Lydia Litvyak

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak

Born 18 August 1921
Moscow, Russian SFSR
Died 1 August 1943 (aged 21) Krasnyi Luch, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union Allegiance Soviet Union Service/branch Soviet Air Force Years of service 1941–1943 Rank Senior Lieutenant Unit 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment 73rd Guards Fighter Regiment Battles/wars Eastern Front of World War II Awards Hero of the Soviet Union Also knows as "Lilya" "White Lily of Stalingrad" "White Rose of Stalingrad"

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (Russian: Лидия Владимировна Литвяк; 18 August 1921, in Moscow – 1 August 1943, in Krasnyi Luch), also known as Lilya, was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during World War II.[1] Historians estimates for her total victories range from five to twelve solo victories and two to four shared kills in her 66 combat sorties.[2][3][4][5][6] In about two years of operations, she was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first of two female fighter pilots who have earned the title of fighter ace and the holder of the record for the greatest number of kills by a female fighter pilot. She was shot down near Orel during the Battle of Kursk as she attacked a formation of German aircraft.

Contents 1 Early life 2 World War II 2.1 Women's regiment 2.2 Men's regiment 2.3 Free hunter 2.4 Last mission 3 Recognition and controversy 3.1 Death controversy 3.2 Number of kills 4 Character and private life 5 In popular culture 5.1 Stage play 6 Decorations 7 Aerial victories (credited) 8 See also 9 References 9.1 Notes 9.2 Bibliography Early life Lydia Litvyak was born in Moscow into a Russian family.[7] Her mother Anna Vasilievna Litvyak was a shop assistant, her father Vladimir Leontievich Litvyak (1892–1937) worked as a railwayman, train driver and clerk; during the Great Purge he was arrested as an "enemy of the people" and disappeared.[8][9] Lydia became interested in aviation at an early age. At 14, she enrolled in a flying club. She performed her first solo flight at 15, and later graduated at Kherson military flying school. She became a flight instructor at Kalinin Airclub,[10] and by the time the German-Soviet war broke out, had already trained 45 pilots.[11]

World War II Women's regiment After the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Litvyak tried to join a military aviation unit, but was turned down for lack of experience. After deliberately exaggerating her pre-war flight time by 100 hours, she joined the all-female 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Air Defense Force,[12] which was formed by Marina Raskova. She trained there on the Yakovlev Yak-1 aircraft.

A wrecked Junkers Ju 88: Litvyak's very first kill was an aircraft of this type Men's regiment Litvyak flew her first combat flights in the summer of 1942 over Saratov. In September, she was assigned to the 437 Fighter Regiment, a men's regiment fighting over Stalingrad. On 10 September she moved along with Yekaterina Budanova, Mariya Kuznetsova and Raisa Beliaeva, the commander of the group, and accompanying female ground crew, to the regiment airfield, at Verkhnaia Akhtuba, on the east bank of the Volga river. But when they arrived the base was empty and under attack, so they soon moved to Srednaia Akhtuba.[13] Here, flying a Yak-1[14] carrying the number "32" on the fuselage, she would achieve considerable success.[15] Boris Yeremin (later lieutenant general of aviation), a regimental commander in the division to which she and Budanova were assigned, saw her as "a very aggressive person" and "a born fighter pilot".[16]

Restored Messerschmitt Bf 109G: The first fighter shot down by Litvyak was an aircraft of this type, flown by Luftwaffe ace Unteroffizier Erwin Meier.[17] In the 437th Fighter Regiment, Litvyak scored her first two kills on 13 September, three days after her arrival and on her third mission to cover Stalingrad, becoming the first woman fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.[18] That day, four Yak-1s—with Major S. Danilov in the lead—attacked a formation of Junkers Ju 88s escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 109s.[19] Her first kill was a Ju 88 which fell in flames from the sky after several bursts. Then she shot down a Bf 109 G-2 "Gustav" on the tail of her squadron commander, Raisa Beliaeva.[19][20] The Bf 109 was piloted by a decorated pilot from the 4th Air Fleet, the 11-victory ace[1] Staff Sergeant Erwin Maier of the 2nd Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53. Maier parachuted from his aircraft, was captured by Soviet troops, and asked to see the Russian ace who had shot him down. When he was taken to Litvyak, he thought he was being made the butt of a Soviet joke. It was not until Litvyak described each move of the fight to him in perfect detail that he knew he had been shot down by a woman pilot.[1] But according to other authors, the first air victory by a female pilot was achieved by Lieutenant Valeriya Khomyakova of the 586th Regiment when she shot down the Ju 88 flown by Oblt. Gerhard Maak of 7./KG76 on the night of 24 September 1942.[5]

On 14 September, according to some authors, Litvyak shot down another Bf 109.[21] Her victim was probably Knight's Cross holder and 71-kill experte Lt. Hans Fuss (Adj.II./JG-3), injured in aerial combat with a Yak-1 on 14 September 1942 in Stalingrad area, when his G-2 fuel tank was hit, his plane somersaulted during the landing when he ran out of fuel flying back to base. He was critically injured, lost one leg and died of his wounds 10 November 1942.[22] On 27 September, Litvyak scored an air victory against a Ju 88, the gunner having shot up the regiment commander, Major M.S. Khovostnikov.[19] Possibly Ju 88A-4 "5K + LH" of Iron Cross holder Oblt. Johann Wiesniewski, 2./KG 3, MIA with all crew members.[23] Some historians credit it as her first kill.[5]

