German air aces of the Second World War. Luftwaffe aces: the phenomenon of too many bills

ACES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

The question about ASAH - not about the German gods (although... how to say... :-)), but about the highest class fighter pilots - from the Second World War remains open. Over the past twenty to thirty years, so much custom-made nonsense has been written on this topic (usually “from our side”!) that all the rather boring and monotonous Soviet agitprop on this topic, published in 1961-1985, has been drowned in it. Separating the “wheat from the chaff” there is obviously a pointless exercise, because opponents will cover their ears and, on the one hand, will stubbornly repeat about “the Safkov did not know how to fly planes in the fucking schools of the land lizrulyozz!”, and on the other hand, they will constantly mutter about “the Krauts, the cowards, the Japanese, the fanatics, the rest of them, they couldn’t conquer them at once!”

Conclusion:

Actually, the problem is this: 104 German pilots have a record of 100 or more downed aircraft. Among them are Erich Hartmann (352 victories) and Gerhard Barkhorn (301), who showed absolutely phenomenal results. Moreover, Harmann and Barkhorn won all their victories on the Eastern Front. And they were no exception - Gunther Rall (275 victories), Otto Kittel (267), Walter Nowotny (258) - also fought on the Soviet-German front.

At the same time, the 7 best Soviet aces: Kozhedub, Pokryshkin, Gulaev, Rechkalov, Evstigneev, Vorozheikin, Glinka were able to overcome the bar of 50 downed enemy aircraft. For example, Three-time Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub destroyed 64 German aircraft in air battles (plus 2 American Mustangs shot down by mistake). Alexander Pokryshkin, a pilot about whom, according to legend, the Germans warned by radio: “Achtung! Pokryshkin in der Luft!”, chalked up “only” 59 aerial victories. The little-known Romanian ace Constantin Contacuzino has approximately the same number of victories (according to various sources, from 60 to 69). Another Romanian, Alexandru Serbanescu, shot down 47 aircraft on the Eastern Front (another 8 victories remained “unconfirmed”).

The situation is much worse for the Anglo-Saxons. The best aces were Marmaduke Pettle (about 50 victories, South Africa) and Richard Bong (40 victories, USA). In total, 19 British and American pilots managed to shoot down more than 30 enemy aircraft, while the British and Americans fought on the best fighters in the world: the inimitable P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning or the legendary Supermarine Spitfire! On the other hand, the best ace of the Royal Air Force did not have the opportunity to fight on such wonderful aircraft - Marmaduke Pettle won all his fifty victories, flying first on the old Gladiator biplane, and then on the clumsy Hurricane.
Against this background, the results of Finnish fighter aces look completely paradoxical: Ilmari Yutilainen shot down 94 aircraft, and Hans Wind - 75.

What conclusion can be drawn from all these numbers? What is the secret of the incredible performance of Luftwaffe fighters? Maybe the Germans simply didn’t know how to count?
The only thing that can be stated with a high degree of confidence is that the accounts of all aces, without exception, are inflated. Extolling the successes of the best fighters is a standard practice of state propaganda, which by definition cannot be honest.

German Meresyev and his "Stuka"

As an interesting example, I propose to consider the incredible story of bomber pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel. This ace is less known than the legendary Erich Hartmann. Rudel practically did not participate in air battles; you will not find his name in the lists of the best fighters.
Rudel is famous for having flown 2,530 combat missions. He piloted the Junkers 87 dive bomber and at the end of the war took the helm of the Focke-Wulf 190. During his combat career, he destroyed 519 tanks, 150 self-propelled guns, 4 armored trains, 800 trucks and cars, two cruisers, a destroyer, and seriously damaged the battleship Marat. In the air he shot down two Il-2 attack aircraft and seven fighters. He landed on enemy territory six times to rescue the crews of downed Junkers. The Soviet Union placed a reward of 100,000 rubles on the head of Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Just an example of a fascist

