At all times, war was considered the lot of men. And as for the fighting in the sky - even more so. And today, on military fighters you can only meet representatives of the strong half of humanity. Overloads here are literally prohibitive for a person. And the reaction of these professionals should be almost instantaneous, because the time allotted for making a decision is sometimes measured in fractions of a second. In addition, the pilot must thoroughly study all the technical characteristics of his car in order to know what it is capable of in critical situations.
That is why it is rather difficult to imagine that a cute, fragile blonde girl sits at the helm of a fast fighter. Nevertheless, given the experience of fighting in the Great Patriotic War, this is possible. During that harsh time, any exceptions were not surprising. One of them is fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak. It will be discussed in this article.
Heroic girl
Looking at the black and white photographs of the war years with Lydia Litvyak, we see a miniature fair-haired beauty on them. A girl with such an appearance would not be difficult to become a popular actress. And then her fate would have been completely different. She would have been awaited by social events, glasses with cold champagne, crispy baskets with caviar and photographers with whom she would pose in a fur boa and hung with diamonds. And this would be entirely possible, because Lydia Litvyak looked like Valentina Serova, who was considered the “third great blonde” of the Soviet state after Lyubov Orlova and Marina Ladynina.
However, the fate of our heroine was completely different. She had her own list of victories, but not on the stage or on the movie screen. Lidia Vladimirovna Litvyak during the 8 months of her heroic service in Soviet aviation made 168 sorties. At the same time, she fought 89 times with enemy fighters, shot down 11 German planes and one spotter balloon. Here is such an impressive list of victories for the most charming and feminine aviator of the USSR, who defended the country during the Great Patriotic War. And this is when many men, being at the helm of their fighters, for the entire time of combat trials were unable to bring down a single enemy aircraft, or at best only one or two.
Pilot ass from the USSR Lida Litvyak achieved several group and a dozen personal victories. The young girl, who seemed to be a fragile student, had a spectacular and aggressive style of air combat. This allowed her to enter the lists of the elite of military aviation, which is part of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Biography
Lidia Vladimirovna Litvyak was born in Moscow on August 18, 1921. Subsequently, she was incredibly proud that her birthday coincided with the All-Union Aviation Day. For some reason, the girl did not like her name. That is why all home as well as close friends called her Lily or Lily. Under this name, she subsequently went down in history.
Lydia (Lilia) Litvyak was madly in love with airplanes and the sky. However, in those years this was not surprising at all. On the contrary, the fact that a simple Soviet girl dreamed not about a movie star career, but about OSOAVIAHIM was quite natural. After all, the party and government of the USSR sought to attract youth to aviation.
Lydia Litvyak kept pace with her era. She easily and completely consciously exchanged the game of dolls for the flight circle, and dresses and high heel shoes for the flight helmet and overalls. The girl was not only fond of the sky. She sought to learn the profession of a pilot. That is why at the age of 14 she became a member of the Central Aero Club. Chkalova. At first, parents did not know anything about this. But for a long time it was impossible to hide the stormy interest in such an unusual profession for a woman. A year later, at 15, the girl first flew up to the sky on her own.
After graduating from school, Lydia Litvyak entered geology courses, after which she was sent to the Far North, and then to the south. Here she returned to flying.
Lydia (Lilia) Litvyak became a cadet of the Kherson Flight School. She graduated from this educational institution successfully. After that, she became an instructor pilot and in the period before the war with the Nazis managed to prepare 45 cadets. Colleagues said that she had the ability to see the air.
A family
Where the parents of Lydia Litvyak came from is completely unknown. After the civil war, they moved from the village to Moscow. The girl’s mother was called Anna Vasilyevna, but the story is also silent about who and where she worked. It is only known that the woman was either a dressmaker, or worked in a store. About the father of the aviator Lydia Litvyak briefly mentioned in all sources, as well as about the mother. There is only evidence that his name was Vladimir Leontyevich, and the place of his work was the railway. In 1937, the father of Lydia Litvyak was arrested on a false denunciation, and then shot. Of course, the girl did not tell anyone about this. In those years, the status of the daughter of an enemy of the people could radically change her fate. And this was not at all desirable for the 15-year-old girl who literally raved about aviation.
