“It is extremely necessary to be the first to detect the enemy in the air, which will make it possible to seize the initiative, and therefore bring success... Having “caught” the enemy, the fighter pilot should not release him from the “capture” until the last cartridge is spent, after which it is useful to indicate the desire to ram an enemy airplane. Such a maneuver often forces the enemy to land on our territory.”
These lines belong to Captain Evgraf Kruten, a Russian pilot who developed the fundamentals of tactics for Russian fighter aviation. Thanks to such fearless intellectuals, the Russian school of air combat was founded, from which dozens of aces emerged.
AUGUST 26, 1914. On that day, our compatriot Captain Pyotr Nesterov was the first in the world to open an account of aerial victories. At the end of the month, Austrian aviation began to become active on the Southwestern Front - the First World War was already in full swing. Reconnaissance was carried out almost openly. On August 25, the crew of one Albatross dropped a bomb on the airfield of the Russian 11th air squad. The next morning he reappeared above the location of our troops in the area of the city of Zhovkva, near Lvov. Pyotr Nesterov, who had risen into the air, directed his Moran to cut across the enemy. Having overtaken the enemy vehicle, he hit it with a ram. Pyotr Nesterov did not become an ace; in the same battle he himself died.
The word “ace” became established in aviation a little later. Translated from French it means ace, a corruption of the Old French “Deus” - God. Initially, the official title of ace was awarded to a pilot who scored at least 5 registered victories (confirmed by three or more eyewitnesses of the battle) - in France, Great Britain and Russia, and at least 7 - in Germany and Austria-Hungary. A little later, to receive the title of ace, it was necessary to shoot down at least 10 enemy aircraft.
So, ramming could not become a rational combat technique in air combat, and therefore military pilots from many countries were looking for a way to install weapons on an aircraft. And so on November 3, 1914, the French military pilot Sergeant Roland Garro, together with Major de Rose, invented a device that allows you to fire a machine gun through a plane swept by the propeller of a running engine; before this, aviation was used only for reconnaissance purposes. Soon, Morand-Saulnier serial military aircraft were equipped with Garro's new product and a machine gun - it was installed parallel to the axis of the aircraft. In March 1915, planes rush into battle on different parts of the German-French front. Garro himself won three victories and, in fact, opened the line of aces. Many French pilots became Garro's followers. They began to sow panic among the enemy. But it so happened that the first ace in April of the same 1915 was captured by the Germans, and they successfully used the already well-established principles of the combat use of aviation. Moreover, designer Anthony Fokker, who worked in Germany, installed a machine-gun fire synchronizer on the aircraft, which significantly increased its combat capabilities. Fighter planes appear, and after them aces - French, German, Russian, Austrian...
The French school of air combat was the first to be formed; by the way, many Russian pilots also went through it. In 1916, the French had large fighter squads. The German ace Manfred von Richthofen called French fighters “magicians” in his memoirs. “They like to set traps and attack by surprise,” he noted. This is not easy to do in the air and it is not difficult to avoid the trap, since the enemy aircraft cannot hide in the air, and the invisible aircraft has not yet been invented. Therefore, only beginners can fall for such tricks. However, Gallic blood sometimes shows itself, and then the Frenchman attacks...”
The strongest representative of the French school of air combat, Captain Rene Paul Fonck, scored 75 victories. Captain Georg Guynemer has 54 won matches. The third result is Lieutenant Karls Nengesser - 43 victories. In the French Air Force during World War I, 52 pilots shot down at least 10 aircraft each. In total they destroyed 908 enemy vehicles. French pilots achieved major victories in fighter aircraft own production- Morand-Saulnier “N”, SPAD-VII designed by Louis Bechereau, SPAD-VIII, Nieuport 11 and Nieuport 17. Thus, SPAD-III (aces Fonck, Guynemer, Nengesser fought on it), equipped with a 150-horsepower engine, developed speed of about 180 km/h and was the fastest of all military aircraft. Its armament is one synchronized machine gun with a large supply of ammunition - 500 pieces.
And here are the achievements of the British Air Force pilots (people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and some African countries also served in them). Major Edward Mannock accounted for 73 downed aircraft, Major William Bishop (England) - 72, Major R. Collishaw (Canada) - 60. 29 English pilots each won more than 10 victories, destroying 681 aircraft. If we take into account the achievements of the pilots of the states that were part of Britain, the result is more significant. Thus, the 18 most successful pilots scored more than 35 victories each, shooting down a total of 881 aircraft. English aces fought on De Havilland DH2, Bristol F2, Sopwith E.1 fighters. "Kemel". In the US Air Force, 10 pilots became aces, destroying 142 enemy aircraft together.
American pilots also fought as part of the air forces of other Entente countries, and therefore the total tally of US aces is more significant - 293 downed aircraft. The strongest pilot, Captain Edward Rickenbacker, won 26 aerial duels. 9 Italian pilots were also among the aces of the First World War, having shot down 183 aircraft. The most successful of them is Francisco Baracca - 34 aerial victories. The Belgian pilots also fought bravely, three of whom destroyed more than 10 enemy aircraft each. And the leader, Lieutenant Willie Coppens, won 37 victories.
Russian pilots have also proven themselves to be masters of air combat (we'll talk about them later). In total, the Entente aces shot down over 2,000 German aircraft. The Germans admitted that they lost 2,138 aircraft in air battles and that about 1,000 aircraft did not return from enemy positions.
Against this background, the achievements of the German aces look more significant. In the German Air Force, 161 pilots had 10 or more aerial victories to their credit (no other country's Air Force had so many aces). They destroyed 3,270 enemy vehicles. Many aviation experts believe that the personal championship belongs to the German ace, captain Manfred von Richthofen. According to them, he shot down greatest number enemy aircraft - 80, according to other sources - about 60. Senior Lieutenant Ernst Udet has 62 victories, senior lieutenant Ernst Levenhardt has 53. Among the aces are the allies of the Germans - pilots of the Austrian-Hungarian Air Force. Thus, captain Godwin Brushovsky won 40 fights.
During the war, German pilots used fighters Albatross D.III and Albatross D.V, Fokker E.Shch, Fokker D.VII, Fokker D.VIII and their other modifications (in particular, Manfred von Richthofen fought on the Fokker Dr-1 fighter), Junker D1.
Alexander Kazakov
Manfred von Richthofen
Rene Paul Fonck
Edward Mannock
NOW about the most successful pilot of the First World War. A careful analysis of documents and literature on the use of fighter aircraft in 1914-1918 shows that it is the French pilot Rene Paul Fonck with 75 aerial victories. Well, what about the German ace Manfred von Richthofen, to whom some researchers attribute 80 destroyed enemy aircraft and consider him the strongest ace of the First World War? There is reason to believe (based on serious research by some experts) that Richthofen’s 20 victories are not reliable.
WHAT were the achievements of Russian pilots during the First World War? First, we note that the first fighter squadrons in the Russian army were created at the beginning of 1915. One defended Warsaw, the second protected the tsar’s headquarters from air attack. In the spring of 1916, 12 more fighter detachments were formed - one per field army. In the same year, due to the fact that Germany transferred more aircraft to the east, front-line fighter squads were created. Russian pilots fought on French-made aircraft; in 1915, the first domestically produced fighter aircraft, the Sikorsky S-16, appeared.
The greatest number of victories among Russian pilots was won by staff captain Alexander Kazakov - 17 (unconfirmed, taking into account downed aircraft that fell on enemy-occupied territory - 32). The war for him began on December 29, 1914, when, after graduating from the Gatchina Military Aviation School, he arrived on the Western Front in the 4th Corps Aviation Detachment. There were no fighters in our understanding at that time, and he shot down the first enemy aircraft on a high-speed French-made Morand-Jolnier monoplane - with a ramming attack. On April 1, 1915, the captain discovered a German Albatross biplane west of the Vistula near the village of Guzov, caught up with it and hit it with its wheels, the German plane flew like a stone. And then there were more and more air victories.
Staff Captain Evgraf Kruten shot down 15 (20) enemy aircraft, Captain Pyotr Argeev - 15. Despite the modest result compared to the aces of other countries, the Russians were known as skilled combat pilots who used perfect tactics. French military pilot Jean Duval, who observed the actions of Russian fighter pilots on the Eastern Front, advised his colleagues: “Do wing flips, corkscrews, dives and other numbers in relation to the enemy doing the same. Accurately calculate the distance from where you came out, take a shooting position with the machine gun already pointed at the target, and all this in a quarter of a second - only then will there be success...”
Evgraf Kruten introduced many techniques into the aerial combat arsenal. His most practiced techniques are an attack with an advantage in height, a passage from the direction of the sun 50-100 meters below the enemy, a sharp combat turn at the tail of an enemy airplane. Kruten opened fire from a short distance - 19-15 meters. The best pilots of Germany and Austria in battles with him were invariably defeated. Thus, the Austrian ace Oberleutnant Frank von Linko-Crawford (30 victories) “crossed swords in the air” with Kruten three times and, as the Austrian himself noted, each time he was forced to “descend” (land), saving his life. On the Eastern Front, Kruten had no equal.
Other Russian pilots also fought masterfully. A columnist for one of the Austrian newspapers noted that “Russian pilots were and remain the most dangerous enemy for us, more dangerous than the French.” That's how!
RUSSIAN AIR ACES OF THE FIRST WORLD
1. Staff Captain Alexander Kazakov 17 aircraft
2. Staff Captain Evgraf Kruten 15 aircraft
3. Captain Peter Argeev 15 aircraft
4. Lieutenant A.P. Seversky 13 aircraft
5. Lieutenant Ivan Smirnov 12 aircraft
6. Lieutenant Mikhail Safonov 11 aircraft
7. Captain Boris Sergievsky 11 aircraft
8. Ensign Edward Thomson 11 aircraft
9. Ensign Konstantin Artseulov around 10
x - The table shows only confirmed victories.
x - Some researchers believe that Russian pilots P. Marinovich, V. Fedorov, I. Orlov each shot down at least 10 enemy aircraft, and E. Pulpe, G. Suk, O. Teter, Y. Makhlapuu, V. Yanchenko and others eleven pilots of at least 5.
FOREIGN AIR ACES OF THE FIRST WORLD
1. Fonck (France) 75 aircraft
2. Mannock (England) 73 aircraft
3. Bishop (England) 72 aircraft
4. Udet (Germany) 62 aircraft
5. Manfred von Richthofen (Germany) 60 aircraft
6. Guynemer (France) 54 aircraft
7. McCaddy (England) 54 aircraft
8. Lowenhardt (Germany) 53 aircraft
9. Fallard (England) 48 aircraft
10. Voss (Germany) 48 aircraft
11. Rumei (Germany) 45 aircraft
12. Berthold (Germany) 44 aircraft
13. Beimer (Germany) 43 aircraft
14. Score (England) 43
15. Nengesser (France) 43 aircraft
16. Leser (Germany) 41 aircraft
17. Madon (France) 41
18. Jacobs (Germany) 41 aircraft
19. Behlke (Germany) 40 aircraft
20. Bruschovsky (Austria) 40 aircraft
21. Buchner (Germany) 40 aircraft
22. Lothar von Richthofen (Germany) 40 aircraft
23. Menkhoff (Germany) 39 aircraft
24. Gonterman (Germany) 39 aircraft
25. Coppens (Belgium) 37 aircraft
x - The aces have destroyed enemy aircraft and balloons. Some pilots also have unconfirmed aerial victories.
x - Of the British aces, only the British are listed in the table.
