum range, more than two dozen Messerschmitts on the way back, over Calais, ran out of fuel, and their planes fell into the water. Galland also had problems with fuel, but his car was saved by the skill of the glider pilot sitting in it, who reached the French coast.
On September 25, 1940, Galland was summoned to Berlin, where Hitler presented him with the third Oak Leaves in history to the Knight's Cross. Galland, in his words, asked the Fuhrer not to "belittle the dignity of English pilots." Hitler unexpectedly immediately agreed with him, declaring that he regretted that England and Germany did not work together as allies. Galland fell into the hands of German journalists and quickly became one of the most "promoted" figures in Germany.
Adolf Galland was an avid cigar smoker, consuming up to twenty cigars daily. Even Mickey Mouse, invariably adorning the sides of all his fighting vehicles, was invariably depicted with a cigar in his mouth. In the cockpit of his fighter was a lighter and a cigar holder.
On the evening of October 30, announcing the destruction of two Spitfires, Galland chalked up his 50th victory. On November 17, having shot down three Hurricanes over Calais, Galland with 56 victories came out on top among the aces of the Luftwaffe. After his 50th claimed victory, Galland was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. A creative person, he proposed several tactical innovations, subsequently adopted by most armies in the world. So, despite the protests of the "bombers", he considered the most successful option for escorting the bombers to be free "hunting" along the route of their flight. Another of his innovations was the use of a headquarters air unit, staffed by a commander and the most experienced pilots.
After May 19, 1941, when Hess flew to England, the raids on the island practically ceased.
On June 21, 1941, the day before the attack on the Soviet Union, Galland's Messerschmitt, staring at the Spitfire he shot down, was shot down in a frontal attack from above by another Spitfire. Galland was wounded in the side and in the arm. With difficulty, he managed to open the jammed lantern, unhook the parachute from the antenna rack and land relatively safely. It is interesting that on the same day, around 12.40 Galland's Me-109 was already shot down by the British, and he landed it in an emergency "on his belly" in the Calais area.
When Galland was taken to the hospital in the evening of the same day, a telegram from Hitler arrived there, saying that Lieutenant Colonel Galland was the first in the Wehrmacht awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross, and an order containing a ban on Galland's participation in sorties. Galland did everything possible and impossible to circumvent this order. On August 7, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel Galland scored his 75th victory. On November 18, he announced his next, already 96th, victory. On November 28, 1941, after the death of Melders, Goering appointed Galland to the post of inspector of Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, he was awarded the rank of colonel.
On January 28, 1942, Hitler presented Galland with the Diamonds to his Knight's Cross with Swords. He became the second holder of this highest award of Nazi Germany. December 19, 1942 he was awarded the rank of major general.
On May 22, 1943, Galland flew the Me-262 for the first time and was amazed at the opening possibilities of a turbojet. He insisted on the speedy combat use of this aircraft, assuring that one Me-262 squadron was equal in strength to 10 ordinary ones.
With the inclusion of US aviation in the air war and the defeat at the Battle of Kursk, Germany's position became desperate. On June 15, 1943, Galland, despite strong objections, was appointed commander of the fighter aircraft of the Sicily group. With the energy and talent of Galland, they tried to save the situation in southern Italy. But on July 16, about a hundred American bombers attacked the Vibo-Valentia airfield and destroyed the Luftwaffe fighter aircraft. Galland, having surrendered command, returned to Berlin.
The fate of Germany was sealed, and neither the dedication of the best German pilots, nor the talent of outstanding designers could save it.
Galland was one of the most talented and sensible generals in the Luftwaffe. He tried not to expose his subordinates to unjustified risk, soberly assessed the current situation. Thanks to the accumulated experience, Galland managed to avoid major losses in the squadron entrusted to him. An outstanding pilot and commander, Galland had a rare talent for analyzing all the strategic and tactical features of the situation.
Under the command of Galland, the Luftwaffe conducted one of the most brilliant air cover operations for ships, code-named "Thunderbolt". The fighter squadron under the direct command of Galland covered from the air the exit from the encirclement of the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, as well as the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. Having successfully carried out the operation, the Luftwaffe and the fleet destroyed 30 British aircraft, losing 7 vehicles. Galland called this operation the "finest hour" of his career.
