Fighting at any time was the lot of men. This was especially true of military operations in the sky. However, there were also exceptions in the Great Patriotic War. The pilot Lydia Litvyak became such an event.
Even now, only representatives of the strong half of the world's population fly on military fighters: exorbitant overloads, fractions of seconds to make a decision, perfect knowledge of all the technical characteristics of the machine and its capabilities in critical situations. It is very difficult to imagine a fragile girl driving such a complex mechanism.
Choice
For eight months in aviation, she made 168 sorties, fought with enemy fighters 89 times. Lydia Vladimirovna was named the most charming and feminine pilot. It entered the lists of the elite of combat aviation during the Great Patriotic War thanks to its aggressive and effective combat technique.
The biography of the heroic pilot began in 1921 in Moscow. The future heroine pilot was born on August 18. Little is known about the girl's family. Mother Anna Vasilievna worked as a dressmaker or salesman, father Vladimir Leontyevich was a railroad worker. The orphanage was called Lilya. This name went down in history with her.
From an early age, the child fell in love with the sky and airplanes. Lida aspired to the profession of a pilot. From the age of fourteen she studied at the Chkalov Central Aero Club. At the age of 15 she first took to the sky on her own She received her education at the Kherson Flight School. Becoming an instructor pilot, she trained 45 cadets. She had a unique ability to see the air, according to colleagues.
Since the beginning of the war, girls were taken to the front only by nurses. Marina Raskova obtained permission from the Commander-in-Chief to form combat female units. The first three air regiments were formed in October 1941. Lydia was led by the famous pilot. Lydia withstood both training, lasting half a day, and the accelerated pace of training.
The beginning of the battles
After a superbly passed exam for piloting the "hawk", Lydia went to the front in the 586th Aviation Regiment. The first sortie took place in the spring of 1942. Aviation defended the Volga from enemy bombers. From April 15 to September 10, Litvyak made 345 flights. She escorted transport aircraft carrying important cargo and conducted patrols. The regiment was transferred to Stalingrad.
The girl opened a personal combat account during the second flight on September 13, shot down by a Ju-88 bomber. Then the Me-109 was destroyed. His pilot, knight's cross, could not believe that a fragile blonde girl had hit him. On September 27, a Yu-28 was shot down. On December 22, 1942, the experienced fighter pilot was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad".
According to some sources, after the battle with the German ace, a white lily appeared on the hood of the Litvyak plane. By flower Lydia, nicknamed the White Lily of Stalingrad, added after each successful battle. At the end of September 1942, the fighter pilot was transferred to the 437th regiment. The highest results were achieved by the remaining members of Litvyak and Budanova.
"White Lily" was enrolled in the group of "free hunters". Their tasks included surveillance of enemy aircraft. On January 8, 1943, Lydia was transferred to 1296 AIS. Since the beginning of the year, the pilot has covered ground troops and accompanied the attack aircraft. On February 5, 1943, she was presented to the Order of the Red Star.
On February 11, an enemy bomber and fighter were destroyed. After the enemy Ju-88 was shot down in the April sky near Rostov, the girl's plane was damaged.
War and family
With difficulty Litvyak made it to the airfield. The brave pilot was admitted to the hospital. However, a week later she returned to the regiment. The next flight took place on May 5. Lydia accompanied the bombers. During an enemy attack, the pilot shot down a Me-109.
In the spring of 1943, changes took place in the girl's personal life. She met Alexei Solomatin, her future husband, a fighter pilot. The enemy successfully used a spotter balloon in combat. It was reliably covered by anti-aircraft guns and fighters.
Lydia's fight, which lasted less than a minute, ended in a brilliant victory. On July 16, 1943, in a battle with the Messerschmitts and Junkers, they were shot down, but the Litvyak plane was also shot down. The wounded Lydia refused treatment. On June 20, the pilot was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. At that time, she had already made 140 sorties.
On August 1, Lydia ascended into the sky four times. She shot down 3 enemy aircraft. Three times the girl returned to the airfield. During the last battle, the pilots of the group lost sight of each other near Shakhtyorsk, not far from the village of Dmitrovka. The fellow soldiers hoped that Lydia was alive, they were looking for her.
The pilot girl was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree. It was not possible to find out anything about her fate for a very long time.
Memory of the heroine
The search was resumed in 1971 by young rangers from the city of Krasny Luch. In 1979, they established that the pilot had died near the Kozhevnya farm.
In May 1990, Lydia Vladimirovna was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The name Litvyak is included in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest number of victories won by a female pilot.
Lydia's name is given to the gymnasium in Red Ray. A monument is erected in the city. In the anime "Assault Witches" the name of the pilot is mentioned as one of the heroines of the plot. A documentary film "Roads of Memory" was shot about the pilot.
In 2014, the documentary series The Beautiful Regiment was created. It was opened by the head "Lilya". Also shown is the fictional TV serial "Fighters". Litvyak became the prototype of Lydia Litovchenko.
