Pilots of the Great Patriotic War. Pilots of the Great Patriotic War Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree

Probably the most important factor victory Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War there was mass heroism. About 500 Soviet pilots used a ram in air combat. Dozens of crews, like Captain N. Gastello, sent their burning aircraft to concentrations of enemy combat force. Today we will talk about some heroes - pilots of the Great Patriotic War, who forever inscribed their name on this heroic list.

1. Popkov Vitaly Ivanovich (05/01/1922 - 02/06/2010)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, ace pilot, flight commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 207th Fighter Aviation Division. Twice Hero Soviet Union.

By February 1945, he made 325 combat missions, in 83 air battles he personally shot down 41 and 1 enemy aircraft in the group. Participant in the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 in Moscow.

Facts from the biography of Vitaly Ivanovich formed the basis of Leonid Bykov’s film “Only “old men” go into battle.”

2. Gulaev Nikolai Dmitrievich (02/26/1918 - 09/27/1985)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, fighter pilot, colonel general of aviation. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, he made 250 combat missions during the war. In 49 air battles he personally shot down 55 enemy aircraft and 5 - in Group.

3. Rechkalov Grigory Andreevich (02/09/1918 (or 1920)- 20.12.1990)

In total, during the war, Rechkalov flew 450 combat missions and 122 air battles. Data on downed aircraft vary. According to some sources, 56 planes were shot down personally and 6 - in Group.

4. Golovachev Pavel Yakovlevich (12/15/1917 - 07/02/1972)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, ace pilot, major general of aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the war, he made 457 combat missions, in 125 air battles he personally shot down 31 and 1 enemy aircraft in a group. He won his last victory on April 25, 1945 in the skies over Berlin.

5. Borovykh Andrey Egorovich (10/30/1921 - 11/07/1989)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Colonel General of Aviation, Commander of the USSR Air Defense Forces (1969-1977), twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the war years he made more than 470 combat missions, conducted over 130 air battles, shot down 32 personally and 14 enemy aircraft in a group.

6. Evstigneev Kirill Alekseevich (04(17/02/1917 - 29/08/1996)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, fighter pilot, ace, major general of aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

By the spring of 1945, he had flown about 300 combat missions, participated in 120 air battles, shot down 53 enemy aircraft personally, 3 in a group; in addition, one bomber was not counted towards him.

7. Koldunov Alexander Ivanovich (20.09.1923- 07.06.1992)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military and statesman, Chief Marshal of Aviation of the USSR, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Member of the CPSU Central Committee, deputy of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In total, during the war years he made 412 combat missions, conducted 96 air battles, during which he personally shot down 46 enemy aircraft and 1 as part of a group.

8. Skomorokhov Nikolai Mikhailovich (05/19/1920- 14.10.1994)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, fighter pilot, air marshal, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Military Pilot of the USSR. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In total, during the Great Patriotic War, he made 605 combat missions, conducted more than 130 air battles, personally shot down 46 fascist aircraft and 8 aircraft in a group, and also destroyed 3 enemy bombers on the ground. Skomorokhov himself was never wounded, his plane did not burn, and was not shot down. His call sign was “Skomorokh”. The Nazis warned their pilots about its presence in the sky as a serious danger.

9. Efimov Alexander Nikolaevich (02/06/1923- 31.08.2012)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, Air Marshal. Deputy of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, member of the CPSU Central Committee. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the war years he made 288 combat missions on the Il-2 attack aircraft, during which he personally and as part of a group destroyed 85 enemy aircraft at airfields (which is the highest achievement among Soviet pilots of all types of aviation) and 8 aircraft were shot down in air battles and destroyed a large number of enemy manpower and equipment.

10. Klubov Alexander Fedorovich (01/18/1918- 01.11.1944)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, fighter pilot, Soviet ace, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the war years he made 457 combat missions. Personally shot down 31 enemy aircraft and another 19 in the group. Alexander Klubov died on November 1, 1944 during a training flight on the latest La-7 fighter.

11. Nedbaylo Anatoly Konstantinovich (01/28/1923 - 05/13/2008)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, squadron commander of the 75th Guards Aviation Regiment of the 1st Guards Assault Aviation Division of the 1st Air Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front, lieutenant general of aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Captain Anatoly Nedbaylo made 209 combat missions, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment.

12. Safonov Boris Feoktistovich (13(26).08.1915- 30.05.1942)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, first twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the hostilities, Boris Safonov made 234 combat missions and personally shot down 20 enemy aircraft.