Austria-Hungary
Captain Godwin Brumowski 40
Non-commissioned officer Yul kus Argi 32
Oberleutnant Frank Linke-Crawford 30
Oberleutnant Verno Fiala, Ritger von Verbrugg 29
America
Captain Edward W. Rickenbsker 26 (USAS)
Captain William S. Lambert 22 (RAP)
Captain August T. Iakkatsi 18 (RAP)
2nd Lt. Frank Luke (Jr.) 18 (USAS)
Captain Frederick W. Gillette 17 (RAF)
Major Raoul Loughbury 17 (FFS)
Captain Howard A. Kuhedberg 16 (RAF)
Captain Ouray J. Rose 16 (RAF)
Captain Clip W Warman 15 (RAF)
First Lieutenant David E. Putnam 13 (FFS, USAS)
1st Lt. George A. Vughan (Jr.) 13 (RAF, USAS)
2nd Lt. Frank L. Bailey 12 (FFS)
Lieutenant Louis Bennett (Jr.) 12 (RAF)
Captain Field E. Kindln 12 (RAF, USAS)
Major Reid G. Lsndis 12 (RAF)
Captain Elliot W. Sprint 12 (RAF, USAS)
Lieutenant Paul T. Iaccapi II (RAF)
Lieutenant Kenneth R. Unger I (RAF)
Belgium
Second Lieutenant Willy Coliens De Hothalst 37
Ldyutshgt Anlrs D Molemester 11
Second Lieutenant Edmond Teffri 10
Captain Fernand Jacquet 7
Lieutenant Jean Oleslagers 6
Great Britain
Major E. S. Mannock England 73
Major W. A. Bishop Canada 72
Major R. Collishaw England 62 (of which 2 in the Russian Civil War)
Major J. T. B. McCudden England 57
Captain A. V. Beauchamp-Proctor South. Africa 54
Captain D. M. McLaren Canada 54
Major V. G. Barksr Channel -52
Captain P. F. Fullard England 52
Major R. S. Dallas Australia 51
Captain G. E. H. McElroy Ireland 49
Captain A Ball England 47
Captain R. A. Little Australia 47
Major T. F. Hasel Ireland 43
Major J. Gilmour Scotland 40
Captain J. I. T. Jones Wales 40
Captain F. R. McCall Canada 37
Captain W. G. Claxstone of Channel 36
Captain J. S. T. Fall Canada 36
Captain X. W. Woollett England 36
Captain A.K. Etxy Canada 35
Captain S. M. Kinkead South. Africa 35 (plus 5 in the Russian Civil War)
Germany
Captain Manfred von Richthofen 80
Oberleutnant Ernst Udet 62
Oberleutnant Erich Levnhardg 53
Lieutenant Werner Voss 48
Captain Bruno Loertsr 45
Lsytsna1gg Fritz Rumey 45
Captain Rudolf Berthold 44
Lieutenant Paul Baumer 43
Lieutenant Jossf Yakobe 41
Captain Osfald Belke 40
Lieutenant Franz Büchner 40
Pages 25-32 were missing from the original scan
Edward Mannock in the cockpit of S.E.5A
William Bishop
Manfred von Richthofen
Albert Ball
James McCudden
Ernst Udet
Georges Guynemer
Pages 35-46 were missing from the original scan
The Wings - Digest magazine also continues the series Airplanes of the World, which previously published monographs on the history of the creation and combat use of the P-39 Airacobra, P-47 Thunderbolt fighters, and the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber (with drawings, layout, coloring options). One of the issues of “Wings” will be entirely dedicated to the P-63 Kingcobra fighter. Moreover, for the first time, materials from the archives are published, and a number of unique photographs are given. The drawings were made with a huge amount of clarifications and amendments to those available to aviation enthusiasts. Moreover, they were made based on the study of those found on Kuril Islands wreckage of the P-63, which was in service with the USSR Air Force, and based on the results of work with full-scale samples in US aviation museums.
The photo shows the dispatch of P-63A Kingcobra fighters to the USSR.
However, higher insignia were soon required to commemorate military exploits. Accordingly, three higher degrees of the Knight's Cross were introduced. These were: Oak Leaves. Swords on Oak Leaves and Diamonds on Crossed Swords and Oak Leaves.
There are no exact equivalents between the insignia of one country or another, but very roughly it can be considered that the Knight's Cross with Diamonds. Swords and Oak Leaves corresponds to the Soviet Order of Victory, the English Victoria Cross or the American Medal of Glory. Only 28 Germans received diamonds for their Knight's Cross in the period 1939-1945.
With characteristic pomp, especially ala Hermann Goering, the last degree of the Iron Cross was introduced. It was the Great Iron Cross, significant in size, introduced only to please the vanity of the Reichsmarshal.
Another special option The diamonds were presented to Colonel Hans-Ulrich Rudel. commander of the Ju 87 armed unit of SG-2 Immelmann." The tenth person to receive Diamonds as a reward. Rudel was awarded the gold version of this award nine months after he was awarded the Diamonds for the Knight's Cross.
Germany's best ace of World War II was Erich Hartmann. This was the new Richthofen of the new war, with a staggering 352 official victories to his name. Hartmann's tally exceeded the Red Baron's victories by more than four rai. He managed to survive the war. Sufficiently trained, he became a lieutenant colonel in the revived West German Air Force, the first commander of the SG-7I wing, named Richthofen, and then worked in Bonn as a tactical training expert.
Hartman was of average height with rich light hair and quick blue eyes that did not miss anything - be it a fleeting expression on the interlocutor’s face or beautiful girl. His skill in aerial shooting became legendary and was the decisive factor in making him such an outstanding ace. Hartman's wingman said that when his commander was killed, he passed near a Russian fighter from the tail. Hartman lightly pressed the gun trigger when the line of sight momentarily fell on the enemy plane, and a single shell hit the enemy machine with complete accuracy, smashing it to pieces. Such things happened again and again, pilots spoke in awe of the young ace's marksmanship. whenever we get together.
Hartmann completed 1,425 Einsatzes and took part in more than 800 Rabarbars during his career. His 352 victories included many missions with multiple kills of enemy aircraft in one day, his best being six Soviet aircraft shot down on August 24, 1944. This included three Pe-2s and two Yaks. one Airacobra. The same day turned out to be his best day with 11 victories in two combat missions, during the second mission he became the first person in history to shoot down 300 aircraft in dogfights.
Hartman fought not only against the Russians. In the skies of Romania at the controls of his Bf 109, he also met with American pilots. On one of these days, during two combat missions, he shot down five P-51 Mustangs.
As a symbol of his forced separation from his beloved Ursula Petch, Hartman painted a bleeding heart pierced by an arrow on his plane. Flying this machine and shooting down enemy aircraft, he became the most feared and feared pilot on the Eastern Front.
He was known as the “Black Devil of Ukraine” (Moreover, this nickname was used by the Germans themselves, and not by the Russians, as they present it now). The moral significance of his presence on any part of the front for the Germans was comparable only to the presence of Baron Richthofen during the First World War.
Hartman was shot down at least 16 times, making forced landings in most cases. Three times he received crushing blows from the flying debris of the aircraft he shot down right in front of the nose of his Bf 109. On September 20, 1943, the day of his 90th victory, he was shot down and landed behind the front line. After four hours in Russian captivity, he managed to escape and return to the ranks of the Luftwaffe.
Hartman was wounded more than once. But the greatest danger to his life arose only after the end of the war. As commander of the First Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Squadron, which was based at a small airfield near Strakovnice in Czechoslovakia. Hartman knew that the Red Army would capture this airfield in a couple of days. He ordered the destruction of the base and headed west with all his personnel to fall into the hands of the advanced tank units of the US Army. However, by that time there was already an agreement between the allies, according to which all Germans leaving the Russians should be transferred back at the first opportunity. Thus Hartman fell into the hands of his main enemies. A trial followed, a sentence according to the laws of Soviet justice, and ten and a half years in prison camps. Many times he was offered his freedom in exchange for spying for the Russians or joining the East German Air Force. Rejecting all these offers. Hartman remained in prison and was released only in 1955. Returning to his wife in West Germany, starting all over again, he took a course in jet aircraft, and this time his teachers were Americans.
The world knows only one other member of the only "300 Club", Major Gerhard Barkhorn with his 301 official aerial victories. Barkhorn also fought on the Eastern Front. Slightly taller than Hartman. He received his rank as a pilot in 1939 and was assigned to the famous Richtofen squadron. Later he was sent to the eastern front, where he shot down the first plane in June 1941, and from that time on his victories in the air became frequent and constant. On the Russian Front, like all fighter pilots, Barkhorn flew many combat missions and more than once achieved several aerial victories in one day. His most successful mission was on June 20, 1942, when he shot down 4 Soviet aircraft, and his best combat day is considered the day when he scored seven aerial victories. Transferred to JG-6. air wing "Horst Wessel", Barkhorn switched to jet technology when this unit received the MS-262 weapons. During his second flight on this plane, Barkhorn attacked a formation of bombers, and at that moment his right engine failed, which was immediately noticed by the P-51 Mustang fighters accompanying the bombers. With one engine, the Ms-262 was inferior to them in speed, which the American pilots knew very well. Barkhorn threw his damaged plane into a dive to break away from pursuit and make an emergency landing. He opened the canopy just before touching the ground. A forced belly landing on an uneven surface led to the slamming of the cockpit canopy, which nearly broke the pilot's neck.
In total, Barkhorn flew 1,114 combat missions, and total number His missions range from 1800 to 2000. He was shot down ten times, wounded twice, and captured once. Having survived the war, he is known as the second most shot down Luftwaffe ace. In 1955, at the age of just 36 and with a wealth of experience in the field, he joined the new Luftwaffe and commanded a training wing equipped with F-I04 aircraft, located at Nowechin in Germany.
Ponter Rall with his 275 downed enemy aircraft is rightfully considered the third Luftwaffe ace in terms of the number of victories won. Rall fought against France and England in 1939-1940, and then against Romania. Greece and Crete in 1941. From 1941 to 1944 he was on the eastern front. In 1944, he returned to the skies of Germany and fought against the aviation of the Western Allies. All his rich combat experience was gained as a result of more than 800 “rabarbars”. Rall was wounded three times and shot down several times; on November 28, 1941, in a daytime air battle, his plane was so badly damaged that it was impossible to land it without an accident. During landing, it fell apart, and Rall broke his spine in three places. There was no hope of returning to formation. But after ten months of treatment in the hospital, his health returned, and he took the plane into the air again. While defending Berlin in 1944 or being attacked by the Americans, PaLib received a constant reminder of the US Air Force. "Thunderbolts" pinned his plane in the capital of the Third Reich, damaging his control, and one of the bursts aimed at the cockpit cut off his thumb. right hand with surgical cleanliness. Rall was shell-shocked, but after a few weeks he recovered and returned to duty.
After the war, having undergone repeated jet training at the same time and place as Erich Hartmann, he qualified as a colonel in the new Air Force in 1961.
Lieutenant Otto Kitgel. known to his fellow soldiers as “Bruno,” he was only 165 cm tall, but turned out to be a valiant enough air fighter to become the fourth Luftwaffe ace with 267 air victories. Calm, serious and shy, dark-haired Kitgel was the complete opposite of the prevailing idea of the appearance of a pilot - top class fighter.
When Kitgel was initially assigned to JG-54, his superiors came to the conclusion that he was quickly overpowered by a large force of German fighter pilots who were shot down before scoring a single victory. He turned out to be an incredibly bad shot. Hans Phillip and Walter Nowotny. among others, I persistently taught Kipel and eventually gave the little man the “eye of the hunter.” Once he understood the principles of aerial fire and the trajectory of shells, he began an impressive string of victories.
Sent to the Russian Front, “Bruno” became the fourth German pilot to exceed the score of 250 aerial victories by 17 shot down.” Fro's combat experience also included a forced landing behind the front lines and 14 days in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. In the battle with Il-2 attack aircraft, Kittel's plane was damaged by their fire and, having passed through gentle anti-aircraft fire, exploded.