Free hunter Litvyak, Beliaeva, Budanova and Kuznetsova stayed in the 437th Regiment for a short time only, mainly because it was equipped with LaGG 3s rather than Yak-1s, that the women flew, and was lacking the facilities to service the latter. So the four women were moved to the 9th Guards Fighter Regiment. From October 1942 till January 1943, Litvyak and Budanova served, still in the Stalingrad area, with this famous unit, commanded by Lev Shestakov, Hero of Soviet Union.[18]

In January 1943, the 9th was re-equipped with the Bell P-39 Airacobras and Litvyak and Budanova were moved to the 296th Fighter Regiment (later redesignated as the 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment) of Nikolai Baranov, of the 8th Air Army, so that they could still fly the Yaks.[24] On February 23, she was awarded the Order of the Red Star, made a junior lieutenant and selected to take part in the elite air tactic called okhotniki, or "free hunter", where pairs of experienced pilots searched for targets on their own initiative.[25] Twice, she was forced to land due to battle damage. On 22 March she was wounded for the first time.[26] That day she was flying as part of a group of six Yak fighters when they attacked a dozen Ju 88s. Litvyak shot down one of the bombers but was in turn attacked and wounded by the escorting Bf 109s. She managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt and to return to her airfield and land her plane, but was in severe pain and losing blood.[27] While in 73rd Regiment, she often flew as wingman of Captain Aleksey Solomatin, a flying ace with a claimed total of 39 victories (22 shared). On May 21,[14] while training a new flyer, Solomatin was killed in front of the entire regiment in Pavlonka when he flew into the ground. Litvyak was devastated by the crash and wrote a letter to her mother describing how she realized only after Solomatin's death that she had loved him.[25]

Senior Sergeant Inna Pasportnikova, Litvyak's mechanic during the time she flew with the men's regiment, reported in 1990 that after Solomatin's death, Litvyak wanted nothing but to fly combat missions, and she fought desperately.[28]

Litvyak scored against a difficult target on 31 May 1943: an artillery observation balloon manned by a German officer. German artillery was aided in targeting by reports from the observation post on the balloon. The elimination of the balloon had been attempted by other Soviet airmen but all had been driven away by a dense protective belt of anti-aircraft fire defending the balloon. Litvyak volunteered to take out the balloon but was turned down. She insisted and described for her commander her plan: she would attack it from the rear after flying in a wide circle around the perimeter of the battleground and over German-held territory. The tactic worked—the hydrogen-filled balloon caught fire under her stream of tracer bullets and was destroyed.[29]

On 13 June1943, Litvyak was appointed flight commander of the 3rd Aviation Squadron within 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.[25]

Litvyak made an additional kill on 16 July 1943.[30][31] That day, six Yaks encountered 30 German Ju 88 bombers with six escorts. The female ace downed a bomber and shared a victory with a comrade, but her fighter was hit and she had to make a belly landing.[31] She was wounded again but refused to take medical leave. She shot down one Bf 109 on 19 July 1943, probably 6-kill ace Uffz. Helmuth Schirra, 4./JG-3 (MIA, Luhansk area).[32] Another Bf 109 kill followed two days later on 21 July 1943, possibly Bf 109G-6 of Iron Cross holder and 28-kill experte Lt. Hermann Schuster 4./JG-3(KIA, near Pervomaysk, Luhansk area).[33][31]

Last mission

Krasnyi Luch wall of Honor to the Heroes of War and Labor. Litvyak took off for her last mission from an airfield close to this city, where a museum dedicated to her is located. On August 1, 1943, Litvyak did not come back to her base at Krasnyy Luch. It was her fourth sortie of the day, escorting a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. As the Soviets were returning to base near Orel,[6] a pair of Bf 109 fighters[28] dived on Litvyak while she was attacking a large group of German bombers. Soviet pilot Ivan Borisenko recalled: “Lily just didn’t see the Messerschmitt 109s flying cover for the German bombers. A pair of them dived on her and when she did see them she turned to meet them. Then they all disappeared behind a cloud.” Borisenko, involved in the dogfight, saw her the last time, through a gap in the clouds, her Yak-1 pouring smoke and pursued by as many as eight Bf 109s.[34]

Borisenko descended to see if he could find her. No parachute was seen, and no explosion, yet she never returned from the mission. Litvyak was 21 years old. Soviet authorities suspected that she might have been captured, a possibility that prevented them from awarding her the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.[35]

Two German pilots are believed to have shot down Litvyak: Iron Cross holder and 30-kill experte Fw. Hans-Jörg Merkle of 1./JG.52, Knight's Cross holder and future 99-kill experte Lt, or Hans Schleef, of 7./JG 3. Merkle is the only pilot that claimed a Yak-1 near Dmitryevka on 1 August 1943, his 30th victory. (Dmitrijewka is where she was last seen and was – reportedly – buried.) This occurred before being rammed and killed by his own victim (Luftwaffe combat report of collision: 3 km east of Dmitrievka). While Schleef claimed a LaGG-3 (often confused in combat with Yak-1s by German pilots) kill on the same day, in the South-Ukraine area where Litvyak's aircraft was at last found.[36][37]