In the autumn of 1943 - in the spring of 1944, Galland secretly flew more than 10 sorties on the FV-190 A-6, chalking up two American bombers. On December 1, 1944, Galland was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
After the failure of the Bodenplatte operation, when about 300 Luftwaffe fighters were lost, at the cost of 144 British and 84 American aircraft, Goering removed Galland from the post of fighter aircraft inspector on January 12, 1945. This caused the so-called fighter mutiny. As a result, several German aces were demoted, and Galland fell under House arrest. But soon a bell rang in Galland's house: Hitler's adjutant von Belof told him: "The Fuhrer still loves you, General Galland."
In the face of a disintegrating defense, Lieutenant General Galland was instructed to form a new fighter group from the best German aces and fight enemy bombers on the Me-262. The group received the semi-mystical name JV44 (44 as half of the number 88, indicating the number of the group that successfully fought in Spain) and entered the battle in early April 1945. As part of JV44, Galland scored 6 victories, was shot down (landed across the strip) and wounded on April 25, 1945.
In total, Lieutenant General Galland made 425 sorties, chalked up 104 victories.
On May 1, 1945, Galland, along with his pilots, surrendered to the Americans. In 1946-1947, Galland was recruited by the Americans to work in the historical department of the US Air Force in Europe. Later, in the 60s, Galland lectured in the United States on the actions of German aviation. In the spring of 1947, Galland was released from captivity. Galland passed this difficult time for many Germans on the estate of his old admirer, the widowed Baroness von Donner. He divided it between household chores, wine, cigars and illegal hunting at that time.
During the Nuremberg trials, when Goering's defenders drew up a lengthy document and, trying to sign it with the leading figures of the Luftwaffe, brought it to Galland, he carefully read the paper, and then resolutely tore it upside down.
“I personally welcome this trial, because only in this way can we find out who is responsible for all this,” Galland allegedly said at the time.
In 1948, he met with his old acquaintance - the German aircraft designer Kurt Tank, who created the Focke-Wulf fighters and, perhaps, the best piston fighter in history - the Ta-152. The tank was about to sail to Argentina, where a big contract awaited him, and invited Galland to go with him. He agreed and, having received an invitation from President Juan Peron himself, soon set sail. Argentina, like the United States, emerged from the war incredibly rich. Galland received a three-year contract for the reorganization of the Argentine Air Force, carried out under the leadership of the Argentine commander-in-chief Juan Fabri. The flexible Galland managed to find full contact with the Argentines and was happy to pass on knowledge to those who did not have combat experience pilots and their commanders. In Argentina, Galland flew every type of aircraft he saw there almost daily, maintaining his flying form. Soon Baroness von Donner came to Galland with her children. It was in Argentina that Galland began to work on a book of memoirs, later called The First and Last. A few years later, the baroness left Galland and Argentina when he became friends with Sylvinia von Donhoff. In February 1954, Adolf and Silvinia got married. For Galland, and he was already 42 years old at that time, this is the first marriage. In 1955, Galland left Argentina and took part in aviation competitions in Italy, where he took an honorable second place. In Germany, the Minister of Defense invited Galland to retake the post of inspector - commander of the fighter aircraft of the Bundes Luftwaffe. Galland asked for time to think. At this time, power changed in Germany, the pro-American-minded Franz-Josef Strauss became Minister of Defense, who appointed General Kummhuber, an old opponent of Galland, to the post of inspector.
Galland moved to Bonn and went into business. He divorced Sylvinia von Donhoff and married his young secretary, Hannelise Ladwein. Soon Galland had children - a son, and three years later a daughter.
Throughout his life, until the age of 75, Galland flew actively. When it was gone for him military aviation, he found himself in light and sports aviation. With age, Galland devoted more and more time to meetings with his old associates, with veterans. His authority among German pilots of all times was exceptional: he was the honorary leader of several aviation societies, president of the Association of German Fighter Pilots, and a member of dozens of flying clubs. In 1969, Galland saw and "attacked" the spectacular pilot Heidi Horn, at the same time the former head of a successful company, and started a "fight" according to all the rules. Soon he divorced his wife, and Heidi, unable to withstand the "dizzying attacks of the old ace," agreed to marry the 72-year-old Galland.
Adolf Galland, one of seven German fighter pilots to be awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, and all other statutory awards.