Fateful decision
The biography of the pilot, Lydia Litvyak, developed so that she had to take part in the hostilities. After all, the enemy attacked her homeland. However, she did not immediately get to the front. The Soviet authorities did not want to admit young Komsomol girls to the ranks of the regular troops. There they could only be as nurses. However, life has made its own adjustments.
Many girls dreamed of getting to the forefront. For this, the decision of the Commander-in-Chief himself was necessary. It was achieved by Marina Raskova. This pilot was one of the first three women awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Raskova flew in extreme conditions and set records in the sky. Qualifications, experience and energy earned her credibility in the air forces. Thanks to this, the famous pilot was able to personally ask Stalin for permission to form female combat units. Resisting brave girls was useless. In addition, the Soviet army suffered huge losses not only on land but also in the air. That is why in October 1941 the formation of three female air regiments at once began. From the first days of the war, the pilot pilot Lydia Litvyak (her photo is posted below) tried to get to the front.
After she became aware that Marina Raskova began to form female aviation regiments, she immediately achieved her goal. However, the girl had to cheat. She attributed 100 hours to her flying time, which is why she was enrolled in the fighter regiment at number 586, which was headed by Marina Raskova herself.
Fighting character
An initiative and energetic pilot appeared in Soviet aviation. Lydia Litvyak, however, was distinguished by a somewhat wayward character. For the first time, her tendency to take risks was noticed during training, when a female air regiment was based near the city of Engels. Here one of the planes crashed. In order to fly into the air, he needed a spare screw. However, delivering this item was not possible. At this time, flights were banned due to a clear storm. But Lydia did not stop it. She arbitrarily, without receiving permission, flew to the scene of the accident. For this I received a reprimand from the head of the aviation school. But Raskova said she was proud that she had such a brave student. Most likely, an experienced pilot saw her own character in Litvyak.
But Lida’s discipline problems sometimes appeared in a completely different sphere. So, once she made a fashionable collar for her jumpsuit. To do this, she had to cut fur from high fur boots. In this case, she did not wait for Raskova's indulgence. Lydia had to alter the fur back.
Nevertheless, the girl did not lose her love for various accessories even at the front. She cut scarves using parachute silk and altered the comforters, which in her skillful hands became more elegant and comfortable. Even under fire, Lida was not only an excellent fighter, but she was able to remain an attractive girl.
But as for the level of aerobatics, there were no complaints against Litvyak. Together with the other girls, she perfectly withstood the accelerated pace of training, which included daily twelve-hour training. The rigidity of the preparation was explained quite simply. Pilots soon had to engage in battle with the enemy, who was smart and did not forgive mistakes. At the end of her training, Lydia Litvyak did an excellent job flying the hawk (Yak plane), which allowed her to go to war.
The beginning of the combat biography
Being part of the 586th air regiment, Lydia Litvyak (photo below) first flew into the sky in the spring of 1942. At this time, Soviet troops fought in Saratov. The task of our aviation was to protect the Volga from German bombers.
In 1942, the pilot Lidia Litvyak made 35 sorties from April 15 to September 10, during which she patrolled and escorted transport aircraft carrying important cargoes.
Battle of stalingrad
The aviation regiment, which included the fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak, was transferred to Stalingrad on September 10, 1942. For a short period of time, a brave girl 10 times ascended into the sky. During her second combat flight, which took place on September 13, she was able to open a personal combat account. Initially, she shot down a Ju-88 bomber. After that, the girl rushed to the rescue of her friend Raya Belyaeva, who had run out of ammunition. Lydia Litvyak took her place in the battle and as a result of a stubborn duel destroyed Me-109. The pilot on this plane was the German baron. By that time, he had already won 30 victories in the sky and was a knight of the Knight's Cross. Being captive and being interrogated, he wished to see the one who defeated him in the sky. A blue-eyed, fragile, tender blonde girl came to the meeting. The German felt that the Russians were mocking him. But after Lydia, using gestures, showed the details of the battle, known only to the two of them, the baron took off his gold watch and handed it to the girl who had overthrown him from heaven.
