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.

Pictured here during the spring of 1943 are (from left to right) the CO of 2nd GKAP, Maj P G Sgibnev, deputy CO for flying training, M a jA N Kukharenko, regimental commissar F P Pronyakov and head of regimental staff, Maj I F Antonov In this photograph of Maj Petr Sgibnev, taken at Vaenga-1 in the spring of 1943, he is wearing tw o Order of the Red Banner badges on his tunic but no HSU star. Sgibnev had received the Soviet Union's highest award for bravery in combat in October 1942. Note the Hurricane IIC armed w ith four 20 mm Hispano cannon parked in the background. The Northern Fleet Air Force had received a small number of these heavily armed aircraft in March 1943 Eventually, Sgibnev switched to the Airacobra, and it was while flying the Bell fighter that he filed his final three claims, for Bf 109s shot down, to take his score to 19. Then, during a training flight on 3 May, he performed a ‘climbing roll’ at too low an altitude and perished when his P-39 crashed. For several decades after the war, however, official documents insisted that Guards Maj Petr Sgibnev had met his death in battle. Curiously, most of the Northern Fleet pilots who had distinguished themselves during the first half of 1942 faded into obscurity in 1943. One such individual was Konstantin Babiy. By November 1942 his various successes earlier in the year had seen him promoted to lead the 1st Hurricane squadron of 78th IAP, but between then and June 1943 he added only one victory (a Bf 109) to his score. Babiy was subsequently sent on training courses to gain further qualifications, returning to the Northern Fleet Air Force in January 1944. He then completed further spells in command of various squadrons within 78th IAP and 54th SAP of the White Sea Flotilla Air Force through to war’s end. Babiy served post-war in the Pacific Fleet from 1946, and was transferred to the reserves in 1957 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. 67 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com AR CT IC WAR HOTS UP