American and Soviet aircraft from the Korean War. Soviet ace pilots in the Korean War

Americans called April 12, 1951 “Black Thursday.” In an air battle over Korea, Soviet pilots managed to shoot down 12 American B-29 bombers, which were called “superfortresses” and were previously considered virtually invulnerable.

In total, during the years of the Korean War (1950-1953), Soviet aces shot down 1097 American aircraft. Another 212 were destroyed by ground-based air defense systems.

Today, communist North Korea is perceived as a kind of vestige of the Cold War, which once divided the world into Soviet and capitalist camps. However, six decades ago, hundreds of Soviet pilots gave their lives to keep this state on the world map.

According to the official version, 361 Soviet soldiers died during the Korean War. A number of experts believe that these are underestimated data, since the list of losses did not include those who died from wounds in hospitals in the USSR and China.

Data on the ratio of American and Soviet aviation losses vary greatly. However, even US historians unconditionally admit that American losses are much higher.

This is explained, firstly, by the superiority of Soviet military equipment. The US Air Force command was forced to admit that B-29 bombers were very vulnerable to fire from 23 and 37 mm guns, which were armed with Soviet MiG-15 fighters. Just a few shells hitting the bomber could destroy it. The guns with which the MiGs were armed (37 and 23 mm caliber) had a significantly greater effective fire range, as well as destructive power compared to the B-29 heavy machine guns.

In addition, the machine gun mounts installed on the winged “fortresses” could not provide effective fire and aiming at aircraft that attacked at closing speeds of 150-160 meters per second.
Well, and, of course, the “human factor” played a significant role. Most of the Soviet pilots who took part in air battles had extensive combat experience gained during the Great Patriotic War.

Yes, and in the post-war years, the training of combat pilots in the USSR was given great importance. As a result, for example, Aviation Major General Nikolai Vasilyevich Sutyagin shot down 19 enemy aircraft during the three years of the Korean War. Not counting the three whose deaths could not be confirmed. The same number (19 confirmed victories) was shot down by Evgeniy Georgievich Pepelyaev.

There were 13 Soviet aces who shot down ten or more American vehicles.
The average total number of corps personnel as of 1952 was 26 thousand people. Taking turns, 12 Soviet fighter aviation divisions, 4 anti-aircraft artillery divisions, 2 separate (night) fighter aviation regiments, 2 anti-aircraft searchlight regiments, 2 aviation technical divisions and 2 fighter aviation regiments of the Navy Air Force took part in the Korean War. In total, about 40 thousand Soviet troops took part in the Korean War.

For a long time, the heroism and even simple participation of Soviet pilots in fierce air battles in the skies over Korea was carefully hidden. All of them had Chinese documents without photographs and wore Chinese military uniforms.

Air Marshal, the famous Soviet fighter Ivan Kozhedub admitted in one of his interviews that “this whole disguise was sewn with white thread” and, laughing, said that for three years his last name became LI SI QING. However, during the air battle, the pilots spoke Russian, including using “idiomatic expressions.” Therefore, the Americans had no doubt about who was fighting them in the skies over Korea.

It is interesting that official Washington remained silent throughout the three years of the war about the fact that the Russians were at the controls of most of the MiGs that smashed the “flying fortresses” to smithereens.

Many years after the end of the hot phase of the Korean War (officially peace between North and South Korea has still not been concluded), military adviser to President Harry Truman Paul Nitze admitted that he had prepared a secret document. It analyzed whether it was worth disclosing the direct participation of Soviet pilots in air battles. As a result, the US government came to the conclusion that this could not be done. After all, the large losses of the American Air Force were deeply experienced by the entire society, and indignation at the fact that “the Russians are to blame for this” could lead to unpredictable consequences. Including nuclear war.

Americans called April 12, 1951 “Black Thursday.” In an air battle over Korea, Soviet pilots managed to shoot down 12 American B-29 bombers, which were called “superfortresses” and were previously considered virtually invulnerable.

In total, during the years of the Korean War (1950-1953), Soviet aces shot down 1097 American aircraft. Another 212 were destroyed by ground-based air defense systems.
Today, communist North Korea is perceived as a kind of vestige of the Cold War, which once divided the world into Soviet and capitalist camps.
However, six decades ago, hundreds of Soviet pilots gave their lives to keep this state on the world map.

More precisely, according to the official version, 361 Soviet soldiers died during the Korean War. A number of experts believe that these are underestimated data, since the list of losses did not include those who died from wounds in hospitals in the USSR and China.

Data on the ratio of American and Soviet aviation losses vary greatly. However, even US historians unconditionally admit that American losses are much higher.

This is explained, firstly, by the superiority of Soviet military equipment. The US Air Force command, in the end, was forced to admit that B-29 bombers were very vulnerable to fire from 23 and 37 mm guns, which were armed with Soviet MiG-15 fighters. Just a few shells hitting the bomber could destroy it. The guns with which the MiGs were armed (37 and 23 mm caliber) had a significantly greater effective fire range, as well as destructive power compared to the B-29 heavy machine guns.

In addition, the machine gun mounts installed on the winged “fortresses” could not provide effective fire and aiming at aircraft that attacked at closing speeds of 150-160 meters per second.
Well, and, of course, the “human factor” played a significant role. Most of the Soviet pilots who took part in air battles had extensive combat experience gained during the Great Patriotic War.

Yes, and in the post-war years, the training of combat pilots in the USSR was given great importance. As a result, for example, Aviation Major General Nikolai Vasilyevich Sutyagin shot down 19 enemy aircraft during the three years of the Korean War. Not counting the three whose deaths could not be confirmed. The same number (19 confirmed victories) was shot down by Evgeniy Georgievich Pepelyaev.

There were 13 Soviet aces who shot down 10 or more American vehicles.
The average total number of corps personnel as of 1952 was 26 thousand people. Taking turns, 12 Soviet fighter aviation divisions, 4 anti-aircraft artillery divisions, 2 separate (night) fighter aviation regiments, 2 anti-aircraft searchlight regiments, 2 aviation technical divisions and 2 fighter aviation regiments of the Navy Air Force took part in the Korean War. In total, about 40 thousand Soviet troops took part in the Korean War.

