Ivan Kozhedub

Ivan Kozhedub
Native name	Іван Микитович Кожедуб
Nickname(s)	Батя ("Dad"), Борода ("Beard")
Born	8 June 1920 Obrazhiyevka, Chernigov Governorate, Ukrainian People's Republic[1]
Died	8 August 1991(1991-08-08) (aged 71) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1940–1985
Rank	Marshal of Aviation
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk Korean War
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (thrice)

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub (Russian: Иван Hикитович Кожедуб; Ukrainian: Іван Микитович Кожедуб; 8 June 1920 – 8 August 1991) was a Soviet World War II fighter ace. Credited with over 60 solo victories by most historians, he is considered to be the highest scoring Soviet and Allied fighter pilot of World War II.^[2] 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, and 18 August 1945). After the war he remained in the military and commanded the 324th Fighter Air Division during Soviet operations in the Korean War.

Early life[]

Ivan Kozhedub was born in the village of Obrazhiyevka, a settlement in the Chernigov Governorate, Ukrainian SSR^[3] (now Sumy Oblast, Ukraine) on 8 June 1920. He was the youngest of five children in a Ukrainian^[4] family. 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 Chuguev Military Air School in June 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 nearly two years where he trained many young Soviet pilots.

Feeling his talents would be better used in combat, Kozhedub requested a transfer to an operational unit and in March 1943 he was posted, as a Senior Sergeant, to the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment, one of the first units to receive the new Lavochkin La-5.^[5]

War career[]

His first combat mission was 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 Junior Lieutenant. Then his unit moved towards Kharkiv. At this time he usually flew escort for Petlyakov Pe-2 twin-engine bombers. He 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 deputy commander of his air regiment. He claimed his 61st and 62nd victories – his final claims of the War– over Berlin on 16 April 1945.

Kozhedub was attributed with the highest number of air combat victories of any Soviet pilot 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 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 consisted 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^[6] 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 title Hero of the Soviet Union 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[]

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	6 July 1943	Ju 87	west of Zavidovka
2	7 July 1943	Ju 87	Gostishchevo station
3	9 July 1943	Bf 109	Krasnaya Polyana
4	9 July 1943	Bf 109	east of Pokrovka
5	9 August 1943	Bf 109	Prelestny
6	14 August 1943	Bf 109	Iskrovka
7	14 August 1943	Bf 109	Kolomna
8	16 August 1943	Ju 87	Rohan
9	22 August 1943	Fw 190	Liubotyn
10	9 September 1943	Bf 109	north of Iskrovka
11	30 September 1943	Ju 87	south-west of Borodayevka
12	1 October 1943	Ju 87	west of Borodayevka
13	1 October 1943	Ju 87	west of Borodayevka
14	2 October 1943	Bf 109	Ploskoye
15	2 October 1943	Ju 87	Petrovka
16	2 October 1943	Ju 87	south-west of Andreyevka
17	2 October 1943	Ju 87	south-west of Andreyevka
18	4 October 1943	Bf 109	north-west of Borodayevka
19	5 October 1943	Bf 109	south-west of Krasny Kut
20	5 October 1943	Bf 109	west of Kutsevalovka
21	6 October 1943	Bf 109	Borodayevka
22	10 October 1943	Bf 109	Dneprovo-Kamenka
23	12 October 1943	Ju 87	north of Ploskoye
24	12 October 1943	Bf 109	south of Petrovka
25	12 October 1943	Ju 87	south of Domotkan
26	29 October 1943	Ju 87	Kryvyi Rih
27	29 October 1943	He 111	west of Budovka
28	16 January 1944	Bf 109	Novo-Zlynka
29	30 January 1944	Bf 109	east of Nechayevka
30	30 January 1944	Ju 87	west of Lipovka
31	14 March 1944	Ju 87	Osiyevka
32	21 March 1944	Ju 87	Lebedyn — Shpola
33	11 April 1944	PZL P.24	Syrka
34	19 April 1944	He 111	north of Iaşi
35	28 April 1944	Ju 87	south-east of Vulturu
36	29 April 1944	Hs 129	Horleşti
37	29 April 1944	Hs 129	Horleşti
38	3 May 1944	Ju 87	Târgu Frumos — Dumbrăviţa
39	31 May 1944	Fw 190	east of Vulturu
40	1 June 1944	Ju 87	Cuza Vodă
41	2 June 1944	Hs 129	west of Stânca
42	3 June 1944	Fw 190	Rediu Ului — Tătăr
43	3 June 1944	Fw 190	Rediu Ului — Tătăr
44	3 June 1944	Fw 190	north-west of Iaşi
45	7 June 1944	Bf 109	Pârliţa
46	8 June 1944	Bf 109	Cârpiţi
47	22 September 1944	Fw 190	north-west of Strenči
48	22 September 1944	Fw 190	south-west of Ramnieki — Daksty
49	25 September 1944	Fw 190	north-west of Valmiera
50	16 January 1945	Fw 190	south of Studziana
51	10 February 1945	Fw 190	north-west of Mohrin airfield
52	12 February 1945	Fw 190	west of Kinitz
53	12 February 1945	Fw 190	west of Kinitz
54	12 February 1945	Fw 190	Kietzer See Lake
55	17 February 1945	Me 262	east of Alt Friedland
56	19 February 1945	Bf 109	north of Fürstenfelde
57	11 March 1945	Fw 190	north of Brünchen
58	18 March 1945	Fw 190	north of Küstrin
59	18 March 1945	Fw 190	north-west of Küstrin
60	22 March 1945	Fw 190	north of Zeelow
61	22 March 1945	Fw 190	east of Gusow
62	23 March 1945	Fw 190	Werbig station
63	17 April 1945	Fw 190	Wriezen
64	17 April 1945	Fw 190	Kinitz

