The best pilot ace of the Second World War. Fighter aces of World War II. How can this be
February 6 is the day of remembrance of the famous pilot, retired aviation lieutenant general, twice hero of the Soviet Union Vitaly Popkov. In his single-engine La-5FN fighter, he flew 475 missions and conducted 113 air combats, including one ramming attack. According to various sources, Popkov had from 40 to 60 victories: he is rightfully among the recognized aces of the Great Patriotic War. By the way, it was he who became the prototype for two heroes of the famous film “Only Old Men Go to Battle” - “Maestro” Titarenko and “Grasshopper” Alexandrov.
We have collected facts about the Soviet aces who shot down the largest number of enemy vehicles.
Vitaly Popkov
Twice hero of the Soviet Union, he personally shot down 47 enemy aircraft and 13 in a group.
Popkov graduated from the flight school in the “star” class: together with the future aces - Kozhedub, Lavrinenkov, Borovykh, Likholetov. The young man was sent to the front in 1942. He ended up in the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. They say that having reached the airfield on the transfer plane, Popkov could not resist and climbed into an unfamiliar LaGG-3 plane, where he was discovered by a sentry. The commander invited the nimble guy to fly as his replacement.
Popkov won his first victory in June 1942, in the vicinity of the city of Kholm - he shot down a Do-217 bomber using the same LaGG-3. Shortly before this, he violated flight discipline, showed himself to be a reckless driver and was appointed permanent kitchen duty officer. That day, two Do-217s and two Me-109s covering them appeared over the airfield. Popkov, right in his apron, jumped into the plane and, on the very first approach, shot down one Dornier. The regiment commander only managed to say: “Why didn’t you grab the Messers too?” So the way to the young pilot was again opened to sky.
Popkov recalled that in August of the same year he shot down one of the most famous fascist aces. It was near Stalingrad. Hermann Graf, the Luftwaffe ace, had 212 victories at that time. He spent several years in Soviet camps and returned to Germany a convinced anti-fascist.
Ivan Kozhedub
Three times hero of the Soviet Union, he has 64 victories on his record. He flew on La-5, La-5FN, La-7, Il-2, MiG-3 aircraft. Kozhedub conducted his first air combat in a La-5 in March 1943. Together with the leader, he was supposed to guard the airfield, but after taking off, the pilot lost sight of the second plane, received damage from the enemy, and then also came under his own anti-aircraft artillery. Kozhedub had difficulty landing the plane, which had more than 50 holes.
After an unsuccessful battle, they wanted to transfer the pilot to ground duty. However, he firmly decided to return to the sky: he flew as a messenger, studied the experience of the famous fighter Pokryshkin, from whom he adopted the battle formula: “Altitude - speed - maneuver - fire.” In his first battle, Kozhedub lost precious seconds recognizing the aircraft that attacked him, so he spent a lot of time memorizing the silhouettes of aircraft.
Having been appointed deputy squadron commander, Kozhedub took part in air battles on the Kursk Bulge. In the summer of 1943, he received his first Order of the Red Banner of Battle. By February 1944, the number of aircraft shot down by Kozhedub exceeded three dozen. The pilot was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
They say that Kozhedub loved his planes very much and considered them “alive.” And not once during the entire war did he leave his car, even when it was on fire. In May 1944, he was given a special La-5 FN aircraft. The beekeeper of the Bolshevik agricultural farm in the Budarinsky district of the Stalingrad region, Vasily Viktorovich Konev, transferred his personal savings to the Defense Fund and asked to build an aircraft with them in the name of his deceased nephew, fighter pilot, hero of the Soviet Union, Georgy Konev. On one of the sides of the plane they wrote: “In the name of Lieutenant Colonel Konev,” on the second - “From the collective farmer Vasily Viktorovich Konev.” The beekeeper asked to transfer the aircraft to the best pilot. It turned out to be Kozhedub.
In February 1945, the ace shot down a German Me-262 jet fighter, and attacked the last enemy aircraft in April. In total, Kozhedub flew 330 combat missions and conducted 120 air battles.
Alexander Pokryshkin
Three times hero of the Soviet Union, who personally shot down 59 enemy aircraft and six aircraft in a group. Flew MiG-3, Yak-1, P-39, Airacobra.
The genius of flying received a baptism of fire in the first days of the war. Then he was the deputy squadron commander of the 55th Air Regiment. There was a misunderstanding: on June 22, 1941, Pokryshkin shot down a Soviet Su-2 short-range bomber. The plane landed on the fuselage in a field, the pilot survived, but the navigator died. Pokryshkin later admitted that he simply did not recognize the plane: “Sukhoi” appeared in military units right before the war.
But the very next day the pilot distinguished himself: during a reconnaissance flight he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter. This was Pokryshkin's first combat victory. And on July 3, he was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery over the Prut. By that time, the pilot had won at least five victories.
While in the hospital, Pokryshkin began making notes in a notebook, which he entitled “Fighter Tactics in Combat.” It was there that his science of winning was described. Many of Pokryshkin’s combat and reconnaissance missions were unique. So, in November 1941, in conditions of limited visibility (the edge of the clouds dropped to 30 meters), he obtained information about tank divisions in the Rostov region. On the eve of the 1942 offensive, the pilot was awarded the Order of Lenin. Then he had already been shot down twice and had 190 combat missions.
In the air battle in Kuban in the spring of 1943, Pokryshkin for the first time widely used the “Kuban Whatnot” combat formation, which was later distributed to all fighter air units. The pilot had many original tactics to win the battle. For example, he came up with a way out of an enemy’s attack on a turn with a downward “barrel”, with a loss of speed. The enemy then found himself in the crosshairs.
By the end of the war, Pokryshkin was the most famous pilot at the fronts. Then the phrase was widespread: “Akhtung! Akhtung! Pokryshkin in the air!” The Germans actually notified pilots about the flights of the Russian ace, warning them to be careful and gain altitude so as not to take risks. Until the end of the war, the famous pilot was the only three-time hero of the Soviet Union: he was awarded the third “Golden Star” on August 19, 1944, after 550 combat missions and 53 official victories. Georgy Zhukov became a hero three times on June 1, and Ivan Kozhedub on August 18, 1945.
By the end of the war, Pokryshkin flew more than 650 combat missions and took part in 156 air battles. According to unofficial data, the ace had more victories - up to a hundred.
Nikolay Gulaev
Twice hero of the Soviet Union. He personally shot down 57 enemy aircraft and four aircraft in a group. He flew on Yak-1, Il-2, La-5, La-7, P-39, and Airacobra aircraft.
At the beginning of the war, Gulaev was sent to the air defense of one of the industrial centers located far from the front line. But in March 1942, he, among the ten best pilots, was sent to the defense of Borisoglebsk. On August 3, Gulaev took part in his first battle: he took off without orders, at night, and shot down a German Heinkel bomber. The command announced a punishment to the pilot and immediately presented him with an award.
In February 1943, Gulaev was sent to the 27th Fighter Aviation Regiment, in which he shot down more than 50 enemy aircraft in a year. He was extremely effective: he shot down up to five planes a day. Among them were twin-engine bombers 5 He-111 and 4 Ju-88; FW-189 spotters, Ju-87 dive bombers. Other front-line aviation pilots had mostly downed fighters on their record.
