On June 8, the distant and alarming one thousand nine hundred and twentieth year old house in Obrazheyevka - a village in the Glukhovsky district of the Chernihiv province - announced the cry of a newborn child. The boy was named Vanya (Ivan). Decades will pass, and in a state called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics there will not be a person who does not know where and when the pilot Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich was born. A brief biography of the participant in World War II and World War II contains facts that amaze the imagination of everyone who is interested in tactics of conducting air battles of the most bloody confrontation of countries that only happened in the 20th century.
In the sky like home
Ivan Kozhedub appeared on the front not from the first days of World War II, but in March 1943. However, the pilot managed to show such courage, courage, unsurpassed mastery of warfare that he became Three times Hero of the Soviet Union. Already in peacetime, the country appreciated the merits of the pilot by conferring the title of “Marshal of Aviation” (1985).
Kozhedub I.N. fought with the enemy as part of the allied forces. The most successful WWII pilot rushed to perform combat missions 366 times, overcame 120 air battles, and eliminated 62 fascist aircraft.
Ace hit the target masterly, using the slightest misses of the enemy. Hit exactly the target from any position of the aircraft. The Kozhedub machine was invulnerable: even after receiving serious damage, it always remained “on the wing”. Fighting friends said about him: "in the sky, as at home."
Two birth dates
The unbending character of Ivan Kozhedub, his ability to find a way out in any situation were laid in early childhood. In a family cultivating land, five children grew up. Father (a former churchwarden), raised the children strictly, joined the work early.
Already at the age of 5, Vanya went to guard the garden at night. The head of the family understood that such protection was of little use, but he believed that such tests strengthen character, and teach them how to overcome difficulties. Later, the boy helped herders to follow the herd to adult shepherds (he was a reserve). I was not afraid of work, I thought: the road will be overpowered by the walking one.
In 1934, a 14-year-old boy completed his studies at a rural school. Two years comprehended knowledge at a labor faculty (workers' departments prepared workers and peasants for training in high school). In 1936, he passed the entrance tests to the chemical-technological college (Shostka).
It is noteworthy: to get to college, a teenager increased his age by a couple of years. There is evidence that Kozhedub I.N. He was born not on June 8, 1920, but on July 6, 1922. In 1939, the future pilot began training at the Shostka flying club. He mastered the U-2 multipurpose biplane.
Front sky
Kozhedub did not have the opportunity to complete his studies at the technical school - in early 1940, the future chemical technologist became a Red Army soldier (a serviceman of the workers 'and peasants' Red Army). Fate directed him in a different way: by the fall of the fortieth year, Ivan Nikitovich received the “crusts” (diploma) of the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots (since March 1941, the school of pilots). As the best cadet, he was left in the educational institution as an instructor pilot, to teach beginners.
But at the front line, they also needed such responsible fighters as Ivan Kozhedub. A brief biography says that in 1943 he was sent to the 302nd Fighter Aviation Division to the Voronezh Front. Thus began his journey as a military idol of many generations of residents of the USSR and the Russian Federation.
In the first battle, his La-5 was damaged - from the German Messer, and at the same time from Soviet anti-aircraft gunners leading the battle. However, Kozhedub was able to land a damaged plane. It seemed that his flying career was over, barely beginning. But the regiment commander supported the newcomer, gave him the opportunity to prove himself in subsequent battles with the enemy.
July 1943
The first fascist aircraft shot down by Kozhedub was the Yu-87 (Junkers). The battle took place on July 6, 1943 during the most severe battles in the Kursk. Already on July 7, on the account of Ivan was another Junkers, and two days later - 2 Bf-109 fighters (Messerschmitt Bf.109, or Me-109).
Military historians single out and describe in detail the four main heroic acts committed by Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich. His short biography in these events is as follows. The first heroic act was dated September 30, 1943. This autumn day, while deploying the plane during the escort of the Soviet troops crossing the Dnieper, Ivan remained completely unprotected (without covering his own), but was not afraid.