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

Alleged shooting down of two USAAF P-51 fighters[]

Kozhedub allegedly shot down two USAAF P-51 Mustang fighters in a friendly fire incident 17 April 1945. He encountered a group of American B-17 Flying Fortresses under attack by Luftwaffe aircraft.^[7] His aircraft was apparently mistaken by American escort fighters for the enemy and attacked. Kozhedub, having no other option, defended himself by shooting down two of the P-51s. 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, the footage was shot using Zeiss equipment, which was used primarily by the Luftwaffe.

Honours and awards[]

Soviet Union

• Thrice Hero of the Soviet Union (4 February 1944, 19 August 1944 and 18 August 1945)^[8]
• Two Order of Lenin (4 February 1944 and 21 February 1978)
• Seven Order of the Red Banner (22 July 1943, 30 September 1943, 29 March 1945, 29 June 1945, 2 June 1951, 22 February 1958, and 26 June 1970)
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (31 July 1945)
• Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (11 March 1985)
• Two Order of the Red Star (4 June 1955 and 20 October 1955)
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 2nd degree (22 February 1990)
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd degree (30 April 1975)
• Medal "For Battle Merit"
• Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" (1945)
• Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (1945)
• Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1945)
• Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1965)
• Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1975)
• Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1985)
• Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1969)
• Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1976)
• Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms"
• Medal "For Impeccable Service", 1st class
• Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (1948)
• Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1957)
• Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1967)
• Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1978)
• Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988)
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" (1947)
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 1500th Anniversary of Kyiv" (1982)

Foreign

• Medal of Sino-Soviet Friendship (China)
• Patriotic Order of Merit, Bronze, 3rd class (East Germany)
• Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia)
• Medal "50 Years of the Mongolian People's Army" (Mongolia)
• Order of the National Flag, 3rd class (North Korea)
• Order of Freedom and Independence, 1st class (North Korea)
• Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland)

Legacy[]

A military university in Kharkiv is named in his honor, the Kozhedub University of the Air Force.

References[]

Bibliography[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ivan Kozhedub.

• Bykov, Mikhail (2017). Все асы Сталина 1936–1953 гг (in Russian). Moscow: Litres. ISBN 9785457567221.
• Dymich, Valery & Kulikov, Victor (July 2001). "Ivan Kozhedub, l'as des as alliés" [Ivan Kozhedub, the Allied Ace of Aces]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (100): 21–28. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Polak, Tomas; with Shores, Christopher (1999). Stalin's Falcons – The Aces of the Red Star. Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-902304-01-4.
• Simonov, Andrey; Bodrikhin, Nikolai (2017). Боевые лётчики — дважды и трижды Герои Советского Союза (in Russian). Moscow: Фонд «Русские Витязи», Музей техники Вадима Задорожного. ISBN 9785990960510. OCLC 1005741956.