Recognition and controversy In an attempt to prove that Litvyak had not been taken captive, Pasportnikova embarked on a 36-year search for the Yakovlev Yak-1 crash site assisted by the public and the media. For three years she was joined by relatives who together combed the most likely areas with a metal detector.[35] In 1979, after uncovering more than 90 other crash sites, 30 aircraft[35] and many lost pilots killed in action, "the searchers discovered that an unidentified woman pilot had been buried in the village of Dmitrievka... in Shakhterski district." It was then assumed that it was Litvyak and that she had been killed in action after sustaining a mortal head wound.[25] Pasportnikova said that a special commission was formed to inspect the exhumed body and it concluded the remains were those of Litvyak.[38]

On 6 May 1990, USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev posthumously awarded her the title Hero of the Soviet Union.[39] Her final rank was senior lieutenant, as documented in all Moscow newspapers of that date.[citation needed]

Death controversy Arguments have been published that dispute the official version of Litvyak's death. Although Yekaterina Valentina Vaschenko, the curator of the Litvyak museum in Krasnyi Luch has stated that the body was disinterred and examined by forensic specialists, who determined that it was indeed Litvyak,[40] Kazimiera Janina Cottam claims, on the basis of evidence provided by Yekaterina Polunina, chief mechanic and archivist of the 586th Fighter Regiment in which Litvyak initially served, that the body was never exhumed and that verification was limited to comparison of a number of reports.[41] Cottam, an author and researcher focusing on Soviet women in the military, concludes that Litvyak made a belly-landing in her stricken aircraft, was captured and taken to a prisoner of war camp.[41] In her book published in 2004, Polunina lists evidence that led her to conclude that Litvyak was pulled from the downed aircraft by German troops and held prisoner for some time.[42]

Gian Piero Milanetti, author of a recent book about Soviet aviatrixes,[43] wrote that an airwoman parachuted in the approximate location of the alleged crash landing of Litvyak's aircraft. No other Soviet airwomen operated in that area, so Milanetti believes the pilot was Litvyak, probably captured by the enemy.[citation needed]

A television broadcast from Switzerland was seen in 2000 by Raspopova, a veteran of the women's night bomber regiment. It featured a former Soviet woman fighter pilot who Raspopova thought may have been Litvyak. This veteran was wounded twice. Married outside of the Soviet Union, she had three children. Raspopova promptly told Polunina what she inferred from the Swiss broadcast.[42]

Number of kills There is no consensus among historians about the number of aerial victories scored by Litvyak. Russian historians Andrey Simonov and Svetlana Chudinova were able to confirm five solo and three team shootdowns of enemy aircraft plus the destruction of the air ballon with archival documents.[2] Various other tallies are attributed to her, including eleven solo and three shared plus the balloon,[26] as well as eight individual and four team. Anne Noggle credits her with twelve individual and two team shootdowns.[44] Pasportnikova stated in 1990 that the tally was eleven solo kills plus the balloon, and an additional three shared.[45] Polunina has written that the kills of famous Soviet pilots, including those of Litvyak and Budanova, were often inflated; and that Litvyak should be credited with five solo aircraft kills and two group kills, including the observation balloon.[42]

Litvyak was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Star, and was twice honored with the Order of the Patriotic War.[citation needed]

Character and private life Litvyak displayed a rebellious and romantic character.[46] Returning from a successful mission, she would "buzz" the aerodrome and then indulge in unauthorised aerobatics, knowing that it enraged her commander.

Litvyak could also be superstitious, as Paspotnikova testified:

She never believed that she was invincible. She believed that some pilots had luck on their side and others didn't. She firmly believed that, if you survived the first missions, the more you flew and the more experience you got your chances of making it would increase. But you had to have luck on your side.[47]

Despite the predominantly male environment in which she found herself, she never renounced her femininity, and would carry on dyeing her hair blonde, sending her friend Inna Pasportnikova to the hospital to fetch hydrogen peroxide for her.[46] She would fashion scarves from parachute material, dyeing the small pieces in different colors and stitching them together and would not hide her love of flowers, which she picked at every available occasion, favoring red roses. She would make bouquets and keep them in the cockpit, which were promptly discarded by the male pilots who shared her aircraft[48]

Her comrade Solomatin is believed to have been her fiancé, and after his death, she wrote to her mother:

You see, he was not my type, but his insistence and his love for me convinced me to love him... and now, it seems I will never meet someone like him ever again.[46]

The novel Vernis iz Poleta[49] ("Return from Flight") by Natalya Kravtsova fictionalizes the death of Solomatin, stating that he was killed when he ran out of ammunition while battling with a German Bf 109 fighter plane over his own airfield. In this version, Litvyak and others at the airfield watched the fight and witnessed his death.[citation needed]

Litvyak was called the "White Lily of Stalingrad" in Soviet press releases; the white lily flower may be translated from Russian as Madonna lily. She has also been called the "White Rose of Stalingrad" in Europe and North America since reports of her exploits were first published in English.[50]

In popular culture Litvyak is the major character in Mary Ann Cook's romanticized novel The White Rose, a fictional account of her wartime experiences.[51]

A heavily fictionalized Litvyak (called Natasha in the book) is the main character of Belinda Alexandra's novel "Sapphire Skies" [52]

Perhaps the most detailed work of literary fiction about Litvyak, her life, times and loves, was written by an American, M.G. Crisci, with no Russian ancestry, in cooperation with Valentina Vaschenko, the curator of the Lilya Litvyak Museum and School in Krasny Luch, Eastern Ukraine. The book entitled "Call Sign, White Lily,"[53] also contains never-before-seen photographs contributed by the museum.