On September 27, the brave pilot, only thirty meters from the Yu-88, was able to hit the enemy machine.
And even participating in military operations, the pilot allowed herself to be a bully. Having made a successful combat mission , if there was fuel in the tank, she landed aerobatics over him before landing on her native airfield. Such jokes were one of her business cards. For such entertainment, the regiment commander did not punish her, because the girl successfully completed combat missions, showing good pressure, tenacity of mind and excellent tactical thinking. After the Stalingrad battles, she became an experienced fighter pilot, having received hardening by fire. In addition, on December 22, 1942, the girl was awarded a government award. She became the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad."
White Lily
The biography of Lydia Litvyak is described in many books. In the same sources you can find interesting stories about the brave pilot. So, according to some statements, after she defeated the German ace, a large white lily was painted on her hood. It is also said that some enemy pilots, seeing this flower, evaded the battle. They also say that after each battle in which she managed to bring down an enemy machine, Lydia Litvyak painted one white lily on the fuselage of her “Yak”. The name of her favorite flower became the pilot's call sign. In addition, many called Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak the White Lily of Stalingrad.
Wonderful salvation
For the first time, the Germans managed to knock out Lydia Litvyak’s plane shortly after the Battle of Stalingrad. The girl almost died, having made an emergency landing. Enemy soldiers immediately rushed to her. Lydia jumped out of the cab and began to shoot back from the Germans. However, the distance between her and her enemies was steadily decreasing. Litvyak had the last bullet in the barrel when the Soviet attack aircraft with which she was on a mission flashed over her. "Il" pressed the Germans with their fire, and one of them planned not far from the girl and, having released the chassis, landed. Lydia quickly climbed into the cockpit to the pilot, and they safely left the chase.
New appointment
The fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak - White Lily of Stalingrad - was transferred to the 437th Fighter Aviation Regiment at the end of September 1942. However, the female link, which is part of it, did not last long. His commander, senior lieutenant R. Belyaev, was soon shot down by the Germans, and she had to be treated for a long time after a parachute jump. After that, due to the disease, M. Kuznetsova was out of order. Only two pilots remained in the regiment. This is L. Litvyak, as well as E. Budanova. They were able to achieve the highest results in the battles. And soon, the White Lily of Stalingrad, Lydia Litvyak, shot down another enemy aircraft. It turned out to be the Junkers.
Beginning October 10, the pilots became operational subordinates of the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. On the account of Lydia Litvyak already had three enemy aircraft destroyed. One of them was personally knocked down by her from the period when she entered the regiment of Soviet aces pilots.
During this period, the girls needed to cover the strategically important front-line center - the city of Zhytvur, as well as escort transport aircraft. In carrying out this task, Lydia made 58 sorties. For her courage and excellent execution of the orders of the command, the girl was enrolled in the group of “free hunters” who watched the enemy’s aircraft. Being at the front airfield, Litvyak flew up five times in the sky and spent as many air battles. In the 9th Guards IAP, girls significantly improved their skills.
New victories
January 8, 1943 the girl was transferred to the 296th aviation fighter regiment. Already in the same month, Lydia accompanied our attack aircraft 16 times and covered the ground forces of the Soviet army. On February 5, 1943, Sergeant L.V. Litvyak command submitted to the Order of the Red Star.
A new victory awaited Lydia on February 11th. On this day, Lieutenant Colonel N. Baranov led the four fighters into battle. Litvyak was distinguished by the fact that she personally shot down the Ju-88 bomber, and then as part of the group she managed to emerge victorious in the battle with the FW-190 fighter.
Wound
The spring of 1943 was marked by a lull on almost the entire front line. However, the pilots continued to make sorties, intercepting German planes and covering up Soviet bombers and attack aircraft.
In April 1943, Lydia was seriously injured. This happened during a rather difficult battle. On April 22, a brave pilot, being part of a group of Soviet aircraft, intercepted 12 enemy Ju-88s, one of which she managed to shoot down. Here, in the sky above Rostov, she was attacked by the Germans. Enemies managed to damage the girl’s plane and injure her leg. After the battle, Lydia barely flew to her native airfield, where she reported on a successfully completed mission. After that, the girl lost consciousness, falling from blood loss and pain.
