Ivan Kozhedub

Ivan Kozhedub
Native name	Іван Микитович Кожедуб
Nickname(s)	Батя ("Dad"), Борода ("Beard")
Born	June 8, 1920 Obrazhiivka, Chernigov Gubernia, Ukrainian SSR
Died	Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1940 — 1985
Rank	Chief Marshal of aviation
Battles/wars	World War II, Korean War
Awards	Order of Lenin (3) Order of Red Banner (7) Order of Alexander Nevsky Order of the Great Patriotic War (2) Order of the Red Star (2)

Chief Marshal of Aviation Ivan Kozhedub (Ukrainian: Іван Микитович Кожедуб; Russian: Иван Hикитович Кожедуб; June 8, 1920 — August 8, 1991) was a Soviet military aviator of Ukrainian descent and a World War II fighter ace. Kozhedub took a part in the Korean War as a commander of the 324th Fighter Air Division. He is credited with 64 +2 (P-51) individual air victories, most of them flying the Lavochkin La-5 - the top scoring fighter pilot on the Allied side during World War II. He is one of the few pilots to have shot down a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet. He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union on three occasions (4 February 1944; 19 August 1944; 18 August 1945).

Early life

He was born in the village of Obrazhiivka, a settlement in the Sumy region in Ukraine during the Ukrainian War of Independence. He was the youngest of five children. For two years he attended a school for young workers, and in early 1940 graduated from the Shostka chemical technical school. Kozhedub learned to fly aircraft in the Shostkinsk aeroclub and joined the Soviet army in 1940. He graduated from the Chuhuiv Military Air School in 1941 at the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, but he was retained as an instructor. Kozhedub remained at the school for two years where he trained many young Soviet pilots.

Feeling his talents would be better used in combat, he requested a transfer to an operational unit and in March 1943 was posted, as a Starshii Serzhant (Senior Sergeant), to 240th IAP, one of the first units to receive the new Lavochkin La-5.

War career

After his first military flight on 26 March 1943, he operated on the Voronezh Front and, in July over the Kursk battlefields. His first kill was a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka shot down during the Battle of Kursk on 6 July 1943. By 16 August he had claimed eight air victories. He was promoted to Mladshii Leitenant (Junior Lieutenant). Then his unit moved towards Kharkiv. At this time he usually flew escort for Petlyakov Pe-2 twin-engine bombers. During World War II, he then served as a fighter pilot in several areas (Steppe Front, 2nd Ukrainian Front, 1st Belorussian Front) and at different ranks, starting from senior airman up to the deputy commander of the air regiment. He claimed his 61st and 62nd victories – his final claims – over Berlin on 16 April 1945.

Kozhedub holds the record for the highest number of confirmed air combat victories of any Soviet or Allied pilot (effectively the Allied "Ace of Aces") during World War II. He is regarded as the best Soviet flying ace of the war, and is associated with flying the Lavochkin La-7. He was also reputed to have a natural gift for deflection shooting, i.e. aiming ahead of a moving target at the time of firing so that the projectile and target will collide.

Kozhedub's World War II record consists of:

• 330 combat missions
• 120 aerial engagements
• 62 enemy aircraft shot down, including one Me 262 jet fighter (possibly Uffz Kurt Lange of 1./KG(J)54.)

Post war era

In 1949 Kozhedub graduated from the Air Force Academy.

In April 1951, promoted to Polkovnik (colonel), he commanded the 324th IAD (Fighter Air Division) and dispatched to Antung airfield on the China-North Korea border to fly the MiG 15 during the Korean War supporting the North Korean forces. He was not given permission to participate in combat missions. Under his leadership the 324th IAD claimed 239 victories, including 12 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses for the loss of 27 MiG-15s in combat and 9 pilots.

In 1956 he graduated from the High Command Academy, after which he was promoted to General. From 1971 he served in the Central Office of the Soviet Air Force and from 1978 in the general inspection group of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. He was made an Aviation Marshal in 1985.

Kozhedub was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin three times (1944, 1944, 1945), seven Orders of the Red Banner, two Order of Alexander Nevsky, two Orders of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War First Class, and numerous medals. He was promoted to his final rank of Marshal shortly before retirement.

List of aerial victories

File:Kozhedub2.jpg

Kozhedub near his La-5FN (#14) in 1944. He later passed the plane to Kirill A. Yevstigneyev.

Lavochkin La-5, operated in 1943-1944

Lavochkin La-5FN, operated in 1944

According to «Soviet aces 1941—1945. The victories of Stalin's Falcons» (Russian: «Советские асы 1941—1945. Победы сталинских соколов») by Mikhail Bykov.