Litvyak (along with Budanova) is depicted in Preston Poulter's comic book "White Lily". Issue 1 [54] was funded on Kickstarter in February 2017, #2 in April 2018, and #3 is in production.[citation needed]

Litvyak posed as a model for Sanya V. Litvyak, a character in Strike Witches.[citation needed]

In Zap Comix #11 (February 1985), graphic artist Spain Rodriguez dramatizes the fighter pilot's story in a ten-page narrative: "Lily Litvak, the Rose of Stalingrad."[55] The work is also included in Rodriguez's 1995 Fantagraphics Books anthology, "My True Story."[56]

In the RPC Authority universe, Hellsverg (the pen name of Indra M. Pratama) wrote a fictionalized version of Litvyak, who was a rogue member of the RAVAAF[57].

On March 22, 2019, director Andrei Chaliop announced a film about Lydia Litvyak to be filmed in conjunction with director Kim Druzhinin and produced by the 28 Panfilov studio. In July 2019 the Israeli Metal Band Desert Released a song named "Fortune favors the brave" about Lilly and her bravery in their album with the same name.[citation needed]

Stage play The play White Rose by Scottish playwright Peter Arnott portrays Litvyak's imagined political thoughts, with her character discussing war and Soviet women's resistance against Nazism. It was first performed on 22 May 1985 at the Edinburgh Festival, in the Traverse Theatre. Ken Stott and Tilda Swinton played the lead characters; the role helped advance Swinton's career. Swinton met her future husband John Byrne

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Litvyak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Litvyak

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (Russian: Лидия Владимировна Литвяк; 18 August 1921, in Moscow – 1 August 1943, in Krasnyi Luch), also known as Lilya, was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during World War II. Historians estimate for her total victories range from five to twelve solo victories and two to four shared kills in her 66 combat sorties. In about two years of operations, she was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first of two female fighter pilots who have earned the title of fighter ace and the holder of the record for the greatest number of kills by a female fighter pilot. She was shot down near Orel during the Battle of Kursk as she attacked a formation of German aircraft.

לידיה ליטבק

לידה 18 באוגוסט 1921
מוסקבה, הרפובליקה הסובייטית הפדרטיבית הסוציאליסטית הרוסית
נהרגה 1 באוגוסט 1943 (בגיל 21) דונבאס, אוקראינה מקום קבורה Dmytrivka, Donetsk Oblast כינוי "ליליה" או "השושנה הלבנה של סטלינגרד" השתייכות הצבא האדום - חיל האוויר הסובייטי תקופת שירות אוקטובר 1941 - 1 באוגוסט 1943 דרגה סטרשי לייטננט (סגן) תפקידים בשירות טייסת קרב פעולות ומבצעים מלחמת העולם השנייה - קרב סטלינגרד עיטורים גיבורת ברית המועצות, עיטור הכוכב האדום, עיטור לנין, עיטור הדגל האדום, עיטור המלחמה הפטריוטית הגדולה (פעמיים), אלופת הפלות תפקידים אזרחיים מדריכת תעופה הנצחה מוזיאון לידיה ליטבק

לידיה ליטבק (ברוסית: Лидия Владимировна Литвяк, לידיה ולדימירובנה ליטבק,‏ 18 באוגוסט 1921 - 1 באוגוסט 1943) הייתה טייסת קרב יהודייה[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] - סובייטית, גיבורת ברית המועצות, שהייתה הטייסת-אישה הראשונה אי פעם שהפילה מטוס אויב בקרב אווירי, ואחת משתי נשים-טייסות בלבד שזכו בתואר "אלוף הפלות" - Ace. הפילה במלחמת העולם השנייה לפחות 12 מטוסי אויב של הלופטוואפה, יותר מכל אישה טייסת עד היום.

תוכן עניינים 1 קורות חיים 1.1 מלחמת העולם השנייה 1.2 אלופת ההפלות - Ace 1.3 נפילתה 1.4 "השושנה הלבנה של סטלינגרד" 2 לאחר מותה 3 ראו גם 4 לקריאה נוספת 5 קישורים חיצוניים 6 הערות שוליים

קורות חיים

ליטבק נולדה במוסקבה ב-1921. היא סיימה בית ספר יסודי בלבד ואז החלה ללמוד תעופה במועדון התעופה קלינינסקי ובבית הספר לטיסה חרסונסקויה. את טיסת הסולו הראשונה שלה ביצעה כבר בגיל 15.

ב-1937 הוכרז אביה ולדימיר ליטבק כ"אויב המדינה" ונעלם במערכת הגולאגים של סטלין, כשהוא מותיר מאחוריו את האם לגדל לבדה את ליטבק הצעירה ואת אחיה יורי. עד רגעיה האחרונים של ליטבק, הסיוט הגדול ביותר שלה היה שמא תיעלם אף היא ללא עקבות כמו אביה, דבר שאכן אירע, גם אם גופתה נעלמה למשך 36 שנים ולא לעולמים, כמו אביה (ראו הרחבה להלן).

מלחמת העולם השנייה עד 1941 שימשה ליטבק כמדריכת תעופה במועדון התעופה קלינינסקי. ב-1941 התמוטטה הברית בת השנתיים בין גרמניה הנאצית לברית המועצות (הסכם ריבנטרופ-מולוטוב), עקב פלישת גרמניה לברית המועצות. ברית המועצות החליפה צדדים כתוצאה מכך, והצטרפה למדינות הברית שלחמו בנאצים ולמלחמת העולם השנייה, שהתנהלה כבר אותה עת במשך כשנתיים. ליטבק ביקשה להצטרף לשורות חיל האוויר של הצבא האדום מיד עם פרוץ המלחמה.