On May 30, 1942, Lieutenant Colonel B.F. Safonov, already the commander of the 2nd Guards Mixed Red Banner Aviation Regiment of the Northern Fleet Air Force, flew at the head of a flight of fighters to cover a caravan of PQ-16 ships heading towards Murmansk. During a battle with superior enemy forces, Boris Safonov died.

13. Vorozheikin Arseny Vasilievich (15(28).10.1912- 23.05.2001)

Participant in the battles at Khalkhin Gol, the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, fighter pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, first deputy commander of the air defense of the USSR Black Sea Fleet, major general of aviation.

In total, the fighter pilot had about 400 combat missions, 52 personally shot down enemy aircraft (6 at Khalkhin Gol) and 14 in a group.

14. Grizodubova Valentina Stepanovna (14(27).04.1909- 28.04.1993)

Participant in the Great Patriotic War, Soviet pilot, colonel. The first woman is Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

During the Great Patriotic War, from March 1942 to October 1943, she commanded the 101st Long-Range Aviation Regiment. She personally made about 200 combat missions (including 132 at night) on a Li-2 aircraft to bomb enemy targets, to deliver ammunition and military cargo to the front line and to maintain communications with partisan detachments.

15. Pavlov Ivan Fomich (06/25/1922- 12.10.1950)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, flight commander of the 6th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 3rd Air Army of the Kalinin Front, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, major.

In total, during the war he made 237 combat missions on the Il-2 attack aircraft. Participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk, Velikoluksk and Smolensk operations, in the liberation of Belarus and the Baltic states.

16. Glinka Boris Borisovich (14(27).09.1914- 11.05.1967)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, colonel.

In total, during the war he shot down 30 aircraft personally and 1 in a group.

17. Odintsov Mikhail Petrovich (11/18/1921- 12.12.2011)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military pilot of bomber and attack aircraft, military leader. Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, Colonel General of Aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the war, he shot down 14 enemy aircraft in air battles, which is the highest achievement among attack pilots.

By the end of the war, he made 215 combat missions and ended the war with the rank of guard major.

18. Pokryshev Pyotr Afanasyevich (08/24/1914- 22.08.1967)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, ace pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Aviation.

By August 1943, he had flown 282 combat missions, participated in 50 air battles and had 22 enemy aircraft shot down on his personal account and 7 in the group.

19. Dolina Maria Ivanovna (12/18/1920- 03.03.2010)

Participant in the Great Patriotic War, Soviet pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union.

She performed 72 combat missions on a Pe-2 aircraft and dropped 45,000 kilograms of bombs. In six air battles, her crew shot down 3 enemy fighters in the group.

20. Maresyev Alexey Petrovich (07(20).05.1916- 18.05.2001)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union.

In total, during the war he made 86 combat missions and shot down 10 enemy aircraft. On April 5, 1942, Maresyev's plane was shot down. The pilot spent 18 days making his way to his people. As a result, doctors were forced to amputate both frostbitten legs of the pilot.

While still in the hospital, Alexey Maresyev began training in preparation for flying with prosthetics.

In February 1943, it made its first test flight. I managed to get sent to the front. In June 1943 he arrived in the 63rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.

On July 20, 1943, during an air battle with superior enemy forces, Alexey Maresyev saved the lives of two Soviet pilots and immediately shot down 2 enemy Fw-190 fighters covering Ju-87 bombers.

21. Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich (06(19).03.1913- 13.11.1985)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military leader, air marshal, ace pilot, first three times Hero of the Soviet Union. Candidate member of the CPSU Central Committee, member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In the Soviet Union, it was officially believed that during the war years Pokryshkin made 650 sorties, conducted 156 air battles, shot down 59 enemy aircraft personally and 6 in a group.

22. Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich (06/08/1920- 08.08.1991)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military leader, air marshal, ace pilot. Three times Hero of the Soviet Union, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, People's Deputy of the USSR.

By the end of the war, Ivan Kozhedub, by then a guard major, flew the La-7, made 330 combat missions, and shot down 62 enemy aircraft in 120 air battles.

There are sometimes more legends around legendary aircraft than real facts.

Henschel 129 performed the same functions over the battlefield as the Il-2 - but much less effectively

In the second half of the war, the Germans tried to convert the Ju-87 dive bomber into an ersatz attack aircraft

Illustrations provided by 1C and Maddox Games, producers of the world's best flight simulator Il-2. Stormtrooper"

Read the following paragraph carefully: “Il-2 is the famous “flying tank” that terrified the Nazis, the world’s first armored attack aircraft. I could not create an aircraft equal in combat qualities to Ilyushin’s machine during the entire Second World War. world war no other designer. Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin first came up with the idea to lighten the aircraft, not to attach armor to the attack aircraft, but to make the aircraft’s armor protection a load-bearing element of the structure, which allowed the Ilov pilots not to pay attention to fire from the ground. Bombs, cannons and rockets from the “flying tanks” crushed the armor of ground tanks.

