http://www.proza.ru/2013/07/06/11 На Русском языке. Переведено для англоговорящих.
Nazi Germany really needed success. after all defeats in Moscow, Stalingrad and the loss of the rule of aircraft in the skies of Kuban. Such success was the responsibility for the operation "Citadel”
Dmitry and Alexander received the direction to the 2nd Air Army, because there was coming to a head very big fights at Kursk and there were experienced pilots as always lacked.
The fact of transfer to another unit did not bring something pleasant, especially since it was already known about the hot battles in the skies of Kuban, where his comrades fought with Nazi
Sasha was given to Dmitri as the slave, with whom they had become friends during the time they flew together in Rostov liberation as a.
compensation that he parted with the native regiment Nothing can be so close as working together in the sky!
Dmitri was given a whole week off and getting the latest La-5 FN.
One should tell about the holidays more. The first of all, the holiday was given on the February 23, when Rostov had been already taken, and they had shot down "Rama" The second, Dmitry received a new appointment, and they had to be on March 12 on the new fighters, and the third new fighters were built in Tbilisi, where they flew to Stalingrad, to Volzhsk. Raya sad in Volzhsk! Finally, on February 23 regimental Li-2 flew to Volzhsk!!
Dmitri flew only 24. As always there was no weather. On the 24th of February there was no weather in Volzhsk, but the pilots landed the plane from the second attempt and and this landing had very surprised ground staff.
Dmitry ran to Raya after reporting to the local commanders and settled in the barracks. It was the same place where they had seen the last time. Of course, Raya was happy to see Dimitri There were no great work, because it was no injured. The aircraft flew into the distillation rare, and she wrote the report with a request to send her to the hospital as a nurse. As the nurses were required to front, it was satisfied with the report. She had to go to Voronezh on February 27.
Can you imagine the state of Dmitri? Two days had been lost!
They sat opposite each other, eyes to eyes and tears rolled from Raya's eyes. Dmitry tried to control himself, but it was not easy. She buried her face in his chest. Dmitry felt her warm hair and her breath, and... it was worth living thanks to that moment
She departed in a body of the lorry on the February 27, on the gray and sad early morning. It was chilly, there was no mood!
At last, the vacation had finished and mechanics prepared aircraft, flight plan agreed and at 11.00 the fighters full of fuel, gently bouncing went to take off.
After take-off, they headed to the north-west and in hour and half had rolled on the airfield in Voronezh. There they had reported and refueled and flew to Shchigry, small airfield near Kursk, to the place of permanent dislocation.
Early spring, mud and puddles, and it got frozen in the evening. There were no flights and no mood also. It lasted for almost two weeks and everybody were very tired to wait. At last, the airfield became dry and there was given one day to fly for training, not to lose the skills. The German airfields were flooded too and it was calm in the air.
The work had already began. It was flying to escort bombers and attack aircraft. The main task was not to short down the enemy plane but to give the opportunity the bombers to bomb the target, because bombing of target was more important than to short down a little fighter. Sometimes, nearby, flew very tasty target, but the order was the order. All the bombers sent the bombs to the destination. Dmitry and Alexander had not even opportunity to fight against the Nazis.
May and June were not much different from the April raids. Soviet bombers had just ironed the sky. But Dmitri wanted to fight!
Raya knew where had been Dmitry, and Dmitri knew where was Raya. There were only 300 miles between them but they could not meet.
It seemed that everything calm before the storm.
The storm broke out on July 5 by the powerful artillery barrage at 2.20 and at 2.30 regiment was raised in the air. They escorted IL-2.
It was still dark. Everything was in smoke, but the flames of fire were already playing on the horizon. They bombed squares. The bombing of the squares. This low accuracy, no particular purpose. The air was clean, the Nazis all thought about what had happened, felt the loss.
They landed in the dark, a spotlight backlit the thin strip. The regiment returned unscathed. Dmitri got out of the cocpit and sat down near the wheel, removing the helmet. It was hot, bloomed, thundering explosions, the Germans began their offensive. On that day, flying on IL's support continued before evening, with dinner break in 10 minutes.
They met with the Junkers several times. They had excellent position for a successful attack. Nobody of them did not tempted! A couple of times Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs attacked, but faced with defense had to went out.
The regiment lost 10 planes in that day. It was difficult to say how much the Germans lost.
Dmitry made 6 flights, the last was ат 20.25. In an hour and half the night came and Dmitry and Alexander felt down то the bed. There were no forces to undress. They felt asleep, only hit the pillow.
