Description

Between 1918 and 1953 Soviet fighter pilots were involved in no less than ten separate air wars of varying length and intensity. During the period from June 1941 to May 1945, Soviet fighters were credited with more aerial victories than any of the other Allied nations. The most successful Soviet pilots of the various conflicts include Ivan Kozhedub, Grigorii Rechkalov, Alexandr Pokryshkin, Nikolai Gulayev, Kirill Yevstigneyev and Nikolai Shutt, each of whom was credited with more than 50 individual successes. This book includes brief biographies of more than 1000 pilots and of the fighter regiments they served. The Soviet unit structures, decorations, and wartime operations to which they relate are detailed, together with explanatory maps and illustrations of the aircraft. Aerial engagements from the Civil War to the Korean War are covered.