Unfortunately, the original plan of Ilyushin, who designed a two-seat attack aircraft, was grossly violated by the military leadership. Having considered that in future war Stalin's falcons would have an overwhelming advantage; the designer was forced to abandon the air gunner and put into production a single-seat version of the aircraft. Ilyushin's protests came to nothing. As a result, the Luftwaffe fighters in the air shot down the heavy, clumsy Ilyas with impunity... When the pre-war mistake was eliminated and a gunner appeared on the plane again, the defensive capabilities of the Il-2 increased significantly. The Il-2 attack aircraft, the most popular aircraft of the Great Patriotic War, along with the T-34 tank, became a symbol of the triumph of our weapons.”

If you, dear readers, have not learned anything new from the previous paragraph, do not rush to put the magazine aside. We simply put together textbook information about the IL-2. So is it worth writing again about a combat vehicle about which everything is known? Costs. If only because in the above paragraph only two sentences are indisputable - the first and the last. Everything else requires clarification...

Armored vehicle - is this possible?

The problem of protecting aircraft and their crews from fire from the ground arose simultaneously with the advent of combat aviation. At first, aviators had to do their own thing: they placed suitable-sized pieces of armor, metal, or even just cast-iron frying pans under the seat. Towards the end of World War I, designers in Britain, Germany and Russia attempted to create armored aircraft. But at that time there were no powerful engines to implement this idea.

Between the two world wars, military doctrines that gave priority to strategic aviation became widespread. However, the most far-sighted military men (including those in the USSR) understood that it was impossible to do without aircraft attacking (storming) the enemy directly on the battlefield or in the front line. That is, where everything that can shoot at it will be fired at from the ground - from anti-aircraft guns to pistols. In the early 30s, we built experienced heavy attack aircraft TSh-1 and TSh-2, as well as SHON (special purpose attack aircraft), armored biplanes. A significant step forward was the TS-3 designed by Kocherigin. It was a two-seat monoplane, the armored box of which was part of the supporting structure of the aircraft (thus, the priority here does not belong to Ilyushin). The armament consisted of ten machine guns and bombs. True, the plane flew rather poorly - its angular body made of welded armor plates was not an aerodynamic masterpiece. Therefore, the TSh-3, the testing of which was completed in 1934, was not mass-produced.

For some time it was generally unclear whether it was in principle possible to build an armored attack aircraft with good flight characteristics. The UK and the USA abandoned this idea, considering that a dive bomber could perform similar tasks. They thought the same in Germany, especially since they had an excellent Ju-87 dive bomber.

Nevertheless, in the spring of 1937, several German companies were tasked with developing an attack aircraft armed with cannons to combat enemy armored vehicles and fortifications.

The IL-2 appeared not on orders from above, but thanks to the initiative of Sergei Ilyushin. This famous designer, who created the DB-3 long-range bomber, worked as the head of the Main Directorate of the Aviation Industry in 1938. The administrative position not only distracted from the creation of new aircraft, but also provided some advantages. It was clear to any aircraft designer of that time that an aircraft with an angular fuselage made of armor would fly poorly, but only a brilliant mind, free from thinking stereotypes, could come up with the idea of ​​​​making the armored body streamlined, and only the head of the entire aviation industry could give metallurgists a task in a short time Time to develop technology for manufacturing double-curvature armor! Moreover, for an aircraft that has not yet been included in any plans.

Ilyushin had the courage to turn to management with a letter in which he outlined his idea of ​​​​an armored attack aircraft and criticized competitors' aircraft. The letter had an effect: the designer was instructed to submit his attack aircraft for testing as soon as possible. At this point, the machine project, which was being developed underground, was ready. It also became clear that it was possible in principle to manufacture a streamlined armored hull. An agreement was reached with designer Mikulin, who promised a powerful engine.

Unfortunately, it was a water-cooled engine, while air cooling was preferable for an attack aircraft. After all, it is enough for one bullet to hit the cooling system, and water will gradually flow out of it. The engine will overheat and fail, and the attack aircraft will be disabled. You can, of course, armor the radiator on all sides, but then it simply won’t cool!

The unresolved problem of engine cooling was one of the reasons for the failure of the TS-3. There the radiator stuck out under the fuselage, and if it came under fire, the pilot pulled it completely into the fuselage. It turned out that at the most crucial moment of combat work the engine began to heat up, although some airflow was provided for the retracted radiator. Ilyushin creatively rethought the experience of his predecessors and placed an air tunnel inside the armored hull, across which there was a radiator. The incoming air flow was drawn in through the upper air intake, cooled the radiator and exited under the bottom of the aircraft. Thus, the vulnerable radiator was inside, under reliable armor protection.