באוקטובר 1941 הוקמה יחידה חדשה של חיל האוויר הסובייטי, שהורכבה כולה מנשים בלבד ונקראה "קבוצה 122". ליטבק צורפה אליה.

הנשים התאמנו במשך כשלושה חודשים בטיסה קרבית. ליטבק התאמנה על מטוס ה-יאק-1, שלאחר מכן שימש אותה במרבית הקרבות האוויריים שניהלה. בסיום האימונים חולקו הנשים-הטייסות לשלוש יחידות אויר נפרדות.

בינואר 1942 צורפה ליטבק ליחידה 586 החדשה של חיל ההגנה האווירית, שהייתה על טהרת הנשים. היא עתידה הייתה לשרת שם כשמונה חודשים. במסגרת זו עדיין הוקצו לה טיסות הגנתיות בלבד, ובמשך כל שמונת החודשים שלה ביחידה זו לא התגלה עדיין במלואו כשרונה האמיתי.

עם זאת, ככל הנראה כישורי הטיסה הייחודיים שלה ניכרו חלקית גם באותן משימות הגנתיות, משום שב-10 בספטמבר 1942 היא הועברה יחד עם עוד מספר קטן של נשים ליחידה אחרת של חיל האוויר הסובייטי, יחידה 437, שהייתה יחידה קרבית "רגילה", דהיינו, גברית לחלוטין עד אותו יום. את היחידה הזו הקצו הסובייטים לקרבות על סטלינגרד.

אלופת ההפלות - Ace ליטבק הפילה את מטוס הקרב הגרמני הראשון שלה, האישה הטייסת הראשונה בהיסטוריה שהפילה מטוס אויב בקרב אווירי, ב-13 בספטמבר 1942, שלושה ימים בלבד לאחר הגיעה ליחידתה החדשה. היא הפילה תחילה מפציץ גרמני, יונקרס Ju 88 (לפי מרבית המקורות) או היינקל He 111 (לפי אחד המקורות) ומיד אחריו, בהפרש של פחות מעשרים דקות, הפילה בדו-קרב מטוס קרב גרמני מסרשמיט Bf 109, שהיה בליווי של קבוצת המפציצים. הפלה זו הצילה את מפקדת המבנה, שאותו מטוס קרב היה על זנב מטוסה ועמד להפילה. טייס המסרשמיט היה אלוף הפלות גרמני מפורסם בשם ארווין מאייר, שעמדו לזכותו 11 הפלות של מטוסים סובייטים עד אותו יום ואשר זכה עד אז בעיטור צלב הברזל הגרמני לא פחות משלוש פעמים.[8] לכך יש להוסיף גם כי המסרשמיט 109 הגרמני נחשב בדרך כלל כעדיף טכנית בקרבות אוויר על פני היאק-1 הסובייטי, כך שהיה על ליטבק להתגבר גם על נחיתות טכנית מסוימת זו כדי לנצח.

ליטבק המשיכה להפגין כישורי טיסה ויכולות דו-קרב עילאיות שכאלה במשך כמעט שנה לאחר מכן, כשהיא עוברת במהלך השנה מספר יחידות אוויר שונות, שתחילה התרכזו בקרבות סביב סטלינגרד, ולאחר הניצחון הסובייטי שם, נעו צפונה ומערבה עם החזית המתקדמת. בנוסף ל-12 הפלות ודאיות שלה, היא הפילה ככל הנראה גם כמה מטוסי קרב גרמנים נוספים, אשר מסיבות שונות לא נכללו במניין ה-12. בין השאר, למשל, ב-14 בספטמבר, יום אחד בלבד לאחר הפלת שני המטוסים הראשונים שלה, היא הפילה ככל הנראה מטוס נוסף, אולם היות שלאחר המלחמה לא נמצאו דיווחים גרמניים שהתאימו מבחינת דגם המטוס המופל, תאריך ומקום נפילתו, לתיאור האירוע גם מהצד השני, לא הוכנס מטוס זה למניין המטוסים שהפילה. כך גם לא הוכנסו למניין לפחות ארבעה מטוסים נוספים אשר הופלו במשותף על ידה ועל ידי טייס סובייטי אחר, ועוד.

ב-23 בפברואר 1943, לאחר שהושלם הניצחון הסובייטי בסטלינגרד, קיבלה ליטבק את העיטור הראשון שלה, עיטור הכוכב האדום, והועלתה לדרגת סגן משנה. חודש אחר כך נפגע מטוסה באחד הקרבות שליוו את הצבא הסובייטי המתקדם מערבה, והיא נפצעה, אך הצליחה להנחית את מטוסה בשלום ולהינצל.

בחודשים הבודדים שנותרו לאחר מכן הספיקה ליטבק להיפצע שוב ושוב, ובאחד מהקרבות אף נאלצה לנטוש את מטוסה. סיפור הצלתה במקרה האחרון היה ייחודי: היא צנחה בלב אזור אויב. הנאצים סגרו עליה וכבר עמדו לשבות אותה. טייס עמית הנחית את מטוסו לידה, ותחת אש אויב היא הצליחה לקפוץ למטוס, שאפילו לא עצר עצירה של ממש, והשניים המריאו חזרה וניצלו.