Although Major Walter Nowotny is considered the fifth-largest Luftwaffe ace in kills, he was the most famous ace of World War II outside Germany. He occupied a place of honor alongside Galland and Mölders in popularity abroad, and his name was one of the few that leaked behind the front lines during the war and was discussed by the Allied public, just as it was with Boelcke and Richtofen during the I - th world war
Nowotny was respected among German fighter pilots like no other pilot. For all his courage in the air, he was a charming and friendly person on the ground. He joined the Lufgwaffe in 1939 at the age of 18. Like Otto, Kigtel was assigned to JG-54 and flew many combat missions before he managed to overcome the disturbing feverish excitement and find his “fighter's eye.”
On July 19, 1941, Gola won his first victory in the skies over the island of Ezel, adding three more downed planes during the same day. At the same time, Novotny learned the other side of the coin, when a skillful and decisive Russian pilot shot him down and sent him “to drink water.” It was already night when Novotny paddled his rubber raft to the beret.
Erich Hartmann (center)
Gerhard Barkhorn
Hans-Ulrich Rudel with his marksman Erven Hel
Walter Nowotny (left) after being awarded the Knight's Cross
“Novi,” as his comrades liked to call him, was a legend in his lifetime. Captain at 22, he had chalked up 250 aerial victories before his next birthday, becoming the first pilot to achieve that almost incredible number of kills. He became the eighth military man to receive the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. It should be noted that all insignia were given regardless of the type of troops. Gapland was the first to receive the Crossed Swords of the Knight's Cross, followed by Mölders, Oesau, Lützow, Krgchmer, Rommel and 145 others. Mölder, Gapland, Marseille, Graf and Rommel received Diamonds for this order, followed by only 22 recipients.
An outstanding commander and tactician, a masterful pilot, and an excellent marksman, Novotny won many outstanding victories in the difficult art of air combat. General Adolf Galland gave him the honor of commanding the first unit equipped with Ms-262 jet fighters. With 255 aerial victories to his name. Novotny took to the air to protect his base from a raid by B-17 bombers, and the Mustangs and Thunderbolts, insatiable and indomitable in their desire to destroy him, were already hovering around the airfield at the moment when Novotny took off from the ground. He broke into the formation of bombers and very quickly hit three aircraft one after another. Then one of the engines failed, it is not known what happened to it, but it is assumed that one of the birds that are found in abundance near Ashmers fell into it. In the next few minutes, there was a stand of approximately one kilometer. Novotny was attacked by a group of American fighters. His plane crashed to the ground with a howl and roar and exploded. The charred remains of the Knight's Cross and the Diamond Addition to it were later found in the rubble.
The sixth German ace, Wilhelm Butz, spent almost the entire war while in training. In 1942, after repeated and decisive demands for transfer, he finally achieved assignment to a combat unit, saying goodbye to the tired and tedious work of training young pilots. Butz was sent to Russia and quickly promoted. He later said about this transfer: “I received my promotion and the position of squadron commander much faster than my combat experience or the number of air victories allowed, since we suffered very heavy losses in relation not only to young people, but also to experienced trained officers.” These losses and his modest Five Victories left Butz so deeply depressed that he seriously considered leaving the fighter pilot service and returning to flight school. He couldn't do anything. Subsequently, he spoke about this time like this: “I had a strong inferiority complex, which I was able to get rid of only in Crimea, and then success immediately came to me.”
Bati began to accumulate a tally of aerial victories and ended the war with 237 official victories, won in 445 battles with the enemy. His most productive day came in the summer of 1944 over the skies of Romania, where he shot down 15 fighters and bombers in three combat missions on the same day. Only two pilots were able to surpass this record; Marseille shot down 17 aircraft in three combat missions in Africa with JG-27 under Colonel Ed Pojman and Captain Emil Lunt shot down 18 Russian aircraft in three missions on the Eastern Front. Butz survived the war and in 1956, at the age of 40, enlisted in the new German Air Force.
Seventh in the table of ranks of German aces of the Second World War is Major Erich Ruhlorfer, the holder of the record for the most aircraft shot down in one combat mission. In a wild 17-minute battle on November 6, 1943, Rudorfer shot down 13 Russian planes one after another. This result was not a fluke for Rudorfer. He was known as an absolute master of aerial shooting, and the Germans themselves believed that in this regard he had no rivals. Only two pilots could compete with him in accuracy: Erich Hartmann and Joachim Marseille. Several downed vehicles in one battle are a flock of Rudorfer's principle.
His amazing aerial shooting abilities were not limited only to the Eastern Front. On February 9, 1943, he shot down eight British aircraft in one combat mission. Six days later he shot down seven more “English” aircraft in two combat missions. Having been transferred to Russia in June 1943. Rudorfer continued to increase his score here at the same pace, repeatedly shooting down several planes a day. On October 28, 1944, he scored 8 aerial victories in two combat missions; on October 11, 1941, he shot down seven aircraft during one combat mission. His record day came on November 6, 1943, and on October 28, 1944 he shot down 11 Russian aircraft in two missions. His tally in the air war was 222 victories. Like most of Germany's best pilots, he managed to survive the war.
In the entire Lufwaffe there was no more friendly, kind and warm-hearted person than Colonel Heinz Bahr, nicknamed “The Bear,” who became the eighth German ace of the Second World War. Generous, the embodiment of good-heartedness. The bar was the kind of people people talk about. that they were born in the air. In 1928, at the age of 15, he began his flying career on his own initiative by joining a gliding club. At that time, under the Treaty of Versailles, military aviation was prohibited in Germany. Bahr received his private pilot's license in 1930 and began preparing to join the Air Force, gaining experience in all types of aircraft, which he was able to try with the German passenger airline Lufthansa. I didn't have to wait long. When Hitler came to power, he was among the first German military pilots trained in circumvention of the treaty. When World War II broke out, he was one of the first to enter air combat and achieve his first victory in the skies of France. shooting down a French Air Force Curtiss P-36 Hawk.
In the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, Bahr scored 17 more victories, flying with one of Germany's best pilots and commanders, Colonel Werner Mölders. Sent to Russia in 1941, by February 1942 Bar already had 103 victories to his name, and for this result he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords,
Transferred to Sicily, he commanded a fighter wing during the Battle of Malta, and by the end of that battle his egg count had increased to 175 enemy aircraft. He became the commander of the Udet Fighter Regiment, which defended the Reich. Later, as one of the best aces, he was selected to join the elite unit of JG-44, flying the Me-262 under the command of General Galland. In this role, he became a jet ace, scoring 16 victories at the controls of his Messerschmitt. He can be considered as the best jet ace, along with American Captain Joseph McConnell Jr., a pilot of the times. Korean War.
Having ended the Second World War with 220 victories (of which 124 were British, American and French aircraft), Bar had 15 or 18 cases under his belt when he himself became a victim. After being wounded several times, he ended the war in a prisoner of war camp. After her liberation, she discovered that her high position during the war was now a burden. As a “militarist” he was removed from all any interesting affairs, but in 1950, happiness smiled on him again when he was entrusted with the leadership of sports aviation in West Germany.
Hans-Joachim Marseille in the cockpit of a Bf 109
Wornsr Mellers
Having survived volleys of enemy guns and a full six years of war in the air. Bar died in 1957 during a demonstration flight on a light aircraft.
It is impossible to describe the careers of all German aces in one magazine article, but even such a presentation would not be complete without mentioning several more ace fighters. whose personal accounts, although not located near the upper limit, but whose contribution to German fighter aviation is invaluable.
Together with Rudorfer and Hartman. Captain Joachim Marseille was one of the top three air gunners in the Luftwaffe. According to General Galland, "Marseille's career was like a meteor." Having entered the German aviation at the age of 20, he learned to fly at 21 and participated in battles for only two years, until on September 30, 1942 he was shot down during one of the operations in North Africa. He already had 158 aerial victories.
He took lead shooting to the level of true art, becoming a virtuoso, winning all his victories only on the Bf 109. He had to fly both on the Western Front and in North Africa. Over the waterless expanses of the western desert of Marseille, it gained rare fame. Along with Field Marshal Rommel, he became the most famous fighter of the North African Campaign, where he scored 151 aerial victories.
Like Hartmann and Rudorfer, Marseille caused terrible devastation in the enemy battle formations and landed, as a rule, with a sufficient amount of ammunition remaining. If he fired, he hit the target with the first shot. Once he shot down six enemy aircraft, using only 10 shells for a 20-mm cannon and 180 rounds for each machine gun.
Covered in glory and at the zenith of his popularity, Marseille took to the air in the experimental Bf 109 on a test combat mission, very much hoping that the more powerful aircraft would bring him further victories. But the plane brought only death to its pilot. Seven kilometers south of Sidi Abdel Rhaman, the fighter hit the desert sand with a dull thud, and Marseila was gone. The true cause of his death is unknown. The Germans believe that the plane caught fire in the air, and the unconscious Marseille was unable to land it. Or maybe the credit for this belongs to the English pilot, but in any case, his death had a strong demoralizing effect on German soldiers in North Africa.
Marseille has the historical distinction of having flown more British aircraft than any other German pilot.
The Germans had many favorable opportunities to develop outstanding night fighter pilots, and those who managed to survive the huge attrition of pilots in night battles became true masters of their craft. Major Hans-Wolftant Schnauffer had the best tally of night victories in the war, shooting down 121 vehicles. The English called him "The Night Ghost of St. Trond." He survived the entire war and the risk of night air battles only to die in a car accident in France on July 15, 1950. For his services during the war, he was awarded the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross.
Colonel Helmut Lent as a night fighter takes second place behind Schnauffer. with 110 official victories to his name. He also has 8 victories during the day, but they cannot be compared with his nighttime exploits. Lent cut his teeth back in Poland in 1939, and was transferred to night flying in May 1941. By June 1944, he had more than a hundred victories, intercepting Lancasters and Halifaxes, which became Germany's nightly retribution.
Lenth three times was wounded and survived countless terrible night battles in the air until he died in a ridiculous collision with three other aircraft of the same unit NJG-I. where he serves. Having lived two more days after the disaster, he died of his wounds on October 7, 1944.
Among the fighter pilots of any country, those always appear. who are destined by fate for millions of leaders. From this point of view, the outstanding ones are And German pilots, although the records of their personal victories do not allow them to be placed at the top of the table of air heroes. This is Adolf Galland. Vsrner Mölders and Johannes Steinhoff,
Mölders was initially rejected by the medical board where he arrived before training to fly in 1935. After long, carefully designed exercises, he passed a medical examination and was declared fit, although he was severely plagued by seasickness, headaches and vomiting. But the great desire to become a fighter pilot prevailed. Carefully hiding his troubles, he soon became an instructor pilot and had the opportunity to experience real air combat. In April 1938, Mölders was sent to Spain as part of the Condor Legion.
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter is the main aircraft of the German aces
When arriving at the YS-3 regiment. In Spain, Mölders introduced himself to the commander of this unit, Adolf Galland. Galland treated the young pilot coldly, but soon admitted that Mölders was “a wonderful officer and a brilliant pilot with outstanding qualities.”
In May 1938, Mölders took command from Galland and began his career as a leader, becoming a significant figure in the history of air combat. He scored 14 aerial victories in Spain, making him the leading German ace of the war.
Möllers was instrumental in the development and use of the famous four-finger fighter formation, which became standard for the Luftwaffe and was later copied by Allied aircraft. He had the rare opportunity to discern and introduce into air combat tactics the decisive changes associated with the advent of all-metal, high-speed, low-wing fighters.
By October 1940, Mölders had 45 victories over the British Air Force and was the commander of JG-5I. In the first half of 1941, the number of his victories reached a hundred and this alarming news managed to cross the English Channel. This was the first evidence from the German side that new war is going to present very significant accounts of air victories.
Mölders died near Breslau in the accidental crash of the He 111 he was flying from Russia to Berlin to serve as an honor guard at the funeral of World War I ace Ernst Udeg.
With the death of Mölders, his former commander in Spain, Adolf Galland, who now served under his former subordinate, was appointed inspector general of fighter aviation.