This is just one extraordinary solution, and Ilyushin had to make dozens of similar design mini-revolutions. The main technological innovation was, of course, the production of a streamlined armored box from sheets of variable thickness and double curvature. But... Having overcome an incredible number of difficulties, Ilyushin built an airplane that did not want to fly well. Tests showed insufficient speed and flight range, as well as longitudinal instability of the vehicle.

It is curious that around the same time, German pilots tested the Henschel 129, which was made even earlier than Ilyushin’s aircraft (thus, the Henschel can be considered the world’s first armored attack aircraft). In some respects, this single-seat, twin-engine aircraft, armed with three cannons, was more progressive than the Ilyushin aircraft. But Luftwaffe experts considered it a failure, after which they did not remember it until 1942. A similar fate could await our “flying tank”: at the first stage it had no fewer shortcomings than its German counterpart. But Ilyushin still managed to get his car into production, albeit in a less than honest manner.

And now - “hunchback!”

Sergei Vladimirovich had an exemplary Soviet biography. Origin - from horseless poor peasants, pre-revolutionary professions - laborer, milk carrier, greaser railway... Ilyushin had plenty of worldly ingenuity. He was not only a brilliant designer, but also a man who clearly saw his goal and achieved it in every possible way. And while heading the Main Directorate of the Aviation Industry, Ilyushin perfectly learned to understand the workings of the Soviet bureaucratic mechanism.

Did the military send the plane for modifications? Great. The range can be increased with the help of drop tanks, but then the speed will decrease. Install a more powerful motor? It exists, but has not yet been completed. Wait for the engine? Even a successfully tested aircraft might not make it to the production line. There was also competition between Soviet aircraft designers; rivals fought for aircraft factories. At that moment, there was a threat that the Ilyushin long-range bomber would be discontinued, in which case his design bureau was left without a production base. Ilyushin was no longer the head of the Main Directorate - he was released from administrative work so that he could concentrate entirely on creating an attack aircraft. The designer understood: if the attack aircraft is not put into production in the near future, then the aircraft the country needs may remain an experimental machine.

Ilyushin decided not to wait until the Mikulin AM-38 engine was brought to fruition. And he solved the problem of insufficient speed and range simply - he made the plane a single-seat one! An additional gas tank was installed in place of the navigator's cabin, the armored hull was reduced, and the aircraft became lighter. The cockpit was raised in relation to the engine to provide better visibility. And the plane, then called BS-2 (armored attack aircraft), acquired a characteristic profile, for which it was nicknamed “humpbacked” at the front. In the single-seat version, the attack aircraft delivered the promised characteristics.

Was Ilyushin right in refusing to have a navigator (and also an air gunner who could protect the plane from attacks from behind)? On the one hand, this was a tragic mistake, and hundreds of attack pilots paid for it in the initial period of the war with their lives. On the other hand, the single-seat attack aircraft was nevertheless put on the assembly line and, just before the war, began to arrive in aviation units.

Subsequently, Ilyushin constantly adhered to the version that he was forced to remove the navigator-gunner, and in Soviet time This interpretation of events was known. Depending on the political situation, Ilyushin was “forced” either by Stalin personally or by some abstract military personnel. Alas, documents indicate that the single-seat attack aircraft appeared precisely on the initiative of the design bureau, and the People's Commissariats of the aviation industry and defense learned about the modernization at the last moment. Moreover, Ilyushin was obliged to submit a two-seat version of the attack aircraft for testing, but the designer, realizing that its flight characteristics would be mediocre, did not do this.

The IL-2 entered the war as a single-seat attack aircraft, armed with two cannons and two machine guns located in the wings. Additional weapons are rockets (RS) and 400 kg of bombs on internal and external slings. The pilot, engine and gas tanks were protected by a 4-8 mm armored hull, and the total weight of the armor was about 700 kg. The wings and rear part of the fuselage were docked to the armored box, the main power element of the aircraft. The latter was originally made of duralumin, but in order to save scarce material, they began to make it from multilayer plywood.

Legends and myths

They say that first a person works for his reputation, and then his reputation works for him. The rule also applies to airplanes! In the very first months of the IL-2’s use, a very definite opinion was formed about it, on both sides of the front. The myth about the clumsy “flying tank”, defenseless against fighters, but invulnerable to anti-aircraft guns, which cracked armored vehicles like seeds, has safely survived to this day. In fact, both the combat effectiveness and slowness of the Ilovs were greatly exaggerated.