For a long time, the heroism and even simple participation of Soviet pilots in fierce air battles in the skies over Korea was carefully hidden.
All of them had Chinese documents without photographs and wore the uniform of Chinese military personnel.

Air Marshal, the famous Soviet fighter Ivan Kozhedub admitted in one of his interviews that “this whole disguise was sewn with white thread” and, laughing, said that for three years his last name became LI SI QING. However, during the air battle, the pilots spoke Russian, including using “idiomatic expressions.” Therefore, the Americans had no doubt about who was fighting them in the skies over Korea.

It is interesting that official Washington remained silent throughout the three years of the war about the fact that the Russians were at the controls of most of the MiGs that smashed the “flying fortresses” to smithereens.

Many years after the end of the hot phase of the Korean War (officially, peace between North and South Korea has still not been concluded), military adviser to President Truman Paul Nitze admitted that he had prepared a secret document. It analyzed whether it was worth disclosing the direct participation of Soviet pilots in air battles. As a result, the US government came to the conclusion that this could not be done. After all, the large losses of the American Air Force were deeply experienced by the entire society, and indignation at the fact that “the Russians are to blame for this” could lead to unpredictable consequences. Including nuclear war.

Photo: airaces.ru
koreanwaronline.com

Soviet aces of the Korean War 1950–1953

Heroes of the Soviet Union who received this title for battles in Korea are marked with an asterisk; those awarded earlier are marked with an asterisk in parentheses.

All Soviet pilots won victories on the MiG-15 and MiG-15bis.

Nikolai Vasilievich SUTYAGIN - 21 personal and two group victories during the Korean War, Major General of Aviation, USSR.

Nikolai Sutyagin was born on May 5, 1923 in the village of Smagino, Buturlinsky district, Nizhny Novgorod region, in a peasant family. He graduated from 10 classes and the Baranov flying club in Gorky. In the Red Army since 1941. In 1942 he graduated from the Chernigov Military Aviation Pilot School.

Participant in the Korean War 1950–1953. During the hostilities (from June 17, 1951 to February 2, 1952), he made 149 combat missions and destroyed 23 enemy aircraft in 66 air battles, becoming officially the most effective ace in this war.

On October 10, 1951, the deputy squadron commander of the 17th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Captain Sutyagin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the courage and bravery shown in the performance of military duty.

In less than six months of fighting in North Korea, Sutyagin scored 21 personal and two group victories exclusively against jet fighters.

He served as part of the 5th Fighter Aviation Regiment in the Far East. He flew the I-16, and since 1944 - the Yak-7B and Yak-9. In the summer of 1945 he was awarded the rank of junior lieutenant. During the short war with Japan, he took part in air strikes against Japanese troops and made several reconnaissance flights on the Yak-9.

In 1946, he completed advanced training courses, and then was assigned to the 17th IAP, which was armed with MiG-15 aircraft, and in the summer of 1950 was sent to the Far East.

In the spring of 1951, the 17th IAP (303rd IAP), where Captain Sutyagin served as deputy squadron commander, arrived at Andong airfield, and within a few days the regiment pilots had their first battle with American aircraft.

Nikolai Sutyagin made his first combat flight on April 14, 1951. After 5 days he won his first victory - he shot down an F-86 fighter, and by the end of June - three more (on June 22 he shot down two F-86s at once, then another).

Once, at the moment of a turn, a flight of Soviet pilots led by Nikolai Sutyagin began to approach the “tail” of four F-86s. A skillful maneuver, and our pilots are already at the “tail” of the Sabers. Having noticed the "blinks", the Americans, after a left turn, went into a dive. Sutyagin opened fire on his wingman from a distance of 400–500 meters. But the second pair of Americans came into the “tail” of the flight, this was noticed by the wingman, senior lieutenant Shulev, who with a sharp maneuver escaped the attack. The leader of the first American pair, noticing that they were shooting at the follower, went to the “oblique loop”. But he could not resist the skill of Sutyagin, who, in the upper position, having already closed to 250-300 meters, opened fire on him. The American F-86 burst into flames and began to fall. A little later, another downed Saber was recorded for Sutyagin.

Recalling the initial stage of his activities in Korea, Nikolai Sutyagin later wrote:

“We were dressed in the uniform of Chinese volunteers, and, looking at each other, we chuckled sadly - we looked very unusual in blue cotton baggy jackets, wide wrinkled trousers, caps with a chewed “pancake” - visor and shoes instead of the usual boots and boots. No insignia. Our vehicles have the insignia of the Chinese Air Force. But this was an “open secret”: the first containers with MiGs had not yet arrived, and the US command had already promised its pilots a large reward for the first downed Soviet aircraft. Leaflets were dropped over Chinese airfields, in which the defector pilot was guaranteed a bonus of 50 thousand dollars. One of the North Korean pilots flew a MiG-15 to an enemy airfield after the war.”

The summer of 1951 was especially productive for Nikolai Sutyagin - from July to September he shot down 8 aircraft. The autumn was equally productive - from October to December - 8 destroyed vehicles. In December 1951, Captain Sutyagin scored five aerial victories.

At the beginning of 1952, he began to fly out on combat missions less frequently; as an ace, he was assigned to speak to the pilots of the second echelon regiments who were preparing for battle. Nevertheless, in January 1952 he shot down three more enemy aircraft.

After just a month and a half of fighting, Captain Sutyagin had 15 victories. In August, for seven personally shot down aircraft, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The decree conferring the title was signed on October 10, 1951.

Sutyagin's rise as an ace was so rapid that he did not even manage to receive a single Order of the Red Banner, beloved and widespread among pilots, immediately becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union, which is a rare case.

Along with the talent of a pilot and the ability to subtly feel the machine, he had an exceptional ability to endure exorbitant overloads, when the metal of the aircraft “leaked” and its airframe was subjected to emergency irreversible deformations. Such specific abilities of the body were revealed largely thanks to regular and persistent sports, to which the pilot devoted his leisure time.

An excellent athlete who fulfilled standard standards in several sports (athletics, gymnastics, weight training), he was the winner of a number of army competitions.