General Galland fought like a true soldier. A genius in air combat, he showed himself superbly both as a tactician and as an organizer of fighter operations. His clashes with Goering over fighter armament and disagreements with both Goering and Hitler over the use of fighter aircraft amply demonstrate his personal courage.
Galland's military career is an example of how some of Hitler's and his high command's misconceptions about strategy and tactics were a boon to the Allies. If such generals as Galland, Udet, Rommel, Guderian, Student* and many others had a free hand, then there is no doubt that the picture of not only air battles, but also the entire everyday war would be completely different.
*General Student – Commander of the German Air Force
Adolf Galland
Galland's growing irritation with his superiors. which, as he sees, is pushing Germany into the abyss, has led him to open explosion and confrontation. He was eventually relieved of command in January 1945.
But after his removal, he still had the opportunity to form the fighter unit of JG-44. armed with jet fighters. This unit was staffed by experienced aces of his personal choice and several promising young pilots. They received Me 262 jet fighters, although Hitler was fanatically opposed to such use of this aircraft. Hartmann, Barkhorn, Bahr and Steinhoff were among the top class pilots. selected for this elite unit.
Although Galland is better known as a commander and organizer than as a fighter pilot, his personal tally of 103 victories, 7 of them in the Me 262, makes him a remarkable German air ace. All of his victories were against the British, Americans and French, including 31 Hurricanes and 47 legendary Spitfires.
The special qualities and skill that made Colonel Johannes Steinhoff one of the outstanding leaders and leaders of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War rightly give him a place in the historical company of Mölders, Gotland and other ace leaders. As an Air Force colonel during the war. Steinhoff showed great initiative and independence. These qualities were especially necessary at a time when crazy orders from Goering and Hitler regarding the use of fighter units began to appear frequently.
Later, Hans-Otto Boehm, who until his death in 1963 was the leading authority on German fighter aviation, said of Steinhoff: “An outstanding man who often acted independently and contrary to orders, especially when commanding JG-77 in Italy.” He was credited with 176 aerial victories, 27 over the Western Allies and 149 at East Frogt. He achieved six of his victories in the Me 262. An outstanding leader, Steinhoff trained many pilots and prepared them for air combat. Lieutenant Walter Krupinski, with a 1% victory rate, began his battle count by flying as Steinhoff's wingman.
A service post at the front in the English Channel region. During the Battle of Britain, in Russia, North Africa and Italy, Steinhoff became a colonel in a jet fighter unit in the final months of the war. He suffered severe burns during a landing accident with his Me 262 on April 18, 1945 and was hospitalized for two years, undergoing skin grafts more than once during this time.
In the fifties, Steinhoff was nominated to form the command core of the new German Air Force. After completing repeated jet training in 1955-56, he was promoted to major general and served in Washington as a member of the NATO Military Council for the German Air Force.
JAPAN
Japanese military customs contributed to the obscurity in which Japanese fighter aces arrived. And not only for their opponents, but also for their own people, whom they defended. For the Japanese military caste of that time, the idea of making military victories public was simply unthinkable, and any recognition of fighter aces in general was also unthinkable. Only in March 1945, when the final defeat of Japan became inevitable, military propaganda allowed the names of two fighter pilots, Shioki Sugita and Saburo Sakai, to be mentioned in an official message. Japanese military traditions recognized only dead heroes. For this reason, it was not customary for Japanese aviation to celebrate aerial victories on airplanes, although exceptions did occur.
The indestructible caste system in the army also forced outstanding ace pilots to fight almost the entire war with the rank of sergeants. When Saburo Sakai became an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy after 60 aerial victories and eleven years of service as a combat pilot, he set a record for rapid promotion.
The Japanese tested their combat wings in the skies over China long before the start of World War II. Although they rarely encountered any serious resistance there, they nevertheless gained invaluable experience in real combat shooting at aerial targets, and self-confidence. resulting from the superiority of Japanese aviation, it became an extremely important part of combat training.
The pilots who swept away everything over Pearl Harbor, sowed death in the Philippines and Far East, were outstanding combat pilots. They excelled both in the art of aerobatics and in aerial shooting, which brought them many victories. Especially naval aviation nilots went through such a harsh and strict school as nowhere else in the world. For example, to develop vision, a box-shaped structure with telescopic windows aimed at the sky was used. Inside such a box, novice pilots spent long hours, peering into the sky. Their vision became so sharp. that they could see the stars during the day.
The tactics that the Americans used in the early days of the war played into the hands of the Japanese pilots sitting at the controls of their Zeros. At this time, the fighter, Zero, had no equal in the cramped air “dog dumps”. The 20-mm cannons, maneuverability and light weight of the Zero aircraft became an unpleasant surprise for all Allied aviation pilots who encountered them in air battles at the beginning of the war. Until 1942, in the hands of well-trained Japanese pilots, the Zero was at the zenith of its glory, fighting against Wildcats, Airacobras and Tomahawks.
American carrier-based pilots were able to take more decisive action. only having received the best F-6F Hellcat fighters in terms of their flight characteristics, and with the advent of the F-4U Corsair, P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, Japan's air power gradually began to fade away.
The best of all Japanese fighter pilots, in terms of the number of victories won, was Hiroshi Nishizawa, who fought on the Zero fighter throughout the war. Japanese pilots called Nishizawa among themselves “The Devil,” since no other nickname could so well convey the manner of his flight and destruction of the enemy. With a height of 173 cm, very tall for a Japanese, with a deathly pale face, he was a withdrawn, arrogant and secretive person who pointedly avoided the company of his comrades.
In the air, Nishizawa made his Zero do things that no Japanese pilot could repeat. It seemed as if part of his willpower was rushing out and connecting with the plane. In his hands, the limits of the machine's design meant absolutely nothing. He could surprise and delight even seasoned Zero pilots with the energy of his flight.
One of the select Japanese aces to fly with the Lae Air Wing in New Guinea in 1942, Nishizawa was prone to bouts of dengue fever and suffered frequently from dysentery. But when he jumped into the cockpit of his plane, he threw off all his illnesses and infirmities like a cloak in one fell swoop, immediately regaining his legendary vision and the art of flying in place of an almost constant painful state.
Nishizawa was credited with 103 aerial victories, according to other sources 84, but even the second figure may surprise anyone who is accustomed to much lower results of American and English aces. However, Nishizawa took off with the firm intention of winning the war, and was such a pilot and gunner that he shot down an enemy almost every time he went into battle. None of those. Those who fought with him had no doubt that Nishizawa shot down more than a hundred enemy aircraft. He was also the only World War II pilot to shoot down more than 90 American aircraft.
On October 16, 1944, Nishizawa was piloting an unarmed twin-engine transport aircraft with pilots on board who were en route to receive new aircraft at Clark Field in the Philippines. The heavy, lumbering machine was intercepted by the US Navy's Hellcats, and even Nishizawa's invincible skill and experience were rendered useless. After several approaches by fighters, the transport plane, engulfed in flames, crashed down, taking with it the lives of the “Devil” and other pilots. It should be noted that, despising death, Japanese pilots did not take a parachute with them on a flight, but only a pistol or a samurai sword. Only when the pilot losses became catastrophic did the command oblige the pilots to take parachutes with them.
The title of the second Japanese ace is held by naval aviation pilot First Class Shioki Sugita, who has 80 aerial victories. Sugita fought throughout the war until its last months, when American fighters began to fly over the islands of Japan itself. At this time he flew the Sinden aircraft, which in the hands of an experienced pilot was as good as any Allied fighter. On April 17, 1945, Sutita was attacked while taking off from Kanoya Air Base, and his flaming Sindson crashed into the ground like lightning, becoming the funeral pyre of Japan's second ace.
Fighter "Zero". Such planes were flown by Nishizawa and Saburo Sakai.
Sinden fighter. This type of aircraft was flown by Shioki Sugita
Raiden Fighter. Tamei Akamatsu flew this type of aircraft
When in connection with air battles one remembers human courage and endurance, one cannot ignore the career of Lieutenant Saburo Sakai, the best of the Japanese aces who survived the war, who had 64 downed aircraft. Sakai began fighting in China and ended the war after the surrender of Japan. One of his first victories in World War 2 was the destruction of the B-17 of US air hero Kalin Kelly.
The story of his military life is vividly described in the autobiographical book “Samurai,” which Sakai wrote in collaboration with journalist Fred Saido and American historian Martin Caidin. The aviation world knows the names of the legless ace Beydsra, the Russian pilot Maresyev, who lost his feet, and Sakai cannot be forgotten. A courageous Japanese man flew during the final stages of the war with only one eye! Similar examples are very difficult to find, since vision is a vital element for a fighter pilot.
After one brutal engagement with American aircraft on Guadalcanal, Sakai returned to Rabul, nearly blind, partially paralyzed, in a damaged aircraft. This flight is one of the outstanding examples of the struggle for life. The pilot recovered from his wounds and, despite the loss of his right eye, returned to duty, again engaging in fierce battles with the enemy.
It’s hard to believe that this one-eyed pilot, on the very eve of Japan’s surrender, took his Zero into the air at night and shot down a B-29 Superfortress bomber. In his memoirs, he later admitted that he survived the war only thanks to the poor aerial shooting of many American pilots, who often simply missed him.
Another Japanese fighter pilot, Lieutenant Naoshi Kanno, became famous for his ability to intercept B-17 bombers. which, with their size, structural strength and the power of defensive fire, struck fear into many Japanese pilots. Kanno's personal tally of 52 victories included 12 Flying Fortresses. The tactic he used against the B-17 was a forward dive attack followed by a roll and was first tried early in the war in the South Pacific.
Kanno died during the final part of the defense of the Japanese islands. At the same time, the Germans credited Major Julius Meinberg (83 victories), who served in squadrons JG-53 and JG-2, with the invention and first use of frontal attack bombers of the B-17 type.
Japanese fighter pilots can boast at least one exception to the "Japanese character" in their ranks. Lieutenant Tamei Akamatsu, who served in the Japanese Imperial Navy, was a very peculiar person. He was something of a “black sheep” for the entire fleet and a source of constant irritation and anxiety for the command. For his comrades in arms, he was a flying mystery, and for the girls of Japan, an adored hero. Distinguished by his stormy temperament, he became a violator of all rules and traditions and nevertheless managed to win a huge number of aerial victories. It was quite common for his squadron mates to see Akamatsu staggering across the area in front of the hangars towards his fighter, waving a bottle of sake. Being indifferent to rules and traditions, which seems incredible for the Japanese army, he refused to attend pilot briefings. Messages about upcoming flights were conveyed to him by special messenger or by telephone. so that he could wallow in his chosen brothel until the very last moment. A few minutes before departure, he would appear in an ancient, beat-up car, speeding around the airfield and roaring like a demon.
He was demoted many times. After ten years of service he was still a lieutenant. His wild habits on the ground were doubled in the air and complemented by some special deft piloting and outstanding tactical skill. These are his character traits in air combat were so valuable that the command allowed Akamatsu to commit obvious violations of discipline.
And he brilliantly demonstrated his flying skills, piloting the heavy and difficult to fly Raiden fighter, designed to fight heavy bombers. Having a maximum speed of about 580 km/h, it was practically not suitable for aerobatics. Almost any fighter was superior to it in maneuver, and it was more difficult to engage in a dogfight in this machine than in any other aircraft. But, despite all these shortcomings, Akamatsu on his “Raiden” more than once attacked the formidable “Mustangs” and “Hellcats”, and, as is well known, shot down at least a dozen of these fighters in air battles. His swagger, swagger and brashness on the ground could not allow him to sensibly and objectively recognize the superiority of American aircraft. It is possible that this was the only way he managed to survive in air battles, not to mention his multiple victories.
Akamatsu is one of the few top Japanese fighter pilots to survive the war, with 50 aerial victories to his credit. After the end of hostilities, he started a restaurant business in Nagoya.