On the Kursk Bulge, in the Belgorod region, Gulaev especially distinguished himself. In his first battle, on May 14, 1943, the pilot alone entered into battle with three Ju-87 bombers, which were covered by four Me-109s. At low altitude, Gulaev made a “slide” and shot down first the leading bomber, and then another bomber. The pilot tried to attack the third plane, but he ran out of ammunition. And then Gulaev decided to go for the ram. The left wing of the Yak-1, on which he was flying, hit the plane of the Ju-87. The German plane fell apart. The Yak-1, having lost control, went into a tailspin, but Gulaev was able to level it and land it. The feat was witnessed by infantrymen of the 52nd Infantry Division, who carried what they thought was a wounded pilot out of the cockpit in their arms. However, Gulaev did not receive a scratch. He did not say anything to the regiment - what he did became known a few hours later, after the infantrymen reported. After the pilot complained that he remained “horseless,” he was given a new plane. And later they were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Gulaev made his last combat flight from the Polish Turbya airfield on August 14, 1944. For three days in a row the day before, he shot down one plane. In September, the ace was forcibly sent to study at the Air Force Academy. He served in aviation until 1979, when he retired.
In total, Gulaev made 250 combat missions and 49 air battles. Its performance was considered record-breaking.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union pilot Nikolai Gulaev. Photo: RIA Novosti www.ria.ru
By the way
Soviet aces made up approximately three percent of the total number of pilots. They destroyed a third of the enemy aircraft. 27 pilots were awarded the title twice and three times Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war they scored between 22 and 62 victories and shot down a total of 1,044 aircraft.
Pilots - heroes of the Great Patriotic War and their exploits
Knights of the sky
Although the war remained somewhere in May of distant 1945, entire generations of our country were brought up on the example of the exploits of ace pilots of the Great Patriotic War. Their names sounded from the lips of millions, they were admired, many boys imitated them, they aroused fear and respect from the enemy. Military pilots are not just aces, they are real air knights.
Popkov Vitaly Ivanovich (05/01/1922 – 02/06/2010)
Soviet pilot Vitaly Ivanovich Popkov, the son of Moscow workers, graduated from the aviation school in Chuguev at the age of nineteen, and then from the aviation school in Bataysk. The year 1942 brought the young pilot his first triumph, and at the age of 21 he had already earned the star of Hero of the USSR. 325 sorties, that’s how many times the pilot flew the plane into the sky, bringing victory closer and completing missions, destroying 41 Luftwaffe aircraft. Showing courage and lack of fear while fighting the invaders, he was listed among the top ten aces of the Soviet Union. Based on some biographical events of the hero, the film “Only “old men” go into battle” was shot, in which the pilot became the prototype of the character Titarenok, known in the film as “Maestro”.
Skomorokhov Nikolai Mikhailovich (05/19/1920 – 10/14/1994)
The call sign “Skomorokh” was the name given to the young pilot Nikolai Mikhailovich Skomorokhov at the front. This ordinary village boy from the Russian outback graduated from an aviation school in Bataysk in 1942. For his absolute fearlessness and courage, as well as his unbearable zeal to get even for a friend who died in an air battle, Nikolai Skomorokhov was the subject of legends about fierce hatred of the enemy. Flying out on a “free hunt,” he attacked the Luftwaffe pilots like a predator, making it impossible for them to jump out of the battlefield unharmed. “Skomorokh” caused panic among the enemy with just his call sign, and he had 46 destroyed enemy vehicles to his credit.
Gulaev Nikolai Dmitrievich (02/26/1918 – 09/27/1985)
“And there is only one warrior in the field” - this statement exactly describes the feat of Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev, who shot down 55 enemy aircraft. A mechanic by training, passionate about aviation, he attended an aviation club, and in 1940 he graduated from the Stalingrad aviation school. During the operation in the Kursk-Oryol direction, Gulaev found himself surrounded in a battle by four German planes at once. Having performed several competent maneuvering techniques, showing courage, Gulaev shot down two of them, using up his ammunition, while risking his life, he rammed the third. For this feat, Gulaev was awarded the Gold Star, and a year later, having shot down 5 Luftwaffe aircraft in less than 5 minutes of battle, the ace pilot again became a holder of the highest award.
Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich (03/06/1913-11/13/1985)
One of the most successful pilots of the Red Army, a Siberian from a simple worker’s family, Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin, who graduated with honors from the school of aircraft technicians and the Kachinsky Flight School, began to fight in June 1941. Constantly recording all his air battles in a diary. The fighter pilot competently analyzed and analyzed in detail the outcome of each battle. Such zeal and desire to fight in the sky soon bore fruit. Being a good strategist, Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin made competent tactical moves in the air, as if he were winning a game of chess. It was participation in heavy defensive battles of 1941-1942 that influenced the development of various air combat tactics. Having met the end of the war near Berlin, Pokryshkin, who became the first Three-Time Hero in history, had 59 downed German aircraft to his credit.
Rechkalov Grigory Andreevich (02/09/1920 – 12/20/1990)
Another famous pilot who participated in combat battles from the very first day of the war, scoring 56 victories and making 450 combat missions, was Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov. Colorblindness discovered by the military medical commission on the eve of the Great Patriotic War almost put an end to the participation in air battles of the future Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. However, this did not prevent the fighter pilot from shooting down three enemy aircraft in the first days of the war. Despite long-term treatment in hospitals after severe wounds, Rechkalov was able not only to return to duty, but at the age of 22, in two weeks of fighting in the skies over Kuban, he shot down 19 enemy vehicles. And in the same 1943 he mastered a new type of fighter, the Airacobra. It was the American Airacobra that became the working machine of the Soviet ace, with which he shot down 44 enemy aircraft.
Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich (06/08/1920 – 08/08/1991)
The most successful Soviet pilot was Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, a native of the Chernigov region from a peasant family. Before becoming a skilled pilot, the future ace was trained at the Shostka flying club and graduated from the aviation school in Chuguev. Kozhedub started the war at just 23 years old and soon won his first victory, and a couple of months later the Golden Star was awarded to the pilot. He successfully covered offensive operations from the air, including on the Kursk Bulge, meeting Victory in the skies over Berlin. Kozhedub regularly improved his piloting skills both in the air and through detailed analysis of flights on the ground, which allowed him to become a real cold-blooded and fearless military pilot. Surprisingly, Kozhedub was never shot down during the entire war. Even when his plane was badly damaged, the pilot reached his airfield and saved the combat vehicle. In the period from 1943 to 1945, Ivan Nikitovich won an aerial victory 62 times with 330 sorties.
Evstigneev Kirill Alekseevich (02/04/1917 – 08/29/1996)
Obsessed with the sky and aviation - this is exactly what can be said about Kirill Alekseevich Evstigneev. No one could have imagined that a boy from the family of a poor Kemerovo peasant would become a famous ace many years later. Having trained as a trackman at a railway school, and then as a turner, Kirill Evstigneev became a graduate of the Burma Aviation School in 1941. Having a serious stomach illness, he only entered battle with the Luftwaffe in 1943. Very often he had to endure hellish pain while piloting a plane, but the desire to fly and fight was always stronger. In his first battle in March 1943, Evstigneev was able to destroy two enemy vehicles at once. He repeatedly escaped from the hospital and returned to his regiment, for which he received the nickname “Flint” from his colleagues. The Great Victory found Kirill Evstigneev in Hungary. He was responsible for 52 destroyed German aircraft and 283 combat sorties.
All these legendary pilots of the Great Patriotic War went down in history and forever remained in the memory of the many millions of people of our Motherland. And while this memory is alive, they will also live, just like many years ago, covering us from the sky.
Video about the legendary pilots of the Great Patriotic War.
Throughout the Great Patriotic War, with the exception of its last months, the Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber was one of the main opponents of Soviet fighter pilots, especially during periods of active hostilities. Therefore, in the lists of victories of many of our aces, “laptezhniki” (this is exactly the nickname the German dive-bomber received in our country for its characteristic non-retractable landing gear in massive fairings) occupy a prominent place.