He was shot down 32 times by return fire from the ground. In the end, Rudel's leg was torn off, but the pilot continued to fly on a crutch until the end of the war. In 1948, he fled to Argentina, where he became friends with dictator Peron and organized a mountaineering club. Climbed the highest peak of the Andes - Aconcagua (7 kilometers). In 1953 he returned to Europe and settled in Switzerland, continuing to talk nonsense about the revival of the Third Reich.
Without a doubt, this extraordinary and controversial pilot was a tough ace. But any person accustomed to thoughtfully analyzing events should have one important question: how was it established that Rudel destroyed exactly 519 tanks?

Of course, there were no photographic machine guns or cameras on the Junkers. The maximum that Rudel or his gunner-radio operator could notice: covering a column of armored vehicles, i.e. possible damage to tanks. The dive recovery speed of the Yu-87 is more than 600 km/h, the overload can reach 5g, in such conditions it is impossible to accurately see anything on the ground.
Since 1943, Rudel switched to the Yu-87G anti-tank attack aircraft. The characteristics of this "laptezhnika" are simply disgusting: max. speed in horizontal flight is 370 km/h, rate of climb is about 4 m/s. The main weapons of the aircraft were two VK37 cannons (caliber 37 mm, rate of fire 160 rounds/min), with only 12 (!) rounds of ammunition per barrel. Powerful guns installed in the wings, when firing, created a large turning moment and rocked the light aircraft so much that firing in bursts was pointless - only single sniper shots.

And here is a funny report on the results of field tests of the VYa-23 aircraft gun: in 6 flights on the Il-2, the pilots of the 245th assault air regiment, with a total consumption of 435 shells, achieved 46 hits in a tank column (10.6%). We must assume that in real combat conditions, under intense anti-aircraft fire, the results will be much worse. What is a German ace with 24 shells on board the Stuka!

Further, hitting a tank does not guarantee its defeat. An armor-piercing projectile (685 grams, 770 m/s), fired from a VK37 cannon, penetrated 25 mm of armor at an angle of 30° from the normal. When using sub-caliber ammunition, armor penetration increased by 1.5 times. Also, due to the aircraft’s own speed, armor penetration in reality was approximately another 5 mm greater. On the other hand, the thickness of the armored hull of Soviet tanks was less than 30-40 mm only in some projections, and it was impossible to dream of hitting a KV, IS or heavy self-propelled gun in the forehead or side.
In addition, breaking through armor does not always lead to the destruction of a tank. Trains with damaged armored vehicles regularly arrived in Tankograd and Nizhny Tagil, which were quickly restored and sent back to the front. And repairs to damaged rollers and chassis were carried out right on site. At this time, Hans-Ulrich Rudel drew himself another cross for the “destroyed” tank.

Another question for Rudel is related to his 2,530 combat missions. According to some reports, in the German bomber squadrons it was customary to count a difficult mission as an incentive for several combat missions. For example, captured captain Helmut Putz, commander of the 4th detachment of the 2nd group of the 27th bomber squadron, explained the following during interrogation: “... in combat conditions I managed to make 130-140 night sorties, and a number of sorties with a complex combat mission was counted towards me, like others, for 2-3 flights." (interrogation protocol dated June 17, 1943). Although it is possible that Helmut Putz, having been captured, lied, trying to reduce his contribution to the attacks on Soviet cities.

