Marshal of AviationThe ranks of Marshal of a branch and Chief Marshal of a branch were senior military ranks of the Soviet Army. The rank "Marshal of a branch" is immediately above the rank "Colonel General". Immediately above the rank "Marshal of a branch" is the rank "Chief Marshal of a branch"...
Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub ( was a
SovietThe Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union...
military aviator of
UkrainianUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
descent and a
WWIIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fighter aceFighter Ace is a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
. He was made a
Hero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
on three occasions (February 4, 1944; August 19, 1944; August 18, 1945).
He was born in the village of Obrazhiyivka in
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
, the youngest of five children. After achieving excellent results at the
ChuhuivChuhuiv is a city in the Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Chuhuivskyi Raion , the city itself is directly subordinate to the oblast, and is located at around ....
military aviation school, he stayed on as an instructor and trained many young Soviet pilots. Feeling his talents would be better used in combat, he requested a transfer to an active service unit, and by March 1943, he was on the front lines flying the
Lavochkin La-5The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the LaGG-3 and was one of the Soviet Air Force's most capable types of warplane.-Development:...
. During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as a fighter pilot from March 1943 onwards on several fronts (
Voronezh FrontThe Voronezh Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the town of Voronezh on the Don River....
,
Steppe FrontThe Steppe Front and later the 2nd Ukrainian Front was a Front , effectively an Army group sized formation, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
, 2nd Ukrainian Front,
1st Belorussian FrontThe 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II. As such it was a Soviet formation equivalent to a Western Army group....
) and at different ranks, starting from Senior airman (flying the
Lavochkin La-5The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the LaGG-3 and was one of the Soviet Air Force's most capable types of warplane.-Development:...
) up to the deputy commander of the air regiment. He is regarded as the best Soviet
flying aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.It is said that fighter aces are a dying...
of the war, and is mostly associated with flying the
Lavochkin La-7The Lavochkin La-7 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the last in a family of aircraft that had begun with the LaGG-1 in 1938.-Design and development:...
. He holds the record for confirmed air combat victories amongst all Allied pilots (effectively the Allied "Ace of Aces") during WWII. He is also reputed to have the unusual ability to shoot targets at very oblique angles.
In April 1951, he was the commander of the 324th Fighter Air Division, dispatched to
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
to take part in the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
on the
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
n side. He was not allowed to participate in combat missions.
Kozhedub's
WWIIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
record:
- 330 combat missions
- 120 aerial engagements
- 62 enemy aircraft shot down, including one Me 262 Jet fighter. His first kill was a German Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-seat German ground-attack aircraft....
"Stuka" Dive-bomber on July 6, 1943.
Kozhedub was awarded the
Hero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
(1944, 1944, 1945),
Order of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
three times (1944, 1944, 1945), seven Orders of the Red Banner,
Order of Alexander NevskyThe Order of Alexander Nevsky was first instituted as the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1725 by Catherine I of Russia. It was originally awarded to distinguished Russian citizens who had served their country with honor, mostly through political or military service. Tolstoy states in...
, two Orders of the Red Star,
Order of the Patriotic WarEstablished on 20 May 1942, The Order of the Patriotic War was an Order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet term for the European conflicts during World War II...
First Class,
Order of Alexander NevskyThe Order of Alexander Nevsky was first instituted as the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1725 by Catherine I of Russia. It was originally awarded to distinguished Russian citizens who had served their country with honor, mostly through political or military service. Tolstoy states in...
, and numerous
medalA Medal is usually a coin-like sculpted object of metal or other material that has been die-struck with an insignia, portrait or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific, academic or some other kind of...
s.
Controversy
As with other famous figures, mythology has sprung up around Kozhedub's life. One story is that once he encountered a group of American
B-17 Flying FortressThe Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps , introduced in the 1930s. Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more than met the Air Corps'...
es under attack by Luftwaffe aircraft. The story goes on to suggest that his aircraft was mistaken by American escort fighters to be enemy and attacked. Kozhedub, having no other option, defended himself by shooting two of the
P-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat World War II fighter aircraft. Designed, built and airborne in just 117 days, the Mustang first flew in RAF service as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft before conversion to a bomber escort, employed in raids over...
s. So far this story isn't confirmed completely. There are certain amount of unclear facts, that can be either truth or fiction:
- Gun camera footage exists that had been touted as Kozhedub's actual gun camera film from the event. However, it is highly suspect. First, the footage was shot using Zeiss equipment which was used primarily by the Luftwaffe.
- The aircraft shown in the video are shown with drop-tanks attached. This would seem to contradict the usual telling that Kozhedub was jumped by the P-51s, as attacking fighters would dispose of these tanks before commencing aggressive offensive maneuvers. A more likely story is that the gun camera footage was from a Luftwaffe aircraft which ambushed American aircraft in an unrelated incident. However another aircraft was shown without droptanks, which can mean that the first pilot was unable or forgot to release his tanks, or perhaps even decided not to do so.
- P-51s being shot down can be seen at http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/kozhedub-s-image-1451.html and http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/anglo-americans-vs-soviets-dogfights-6949.html. Reportably B-17 was with the 49th Bomb Squadron and the P-51s were with the 369th Fighter Squadron at http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-5239.html.