# Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub... Allied Leading Ace... 62 Kills..



## lesofprimus (Jan 11, 2005)

Russian Ace of WW11, Ivan Kozhedub was the leading Soviet and Allied Ace of WWII. Flying mainly the Lavochkin La-7 fighter aircraft, he carried out 330 sorries, was involved in 120 aerial combats and was credited with 62 confirmed victories. Earning the nickname "Ivan the Terrible", he was the only Soviet pilot to shoot down a Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter. Ivan was one of only two Soviet fighter pilots to be awarded the Gold Star(Hero of the Soviet Union) three times during World War II. Soviet Air Forces suffered very high losses during World War II. US historians David M. Glantz and Jonathan House("When Titans Clashed", 1995) give the figure 88,300 Soviet combat aircraft lost. The Germans claimed the destruction of 77,000 Soviet aircraft(including 45,000 in aerial combat) during the entire war. 

Born in Ukraine in 1920, Ivan Kozhedub began his rather distinguished career in the VVS in 1940 and was graduated as a pilot at Chuguyey military flying school a year later. Ironically prevented from fighting because his skill as a pilot made him more useful as an instructor, Kozhedub did not fly his first combat mission until March 26, 1943. He was posted as a Starshij Serzhant in the 240 IAP on Voronezh Front flying La-5s in 1943. He did not make his mark against the Luftwaffe until several months later when the regiment became greatly involved in the Battle of Kursk. Kozhedub, who had by now become a Miadshij Lejtenant, was off on July 6 with three fellow pilots providing ground force cover in the Pokrovka area where they stormed into a formation of 22 Ju 87s with Kozhedub destroying one of them. He claimed another of these the following day and on the 9th Kozhedub and his flight were assigned to a front-line patrol and became involved in a melee with nine Ju 87s, four Bf 109s and two Fw 190s. During this combat he bagged a Bf 109 on his first pass and with his fourth kill met the conditions for the award of his first Order of the Red Banner. 

A short time later he took over as leader of a fighter squadron which was to be credited with downing 12 Bf 109s, 11 Ju 87s and a Fw 190 during 165 combat sorties between August 21 and October, 1943. Kozhedub became a devotee of the surprise attack closing right in before firing. He now began to pile up victories at a remarkable pace. On August 9 another Bf 109 fell to his guns while leading four fighters on a Pe-2 escort to Kharkov. Six Luftwaffe fighters rose to oppose them but broke away as the La-5s turned into their attack. Six days later he made a claim for two Bf 109s when enemy aircraft tried to bounce a Pe-2 reconnaissance plane and on August 22 was leading an escort for 14 Pe-2 bombers to Merefa(SW Kharkov). In the target area they came under attack of Fw 190s , one of them being shot down in flames by Kozhedub himself. He had by now become a Kapitan and on September 30 splashed a Ju 87 for a change while leading six of his squadron to bounce 18 Stukas in the Borodayevka area. 

He continued his streak into October, when the regiment became involved in the ferocious battles above the Dnyepr River. In 10 days of combat he ran up a string of 11 kills while runners-up were Vasilij Mukhin and Pavel Bryzgalov with five apiece. On October 1 he was leading six La-5s against two large gaggles of Ju 87s west of Pogrebnaya and blasted two of them as his squadron got two more. The following day he shot down another of these together with a Bf 109 when eight of his squadron took on 27 enemy planes destroying four dive-bombers along with three Messerschmitts for no losses. He was in action three days later claiming a Bf 109 shot down in flames when 14 La-5s tackled with 15 fighters near Borodayevka. 

Later that afternoon he added another 109 when combat occurred with 12 Ju 87s escorted by six fighters. The total claims for this affray were three Ju 87s and a Bf109. He was wounded in a fighter battle on the 12th but was able to stagger back to his own airfield being back on duty a few days later. On October 29 Kozhedub and five of his comrades were off on a sweep and once over the front made contact with a formation of He 111s, Kozhedub claiming one of them destroyed. Shortly after this they met Luftwaffe dive-bombers engaged in bombing ground targets with Kozhedub blasting one out of the sky. With 20 personal kills he now was well qualified for his first award of the coveted title Hero of the Soviet Union and had already established a reputation for aggressiveness, skill and tenacity. 