Hartmann against everyone

There is an opinion that ace pilots filled their accounts without any restrictions and fought “on their own,” being an exception to the rule. And the main work at the front was performed by semi-qualified pilots. This is a deep misconception: in a general sense, there are no “averagely qualified” pilots. There are either aces or their prey.
For example, let's take the legendary Normandy-Niemen air regiment, which fought on Yak-3 fighters. Of the 98 French pilots, 60 did not win a single victory, but the “selected” 17 pilots shot down 200 German planes in air battles (in total, the French regiment drove 273 planes with swastikas into the ground).
A similar picture was observed in the US 8th Air Force, where out of 5,000 fighter pilots, 2,900 did not achieve a single victory. Only 318 people recorded 5 or more downed aircraft.
American historian Mike Spike describes the same episode related to the actions of the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front: “... the squadron lost 80 pilots in a fairly short period of time, 60 of whom never shot down a single Russian aircraft.”
So, we found out that ace pilots are the main strength of the Air Force. But the question remains: what is the reason for the huge gap between the performance of the Luftwaffe aces and the pilots of the Anti-Hitler Coalition? Even if we split the incredible German bills in half?

One of the legends about the inconsistency of the large accounts of German aces is associated with an unusual system for counting downed aircraft: by the number of engines. Single-engine fighter - one plane shot down. Four-engine bomber - four aircraft shot down. Indeed, for pilots who fought in the West, a parallel score was introduced, in which for the destruction of a “Flying Fortress” flying in battle formation, the pilot was credited with 4 points, for a damaged bomber that “fell out” of the battle formation and became easy prey other fighters, the pilot was given 3 points, because He did the bulk of the work - fighting through the hurricane fire of "Flying Fortresses" is much more difficult than shooting down a damaged single aircraft. And so on: depending on the degree of participation of the pilot in the destruction of the 4-engine monster, he was awarded 1 or 2 points. What happened next with these reward points? They were probably somehow converted into Reichsmarks. But all this had nothing to do with the list of downed aircraft.

The most prosaic explanation for the Luftwaffe phenomenon: the Germans had no shortage of targets. Germany fought on all fronts with a numerical superiority of the enemy. The Germans had 2 main types of fighters: Messerschmitt 109 (34 thousand were produced from 1934 to 1945) and Focke-Wulf 190 (13 thousand fighter version and 6.5 thousand attack aircraft were produced) - a total of 48 thousand fighters.
At the same time, about 70 thousand Yaks, Lavochkins, I-16s and MiG-3s passed through the Red Army Air Force during the war years (excluding 10 thousand fighters delivered under Lend-Lease).
In the Western European theater of operations, Luftwaffe fighters were opposed by about 20 thousand Spitfires and 13 thousand Hurricanes and Tempests (this is how many vehicles served in the Royal Air Force from 1939 to 1945). How many more fighters did Britain receive under Lend-Lease?
Since 1943, American fighters appeared over Europe - thousands of Mustangs, P-38s and P-47s plowed the skies of the Reich, accompanying strategic bombers during raids. In 1944, during the Normandy landings, Allied aviation had a six-fold numerical superiority. “If there are camouflaged planes in the sky, it’s the Royal Air Force, if there are silver ones, it’s the US Air Force. If there are no planes in the sky, it’s the Luftwaffe,” German soldiers joked sadly. Where could British and American pilots get large bills under such conditions?
Another example - the most popular combat aircraft in the history of aviation was the Il-2 attack aircraft. During the war years, 36,154 attack aircraft were produced, of which 33,920 Ilovs entered the army. By May 1945, the Red Army Air Force included 3,585 Il-2s and Il-10s, and another 200 Il-2s were in naval aviation.

In a word, the Luftwaffe pilots did not have any superpowers. All their achievements can only be explained by the fact that there were many enemy aircraft in the air. The Allied fighter aces, on the contrary, needed time to detect the enemy - according to statistics, even the best Soviet pilots had an average of 1 air battle per 8 sorties: they simply could not meet the enemy in the sky!
On a cloudless day, from a distance of 5 km, a World War II fighter is visible like a fly on a window pane from the far corner of the room. In the absence of radar on aircraft, air combat was more of an unexpected coincidence than a regular event.
It is more objective to count the number of downed aircraft, taking into account the number of combat sorties of pilots. Viewed from this angle, Erich Hartmann's achievements fade: 1,400 sorties, 825 air combats and "only" 352 aircraft shot down. Walter Novotny has a much better figure: 442 sorties and 258 victories.