Otto Bruno Kittel - Luftwaffe No. 4 ace, 267 victories, Germany.
This outstanding fighter pilot was nothing like, say, the arrogant and spectacular Hans Philipp, that is, he did not at all correspond to the image of an ace pilot created by the German imperial propaganda ministry. A short, quiet and modest man with a slight stutter.
He was born in Kronsdorf (now Korunov in the Czech Republic) in the Sudetes, then in Austria-Hungary, on February 21, 1917. Note that on February 17, 1917, the outstanding Soviet ace K. A. Evstigneev was born.
In 1939, Kittel was accepted into the Luftwaffe and was soon assigned to the 54th squadron (JG 54).
Kitel announced his first victories already on June 22, 1941, but in comparison with other Luftwaffe experts, his start was modest. By the end of 1941, he had only 17 victories to his credit. At first, Kittel showed unimportant ability in aerial shooting. Then senior comrades took up his training: Hannes Trauloft, Hans Philipp, Walter Novotny and other pilots of the Green Heart air group. They did not give up until their patience was rewarded. By 1943, Kittel had filled his eyes and, with enviable constancy, began to record his victories over Soviet aircraft one after another. His 39th victory, won on February 19, 1943, was the 4,000th victory claimed by the pilots of the 54th squadron during the war years.
When under the crushing blows of the Red Army, the German troops began to roll back to the west, German journalists found a source of inspiration in a modest but exceptionally gifted pilot, Lieutenant Otto Kittel. Until mid-February 1945, his name does not leave the pages of German periodicals, regularly appears in the footage of the military chronicle.
On March 15, 1943, after the 47th victory, Kittel was shot down and landed 60 km from the front line. In three days, without food and fire, he covered this distance (crossed Lake Ilmen at night) and returned to the unit. Kittel was awarded the German Cross in Gold and the title of Chief Sergeant Major. On October 6, 1943, Chief Sergeant Major Kittel was awarded the Knight's Cross, received officer's buttonholes, shoulder straps and the entire 2nd Squadron of the 54th Fighter Group under his command. Later, he was promoted to lieutenant and awarded the Oak Leaves, and then the Swords to the Knight's Cross, which, as in most other cases, he was given by the Fuhrer. From November 1943 to January 1944 he was an instructor at the Luftwaffe flying school in Biarritz, France. In March 1944, he returned to his squadron, to the Russian front. Success did not turn Kittel's head: until the end of his life he remained a modest, hardworking and unpretentious person.
From the autumn of 1944, Kittel's squadron fought in the Courland "cauldron" in Western Latvia. On February 14, 1945, while making the 583rd sortie, he attacked an Il-2 group, but was shot down, probably from cannons. On that day, the victories over the FV-190 were recorded for the pilots piloting the Il-2 - the deputy squadron commander of the 806th assault aviation regiment, Lieutenant V. Karaman and the lieutenant of the 502nd Guards Aviation Regiment, V. Komendat.
By the time of his death, Otto Kittel had 267 victories (of which 94 were Il-2), and he was the fourth in the list of the most productive air aces in Germany and the most productive pilot of those who fought on the FV-190 fighter.
Captain Kittel was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the German Cross in Gold.
Walter Nowi Novotny - Luftwaffe No. 5 ace, 258 victories.
Although Major Walter Nowotny is considered the fifth ace of the Luftwaffe in terms of the number of downed vehicles, during the war he was the most famous ace of the Second World War. Nowotny occupied an honorable place along with Galland, Melders and Graf in popularity abroad, his name was one of the few that became known behind the front lines during the war and was discussed by the Allied public, just as it was with Boelcke, Udet and Richthofen in time of the First World War.
Novotny enjoyed fame and respect among German pilots like no other pilot. For all his courage and obsession in the air, he was a charming and friendly man on the ground.
Walter Nowotny was born in the north of Austria in the town of Gmünde on December 7, 1920. My father was a railway worker, two brothers were officers of the Wehrmacht. One of them was killed near Stalingrad.
Walter Nowotny grew up exceptionally gifted in terms of sports: he won in running, javelin throwing, and sports competitions. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 at the age of 18 and attended a fighter pilot school in Schwechat near Vienna. Like Otto Kittel, he was assigned to JG54 and made dozens of sorties before he managed to overcome his interfering feverish excitement and acquire the "handwriting of a fighter."