A brave and aggressive pilot, non-commissioned officer Kinsuke Mugo, shot down no less than four huge B-29 bombers. When these planes first appeared in the air, the Japanese had difficulty recovering from the shock of their power and fighting ability. After the B-29, with its enormous speed and lethal force of defensive fire, brought war to the islands of Japan itself, it became a moral and technical victory for America, which the Japanese could not really resist until the very end of the war. Only a few pilots could boast of having shot down B-29s. Mugo had several such aircraft on his account.
In February 1945, the intrepid pilot took off alone in his old Zero fighter to fight 12 F-4U Corsairs strafing targets in Tokyo. The Americans could hardly believe their eyes when they flew like a demon of death. Mugo set fire to two Corsairs one after the other in short bursts, demoralizing and disrupting the order of the remaining ten. The Americans were still able to pull themselves together and began to attack the lone Zero. But Muto's brilliant aerobatic skills and aggressive tactics allowed him to stay on top of the situation and avoid damage until he fired all his ammunition. By this time, two more Corsairs had fallen down, and the surviving pilots realized that they were dealing with one of the best pilots in Japan. Archives show that these four Corsairs were the only American aircraft shot down over Tokyo that day.
By 1945, the Zero was essentially left behind by all the Allied fighters attacking Japan. In June 1945, Mugo was still flying the Zero, remaining loyal until the end of the war. He was shot down during an attack on the Liberator, a couple of weeks before the end of the war.
The Japanese rules for confirming victories were similar to those of the Allies, but were applied very loosely. As a result, many of the personal accounts of Japanese pilots may be in question. Because of their desire to keep weight to a minimum, they did not use machine guns on their aircraft, and therefore did not have photographic evidence to confirm their victories. However, the likelihood of exaggeration and attribution of false victories was quite small. Since there are no awards or distinctions. this did not mean thanks or promotion, as well as fame, there were no motives for the “inflated, data on downed enemy aircraft.
The Japanese had many pilots with twenty or fewer victories to their name, quite a few with 20 to 30 victories, and a small number standing next to Nishizawa and Suchita.
Japanese pilots, for all their valor and brilliant successes, were shot down by pilots of American aviation, which was gradually gaining its power. American pilots were armed with better equipment and had better coordination. excellent communications and excellent combat training.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Major Richard Ira Bong
Richard Bong with his bride in the cockpit of the P-38
Fighter R-38 "Lightnig". Bong and Myakguire flew on such a plane
Born September 24, 1920 in Smoperior, Wisconsin. After graduating from school in 1940, Bong became a cadet at the military aviation school, from which he graduated with honors in 1942. After graduation, he was assigned to serve as an instructor pilot at Luke Field in Phoenix, Arizona, and then Hamilton Field in California. From here, one fine July day, Bong takes off in a P-3S Lightning to fly a loop of incredible courage and risk around the central span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. After the end of this flight, Bong was called on the carpet to the commander of the 4th Air Force, General George Kenya, and this meeting played a big role in the future fate of the pilot.
When Kenya was sent to the Pacific to command the 5th Air Force, he remembered the brave pilot from Hamilton Fish and transferred him to the 9th Airborne Knights of the 49th Fighter Group, where he was soon promoted to the position of squadron commander. But the 9th Division had not yet received new aircraft. -38 and did not take an active part in the hostilities. Bong is assigned to the 39th Battalion, 35th Fighter Group, the first unit in the Pacific to field the P-38. Here he won his first aerial victory on December 27, 1942, and soon the number of his victories exceeded the record of the best American ace of the First World War, Rickenbacker, and amounted to 28 shot down. To the great indignation of the pilot, the Air Force command transfers him to the position of aerial shooting instructor at the fighter pilot school. All reports about returning to the front were inconclusive, until Bong came up with a wonderful idea, he declares that he has already passed on all the knowledge and experience that he had to the young pilots, so he needs to return to the front to gain combat experience. His request is only half satisfied, sending him to a pilot school in the combat area. Bong accepts this appointment with pleasure. There, no longer a combat pilot, but an instructor, he destroys another 12 enemy aircraft. The last one. He won his 40th victory on December 17, 1944. When information about this reached Air Force headquarters, Bont was immediately recalled from the front and sent to the United States for pilot training. However, such work does not suit the dashing pilot, and he becomes a test pilot. During testing of the P-80 Shooting Star jet on August 6, 1945 in Los Angeles, Major Richard Bong was killed while landing a damaged aircraft. During his short service, he received about 20 awards, including the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Major Thomas McGuire
Born August 1, 1920 in Rngewood. State of New Jersey. After graduating from Georgia Technological College. On July 12, 1941, he became a cadet at the flight school. After his first solo flights, McGuire was transferred to the Air Corps Pilot School at Randolph Field. for aerobatics training. On February 2, he received his diploma as a military pilot and the rank of lieutenant in the Reserve Officer Corps.
Thomas McGuire
P-38 "Pudge V" by Thomas McGuire
He served in Alaska for a short time, then headed to Australia, where, from March 1943, he underwent intensive training on the P-38 Lightning aircraft. McGuire's next assignment was to the 9th Division of the 49th Fighter Group, where he soon became a first lieutenant. On July 20, 1943, he transferred to the 431st Division of the 475th Fighter Group, fighting the Japanese in New Guinea. He made his first combat mission on August 13, and by the end of October he had 13 aerial victories to his name. In December he is promoted to rank. McGuire becomes captain. And on May 23, 1944, he was already an Air Force major. By December 13, 1944, he had already shot down 31 enemy aircraft. On December 26, over the island of Luzon, during a dramatic battle between 15 Lightnings and 20 Japanese Zero fighters, McGuire shot down four Japanese at once, showing in this battle not only courage and courage, but also the brilliant art of aerobatics, aerial shooting and air combat leadership . Being engaged in battle with several enemy aircraft at once, he not only shot down four enemy aircraft, but also helped his comrades, whom he led into this unequal battle as a commander.
McGuire died on January 7, 1945 over the island of Los Negros at the age of 24, having received 17 high awards and the Congressional Medal of Honor. He scored 38 aerial victories in 17 months. In commemoration of his services, the US Air Force base "Fort Dick" in the city of Ricetown. The state of New Jersey was named: McGuire Air Force Base.
Colonel Francis Gabreski (Frantishek Garbyszewski)
Born January 28, 1919 in Oil City. state of Pennsylvania. His father Stanislav Garbyshevsky came to the United States from Poland, from near the city of Lublin and settled in Oil-Sigi. After graduating from high school, Frantisek enrolled at Indiana University. But after two years of studying medicine, he interrupted his studies and volunteered for aviation. In July 1940, he was sent to a flight school in Saint-Louis. There, for ease of pronunciation, he changes his first and last name, becoming Francis Gabreski. and for friends and colleagues just Gabi or Frank.
Friends congratulate F. Gabreski on the 28th air victory
Francis received his semi-private military pilot diploma in March 1941. After undergoing retraining as a fighter pilot, he headed to Willsr Field in Hawaii, where on December 7, 1941 he survived a massive Japanese air raid. In October 1942, he was assigned to the 315th Polish Division in England as a liaison officer. Since February 1943, Gabreski has served with the 56th Fighter Group of the US 8th Air Force in Europe. In the same year he received the rank of colonel. He then becomes the commander of the 61st division, armed with P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. On June 20, 1944, his plane did not return from a combat mission over German territory. As it turned out later, during an attack on a German airfield on a low-level flight, his plane hit a haystack and crashed. Frank was incredibly lucky: having received only scratches, he walked away from the Germans and hid in the forest. He was found only on July 23. After interrogations and several weeks in prison, he was sent to a prisoner-of-war pilot camp in Berlin. In May 1945, after the surrender of Germany, he returned to the United States and began working as a test pilot and military aviation representative at the Douglas plant. In 1951, Gabreski headed to the Korean War, where he would score another 6.5 aerial victories while flying the F-86 Saber jet fighter. In total, he flew 245 combat missions and scored 37.5 victories. Gabreski became the third American ace.
GREAT BRITAIN
Colonel John C. Johnson
John Johnson
Colonel John E. Johnson is rightfully considered the best ace in Great Britain. He was born on March 9, 1916 in Lycester. While studying at the university, he made several attempts to get into flight training courses for reservists, but was unsuccessful. After graduating from university in 1938. Johnson goes to work as an engineer, and in 1939 happiness smiles on him - a positive response comes to his request to enroll in flight training. He began learning to fly at the Sealand flying school, near the city of Cheser, on a Miles “Master” plane. In August 1940, he began his service with 19 Fighter Squadron, based at Duxford, with the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. He already has 205 flight hours, 23 of them in a Spitfire. but ala the first combat mission, this is not enough. For additional training, he was assigned to 616 Squadron, which arrived at Kirtonin-Lindsey, in Northern England, as a replenishment and rest after the heavy fighting of the Battle of Britain.
Johnson made his first combat flight as part of this squadron in January 1941, together with another pilot they damaged a German Do 17 bomber. In June, he had his first aerial victory - the downing of a Bf 109. In July, Johnson was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, having I have four victories to my name. In September he is a captain and commands a flight. In October he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. And from the winter of 1942, he took command of the 610th Fighter Squadron, based at Codgishhall. In May, he was already the commander of the 217th Fighter Wing in Xndi. Soon he had 19 enemy aircraft on his account and received the next award - the Honorary Order of Merit. From September 1943 to February 1944 he was on staff work, and in March Johnson was again sent to the front as commander of the 144th Fighter Wing, which was the first to fly to the continent after the Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944, to the St. Croix airfield. In July 1944, Johnson already had 29 air victories. On May 7, 1945, commanding the 12S Fighter Wing with the rank of colonel, he flew his last combat mission of 515, in which he scored 38 victories. After the war, Johnson held a number of senior command positions and became an air vice-marshal in 1965. In 1956, his book “Air Wing Commander” was published in London.
Spitfire fighter IX. J. Johnson flew this plane
Colonel John Cunningham
The best English night fighter pilot is John Cunningham. He was born in Eddington on May 27, 1917. He began his flying career as a test pilot for De Havilland under the guidance of experienced pilot Jeffy De Havilland Jr. son of the head of the company. During weekends and vacations, Cunningham flew as a reservist with 604 Squadron. In it he met the beginning of the war, but as a combat pilot. Further in the 85th squadron, flying on Blenheim and Beaufighter fighter planes, he was the first to master the Mosquito night fighter. In total, Cunningham shot down 20 enemy aircraft, 19 of them at night, for which he received the honorary nickname “pilot with cat eyes" After the war he returned to test work to the De Haviland company, where, after the death of his teacher Geoffrey De Haviland while trying to overcome the speed of sound, he became the company's chief pilot at the age of 29. On March 23, 1948, on a Vampire plane, he set an altitude record, gaining 18,119 meters. He took an active part in testing the Comet passenger jet. He has a number of highest awards from Great Britain and other countries, including the Soviet Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
Venerable Douglas Robard Stuart Bader
Born 21 February 1910 in London. Influenced by his uncle, World War I pilot Cyril Berge, he attended RAF school at Cronwell. After graduating, second in the course, he was sent to 23 Squadron at Kenley. where he became a master of aerobatics, especially barrel rolls at an altitude of 15 meters. On December 14, 1931, while performing a roll on a Bristol 105 aircraft, the left wing of his aircraft caught on the ground. The unconscious body of the pilot was hardly removed from the pile of debris. A few days later, both his legs were amputated - one above the knee, the other below. After the amputation, his life was no longer in danger; his young, strong body took its toll. However, when Beydsr found out that he had become a legless cripple, he initially decided to commit suicide, but even on crutches he found the strength to remain a career Air Force officer, making a crazy decision to return to the air again. After receiving prosthetics, he first learned to walk, then drive car, dance. Already in July 1932, together with his friend, he secretly makes a test flight in a two-seater Avro-504. His friend from the first cabin closely followed the flight from takeoff to landing. An unofficial demonstration of his flight at the Central School of Pilotage received a favorable review , but unforgiving doctors forbade the legless pilot to take off.In 1933, he was dismissed from the Air Force and awarded a disability pension.