בינתיים הספיקה ליטבק גם לעלות לדרגת סגן, וכן ישנה טענה כי בסביבות אפריל-מאי 1943 התארסה לאחד ממפקדיה, קפטן אלכסיי פרולוביץ' סולומטין, שהיה אלוף הפלות בעצמו. הטענה האחרונה הזו ככל הנראה איננה נכונה, אך לפי אחד ממכתביה האחרונים לאמה, היה ברור שהיא אכן התאהבה בו, אפילו אם לא התארסו רשמית. מכל מקום, סולומטין נהרג ב-21 במאי 1943 בתאונת אימונים, וקצת יותר מחודשיים אחריו, ב-1 באוגוסט 1943, הופל מטוסה של ליטבק וגם היא נהרגה.

בנוסף לעיטור הכוכב האדום קיבלה ליטבק בחייה גם את עיטור לנין, את עיטור הדגל האדום, ופעמיים את עיטור המלחמה הפטריוטית הגדולה. את עיטור גיבור ברית המועצות היא קיבלה רק שנים לאחר מותה (להלן).

נפילתה ב-1 באוגוסט 1943, לפי התקדמות הכוחות הסובייטים מערבה, היה בסיסה של ליטבק כבר במזרח אוקראינה, סמוך לעיר קרסני לוץ' (Красный Луч). היא יצאה כבר באותו יום לשלוש גיחות, והייתה זו גיחתה הרביעית לאותו יום, ממנה לא שבה. חבריה ראו כיצד שני מטוסי מסרשמיט 109 מתקיפים אותה, והיא נעלמת בתוך ענן. העדות האחרונה הייתה של טייס חבר שראה לא פחות משמונה מטוסי מסרשמיט דולקים אחריה, כאשר מטוסה מעלה עשן ונמצא בבריחה מהירה. לא נראה פיצוץ באוויר ולא נמצאו סמוך לאחר מכן שרידי מטוסה או גופתה. האזור שבו נעלמה היה מעל הכפר האוקראיני דמיטרייבקה (Dmitryevka), בדרום-מזרח אוקראינה.

"השושנה הלבנה של סטלינגרד" ליטבק נהגה לטוס תמיד כשבתא הטייס שלה זר פרחים טרי. בנוסף, נהגה לצייר על צדי מטוסה חבצלת לבנה, לכבוד כל אחד ואחד ממטוסי האויב שהפילה. גם הכינוי שלה, עוד מילדותה, היה "לילי" או "ליליה". מהר מאוד החלו לפיכך בצבא הסובייטי לכנותה "החבצלת (Lily) הלבנה של סטלינגרד". האויב הגרמני והמערב כולו טעו בזיהוי הפרח והחלו לכנותה "השושנה הלבנה של סטלינגרד", ושם זה דבק בה.

ישנה טענה שהשושנה או החבצלת הללו הם שהיו הגורם למותה. שמה יצא למרחוק והגרמנים היו נחושים בדעתם להפילה. יותר ויותר הם החלו להתמקד בקרבות האוויר במטוס שעליו צוירו הפרחים, ברגע שהיו מזהים אותו. לפי הטענה, מותה ב-1 באוגוסט 1943 היה פרי מארב גרמני מתוכנן. ברגע שבו זיהו את מטוסה של ליטבק, הם נטשו את כל המטוסים הסובייטים האחרים והתמקדו כולם בה ובניסיון להפילה. מכאן גם עדותו של הטייס הסובייטי האחרון שראה אותה, ואשר תיאר שמונה מטוסי מסרשמיט 109 רודפים אחריה.

לאחר מותה ליטבק הייתה מועמדת לקבלת עיטור גיבור ברית המועצות מיד לאחר מותה, אולם משתי סיבות נמנע הדבר באותה עת: ראשית, העובדה שגופתה לא נמצאה, כך ששרר חשש תאורטי כי אולי נפלה בשבי, חטא בל יכופר בתקופת סטלין; שנית, ההכרזה על אביה בשעתו כ"אויב המדינה", בעת הטיהורים הגדולים של סטלין.

המכשול הראשון הוסר ב-1979, עם גילוי גופתה ושרידי מטוסה ליד הכפר האוקראיני שמעליו נעלמה 36 שנים קודם לכן. עם זאת, הסרתו הסופית של מכשול זה התעכבה עד ל-1986, שנה לאחר עלייתו של מיכאיל גורבצ'וב לשלטון בברית המועצות ופתיחתה היחסית של המדינה - הגלסנוסט. לאחר בדיקות רבות הכריזו הסובייטים רשמית על מותה והוציאוה מרשימות הנעדרים שלהם. גם הסרתו של המכשול השני קשורה ככל הנראה לעלייתו של גורבצ'וב לשלטון. ב-6 במאי 1990, כארבע שנים לאחר שנקבע רשמית מותה של ליטבק בקרב, וכשנה לפני התפרקותה הסופית של ברית המועצות, היא הוכרה רשמית, ואחיה יורי קיבל עבורה בפועל את התואר "גיבורת ברית המועצות", 47 שנים לאחר מותה.

בעיר שבה שכן בסיסה האחרון של ליטבק, קרסני לוץ', הוקם מוזיאון לידיה ליטבק, המוקדש כולו לה ולחבריה הטייסים והטייסות של חיל האוויר הסובייטי במלחמת העולם השנייה. לידו אף מוצב פסל שלה.[9] בנוסף, נכתבו עליה ספרים ועוד יותר מכך, נכתבו ספרים שקיבלו את השראתם מסיפורה. בפסטיבל אדינבורו של 1985 הוצג מחזה המבוסס על דמותה, בכיכובם של קן סטוט וטילדה סווינטון.

