fact that I flew
Ground attack legend
There are no safe jobs in war. Everyone risks. But, in my opinion, there is nothing more terrible than the combat work of an attack pilot. Everything shoots at the attack aircraft. Starting from infantry rifles, ending with anti-aircraft artillery. An attack aircraft is a desirable prey for an enemy fighter. Almost all battles take place over enemy territory. But attack aircraft were not taken prisoner. The attack aircraft is the object of well-deserved hatred of the enemy. More than attack aircraft, they only hate snipers. Continue reading
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union – Skomorokhov Nikolai Mikhailovich
Skomorokhov Nikolai Mikhailovich – squadron commander of the 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment (295th Fighter Aviation Division, 9th Mixed Air Corps, 17th Air Army, 3rd Ukrainian Front), captain.
Born on May 19, 1920 in the village of Lapot, now the village of Belogorskoye, Krasnoarmeisky (formerly Zolotovsky) district of the Saratov region, in a peasant family. In 1930 he moved to Astrakhan with his family. Until 1935 he studied at a secondary school, then graduated from the FZU school. Continue reading
Double, Triple and Quadruple Heroes
The concept of “twice, thrice, four times Hero” today seems somewhat strange, probably it would be more correct to talk about awarding several Gold Star medals. But this is a fact of our history, and it cannot be bypassed.
For the first time, three pilots became Heroes twice for the feats of arms shown in battles with the Japanese interventionists on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939: Major Sergei Ivanovich Gritsevets and Colonel Grigory Panteleevich Kravchenko (Decree of August 29), as well as commander Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich (Decree dated 17 November). The fate of all three was tragic. Continue reading
