At all times, war was considered the lot of men. And as for the fighting in the sky - even more so. And today on military fighters you can meet only representatives of the strong half of humanity. Overload here for a person is literally prohibitive. And the reaction of these professionals should be almost lightning fast, because the time allotted for making a decision is sometimes measured in fractions of seconds. In addition, the pilot must thoroughly study all the technical characteristics of his car in order to know what it is capable of in critical situations.
That is why it is quite difficult to imagine that a sweet, fragile blond girl is sitting at the helm of a high-speed fighter. But nevertheless, given the experience of fighting in the Great Patriotic War, this is possible. During that harsh time, any exceptions were not surprising. One of them is fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak. It will be discussed in this article.
Heroic Girl
Looking at the black-and-white photographs of the war years with Lydia Litvyak, we see a miniature fair-haired beauty on them. A girl with such an appearance would not be difficult to become a popular actress. And then her fate would have been completely different. She would have been waiting for social events, glasses of cold champagne, crispy baskets with caviar and photographers for whom she would pose in fur boas and hung with diamonds. And this would be quite possible, because Lydia Litvyak outwardly resembled Valentina Serova, who was considered the “third great blonde” of the Soviet state after Lyubov Orlova and Marina Ladynina.
However, the fate of our heroine was completely different. She had her own list of victories, but not on the stage or on the movie screen. Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak made 168 sorties during 8 months of her heroic service in the Soviet aviation. At the same time, she fought enemy fighters 89 times, shot down 11 German aircraft and one spotter balloon. So impressive is the list of victories of the most charming and feminine pilot of the USSR, who defended the country during the Great Patriotic War. And this is when many men, being at the helm of their fighters, for the entire time of combat tests could not shoot down a single enemy aircraft, or at best only one or two.
Ass pilot from the USSR Lida Litvyak achieved several group and dozens of individual victories. The young girl, who looked like a fragile student, had a spectacular and aggressive air combat style. This allowed her to enter the lists of the elite military aviation, which is part of the anti-Hitlercoalition.
Biography
Lidiya Vladimirovna Litvyak was born in Moscow on August 18, 1921. Subsequently, she was incredibly proud that her birthday coincided with the All-Union Aviation Day. For some reason, the girl did not like her name. That is why all the family, as well as close friends, called her Lily or Lily. Under this name, she later went down in history.
Lydia (Liliya) Litvyak was madly in love with airplanes and the sky. However, in those years, no one was surprised. On the contrary, the fact that a simple Soviet girl dreamed not of a movie star career, but of OSOAVIAKHIM was quite natural. After all, the party and the government of the USSR sought to attract young people to aviation.
Lydia Litvyak kept pace with her era. She easily and quite consciously traded the game of dolls for a flying circle, and dresses and high heels for a flying helmet and overalls. The girl was not only fond of the sky. She aspired to become a pilot. That is why at the age of 14 she became a member of the Central Aeroclub. Chkalov. At first, the parents did not know anything about it. But it was impossible to hide the intense interest in such an unusual profession for a woman for a long time. A year later, at the age of 15, the girl took to the skies on her own for the first time.
After graduating from school, Lydia Litvyak entered the courses of geologists, after which she was sent to the Far North, and then to the south. Here she returned to flying.
Lydia (Liliya) Litvyak became a cadet at the Kherson Flight School. She graduated from this schoolsuccessfully. After that, she became an instructor pilot and, in the period before the start of the war with the Nazis, managed to train 45 cadets. Colleagues said that she had the ability to see the air.
Family
Where Lydia Litvyak's parents come from is still unknown. After the civil war, they moved from the village to Moscow. The girl's mother's name was Anna Vasilievna, but history is also silent about who and where she worked. It is only known that the woman was either a dressmaker or worked in a store. The father of the pilot Lydia Litvyak is briefly mentioned in all sources, as well as the mother. There is only evidence that his name was Vladimir Leontyevich, and the railway was his place of work. In 1937, Lydia Litvyak's father was arrested on a false denunciation and then shot. Of course, the girl did not tell anyone about this. In those years, the status of the daughter of an enemy of the people could radically change her fate. And this was not at all what a 15-year-old girl, who literally raved about aviation, did not want.
