Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, an ace pilot from the Great Patriotic War, was awarded 14 Soviet and 6 foreign orders. Rising into the sky and defending Russian soil, he spent 120 air battles and is considered to be the most successful pilot in the Allied aviation.
At the beginning of the journey
The future illustrious pilot of World War II was born on June 8, 1920 in the village of Obrazhievka, Sumy Region. His father was a church leader. After graduating from school in 1934, Ivan entered the Chemical Engineering Institute, which was located in the nearest town of Shostka. An aeroclub was formed at the technical school, in which the glorious path of the thrice hero of the Soviet Union began. In 1940, Ivan was drafted into the army, in the same year he graduated from the military aviation school of pilots, where he remained - as an instructor.
At war
With the outbreak of war, the life of Ivan Kozhedub, as he himself recalled, was divided into two halves - before and after. The young pilot wrote reports again and again about sending him to the front, but he was an excellent instructor, and they did not want to let him go. Finally, in 1942, Kozhedub was sent to the 240th fighter aviation regiment, which was armed with the latest La-5 fighters.
Kozhedub shot down his first German plane in the sky over Kursk, in the unforgettable days of the greatest tank battle of all time. It happened on July 6, 1943. The next day, he shot down another bomber, and already on July 9, the pilot destroyed two Bf-109 fighters at once. Soon the pilot received the rank of lieutenant and the first star of the Hero of the Soviet Union - for 146 sorties and 20 shot down enemy planes.
In August 1944, Ivan Kozhedub was appointed deputy commander of the 176th Guards Regiment, where many famous Soviet aces fought. In the same month he was awarded the second "Golden Star" - for 48 downed enemy vehicles and 256 sorties. By the time the war ended, Ivan Kozhedub made 330 sorties and shot down 64 enemy aircraft in 120 air battles.
In 1945, shortly before the war ended, Kozhedub had to destroy two American Mustang aircraft - the Americans attacked the pilot, mistakenly mistaking him for a German.
On the account of Ivan Nikitovich is the world's first jet fighter Me-262.
For the entire time of the war, the Germans never managed to bring down the Soviet ace - even when there were direct hits on the plane, the pilot managed to land him on the ground.
On August 18, 1945, Kozhedub received the third star of the Hero, with the wording "for high military skill, personal courage and courage shown on the fronts of the war."
After the war
In the postwar years, Ivan Kozhedub was educated at the Air Force Academy, mastered the MiG-15 jet and was soon appointed commander of the 326th Fighter Air Division. During the war in Korea (April 1951 - January 1952), the Kozhedub aviation division gained 216 air victories, losing 9 pilots and 27 aircraft.
Returning to his homeland, Kozhedub graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff, after which he took up the post of deputy commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District. In 1970, Kozhedub was awarded the rank of Colonel General, and in 1985 - the title of Marshal. He was elected as a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