Colleagues who knew Sutyagin closely undoubtedly highly appreciated his extraordinary tactical talent and military leadership abilities, which, alas, were not allowed to reveal themselves...

In January 1952, Nikolai Sutyagin was nominated for a second Golden Star for victory in air battles over 10 more enemy aircraft and for the courage and heroism shown. However, this idea did not go through.

Nikolay Sutyagin has 15 F-86 Saber, two F-84 Thunderjet, two F-80 Shooting Star and two English Gloucester Meteors.

With the exception of the F-80 “Shooting Star” and “Meteors”, which, despite persistent modernization, were outdated by the time of the Korean War, Sutyagin’s rivals flew the latest machines of the time and were by no means beginners as air fighters. Soviet aces won their victories on the MiG-15 - an aircraft that personified the achievements of Soviet technology and surpassed the best foreign fighters in most flight characteristics. All the more ridiculous are the tendentious materials published in the West about the air war in Korea, where the loss ratio is derogatory for the former enemy. The civilized descendants of the warlike Normans and Saxons seem to be trying to gain the missing military glory with the glibness of the narrative and the brightness of the illustrations.

Thus, a sufficiently high thrust-to-weight ratio provided the MiGs with superiority over the F-86 in vertical maneuver. The acceleration characteristics of the MiG-15 due to the large midsection of the fuselage and lower engine power were somewhat lower, however, the cost of the MiG was an order of magnitude cheaper than the Saber!

The powerful weapons of the MiG-15 turned out to be very effective. Using a 37-mm Nudelman cannon and two 23-mm Nudelman-Richter cannons, it delivered fatal blows to enemy aircraft from distances of up to 500 m.

The MiG-15bis engine, on which, in fact, Sutyagin fought - VK-1 (modified and modernized by V. Ya. Klimov “Rolls-Royce” “Nin”), had high reliability and survivability, even when up to 10 turbine blades were knocked out, the drop in thrust remained insignificant. The brake flaps were ineffective due to their small area.

Compared to the Mig, the American F-86 fighter had a smaller turning radius; the larger area of ​​its brake flaps ensured sharper braking of the aircraft. The presence of slats made it possible to maintain high angles of attack (at lower speeds) when maneuvering, and a turbojet engine with an afterburner created higher acceleration characteristics.

The presence of an optical sight coupled with a radio range finder increased the efficiency of firing from heavy machine guns, which partially compensated for the lack of guns. The pilot's equipment included an anti-overload suit, which made it easier to conduct combat with overloads close to the maximum. The Saber's spacious cabin, with a high-mounted seat, provided excellent visibility.

Both aircraft were constantly improved throughout the war. Thus, from April 1951, the MiGs were equipped with a periscope for viewing the rear hemisphere and Siren equipment, which warned the pilot about the operation of the F-86 radio range finder - “an attack warning device from the tail.” Experienced pilots practically did not use the latest devices.

The ejection seat was equipped with an automatic parachute deployment at a predetermined altitude. The Saber also increased engine power, improved aerodynamics, and updated equipment. In general, the MiG-15 and F-86 were equivalent fighters, and the outcome of the battle was largely determined by the individual skill of the pilot, his chosen tactics and the ability to use all the positive qualities of the machine.

Upon returning from Korea in February 1952, Nikolai Vasilyevich continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1956, Lieutenant Colonel Sutyagin graduated from the Air Force Academy. Mastered more than 20 types of aircraft: U-2, UT-2, UTI-4, UTI-26, I-16, Yak-7b, Yak-9m, Yak-3, At-6S, Yak-11, Yak-17 , Yak-12, Yak-18a, P-63, MiG-15, MiG-15bis, MiG-17, MiG-19, Yak-28, MiG-21, L-29, An-2, Li-2, Mi -8, Mi-24. Total flight time - 3298 hours.

After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1964, he was the head of the Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Sergei Gritsevets until 1968.

In 1970, he was sent to Vietnam as a military adviser (from October 15, 1970 to October 1971). In Vietnam, Aviation Major General Sutyagin made at least 50 missions on the MiG-15 UTI, MiG-17, MiG-21. The contents of the flights are not indicated in the declassified documents. For his “Vietnamese business trip” he was awarded the third Order of the Red Star. A business trip to Vietnam undermined the health of the aging ace. Soon after his return, doctors banned him from flying jets, leaving him only allowed on transport ships and helicopters.

In August 1971, N.V. Sutyagin was awarded the honorary title “Honored Military Pilot of the USSR.”

After a business trip to Vietnam, he was appointed to the post of deputy commander of the 16th Air Army for fighter aviation and air defense in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.

From childhood, Sutyagin was a true fan of fishing and the “humble desire to take mushrooms.” He devoted a significant part of his free time to these hobbies.

Another hobby of the ace was the Russian bathhouse. And here Nikolai Vasilyevich knew a lot, loved and knew how to take a hot steam bath with taste.

He was demobilized with the rank of major general of aviation in May 1978. After being transferred to the reserve, he lived in Kyiv. He worked in the quiet position of chief of staff of the Civil Defense of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation.

Hero of the Soviet Union (10.10.1951), Major General of Aviation N.V. Sutyagin, was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, three Orders of the Red Star, the Order “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR”, 3rd degree, and medals.

Evgeniy Georgievich PEPELYAEV - one of the best Soviet aces of the Korean War - 19 personal victories, colonel.

Born on March 18, 1918 in the city of Bodaibo, Irkutsk region, in the family of a machinist. He was the youngest in the family, had a sister and brother. Sometimes Evgeniy Georgievich said that he was born in “Paris” - that was the name of one of the two large wooden residential barracks that stood in the miners’ town of Bodaibo, on the banks of the Vilyui River (the second barrack was called, naturally, “London”). After graduating from the FZU school and the 1st year of the railway technical school in Omsk, he worked as a turner in aviation workshops in Odessa, and studied at the flying club. Since 1936 - in the Red Army. In 1938 he graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation Pilot School.

From December 1943, he participated in the Great Patriotic War, being on an internship at the front.

In 1947 he graduated from the Higher Flight Tactical Advanced Courses for Officers.