Until the fall of 1939, Bader worked for the Shell oil company. But in October 1939, he again decides to pass all the medical and flight commissions and luck accompanies him. He is assigned as a pilot to the 19th Fighter Squadron. He soon became a flight commander of the 222nd squadron, and then of the 242nd squadron, receiving the rank of aviation major. He soon becomes the commander of an air wing and is promoted to the rank of colonel. On August 9, 1941, having fought alone with six Bf 109 fighters and shot down two planes, he himself was shot down and left the plane by parachute, landing successfully only, on one prosthesis, Bader was captured and created a sensation among the Luftwaffe pilots. Having learned that Bader was alive and needed a second prosthesis, the Blenheim plane dropped such a prosthesis by parachute on August 13 at the airfield in St. Omer. After receiving both prostheses, Bader tried to escape several times, but to no avail. The Colditz prison camp where he was held was liberated on April 14, 1944 by American troops. Bader tried to return to his unit, but now to no avail, after several years of captivity he needed to improve his health.
After the end of the war, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and assigned to command a fighter pilot school. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to work for Shell, where he received a high position and his personal plane, the Miles Jamie. Recipient of many highest military awards. Many books have been written about his life, and a full-length feature film has been produced. In total, he scored 23.5 aerial victories (16th place among English pilots). Bader died of a heart attack while driving his car on September 4, 1982 in London.
FRANCE
Colonel Pierre Closterman
Pierre Closterman in the cockpit of his Tempest
The best French ace is Pierre Closterman. Born on February 28, 1921 in Curitiba, Brazil. After the defeat of France, Klosterman moved to England, where he graduated from the Air Force School in 1942. He received his first assignment to the 61st combat training squadron, where he was trained on a Spitfire aircraft, after which, as an aviation sergeant, he was sent to the 341st squadron of the Free French Alsace. This unit was part of the air wing in Bugin Khnll. On July 27, 1943, in one combat mission, they scored their first two victories over FW 190 aircraft. From September 28, 1943, they continued to serve as part of the 602 City of Glasgow Squadron. October 14, participating in bomber cover. attacked factories in Schweinfurt. he already has five aerial victories. From July to November 1944 Klosterman worked at Air Force headquarters. In December, he again began flying in the 274 squadron of the 122 air wing, where, after a short training, he received a new Tempest aircraft and the position of commander of flight “A”. From April 1, 1945, he was the commander of the 3rd squadron, and from the 27th he already commanded the entire 122nd air wing. He ended the war as an aviation colonel, at the age of only 24. In total, he won 33 aerial victories, of which 19 FW 190 and 7 Bf 109. In addition, he destroyed 30 aircraft on the ground. 72 locomotives. 225 trucks. Over the course of three years, he flew 432 combat missions and logged 2,000 flight hours. On August 27, 1945, at his own request, he was dismissed from aviation. Recipient of more than 20 high awards. including the Officer's Cross of the Legion of Honour. Based on his diaries, the book “The Great Circus” was written, translated into many languages. A film with the same name was made based on it. He also wrote the book Lights in the Sky.
Captain Albert Marcel
Born November 25, 1917 in Paris. Working first as an apprentice and then as a mechanic at the Renault plant in Billancourt. became an aviation fanatic. From his modest earnings, he began to pay for a course at the Gussu d's Noble flying club. His success and an instructor's petition led to him becoming a flight school scholarship student. After successfully graduating, he was given the opportunity to join the Air Force, where he began serving in Fighter Group 1/3 in Lyon-Brone. In 1940, he fought with the Germans on the Devuatin D-520 aircraft. In June 1940, Gola and a group of pilots flew to Oran, from where, in front of the astonished officers of the Vichy puppet government, he, together with Lefebvre and Duranle, fled to Gibraltar in three D-520s. He soon found himself in England, where from October 1941 he fought in the French fighter group Ilde-France. From the beginning of 1943, he fought in the famous Normandy squadron in the USSR. On November 28, 1944, he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war, he made 200 combat missions and shot down 23 enemy aircraft and 10 more unconfirmed ones. In 1945, together with the Normandie-Niemen regiment, he returned to France. Recipient of many high awards, including the Commander's Order of the Legion of Honor and the Military Cross with 20 palms. After the war he lived in the USA.
USSR
Ivan Kozhedub
Born on June 8, 1920 in the village of Obrazheevets, Sumy region. In 1941 he graduated from the Chuguev flight school, where he became an instructor pilot. He went to the front at his personal request only in November 1942. On March 26, he made his first combat flight on a La-5 aircraft, and on July 6, he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Ju-87. During the battles over the Dnieper, he shot down 11 aircraft in ten days. On February 4, 1944, he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, having 32 victories to his name. On August 19, 1944 he became a twice hero, and on August 18, 1945 - three times a Hero of the Soviet Union. In total, he shot down 62 enemy aircraft: 22 – FW 190. 18 – BF 109, 18 – Ju 87. 2 – He III. Me 262 and Romanian aircraft. He flew 330 combat missions and conducted 120 air battles. After the war, he wrote two books: “In the Service of the Motherland” and “Loyalty to the Fatherland.” He ended the war at the age of 24 with the rank of major. He was never shot down and is the best ace of the Allies.
Alexander Pokryshkin
Born in 1913. He fought from the first days of the Great Patriotic War. Most of the victories were won on the P-39 Airacobra. In 1943 he became a Hero of the Soviet Union, in 1944 - twice a Hero, in 1945 - three times a Hero of the Soviet Union. Conducted 156 air battles and shot down 59 enemy aircraft. At the end of the war he received the rank of colonel. He wrote the books “The Sky of War” and “Know Yourself in Battle.”
Grigory Rechkalov
Born on February 9, 1920 in Khudyakovo Sverdlovsk region. In 1939 he graduated from the military pilot school in Perm. He fought from the very beginning of the war. On May 24, 1943 he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was Pokryshkin's first deputy. In one of the battles he shot down three Ju 87s at once. On July 1, 1944, he received the title of twice Hero. He completed 450 combat missions, conducted 122 air battles, and shot down 56 enemy aircraft. At the end of the war, he received the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanded a regiment. After the war, he wrote three books: “In the skies of Moldova.” “The Smoky Sky of War” and “Meeting with Youth.”
Boris Safonov
Born August 13, 1915. In November 1934, he graduated from the Kachin military pilot scale. At the beginning of the war, he flew on an I-16 aircraft. He won his first victory on June 24, 1941, shooting down a German He III bomber. On September 16, 1941, with the rank of captain, commanding a squadron of the 72nd Air Regiment, he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And at the end of this month, with six of his comrades, he entered into an air battle with 52 enemy aircraft and shot down three aircraft. In the fall of 1941, the first of the northern fleet pilots mastered the English Hurricane fighter. On June 14, 1942, Safonov was awarded the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He commands the 2nd Guards Aviation Regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel
On May 30, 1942, Safonov with P.I. Orlov and V.P. Pokrovsky took off on American P-40 fighters to cover the Allied convoy - PQ-16, going to Murmansk. Despite. that at least two German pilots were given special instructions to hunt only Safonov, he and his wingmen engaged 45 enemy bombers, covered by a mass of fighters. After this heroic battle. during which he shot down three planes, Safonov died in the Barents Sea. It is unknown what caused the death of the brave pilot, either a malfunction in the engine of his fighter, or an enemy shell that still hit his plane. Before his death, he flew 234 combat missions, fought 34 air battles, and won 22 personal victories. 3 in the group and still had about 8 unconfirmed victories, since enemy planes fell either into the sea or onto the northern hills. Before his death, Safonov was the best ace of Soviet aviation and the first to be awarded the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union. In addition to Soviet awards, Captain Safonov also had the English Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded to him on March 19, 1942. On June 15, 1942, the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (formerly the 72nd Aviation Regiment) was named after B.F. Safonov.
Ivan Kozhedub
La-7 fighter by Ivan Kozhedub
Grigory Rechkalov
Alexander Pokryshkin
Boris Safonov
I-16 Boris Safonov
MiG-3 fighter
The prototype of the aircraft, I-200, took to the skies at the end of 1940. The series was launched under the designation MiG-1, then MiG-3. Had the following characteristics:
Engine – AM-35a Shaft. power, l. With. – 1350 Take off weight. kg – 3355 Max. speed, km/h – 640 at altitude, m – 7800
Armament: machine guns – 1x12.7 2x7.62
On such a plane, Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin conducted his first air battles with fascist pilots and won his first victories.
P-39 Airacobra fighter
The prototype XP-39 aircraft made its first flight in April 1939. It was mass-produced and delivered under Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union. The R-39 fighter had the following characteristics: Engine - Allison V-1710-35 Power, hp. With. – 1150 Flight weight. kg – 3550 Max, speed, km/h – 585 at altitude, m – 4200
Armament: cannon – 20 mm or 30 mm machine guns – 2x12.7 mm – 4x7.62 mm
A. I. Pokryshkin flew a modification of the P-39N aircraft with tail number 100 and ended the war.
La-5FN fighter
The prototype aircraft took off in March 1942. The La-5FN modification was produced since 1943 and had the following flight characteristics: Engine – M82FN Power, hp. With. – 1850 Max, speed km/h – 634 at altitude, m – 6250 Ballet weight. – kg – 3200
Armament: guns – 2x20 mm
Ivan Kozhedub flew on such a plane and brought his number of victories to 45.
P-38J Lightning fighter
The prototype flew in 1938. It was mass-produced until 1945.
The P-38J modification was released in 1943 and had the following characteristics:
Engine – 2x “Allison” V-1710-89/91 Power, l. With. – 1425 Max, speed km/h – 660 Take-off weight. kg – 7950-9850
Armament: cannons – 1x20 mm machine guns – 4x12.7 mm
The P-38J was flown and ended the war by Richard Wong.
R. Toliver, T. Constable
From the book “The Blonde Knight of Germany”
In 1916, French pilots who fought on the Western Front decided to compete to see who could shoot down the Boches (as the French called the Germans) the most. The command supported the idea: a real hunt began for the German planes...
After the bloody battles of Verdun in 1916, there was some calm on the Western Front. Since the French pilots had the opportunity to relax, they began to come up with any opportunity to somehow have fun. For young pilots, air combat was somewhat reminiscent of a gambling card game: skill plus luck, as gamblers say - “the deal.” Therefore, whoever knocked down 5 boches received the unofficial title of “ace” (“ace” in French).
The idea was picked up by the Germans, but not wanting to copy the enemy, they called their aces “kanone” - i.e. "a gun". At the same time, they raised the bar: to receive an honorary title, you had to have at least 8 victories.
Neither title gave any special advantages, but it did allow you to go out alone on a “free hunt”, and even paint your cars as you pleased. Often, the fuselages of such pilots’ cars were decorated with card aces of all stripes.
At first, a truly chivalrous spirit reigned among the pilots: the traditions of not finishing off those shot down, not attacking those taking off, etc. were sacredly revered. However, the excitement of the pursuit of victories achieved at any cost put an end to gentlemanliness, which was not characteristic of the total war of the 20th century. The desire to distinguish himself at any cost and mutual cruelty did their job. But the number of aces grew.
Among the initiators of the competition - the French - 52 pilots shot down 10 or more enemy aircraft, doubling the standard required to become an “ace”. The greatest achievement was Captain Rene Fonck - 75 aircraft shot down, followed by Georges Guynemer - 54 victories. He was young and probably could have continued to count his victories, but in September 1917 he died in battle. And Fonck, who had already retired, ended up in a German concentration camp as a member of the Resistance during World War II.
Rene Fonck:
German pilots achieved no less success on the fronts of the First World War, the first of whom was Baron Manfred von Richthofen , nicknamed the Red Baron. This nickname is in no way connected with the Red Army or anything like that. He was called the Red Baron not for his revolutionary spirit, but for the bright red color of the planes he flew on - only an ace was allowed such an unmasking color.