Noticing the "Junkers", he dived into the multipurpose Luftwaffe aircraft, burst into the enemy link. Shocked by the courage of the Soviet ace, the Nazis stopped the bombing, went on the defensive. This was what Ivan Kozhedub expected, whose feat went down in history. Taking advantage of the fact that one of the Ju-87 broke away from the group, destroyed it, completely demoralizing the enemy.
October 1943
On October 3, 1943, nine La-5 single-engine fighters (including the Kozhedub plane) covered the space for a military operation on the banks of the Dnieper. Pilots saw in the clouds a column of "raptors" (such a nickname was given by the Russian "Junkers-87").
Every 9 enemy bombers covered six from Me-109 fighters. It seemed that they filled the whole sky. Despite the fact that the forces were unequal, Ivan Nikitovich boldly led the attack of five La-5s. The enemy did not expect that the scanty number of Soviet aircraft could seriously resist their steep armada, but miscalculated.
A few minutes after the start of the attack on the ground, two Junkers collapsed at once. Other aircraft of the first nine immediately “backed up”. After a short time, the 2nd nine Ju-87 also retreated. Soviet pilots did not gain the upper hand, but with skill, unsurpassed courage, selflessness.
Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich caught up with the extreme "fleeing" car and turned it into nothing. A brief biography of him recorded that he put a "fat point" in that battle with fascist dive bombers.
February 1945
The second month of the winter of 1945 was marked by battles on the Oder. How did Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich distinguish himself in the Vistula-Oder operation? A brief biography of the hero contains this information. In the sky above the Oder, one of the first pilots in world history shot down the latest jet Me-262. Before him, nobody could defeat the latest Luftwaffe car.
It happened so. On February 19, Kozhedub and his partner D. Titorenko discovered an unknown plane at three kilometers altitude. He flew at speeds, even for the new La-7s, the ultimate (at the end of 1944, Kozhedub became deputy commander of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, which received the La-7 fighter in the last month of summer, several of the latest design )
Kozhedub noticed that the German ace relaxed, because his car flies "faster than the light" and the space under it can be left without control. The Soviet pilot met the enemy machine on a crossing course, his La-7 fighter shot the "German" from below, directly "in the belly."
Titarenko then began to shoot too early, but his attack forced the enemy to turn in the direction of the temporarily “silent” Kozhedub, which determined the victorious outcome. When the distance was reduced to the maximum possible, Ivan opened fire, defeating the jet "miracle."
April 1945
In the second month of the victorious spring, Ivan Kozhedub decided to "scare" the allies - the Americans. The unsuspecting pilot Kozhedub defended the American B-17, scaring away two German fighters from him. But almost immediately survived a powerful attack from a long distance. Who shot - in the heat of battle was incomprehensible. However, two unknown aircraft deliberately went to the destruction of the Soviet combat vehicle!
Having made a turn, Ivan Nikitovich went sideways to one and knocked him out. Another aerobatics figure (Kozhedub seemed to be floating in the sky), a shot - and a second winged striker crashed to the ground. As it turned out, the US Air Force Mustangs were defeated. The allies attributed their treacherous act to the fact that "an error occurred."
In fact, comrades in the fight against Nazi fascism decided to test the invincible Kozhedub “for strength”. And here Ivan Kozhedub didn’t let us down, the feat of survival even in the most unexpected situation can be regarded as one more confirmation that he is really a hero.
Afterword
So how many planes did Kozhedub bring down? Together with the Mustangs of the Allies - 64. Kozhedub I.N. He was awarded the highest awards of his native state: including the Orders of Lenin (4), the Red Banner (7), the Red Star (2), Alexander Nevsky, World War I degree, etc., as well as foreign orders. Died I.N. Kozhedub on August 8, 1991. Burial place - Moscow, Novodevichy cemetery.