The era of propeller-driven aircraft gave many famous names. But time took its toll. At the end of the 1940s, jet technology replaced propeller-driven machines. A new galaxy of talented pilots picked up the baton of the air combat masters of the Great Patriotic War. One of the aces who achieved outstanding results in combat on jet aircraft was Lieutenant Colonel and then Colonel E. G. Pepelyaev.

Commanding the 196th IAP, Colonel Pepelyaev conducted 108 combat missions (101 of them in 1951), and personally shot down 19 enemy jets in 38 air battles. Another 3 probable victories were not included in his official tally. His regiment, along with the 17th IAP, was the best in combat activity, destroying 108 American aircraft in air battles, while losing 10 aircraft and 4 pilots.

In choosing his path, the influence of his older brother, Konstantin, who became a strong military pilot, fought as part of the glorious 402nd IAP and died in an air battle over Ilmen Lake in 1941, was paramount for him. Before the war, having moved to Odessa to live with his brother, Evgeniy achieved admission to the flying club, after which he entered the Odessa Military Aviation School, which he graduated from in 1938. Served in the Far East in the 300th IAP. He flew the main fighters of those years: I-16, Yak-1, Yak-7B, LaGG-3.

He met the Great Patriotic War as deputy squadron commander. Like many pilots who served in the eastern districts, Pepelyaev strove to go to the front. However, he managed to get into the active army only in November 1943, for an internship in the 162nd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 309th Fighter Aviation Division. There, Pepelyaev made 12 combat missions on Yak-7B aircraft.

From his boyhood, Evgeniy Georgievich became addicted to hunting. In those days, hunting still carried elements of art that revealed its secrets to the most persistent, gifted, and attentive.

Pepelyaev was one of the few people who hunted from a combat fighter. 1943, and even 1944, were hungry in Siberia: the country, plundered by the enemy in the western part, made every effort to secure the front.

It was a very difficult time for technicians, mechanics, armed forces, and members of their families. It was then that Pepelyaev developed and put into practice a new method of hunting. One day, returning to I-16 from duty, he noticed below, on the edge of the tract, a figure of a bear. Throwing the fighter into a dive, he approached the animal, scared it and drove it towards the airfield. Having repeated the approach several times, Pepelyaev removed the machine guns from the safeties and stopped the bear's throwing with a short burst. Needless to say, how many grateful words, embarrassed, Pepelyaev, who was not inclined to express them, listened to when more than 50 kilograms of fresh bear meat were brought to the unit.

Pepelyaev attributed his ability to organize an air battle, some techniques and tricks, as well as the impeccable art of aerial shooting to his “hunting universities”.

Returning from his internship, Evgeny Pepelyaev continued his service in the same 330th regiment. In 1945, this unit was already part of the 254th Fighter Aviation Division of the 10th Air Army, which, with the beginning of the Soviet-Japanese War, supported the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front. The division operated against Japanese ground targets, since the enemy offered no resistance in the air. In these battles, E. G. Pepelyaev, already deputy regiment commander, made about 30 combat missions on the Yak-9T, destroying a steam locomotive and sinking an enemy boat on the Sungari River.

Immediately after the end of World War II, relations between the USSR and its former allies quickly became tense. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Army from Manchuria, American troops began to land in the Chinese ports of the Yellow Sea. In response, units of the 6th Guards Tank Army and aviation were again sent to Northeast China, including the 300th IAP, commanded by Pepelyaev. The regiment was based in Mukden. The planes carried out reconnaissance missions. This continued until the spring of 1946, when the Americans finally left. Our troops also returned to Transbaikalia.

In the fall of 1946, Pepelyaev was sent to the Higher Flight Tactical Advanced Courses for Officers in Lipetsk. Evgeniy Georgievich recalls the courses with gratitude: “During the year of study at the Lipetsk courses, I learned a lot in the theory and practice of military affairs. I learned how the commander and headquarters of an air regiment should work at various stages of offensive and defensive operations on the front. More in-depth knowledge was gained in aerodynamics, aircraft navigation, the theory of aerial shooting and bombing, and in the study of new special equipment.”

Here, in Lipetsk, Pepelyaev met Maya, whom he had known as a girl before the war in Odessa, and now she was a blue-eyed, slender beauty with a lush headdress of blond hair. They soon got married and have been going through life together for more than 60 years.

It should be noted that Maya Konstantinovna Pepelyaeva, paradoxical as it may sound, has deep family roots with aviation: her father was an aviation engineer in Odessa and died on the airfield while on duty before the war. There, in Odessa, they lived in the same house with the first twice Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Gritsevets. Maya was friends with his daughters and received from him, after returning from Spain, a gift - a jade egg, which she carefully keeps to this day. Maya's cousin was an outstanding reconnaissance pilot, A.I. Barsht, who flew more than 300 reconnaissance missions on the Yak-9 and Pe-3 and shot down at least five enemy aircraft in air battles, and was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union at his personal request. the stern Marshal I. S. Konev. Well, having become the wife of the pilot Pepelyaev, she doomed herself to a sometimes unsettled garrison life, quick nomads, expectations, meetings.

As a touch of one of the shadows of this drawing, we present a sad anecdote told by Maya Konstantinovna. In the autumn of 1951 in Kubinka, when her husband had not been home for almost a year, she, having joyfully accepted a letter from the postman’s hands, froze in horror when she saw on the usual envelope “from a business trip” not her husband’s familiar handwriting, but indifferent typewritten lines. The war and the “funeral” were still very fresh in my memory, and Maya Konstantinovna, already sobbing, but not daring to read the message, gave it to a friend so that she could open it. The letter, also typed, turned out, however, not at all sad, but even joyful:

“Dear comrade. Pepelyaeva Maya Konstantinovna!

Congratulations to you and your family on conferring the rank of “Colonel” on your husband.

I wish you good health in your family life and work.

Guard Colonel Kozhedub.