Red Baron:
Other representatives of the Richthofens, Lothar and Wolfram, followed on the heels of Manfred. The latter, having become a “canon” in the First World War, made a brilliant career in the ranks of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. Commanding the infamous Condor Legion Wolfram von Richthofen participated in the destruction of Spanish Guernica, and after becoming commander of the air army, he turned Stalingrad into ruins. After that, he visited an American prisoner of war camp, but remained alive.
"We accuse the murderers of women and children!
(Republican poster from 1937,
published after the destruction of Guernica by the Condor Legion):
Aviation historians count 1,860 World War I aces. These included 26 pilots of the Russian Empire. To be fair, there could be a lot more of them there. Despite the fact that the Russian aces had fewer victories than their French allies or their German opponents, they were distinguished by other valor. The military columnist for the newspaper Pester Loyd wrote: "It would be funny to talk about Russian pilots with disrespect. They are more dangerous enemies than French pilots. They are cold-blooded, unshakable in the air and can endure heavy losses without any panic. The Russian pilot is and remains a terrible adversary."
Russian pilots of the First World War:
The list of aces compiled after the war did not include, for example, Petr Nesterov , with his “dead loop” he laid the foundations of aerobatics and performed the world’s first aerial ram, which became fatal for him. There is no Konstantina Artseulov , who for the first time deliberately put his plane into a spin and brought it out unharmed. The names of many Russian aces of the First World War with the USSR were forgotten, because during Civil War they ended up in the ranks of the White Army, and then were forced to leave their homeland.
The fate of the Russian pilot warrant officer, forgotten by his homeland, but not forgotten by the world, is unusual Ivan Smirnova , who shot down 12 enemy aircraft on the fronts of the First World War. Having joined the army as a volunteer, he became a brave intelligence officer, a Knight of St. George. After being seriously wounded and cured, he asked to join the air force. One of the best pilots in Russia, Alexander Kazakov, became his mentor. At the end of 1916, Ivan Smirnov opened the account of downed planes. After the October Revolution, Smirnov (by the way, a native of the peasantry), warned about the impending reprisal against the officers, left the unit. His further fate resembles an adventure novel.
Ivan Smirnov:
First, I crossed the whole country to Vladivostok, and from there, with countless ordeals, to England. He worked there, then went back to Russia, to the Volunteer Army, which, suffering defeats, retreated to Crimea. Smirnov returned to England again. There he served in the Royal Air Force, where he ended up in northern Russia with English expeditionary force. After the expulsion of the invaders from Russia, Smirnov went from England to Holland and from 1922 served with Dutch airlines (KLM). Here he became famous pilot, one of the first to master the Amsterdam-Jakarta route.
When war came to Southeast Asia, Smirnov, with the rank of captain in the Dutch Air Force, flew transport planes to Australia. After the war, the already middle-aged pilot (at the age of 53) made a 100-day flight tour organized for businessmen. They visited 28 countries on five continents and visited 45 cities. After retiring, he wanted to live in peace and settled in Mallorca. He died in 1956. After his death, Smirnov made his last flight: buried in Mallorca, he was reburied in Holland. His name is well known among pilots there, and in the KLM Aviation Museum you can still see an airplane with “Ivan Smirnov” written on its side. For more than 50 years, KLM employees have been caring for the modest grave of the Russian ace, whose name is forgotten in his homeland of Russia.
Among the many forgotten pilots of the First World War is one of the creators of Russian air units, the first Knight of St. George in aviation Vyacheslav Tkachev
. In 1913, he served in the newly formed air detachment together with Nesterov, and four years later he became the chief of aviation under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The October coup was not accepted. He created a “white” air detachment in the Kuban and commanded aviation under Wrangel.
After Crimea I ended up in Serbia. He refused to cooperate with the Nazis who occupied it. However, after the liberation of Yugoslavia by the Red Army in 1944, he was arrested by the NKVD and spent 10 years in camps.
Vyacheslav Tkachev:
Left interesting memories of the aces of the First World War Nikolay Danilevsky , one of the first Russian pilots, who also became a victim of repression. During the Civil War he served in the Red Army. After retiring with the rank of division commander, he worked in civil aviation. In 1933 he was arrested and spent 3 years building the White Sea Canal. In 1938, he was arrested again on the ridiculous charge of insulting Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Vodopyanov, whose mentor he had previously been. The absurdity of this accusation was confirmed by Vodopyanov himself, who interceded on behalf of his teacher. Danilevsky did not admit guilt, did not slander anyone, and was shot.
Nikolai Danilevsky:
In his memoirs, written between arrests, Nikolai Danilevsky was full of optimism: “There are few of us left, some have broken up, others, by the will of fate, are far from us. But still I would like to hope that the spirit and traditions that inspired us in their time have not disappeared. We can only wish that the connection between us and new fresh forces will never didn't stop."
Thank you for attention.
Sergey Vorobiev.
The First World War became a real catalyst for the development of flight science and aircraft design. Starting this war with single reconnaissance flights, the aviators of that time at first were not even afraid of each other, since they believed that they were all fellow aeronauts.
However, the situation soon changed dramatically. Opponents realized that it was not only necessary to harshly oppose their colleagues on airplanes, but simply destroy them. It is known that one of the first air combat clashes at the beginning of the war took place between the French pilot Jean Navarre and his German opponent. This is when the Frenchman saw a German airplane in flight, whose pilot waved his hand in a friendly manner. Jean responded to the greeting, and then, without hesitation, opened fire on the enemy from his carbine. After this incident, battles for airspace on the fronts of the First World War turned to the point of life and death.
Aviators of the 5th Army JSC near a Voisin aircraft armed with a Maxim machine gun. April 1916
True, elements of chivalry among the pilots continued to take place, so having shot down an enemy plane, they often dropped a note on enemy territory with approximately the following content: “I regret the murder of my husband and father, but war is war, if I don’t him, then he me.”
At the very beginning of the war, on AUGUST 26, 1914, our compatriot Captain Pyotr Nesterov was the first in the world to score aerial victories. It was on this day that P. Nesterov, who took off into the air, sent his Moran to cut across the enemy. Having overtaken the enemy vehicle, he hit it with a ram. Pyotr Nesterov did not become an ace; in the same battle he himself died.
The word “ace” became established in aviation a little later. Translated from French, it means ace, a corruption of the Old French “Deus” - God. Initially, the official title of ace was awarded to a pilot who scored at least 5 registered victories (confirmed by three or more eyewitnesses of the battle) in France, Great Britain and Russia, and at least 7 in Germany and Austria-Hungary. A little later, to receive the title of ace, it was necessary to shoot down at least 10 enemy aircraft. (http://www.soldiering.ru/avia/file/record.php)
The technical imperfection of aircraft armament at the beginning of the First World War made it possible to use aircraft mainly only for reconnaissance purposes. It was the lack of airborne capabilities that forced many pilots to use rams and destroy the enemy at the cost of their own lives.
However, the war moved design ideas unusually quickly, so already on November 3, 1914, the French military pilot Sergeant Roland Garro, together with Major de Rose, invented a device that allows you to fire a machine gun through a plane swept away by the propeller of a running engine. Soon, serial Morand-Saulnier military aircraft were equipped with Garro's new product and a machine gun, it was installed parallel to the axis of the aircraft. In March 1915, planes equipped with machine guns rushed into battle on different parts of the German-French front; from that moment on, fierce battles began to boil in the air, no longer firing from revolvers and carbines, but in a serious manner.
The Germans did not lag behind in aviation; soon after the French, the famous Anthony Fokker, who worked in Germany, installed a machine-gun fire synchronizer on the aircraft, which significantly increased its combat capabilities. As a result, fighter planes appear, and after them aces - French, German, Russian, Austrian. However, the French school of air combat was the very first to be formed, and many Russian pilots also attended it.
The strongest representative of the French school of air combat, Captain Rene Paul Fonck, scored 75 victories. The most famous ace of the National Hero of France, Captain Georg Guynemer, has a little less to his name, with only 54 won matches. Lieutenant Karls Nengesser has the third result - 43 victories. In the French Air Force during World War I, 52 pilots shot down at least 10 aircraft each. In total they destroyed 908 enemy vehicles. French pilots achieved major victories on fighters of their own production - Morand-Saulnier "N", SPAD-VII designed by Louis Bechereau, SPAD-VIII, Nieuport 11 and Nieuport 17. Thus, SPAD-III (aces fought on it - Fonck, Guynemer, Nengesser ), equipped with a 150-horsepower engine, reached a speed of about 180 km/h and was the fastest of all military aircraft. Its armament is one synchronized machine gun with a large supply of ammunition - 500 pieces.
In 1916, the French already had large fighter squads that could participate in covering and supporting ground forces participating in large-scale ground operations. So, at the height of the First World War, air battles began to develop into real battles. In the Verdun operation (February - December 1916), the warring sides for the first time began to use aviation over the battlefield on a massive scale: bombing and assault strikes on rear facilities and troops in forward positions were carried out in large groups. The fighter squadron included several pairs of patrols at once, used to build up efforts.
The fierce nature of the air battles is evidenced by the fact that sometimes only half of the crews participating in them survived. (http://www.soldiering.ru/avia/file/record.php)
The next most effective among the aviators of the Western Allies was the British Air Force; then, in addition to the British themselves, people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and some African countries also served in them. In terms of individual skill, they were in no way inferior to the French. Thus, Major Edward Mannock accounted for 73 downed aircraft, Major William Bishop (England) - 72, Major R. Collishaw (Canada) - 60. 29 English pilots scored more than 10 victories each, destroying 681 aircraft. If we take into account the achievements of the pilots of the states that were part of Britain, the result is more significant. Thus, the 18 most successful pilots scored more than 35 victories each, shooting down a total of 881 aircraft. English aces fought on De Havilland DH2, Bristol F2, Sopwith E.1 fighters. "Kemel". (http://www.soldiering.ru/avia/file/record.php)
In the US Air Force, 10 pilots became aces, destroying 142 enemy aircraft together. American pilots also fought as part of the air forces of other Entente countries, and therefore the total tally of US aces is more significant - 293 downed aircraft. The strongest pilot, Captain Edward Rickenbacker, won 26 aerial duels.
The aces of the First World War included 9 Italian pilots who destroyed 183 aircraft. The most successful of them is Francisco Baracca - 34 aerial victories. The Belgian pilots also fought bravely, three of whom destroyed more than 10 enemy aircraft each. And the leader, Lieutenant Willie Coppens, won 37 victories.
There were also Russian pilots among the aviators in the First World War. The first fighter squadrons in the Russian army were created at the beginning of 1915. One defended Warsaw, the second protected the tsar’s headquarters from air attack. In the spring of 1916, 12 more fighter detachments were formed - one per field army. In the same year, due to the fact that Germany transferred more aircraft to the east, front-line fighter squads were created. Russian pilots fought on French-made aircraft; in 1915, the first domestically produced fighter aircraft, the Sikorsky S-16, appeared.
Russian ace pilots became the first to emerge from a deadly spin. In addition, it was the Russian pilots of the First World War who carried out the first aerial rams in aviation.
Yes, the list of Russian aces is much more modest than that of the French, British or Germans, but there are certain reasons for this. Russian aces had fewer victories than French or German pilots, since they fought in worse conditions, on worse planes, with weaker weapons. Despite all this, Russian pilots, with their courage and bravery, managed to instill fear in the enemy of the Russian air fleet. For 150 fighter pilots in Russia there were 26 aces, who destroyed a total of 188 enemy aircraft.
