Little Moment in History on the Eastern Front

[Soviet Ace]

So I was reading through some stories of Russian Pilots, on a good site for Russian Pilot stories (Link if interested) and I came across one pilot that I especially admire. Didn't realize the day till later today, but here's a little excerpt from Boris Safonov's time in the Red Air Force at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa that took place today, and the last few days to come. Enjoy!



At the beginning of the war, Boris Safonov was a leader of a squadron from the 72nd SAP. This unit battled from the first days of the war. Already, on June 22nd, 1941, Lt. W.D. Volovikov attacked German He 111's, with cover from a few Bf 109's, over the Ribachiy peninsula. But no one was able, in that battle, to obtain a victory. At sunrise, on the 24th of June, German bombers, without any loses to themselves, struck Soviet positions on the Ribachiy peninsula. On the same day, in the early evening, Safonov flew his I-16 to catch a German recon Ju 88. At last, after a long pursuit, he achieved the first kill for Soviet North Naval Aviation (it was Ju 88, W. Nr. 8173, from 6./KG30). On the 27th of June, Safonov scored a second victory - a Hs 126.

[bobbysocks]

that is an awesome site. that is where i got a lot of my stories from. very, very enlightening to read some of their encounters.

[BRIGGBOY]

yeah very interesting site

[FOZ_1983]

Nice mate, very nice!! Had a quick look, later tonight i'll have a thorough read through it. Cheers.

Here's a nice pic i came across, though you'd appreciate it seeing as you like ruski planes and i like the Hurricane!!

[olife]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

So I was reading through some stories of Russian Pilots, on a good site for Russian Pilot stories (Link if interested) and I came across one pilot that I especially admire. Didn't realize the day till later today, but here's a little excerpt from Boris Safonov's time in the Red Air Force at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa that took place today, and the last few days to come. Enjoy!



At the beginning of the war, Boris Safonov was a leader of a squadron from the 72nd SAP. This unit battled from the first days of the war. Already, on June 22nd, 1941, Lt. W.D. Volovikov attacked German He 111's, with cover from a few Bf 109's, over the Ribachiy peninsula. But no one was able, in that battle, to obtain a victory. At sunrise, on the 24th of June, German bombers, without any loses to themselves, struck Soviet positions on the Ribachiy peninsula. On the same day, in the early evening, Safonov flew his I-16 to catch a German recon Ju 88. At last, after a long pursuit, he achieved the first kill for Soviet North Naval Aviation (it was Ju 88, W. Nr. 8173, from 6./KG30). On the 27th of June, Safonov scored a second victory - a Hs 126.

very nice thread soviet ace

my story is in fact an funny anecdote talk about the famous german ace gunther rall.a day of august 1942 rall take off and climb up at 6000 meters of altitude.he see a russian pe-2 and prepare himself to attack the pe-2...but a thing seems move in his cockpit,rall look his instrument panel and see a little mouse at the place of the chronometer of his plane,the chronometer was removed after damages during a dogfight.rall try to catch the little mouse but without success.moved by this little pet, he decided to return to base and forgot the pe-2...after the landing of rall,everybody look for the little mouse but she was missed.
rall was very surprised:how a little mouse can survive at 6000 meters of altitude?

[bobbysocks]

here's a couple things you might like SA

[Soviet Ace]

Nice picture Foz. Funny how both those planes flew under the same mark at one time (WW2), and could have before that, flown under the same mark. (SCW)

And nice pictures too Bobby. I've seen that poster of Safonov before I think, and that pic of the I-16 and 109 is pretty sweet.... (You can see the I-16 pilot just waiting slipping in behind to get a kill shot. )

[olife]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Nice picture Foz. Funny how both those planes flew under the same mark at one time (WW2), and could have before that, flown under the same mark. (SCW)

And nice pictures too Bobby. I've seen that poster of Safonov before I think, and that pic of the I-16 and 109 is pretty sweet.... (You can see the I-16 pilot just waiting slipping in behind to get a kill shot. )

my bud soviet ace ,i have a question for u : i hear during ww2 many russians pilots do a "TARAN" attack,they crash their plane intentionaly into the ennemies planes to win during the dogfights like the japanese pilots,have u more infos about it,is it real or a propaganda idea?

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by olife

my bud soviet ace ,i have a question for u : i hear during ww2 many russians pilots do a "TARAN" attack,they crash their plane intentionaly into the ennemies planes to win during the dogfights like the japanese pilots,have u more infos about it,is it real or a propaganda idea?

Yeah man, they really did intentionally ram into enemy bombers, fighters, etc. to down them so they couldn't do anymore damage to the Motherland. Luganski, the Yak-3 pilot I mentioned before did it a lot with his IAP. (And that's why on the site I provided, it calls him the Master of the "Taran" Attack. They did it a lot in the early years of the war, because they'd be fighting for so long, that their plane was either out of ammo, or they were too damaged, they couldn't fight anymore, so their best bet to down one more plane was to ram it. Lots of people died doing it, but there were even people in the Red Air Force, that never got a single plane shot down with their guns, but became aces solely because they did the Taran attack!

Once the La-5 and better planes started coming out, and the Red Air Force got an overhaul in tactics and discipline, Taran attacks weren't used so much. But German pilots of fighters and bombers were always nervous when flying on the Easter Front, because they never knew if they'd be the victim of one of the collisions. For some reason, whenever I read about pilots doing a Taran attack, they're usually flying a MiG-1 or MiG-3, or some crummy plane like that.

And actually, Lilya Litvak "The White Rose" got a kill over Stalingrad when she rammed a 109 returning home. She bailed out, survived, and then died a while later in 1943 after being jumped by some 'hidden' 109s.

[olife]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Yeah man, they really did intentionally ram into enemy bombers, fighters, etc. to down them so they couldn't do anymore damage to the Motherland. Luganski, the Yak-3 pilot I mentioned before did it a lot with his IAP. (And that's why on the site I provided, it calls him the Master of the "Taran" Attack. They did it a lot in the early years of the war, because they'd be fighting for so long, that their plane was either out of ammo, or they were too damaged, they couldn't fight anymore, so their best bet to down one more plane was to ram it. Lots of people died doing it, but there were even people in the Red Air Force, that never got a single plane shot down with their guns, but became aces solely because they did the Taran attack!

Once the La-5 and better planes started coming out, and the Red Air Force got an overhaul in tactics and discipline, Taran attacks weren't used so much. But German pilots of fighters and bombers were always nervous when flying on the Easter Front, because they never knew if they'd be the victim of one of the collisions. For some reason, whenever I read about pilots doing a Taran attack, they're usually flying a MiG-1 or MiG-3, or some crummy plane like that.

And actually, Lilya Litvak "The White Rose" got a kill over Stalingrad when she rammed a 109 returning home. She bailed out, survived, and then died a while later in 1943 after being jumped by some 'hidden' 109s.

thanks a lot bud for this interresting reply,russians pilots were a very tough warriors!!

...and what a courageous girls pilots!!lilya is a famous and great lady with yekaterina.v. budanova too...i hear in the east front the girls soviet warriors were more cruel than the soviet men warriors in the ground fights!