After completing the course, at the end of November 1947, Lieutenant Colonel Pepelyaev was appointed deputy commander of the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Moscow District Air Force. Here Evgeniy actively masters new jet technology, takes part in aviation parades and holidays. Thus, in 1949, in Tushino, Pepelyaev demonstrated aerobatics for the first time on the then new La-15, and the next year, together with V.V. Lapshin, prepared counter aerobatics on the MiG-15 - one of the most risky and impressive types of aerial performance, when approaching At maximum speed, the planes diverge within a few meters. It was supposed to be shown at the Tushino festival, which, alas, did not take place due to bad weather. Viewers saw this act a year later, but without Pepelyaev’s participation.

At the end of 1950, some time after the start of the Korean War, the 196th Air Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel E. G. Pepelyaev was sent to China. In January 1951, the 196th IAP was relocated to the Dun-feng airfield, where for 4 months it underwent intensive training for the upcoming battles. On April 1, Pepelyaev’s regiment, together with the 176th Guards IAP, the second regiment, part of the 324th Air Division under the command of I.N. Kozhedub, arrived at the Andong border airfield on the banks of the Yalu River. The main task of the division was to cover the hydroelectric power station and the railway bridge across the river.

The unit took part in its first battle as part of the division in the evening of the same day. Then our pilots shot down two Sabers, but they themselves lost two MiGs. Pepelyaev opened the winning account in the big battle on May 20, 1951, when four Soviet pilots (Alfeev, Pepelyaev, Kirisov and Shebanov) were counted as having shot down four Sabers. One of the MiGs was also shot down - Captain Nazarkin successfully ejected. The jet battle proceeded quickly: the American pilot did not notice how Pepelyaev’s fighter, after three dizzying loops, came from behind at an angle of 0/4. Well, Evgeniy Georgievich always remained an excellent shooter. This is how this battle is described in the form of the 196th regiment:

“...in the second flight, 15.08–15.51, the unit fought an air battle in the area 20–30 km north of Tetsuzan with a group of enemy fighters - up to 40 F-86 aircraft. The battle took place at altitudes of 9000–4000 m. The meeting with the enemy took place on oncoming and intersecting courses at H - 9000 m. The enemy did not have a common armored personnel carrier, and came in separate groups of 3–4 aircraft from different directions. The unit under our command had a b/p - “links in the right bearing”: N - 400–500 m; D - 400–500 m. Having arrived in the area 30 km north of Tetsuzan, the leader of the group saw 4 F-86 aircraft on the left ahead, which were trying to attack the group. The leading pair (Pepelyaev's sub) made a turn to the left and began a battle with the trailing F-86 pair in vertical maneuvers. The leading pair of the enemy four left the battle with an upward move. After the third Chauviard loop, sub-c Pepelyaev in a pair approached the wingman aircraft of the F-86 pair from behind at an angle of 0/4-1/4 and from a distance of D - 200–300 m gave two medium bursts. The attacked plane went down with a half-flip and a sharp decline. The leading F-86 aircraft followed its wingman. Submarine Pepelyaev exited the attack in a “slide” and went into the sun.”

Pepelyaev began to fight in Korea on a MiG-15 with an RD-45F engine of the 9th series of Kuibyshev plant No. 1 (serial No. 109025, tail No. 925). When the regiment received the MiG-15bis in the second half of April 1951, Pepelyaev switched to the 7th series aircraft of the Novosibirsk plant No. 153 (No. 0715368, tail No. 768). With the arrival of new MiGs of the 13th series from the same plant, Pepelyaev received aircraft No. 1315325, manufactured in early April 1951.

According to the recollections of veterans of the 196th regiment, the MiGs of the 13th series initially had a “white” color (that is, they were covered only with colorless varnish), carried Korean identification marks in 4 positions (on the rear fuselage and the lower surfaces of the planes) and a four-digit tail number, the first pair of digits of which designated the series, and the last pair the number of the aircraft in the series.

Pepelyaev fought on the MiG-15bis with tail number “325” until the end of the division’s stay in China, flying it almost constantly.

...Everyday combat dragged on, filled with military worries and anxieties. At first, the 196th IAP operated on the MiG-15 with the RD-45 engine, and in June 1951 it was re-equipped with the MiG-15bis - the newest Soviet fighter of that time, distinguished by modernized VK-1 engines and more efficient air brakes. Rearmament for this modification cost Pepelyaev and the division commander Kozhedub a lot of effort, but was justified from all points of view.

At the height of the fighting, in August 1951, he was awarded the military rank of colonel.

On one September day in 1951, the group of MiGs he led was belatedly raised to intercept, but managed to attack 12 F-94 Starfire aircraft. As a result of the battle, the pilots were credited with shooting down 7 vehicles, two of them at the expense of the regiment commander. Evgeniy Georgievich himself assesses the result of that battle more modestly, believing that only three cars were shot down.

On October 6, 1951, Pepelyaev shot down a Saber that made an emergency landing in territory controlled by North Korean troops. While descending, the downed plane was again attacked by the pilot of the 176th Guards IAP K. Ya. Sheberstov. The pilot, and quite possibly it was D. Jabarra, the second American ace in the Korean War, managed to land the stricken car in the surf and went out to sea in a rescue boat, where he was picked up by a rescue helicopter. In a matter of hours, the downed plane was removed from the emergency landing site and was soon evacuated to the Soviet Union. This was the first Saber captured. Due to the confusion, the division headquarters officers attributed the downed Saber to Sheberstov, and not to Pepelyaev.

The 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment remained at the Andun border airfield until February 1952. Colonel Pepelyaev won his last victory on January 15, 1952, shooting down another Saber.

In total, from April 1, 1951 to February 1, 1952, he made 108 combat missions on the MiG-15 and MiG-15bis, in 38 air battles he officially shot down 20 aircraft: one F-80 “Shooting Star”, two F-84G “ Thunderjet", two F-94 Starfire, the rest - F-86 Saber and three more were not counted. He has the highest performance according to the formula - the number of victories per combat mission - 0.19. For every 5 sorties he shot down an enemy plane. In two battles, Pepelyaev destroyed two aircraft.

The regiment under his command was credited with shooting down 109 enemy vehicles of various types. None of the nearly 30 fighter regiments that fought in Korea from 1950 to 1953 recorded a greater number of aircraft shot down. 4 pilots of the 196th IAP were killed in the battles, and 12 MiG-15s were lost. The losses suffered by his regiment were also minimal.