Felix Chuev, author of a biography of Ilyushin, quotes the words of Marshal Konev: “Do you know what the Il-2 is? Yes, if he hits the tank with an er, the tank will turn over!” Alas, the marshal was mistaken... It was extremely difficult to fight German tanks with the Il-2 at the beginning of the war. The effectiveness of 20-mm ShVAK guns against tank armor was low. It was not possible to accurately drop bombs from the Il-2. The navigator, who provides aiming on bombers, was not here. The pilot's bomber sight turned out to be ineffective. The IL-2 attacked from low altitudes or a very shallow dive, and the long hood of the aircraft simply blocked the target from the pilot! In the end, the sight (on which the pilot almost always broke his head during an emergency landing) was removed from the cockpit, and the pilots had to aim in the most primitive way, using marks on the hood. Finally, the miracle weapon, rockets, were not at all as good as the Soviet military leaders thought. Even with a direct hit, the tank did not always fail, and hitting an isolated target with eres was only possible with great luck.

Why did we have so much hope for Ily, and the Germans were so afraid of them? We need to imagine the situation in 1941. Soviet aviation is knocked down, the Luftwaffe dominates the air. Aircraft that are completely unsuitable for this purpose are used for attack. For example, the I-15-bis and I-153 biplane fighters, which were transferred to attack aircraft only because they had no chance at all as fighters in battles with the Messerschmitts. Against this background, the “flying tank” was, of course, a step forward. In addition, the Ilas most often acted against moving enemy columns. There was no need to aim particularly carefully here: fly along the road, and the bombs with eres would at least find some target. And if Ila’s tanks were not always able to cope, then vehicles, artillery or infantry were quite suitable targets for them. But the blitzkrieg, with the help of which Germany crushed its opponents and hoped to defeat the Red Army, is a war of maneuver, a constant movement of troops! A raid by at least a few Il-2s on a convoy meant, at a minimum, panic, a stop and equipment disabled. It sometimes took several hours to resume movement.

True, the “invulnerable” aircraft turned out to be hit even by the smallest-caliber 20-mm anti-aircraft guns. The armor only protected against bullets, but the rest of our planes did not have such protection. And the saturation of mobile German units with anti-aircraft artillery was very high. Yes, plus German aces.

This is where one of the most amazing secrets of the IL-2 lurks. Having gotten rid of the bombs, it could fight German planes like a good fighter! An experienced Il-2 pilot could maneuver and get behind the attacking German Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter! At the front, they knew many tricks with which the IL-2 could fend for itself: for example, the pilots were advised to sharply slow down so that the fast fighter would pass by, and then turn towards it and shoot it from the cannons. In a frontal attack, an armored attack aircraft also had a better chance than the Messer.

Alas, the skill of the bulk of our attack aviation pilots at that moment was not high. Having learned only to take off, shoot at ground targets and land, yesterday's boys ended up at the front. They were not taught complex aerobatics during their brief training in the reserve regiments. That’s why the Il-2 was considered a clumsy aircraft - it was simply flown by too few experienced pilots who knew how to maneuver. The result is serious losses from both enemy fighters and anti-aircraft artillery. In the first months of the war, the average life of the Il-2 at the front was only a dozen sorties. Of course, the pilot did not always die when the plane was lost; he could jump out with a parachute or survive an emergency landing. Nevertheless, Il-2 pilots died more often than fighters or bombers. For 30 successful combat missions, the attack pilot was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

People's hero

In 1942, the Germans came to their senses and launched the Henschel 129 into mass production, struggling with the machine’s shortcomings (however, mass production was never achieved). By this time, the Il-2 was being produced at several large aircraft factories and was constantly being modernized. Aircraft designer Sukhoi, meanwhile, created his own attack aircraft, the Su-6, which was superior to the Ilyushin aircraft in all respects. But in order to maintain the pace of production, they decided to keep the proven car in production. The IL-2 passed through the second half of the war in the blaze of its glory, enjoying the well-deserved love of our infantry, which it helped a lot and effectively. The plane received a boosted engine, more powerful weapons - 23-mm, and then even 37-mm cannons. But the Il-2 became a real threat to armored vehicles when small-caliber anti-tank cumulative bombs appeared. By pouring 192 such bombs from its bomb bays, the attack aircraft was guaranteed to hit tanks in an area of ​​15x75 meters.