The Ju 87B-2 from III./St.G, which made an emergency landing due to engine damage. 2, autumn 1941,
Chudovo station area, Leningrad region ( http://waralbum.ru)
Since there were a lot of victories over the Yu-87 (as the aircraft was designated in Soviet staff documents) - for every 3,000 ace pilots there are about 4,000 applications for the destruction of enemy dive bombers - their presence in the combat accounts of aces is, in fact, directly dependent on the total number of downed planes, and the top lines of the list are occupied by the most famous Soviet aces.
The first place among the hunters for “laptezhniki” is shared by the most successful fighter pilot of the anti-Hitler coalition, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, and another famous ace, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Arseny Vasilyevich Vorozheikin. Both of these pilots have 18 Yu-87s shot down. Kozhedub shot down all his Junkers as part of the 240th IAP (the first victory over the Yu-87 was 07/06/1943, the last was on 06/01/1944), flying a La-5 fighter, Vorozheikin - as part of the 728th IAP on the Yak- 7B (the first Laptezhnik shot down was 07/14/1943, the last one was 04/18/1944). In total, during the war, Ivan Kozhedub scored 64 personal aerial victories, and Arseny Vorozheikin - 45 individually and 1 in a pair, and both of our outstanding pilots had the Yu-87 first on the extensive lists of aircraft they shot down.
Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, the best ace of the anti-Hitler coalition, destroyed the most Yu-87 - on e
counted 18 German dive bombers ( http://waralbum.ru)
Second place in the conditional ranking of “stuka” destroyers is occupied by another pilot of the 240th IAP, who flew the La-5 - twice Hero of the Soviet Union Kirill Alekseevich Evstigneev, who during his combat career scored 13 personal victories over the Yu-87, also having another shot down in a group. In total, Evstigneev shot down 52 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
Third place in the list of personal victories is shared by pilots of the 205th Fighter Aviation Division, Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Pavlovich Mikhalev from the 508th IAP (213th Guards IAP) and twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev (27th IAP/129th Guards IAP), each having 12 destroyed “laptezhniki” (Vasily Mikhalev, in addition, has 7 dive bombers shot down in the group). The first began his combat career on the Yak-7B, “killing” 4 Yu-87s on it, and shot down the rest while in the cockpit of the Lend-Lease P-39 Airacobra fighter; the second - he sent the first 7 "pieces" to the ground, piloting the Yak-1 (and Gulaev shot down two "Junkers" with ram attacks), the rest of the victories were won on the "Air Cobra". Mikhalev’s final combat score was 23+14, and Gulaev’s was 55+5 aerial victories.
The fourth position in the ranking with 11 personal victories over the Yu-87 is occupied by the “magnificent five” fighter pilots of the KA Air Force, headed by Hero of the Soviet Union Fedor Fedorovich Arkhipenko, who also has 6 “laptezhniki” shot down in the group. The pilot won his victories over the Yu-87 in the ranks of two air regiments - the 508th IAP and the 129th Guards IAP, shooting down two bombers personally in the Yak-7B, the rest in the Airacobra. In total, during the war, Arkhipenko shot down 29 enemy aircraft personally and 15 in a group. Further on the list of pilots who shot down 11 Ju-87s each looks like this: Trofim Afanasyevich Litvinenko (fought as part of the 191st IAP on the P-40 Kittyhawk and La-5, final combat score - 18+0, Hero of the Soviet Union) ; Mikhalin Mikhail Fedorovich (191st IAP, “Kittyhawk”, 14+2); Rechkalov Grigory Andreevich (16th Guards IAP, “Airacobra”, 61+4, twice Hero of the Soviet Union); Chepinoga Pavel Iosifovich (27th IAP and 508th IAP, Yak-1 and Airacobra, 25+1, Hero of the Soviet Union).
Five more pilots have 10 personally shot down Yu-87s: Artamonov Nikolai Semenovich (297th IAP and 193rd IAP (177th Guards IAP), La-5, 28+9, Hero of the Soviet Union); Zyuzin Petr Dmitrievich (29th Guards IAP, Yak-9, 16+0, Hero of the Soviet Union); Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich (16th Guards IAP, Directorate of the 9th Guards IAD, “Airacobra”, 46+6, three times Hero of the Soviet Union); Rogozhin Vasily Aleksandrovich (236th IAP (112th Guards IAP), Yak-1, 23+0, Hero of the Soviet Union); Sachkov Mikhail Ivanovich (728th IAP, Yak-7B, 29+0, Hero of the Soviet Union).
In addition, 9 fighter pilots were sent to the ground by 9 diving Junkers, 8 people had 8 downed Yu-87s, 15 pilots had 7 each.
This article will not talk about the best fighter pilots, but about the most effective pilots who achieved the largest number of enemy aircraft shot down. Who are they aces, and where did they come from? Fighter aces are those who were, first of all, aimed at destroying aircraft, which did not always coincide with the main task of combat missions, but was often a secondary goal, or just a way to complete the task. In any case, the main task of the Air Force, depending on the situation, was either to destroy the enemy or to prevent the destruction of its military potential. Fighter aircraft always performed an auxiliary function: either prevented enemy bombers from reaching the target, or covered their own. Naturally, the share of fighters in the Air Force, on average in all warring countries, occupied about 30% of the total number of military air fleets. Thus, the best pilots should be considered not those who shot down a record number of aircraft, but those who completed the combat mission. And since there was an overwhelming majority of them at the front, it is very problematic to determine the best among them, even taking into account the award system.
However, the human essence has always required a leader, and the military propaganda of a hero, a role model, hence the qualitative indicator “best” turned into a quantitative indicator “ace”. Our story will be about such fighter aces. By the way, according to the unwritten rules of the Allies, a pilot who has won at least 5 victories is considered an ace, i.e. destroyed 5 enemy aircraft.
Due to the fact that the quantitative indicators of downed aircraft in opposing countries are very different, at the beginning of the story, we will abstract from subjective and objective explanations and focus only on dry numbers. At the same time, we will keep in mind that “additions” occurred in all armies, and as practice shows, in units, and not in tens, which could not significantly affect the order of the numbers under consideration. We will begin the presentation by country, from the best results to the least.
Germany
Hartmann Erich (Erich Alfred Hartmann) (04/19/1922 - 09/20/1993). 352 victories
Fighter pilot, major. From 1936 he flew gliders in a flying club, and from 1938 he began to learn to fly airplanes. After graduating from aviation school in 1942, he was sent to a fighter squadron operating in the Caucasus. He took part in the Battle of Kursk, during which he shot down 7 aircraft in one day. The maximum result of a pilot is 11 aircraft shot down in one day. Was shot down 14 times. In 1944 he was captured, but managed to escape. Commanded the squadron. He shot down his last plane on May 8, 1945. His favorite tactics were ambush and short-range fire. 80% of the pilots he shot down did not have time to understand what happened. I never got involved in a “dog fight”, considering the fight with fighters a waste of time. He himself described his tactics in the following words: “saw - decided - attacked - broke away.” He made 1,425 combat missions, participated in 802 air battles and shot down 352 enemy aircraft (347 Soviet aircraft), achieving the best result in the entire history of aviation. Awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
The second German pilot to shoot down more than 300 aircraft is Gerhard Barkhorn, who destroyed 301 enemy aircraft in 1,100 missions. 15 German pilots shot down from 200 to 300 enemy aircraft, 19 pilots shot down from 150 to 200 aircraft, 104 pilots recorded from 100 to 150 victories.