A Fateful Decision
The biography of the pilot Lydia Litvyak developed in such a way that she had to take part in hostilities. After all, the enemy attacked her homeland. However, she did not get to the front immediately. The Soviet authorities did not want to allow young Komsomol girls to join the ranks of the regular troops. They could only be there as nurses. However, life has made its own adjustments.
Many girls dreamed of being on the front lines. This required the decision of the Commander-in-Chief himself. Marina Raskova achieved it. This pilot was one of the first three women to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Raskova flew in extreme conditions and set records in the sky. Qualification, experience and energy brought her prestige in the air force. Thanks to this, the famous pilot was able to personally ask Stalin for permission to form women's combat units. It was useless to resist the brave girls. In addition, the Soviet army suffered huge losses not only on the ground, but also in the air. That is why in October 1941 the formation of three women's air regiments began at once. From the very first days of the war, pilot Lydia Litvyak (her photo is posted below) tried to get to the front.
After it became known to her that Marina Raskova began to form women's air regiments, she immediately achieved her goal. However, the girl had to cheat. By her flying time, she attributed 100 hours, thanks to which she was enlisted in the fighter regiment at number 586, which was headed by Marina Raskova herself.
Combat character
Initiative and energetic pilot appeared in Soviet aviation. At the same time, Lydia Litvyak was distinguished by a somewhat wayward character. For the first time, her tendency to take risks was noticed during training, when the women's air regiment was based near the city of Engels. Here one of the planes crashed. In order to take to the air, he needed a spare propeller. However, it was impossible to deliver this part. At this time, flights were prohibited due to a blizzard. But that didn't stop Lydia. She arbitrarily, without obtaining permission, flew to the scene of the accident. For this I receivedreprimand from the head of the aviation school. But Raskova said she was proud that she had such a brave student. Most likely, an experienced pilot saw traits of her own character in Litvyak.
But Lida's problems with discipline sometimes manifested themselves in a completely different area. So, once she made a fashionable collar for her overalls. To do this, she had to cut the fur from the fur boots. In this case, she did not wait for Raskova's indulgence. Lydia had to change the fur back.
Nevertheless, the girl did not lose her love for various accessories even at the front. She cut scarves using parachute silk and altered balaclavas, which in her skillful hands became more elegant and comfortable. Even under fire, Lida was not only an excellent fighter, but also managed to remain an attractive girl.
But as for the level of aerobatics, there were no complaints against Litvyak. Together with the rest of the girls, she perfectly maintained the accelerated pace of training, which included daily twelve-hour training. The rigidity of the preparation was explained quite simply. The pilots soon had to engage in battle with the enemy, who was smart and did not forgive mistakes. Upon graduation, Lydia Litvyak perfectly passed the piloting of the “hawk” (Yak aircraft), which allowed her to get into the war.
Beginning of combat biography
As part of the 586th Air Regiment, Lydia Litvyak (pictured below) took to the skies for the first time in the spring of 1942. At that time, Soviet troops were fighting in Saratov. The task of our aviation was to protect the Volga from Germanbombers.
In 1942, pilot Lydia Litvyak made 35 sorties between April 15 and September 10, during which she patrolled and escorted transport aircraft carrying important cargo.
Battle of Stalingrad
The aviation regiment, which included fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak, was transferred to Stalingrad on September 10, 1942. In a short period of time, the brave girl rose into the sky 10 times. During her second combat flight, which took place on September 13, she was able to open a personal combat account. First, she shot down a Ju-88 bomber. After that, the girl rushed to the rescue of her friend Raya Belyaeva, who ran out of ammunition. Lydia Litvyak took her place in the battle and, as a result of a stubborn duel, destroyed the Me-109. The pilot on this plane was a German baron. By that time, he had already won 30 victories in the sky and was a holder of the Knight's Cross. Being captured and being interrogated, he wished to see the one who defeated him in the sky. A blue-eyed, fragile, tender blond girl came to the meeting. The German thought that the Russians were mocking him. But after Lydia gestured to show the details of the battle, known only to the two of them, the baron removed the gold watch from his hand and handed it to the girl who overthrew him from heaven.