Among the reasons for the successful combat work of the regiment, Pepelyaev names the high efficiency and teamwork of the pilots, who performed several training flights per day. They did not spare “Kerosene” for training, and this paid off handsomely in battles. It is also important that the regiment was personally supervised by the commander of the Moscow Military District aviation, V.I. Stalin - a tough and demanding person, an intelligent pilot, a commander with almost unlimited capabilities.

Evgeniy Georgievich considered the main thing for a fighter pilot to be a specific talent acquired from God, and among the acquired qualities - “the ability to use the eyes.” A very modest and extremely disciplined man, a professional of the highest class, Pepelyaev mastered the art of a fighter pilot like no one else. A talented commander, he was always a man of honor - an Officer with a capital O, although honor often becomes the antithesis of a career.

On April 22, 1952, after returning to the Union, Evgeniy Georgievich Pepelyaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He subsequently served in various places and in various positions. In 1958 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. He commanded a division in Yaroslavl and was deputy commander of the fighter aviation corps. In total, he flew 2020 hours and mastered 22 types of aircraft, including jet fighters: Yak-15, Yak-17, Yak-25, La-15, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, Su-9. It flew until 1962. Since 1973, Colonel E. G. Pepelyaev has been in reserve.

Here is how Evgeniy Georgievich Pepelyaev wrote about himself:

“I served in the Workers’, Peasants’ and Soviet Army for a total of 37 years, of which 16 years in the Air Force and 21 years in the Air Defense. He was in flight work for 25 years. He commanded an air regiment and an air division. He was written off in 1962 after a blood vessel in the auditory nerve of his right ear burst in the air due to a high overload. He never asked for positions, titles or awards for his service. Military ranks - from junior lieutenant to colonel, he received all orders while serving in the Air Force, five orders and the Gold Star of a Hero for participation in the hostilities of the Korean and Patriotic Wars, two times for the development of jet technology, one for length of service and one on the day of 50 -anniversary of the Victory.

I consider my main service to the Fatherland to be my active participation in the Korean War. I know that of the Soviet pilots who fought in Korea, no one shot down more enemy jets than me, which is confirmed by archival documents. One American plane I shot down - an F-86 Saber fighter with serviceable flight, navigation, electronic equipment and weapons was delivered to Moscow (the victory was officially credited to the pilot of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, Major Sheberstov).

I know that the commander of the 324th Fighter Division, in which I fought, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, I.N. Kozhedub, nominated me for the title of twice Hero and 6 ace pilots of my regiment for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. However, upon arrival from Korea, the 324th Fighter Aviation Division was transferred from the Air Force to the country's air defense. The air defense authorities, defending their ambitions, shelved all these documents, where they still lie.”

In one of the notebooks of I. N. Kozhedub, the author found a record of his petition to award the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union to E. G. Pepelyaev before the Minister of Defense R. Ya. Malinovsky and Colonel General V. A. Frolov, who headed the awards department.

After leaving the army in 1974, E. G. Pepelyaev worked for about 12 years, until 1986, at the Moscow Institute of Instrument Automation, near the Aviamotornaya metro station.

In 1993, Evgeniy Georgievich, together with a group of veterans (Army General N.P. Lashchenko, Aviation Lieutenant General V.I. Popkov, Aviation Lieutenant General D.P. Oskin, Aviation Major General S.M. Kramarenko) was invited to the DPRK to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Korean people in the war. The successes of the Koreans in construction and the high level of reception impressed the members of the Russian delegation.

In 1995, he and his wife were invited to the USA to the now famous “Rally of the Eagles”. Among the guests of the gathering were famous pilots and astronauts: John Glenn, Walter Krupinski, Chuck Yager, Francis Gabrecki and other famous aces. The speech in front of five hundred listeners was forever remembered by Evgeniy Georgievich for the effect that his words had on young American pilots, who were previously convinced of the complete superiority of American weapons in Korea. Meetings with the Korean aces Americans Francis Gabrecki, Robinson Razner, and John Bolt were also memorable. Well-organized trips and flights around the country left an excellent impression.

“In memory of the “Rally of the Eagles” and the trip to the United States, there were photographs and souvenirs, impressions and new acquaintances. There are good, good memories of ordinary citizens and reserve officers. Personal communication seems to have nothing to do with politics,” writes Evgeniy Georgievich in his book.

At the turn of the century, Evgeniy Georgievich wrote a book of memoirs (“Migi” versus “Sabres”), which was enthusiastically received by readers. Over the course of ten years, his book went through five editions - a rare result for a military historical work. Extreme honesty, lack of pretentiousness, precise balanced analysis, and vivid imaginative presentation captivate veterans and youth, placing his book among the classic works of memoir literature.

Hero of the Soviet Union (04/22/1952) Colonel E. G. Pepelyaev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, Orders of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, two Orders of the Red Star, and medals.

Lev Kirillovich SHCHUKIN - 15 aerial victories in the Korean War, third Soviet ace of the Korean War, colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union.

L.K. Shchukin was born on October 29, 1923 in Noginsk, Moscow Region, into the family of an employee. Soon the family moved to Krasnodar. In 1939 he joined the flying club. In June 1941, Lev Shchukin graduated from 10th grade, the flying club and was sent to the Odessa Military Aviation School. A month later, the Germans and Romanians were already near Odessa, and the cadets were taken first to Tbilisi, then to Stalingrad and then to Central Asia. Problems arose with fuel, which was urgently needed by the front, and the cadets were more engaged in theory than practice.

Only in mid-1942 did regular flights on UT-2, UTI-4, I-16 begin.

At the beginning of 1944, Sergeant Shchukin completed his training and was sent to the 13th reserve air regiment, located in Bobruisk, to the position of instructor pilot.

Only in August 1945, Lieutenant Shchukin was assigned to a combat unit - the 18th Vitebsk Twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov II Class Guards IAP as a senior pilot.

Already in 1947, the entire 303rd Air Division, which included the 18th Guards IAP, based at airfields near Brest (Kobrin), received and began to develop new jet aircraft - Yak-15 and MiG-9 jet fighters . Among the first to master these jet fighters in the regiment was Lieutenant Shchukin. By the beginning of 1949, the division had completely re-equipped with more advanced MiG-15s. The division's pilots took part in air parades over Red Square. Senior Lieutenant L.K. Shchukin was also among the best pilots of the regiment.