During World War II, according to German data, Luftwaffe pilots scored about 70,000 victories. More than 5,000 German pilots became aces, scoring five or more victories. Of the 43,100 (90% of all losses) Soviet aircraft destroyed by Luftwaffe pilots during World War II, 24 thousand were accounted for by three hundred aces. More than 8,500 German fighter pilots were killed and 2,700 were missing or captured. 9,100 pilots were injured during combat missions.
Finland
Fighter pilot, warrant officer. In 1933 he received a private plane pilot's license, then graduated from the Finnish Aviation School and in 1937 began military service with the rank of sergeant. Initially he flew on a reconnaissance plane, and from 1938 - as a fighter pilot. Sergeant Juutilainen won his first aerial victory on December 19, 1939, when he shot down a Soviet DB-3 bomber with an FR-106 fighter over the Karelian Isthmus. A few days later, in a battle over the northern shore of Lake Ladoga, an I-16 fighter was shot down. He is the most successful pilot to fly the Brewster fighter, with 35 victories. He also fought on the Bf.109 G-2 and Bf.109 G-6 fighters. In 1939-1944 he made 437 combat missions, shooting down 94 Soviet aircraft, two of which during the Soviet-Finnish war. He is one of four Finns twice awarded the Mannerheim Cross II class (and the only one among them who does not have an officer rank).
The second most successful Finnish pilot is Hans Henrik Wind, who flew 302 combat missions and scored 75 victories. 9 Finnish pilots, having completed from 200 to 440 sorties, shot down from 31 to 56 enemy aircraft. 39 pilots shot down from 10 to 30 aircraft. According to expert estimates, the Red Army Air Force lost 1,855 aircraft in air battles with Finnish fighters, 77% of which were Finnish aces.
Japan
Fighter Pilot, Jr. Lieutenant posthumously. In 1936 he entered the school of reservist pilots. He started the war on the Mitsubishi A5M fighter, then flew on the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. According to the recollections of contemporaries, both Japanese and American pilots, Nishizawa was distinguished by his incredible skill in piloting a fighter. He won his first victory on April 11, 1942 - he shot down an American P-39 Airacobra fighter. Over the next 72 hours he shot down 6 more enemy aircraft. On August 7, 1942, he shot down six Grumman F4F fighters on Guadalcanal. In 1943, Nishizawa chalked up 6 more downed planes. For his services, the command of the 11th Air Fleet awarded Nishizawa a combat sword with the inscription “For Military Valor.” In October 1944, covering kamikaze planes, he shot down his last 87th plane. Nishizawa died as a passenger on a transport plane while on a flight to pick up new aircraft. The pilot was posthumously given the posthumous name Bukai-in Kohan Giko Kyoshi, which translates as “In the ocean of war, one of the revered pilots, a revered person in Buddhism.”
The second most successful Japanese pilot is Iwamoto Tetsuzo (岩本徹三), who has 80 victories. 9 Japanese pilots shot down from 50 to 70 enemy aircraft, another 19 - from 30 to 50.
USSR
Fighter pilot, major on the day the war ended. He took his first steps in aviation in 1934 at a flying club, then graduated from the Chuguev Aviation Pilot School, where he served as an instructor. At the end of 1942 he was seconded to a fighter aviation regiment. From the spring of 1943 - on the Voronezh Front. In the first battle he was shot down, but managed to return to his airfield. Since the summer of 1943, with the rank of ml. The lieutenant was appointed deputy squadron commander. On the Kursk Bulge, during his 40th combat mission, he shot down his first plane, a Yu-87. The next day he shot down a second one, a few days later - 2 Bf-109 fighters. The first title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Kozhedub (already a senior lieutenant) on February 4, 1944 for 146 combat missions and 20 downed enemy aircraft. From the spring of 1944 he fought on the La-5FN fighter, then on the La-7. Kozhedub was awarded the second Gold Star medal on August 19, 1944 for 256 combat missions and 48 downed enemy aircraft. By the end of the war, Ivan Kozhedub, by that time a guard major, made 330 sorties, in 120 air battles he shot down 64 enemy aircraft, including 17 Ju-87 dive bombers, 2 each Ju-88 and He-88 bombers. 111", 16 Bf-109 and 21 Fw-190 fighters, 3 Hs-129 attack aircraft and 1 Me-262 jet fighter. Kozhedub received the third Gold Star medal on August 18, 1945 for high military skill, personal courage and bravery shown on the war fronts. In addition, Kozhedub was awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, 7 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of the Red Star.
The second most successful Soviet pilot is Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich, who flew 650 combat missions, fought 156 battles and won 59 victories, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times. In addition, 5 Soviet fighter pilots shot down over 50 enemy aircraft. 7 pilots shot down from 40 to 50 aircraft, 34 - from 30 to 40 aircraft. 800 pilots have between 16 and 30 victories. More than 5 thousand pilots destroyed 5 or more aircraft. Separately, it is worth noting the most successful female fighter - Lydia Litvyak, who scored 12 victories.
Romania
Fighter pilot, captain. In 1933, he became interested in aviation, created his own aviation school, was involved in aviation sports, and was the champion of Romania in aerobatics in 1939. By the beginning of the war, Cantacuzino had flown over two thousand hours, becoming an experienced pilot. In 1941, he served as a transport airline pilot, but soon voluntarily transferred to military aviation. As part of the 53rd Squadron of the 7th Fighter Group, equipped with British Hurricane fighters, Cantacuzino took part in battles on the Eastern Front. In December 1941 he was recalled from the front and demobilized. In April 1943, he was again mobilized into the same 7th Fighter Group, equipped with Bf.109 fighters, and fought on the Eastern Front, where in May he was appointed commander of the 58th Squadron with the rank of captain. He fought in Moldova and Southern Transylvania. He made 608 sorties, shot down 54 enemy aircraft, among which were Soviet, American, and German aircraft. Among Constantin Cantacuzino's awards were the Romanian Order of Michael the Brave and the German Iron Cross 1st class.
The second most successful Romanian pilot is Alexandru Şerbănescu, who flew 590 combat missions and shot down 44 enemy aircraft. Romanian Ion Milu flew 500 missions and scored 40 victories. 13 pilots shot down from 10 to 20 aircraft, and 4 - from 6 to 9. Almost all of them flew German fighters and shot down Allied aircraft.
Great Britain
In 1936, he joined a special South African battalion, and then entered a civilian flight school, after which he was sent to the Primary Flight School. In the spring of 1937, he mastered the Gloster Gladiator biplane fighter and a year later was sent to Egypt to defend the Suez Canal. In August 1940, he took part in the first air battle, in which he shot down his first plane, but was also shot down. A week later he shot down two more enemy aircraft. Taking part in the battles for Greece, where he fought on the Hawker Hurricane Mk I fighter, he shot down several Italian planes every day. Before the German invasion of Greece, Marmaduke had 28 aircraft shot down and commanded a squadron. Over the course of a month of fighting, the pilot brought the number of aircraft shot down to 51 and was shot down in an unequal battle. Awarded the Cross "For Distinguished Flying Merit".
The second most successful British pilot is James Edgar Johnson, who flew 515 combat missions and scored 34 victories. 25 British pilots shot down between 20 and 32 aircraft, 51 between 10 and 20.
Croatia
Fighter pilot, captain. After graduating from aviation school with the rank of junior lieutenant, he entered service in the Air Force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After the creation of the Independent State of Croatia, he joined the Air Force of the newly formed state. In the summer of 1941, he underwent training in Germany and became part of the Croatian Air Legion. The first combat flight took place on October 29, 1942 in Kuban. In February 1944, Dukovac made his 250th mission, scoring 37 victories, for which he was awarded the German Cross in gold. That same year, during the fighting in Crimea, Dukovac won his 44th victory. On September 29, 1944, his Me.109 plane was shot down, and the Croatian ace was captured by the Soviets. For some time he worked as a flight instructor in the USSR Air Force, after which he was sent to the Yugoslav partisan army as the same instructor. In February 1945, the Yugoslavs learned that Dukovac had previously served in the Ustasha aviation and ordered his immediate arrest, but on August 8, 1945, he escaped to Italy and surrendered to the Americans, where he was registered as a Luftwaffe prisoner of war. In January 1946, he was released and went to Syria, where he participated in the Arab-Israeli War as part of the Syrian Air Force.