It is particularly noteworthy that he required only 27 encounters to pile up his kills during the course of 146 sorties, 90 of which were escorts, 39 ground force cover, 9 armed reconnaissance and 8 scrambles. After a short rest from operations Kozhedub was again in the thick of fighting and on January 1, 1944 was providing ground force cover with five La-5s between Kapitanovka-Lebedin(NW Kirovograd), where they engaged nine Ju 87s, four of these being shot down. Kozhedub personally accounted for one as a Bf 109 fell to his guns a short time later. He participated in periods of intense activity that flared up along the Yuzhnyj Bug River and subsequently took part in the brutal battles over Rumania. In the same time frame he was in a highly competitive scoring race with another great fighter ace, Kirill Yevstigneyey. 

Kozhedub claimed another Ju 87 shot down in flames on March 14, 1944 while leading five La-5s assigned to patrol the air space over the Yuzhoyj Bug and five days later forced down an He 111 when four fighters under his leadership took on 18 bombers escorted by six Messerschmitts in the vicinity of Vulturul. On the 29th six La- 5s with Kozhedub in the lead were sweeping over the Yassy area where they engaged a formation of 10 Hs 129s and four Bf 109s. Kozhedub went after the assault aircraft, pulled in to point-blank range and after several bursts one of them blew up and crashed. In an outstanding effort Kozhedub's squadron had been credited with 65 enemy planes in the air since August, 1943 consisting of 23 Bf 109s, 30 Ju 87s, 5 He 111s, 2 Hs 129s, one Fw 190, three Fw 189s and one PZL-24 during 710 sorties(318 ground force cover, 357 escorts, 35 armed reconnaissance). Kozhedub's score now had risen to 34 and he was recommended for his second Gold Star award. 



Lavochkin La-7 
Triumph followed triumph. At Yassy, victories continued to come thick and fast. He chalked up four more kills between June 1 and June 3 to run his tally to 43 but Yevstigneyev in the same time frame had increased his score to 44 by claiming five aerial victories. A short time later he was posted as deputy commanding officer of the 176 GIAP flying La-7s. On September 22 he took off with Lejtenant Sharapov on a patrol and engaged two gaggles of Fw 190 fighter-bombers comprising of 4-8 aircraft each and shot down two of them in quick succession opening fire at 150 meters. He added another of these on January 16, 1945 while victory number 50 came on February 10. 

On this day Kozhedub was carrying out a free hunt with Major Titarenko as his number two in the vicinity of the Oder River, two German fighters being seen, and Kozhedub shot down one of these. The enemy pilot made a forced landing in his crippled aircraft in a pasture and became a prisoner. It was discovered that he was an ace with eight victories but his identity has unfortunately not been established. Two days later he was off on another free hunt with Lejtenant Gromakovskij flying wing to him and while sweeping over the Konitz area they spotted 18 Fw 190s fighter bombers flying at 400 meters. They immediately swept down and Kozhedub opened fire on "tail end Charlie," seeing hits exploding all over him and pieces flying off in all directions whereupon he spun into the ground in a solid sheet of flame. He then destroyed two more in quick succession which crashed 10-12 km southwest of Konitz. Gromakovskij shot another off Kozhedub's tail for his second kill of the day. 

Kozhedub is believed to have shot down one of the first Messerschmitt Me-262 jets to be encountered on Eastern Front during February but the date for this remains dubious. The date given by Kozhedub himself is the 19th while others are suggesting the 15th or 24th of February. It seems most likely that this claim has never been officially accepted as it cannot be traced in his "nagradnoj lisf'- the recommendation submitted by Polkovnik Chupikov, the commander of the 176 GIAP, for the award of his third title of Hero of the Soviet Union on March 31, 1945. On March 18 he claimed a Fw 190 that crashed 5-6 kilometers northwest of Kiistrin and five days later four La-7s with Kozhedub and Major Kumanichkin in the lead tackled with some 30 Fw 190s in the Seelow area. Kozhedub and Major Titarenko attacked from the sun claiming single 190s each on their first pass before breaking away in a high speed climb. In continuing action Kozhedub bagged a second while in taking on another gaggle Kumanichkin and his wingman, Gromakovskij, both knocked down singles with the latter's victim taking to his parachute. By March 31, 1945 Kozhedub had reached 60 confirmed kills becoming the top Allied fighter pilot of the war. 