They also tried to solve the problem of protecting the rear hemisphere - an air gunner was again included in the crew. True, his machine gun was not a very effective weapon against German fighters, but still it was better than nothing. The second crew member flew in spartan conditions, there was not even a basic seat! He sat on a canvas strap, which often broke off when the plane turned. And most importantly, the shooter was protected by a single armor plate at the rear! From the sides and from below he was defenseless. Therefore, the gunner’s position in the IL-2 was often reserved for penalty box soldiers. The famous pilot, participant in the Chkalov flight, Georgy Baidukov, commanded a division of attack aircraft during the war and rated the two-seat Il-2 even lower than the single-seat one: in it, the pilot had to think about how to maneuver over the target with the least risk for the shooter.

Of course, the creator of the aircraft could have increased the size of the armored hull so that it would also protect the shooter. But then it would be necessary to reorganize production, suspending the production of aircraft needed by the front. Ilyushin was a son of his time and was not accustomed to counting the cost of victories. IL-2 was also a son of its time. A front-line aircraft, it went through the war before last day. And, like most front-line soldiers, immediately after the victory he became unnecessary. He was sent into retirement, replaced by a more advanced IL-10.

It's been seven years since I wrote in one of the local newspapers short story about the pilot, the commander of the legendary “pawn”, as the Pe-2 aircraft was called in the army, the order bearer.
Georgy Kalashnikov, with whom I was in the same department of the city hospital
Kamensk-Uralsky. The article was called “Air Combat”. Georgy Kalashnikov died in the intensive care unit of the same hospital two months later, without having read the story published in the newspaper about his feat. It so happened that at the same time, another pilot Anatoly Pavlovich Nefyodov was being treated in the same department, which in itself is that time was a real miracle: two pilots 65 years after the war ended up in the same place at the same time. Unfortunately, I spent little time on the second pilot. I don’t even know if he’s alive now. After all, seven years have passed. Recently, going through old papers in order to get rid of unnecessary things, I found fragmentary notes about the pilot Nefyodov. I’ll quote the little that I have preserved in the drafts about the second pilot. He studied flying at the Semipalatinsk Aero Club, then at the Saratov Military Aviation School, which was disbanded in 1941 and sent to Orenburg, the village of Chebenki. He flew on U-2, R-5 planes near the city of Kuibyshev with the help of our prisoners in a short time built a plant for the production of IL-2, which was also called a “flying tank.” It was armed with 2 cannons and 2 machine guns, 8 unguided rockets (NURS), 4 under each wing, and a bomb load with a total weight of 500 kg. The attack aircraft could fly at low level flight at an altitude of 10-15 m. It had good armor protection for the crew. At first, the aircraft was produced without a gunner/radio operator, but in 1943, due to heavy losses of the IL-2, which was unprotected from behind, they began to make a second cockpit for the gunner behind the pilot’s cockpit -radio operator The Il-2 aircraft was produced in mass quantities, more than all other aircraft of the Great Patriotic War combined. During the war years, 36 thousand units were produced. It must be said that the aircraft were produced without proper modification and required flight tests, in a hurry, as a result of which up to one third of the total number crashed without engaging in combat, did not reach the front line or during test flights. But Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin continued to push quantity at the expense of quality, because the front needed these aircraft, which inspired the Red Army soldiers before powerful fire attack
air support, hitting tanks, enemy firing points and infantry. But the plane itself was not designed for long-term use. Almost several dozen combat missions, the plane failed: either due to a technical malfunction, or it was shot down by the Germans.. From Nefyodov’s story: “on I participated in the war for only less than two months.
And in battles even less - only five sorties. Once a shell hit the plane, breaking part of the wing and landing gear, the pilot barely managed to land at an intermediate airfield. Received a new plane. Had to fly it to western front, near Smolensk. But after five minutes of flight, problems began with the oil pump. Hot oil went through a hole in the engine pipe directly into the pilot’s cabin. I had to land the plane right on the edge of the factory airfield in a snowdrift, which saved my life,
but the propeller was badly damaged. I had to change the plane again, fortunately the plant was nearby. The last flight took place on July 8, 1943. An IL-2 squadron of 12 aircraft attacked German positions at low altitude. A German shell hit the Il-2 engine directly. There was also a radio operator on the plane. I managed to leave the falling plane, the radio operator did not. But I landed right on enemy positions and was captured by the Germans.”
Further, the pilot continued: “The Germans took me past my fallen plane, they even showed me the anti-aircraft gunner who shot down the plane. The plane was lying on its side, the propeller turned into a crooked stump, smoke and flames were coming from the engine. The gunner-radio operator was lying next to the plane without legs Then captivity: first in Dneprodzerzhinsk in a prisoner of war camp,
2721, then Poland, Lodz, then taken to German territory in Regensburg, then Dresden, after which it was liberated in April 1945 by the Red Army soldiers of Marshal I.S. Konev.
Served in Stalin’s camps as a “traitor to the motherland” Rehabilitated after the death of I. Stalin, recognized as a participant in the Great Patriotic War with all the monetary bonuses required by law to the “military” pension. That’s probably all I found in the drafts about this “unsuccessful” pilot Nefedova. He went through captivity, fascist and Stalinist camps, lived to this day, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, as was done after the corresponding decree on the anniversary of the end of the Second World War to all front-line soldiers living by that time in the USSR. After 2010, I underwent treatment in this hospital almost every year, but I no longer met not only pilots, but even WWII participants.