The second most successful Croatian pilot was Franjo Jal, who scored 16 aerial victories. 6 Croatian pilots shot down 10 to 14 aircraft.
USA
Fighter pilot, major. In 1941, Bong entered the military flight school, and upon graduation became an instructor pilot. Once at the front, he was in a training squadron until the end of 1942. In the first battle he shot down two Japanese planes at once. Within two weeks, Bong shot down three more planes. During the battles, he used a method of air attacks known as “air superiority tactics.” The method involved attacking from high altitude, heavy fire at close range, and a quick escape at high speed. Another tactical principle of the time was: "Never engage in close combat with a Zero." By the beginning of 1944, Bong had 20 downed aircraft and a Distinguished Service Cross to his personal account. In December 1944, with 40 victories earned in 200 combat missions, Bong received the Medal of Honor and returned from the front to serve as a test pilot. Killed while testing a jet fighter.
The second most successful American pilot is Thomas Buchanan McGuire, who shot down 38 enemy aircraft in the P-38 fighter. 25 American pilots had up to 20 downed aircraft. 205 had between 10 and 20 victories. It is noteworthy that all American aces achieved success in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
Hungary
Fighter pilot, lieutenant. After leaving school, at the age of 18 he volunteered to join the Royal Hungarian Air Force. Initially he served as a mechanic, and later underwent pilot training. As a fighter pilot, he took part in World War II operations in Hungary, flying an Italian Fiat CR.32 aircraft. From the summer of 1942 he fought on the Eastern Front. By the end of the war, he made 220 combat missions, never losing his aircraft, and shot down 34 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class and many Hungarian medals. Died in a plane crash.
The second most successful Hungarian pilot is Debrody Gyorgy, who shot down 26 enemy aircraft in 204 combat missions. 10 pilots shot down from 10 to 25 aircraft, and 20 pilots from 5 to 10. Most of them flew German fighters and fought against the Allies.
Fighter pilot, lieutenant colonel. In 1937 he received a private pilot's license. After the surrender of France, in March 1942 he joined the Free French Air Force in Great Britain. After graduating from the English Air Force School RAF Cranwell with the rank of Air Sergeant, he was sent to the 341st Squadron RAF, where he began flying Supermarine Spitfire aircraft. Klostermann scored his first two victories in July 1943, destroying two Focke-Wulf 190s over France. From July to November 1944 he worked at the headquarters of the French Air Force. In December he returned to the front again, began flying in the 274th Squadron, received the rank of lieutenant and transferred to the Hawker Tempest aircraft. From April 1, 1945, Klosterman was commander of the 3rd Squadron, and from April 27 he commanded the entire 122nd Air Wing. During the war he made 432 combat missions, achieving 33 victories. He was awarded the Legion of Honor, the Order of Liberation and many medals.
The second most successful French pilot, Marcel Albert, who fought as part of the Normandy-Niemen fighter regiment on the Eastern Front, shot down 23 enemy aircraft. During the fighting, 96 pilots of this regiment flew 5,240 combat missions, conducted about 900 air battles, and won 273 victories.
Slovakia
After graduating from school, he studied at the flying club, then served in a fighter regiment. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the regiment passed to the army of the Slovak state. From July 1941 he served on the Eastern Front as a reconnaissance aircraft on the Avia B-534 biplane. In 1942, Rezhnyak retrained to fly the Bf.109 fighter and fought in the Maykop area, where he shot down his first plane. Since the summer of 1943 he guarded the skies of Bratislava. During the war he shot down 32 enemy aircraft. He was awarded a number of orders and medals: German, Slovak and Croatian.
The second most successful Slovak pilot was Izidor Kovarik, who scored 29 victories in the Bf.109G fighter. Slovakian Jan Herthofer, using the same fighter, shot down 27 enemy aircraft. 5 pilots shot down from 10 to 19 aircraft, and another 9 – from 5 to 10 aircraft.
Canada
Fighter pilot, captain. After dropping out of school, Burling got a job transporting air cargo for mining companies, where he gained piloting experience as a co-pilot. In 1940 he enlisted in the RAF, where he was trained to fly the Spitfire fighter. Upon graduation, he was assigned as a sergeant to the 403rd Squadron. His lack of discipline and individuality, as well as his desire to fight, caused his fellow soldiers to dislike him. After some time, Beurling was transferred to No. 41 Squadron RAF, whose main tasks included convoy protection and operations over French territory. Beurling scored his first victory in May 1942, shooting down an Fw 190. A few days later, George shot down a second plane, for which he left the formation and left his leader without cover. This act caused hostility from his comrades and discontent from his superiors. Therefore, at the first opportunity, Beurling transferred to the 249th squadron in Malta, to repel attacks on the island from the Air Force of the Third Reich and Italy. It was in Malta that Baz Beurling received the nickname "Madcap". On his first combat mission over Malta, Beurling shot down three enemy aircraft. Six months later, the pilot had 20 victories, a medal and a cross “For Distinguished Flying Achievement”. During the evacuation from Malta due to injury, the transport plane crashed and fell into the sea. Of the 19 passengers and crew, only three survived, incl. and the wounded Burling. The pilot did not have to fight again until the end of the war. He had 31 personal victories to his name. Died in the tenth accident of his flying career, while flying over a new Israeli aircraft.
The second most successful Canadian pilot was Vernon C. Woodward, who shot down 22 aircraft. 32 Canadian pilots shot down between 10 and 21 aircraft.
Australia
Fighter pilot, colonel. In 1938 he learned to fly at the New South Wales Aero Club. When World War II began, Clive joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). After training, he was sent to 73 Squadron RAF, where he flew the Hawker Hurricane fighter, and then retrained to fly the P-40 fighter. On his 30th combat mission, Clive achieved his first aerial victory. In the skies over Libya he fought with two of the most famous German aces in Africa. For defeating one and damaging the plane of another, he was awarded the Cross for Distinguished Flying Merit. On December 5, 1941, over Libya, Clive shot down 5 Ju-87 dive bombers within a few minutes. And three weeks later he shot down a German ace, who had 69 aerial victories. In the spring of 1942, Caldwell was recalled from North Africa. He had 22 victories in 550 flight hours in 300 combat missions. In the Pacific theater, Clive Caldwell commanded the 1st Fighter Wing, equipped with Supermarine Spitfires. While repelling raids on Darwin, he shot down a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter and a Nakajima B5N bomber. In total, during the war years he shot down 28 enemy aircraft.
The second most successful Australian driver is Keith Truscott, who has 17 victories. 13 pilots shot down from 10 to 17 enemy aircraft.
In 1938 he joined the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, after which he was sent to the 54th Squadron RAF. He won his first aerial victory on May 25, 1940 - he shot down a German Bf.109. He was awarded the Cross for Distinguished Flying Achievement. At the end of the Battle of Britain, Colin had 14 personal victories. At the beginning of 1943 he was appointed squadron commander, then became wing commander. In 1944, Colin Gray was appointed commander of the 61st Army of the United Oceanic Union (OCU). Colin had 27 victories in more than 500 combat missions.