However, Lydia was not in the hospital for long. Having recovered a little after the wound, she wrote a receipt that she would go home to Moscow, where she would continue to be treated. However, the relatives did not wait for the girl. A week later, Lydia again arrived in her regiment.
On May 5, having not fully recovered after being wounded, Litvyak made another sortie. Her task included escorting bombers heading for the Stalin region. Our planes were spotted by enemy fighters and attacked by them. A battle ensued in which Lydia was able to bring down a Me-109 fighter.
Only love
In the spring of 1943, a new page was written in the biography of the aviator Lydia Litvyak. During this period, fate brought the girl to Alexei Solomatin. He was also a great fighter pilot. In the war, novels were often tied up. Acquaintances were quick, and feelings were stormy. However, most of these novels, for obvious reasons, were short-lived and had an unfortunate ending.
In the spring of 1943, a short break came in hostilities. It was a lull before the battle near Kursk. And in these few weeks of peace, ordinary human happiness came to Lydia. Solomatin and Litvyak perfectly converged characters. Fellow soldiers noted that they were a wonderful couple. Senior Lieutenant Solomatin was initially a mentor to the girl, and then became her husband. However, the happiness of the young was short-lived. May 21, 1943 Alexei died. He, being mortally wounded in battle, was unable to land his plane and died in front of his beloved and everyone who was at the airport. At her husband’s funeral, Lydia took an oath to avenge his death.
Soon, the best friend of Litvyak, Ekaterina Budanova, also died. The girl who lost in only a few weeks her two closest people had only battle skills, a plane and a desire to take revenge.
Continuation of hostilities
After some lull, the battles were resumed. And the ace girl, who was only 21 years old, continued to actively participate in them.
At the end of May, on the sector of the front where its regiment operated, the Germans very effectively used a balloon-spotter. This "sausage" was covered by fighters and anti-aircraft fire, which reflected all attempts to destroy it. Lydia managed to solve this problem. The girl took to the air on May 31 and, passing along the front line, went deep into the territory occupied by the enemy. She attacked a balloon from the rear of the enemy, approaching him from the side of the sun. Litvyak attack lasted less than a minute. The brilliant victory of the pilot was noted by the gratitude of the Commander of the 44th Army.
Summer fights
July 16, 1943 Lidia Litvyak was on the next combat mission. In the sky there were six Soviet “Yaks”. They got into a fight with 30 Junkers and 6 Messerschmitts, who tried to strike at the location of our troops. But Soviet fighter pilots thwarted the enemy’s plan. In this battle, Lydia Litvyak shot down a Ju-88. She also shot down a Me-109 fighter. However, the Germans also knocked out the "Yak" Lydia. The fearless girl pursued by the enemy managed to land the plane on the ground. The Soviet infantrymen who watched the battle helped her to break away from the German pilots. Lydia was slightly injured in the shoulder and leg, but categorically refused hospitalization.
On July 20, 1943, the command presented the second lieutenant L.V. Litvyak for the next award. The heroic girl received the Order of the Red Banner. At this point, her track record indicated 140 sorties and 9 downed planes, 5 of which she personally destroyed, and 4 in the group. An observation balloon was immediately mentioned.
Last Stand
In the summer of 1943, Soviet troops tried to break through the enemy’s defenses, gaining a foothold on the banks of the Mius River. This was necessary for the liberation of Donbass. Especially heavy battles were fought from late July to early August. They involved both ground and air forces.
On August 1, Lidia Litvyak flew 4 times into the sky. During these sorties, she shot down 3 enemy aircraft, two in person and one in the group. Three times she returned to her home airfield. The girl did not return from her fourth sortie.
It is possible that emotional stress of a hard day or physical fatigue contributed to the incident. Or maybe the weapon just refused? But be that as it may, the pilots were already returning to their home airfield when they were attacked by eight German fighters. A battle ensued, during which our pilots lost sight of each other, being in the clouds. As one of them later recalled, everything happened suddenly. “Messer” emerged from the white veil of cloud and gave a turn on our “Yak” with tail number “22”. The plane immediately seemed to fail. Apparently, at the very ground, Lydia tried to level it.