##	Date	A/c type	Location
1	06.07.1943	Ju 87	west of Zavidovka
2	07.07.1943	Ju 87	Gostishchevo station
3	09.07.1943	Bf 109	Krasnaya Polyana
4	09.07.1943	Bf 109	east of Pokrovka
5	09.08.1943	Bf 109	Prelestny
6	14.08.1943	Bf 109	Iskrovka
7	14.08.1943	Bf 109	Kolomna
8	16.08.1943	Ju 87	Rohan
9	22.08.1943	Fw 190	Liubotyn
10	09.09.1943	Bf 109	north of Iskrovka
11	30.09.1943	Ju 87	south-west of Borodayevka
12	01.10.1943	Ju 87	west of Borodayevka
13	01.10.1943	Ju 87	west of Borodayevka
14	02.10.1943	Bf 109	Ploskoye
15	02.10.1943	Ju 87	Petrovka
16	02.10.1943	Ju 87	south-west of Andreyevka
17	02.10.1943	Ju 87	south-west of Andreyevka
18	04.10.1943	Bf 109	north-west of Borodayevka
19	05.10.1943	Bf 109	south-west of Krasny Kut
20	05.10.1943	Bf 109	west of Kutsevalovka
21	06.10.1943	Bf 109	Borodayevka
22	10.10.1943	Bf 109	Dneprovo-Kamenka
23	12.10.1943	Ju 87	north of Ploskoye
24	12.10.1943	Bf 109	south of Petrovka
25	12.10.1943	Ju 87	south of Domotkan
26	29.10.1943	Ju 87	Kryvyi Rih
27	29.10.1943	He 111	west of Budovka
28	16.01.1944	Bf 109	Novo-Zlynka
29	30.01.1944	Bf 109	east of Nechayevka
30	30.01.1944	Ju 87	west of Lipovka
31	14.03.1944	Ju 87	Osiyevka
32	21.03.1944	Ju 87	Lebedyn — Shpola
33	11.04.1944	PZL P.24	Syrka
34	19.04.1944	He 111	north of Iaşi
35	28.04.1944	Ju 87	south-east of Vulturu
36	29.04.1944	Hs 129	Horleşti
37	29.04.1944	Hs 129	Horleşti
38	03.05.1944	Ju 87	Târgu Frumos — Dumbrăviţa
39	31.05.1944	Fw 190	east of Vulturu
40	01.06.1944	Ju 87	Cuza Vodă
41	02.06.1944	Hs 129	west of Stânca
42	03.06.1944	Fw 190	Rediu Ului — Tătăr
43	03.06.1944	Fw 190	Rediu Ului — Tătăr
44	03.06.1944	Fw 190	north-west of Iaşi
45	07.06.1944	Bf 109	Pârliţa
46	08.06.1944	Bf 109	Cârpiţi
47	22.09.1944	Fw 190	north-west of Strenči
48	22.09.1944	Fw 190	south-west of Ramnieki — Daksty
49	25.09.1944	Fw 190	north-west of Valmiera
50	16.01.1945	Fw 190	south of Studziana
51	10.02.1945	Fw 190	north-west of Mohrin airfield
52	12.02.1945	Fw 190	west of Kinitz
53	12.02.1945	Fw 190	west of Kinitz
54	12.02.1945	Fw 190	Kietzer See Lake
55	17.02.1945	Me 262	east of Alt Friedland
56	19.02.1945	Bf 109	north of Fürstenfelde
57	11.03.1945	Fw 190	north of Brünchen
58	18.03.1945	Fw 190	north of Küstrin
59	18.03.1945	Fw 190	north-west of Küstrin
60	22.03.1945	Fw 190	north of Zeelow
61	22.03.1945	Fw 190	east of Gusow
62	23.03.1945	Fw 190	Werbig station
63	17.04.1945	Fw 190	Wriezen
64	17.04.1945	Fw 190	Kinitz

• Until August of 1944 Kozhedub was flying on Lavochkin La-5, after that Lavochkin La-7.

Controversy

As with other famous figures, some myths have sprung up around Kozhedub's life. One story is that once he encountered a group of American B-17 Flying Fortresses under attack by Luftwaffe aircraft. The story goes on to suggest that his aircraft was mistaken by American escort fighters for the enemy and attacked. Kozhedub, having no other option, defended himself by shooting down two of the P-51 Mustangs. So far, this story is not confirmed completely. Film footage exists that had been touted as Kozhedub's actual gun camera film from the event. However, it is highly suspect, as the footage was shot using Zeiss equipment, which was used primarily by the Luftwaffe, and the aircraft shown in the footage are shown with drop tanks attached. This would seem to contradict the story that Kozhedub was jumped by the P-51s, as the attacking fighters would normally drop these tanks before entering combat. A more likely story is that the gun camera footage was from a Luftwaffe aircraft which attacked American aircraft in an unrelated incident. However, another aircraft was shown without drop tanks, which can mean that the first pilot was unable or forgot to release his tanks, or perhaps even decided not to do so.

Legacy

In his honor named a military university in Kharkiv, the Kozhedub University of the Air Force.