Friends congratulate Alexander Pokryshkin (far right) on receiving the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union

It is very interesting to trace how ace pilots began their careers. The legendary Pokryshkin, in his first combat missions, demonstrated aerobatic skill, audacity, flight intuition and sniper shooting. And the phenomenal ace Gerhard Barkhorn did not score a single victory in his first 119 missions, but he himself was shot down twice! Although there is an opinion that not everything went smoothly for Pokryshkin either: his first plane shot down was the Soviet Su-2.
In any case, Pokryshkin has his own advantage over the best German aces. Hartman was shot down fourteen times. Barkhorn - 9 times. Pokryshkin was never shot down! Another advantage of the Russian miracle hero: he won most of his victories in 1943. In 1944-45. Pokryshkin shot down only 6 German aircraft, focusing on training young personnel and managing the 9th Guards Air Division.

In conclusion, it is worth saying that you should not be so afraid of the high bills of Luftwaffe pilots. This, on the contrary, shows what a formidable enemy the Soviet Union defeated, and why Victory has such high value.

Most of the names from the list of ace pilots of the Great Patriotic War are well known to everyone. However, besides Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, among the Soviet aces, another master of air combat is undeservedly forgotten, whose courage and courage even the most titled and successful pilots can envy.

Better than Kozhedub, better than Hartman...

The names of the Soviet aces of the Great Patriotic War, Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin, are known to everyone who is at least superficially familiar with Russian history. Kozhedub and Pokryshkin are the most successful Soviet fighter pilots. The first has 64 enemy aircraft shot down personally, the second has 59 personal victories, and he shot down 6 more planes in the group.
The name of the third most successful Soviet pilot is known only to aviation enthusiasts. During the war, Nikolai Gulaev destroyed 57 enemy aircraft personally and 4 in a group.
An interesting detail - Kozhedub needed 330 sorties and 120 air battles to achieve his result, Pokryshkin - 650 sorties and 156 air battles. Gulaev achieved his result by carrying out 290 sorties and conducting 69 air battles.
Moreover, according to award documents, in his first 42 air battles he destroyed 42 enemy aircraft, that is, on average, each battle ended for Gulaev with a destroyed enemy aircraft.
Fans of military statistics have calculated that Nikolai Gulaev’s efficiency coefficient, that is, the ratio of air battles to victories, was 0.82. For comparison, for Ivan Kozhedub it was 0.51, and for Hitler’s ace Erich Hartmann, who officially shot down the most aircraft during World War II, it was 0.4.
At the same time, people who knew Gulaev and fought with him claimed that he generously recorded many of his victories on his wingmen, helping them receive orders and money - Soviet pilots were paid for each enemy aircraft shot down. Some believe that the total number of planes shot down by Gulaev could reach 90, which, however, cannot be confirmed or denied today.

A guy from the Don.

Many books have been written and many films have been made about Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, three times Heroes of the Soviet Union, air marshals.
Nikolai Gulaev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was close to the third “Golden Star”, but never received it and did not become a marshal, remaining a colonel general. And in general, if in the post-war years Pokryshkin and Kozhedub were always in the public eye, engaged in the patriotic education of youth, then Gulaev, who was practically in no way inferior to his colleagues, remained in the shadows all the time.
Perhaps the fact is that both the war and post-war biography of the Soviet ace was rich in episodes that do not fit well into the image of an ideal hero.
Nikolai Gulaev was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksayskaya, which has now become the city of Aksay in the Rostov region. The Don freemen were in the blood and character of Nicholas from the first days until the end of his life. After graduating from a seven-year school and a vocational school, he worked as a mechanic at one of the Rostov factories.
Like many of the youth of the 1930s, Nikolai became interested in aviation and attended a flying club. This hobby helped in 1938, when Gulaev was drafted into the army. The amateur pilot was sent to the Stalingrad Aviation School, from which he graduated in 1940. Gulaev was assigned to air defense aviation, and in the first months of the war he provided cover for one of the industrial centers in the rear.