ABOUT STURMOVIK IL-2
(based on Internet materials)

During the entire Great Patriotic War, our army lost more than 23 thousand attack aircraft and over 7.8 thousand pilots. It should be noted that 12 thousand aircraft were not lost in combat conditions. As for Ilov, statistics say that every 53rd flight was the last for the attack aircraft. Regarding survivability, it should be noted that among all types of combat aircraft, attack aircraft died most often, despite the fact that they had excellent armor and powerful weapons. Although the IL-2 is called a flying tank, its armored hull reliably protected only from 7.62 mm bullets. Anti-aircraft shells easily penetrated it. The tail of the attack aircraft was made of wood and could easily be cut off by a successful machine-gun burst. The IL-2 was quite easy to control, but its maneuverability left much to be desired. Therefore, he could not count on passive defense when colliding with an enemy fighter. In addition, the visibility from the cockpit was unsatisfactory (especially backwards); often the pilot simply did not see the enemy approaching. The main reason for losses from anti-aircraft fire was the relatively low speed of the aircraft and the small ceiling of the aircraft. Therefore, the IL-2 was almost always in the enemy’s air defense zone. Another serious problem in the initial period of the war was the low quality of the Il-2 attack aircraft. The first batch of workers and equipment from the Voronezh aircraft plant arrived in Kuibyshev on November 19. In absolutely terrible conditions, working in two 12-hour shifts, in frost that sometimes reached 40 degrees, mass production of attack aircraft began in unfinished workshops. There was no water, no sewerage, and there was an acute shortage of food. To modern man It's hard to even imagine this. In addition, only 8% of the workers were men, the rest were women and children. It is not surprising that the quality of the first machines was extremely low. The planes were simply different from one another. Having arrived at combat units, they were first subjected to modifications (and often repairs) and only then were flown. However, mass production was launched as soon as possible. The heads of aircraft factories at that time were more interested in the number of aircraft than their quality. Of great importance was the absence of radio stations on attack aircraft until the middle of the war (the situation was no better on other types of Soviet aircraft). The situation began to improve only at the end of 1943. In total, 23.6 thousand Il-2 attack aircraft were lost during the war years. The huge percentage of non-combat losses is surprising: only 12.4 thousand Il-2 aircraft were shot down by the enemy. This once again proves the general level of training of attack aircraft flight personnel. If at the beginning of the war the number of attack aircraft to the total number of front-line aircraft of the Red Army was only 0.2%, then by the fall next year it increased to 31%. This ratio remained until the very end of the war. Il-2 pilots died significantly more often than fighter pilots or pilots bomber aviation. For 10 successful flights on an Il-2 attack aircraft (there is information that it was 30), at the beginning of the war the pilot was given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

IL-2 Sturmovik main characteristics:
Modification of IL-2
Wingspan, m 14.60
Length, m 11.60
Height, m ​​4.17
Wing area, m2 38.50

Weight, kg
empty plane 4525
normal takeoff 6060

Engine's type:
1 PD Mikulin AM-38

Power, hp
nominal 1 x 1575
vzleny 1 x 1665

Maximum speed, km/h
near the ground 370
at altitude 411
Practical range, km 685
Rate of climb, m/min 417
Practical ceiling, m 6000

Crew, people 2

Armament of IL-2 Sturmovik:
two 20-mm ShVAK cannons (210 rounds per barrel)
two 7.62-mm ShKAS machine guns (750 rounds per machine gun)
one 12.7 mm drill collar for rear firing (280 rounds)
8 RO-82 and 400 kg of bombs (overload 600 kg).