On July 19, 1941, he won the first victories in the sky over Ezel Island in the Gulf of Riga, chalking up three “downed” Soviet I-153 fighters. At the same time, Novotny also learned the other side of the coin, when a skillful and determined Russian pilot shot him down and sent him to "drink water." It was already night when Novotny paddled on a rubber raft to the shore.
On August 4, 1942, having re-equipped with the Gustav (Me-109G-2), Novotny chalked up 4 Soviet aircraft at once and a month later was awarded the Knight's Cross. On October 25, 1942, V. Novotny was appointed commander of the 1st detachment of the 1st group of the 54th fighter squadron. Gradually, the group was re-equipped with relatively new vehicles - FV-190A and A-2. On June 24, 1943, he chalked up the 120th "shot down", which was the basis for awarding the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. On September 1, 1943, Novotny chalked up 10 "downed" Soviet aircraft at once. This is far from the limit for Luftwaffe pilots.
Emil Lang filled out forms for himself as much as 18 Soviet aircraft shot down in one day (at the end of October 1943 in the Kyiv region - a rather expected response of an annoyed German ace to the defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Dnieper, and the Luftwaffe - over the Dnieper), and Erich Rudorfer "shot down"
13 Soviet aircraft for November 13, 1943. Note that for the Soviet aces and 4 enemy aircraft shot down per day were an extremely rare, exceptional victory. This says only one thing - about the reliability of victories on the one hand and on the other: the calculated reliability of victories among Soviet pilots is 4-6 times higher than the reliability of the "victories" recorded by the aces of the Luftwaffe.
In September 1943, with 207 "victories", Lieutenant V. Novotny became the most productive Luftwaffe pilot. On October 10, 1943, he chalked up his 250th "victory". In the German press of that time, a real hysteria arose about this. On November 15, 1943, Novotny recorded his last, 255th, victory on the Eastern Front.
He continued combat work almost a year later, already on the Western Front, on the jet Me-262. On November 8, 1944, taking off at the head of the troika to intercept American bombers, he shot down a Liberator and a Mustang fighter, which became his last, 257th, victory. Me-262 Novotny was damaged and on the way to his own airfield was shot down either by the Mustang or by the fire of his own anti-aircraft artillery. Major V. Novotny died.
Novi, as his comrades were called, became a Luftwaffe legend during his lifetime. He was the first to chalk up 250 aerial victories.
Nowotny became the eighth German officer to receive the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. He was also awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class, the German Cross in Gold; Order of the Cross of Liberty (Finland), medals.
Wilhelm "Willi" Batz - the sixth ace of the Luftwaffe, 237 victories.
Butz was born on May 21, 1916 in Bamberg. After recruit training and a meticulous medical examination, on November 1, 1935, he was assigned to the Luftwaffe.
After completing his initial fighter pilot course, Batz was transferred as an instructor to a flight school in Bad Eilbing. He was distinguished by tirelessness and a real passion for flying. In total, during the training and instructor service, he flew 5240 hours!
From the end of 1942 he served in the spare part of JG52 2./ ErgGr "Ost". From February 1, 1943, he served as adjutant in the II. /JG52. The first downed aircraft - LaGG-3 - was recorded to him on March 11, 1943. In May 1943 he was appointed commander of 5./JG52. Butz achieved significant success only during the Battle of Kursk. Until September 9, 1943, 20 victories were recorded for him, and by the end of November 1943 - another 50.
Further, Batz's career went as well as the career of a famous fighter pilot on the Eastern Front often developed. In March 1944, Batz shoots down his 101st aircraft. At the end of May 1944, during seven sorties, he shot down as many as 15 aircraft. On March 26, 1944, Batz received the Knight's Cross, and on July 20, 1944, the Oak Leaves to him.
In July 1944, he fought over Romania, where he shot down a B-24 Liberator bomber and two R-51B Mustang fighters. By the end of 1944, Batz already had 224 air victories on his combat account. In 1945 he became commander of the II. /JG52. April 21, 1945 was awarded.
In total, during the war years, Batz made 445 (according to other sources - 451) sorties and shot down 237 aircraft: 232 on the Eastern Front and, modestly, 5 on the Western, among the last two four-engine bombers. He flew on Me-109G and Me-109K aircraft. In battles, Batz was wounded three times and shot down four times.
