2023-03-06 23:10:02
“
Achtung! Pokryshkin in der Luft!”
- frightened German pilots, 1943.
Today marks the th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Soviet ace pilot and three time Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Pokryshkin. An accomplished master of air combat, Pokryshkin made a significant contribution to the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
By the time the war broke out, Pokryshkin was an experienced pilot and served in the 55th air regiment stationed in Moldova on the border. He began his tally of future victories on June 23, 1941, when he shot down an enemy Me-109 fighter in an air battle near the Prut River. Over the next months, the brave pilot assaulted enemy troops on multiple occasions and engaged in aerial reconnaissance missions within the Southern Front’s area of operations.
Pokryshkin did especially well using the US-made Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter which the Soviet Union received in the spring of 1943 under the lend-lease programme. He took part in the liberation of Kuban from the Nazi invaders using the new plane. Fierce air battles fully revealed Pokryshkin's outstanding abilities as a fighter pilot. He developed groundbreaking and, most importantly, effective air combat tactics.
Alexander Pokryshkin was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times. He received his first gold star for victories in the skies over Kuban, and a second star for air battles in southern Ukraine. Pokryshkin received his third top award in 1944 with hundreds of sorties under the belt.
After the war, he went on to master jet fighters. He was one of the first pilots to fly a MiG-9 and was promoted to the rank of Air Force Marshal in 1972. Alexander Pokryshkin led an active social life and was a mentor for younger generations of Soviet pilots.
In all, the ace pilot completed over 600 sorties and conducted 156 air battles, during which he shot down 59 German aircraft.
#FacesOfVictory #Pokryshkin110 #WeWereAllies
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