The Il-2 aircraft, along with the T-34 tank and Katyusha, became one of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War and victory in it. And for what reason did this happen? Why IL-2? Let's try to figure it out. First of all, the Il-2 aircraft turned out to be an extremely effective combat unit, namely an attack aircraft. An attack aircraft also has another name - a direct support aircraft for troops, which explains its combat mission. If tactical bombers (for example Pe-2) target objects different meanings and remoteness from the front, strategic aviation (for example Pe-8) - an attack on the country’s strategic targets in the depths of its territory, then the Il-2 must participate in attacks on ground troops, support them, literally “iron” the enemy’s battle formations during the battle, before the battle and after it. In fact, this is flying artillery. The requirements for aircraft of this class are quite unique. The main ones are: high firepower, the possibility of targeted destruction of ground targets and increased aircraft survivability. The IL-2 had all these qualities, which is why it became a legend, which, when it appeared over the battlefield, caused a sharp rise in morale among the Red Army soldiers and panic horror among the German soldiers.

The most interesting thing is that Ryabushko heard this directly from the captured Germans themselves, with whom a group of Soviet attack pilots (including himself) decided to simply talk, since a column of prisoners was being escorted past their airfield, where the Il-2s were not camouflaged. And as soon as our pilots persuaded the guards to give them a couple of minutes to just talk with the prisoners, they, seeing that Il-2s were standing at the airfield, literally began to beg in tears not to shoot them. Interested in this behavior of the prisoners, the pilots, through an interpreter, found out what was already mentioned above. And to the question “What makes you think that we are suicide bombers?”, the prisoners answered very simply - they say, “a normal person who at least somehow protects his life will not fly the way Russian attack aircraft do. Only suicide bombers, who have nothing to lose, can attack like this, desperately and mercilessly, from an extremely low altitude and not caring about anti-aircraft fire. And such people to a normal person It’s not only not shameful to be afraid, but it seems like it’s even obligatory.”

So it turns out that, apparently, our “anti-intelligence” heard a ringing somewhere, but, as always, did not deign to figure out where it came from and why. But the example is very interesting. Even more. You will notice how the Teutons reasoned. They came to us as extremely uninvited “guests,” that is, aggressors. They mercilessly and barbarically destroyed our cities and villages, defenseless peaceful Soviet citizens, from the lowest heights, as if in a shooting gallery, they shot columns of unfortunate refugees, and here, you see, the Russian attack aircraft, such brave normal warriors of the normal Third Reich, so mercilessly destroyed them battlefield!? What impudent people! However, the German “political instructors” themselves look like special bastards here. After all, this is what they explained to their soldiers in order to at least somehow explain to them why the Russians were fighting so bravely and heroically! And what did these bastards “Krauts” pass as the “best argument”?! That's right, all Russians are cowards, barbarians, all impenetrable bastards, all beasts, only capable of mercilessly killing the normal Teutons who brought them Nazi civilization! Well, our “anti-ligence” goes there too. How could we live without her, and even in the presence of such a Nazi “argument”?!

But the “argument,” by the way, is only in favor of the glorious Stalinist falcons, who, with unparalleled bravery, heroism and courage, waged a truly ruthless, merciless fight against a fiercely hated enemy! They fought for their homeland! Or did the aggressor expect that marmalades would fall from the sky?! Moreover. “Argument” is also good because it shows the highest efficiency and reliability of the Soviet aviation technology, which allowed attack pilots to operate at ultra-low altitudes. After all, the IL-2 was the world's first serial armored attack aircraft, in which the life of the pilot and the main systems of the aircraft itself were perfectly protected by aircraft armor! No one in the world had such an aircraft that could hover over the battlefield at low and ultra-low altitudes and methodically destroy the enemy!

Well, there is nothing surprising in the fact that some of the pilots ended up in penal air squadrons for serious offenses and under the verdict of military tribunals. This has already been mentioned above. Let me remind you once again that in Stalin’s time the law was the law for everyone. Especially during the war, otherwise, without discipline, Victory would not have been achieved! That's it!

And now that, albeit briefly, you have become familiar with what happened and how it happened, please answer one sacramental question. Above was the real truth about air penalties and penal air squadrons. She is bitter and in many ways impartial. But that's how it was. However, what does this have to do with the assertion that during the war Stalin did not spare even his favorites - “Stalin’s falcons” - and exiled them to penal air squadrons specially created for them, and some even to penal battalions?! What does it have to do with it if it was an initiative from below, albeit in pursuance of the famous order No. 227?! What is the villainy if the aviators themselves laid the cruelty in the situation?! Where is Stalin’s villainy here, if during the war the Soviet legislation in force at that time was strictly observed?! And you know what’s most interesting?! You won't believe it, but this is really true. The pilots themselves - participants in the war - answered all these questions a long time ago. And how! After all, not one of the pilots who served in penal squadrons ever uttered a single bad word about the very idea of ​​penal air units, much less Stalin! On the contrary, they are also proud of the fact that

Mukhin Yu. I. Media of mass lies. M., 2008, p. 45–48.