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- #21
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
The kills I posted up above are generally considered correct... There are some slight differences, 1 or 2, but those are pretty accurate above....
Japanese Ace Info Needed...
- Thread starter lesofprimus
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Gemhorse
Senior Airman
I was simply offering another source to assist in your research, I wasn't disputing the 'scoreboard'...
- Thread starter
- #23
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
OK, thanks...
I just "discovered" Lidiya Litvjaková a few days ago and have been gathering information about her from various websites (information varies a bit from site to site).
Flying as wingman (wingwoman?) for her squadron leader, she shot down two German aircraft (Ju-88 Me-109) on her first or second (probably 2nd) mission. She is also believed to be the first woman anywhere to shoot down an enemy aircraft. She is officially credited with 12 "kills" (possibly one of these was an observation balloon) + 3 shared - Ju88s, Me109s Fw190s) but may have shot down as many as 20 or 22 German aircraft total. One of her kills was purportedly a high-ranking German ace, but I have yet to discover who that was. Prior to being shot down the final time, she was wounded once (reportedly refusing to be examined by doctors resuming flying) and shot down twice behind German lines - walking to safety once and being picked up by another fighter pilot the other time. She flew a total of 168 missions. Reportedly, the Germans were scared of her and if the they sighted her would radio other pilots so that they could avoid her. She was finally shot down and killed in 1943 before her 22nd birthday. Her body was not found until 1979 under the wind of her Yak-1. In 1990 she was made "Hero of the Soviet Union" by Gorbachov (I think that is the highest decoration that could be awarded) and Boris Yeltsin declared her a "Hero of Russia". When she was shot down being chased by eight Me-109s she may have shot down two of them or it may have been the day before that she did so.
One site states that she was Jewish which, combined with her great combat skills, apparently infuriated the Germans. Two sites say that her father was executed as an "enemy of the state" while she was young.
Female flying regiments in the Soviet Union at that time were headed by Maria Raskova. At one time, before the war, I think, a plane was icing up and losing altitude in a mountainous area. Everything expendable had been dumped to reduce weight, but it was not quite enough. Maria calculated that the plane could make it to its destination with one less crew member's weight. She gave appropriate coordinates to other pilots and bailed out in Siberia in the dark. She was recued by hunters. The plane made it to its destination.
I am going to try to attach another photo of Lidiya (also know as "Lilya" for the white lilies painted on the sides of her aircraft).
Ron
Flying as wingman (wingwoman?) for her squadron leader, she shot down two German aircraft (Ju-88 Me-109) on her first or second (probably 2nd) mission. She is also believed to be the first woman anywhere to shoot down an enemy aircraft. She is officially credited with 12 "kills" (possibly one of these was an observation balloon) + 3 shared - Ju88s, Me109s Fw190s) but may have shot down as many as 20 or 22 German aircraft total. One of her kills was purportedly a high-ranking German ace, but I have yet to discover who that was. Prior to being shot down the final time, she was wounded once (reportedly refusing to be examined by doctors resuming flying) and shot down twice behind German lines - walking to safety once and being picked up by another fighter pilot the other time. She flew a total of 168 missions. Reportedly, the Germans were scared of her and if the they sighted her would radio other pilots so that they could avoid her. She was finally shot down and killed in 1943 before her 22nd birthday. Her body was not found until 1979 under the wind of her Yak-1. In 1990 she was made "Hero of the Soviet Union" by Gorbachov (I think that is the highest decoration that could be awarded) and Boris Yeltsin declared her a "Hero of Russia". When she was shot down being chased by eight Me-109s she may have shot down two of them or it may have been the day before that she did so.
One site states that she was Jewish which, combined with her great combat skills, apparently infuriated the Germans. Two sites say that her father was executed as an "enemy of the state" while she was young.
Female flying regiments in the Soviet Union at that time were headed by Maria Raskova. At one time, before the war, I think, a plane was icing up and losing altitude in a mountainous area. Everything expendable had been dumped to reduce weight, but it was not quite enough. Maria calculated that the plane could make it to its destination with one less crew member's weight. She gave appropriate coordinates to other pilots and bailed out in Siberia in the dark. She was recued by hunters. The plane made it to its destination.
I am going to try to attach another photo of Lidiya (also know as "Lilya" for the white lilies painted on the sides of her aircraft).
Ron
Attachments
Crazy
Senior Airman
I read about her awhile back... quite an impressive story! 
cheddar cheese
Major General
Wow sure is
Gemhorse
Senior Airman
Yeah, there's a book about 'The Women Pilots of Russia' around that I've read as well.... there were very courageous....
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- #28
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Ive posted a bunch of info on her and woman pilots before.... Good stuff, truely heroic.....