The second most successful New Zealand pilot was Alan Christopher Deere, who shot down 22 enemy aircraft. Three more pilots shot down 21 aircraft each. 16 pilots scored from 10 to 17 victories, 65 pilots shot down from 5 to 9 aircraft.
Italy
In 1937 he received a glider pilot's license, and in 1938 an airplane pilot's license. After completing a fighter pilot training course at an aviation school, he received the rank of sergeant and was assigned to the 366th Fighter Squadron. Teresio Martinoli scored his first aerial victory on June 13, 1940, flying Fiat CR.42 fighters, shooting down an English bomber over Tunisia. Until September 8, 1943, when Italy signed the unconditional surrender documents, the Italian ace had 276 combat missions and 22 victories, most of which were achieved in the C.202 Folgore. He died during a training flight while retraining for the American P-39 fighter. He was awarded the Gold Medal "For Military Valor" (posthumously) and twice the Silver Medal "For Military Valor". Also awarded the German Iron Cross 2nd class.
Three Italian pilots (Adriano Visconti, Leonardo Ferrulli and Franco Lucchini) shot down 21 aircraft each, 25 from 10 to 19, 97 from 5 to 9.
Poland
Fighter pilot, lieutenant colonel at the end of the war. He made his first acquaintance with aviation at a flying club. In 1935 he joined the Polish Army. In 1936-1938. Studied at the school of aviation custodians. Since the beginning of World War II, he participated in battles on the PZL P.11c fighter. In September 1939 he won four personal victories. In January 1940 he was sent to Great Britain for retraining. From August 1940, he took part in the Battle of Britain, flew a Hawker Hurricane fighter, was shot down, and promoted to captain. After mastering the Supermarine Spitfire fighter, he was appointed squadron commander. Since 1943 - wing commander. During the war, he made 321 combat missions and shot down 21 enemy aircraft. Awarded the Silver Cross and Gold Cross of the Military Order "Virtuti Militari", the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Renaissance of Poland, the Grunwald Cross of the 3rd degree, the Cross of the Brave (four times), the Air Medal (four times), the Order of Distinguished Service (Great Britain), the Cross of Distinguished Service flying merits" (Great Britain, three times), etc.
The second most successful Polish driver is Witold Urbanowicz, who scored 18 victories. 5 Polish pilots scored between 11 and 17 aerial victories. 37 pilots shot down between 5 and 10 aircraft.
China
In 1931 he entered the Central Officers Academy. In 1934, he transferred to the Central Aviation School, graduating in 1936. He became a participant in the Sino-Japanese War, flying the Curtiss F11C Goshawk fighter, then the Soviet I-15 and I-16. He won 11 personal victories.
11 Chinese pilots scored between 5 and 8 victories during the war.
Bulgaria
In 1934 he entered the Higher Army School, becoming a cavalry officer. He continued his studies at the Military Aviation Academy in Sofia, from which he graduated in 1938, receiving the rank of second lieutenant. Then Stoyanov was sent for training to Germany, where he completed three courses - fighter pilot, instructor and fighter unit commander. He flew on the Bücker Bü 181, Arado, Focke-Wulf, Heinkel He51, Bf.109 and others. In 1939 he returned to Bulgaria and became an instructor at a fighter pilot school. In mid-1943, he was appointed squadron commander and scored his first aerial victory, shooting down an American B-24D bomber. In September 1944, Bulgaria went over to the side of the Anti-Hitler coalition and declared war on the Third Reich. Stoyanov was awarded the rank of captain of the Bulgarian Army and a little later, for successful actions against German troops in Macedonia and Kosovo, he was promoted to the rank of major. During the war he made 35 combat missions and won 5 air victories.
After reading the performance ratings of fighter pilots of the Second World War, the question arises about too large a spread in the numbers of victories won. If the low performance of pilots from small countries is quite explainable by the size of their air force and limited participation in combat operations, then the difference in downed aircraft among the main countries participating in the war (Britain, Germany, USSR, USA, Japan) requires careful analysis. This is what we will do now, paying attention only to the most important influencing factors.
So, Germany, in the ranking figures, has incredibly high performance. We will immediately discard the explanation for this by the unreliability of recording victories, which many researchers are guilty of, since only in Germany there was a coherent accounting system. At the same time, no system provided absolutely accurate accounting, because war is not exactly an accounting exercise. However, the statements that the “postscripts” reached 5-6 times the actual results are not true, since the data on enemy losses declared by Germany approximately corresponds to the data shown by this enemy. And the data on aircraft production by country does not allow one to freely fantasize. Some researchers cite various reports of military leaders as evidence of attributions, but bashfully keep silent about the fact that the records of victories and losses were kept in completely different documents. And in the reports, the enemy’s losses are always more than the real ones, and our own are always less.
It should also be noted that the majority (but not all) of German pilots achieved their greatest results on the Eastern Front. In the Western Theater of Operations, the achievements were much more modest, and there were very few pilots who achieved record results there. Hence, there is an opinion that German aces shot down Soviet Ivans in batches due to their poor training and outdated aircraft. But on the Western Front, the pilots were better and the planes were newer, which is why they shot down few. This is only partly true, although it does not explain all the statistics. This pattern looks very simple. In 1941-1942. both the combat experience of German pilots, and the quality of the aircraft, and most importantly their quantity, were significantly superior to the Soviet Air Force. Already starting in 1943, the picture began to change dramatically. And by the end of the war, the Ivans were already shooting down the Krauts in batches. That is, in the Red Army the number of trained pilots and the number of aircraft clearly exceeded the German Air Force. Although the technology was still inferior to German. As a result, 5-7 moderately trained pilots in an average fighter could easily shoot down a German beginner in a “cool” plane. By the way, the same Stalinist tactics were also used in tank forces. As for the Western Front, the air war began only in the middle of 1944, when Germany no longer had a sufficient number of aircraft and good pilots. There was no one and nothing to shoot down the allies with. In addition, the tactics of mass raids (500-1000) aircraft (bombers with fighter cover) used by the Allies did not particularly allow German fighter pilots to “walk” in the sky. At first, the Allies lost 50-70 aircraft per raid, but as the Luftwaffe became thinner, the losses dropped to 20-30. At the end of the war, the German aces were content with only single aircraft that had been shot down and strayed from the “flock.” Only a few dared to approach the air “armada” within striking distance. Hence the low performance of German aces on the Western Front.
The next factor in the high performance of the Germans was the high intensity of combat sorties. The air force of no country even came close to the number of combat sorties carried out by the Germans. Both fighters, attack aircraft and bombers carried out 5-6 combat missions per day. In the Red Army - 1-2, and 3 is a heroic feat. The Allies made one sortie over several days, and in critical situations - 2 per day. Japanese pilots flew a little more intensively - 2-3 combat sorties per day. We could have done more, but the huge distances from the airfields to the battlefield took up time and effort. The explanation for such intensity of German flights lies not only in the selection of exclusively physically healthy pilots, but also in the organization of the flights themselves and air combat. The Germans placed their field airfields as close as possible to the front - at the distance of the range limit of long-range artillery. This means that a minimum of resources were spent on approaching the battlefield: fuel, time and physical strength. The Germans, unlike Soviet fighters, did not hang in the air for hours on patrol, but took off at the command of aircraft detection services. The radar guidance system of aircraft to the target, and their total radio coverage, allowed German pilots not only to quickly find the target, but also to take an advantageous position for battle. We should not forget that the control of almost any German aircraft was incredibly easier and incomparable with the Soviet one, where remarkable physical strength was required, and automation was not even a dream. There is nothing to compare German sights on cannons and machine guns with, hence the high accuracy in shooting. It should also be remembered that German pilots, under high loads, could freely use amphetamines (pervitin, isophane, benzedrine). As a result, pilots spent significantly less resources and effort on one combat mission, which made it possible to fly more often and with greater efficiency.