During the Korean conflict he displayed exceptional leadership, his unit claiming 207 U.N. aircraft destroyed for the loss of 27 MiG-15s in combat and 9 pilots. He later was assigned as an inspector of VVS flight training between 1956 and 1963 and in January, 1964 became deputy commander of the Moscow PVO forces. In 1967 Kozhedub was appointed president of the Aviation Sports Federation and vice president of the International Federation of Aviation(FAI). He later rose to Marshal Aviatsii and was assigned as an inspector of the Soviet Ministry of Defense. 

Perhaps the last words should be left to Kozhedub himself, who provides the following revealing recollections: "I destroyed my first enemy aircraft in the air during the Battle of Kursk. Historians have been setting forth my total score as 62 victories. As a matter of fact this figure requires revision. There were many victories that either remained unconfirmed or were credited to fellow pilots. I reckon that my personal score actually is in excess of 100 victories while I never counted enemy aircraft destroyed jointly with my comrades." 

Air Marshal Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub passed away in August, 1991. 

Quotes by Ivan.........

"I requested a transfer to the front more than once. But the front required well-trained fliers. While training them for future battles, I was also training myself. At the same time, it felt good to hear of their exploits at the front. In late 1942, I was sent to learn to fly a new plane, the Lavochkin LaG-5. After March 1943, I was finally in active service. 

My first appointment was to the 240th Fighter Air Regiment (Istrebitelsky Aviatsy Polk, or IAP), which began combat operations on the first day of the war, on the Leningrad front. Since many graduates of the Chuguyev school served there, I did not feel out of place, not even at the beginning. Our pilot personnel included people of many nationalities. There were Belorussians, Tartars, Georgians, Russians and Ukrainians. We were all like one big family. 

I got LaG-5 No. 75. Like other aircraft of our regiment, it had the words "Named after Valery Chkalov" inscribed on its fuselage. Those planes were built on donations from Soviet people. But my plane was different. Other fliers had aircraft with three fuel tanks, which were lighter and more maneuverable, whereas my fivetank aircraft was heavier. But for a start its potential was quite enough for me, a budding flier. Later on, I had many occasions to admire the strength and staying power of this plane. It had excellent structural mounting points and an ingenious fire-fighting system, which diverted the exhaust gases into the fuel tanks, and once saved me from what seemed certain death.

In my first combat, I did not get a single scratch, but my plane was badly damaged. My commander said, with good reason, "Make haste only when catching fleas." I did not heed his advice. It seemed to me I could down at least two or three enemy planes at one go. Carried away by the attack, I did not notice an umbrella of Messerschmitt Bf-110s approaching me from behind. Of course, that was a bitter experience and a serious lesson for me. Despite general failures, our morale was quite high."

"We were ordered to attack a group of Junkers Ju-87 dive bombers. I chose a "victim" and came in quite close to it. The main thing was to fire in time. Everything happened in a twinkling. It was only on the ground, among my friends, that I recalled the details of this battle. Caution is all-important and you have to turn your head 360 degrees all the time. The victory belonged to those who knew their planes and weapons inside out and had the initiative. On July 7, I downed a second plane and, on July 8, I destroyed another two Bf-109 fighters." 

"I was upset by my new appointment but only until I found out that I could fly with aces who went on lone-wolf operations. Day in and day out, we would fly in the morning and analyze our sorties back at the squadrons at noon. At 9 p.m., we used to gather in the canteen, where the commander gave an account of the results of the day. In this regiment, I also began to team up with Dmitry Titarenko. 

The 176th Guards Fighter Regiment carried out 9,450 combat missions, of which 4,016 were lone-wolf operations; it conducted 750 air battles, in which 389 enemy aircraft were shot down." 