בשנת 2019 החלה הפקת סרט קולנוע בשם "ליטבק", המבוסס על קורות חייה, בהפקת אולפני "28 אנשי פאנפילוב" בבימויו של קים דרוז'ינין, שמתכוון להפיק בתקציב של 300 מיליון רובלים ובסיוע קרן הקולנוע הרוסי. הצילומים מתוכננים להתחיל בפברואר 2020 כשהקרנת הבכורה מיועדת לסוף 2020 או תחילת 2021.[10][11]

ראו גם מכשפות הלילה קרב סטלינגרד יקטרינה בודנובה לקריאה נוספת Bill Yenne, The White Rose of Stalingrad: The Real-Life Adventure of Lidiya Vladimirovna Litvyak, the Highest Scoring Female Air Ace of All Time, Osprey Publishing, 2013 George Mellinger, Yakovlev Aces of WW2, Osprey Publishing, 2005 M.G.Crisci, Call Sign, White Lily - ספר המבוסס על סיפורה של לידיה ליטבק[12] Mary Ann Cook, The White Rose, 2012 - ספר נוסף המבוסס על סיפור חייה של ליטבק קישורים חיצוניים ויקישיתוף מדיה וקבצים בנושא לידיה ליטבק בוויקישיתוף "הטובות לטייס" , באתר נענע10 "Lydia Litvyak" , באתר Badass of the Week "Lilya Litvak - The "White Rose" of Stalingrad" , באתר WW2 Ace stories "Who was the White Rose of Stalingrad" , באתר ה-BBC "Hero of the Soviet Union Lilya Litvyak “The White Rose of Stalingrad" , באתר Voices from Russia קטע קול יובל מלחי, פרק 285: הטייסת היהודייה שהפחידה את הנאצים , באתר "קטעים בהיסטוריה", 26 בנובמבר 2018 יורם יובל, ‏השירות המשותף של לידיה ליטבק , באתר "ידיעות אחרונות", 28 ביולי 2017 הערות שוליים

"המכשפות באו בלילה" - 1 באפריל 2010 , בטאון חיל האוויר 192

אהוד ברק: "גם היום - להישמר מקריאות להשמדת עם", 9 במאי 2010 , באתר ערוץ 7

טייסים יראי שמיים: הדתיים של הקורס, 7 ביולי 2013 , באתר מעריב

"בין שואה לגבורה" , באתר חיל האוויר, 27 באפריל 2014

"עפו על עצמם – יהודים ותעופה" , באתר בית התפוצות, 20 בפברואר 2017

פרופ'  יורם יובל, "השירות המשותף של לידיה ליטבק", ynet,‏ 28 ביולי 2017

היה גם מי

שכפר בהיותה יהודיה, אבל אותה חוקרת שהיא המקור הראשי לטענות מכחישי יהדותה של ליטבק, גם העלתה במקביל "תאוריות קשר" אחרות לגביה, כמו למשל טענה כי כלל לא נהרגה כביכול, אלא ערקה אולי אל הנאצים, כי היא חיה אולי עד היום בשווייץ תחת שם אחר ועוד כיוצא בזה טענות

על לידיה ליטבק , באתר Badass of the Week

"The Memorial to Soviet Ace Lydia Litvyak"

Судьба и родина едины: Авторское кино, поддержанное Минкультуры , Кино-Театр.РУ

קדימון הסרט

באתר יוטיוב

Герой , Жінка-Онлайн (בuk-UA) https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%93%D7%99%D7%94_%D7%9C...

------------------------------

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak

Born 18 August 1921
Moscow, Russian SFSR
Died 1 August 1943 (aged 21) Krasnyi Luch, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union Allegiance Soviet Union Service/branch Soviet Air Force Years of service 1941–1943 Rank Senior Lieutenant Unit 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment 73rd Guards Fighter Regiment Battles/wars Eastern Front of World War II Awards Hero of the Soviet Union Also knows as "Lilya" "White Lily of Stalingrad" "White Rose of Stalingrad"

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (Russian: Лидия Владимировна Литвяк; 18 August 1921, in Moscow – 1 August 1943, in Krasnyi Luch), also known as Lilya, was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during World War II.[1] Historians estimates for her total victories range from five to twelve solo victories and two to four shared kills in her 66 combat sorties.[2][3][4][5][6] In about two years of operations, she was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first of two female fighter pilots who have earned the title of fighter ace and the holder of the record for the greatest number of kills by a female fighter pilot. She was shot down near Orel during the Battle of Kursk as she attacked a formation of German aircraft.

Contents 1 Early life 2 World War II 2.1 Women's regiment 2.2 Men's regiment 2.3 Free hunter 2.4 Last mission 3 Recognition and controversy 3.1 Death controversy 3.2 Number of kills 4 Character and private life 5 In popular culture 5.1 Stage play 6 Decorations 7 Aerial victories (credited) 8 See also 9 References 9.1 Notes 9.2 Bibliography Early life Lydia Litvyak was born in Moscow into a Russian family.[7] Her mother Anna Vasilievna Litvyak was a shop assistant, her father Vladimir Leontievich Litvyak (1892–1937) worked as a railwayman, train driver and clerk; during the Great Purge he was arrested as an "enemy of the people" and disappeared.[8][9] Lydia became interested in aviation at an early age. At 14, she enrolled in a flying club. She performed her first solo flight at 15, and later graduated at Kherson military flying school. She became a flight instructor at Kalinin Airclub,[10] and by the time the German-Soviet war broke out, had already trained 45 pilots.[11]

World War II Women's regiment After the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Litvyak tried to join a military aviation unit, but was turned down for lack of experience. After deliberately exaggerating her pre-war flight time by 100 hours, she joined the all-female 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Air Defense Force,[12] which was formed by Marina Raskova. She trained there on the Yakovlev Yak-1 aircraft.