In July 1950, the 303rd Division was urgently transferred to the Far East and transferred to the 54th Separate Air Defense Army.

Soon, trains with equipment and personnel arrived in the large city of Mukden, located in Northeast China.

Until May, the pilots of the 303rd Air Division were preparing for battles in the skies of Korea: they studied the area of ​​military operations, the tactics and strategy of using US aviation in this theater of operations, and also practiced piloting techniques and other air combat techniques.

On this trip, Shchukin left as an experienced pilot, senior lieutenant, as a flight commander of the 1st squadron of the 18th Guards Regiment, which was then commanded by Captain A.F. Maznev. Due to a shortage of pilots at the beginning of the battles, Shchukin had to fly as a senior pilot in the flight of captain A. A. Kalyuzhny.

It was the pilots of the 18th Guards Regiment who were the first in the division to engage in battle with the American pilots when, on May 8, 1951, on the eve of Victory Day, all three squadrons landed at the Andong border airfield, where two regiments of Kozhedub’s 324th Division were already based. Already in the afternoon, Senior Lieutenant Shchukin completed his first combat mission, but had not yet met with the enemy.

Shchukin’s first happened on May 28, 1951. At 15.30, the 1st squadron, consisting of 8 MiG-15bis, led by squadron commander Captain Maznev, took off in full force to cover the bridge in the Andun area. In the Andun area, at an altitude of 9000 meters, they met with 8 F-86 Saber fighters, but they dived in a southerly direction.

On June 1, 1951, at 13:00 in the afternoon, the 1st squadron, consisting of eight crews under the command of Captain Maznev, was raised to intercept enemy aircraft. Not far from Andun they discovered 6 “Mustangs”, and Maznev ordered Captain Kalyuzhny’s flight to attack them. Having divided into pairs, our unit launched an attack on the Mustangs, which were flying at low altitude. Shchukin managed to get to a short distance from the very first attack and, with two bursts, shoot down the leader of the second pair of Mustangs, which caught fire and fell into the hills.

Senior Lieutenant Shchukin won his next victory on the evening of June 6 and again in a group with his comrades. The flight was lifted into the air at the beginning of the seventh evening, on command from the command post to cover the planes of Kozhedub’s division, which were returning home with little fuel left. After landing, pilots from Kozhedub’s division from the command post were ordered to view low altitudes in the Syarenkan area.

Soon they discovered two flights of F-80 Shooting Star attack aircraft, which were working along a section of the highway. After the “Migs” attacked from above, the “Shooting Stars” formation crumbled, and one by one they began to leave towards the bay. Our group managed to finish off one F-80. So, on Shchukin’s account, another shot down in the group appeared, but now the F-80 “Shooting Star” jet attack aircraft - a “jester”.

But combat experience was not easy, and sometimes you had to pay for it. This happened in the battle on June 17, when two of our regiments were raised in succession from the Andong airfield. The first to leave at the beginning of the ninth morning were 18 crews of the 176th Guards Regiment from Kozhedub's division, and a few minutes later they were followed by 16 crews from the 18th Guards Regiment. Among them is Shchukin, who, with his wingman, senior lieutenant V. Akatov, was part of the unit of captain A. A. Kalyuzhny.

In the Sensen area, their group was attacked from above by a group of 16 F-86 Saber fighters, and our pilots had to engage in battle. During the energetic maneuver, Captain Kalyuzhny’s flight split into pairs. The battle took place on verticals with a height difference from 9000 to 2000 meters. During these maneuvers, his wingman Akatov broke away from Shchukin.

After the battle, Shchukin joined the pair of captain Kalyuzhny. While returning to the Sensen area, Shchukin's plane was unexpectedly attacked by four F-86s. One of them, approaching at a short distance, opened fire. The blow turned out to be accurate: the control of the plane was interrupted, Shchukin himself was wounded in the face by shrapnel and was forced to eject. He landed successfully, and soon the Chinese picked him up, recognized that he was “one of their own,” and took him to the hospital, where he remained until the end of August.

Only in mid-August did Shchukin arrive at his regiment, although he had every right to leave for the Union, since by decision of our command, every pilot, after being wounded in battle or after ejection, had every right to return to his homeland. Many did so, but Lev Kirillovich had his own scores to settle with the American pilots, and he refused to return to his homeland and returned to the regiment to continue participating in battles against UN aviation.

Arriving at the regiment, which was based at the Mya-ogou airfield, he found changes in the composition of his squadron: Captain Kalyuzhny left with a promotion, and due to injury, Captain A.D. Skidan became deputy commander. Captain N.V. Babonin arrived, and senior lieutenant Shchukin was appointed to replace Kalyuzhny.

L. Shchukin made his first combat mission after being wounded on August 29 to cover the Suphun hydroelectric power station on the Yaluts-zyang River. Then eight MiG-15s under the command of Captain Babonin went to intercept enemy aircraft, and this group included a pair of Shchukin. Shchukin and his wingman V.N. Akatov were behind and above the main group. At about 11 a.m., in the Chongju area, they discovered 8 Meteor fighter jets flying at an altitude of 9,000 meters. Having an advantage in altitude, our pilots launched an attack on the Meteora in pairs. The enemy pilots, inferior to the MiGs in speed, began to use a horizontal maneuver, and our pilots tried to catch them. Shchukin managed to get close to one of the Meteors at a distance of 100 meters and hit its left wing and engine with fire from all guns, which caught fire. After this, Shchukin’s link, having destroyed the Meteor link, went to its airfield, and Babonin’s link attacked the second Meteor link and, having shot down another one, forced the rest to leave the battle. Our planes were not damaged. This is how Lev Shchukin’s third victory was won in the skies of Korea.

On this day, the pilots of the 77th Fighter Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, led by then commander R. Wilson, came under attack from the MiGs. His plane came under attack from Shchukin. Wilson's car was seriously damaged, and the pilot himself was wounded, but still managed to fly to the base on one engine, under the cover of his wingmen, and land it. On the ground, a large hole from a 37-mm MiG-15 cannon shell was discovered in the left wing of his plane.

