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.

W u lf s destruction when he returned from the Kola Gulf, where he had been providing cover for patrolling vessels of the Northern Fleet that had been threatened by enemy fighter-bombers. Strelnikov was leading four Hurricanes when they encountered a similar number o f enemy fighters and became embroiled in a fast-moving battle. The Soviet pilots returned to base, having suffered no losses. The claim filed on 28 August followed a mission by eight Hurricanes, again led by Strelnikov, to an enemy airfield as part of a torpedo attack on German shipping. The mission could not be completed due to fog over the target area, but during their return flight the Hurricanes encountered eight Bf 109s, which they engaged. The ensuing battle was a ferocious one, and the German pilots succeeded in shooting down three Hurricanes. Sgts Mikhail Oganov (24 combat sorties) and Aleksey Kazankov (five) were killed, but Sgt Ivan Kondratyev (three combat sorties) managed to ditch his aircraft 30 m from the shore and was rescued. The surviving Hurricane pilots closed up into a defensive formation and set course for friendly territory, but the German fighters continued their pursuit as far as the Rybachiy peninsula, where they broke off the chase after coming under intense anti-aircraft fire. The Soviet pilots duly reported the destruction of three enemy fighters. Apart from Strelnikov’s victory, Jr Lts Viktor Kukibniy and Aleksey Mashonkin each claimed a kill - Kukibniy’s fourth and Mashonkin’s first. According to German records, however, only Bf 109G-2 Wk-Nr. 13618 suffered damage, and that came about when Unteroffizier Hans Vahle crash-landed at the end of the sortie. It is possible that the Messerschmitt, which was later written off could have suffered battle damage inflicted by pilots from 78th IAP. As previously noted by Strelnikov himself his memorable action on 14 September was his last as a Hurricane pilot. Soon afterwards 78th IAP was pulled back to the rear to re-equip with the P-40. In March 1944, after intensive training, the regiment returned to the front, but the nature of its operations changed with its conversion to the new fighter. The P-40 was employed mainly as a fighter-bomber, attacking both Seen here, from left to right, are 78th IAP squadron commander Capt Vasiliy Pronchenko, Jr Lt Grigoriy Dzheriev and Lt Vasiliy Strelnikov. Dzheriev had claimed a solitary Hurricane victory by the tim e he was killed in action on 14 September 1943 78th IAP Hurricane IIBs are prepared for their next combat mission at Vaenga-1. Note the additional external fuel tanks that w ere used to extend the fighters' range for attacks on enemy shipping 85 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com B A T T L E SOVER THE OCEAN