Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub

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Ivan Kozhedub

Ivan Kozhedub's La5F

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(Marshal) Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub (Russian: , June 8, 1920 - August 12, 1991) was a Soviet hero military aviator of Ukrainian descent. He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union on three occasions (February 4, 1944; August 19, 1944; August 18, 1945).

He was born in the village of Obrazheyevka in Ukrainian SSR, the youngest of five children. After achieving excellent results at the Chuguyiv military aviation school he stayed on as an instructor himself and went on to train many young Soviet pilots. Feeling his talents would be better used in combat, he handed in a request for a transfer to an active service unit, and by March 1943 he was on the front lines flying the Lavochkin La-5. During World War II he served as a fighter pilot, from March of 1943 onwards,and on several fronts: (Voronezh Front, Steppe Front, 2nd Ukrainian Front, 1st Belorussian Front) and at different ranks, starting from Senior airman (flying the Lavochkin La-5) up to the Deputy commander of the air regiment He is regarded as the best Soviet flying ace of the war, and is mostly associated with flying the Lavochkin La-7. He holds the record for proven air combat victories amongst all Allied air force pilots (effectively the Allied "Ace of Aces") during WWII.

In April 1951 he was the commander of the 324th Fighter Air Division dispatched to China to take part in the Korean War on the North Korean side. But he was not allowed to participate in combat missions.

Kozhedub's WWII record:

330 combat missions
120 aerial engagements
First kill was a German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" Dive-bomber on July 6th, 1943.
62 enemy aircraft shot down, including one Me 262 Jet fighter.
On one occasion he met a flight of US B-17's being attacked by German fighters, and attempted to defend those bombers. The American fighter escort mistakenly identified him as a hostile German fighter (there were many such mishaps because at a distance a Soviet La-5(7) and a US P-47 look fairly similar to the German FW-190). Kozhedub had only one way to survive - by returning fire. That day he shot down 2 P-51D's (1 pilot bailed out, 1 pilot killed). For decades this was an unknown detail of his biography.

Kozhedub was awarded the Order of Lenin twice, seven Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Alexander Nevsky, two Orders of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War First Class, and numerous medals.

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