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.

‘My group went into battle and we incurred losses. One of my Il-2s was shot down. Very soon in my group only my pair remained, but I managed to take the ground attack aircraft to the point where they commenced their runs against the ships. The German convoy opened fire on them with a furious, and accurate, barrage. The German fighter pilots, now at risk from their own anti-aircraft defences, stopped pursuing the ground attack aircraft and instead headed to where the Il-2s would be completing their attack runs so as to deal with them there. I could see what the Germans were planning, so I rushed there with my wingman. After nine or ten Il-2s had completed their attacks, my wingman was shot down by a direct hit from a large-calibre shell [Jr Lt Aleksey Mashonkin was killed on his 48th combat sortie —Author]. I was now alone. ‘Joining the combat formation of ground attack aircraft, I started to cover the Il-2s from the rear in conjunction with their air gunners. The environment had become much more difficult for us as there were now 19 Me 109s bearing down on the Ilyushins. I was alone. The Il-2 pilots were all experienced, and they stayed close to the water to deny the Germans an opportunity to attack from below. This made my task o f countering attacks from the Me 109s rather easier. ‘Having repelled another attack from an enemy fighter and then returned to my place in the formation, I noticed another German machine on its own lining up for an attack on the trailing group of Ilyushins. I came up right next to the enemy pilot, and I can clearly recall that he was wearing a grey balaclava helmet and gloves. I let him overtake me a little and then turned in behind him and hit his fighter in the starboard side using all my guns. The fighter turned over and went down. It was just like on the firing range. However, minutes later my situation took a turn for the worse. ‘An Me 109 was bearing down on me and, after a series of attacks, someone scored a hit with a shell in the starboard section o f the Hurricane’s wing where the fuel tank was located. My fighter caught fire, forcing me to leave the ground attack aircraft and head back to the Sredniy peninsula, and our airfield, at full speed. This was very risky, but I was lucky. I flew some 80 km [50 miles] in my burning aircraft, and having reached friendly territory, I prepared to land. I opened the canopy, unfastened the harness and began to lower the undercarriage. It was only then that I fully realised just how serious the fire was. ‘After the undercarriage had been lowered, the blaze spread rapidly. Flames entered the cockpit and I started to burn. I had only one option —to ditch immediately. But I had so little time, and had to do so with the undercarriage down and with no reduction in speed. As soon as the wheels touched the water, the aircraft tipped sharply Patrol vessels of the Northern Fleet in Kola Bay. During the spring and summer of 1943, fierce air battles w ere fought over shipping in this bay, w ith Hurricane units often experiencing heavy losses at the hands of JG 5 83 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com BATTLES OVER THE O C E A N