lesofprimus
Brigadier General
One day, a group of fighters, commanded by Piotr Kozachenko, escorted a single Petlyakov Pe-2 on a photo reconnaissance mission. German fighters were approaching. The Pe-2 could make a second reconnaissance run, and a third run, but during the fourth photography run, one Me-109 came up close behind the Pe-2. Flying at the same speed as the bomber-reconnaissance aircraft, the 109 opened fire. The Pe-2 crew was caught by surprise and the radio operator was killed. A large hole, about the size of a man's head was blown open in the cockpit.
Kozacheko was very close, and he saw many markings on the Me-109's fuselage, especially an indian with a bow near the cockpit. "This is a German ace from Mölder's Regiment" Kozatchenko thought. He was so close that he even could see the German ace smiling. The German's smile did not last long, however. Piotr's fire was completely devastating and the German plane plummeted downwards. After a few seconds, Kozachenko saw the 109 explode as it crashed into the ground. The Pe-2 was damaged, but able to return to base...
After the war, German POW Captain Gabel (of the "3rd Mölders Squadron") informed the Soviet intellegence that on the same day as Kozachenko had scored this victory, the excellent German ace Beerenbrock was posted as missing."
Note: There is a conflicting story surrounding Kozachenko´s supposed downing of Franz-Josef Beerenbrock:
Beerenbrock supposedly lived and was a POW...
Kozachenko flew 227 combat missions and downed 12 German planes, and 15 Japanese in China. He was awarded the Soviet Hero Title, and four times was awarded the Order of the Red Flag.
In an Ironic Twist, Kozachenko was killed by a High Ace...
In March 1945, the 2nd White Russian Front fought near Gdansk and Gdynia. On 18 March 1945, Piotr Kozachenko was killed in an aerial combat while escorting reconnaissance Pe-2's. The last words heard from him in the radio, were "I'm hit, going for a 'Taran'!" (air-to-air ramming). This same day, as Kozachenko was killed, Hauptmann Joachim Brendel, the 189-victory ace in III./JG 51, claimed 3 victories over East Prussia...
Kozacheko was very close, and he saw many markings on the Me-109's fuselage, especially an indian with a bow near the cockpit. "This is a German ace from Mölder's Regiment" Kozatchenko thought. He was so close that he even could see the German ace smiling. The German's smile did not last long, however. Piotr's fire was completely devastating and the German plane plummeted downwards. After a few seconds, Kozachenko saw the 109 explode as it crashed into the ground. The Pe-2 was damaged, but able to return to base...
After the war, German POW Captain Gabel (of the "3rd Mölders Squadron") informed the Soviet intellegence that on the same day as Kozachenko had scored this victory, the excellent German ace Beerenbrock was posted as missing."
Note: There is a conflicting story surrounding Kozachenko´s supposed downing of Franz-Josef Beerenbrock:
Beerenbrock supposedly lived and was a POW...
Kozachenko flew 227 combat missions and downed 12 German planes, and 15 Japanese in China. He was awarded the Soviet Hero Title, and four times was awarded the Order of the Red Flag.
In an Ironic Twist, Kozachenko was killed by a High Ace...
In March 1945, the 2nd White Russian Front fought near Gdansk and Gdynia. On 18 March 1945, Piotr Kozachenko was killed in an aerial combat while escorting reconnaissance Pe-2's. The last words heard from him in the radio, were "I'm hit, going for a 'Taran'!" (air-to-air ramming). This same day, as Kozachenko was killed, Hauptmann Joachim Brendel, the 189-victory ace in III./JG 51, claimed 3 victories over East Prussia...