It was barely passed 6:00 how they informed that a large formation crossed the front line and moving in the direction of Shchigry. There were a great number airfields! Dmitry and Alexander were on duty.
Dmitry and Alexander jumped into the cocpit and started the engine. They had to wait a few minutes. Junkers-88 were on the combat course. Dmitri began to run and Alexander did the same. He followed 80 meters behind.
Junkers finished a diving and a bomb with a whistle flew to the ground. Dmitry's fighter took off at the very moment when the 200 kilogram bomb fell down in front of Alexander ...
But Dmitry did know that he had the time just to remove the chassis. Junkers was strictly on course, 50-60 meters higher. Dmitry pull handle and Junkers filled the entire scope. He pulled the trigger and both 20 mm cannon shells flew out.
Junkers turned into a fireball and fell down the ground and turned into a flaming streams, burning gasoline..
Dmitry was pulling the handle on himself and to the left. The fighter rapidly gained the height and turned to the left. The height was already 900 meters when the plane turned back track and flew in the opposite direction. In front of him, the other Junkers hollow swoop and little behind the other, on the left side. It was about 3 kilometers between Dmitry's aircraft and the nearest
Junkers, or about 10-15 seconds.
Dmitry turned the fighter into a dive and opened fire with all the guns. The bullets cut off the space where Teutonic Knights did not ought to go .
The height was 50-70 meters. On the opposite course crazy Russian rushed and fired. The land with a wild howl rushed to him. A poor Teutonic Knights had to turn away to the left. Behind him at the same speed flew another Teutonic knight who prayed to his God that all bullets and shells from the ground would not reach him. In general, not expecting such terrible maneuver from his comrade, both hated Nazis collided and turned into a fireball.
At the same moment, Dmitry pulled the handle to himself and the fighter rapidly climb about 1800 meters. The available energy had finished. At this height, after climbing, the fighter lost the airspeed. Dmitri looked back. A pair of Focke-Wulf quickly approached him spewing out all guns and machine guns several kilograms of lead. It was already known that Focke-Wulf-190 had the biggest volley of all the fighters in the world!
The decision came instantly. Dmitry gave the handle away from himself.
The fighter
obediently responded and the whole stomach too. Everything inside stomach wanted to jump out, and Dmitri out of the chair. The blood rose to his head and it was nasty ...
The bullets and shells fired from the Focke-Wolf raced side by side, but Dmitri continued to push the handle away from himself. Several bullets and shells were hit the plane in the fairing, and it responded with a loud thud. All he bullets and shells were intended for Dmitri's murder. The armor back saved him. But the fighter-slave, which was behind the leader and shot with the larger angle hiting the starboard and then Dimitri's shoulder . There was black in the eyes, hand numb, but continued to squeeze the control handle.
The altimeter height spun down, it was only 800 meters and the fighter finally started to lift the nose. The right arm did not feel anything. Dmitry changed the hands from right to left. The right arm hung limply but the altitude was 400 meters and plane's nose started lifted little yet.
Here Dmitry twisted half-roll. Now he pulled the knob to himself. The altimeter was unscrew the height slowly and finally stopped. Dmitry was flying just on 50 meters "Everything is good now. The sky is above, the hand is hanging, the temperature of the head of the cylinder is almost the norm ... It's hot ... nobody on the tail. The airfield is on course, in smoke. Junkers has gone..."
"The tracers are on the left Fockers, bitches, bastards ... " Dmitry squeezed the handle by the left hand He turned a roll and lost the speed. Focke-Wulf was skipped forward, and at the same moment Dmitry pressed the trigger. The shells teared Fokker to shreds, and it debris flew down , exploded and turned into a fireball.
"Only fly, just hold on, there are no forces. The blood is on the cabin floor .
Only fly!"
"The rate is 200, the height is 100, chassis is going on, the landing without flaps, the wing in the holes. (if the flaps are damaged, and can bank or even roll over, so landing without it)
The smoke on course, burning wreckage ... The land is in the smoke. Can not see anything ... I must retract landing gear, belly landing. The chassis is not removed, there is hydraulic leak.
There are flashes land. The landing before the strip."
Dmitry held on to the handle with his left hand. He pulled it to himself and switched off the engine. In the beginning, gently, and then with increasing amplitude of the plane bounced across the field, closer to the strip, and then pecked his nose, tipped over and froze.
Dmitry hit his head.
His bloodied body was removed from the cockpit and laid gently on a stretcher
and he was taken to hospital..