Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub
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(Marshal) Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub ((Ukrainian: Іван Микитович Кожедуб, Russian: Иван Никитович Кожедуб, June 8, 1920 - August 12, 1991) was a Soviet hero military aviator of Ukrainian descent. He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union on three occasions (February 4, 1944; August 19, 1944; August 18, 1945).
He was born in the village of Obrazheyevka in Ukrainian SSR, the youngest of five children. After achieving excellent results at the Chuguyiv military aviation school, he stayed on as an instructor and trained many young Soviet pilots. Feeling his talents would be better used in combat, he requested a transfer to an active service unit, and by March 1943, he was on the front lines flying the Lavochkin La-5. During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot from March of 1943 onwards on several fronts (Voronezh Front, Steppe Front, 2nd Ukrainian Front, 1st Belorussian Front) and at different ranks, starting from Senior airman (flying the Lavochkin La-5) up to the Deputy commander of the air regiment. He is regarded as the best Soviet flying ace of the war, and is mostly associated with flying the Lavochkin La-7. He holds the record for confirmed air combat victories amongst all Allied air force pilots (effectively the Allied "Ace of Aces") during WWII. He has also been notoriously known among Soviet Air Force pilots as an ace who has lost a record number of his wingmen during his combat missions.
In April 1951, he was the commander of the 324th Fighter Air Division, dispatched to China to take part in the Korean War on the North Korean side. But he was not allowed to participate in combat missions.
Kozhedub's WWII record:
- 330 combat missions
- 120 aerial engagements
- 62 enemy aircraft shot down, including one Me 262 Jet fighter. His first kill was a German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" Dive-bomber on July 6, 1943.
- On one occasion, he met a flight of US B-17 Flying Fortresses being attacked by German fighters, and attempted to defend them. The American fighter escort mistook him for a hostile German attacker (there were many such mishaps because, from a distance, the Soviet La-5(7) and US P-47 look fairly similar to the German FW-190). Kozhedub had only one way to survive - by returning fire. That day, he shot down 2 P-51D's (one pilot bailed out, the other was killed). For decades this was an unknown detail of his biography.
Kozhedub was awarded the Order of Lenin twice, seven Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Alexander Nevsky, two Orders of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War First Class, and numerous medals.