On September 27, a brave pilot, being only thirty meters from Yu-88, was able to hit an enemy car.
And even participating in military operations, the pilot allowed herself to be hooligans. Having made a successfulsortie, in the presence of fuel in the tank, she, before landing at her native airfield, twisted aerobatics above him. Such jokes were one of her calling cards. The regiment commander did not punish her for such entertainment, because the girl successfully completed combat missions, showing good pressure, tenacity of mind and excellent tactical thinking. After the Stalingrad battles, she became an experienced fighter pilot, having been hardened by fire. In addition, on December 22, 1942, the girl was awarded a government award. She became the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad".
White lily
Biography of Lydia Litvyak is described in many books. In the same sources you can find interesting stories about a brave pilot. So, according to some statements, after she defeated the German ace, a large white lily was painted on her hood. They also say that some enemy pilots, seeing this flower, evaded the battle. They also say that after each battle in which she managed to shoot down an enemy car, Lydia Litvyak painted one white lily on the fuselage of her Yak. The name of her favorite flower became the pilot's call sign. In addition, many called Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak the White Lily of Stalingrad.
A miraculous rescue
For the first time, the Germans managed to knock out Lydia Litvyak's plane shortly after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. The girl almost died after making an emergency landing. Enemy soldiers immediately rushed towards her. Lydia jumped out of the cab and began to shoot back from the Germans. However, the distance between her and the enemies is steadilydecreased. Litvyak had the last bullet left in her barrel when the Soviet attack aircraft with which she was on a mission swept over her. The "Ilys" pressed the Germans with their fire, and one of them glided not far from the girl and, having released the landing gear, landed. Lydia quickly climbed into the cockpit to the pilot, and they safely escaped from the chase.
New assignment
Fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak - the White Lily of Stalingrad - at the end of September 1942 was transferred to the 437th Aviation Fighter Regiment. However, the female link, which is part of it, did not last long. Its commander, senior lieutenant R. Belyaeva, was soon shot down by the Germans, and she had to be treated for a long time after a parachute jump. After that, due to illness, M. Kuznetsova was out of action. Only two pilots remained in the regiment. This is L. Litvyak, as well as E. Budanova. They were able to achieve the highest results in the battles held. And soon the White Lily of Stalingrad, Lydia Litvyak, shot down another enemy plane. It turned out to be the Junkers.
Starting from October 10, the pilots were transferred to the operational subordination of the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. Lydia Litvyak already had three destroyed enemy aircraft on her account. One of them was personally shot down by her from the period when she entered the regiment of Soviet aces pilots.
During this period, the girls had to cover the strategically important front-line center - the city of Zhitvur, as well as escort transport aircraft. In carrying out this task, Lydia made 58 sorties. For courage and excellent performanceorders of the command, the girl was enrolled in a group of "free hunters" who followed the enemy's planes. Being at the forward airfield, Litvyak took to the skies five times and carried out the same number of air battles. In the 9th Guards IAP, the girls have significantly improved their skills.
New victories
January 8, 1943 the girl was transferred to the 296th Aviation Fighter Regiment. Already in the same month, Lydia 16 times accompanied our attack aircraft and covered the ground forces of the Soviet army. On February 5, 1943, Sergeant L. V. Litvyak was presented by the command to the Order of the Red Star.
A new victory awaited Lydia on February 11th. On this day, Lieutenant Colonel N. Baranov led four fighters into battle. Litvyak distinguished herself by personally shooting down a Ju-88 bomber, and then, as part of a group, she managed to emerge victorious in a battle with an FW-190 fighter.
Wounded
The spring of 1943 was marked by a lull on almost the entire front line. However, the pilots continued to make sorties, intercepting German aircraft and covering Soviet bombers and attack aircraft.
In April 1943, Lydia was seriously wounded. It happened during a rather difficult battle. On April 22, the brave pilot, being part of a group of Soviet aircraft, intercepted 12 enemy Ju-88s, one of which she managed to shoot down. Here, in the sky over Rostov, she was attacked by the Germans. The enemies managed to damage the girl's plane and wound her in the leg. After the battle, Lydia hardly flew to her native airfield, where she reported onsuccessfully completed task. After that, the girl lost consciousness, falling from blood loss and pain.