On September 2, 1951, a grandiose air battle between the pilots of the 303rd Air Force and the pilots of the 4th Air Force of the US Air Force, armed with F-86 fighters, took place. On this day, battles broke out in the Anshu area, in which a total of more than 200 fighters from both sides participated. All regiments of the 303rd IAD sequentially rose to intercept enemy aircraft. In the Hakusen area, 24 MiGs of the fraternal 523rd IAP attacked 30 F-86s. Pilots of the 17th and 18th air regiments came to support them. The Americans, in turn, also sent two more large groups of Sabers to the battle area. In fact, more than two fighter divisions fought in this battle in a limited space and at altitudes of up to 13 thousand meters.

At one point in the battle, a line passed next to Shchukin’s plane - it was the Saber wingman who was shooting. Akatov rushed to the rescue of his leader and repelled the attack, but he himself came under attack from the second pair of F-86s. Shchukin's wingman, Guard Senior Lieutenant Viktor Akatov, died.

In this battle, the pilots of the 303rd division destroyed 9 F-86 fighters, 7 of which were accounted for by the pilots of the 18th regiment. But the regiment also suffered heavy losses: two aircraft were lost and both pilots were killed.

After Akatov’s death, senior lieutenant A. Astapovsky, who had recently arrived in the guard regiment, began to fly as Shchukin’s wingman.

The most productive month for Lev Kirillovich was October. It was during this period that UN aviation sharply intensified, and fierce air battles broke out in the skies of North Korea. On October 2, Shchukin shot down another Saber. But the hottest days occurred in the twentieth of October, when the American command destroyed the North Korean airfields under construction in the Namsi, Saamchang and Techchon areas. To prevent the commissioning of these facilities, the Americans sent B-29 bombers into battle under heavy fighter cover.

The real battles broke out on October 22, 23 and 24. The 1st Squadron of the 18th Regiment was tasked with pinning down the covering fighters, while the pilots of other regiments were supposed to “take care” of the B-29s.

During these three most intense days of the Guard, Senior Lieutenant L. Shchukin shot down three enemy fighters: on October 22 and 23, one F-84 Thunderjet each, and on October 24, another Meteor from the same 77th Australian Air Force.

Shchukin won his last, fifth, victory in October on the 30th, when the regimental group of the 18th GIAP was sent to 36 F-84s for guidance from the command post. A serious battle ensued, which soon broke up into separate pairs and units. Shchukin eventually managed to maneuver vertically into the tail of one of the F-84s and hit from all firing points from a distance of 150 meters.

In this battle, Lev Shchukin knocked out the F-84, and it crashed upon landing at its base, which is confirmed by American sources.

In November, battles in the skies of North Korea were fought mainly with fighter-bomber aircraft of the US Air Force, which tried to paralyze traffic along all transport routes of the DPRK and carried out bombing attacks on vehicles and railway stations in North Korea.

On November 18, 1951, the Americans organized a massive raid on one of the sections of the highway in the Anshu area. To carry out their plan, they dispatched 48 F-84s, which attacked sequentially in groups of eight vehicles. Moreover, access to the target area was carried out from the sea, where our pilots were forbidden to enter. Having taken off on alert as part of the regiment and arrived in this area, our pilots discovered below them, at an altitude of 4000 meters, eight F-84s with fighter cover. There was no time to think, and the leader of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Smorchkov, ordered the crews of the 1st and 2nd squadrons to attack the Thunderjets, and the pilots of the 3rd Air Force under Captain P. N. Antonov took up the Sabers that appeared above. Our pilots attacked on the move, with a turn to the left and down, and was very fast. Already in the first approach, Shchukin and his wingman Astapovsky hit one F-84 each.

After this attack, the enemy scattered, and a maneuverable battle ensued in the air, in which control on both sides was extremely difficult, because the formation of “Migs” also broke up into pairs and links. During the further battle, Shchukin managed to shoot down another F-84. This was the only flight during the entire business trip when Lev Kirillovich managed to hit two enemy aircraft at once.

On November 13, 1951, Shchukin was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union and at the same time promoted to rank. Therefore, on November 18, the pilot took up duty with the rank of guard captain as deputy commander of the 1st squadron of the 18th Guards Regiment.

At the end of November, Shchukin and a number of other pilots of the regiment were sent to rest in a sanatorium located in the city of Dalny on the Liaodong Peninsula, where they spent a month.

On December 23, Captain Shchukin began performing combat missions, and already on the same day, on his second flight, he took part in a battle with Sabers. The flight was a divisional one to repel an enemy air raid. However, only part of the pilots of the 18th regiment took part in the air battle with the F-86. During this battle, Shchukin, paired with his wingman, forced the Saber flight to switch from a horizontal to a vertical maneuver, where the MiG was superior to the Saber, and on an upward right spiral, our pilots managed to get closer to the enemy, and from a distance of 120 meters, Shchukin shot his fourth “ Sabre."

By the end of the year, the ace had the opportunity to take part in three more air battles: two with Sabers and one with F-80 attack aircraft. It was the last air battle in 1951 with the F-80 group that turned out to be productive. While pursuing the enemy, Shchukin's pair dropped below the tops of the hills, entering one of the mountain gorges, and discovered a pair of F-80 attack aircraft, which, hiding, were returning to base. Approaching the enemy from below, Shchukin shot the leader’s plane.

From January 1 to January 11, Captain Shchukin made 17 combat missions and participated in 6 air battles: five times he fought with Sabers and once with Thunderjets. On January 6, Captain Shchukin shot down the last enemy aircraft in the skies of Korea - it turned out to be an F-86 (this was the fifth Saber he shot down and the 17th aircraft shot down in the skies of Korea).

The war ended for Lev Kirillovich on January 11, 1952 during a combat mission to intercept enemy aircraft. On that flight, several dozen fighters from the 303rd and 324th Fighter Aviation Divisions clashed with approximately the same number of fighters from the 51st Air Force Wing of the US Air Force, which had recently arrived in Korea, armed with the new F-86E.