Ivan Kozhedub


Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub 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. 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. 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 on 8 June 1920. He was the youngest of five children in a Ukrainian 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.

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 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:
In 1949 Kozhedub graduated from the Air Force Academy.
In April 1951, promoted to Polkovnik, he commanded the 324th IAD 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 title Hero of the Soviet Union three times, 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 by Mikhail Bykov.
##DateA/c typeLocation
16 July 1943Ju 87west of Zavidovka
27 July 1943Ju 87Gostishchevo station
39 July 1943Bf 109Krasnaya Polyana
49 July 1943Bf 109east of Pokrovka
59 August 1943Bf 109Prelestny
614 August 1943Bf 109Iskrovka
714 August 1943Bf 109Kolomna
816 August 1943Ju 87Rohan
922 August 1943Fw 190Liubotyn
109 September 1943Bf 109north of Iskrovka
1130 September 1943Ju 87south-west of Borodayevka
121 October 1943Ju 87west of Borodayevka
131 October 1943Ju 87west of Borodayevka
142 October 1943Bf 109Ploskoye
152 October 1943Ju 87Petrovka
162 October 1943Ju 87south-west of Andreyevka
172 October 1943Ju 87south-west of Andreyevka
184 October 1943Bf 109north-west of Borodayevka
195 October 1943Bf 109south-west of Krasny Kut
205 October 1943Bf 109west of Kutsevalovka
216 October 1943Bf 109Borodayevka
2210 October 1943Bf 109Dneprovo-Kamenka
2312 October 1943Ju 87north of Ploskoye
2412 October 1943Bf 109south of Petrovka
2512 October 1943Ju 87south of Domotkan
2629 October 1943Ju 87Kryvyi Rih
2729 October 1943He 111west of Budovka
2816 January 1944Bf 109Novo-Zlynka
2930 January 1944Bf 109east of Nechayevka
3030 January 1944Ju 87west of Lipovka
3114 March 1944Ju 87Osiyevka
3221 March 1944Ju 87Lebedyn — Shpola
3311 April 1944PZL P.24Syrka
3419 April 1944He 111north of Iaşi
3528 April 1944Ju 87south-east of Vulturu
3629 April 1944Hs 129Horleşti
3729 April 1944Hs 129Horleşti
383 May 1944Ju 87Târgu Frumos — Dumbrăviţa
3931 May 1944Fw 190east of Vulturu
401 June 1944Ju 87Cuza Vodă
412 June 1944Hs 129west of Stânca
423 June 1944Fw 190Rediu Ului — Tătăr
433 June 1944Fw 190Rediu Ului — Tătăr
443 June 1944Fw 190north-west of Iaşi
457 June 1944Bf 109Pârliţa
468 June 1944Bf 109Cârpiţi
4722 September 1944Fw 190north-west of Strenči
4822 September 1944Fw 190south-west of Ramnieki — Daksty
4925 September 1944Fw 190north-west of Valmiera
5016 January 1945Fw 190south of Studziana
5110 February 1945Fw 190north-west of Mohrin airfield
5212 February 1945Fw 190west of Kinitz
5312 February 1945Fw 190west of Kinitz
5412 February 1945Fw 190Kietzer See Lake
5517 February 1945Me 262east of Alt Friedland
5619 February 1945Bf 109north of Fürstenfelde
5711 March 1945Fw 190north of Brünchen
5818 March 1945Fw 190north of Küstrin
5918 March 1945Fw 190north-west of Küstrin
6022 March 1945Fw 190north of Zeelow
6122 March 1945Fw 190east of Gusow
6223 March 1945Fw 190Werbig station
6317 April 1945Fw 190Wriezen
6417 April 1945Fw 190Kinitz

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. 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

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