An important factor in the effectiveness was the tactics used by the German command of fighter formations. Their high maneuverability in relocating them to the “hottest” spots of the entire Eastern Front allowed the Germans not only to situationally gain “superiority” in the air in a specific sector of the front, but also the opportunity for pilots to constantly participate in battles. The Soviet command tied fighter units to a specific section of the front, or at best to the entire length of the front line. And not a step from there. And the Soviet fighter pilot fought only when something happened in his sector of the front. Hence the number of combat sorties is 3-5 times less than German aces.
The Soviet tactics of using attack aircraft in small groups at the front line or near the enemy’s rear with little fighter cover was the desired “food” for German fighters almost until the end of the war. Receiving information about such groups through warning systems, the Germans attacked such groups with entire squadrons, carried out one or two attacks, and left unharmed, without getting involved in a “dog dump.” And at this time, 3-5 Soviet aircraft were shot down.
It is also interesting that the Germans replenished their fighter squadrons directly at the front, i.e. without distracting the remaining pilots from combat operations. Until 1944, Soviet air regiments were withdrawn from the front almost every three months (up to 60% of the aircraft, and often the pilots, too) to be reorganized and replenished with all their personnel. And the combat pilots sat in the rear for 3-6 months along with the newcomers, testing out new cars and courting local young ladies instead of combat missions.
And a few words about free “hunters”. Free hunting is understood as a combat mission, usually of a pair of fighters, less often of two pairs, with the goal of detecting and shooting down an enemy aircraft, without “fettering” the pilots by any combat conditions (flight area, target, method of combat, etc.). Naturally, free hunting was allowed to experienced pilots who already had dozens of victories to their credit. In many cases, the aircraft of such pilots differed favorably from serial ones: they had reinforced engines and weapons, special retrofitting, high-quality service and fuel. Typically, the prey of free “hunters” were single targets (communication aircraft, stragglers, damaged or lost aircraft, transport aircraft, etc.). Hunters also “herded” enemy airfields, where they shot at planes on takeoff or landing, when they were practically helpless. As a rule, the “hunter” made one sudden attack and quickly left. If the “hunter” was not in danger, there were more attacks, including the shooting of the pilot or crew escaping by parachute. “Hunters” always attacked the weaker, whether in terms of the type of aircraft or the technical parameters of the vehicle, and never got involved in air battles with equals. As an example, we can cite the memories of German pilots who received a warning from ground services about the presence of danger. So, with the message “Pokryshkin in the air,” enemy planes, especially “hunters,” left the dangerous area in advance. Air duels between fighter pilots, such as those shown in the film “Only Old Men Go to Fight,” are nothing more than a fiction of the screenwriters. The pilots of no army would do such extravagance, because suicides were quickly identified by doctors.
The Air Forces of all countries had free “hunters,” however, their effectiveness depended on the conditions prevailing at the front. Free hunting tactics are effective under three conditions: when the hunter’s vehicle is qualitatively superior to the enemy’s; when the pilot’s skill is above the average level of enemy pilots; when the density of enemy aircraft in a given sector of the front is sufficient for the random detection of single aircraft or the radar guidance system is operating on an enemy aircraft. Of all the armies that fought, only the Luftwaffe had such conditions, almost until the end of the war. The German “record holders,” especially those promoted by propaganda, did not hide the fact that they obtained a significant part of their “booty” from a free “hunt” when their safety was not threatened.
On the Soviet side, Kozhedub, Pokryshkin, and many other fighter pilots participated in the free “hunt.” And no one forbade them from doing this, as many researchers write, but the results of this hunt were often without trophies. They didn’t find any prey, they didn’t have the conditions of the Luftwaffe, and they burned the fuel and resources of their vehicles. Therefore, most of the victories of Soviet pilots were achieved in group battles, and not in “hunting”.
Thus, the combination of a number of conditions provided the German aces with high performance in personal victories. On the opposing side, i.e. Soviet pilots did not have such conditions.
The pilots of Great Britain and the USA did not have such conditions. But for Japanese pilots, certain factors (not all like the Germans) contributed to achieving high results. And the first among them is the high concentration of enemy aircraft in specific sectors of the front, the excellent training of Japanese pilots, and the dominance at first of the technical capabilities of Japanese fighters over American ones. The incredible concentration of aircraft during the Soviet-Finnish war also contributed to the Finnish fighter pilots, who “crushed” a huge number of enemy aircraft on a small section of the front in a short period of time.
This conclusion is indirectly confirmed by data on the number of combat sorties per shot down enemy aircraft. For almost aces of all countries it is approximately the same (4-5), at least it does not differ significantly.
A few words about the importance of aces at the front. Approximately 80% of downed aircraft during the war were accounted for by ace pilots, regardless of which theater of war they fought in. Thousands of pilots have flown hundreds of combat missions without shooting down a single aircraft. Even more pilots died without their personal account. And such survivability and effectiveness of aces was not always proportional to the number of hours spent in the air, although experience was not the least important in combat skill. The main role was played by the personality of the pilot, his physical and psychological qualities, talent and even such inexplicable concepts as luck, intuition and luck. They all thought and acted outside the box, avoiding templates and generally accepted norms. Often their discipline suffered and there were problems in relations with the command. In other words, these were special, unusual people, connected with the sky and the fighting machine by invisible threads. This explains their effectiveness in battles.
And lastly. The first three places in the ranking of aces were taken by pilots from countries that were defeated in the war. The winners occupy more modest places. Paradox? Not at all. After all, in the First World War, the German was the leader in the performance rating among fighters. And Germany lost the war. There are also explanations for this pattern, but they require detailed, thoughtful analysis, and not a cavalry charge. Try to solve the riddle yourself.
From all of the above it follows that simple explanations, such as those attributed to, or engaged in only free “hunting” and so on, etc., do not exist in such a complex mechanism as war. Everything is subject to analysis and sober reflection, without dividing into our good and your bad.
Based on materials from the sites: http://allaces.ru; https://ru.wikipedia.org; http://army-news.ru; https://topwar.ru.
Any war is a terrible grief for any people that it affects in one way or another. Throughout its history, humanity has experienced many wars, two of which were world wars. The First World War almost completely destroyed Europe and led to the fall of some major empires, such as the Russian and Austro-Hungarian ones. But even more terrible in its scale was the Second World War, in which many countries from almost all over the world were involved. Millions of people died, and many more were left homeless. This terrible event still affects modern man in one way or another. Its echoes can be found everywhere in our lives. This tragedy left behind a lot of mysteries, disputes over which have not subsided for decades. The heaviest burden was assumed in this life-and-death battle by the Soviet Union, which was not yet fully strengthened from the revolution and civil wars and was only expanding its military and peaceful industry. An irreconcilable rage and desire to fight the invaders who encroached on the territorial integrity and freedom of the proletarian state settled in the hearts of people. Many went to the front voluntarily. At the same time, the evacuated industrial facilities were reorganized to produce products for the needs of the front. The struggle has assumed a truly national scale. That is why it is called the Great Patriotic War.
Who are the aces?
Both the German and Soviet armies were well trained and equipped with equipment, aircraft and other weapons. The personnel numbered in the millions. The collision of such two war machines gave birth to its heroes and its traitors. Some of those who can rightfully be considered heroes are the aces of World War II. Who are they and why are they so famous? An ace can be considered a person who has achieved heights in his field of activity that few others have managed to conquer. And even in such a dangerous and terrible matter as the military, there have always been their professionals. Both the USSR and the Allied forces, and Nazi Germany had people who showed the best results in terms of the number of enemy equipment or manpower destroyed. This article will tell about these heroes.