Reprimand complete with reward.

Gulaev arrived at the front in August 1942 and immediately demonstrated both the talent of a combat pilot and the wayward character of a native of the Don steppes.
Gulaev did not have permission to fly at night, and when on August 3, 1942, Hitler’s planes appeared in the area of ​​responsibility of the regiment where the young pilot served, experienced pilots took to the skies. But then the mechanic egged Nikolai on:
- What are you waiting for? The plane is ready, fly!
Gulaev, deciding to prove that he was no worse than the “old men,” jumped into the cockpit and took off. And in the very first battle, without experience, without the help of searchlights, he destroyed a German bomber. When Gulaev returned to the airfield, the arriving general said: “For the fact that I flew out without permission, I am reprimanding, and for the fact that I shot down an enemy plane, I am promoting him in rank and presenting him for a reward.”

Nugget.

His star shone especially brightly during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. On May 14, 1943, repelling a raid on the Grushka airfield, he single-handedly entered into battle with three Yu-87 bombers, covered by four Me-109s. Having shot down two Junkers, Gulaev tried to attack the third, but ran out of ammunition. Without hesitating for a second, the pilot went to ram, shooting down another bomber. Gulaev’s uncontrollable “Yak” went into a tailspin. The pilot managed to level the plane and land it at the leading edge, but on his own territory. Having arrived at the regiment, Gulaev again flew on a combat mission on another plane.
At the beginning of July 1943, Gulaev, as part of four Soviet fighters, taking advantage of the surprise factor, attacked a German armada of 100 aircraft. Having disrupted the battle formation, shooting down 4 bombers and 2 fighters, all four returned safely to the airfield. On this day, Gulaev’s unit made several combat sorties and destroyed 16 enemy aircraft.
July 1943 was generally extremely productive for Nikolai Gulaev. This is what is recorded in his flight book: “July 5 - 6 sorties, 4 victories, July 6 - Focke-Wulf 190 shot down, July 7 - three enemy aircraft shot down as part of a group, July 8 - Me-109 shot down , July 12 - two Yu-87s were shot down.”
Hero of the Soviet Union Fedor Arkhipenko, who had the opportunity to command the squadron where Gulaev served, wrote about him: “He was a genius pilot, one of the top ten aces in the country. He never hesitated, quickly assessed the situation, his sudden and effective attack created panic and destroyed the enemy’s battle formation, which disrupted his targeted bombing of our troops. He was very brave and decisive, often came to the rescue, and sometimes one could feel the real passion of a hunter in him.”

Flying Stenka Razin.

On September 28, 1943, the deputy squadron commander of the 27th Fighter Aviation Regiment (205th Fighter Aviation Division, 7th Fighter Aviation Corps, 2nd Air Army, Voronezh Front), Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the beginning of 1944, Gulaev was appointed squadron commander. His not very rapid career growth is explained by the fact that the ace’s methods of educating his subordinates were not entirely ordinary. Thus, he cured one of the pilots of his squadron, who was afraid of getting close to the Nazis, from fear of the enemy by firing a burst from his on-board weapon next to the wingman’s cabin. The subordinate’s fear disappeared as if by hand...
The same Fyodor Archipenko in his memoirs described another characteristic episode associated with Gulaev: “Approaching the airfield, I immediately saw from the air that the parking lot of Gulaev’s plane was empty... After landing, I was informed that all six of Gulaev were shot down! Nikolai himself landed wounded at the airfield with the attack aircraft, but nothing is known about the rest of the pilots. After some time, they reported from the front line: two jumped out of planes and landed at the location of our troops, the fate of three more is unknown... And today, many years later, I see the main mistake Gulaev made then in the fact that he took with him into combat the departure of three young pilots who had not been shot at at once, who were shot down in their very first battle. True, Gulaev himself won 4 aerial victories that day, shooting down 2 Me-109, Yu-87 and Henschel.”
He was not afraid to risk himself, but he also risked his subordinates with the same ease, which sometimes seemed completely unjustified. The pilot Gulaev did not look like the “aerial Kutuzov”, but rather like the dashing Stenka Razin, who had mastered a combat fighter.
But at the same time he achieved amazing results. In one of the battles over the Prut River, at the head of six P-39 Airacobra fighters, Nikolai Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers, accompanied by 8 fighters. In 4 minutes, 11 enemy vehicles were destroyed, 5 of them by Gulaev personally.
In March 1944, the pilot received a short-term leave home. From this trip to the Don he came withdrawn, taciturn, and bitter. He rushed into battle frantically, with some kind of transcendental rage. During the trip home, Nikolai learned that during the occupation his father was executed by the Nazis...