However, Lydia was not in the hospital for long. Having recovered a little after the injury, she wrote a receipt that she would go home to Moscow, where she would continue to be treated. However, the relatives did not wait for the girl. A week later, Lydia again arrived in her regiment.
On May 5, not having time to fully recover from her wound, Litvyak made another sortie. Her task was to escort bombers heading to the Stalino area. Our planes were spotted by enemy fighters and attacked by them. A battle ensued, in which Lydia was able to shoot down the Me-109 fighter.
Only love
In the spring of 1943, a new page was written in the biography of pilot Lydia Litvyak. During this period, fate brought the girl to Alexei Solomatin. He was also an excellent fighter pilot. During the war, romances often began. Acquaintances were quick, and feelings were stormy. However, most of these romances were understandably short-lived and had unhappy endings.
In the spring of 1943, there was a short break in the fighting. It was the calm before the battle near Kursk. And in these few weeks of rest, ordinary human happiness came to Lydia. Solomatin and Litvyak got along very well in character. Fellow soldiers noted that they were a wonderful couple. Senior Lieutenant Solomatin was at first the girl's mentor, and then became her husband. However, the happiness of the young was short-lived. May 21, 1943 Alexei died. He, being mortally wounded in battle, could notland his plane and died in front of his beloved and everyone who was at the airport. At her husband's funeral, Lydia vowed to avenge his death.
Soon Litvyak's best friend, Ekaterina Budanova, also died. The girl, who lost two of her closest people in just a few weeks, was left with only combat skills, a plane and a desire for revenge.
Continuation of hostilities
After a lull, the fighting was resumed. And the ace girl, who was only 21 years old, continued to actively participate in them.
At the end of May, on the sector of the front where her regiment operated, the Germans used a spotter balloon very effectively. This "sausage" was covered by fighters and anti-aircraft fire, which repelled all attempts to destroy it. Lydia managed to solve this problem. The girl took to the air on May 31 and, passing along the front line, went deep into the territory occupied by the enemy. She attacked the balloon from behind enemy lines, approaching it from the direction of the sun. The Litvyak attack lasted less than a minute. The brilliant victory of the pilot was marked by the gratitude of the Commander of the 44th Army.
Summer fights
July 16, 1943 Lydia Litvyak was on another combat mission. There were six Soviet Yaks in the sky. They got involved in a battle with 30 Junkers and 6 Messerschmitts, who tried to strike at the location of our troops. But Soviet fighter pilots thwarted the enemy's plan. In this battle, Lydia Litvyak shot down a Ju-88. She also shot down a Me-109 fighter. However, the Germans also knocked out Lydia's Yak. The fearless girl, pursued by the enemy, managed to land the plane on the ground. Soviet infantrymen, who were watching the battle, helped her to break away from the German pilots. Lydia was slightly wounded in the shoulder and leg, but she categorically refused hospitalization.
On July 20, 1943, the command presented junior lieutenant L. V. Litvyak for another award. The heroic girl received the Order of the Red Banner. By this time, her track record indicated 140 sorties and 9 downed aircraft, 5 of which she personally destroyed, and 4 as part of a group. An observation balloon was immediately mentioned.
Last fight
In the summer of 1943, Soviet troops tried to break through the defenses of the enemy, entrenched on the banks of the Mius River. This was necessary for the liberation of Donbass. Particularly heavy fighting was fought between the end of July and the beginning of August. They involved both ground and air forces.
August 1, Lydia Litvyak took to the skies 4 times. During these sorties, she shot down 3 enemy aircraft, two personally, and one - while in the group. Three times she returned to her native airfield. The girl did not return from her fourth sortie.
It is possible that the emotional stress of a hard day or physical fatigue contributed to what happened. Or maybe the weapon just failed? But be that as it may, the pilots were already returning to their home airfield when they were attacked by eight German fighters. A battle ensued, during which our pilots lost sight of each other, being in the clouds. As one of them later recalled, everything happened suddenly. Messer emerged from the white veil of the cloud andgave a turn on our "Yak" with tail number "22". The plane immediately seemed to have failed. Apparently, close to the ground, Lydia tried to level it.