The list of World War II aces is extensive and includes many individuals famous for their exploits. They were an example for an entire people, they were adored and admired.
Aviation is without a doubt one of the most romantic, but at the same time dangerous branches of the military. Since any equipment can fail at any time, the job of a pilot is considered very honorable. It requires iron endurance, discipline, and the ability to control oneself in any situation. Therefore, aviation aces were treated with great respect. After all, to be able to show good results in such conditions when your life depends not only on technology, but also on yourself is the highest degree of military art. So, who are these ace pilots of World War II, and why are their exploits so famous?
One of the most successful Soviet ace pilots was Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub. Officially, during his service on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, he shot down 62 German aircraft, and he is also credited with 2 American fighters, which he destroyed at the end of the war. This record-breaking pilot served in the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment and flew a La-7 aircraft.
The second most productive during the war was Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin (who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times). He fought in Southern Ukraine, in the Black Sea region, and liberated Europe from the Nazis. During his service he shot down 59 enemy aircraft. He did not stop flying even when he was appointed commander of the 9th Guards Aviation Division, and achieved some of his aerial victories while already in this position.
Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev is one of the most famous military pilots, who set a record of 4 flights per destroyed aircraft. In total, during his military service he destroyed 57 enemy aircraft. Twice awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
He also had a high result. He shot down 55 German aircraft. Kozhedub, who happened to serve for some time with Evstigneev in the same regiment, spoke very respectfully of this pilot.
But, despite the fact that the tank forces were one of the most numerous in the Soviet army, for some reason the USSR did not have any tank aces of the Second World War. Why this is so is unknown. It is logical to assume that many personal scores were deliberately inflated or underestimated, so it is not possible to name the exact number of victories of the above-mentioned masters of tank combat.
German tank aces
But the German tank aces of World War II have a much longer track record. This is largely due to the pedantry of the Germans, who strictly documented everything, and they had much more time to fight than their Soviet “colleagues.” The German army began active operations back in 1939.
German tanker No. 1 is Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann. He fought with many tanks (Stug III, Tiger I) and destroyed 138 vehicles throughout the war, as well as 132 self-propelled artillery installations from various enemy countries. For his successes he was repeatedly awarded various orders and badges of the Third Reich. Killed in action in 1944 in France.
You can also highlight such a tank ace as For those who are in one way or another interested in the history of the development of the tank forces of the Third Reich, the book of his memoirs “Tigers in the Mud” will be very useful. During the war years, this man destroyed 150 Soviet and American self-propelled guns and tanks.
Kurt Knispel is another record-breaking tanker. During his military service, he knocked out 168 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns. About 30 cars are unconfirmed, which prevents him from matching Wittmann's results. Knispel died in battle near the village of Vostits in Czechoslovakia in 1945.
In addition, Karl Bromann had good results - 66 tanks and self-propelled guns, Ernst Barkmann - 66 tanks and self-propelled guns, Erich Mausberg - 53 tanks and self-propelled guns.
As can be seen from these results, both Soviet and German tank aces of World War II knew how to fight. Of course, the quantity and quality of Soviet combat vehicles was an order of magnitude higher than that of the Germans, however, as practice has shown, both were used quite successfully and became the basis for some post-war tank models.
But the list of military branches in which their masters distinguished themselves does not end there. Let's talk a little about submarine aces.
Masters of Submarine Warfare
Just as in the case of aircraft and tanks, the most successful are the German sailors. Over the years of its existence, Kriegsmarine submariners sank 2,603 ships of allied countries, the total displacement of which reaches 13.5 million tons. This is a truly impressive figure. And the German submarine aces of World War II could also boast of impressive personal accounts.
The most successful German submariner is Otto Kretschmer, who has 44 ships, including 1 destroyer. The total displacement of the ships sunk by him is 266,629 tons.
In second place is Wolfgang Lüth, who sent 43 enemy ships to the bottom (and according to other sources - 47) with a total displacement of 225,712 tons.
He was also a famous naval ace who even managed to sink the British battleship Royal Oak. This was one of the first officers to receive oak leaves; Prien destroyed 30 ships. Killed in 1941 during an attack on a British convoy. He was so popular that his death was hidden from the people for two months. And on the day of his funeral, mourning was declared throughout the country.
Such successes of German sailors are also quite understandable. The fact is that Germany began a naval war back in 1940, with a blockade of Britain, thus hoping to undermine its naval greatness and, taking advantage of this, to successfully capture the islands. However, very soon the plans of the Nazis were thwarted, as America entered the war with its large and powerful fleet.
The most famous Soviet submarine sailor is Alexander Marinesko. He sank only 4 ships, but what ones! The heavy passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff", the transport "General von Steuben", as well as 2 units of the heavy floating battery "Helene" and "Siegfried". For his exploits, Hitler added the sailor to his list of personal enemies. But Marinesko’s fate did not work out well. He fell out of favor with the Soviet regime and died, and people stopped talking about his exploits. The great sailor received the Hero of the Soviet Union award only posthumously in 1990. Unfortunately, many USSR aces of World War II ended their lives in a similar way.
Also famous submariners of the Soviet Union are Ivan Travkin - he sank 13 ships, Nikolai Lunin - also 13 ships, Valentin Starikov - 14 ships. But Marinesko topped the list of the best submariners of the Soviet Union, as he caused the greatest damage to the German navy.
Accuracy and stealth
Well, how can we not remember such famous fighters as snipers? Here the Soviet Union takes the well-deserved palm from Germany. Soviet sniper aces of World War II had a very high track record. In many ways, such results were achieved thanks to massive government training of the civilian population in shooting from various weapons. About 9 million people were awarded the Voroshilov Shooter badge. So, what are the most famous snipers?
The name of Vasily Zaitsev frightened the Germans and inspired courage in Soviet soldiers. This ordinary guy, a hunter, killed 225 Wehrmacht soldiers with his Mosin rifle in just a month of fighting at Stalingrad. Among the outstanding sniper names are Fedor Okhlopkov, who (during the entire war) accounted for about a thousand Nazis; Semyon Nomokonov, who killed 368 enemy soldiers. There were also women among the snipers. An example of this is the famous Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who fought near Odessa and Sevastopol.
German snipers are less known, although several sniper schools have existed in Germany since 1942, which provided professional training. Among the most successful German shooters are Matthias Hetzenauer (345 killed), (257 killed), Bruno Sutkus (209 soldiers shot). Also a famous sniper from the countries of the Hitler bloc is Simo Haiha - this Finn killed 504 Red Army soldiers during the war years (according to unconfirmed reports).
Thus, the sniper training of the Soviet Union was immeasurably higher than that of the German troops, which allowed Soviet soldiers to bear the proud title of aces of the Second World War.
How did you become aces?
So, the concept of “ace of World War II” is quite broad. As already mentioned, these people achieved truly impressive results in their business. This was achieved not only through good army training, but also through outstanding personal qualities. After all, for a pilot, for example, coordination and quick reaction are very important, for a sniper - the ability to wait for the right moment to sometimes fire a single shot.
Accordingly, it is impossible to determine who had the best aces of World War II. Both sides performed unparalleled heroism, which made it possible to single out individual people from the general mass. But it was possible to become a master only by training hard and improving your combat skills, since war does not tolerate weakness. Of course, dry statistics will not be able to convey to modern people all the hardships and adversities that war professionals experienced during their rise to the honorary pedestal.
We, the generation that lives without knowing such terrible things, should not forget about the exploits of our predecessors. They can become an inspiration, a reminder, a memory. And we must try to do everything to ensure that such terrible events as the past wars do not happen again.
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