Рыбин, Ю. В. Советские асы на Харрикейнах в годы Второй Мировой Войны / Юрий Рыбин . – [Б. м. ] : Osprey Publishing, 2012. – 97 с. : ил., портр. – Англ. яз.

the Soviet pilots in pursuit. It was at this point that the Finnish pilots started to make mistakes. The first to be shot down was Kalervo Ilmari Anttila, wingman of Lauri Ohukainen, who reacted too late to save him. Trailing a plume of black smoke, the damaged Brewster headed west, but the Finnish pilot did not make it back over the frontline. Nevertheless, having landed his damaged aircraft in a marsh, Anttila was able to return to friendly territory suffering nothing more serious than numerous bites from forest midges. Having lost his wingman, Lt Ohukainen managed to escape from his pursuers, but only for a short time. Flying at an altitude of 100 m (325 ft) over the waters of Segozero lake on full power, his B-239 (BW-372) was, to the pilot’s surprise, attacked by a pair of Hurricanes. Its engine was damaged in the first attack and its port side riddled. Thick black smoke immediately began pouring from the aircraft. The starboard side and fuel tank were set on fire in the second attack and the aircraft was engulfed in flames. Ohukainen landed on the water without reducing speed and the Brewster flipped over in the crash. Somehow the Finnish pilot survived the impact with the water and managed to escape from his sinking aircraft (which was recovered from the lake in 1998 and is now on display in the Finnish Air Force Museum). Ohukainen swam to shore, and after a 20 km (16-mile) walk, he was able to reach friendly troops. The Finnish pilot would later recall in his memoirs that his flight had faced a force of about 15 Hurricanes and MiGs. Moreover, he made a point of noting that the Hurricanes were more manoeuvrable and faster than the Brewsters. Judging by the reports made by pilots of 152nd IAP, it was senior political commissar V N Faerman who had forced the Finnish pilot to take his involuntary dip, Ohukainen being Faerman’s third victory with the Hurricane. In all, the Soviet pilots reported the destruction of three Brewsters. The second had been claimed by Snr Lt Gavrilov and Sgt I A Repin, the latter pilot having subsequently been killed in the same action. The Finns reported that seven Hurricanes had been destroyed, these being claimed as individual kills by pilots of 2./LeLv 24. However, 152nd IAP lost only Repin’s Hurricane (Z3096), the sergeant pilot having fought a single-handed battle that went unnoticed by his comrades. According to the Finns, Z3096 started a forest fire after hitting the ground. It is likely that Repin was burned along with the aircraft, and to this day he remains listed as missing without trace. On 6 August 152nd IAP’s two aces, Capt Gavrilov and Snr Lt Basov, came within a hair’s breadth of death during a reconnaissance sortie. By then both men had switched to the Kittyhawk I. Having photographed the Finnish airfield of Tiliksjarvi and then attacked it with two FAB-100 bombs, the Soviet pilots had to dodge bursts of flak as they set course for home. They were then bounced from above by five Brewsters of 2./LeLv 24, On 21 March 1942 Hurricane IIB Z3227 of 767th IAP crash-landed at Poduzhemye airfield after a training flight. The pilot, Jr Lt V I Grigoryev, had allowed his speed to drop too much on approach and the undercarriage and propeller were damaged in the subsequent hard landing 29 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ON THE K AR E LIA N FRONT