Our fighters did not see any flashes either in the sky or on the ground. This is what gave them hope that the girl remained alive.
On the same day, German fighter pilot Hans-Jörg Merkle also went missing. At the same time, there was no information about who shot down this ace. There is a possibility that his death was Lydia Litvyak's parting blow.
Both planes disappeared near Shakhtyorsk, not far from the village of Dmitrovka. There is a version that Lydia went on the attack purposefully, eager to avenge the death of her husband and girlfriend. How it really happened is not known for certain. However, such an act was quite in the spirit of this girl.
2 weeks later Lydia Litvyak would have turned 22 years old. Later, relatives said that in one of her letters she told them about a dream in which her husband called her, standing on the opposite bank of a fast river. This indicated that the girl foresaw her death.
But fellow soldiers, who did not lose hope of seeing the pilot alive, immediately organized a search for her. However, they could not find Lydia. And after Sergeant Evdokimov, the only one who knew the fall sector of her Yak, was killed in one of the battles, the official search was stopped. It was then that the command of the regiment posthumously presented fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. However, there was no posthumous award. The fact is that soon from the territory occupied by enemytroops, the previously downed pilot returned. According to him, local residents told him that they saw a Soviet fighter plane land near the village of Marinovka. A small blond girl came out of it and got into a car with German officers that drove up to the plane. However, the aviators did not believe this story, continuing to find out the fate of Lydia. Nevertheless, rumors about the betrayal of the girl reached the higher headquarters. And here the command showed caution. It did not approve the presentation of Litvyak to the highest rank of the country, but limited itself to the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
However, the search continued for Lydia. In the summer of 1946, Ivan Zapryagaev, being the commander of the 73rd IAP, sent several people to the village of Marinovka. However, the girl's fellow soldiers did not manage to find out anything about her fate.
In 1971, the search for a brave pilot was resumed by young pathfinders from the city of Krasny Luch. And only in 1979 did they finally find traces of Lydia Litvyak. Residents of the Kozhevnya farm told the children that in the summer of 1943 our fighter plane crashed not far from it. The pilot, who was a woman, was shot in the head. She was buried in a mass grave. This pilot turned out to be Lydia Litvyak. This was confirmed during further investigation. The grave of Lydia Litvyak is located in the Shakhtyorsky district, in the village of Dmitrovka. Here the brave pilot is buried along with other unknown fighters.
In 1988, a monument to Lydia Litvyak was erected in this place. Veterans of the regiment, in which the brave pilot served, asked to renew the application for conferring the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet to her. Union. Years later, justice has prevailed. In May 1990, the President of the USSR signed a Decree according to which Lydia Litvyak became a Hero of the Soviet Union.
Memory
The name of Lydia Litvyak can be found in the Guinness Book of Records. Here she was listed as a female pilot, who won the largest number of victories in her air battles. In addition, a monument to the brave pilot was erected in the central square of the city of Krasny Luch. It is located opposite gymnasium No. 1, which bears her name.
You can meet the name of Lydia Litvyak in "Assault Witches". This is an anime that tells the viewer about the fight against robot machines that are trying to take over our planet. It is quite difficult to destroy such an enemy. After all, any deadly weapon, fast missiles and even innovative technologies are powerless against robots. This allows insensitive and insidious machines to win victory after victory. Only girls endowed with magical abilities and using a vehicle that is a kind of hybrid of a combat aircraft and a witch's stupa can fight them. One of these girls is Sani Litvyak.
Those who wish to read the biography of the heroic pilot are advised to watch a documentary about her. It is called "Roads of Memory" and directed by E. Andrikanis. In addition, the film "Lily" is dedicated to the brave pilot. He was the first in the documentary series "Beautiful Regiment". It was filmed in 2014 by director A. Kapkov.
In 2013, the audience was presented with the series"Fighters". This is the work of director A. Muradov. One of the heroines of the film is Lydia Litovchenko. The image, which is presented by actress E. Vilkova, is collective. An example for him was Lydia Litvyak. The film turned out just wonderful.