Our fighters did not see any outbreaks in the sky or on the earth. It was this that gave birth to their hope that the girl remained alive.
On the same day, the German fighter pilot Hans-Jörg Merkle also went missing. At the same time, there was no information about who shot down this ace. There is a possibility that his death was a farewell blow to Lydia Litvyak.
Both aircraft disappeared near Shakhtyorsk, not far from the village of Dmitrovka. There is a version that Lydia went on the attack purposefully, eager to avenge the death of her husband and girlfriend. As it was, it is not known for certain. However, such an act was quite in the spirit of this girl.
Two weeks later, Lydia Litvyak would have turned 22 years old. After the family said that in one of her letters she told them about a dream in which her husband called, standing on the opposite bank of the fast river. This indicated that the girl foresaw her death.
But fellow soldiers, who did not lose hope of seeing the pilot alive, immediately organized her search. However, they could not find Lydia. And after sergeant Evdokimov was killed in one of the battles, the only one who knew the sector of the fall of her Yak, the official search was stopped. Then the regiment command posthumously presented the fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak to the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union. However, the posthumous rewarding did not happen. The fact is that soon a previously shot down pilot returned from the territory occupied by enemy troops. According to him, the locals told him that they had seen a Soviet fighter landing near the village of Marinovka. A blond girl got out of his small stature and got into a car with German officers who had approached the plane. However, the aviators did not believe such a story, continuing to figure out the fate of Lydia. Nevertheless, rumors about the girl’s infidelity reached a higher headquarters. And here the command showed caution. It did not approve Litvyak’s representation for the country's highest rank, but limited itself to the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree.
However, they continued to search for Lydia. In the summer of 1946, Ivan Zapryagaev, being the commander of the 73rd IAP, sent several people to the village of Marinovka. However, the girl’s fellow soldiers failed to find out anything about her fate.
In 1971, the search for the brave pilot was resumed by young trackers from the town of Krasny Luch. And only in 1979 did they finally find traces of Lydia Litvyak. The inhabitants of the Kozhevnya farm told the children that in the summer of 1943, our fighter plane fell near it. The pilot, who was a woman, was shot in the head. She was buried in a mass grave. This pilot turned out to be Lydia Litvyak. This was confirmed in a further investigation. The grave of Lydia Litvyak is located in the miner district, in the village of Dmitrovka. Here the brave pilot is buried along with other unknown fighters.
In 1988, a monument to Lydia Litvyak was erected in this place. Veterans of the regiment, in which the brave pilot served, requested to renew the request for posthumously conferring on her the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Years later, justice triumphed. In May 1990, the President of the USSR signed a decree according to which Lydia Litvyak became a Hero of the Soviet Union.
Memory
The name of Lydia Litvyak can be found in the Guinness Book of Records. She was brought here as a female pilot who won the most victories in her air battles. In addition, a monument to the brave aviator was erected in the central square of the city of Krasny Luch. It is located opposite gymnasium No. 1, which bears her name.
You can find the name of Lydia Litvyak in "Assault Witches." This is an anime that tells the viewer about the fight against robot machines that are trying to take over our planet. It is quite difficult to destroy such an enemy. After all, any deadly weapon, fast missiles and even innovative technologies are powerless against robots. This allows insensitive and insidious cars to win victory after victory. Only girls with magical powers and using a vehicle, which is a kind of hybrid of a combat aircraft and a witch stupa, can fight them. One of these girls is Sani Litvyak.
Those who wish to familiarize themselves with the biography of the heroic aviator are encouraged to watch a documentary about her. It is called The Roads of Remembrance and was directed by E. Andrikanis. In addition, the film "Lily" is dedicated to the brave pilot. He was the first in the documentary series "Beautiful Regiment." Filmed in 2014 by director A. Kapkov.
In 2013, the series “Fighters” was presented to the audience. This is the work of director A. Muradov. One of the heroines of the film is Lydia Litovchenko. The image, which is presented by actress E. Vilkova, is collective. An example for him was Lydia Litvyak. The film was just wonderful.