"On February 19, 1945, 1 was on a lone-wolf operation together with Dmitry Titorenko to the north of Frankfurt. I noticed a plane at an altitude of 350 meters (2,170 feet). It was flying along the Oder at a speed that was marginal for my plane. I made a quick about-face and started pursuing it at full throttle, coming down so as to approach it from under the "belly." My wingman opened fire, and the Me-262 (which was a jet, as I had already realized) began turning left, over to my side, losing speed in the process. That was the end of it. I would never have overtaken it if it had flown in a straight line. The main thing was to attack enemy planes during turns, ascents or descents, and not to lose precious seconds."

"On the evening of April 17, we went on a lone-wolf operation over the suburbs of Berlin. All of a sudden we saw a group of 40 Fw-190s with bomb loads, flying at an altitude of 3,500 meters in our direction. We climbed to the left and flew behind them under the cover of clouds. The odds were obviously not in our favor, but we still decided to attack since the enemy aircraft were heading for our troops. At maximum speed, we approached the tail of the formation, out of the sun. I opened fire almost point-blank at the wingman of the last pair of aircraft. The first Fw-190 fell into the suburbs of the city. Several planes turned to the west, while others continued their flight.

We decided to drive a wedge into the combat formation and break it up. Making a steep dive, we swept past enemy planes. As often happened in such cases, the Nazis thought that there were a lot of us. Confused, they started jettisoning bombs. Then they formed a defensive circle--each fighter covering the tail of the one in front of him--and began to attack us. Titorenko skillfully downed the plane that followed me. At that point, we saw our fighters and we turned for home. But suddenly, we saw yet another Fw-190 with a bomb. Apparently, the pilot had received a warning, for he made a quick dive and jettisoned his bomb over the suburbs of Berlin. But I still reached him on the recovery from his dive. The plane literally burst in the air. We made a good landing but our fuel tanks were completely empty. After that battle, I brought my personal score of downed Nazi planes to a total of 62."


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## cheddar cheese (Jan 11, 2005)

Good read...

I thought you'd already posted a story of Kozhedub?


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## plan_D (Jan 11, 2005)

I cannot be bothered to read it all. I believe a story was posted about Kozhedub before. Anyway, was it him that shot down the two Mustangs?


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## Nonskimmer (Jan 11, 2005)

Supposedly, yes. This was said to have been verified by USAAF sources.


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## plan_D (Jan 11, 2005)

Good, saves me reading it.


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## lesofprimus (Jan 12, 2005)

I didnt post the Kozhedub story here, just bits of info in a another thread or 2....

PlanD u lazy bastard... Read and get educated.....


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## plan_D (Jan 12, 2005)

I wasn't in the mood for reading lots yesterday but...since you asked so nicely.


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## lesofprimus (Jan 12, 2005)

Hehe...


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## Erich (Jan 12, 2005)

I do believe that Ivan was not the only Soviet pilot to down a Me 262. Ivan's jet kill is confirmed as at least 2 jets were shot down on the Ost front. have you seen the fine painting done of Ivans multi marked a/c by Jerry Crandall ?

www.eagle-editions.com

go to his aviation prints link and check it out.

~ E


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## MIG3LANGELO (Aug 27, 2022)

Les, you should get rid of the word RUSSIAN right at the start of your article Kozhedub was s Soviet pilot from Ukraine, he was NOT Russian. UKRAINIAN would be a better description of his nationality if you have to mention it. Otherwise just say 'Soviet' because he fought for USSR, not for Russia or for Ukraine, for USSR.

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## fubar57 (Aug 27, 2022)

Les only shows up on his birthday now. Not sure what happened but I do miss his comments


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 27, 2022)

MIG3LANGELO said:


> Les, you should get rid of the word RUSSIAN right at the start of your article Kozhedub was s Soviet pilot from Ukraine, he was NOT Russian. UKRAINIAN would be a better description of his nationality if you have to mention it. Otherwise just say 'Soviet' because he fought for USSR, not for Russia or for Ukraine, for USSR.


Just so you know this thread has been inactive for 17 years!

I do agree with your statement...

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## SaparotRob (Aug 27, 2022)

I love when an ancient thread is exhumed. Lotsa' fun stuff from the Forum Elders.

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