He died at the Mauschendorf clinic on September 11, 1988. Cavalier of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (No. 145, 04/21/1945), German Cross in Gold, Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class.
Hermann Graf - 212 officially counted victories, ninth Luftwaffe ace, colonel.
Hermann Graf was born in Engen, near Lake Baden, on October 24, 1912. The son of a simple blacksmith, he, due to his origin and poor education, could not make a quick and successful military career. After graduating from college and working for some time in the lock shop, he went to the official service in the municipal office. At the same time, the fact that Herman was an excellent football player played a primary role, and the first rays of glory gilded him as a forward of the local football team. Herman began his journey into the sky as a glider pilot in 1932, and in 1935 he was accepted into the Luftwaffe. In 1936 he was accepted into the flying school in Karlsruhe and graduated on September 25, 1936. In May 1938, he improved his qualifications as a pilot and, having evaded being sent for retraining on multi-engine vehicles, as a non-commissioned officer, he insisted on being assigned to the second detachment of JG51, armed with Me-109 E-1 fighters.
LUFTWAFFE PLANES IN THE ARCTIC Pupils of Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering tried to keep up with the pupils of "Papa Dennitsa" in matters of active penetration into the Arctic. This is clearly confirmed by the intelligence reports of the Northern Fleet about the appearance of German aircraft.
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author Zefirov Mikhail VadimovichAces of the Luftwaffe attack aircraft The replicated view of the Ju-87 attack aircraft diving with a terrible howl at its target - the famous "Stuck" - for many years has already become a household word, personifying the offensive power of the Luftwaffe. So it was in practice. Effective
From the book of Asa Luftwaffe. Who is who. Endurance, power, attention author Zefirov Mikhail VadimovichAces of the Luftwaffe bomber aircraft The words "restraint" and "power" in the titles of the two previous chapters can be fully attributed to the actions of the Luftwaffe bomber aircraft. Although formally it was not strategic, its crews sometimes had to carry out in the air
From the book "Stalin's Falcons" against the aces of the Luftwaffe author Baevsky Georgy ArturovichThe collapse of the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe The number of sorties from the Sprottau airfield has significantly decreased compared to our previous stay in February at this airfield. In April, instead of IL-2, we accompany new Il-10 attack aircraft with more
the author Karashchuk AndreyVolunteers in the Luftwaffe. In the summer of 1941, during the retreat of the Red Army, all materiel of the former Estonian Air Force was destroyed or taken to the east. Only four Estonian-made RTO-4 monoplanes remained on the territory of Estonia, which were the property of
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author Degtev Dmitry MikhailovichChapter 5. The Fuhrer and the Luftwaffe
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From the book The Big Show. World War II through the eyes of a French pilot author Klosterman PierreThe last push of the Luftwaffe on January 1, 1945. On that day, the state of the German armed forces was not entirely clear. When the offensive in Rundstedt failed, the Nazis, who took up position on the banks of the Rhine and were pretty crushed by Russian troops in Poland and Czechoslovakia,
From the book "Air Bridges" of the Third Reich author Zablotsky Alexander NikolaevichTHE IRON "Aunt" OF THE LUFTWAFFE AND OTHERS ... The bulky and angular, unsightly three-engine Ju-52 / 3m, better known in the Luftwaffe and in the Wehrmacht under the nickname "Aunt Yu", became the main type of aircraft of the military transport aviation of Germany. By the start of World War II, it seemed
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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 shadows all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the military and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit too well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya, which has now become the city of Aksay, Rostov Region. Don freemen was in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days to the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and studied at the flying club. This passion helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940. Gulaev was assigned to the air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of 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, many years later, Gulaev’s main mistake made then, I see that he took with him in combat the flight of three young, not at all shelled pilots at once, who were shot down in their first battle. True, Gulaev himself scored 4 air victories that day at once, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he risked his subordinates with the same ease, which at times looked completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “air Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who mastered the combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Aircobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them personally by Gulaev.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short leave home. From this trip to the Don, he returned closed, taciturn, bitter. He rushed into battle furiously, with some transcendent fury. During a trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation, his father was executed by the Nazis ...
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 combat 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. Commanded the 133rd Aviation fighter division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, covering 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 veterans' 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.