Staff Captain A. Kazakov had the largest number of enemy aircraft shot down - 17 victories (unofficially - 32), then he was followed in the list of aces by French Army Captain P.V. d'Argeeff - 15 victories, the third was captain of the second rank A. Prokofiev-Seversky, this amazing and courageous aviator had 13 victories, he shot down enemy planes and commanded a bomber squadron, while missing one leg. Once the pilot fought alone against 7 German planes and emerged victorious, for which was awarded the Golden Arms of St. George. Permission to fly, being disabled, was given to him personally by Tsar Nicholas II after a meeting with the hero. Next on the list is Lieutenant I. Smirnov - 12 victories, followed by three pilots who had 11 victories in combat, two 7 and three with 6 victories each, six Russian aviators shot down 5 enemy aircraft. The last of the list is captain of the second rank V.V. Utgoff, how many enemy aircraft he shot down - there is no exact data, but the fate of this aviator is unusual and very interesting, as is known, that Utgoff Victor was deputy commander of the air forces of the Black Sea Fleet. Among his awards are the Order of St. George, Vladimir, Stanislav and St. George's Cross. Believed to be the first pilot to fly from a ship during the war. In June 1917, he narrowly escaped a death sentence from the sailor air transport committee "Emperor Nicholas the First" for dropping bombs on a German submarine discovered near the ship, contrary to his ban, and emigrated to America after the October Revolution. (http://www.volk59.narod.ru/asypm.html)
In total, according to foreign researchers, 1860 (one thousand eight hundred and sixty) aces of the First World War are known today. At the same time, only twenty Russian names are known. However, the famous Russian researcher of this issue Tkachev speaks about twenty-six, it is necessary to listen to the words of the outstanding pilot, commander of an air division, later aviation inspector of the South-Western Front, lieutenant colonel, Cavalier George IV degree V. M. Tkachev, for example, in his book about the use of aviation in the First World War says: “...our first ace Kozakov had 17 official and 32 unofficial victories. The Frenchman Fonck - 75, and the German Richthofen - 80. Out of about 150 flying fighters, we had 26 aces who shot down 188 enemy airplanes, 7 victories per ace. And the French had 80 aces out of 1,200 fighters, who shot down 1,185 airplanes, 14–15 airplanes per ace. But we must take into account that Russian fighter aviation operated for only one year, and Western fighter aviation for three years; moreover, the concentration density - the number of airplanes per kilometer of front - was 10 times greater than ours.”
It is known that over four years, the warring states carried out about one hundred thousand air battles, during which 8,073 aircraft were shot down and 2,347 aircraft were destroyed by fire from the ground. German bomber aircraft dropped over 27,000 tons of bombs on the enemy, British and French - more than 24,000.
The British claim 8,100 enemy aircraft shot down. The French - by 7000. The Germans admit the loss of 3000 of their aircraft. Austria-Hungary and other allies of Germany lost no more than 500 vehicles. Thus, the reliability coefficient of Entente victories does not exceed 0.25. (http://www.modernlib.ru/books/nikolay_georgievich_bodrihin/velichayshie_vozdushnie_asi_xx_veka/rea/)
In total, the Entente aces shot down over 2,000 German aircraft. The Germans admitted that they lost 2,138 aircraft in air battles and that about 1,000 aircraft did not return from enemy positions. (http://www.soldiering.ru/avia/file/record.php)
Separately, I would like to dwell on the achievements of the German aces, and they look more than significant. Thus, in the German Air Force, 161 pilots had 10 or more aerial victories to their credit (no other country’s Air Force had such a number of aces). They destroyed 3,270 enemy vehicles. Many aviation experts believe that the personal championship belongs to the German ace, captain Manfred von Richthofen. According to them, he shot down the largest number of enemy aircraft - 80, according to other sources - about 60. Senior Lieutenant Ernst Udet has 62 victories, 53 - Senior Lieutenant Ernst Levenhardt. Among the aces are the allies of the Germans - pilots of the Austrian-Hungarian Air Force. Thus, captain Godwin Brushovsky won 40 fights.
So who was the most successful pilot of the First World War? A careful analysis of documents and literature on the use of fighter aircraft in 1914-1918 shows that it is the French pilot Rene Paul Fonck with 75 aerial victories. Well, then what about Manfred von Richthofen, to whom some researchers attribute almost 80 destroyed enemy aircraft and consider him the most effective ace of the First World War? It was he who was called the “Red Baron.” He was a people's favorite. It is still not known exactly who cut short the life of this national hero of Germany.
However, some other researchers believe that there is every reason to believe that Richthofen’s 20 victories are not reliable. So this question still remains open. Having started his military career in the cavalry on the Eastern Front, Richthofen ended it as the best ace of the First World War. His diary entries are interesting, especially about his opponents, for example, he wrote about them: “In my entire life I have not had a better hunt than during "Battle of the Somme. In the morning, as soon as I got up, the first Englishman was shot down, and the last one suffered this fate after sunset."
Boelcke (the first German ace, Richthofen's commander) once remarked that it was like an Eldorado for pilots. Richthofen did not consider French pilots to be pilots at all. Richthofen describes the air battles in the East in a completely different way: “We flew often, rarely entered into battle and did not have much success.”
Based on the diary of M. von Richthofen, we can conclude that Russian aviators were not bad pilots, there were simply fewer of them compared to the number of French and English pilots on the Western Front. Rarely on the Eastern Front did so-called “dog fights” take place, i.e. "dog dump" (maneuverable dogfights involving large numbers of aircraft) that were common on the Western Front. In winter, planes did not fly in Russia at all. That is why all the German aces won so many victories on the Western Front, where the sky was simply teeming with enemy aircraft.
Introduction
During the First World War, aviation first acted as independent species armed forces, having a significant impact on the course of operations. It was then that new fighters were added to the soldiers of the ground forces, waging a brutal struggle in the trenches, and to the sailors fighting on or under water, whose arena of action was the sky. Hundreds, and then thousands of different aircraft fought among themselves for air supremacy. Pilots who shot down 5 or more enemy airplanes or balloons in these battles received the status of air aces, and those who achieved especially impressive results became real national heroes in their countries. It is not surprising that victories won by one or another pilot became a source of pride and a factor confirming his high qualifications as a fighter pilot. The German Empire, whose aviators became famous in 1915-1918 for their combat records, was no exception in this matter. Of course, when determining the number of victories of German aces, errors and inaccuracies were made, so to confirm or refute them it is necessary to compare various sources and evidence presented by all parties to the conflict.
Establishing the score of victories begins with work on printed bulletins similar to the British and French communiques and called Nachrichtenblatt der Luftfarhtruppen. Their regularly published pages reflected all the information about the air war, aircraft, events on all fronts, primarily the Western, and so on. In particular, the payroll and all the victories won by military fighter pilots were published there, and both the pilot and the gunner-observer were mentioned on two-seater aircraft. They began to be published in January 1917, although for the first 3 months, from January to March, they simply recorded the date, location of the battle or crash of an Allied plane, type of aircraft and rank, surname and unit in which the victorious pilot or crew served. Since April, the current combat accounts of individual pilots or crews began to be reflected there. In addition, monthly lists of balloons destroyed by pilots, as well as planes shot down by anti-aircraft fire, began to be published, also containing the date, location, type of downed vehicle and the number of the unit that shot it down. From time to time, late confirmed victories from previous months were added to the ballot.
In this form, this section of the Nachrichtenblatt appeared practically unchanged until February 1918, when, probably due to too much large volume material, they stopped indicating the place where the enemy plane crashed (which future historians will bitterly complain about), and then in April they also canceled the indication of the German air unit where the victorious pilot was serving at that time, thus leaving only the date, type of victim and name and rank pilot or crew.
This continued until August 1918, inclusive, after which these bulletins either stopped being published or were destroyed or lost. Fortunately, many squadron battle logs, or Jastas, have survived, making it possible to establish a list of pilot victories from 1 September to 11 November 1918. However, there is more uncertainty about this period, not only because from this period the war rolled towards a terrible end for Germany and many of the records were either lost or simply were not kept in the last weeks of the war. In some units, all records continued to be kept carefully, but in many they were kept clumsily, or even destroyed after the signing of the truce. One way or another, a lot has been preserved for later historians; it is especially good that when creating the new Luftwaffe, in the 1930s, very serious work was carried out to create a list of aces great war 1914-1918.
Confirmation of victoriesThe German army and naval aviation services have always been very pedantic when it comes to confirming pilots' claims for aerial victories. For comparison, it is worth citing the system of counting victories adopted by their opponents - the Entente pilots.
British victories are the most difficult to confirm. The concept of their air war involved transferring combat operations beyond the enemy’s front line, so about 90% air battles passed over German-occupied territory. Fighting at an altitude of several thousand meters, often above the clouds, sometimes at a distance of 2 to 20 miles from the front line, it was always difficult to say with certainty that the German aircraft that received the hits fell and crashed, or that its pilot simply simulated a tailspin when exiting. -under a mortal attack, and then straightened out the car and flew home - albeit not a winner, but at least alive. However, if the plane was seen falling in flames, falling apart in the air and (or) the pilot jumped out of his car, then its destruction could be more or less guaranteed, especially if this was confirmed by someone else besides the winner. In this case, the victory was usually counted. It is also likely that a spinning enemy airplane, which was seen crashing into the ground or catching fire as it fell, dragging its ill-fated crew to the grave, was also recorded on the pilot’s combat account, if there were witnesses. However, often, when there was no certainty that such a plane had definitely not come out of a dive, the victory was counted as probable and recorded with the note: “The plane lost control.”
The French professed different views. They faced the same problems as the British fighting behind the front lines, but according to their rules, only those enemy aircraft that caught fire, broke into pieces or crashed on the ground could be credited for combat. The rest may have been recorded or recognized as probable, but they were not taken into account in the statistics. The Americans also adopted the French system. All three of these nations also recognized a group victory - say, if 2-3 pilots claimed to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the victory was credited to each of them, although only one downed aircraft appeared on the squadron's account. Thus, a pilot of the Royal Flying Corps could, say, have a score of 10 victories - 7 real and 3 “lost control”, his French colleague had 10 victories and 2 probable, but his combat score was only 10, while the American pilot had there were, say, 6 victories, all, like the Frenchman, recorded as destroyed personally or in a group.
The Germans had their own peculiarities of the system for confirming victories. Since their tactic was to wage a defensive war to protect the airspace behind their front line, only occasionally appearing over Allied territory - say, to attack observation balloons - this led to their victims falling into the territory occupied by German troops. Therefore, the wreckage could have been found either with dead or wounded crew or with living pilots who were immediately captured. In addition, they often did not need to conserve fuel too much, while Entente pilots often disengaged from combat, rushing to their front line before they completely ran out of fuel. Such a “tail-showing” vehicle was hit by a well-aimed German burst, and the German pilot could calmly notice the enemy’s crash site and even sit down next to his victim. Thus, this aspect of confirming victories was much easier for them than for Allied aviators. Many pilots had a passion for collecting souvenirs taken from the planes they shot down, say serial numbers, which ended up on the wall of the winner's room.
Nevertheless, strict German rules obliged each pilot applying for victory to confirm it either with the wreckage of the victim, or with reliable evidence either from another pilot flying with him or from ground observers. There were also difficulties if, say, 3 pilots claimed victories, although the wreckage of only 2 aircraft was found, and a decision had to be made and, in the end, only two pilots had to record victories. Group victories were out of the question. If two pilots won a group or controversial victory, the decision was in favor of the one who presented more convincing arguments. However, it must be said that we found many “victories” when, for example, 3 Allied aircraft were declared and counted, while it was absolutely clearly established that only 1-2 of them were lost. Years later, no one could accurately determine the circumstances of these applications. In many such controversial cases, researchers often gave such a victory to a pilot who was more senior in rank or victory count, rather than to a less “cool” pilot.
However, it must be admitted that at first, at least until 1917, collective victories were also recognized. No, the rules, of course, remained unchanged, but in a number of cases, when 2-3 pilots applied for a victory, it was counted towards them, while only one Allied plane was actually shot down. Also at first it was normal that each of the pilots involved in a successful attack was entered as a participant, and this was subject to revision only when: a) identification of “clean” victories was required if one of these pilots accumulated enough victories to receive the order “Pour le Merite” and/or b) an individual system for counting victories was introduced.