The Soviet ace was almost killed by a pig...

On July 1, 1944, Guard Captain Nikolai Gulaev was awarded the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for 125 combat missions, 42 air battles, in which he shot down 42 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group.
And then another episode occurs, which Gulaev openly told his friends about after the war, an episode that perfectly shows his violent nature as a native of the Don. The pilot learned that he had become a twice Hero of the Soviet Union after his next flight. Fellow soldiers had already gathered at the airfield and said: the award needed to be “washed,” there was alcohol, but there were problems with snacks.
Gulaev recalled that when returning to the airfield, he saw pigs grazing. With the words “there will be a snack,” the ace boards the plane again and a few minutes later lands it near the barns, to the amazement of the pig owner.
As already mentioned, the pilots were paid for downed planes, so Nikolai had no problems with cash. The owner willingly agreed to sell the boar, who was loaded with difficulty into the combat vehicle. By some miracle, the pilot took off from a very small platform together with the boar, distraught with horror. A combat aircraft is not designed for a well-fed pig to dance inside it. Gulaev had difficulty keeping the plane in the air...
If a catastrophe had happened that day, it would probably have been the most ridiculous case of the death of a twice Hero of the Soviet Union in history. Thank God, Gulaev made it to the airfield, and the regiment cheerfully celebrated the hero’s award.
Another anecdotal incident is related to the appearance of the Soviet ace. Once in battle he managed to shoot down a reconnaissance plane piloted by a Nazi colonel, holder of four Iron Crosses. The German pilot wanted to meet with the one who managed to interrupt his brilliant career. Apparently, the German was expecting to see a stately handsome man, a “Russian bear” who would not be ashamed to lose... But instead, a young, short, plump captain Gulaev came, who, by the way, in the regiment had a not at all heroic nickname “Kolobok”. The German's disappointment knew no bounds...

A fight with political overtones.

