A photo from open sources
Hero of the Soviet Union, aerobatics master, who accepted participation in seven wars of his time, mastered flying on airplanes 297 types, received the highest award of the Motherland by order of himself Stalin, the pilot Ivan Evgrafovich Fedorov, as it turned out, was Hitler was also awarded – received from him the Knight’s Cross.
At the same time, Fedorov was not some kind of traitor, but rather, on the contrary, German command during the Great Patriotic War considered this ace pilot to be such a serious opponent that it was ready to take any step to destroy it. After all, Ivan Evgrafovich shot down a total of 134 German aircraft, spent six air rams, that is, the Nazis received from him, as says the full program. For which, in this case, the Fuhrer Germany awarded Fedorov? Really for his boundless courage and the highest professionalism?
A photo from open sources
It turns out, no. And it was like this:
In June 1941, just before the war, Fedorov was among the delegation of the Red Army Air Force, which got acquainted with the achievements Luftwaffe: there was such a practice at that time: you – to us at Looks, we are to you. Experimental at that moment German aircraft Heinkel-100 (see photo). This one was new model, not yet fully developed, so German pilots flew she was reluctant, and even aerobatics did not perform at all. But Hitler for some reason really loved this plane and considered it perfection.
A photo from open sources
It so happened that on that day a German pilot something he was late, and therefore volunteered to fly on the Heinkel-100 Soviet ace Fedorov. During this training flight, for which observed by the Reichsmarschall German Goering and Adolf Hitler himself, Ivan Evgrafovich showed such aerobatics that the Fuhrer came indescribable delight and publicly ordered to award the pilot (to his Unfortunately, he didn’t know that a Soviet Communist) Knight’s Cross. And although later it turned out that high the award was not addressed to anyone who should retreat was late – no one dared not fulfill Hitler’s order, and therefore Fedorov and received this Knight’s Cross.
A photo from open sources
What did the Soviet pilot do with this “high award”? is he nailed a cross to the heel of his boot and fought the whole war with such a here’s the German “burden” – instead of a horseshoe for good luck, probably …
War Time Germany Aircraft