In the summer of 1944, the Soviet command decided to recall the best Soviet pilots from the front. The war is coming to a victorious end, and the leadership of the USSR begins to think about the future. Those who distinguished themselves in the Great Patriotic War must graduate from the Air Force Academy in order to then take leadership positions in the Air Force and Air Defense.
Gulaev was also among those summoned to Moscow. He himself was not eager to go to the academy; he asked to remain in the active army, but was refused. On August 12, 1944, Nikolai Gulaev shot down his last Focke-Wulf 190.
And then a story happened, which, most likely, became the main reason why Nikolai Gulaev did not become as famous as Kozhedub and Pokryshkin. There are at least three versions of what happened, which combine two words - “brawler” and “foreigners”. Let's focus on the one that occurs most often.
According to it, Nikolai Gulaev, already a major by that time, was summoned to Moscow not only to study at the academy, but also to receive the third star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Considering the pilot’s combat achievements, this version does not seem implausible. Gulaev’s company included other honored aces who were awaiting awards.
The day before the ceremony in the Kremlin, Gulaev went to the restaurant of the Moscow Hotel, where his pilot friends were relaxing. However, the restaurant was crowded, and the administrator said: “Comrade, there is no room for you!” It was not worth saying such a thing to Gulaev with his explosive character, but then, unfortunately, he also came across Romanian soldiers, who at that moment were also relaxing in the restaurant. Shortly before this, Romania, which had been an ally of Germany since the beginning of the war, went over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The angry Gulaev said loudly: “Is it that there is no place for the Hero of the Soviet Union, but there is room for enemies?”
The Romanians heard the pilot’s words, and one of them uttered an insulting phrase in Russian towards Gulaev. A second later, the Soviet ace found himself near the Romanian and hit him in the face.
Not even a minute had passed before a fight broke out in the restaurant between the Romanians and Soviet pilots.
When the fighters were separated, it turned out that the pilots had beaten members of the official Romanian military delegation. The scandal reached Stalin himself, who decided to cancel the awarding of the third Hero star.
If we were talking not about the Romanians, but about the British or Americans, most likely, the matter for Gulaev would have ended quite badly. But the leader of all nations did not ruin the life of his ace because of yesterday’s opponents. Gulaev was simply sent to a unit, away from the front, Romanians and any attention in general. But how true this version is is unknown.

A general who was friends with Vysotsky.

Despite everything, in 1950 Nikolai Gulaev graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and five years later from the General Staff Academy. He commanded the 133rd Aviation Fighter Division, located in Yaroslavl, the 32nd Air Defense Corps in Rzhev, and the 10th Air Defense Army in Arkhangelsk, which covered the northern borders of the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Dmitrievich had a wonderful family, he adored his granddaughter Irochka, was a passionate fisherman, loved to treat guests to personally pickled watermelons...
He also visited pioneer camps, participated in various veterans’ events, but still there was a feeling that instructions were given from above, in modern terms, not to promote his person too much.
Actually, there were reasons for this even at a time when Gulaev was already wearing general’s shoulder straps. For example, he could, with his authority, invite Vladimir Vysotsky to speak at the House of Officers in Arkhangelsk, ignoring the timid protests of the local party leadership. By the way, there is a version that some of Vysotsky’s songs about pilots were born after his meetings with Nikolai Gulaev.

Norwegian complaint.

Colonel General Gulaev retired in 1979. And there is a version that one of the reasons for this was a new conflict with foreigners, but this time not with the Romanians, but with the Norwegians. Allegedly, General Gulaev organized a hunt for polar bears using helicopters near the border with Norway. Norwegian border guards appealed to the Soviet authorities with a complaint about the general's actions. After this, the general was transferred to a staff position away from Norway, and then sent to a well-deserved rest.
It is impossible to say with certainty that this hunt took place, although such a plot fits very well into the vivid biography of Nikolai Gulaev. Be that as it may, the resignation had a bad effect on the health of the old pilot, who could not imagine himself without the service to which his whole life was devoted.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Nikolai Dmitrievich Gulaev died on September 27, 1985 in Moscow, at the age of 67 years. His final resting place was the Kuntsevo cemetery in the capital.

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.

Liu Tsui-Kan

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.

Gerhardt Barkhorn

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.

shot down

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.

Dözhi Szentüdörgyi

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.

I.N.Kozhedub

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.

Iliev Stoyan Stoyanov

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 completed 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.

Teresio Vittorio Martinolli

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.

K.R. Caldwell

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.

D.E.Johnson

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.

Eino Ilmari Juutilainen

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.

Marcel Albert

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 - air 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.

Helner G.E. Grün-Span

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.

Konstantin Cantacuzino

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 missions. 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.

Probably the most important factor in the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War 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 names 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 of the 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 (09/20/1923- 07.06.1992)

Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet military and statesman, Chief Marshal of the USSR Aviation, 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.