A wrecked Junkers Ju 88: Litvyak's very first kill was an aircraft of this type Men's regiment Litvyak flew her first combat flights in the summer of 1942 over Saratov. In September, she was assigned to the 437 Fighter Regiment, a men's regiment fighting over Stalingrad. On 10 September she moved along with Yekaterina Budanova, Mariya Kuznetsova and Raisa Beliaeva, the commander of the group, and accompanying female ground crew, to the regiment airfield, at Verkhnaia Akhtuba, on the east bank of the Volga river. But when they arrived the base was empty and under attack, so they soon moved to Srednaia Akhtuba.[13] Here, flying a Yak-1[14] carrying the number "32" on the fuselage, she would achieve considerable success.[15] Boris Yeremin (later lieutenant general of aviation), a regimental commander in the division to which she and Budanova were assigned, saw her as "a very aggressive person" and "a born fighter pilot".[16]

Restored Messerschmitt Bf 109G: The first fighter shot down by Litvyak was an aircraft of this type, flown by Luftwaffe ace Unteroffizier Erwin Meier.[17] In the 437th Fighter Regiment, Litvyak scored her first two kills on 13 September, three days after her arrival and on her third mission to cover Stalingrad, becoming the first woman fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.[18] That day, four Yak-1s—with Major S. Danilov in the lead—attacked a formation of Junkers Ju 88s escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 109s.[19] Her first kill was a Ju 88 which fell in flames from the sky after several bursts. Then she shot down a Bf 109 G-2 "Gustav" on the tail of her squadron commander, Raisa Beliaeva.[19][20] The Bf 109 was piloted by a decorated pilot from the 4th Air Fleet, the 11-victory ace[1] Staff Sergeant Erwin Maier of the 2nd Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53. Maier parachuted from his aircraft, was captured by Soviet troops, and asked to see the Russian ace who had shot him down. When he was taken to Litvyak, he thought he was being made the butt of a Soviet joke. It was not until Litvyak described each move of the fight to him in perfect detail that he knew he had been shot down by a woman pilot.[1] But according to other authors, the first air victory by a female pilot was achieved by Lieutenant Valeriya Khomyakova of the 586th Regiment when she shot down the Ju 88 flown by Oblt. Gerhard Maak of 7./KG76 on the night of 24 September 1942.[5]

On 14 September, according to some authors, Litvyak shot down another Bf 109.[21] Her victim was probably Knight's Cross holder and 71-kill experte Lt. Hans Fuss (Adj.II./JG-3), injured in aerial combat with a Yak-1 on 14 September 1942 in Stalingrad area, when his G-2 fuel tank was hit, his plane somersaulted during the landing when he ran out of fuel flying back to base. He was critically injured, lost one leg and died of his wounds 10 November 1942.[22] On 27 September, Litvyak scored an air victory against a Ju 88, the gunner having shot up the regiment commander, Major M.S. Khovostnikov.[19] Possibly Ju 88A-4 "5K + LH" of Iron Cross holder Oblt. Johann Wiesniewski, 2./KG 3, MIA with all crew members.[23] Some historians credit it as her first kill.[5]

Free hunter Litvyak, Beliaeva, Budanova and Kuznetsova stayed in the 437th Regiment for a short time only, mainly because it was equipped with LaGG 3s rather than Yak-1s, that the women flew, and was lacking the facilities to service the latter. So the four women were moved to the 9th Guards Fighter Regiment. From October 1942 till January 1943, Litvyak and Budanova served, still in the Stalingrad area, with this famous unit, commanded by Lev Shestakov, Hero of Soviet Union.[18]

In January 1943, the 9th was re-equipped with the Bell P-39 Airacobras and Litvyak and Budanova were moved to the 296th Fighter Regiment (later redesignated as the 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment) of Nikolai Baranov, of the 8th Air Army, so that they could still fly the Yaks.[24] On February 23, she was awarded the Order of the Red Star, made a junior lieutenant and selected to take part in the elite air tactic called okhotniki, or "free hunter", where pairs of experienced pilots searched for targets on their own initiative.[25] Twice, she was forced to land due to battle damage. On 22 March she was wounded for the first time.[26] That day she was flying as part of a group of six Yak fighters when they attacked a dozen Ju 88s. Litvyak shot down one of the bombers but was in turn attacked and wounded by the escorting Bf 109s. She managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt and to return to her airfield and land her plane, but was in severe pain and losing blood.[27] While in 73rd Regiment, she often flew as wingman of Captain Aleksey Solomatin, a flying ace with a claimed total of 39 victories (22 shared). On May 21,[14] while training a new flyer, Solomatin was killed in front of the entire regiment in Pavlonka when he flew into the ground. Litvyak was devastated by the crash and wrote a letter to her mother describing how she realized only after Solomatin's death that she had loved him.[25]

Senior Sergeant Inna Pasportnikova, Litvyak's mechanic during the time she flew with the men's regiment, reported in 1990 that after Solomatin's death, Litvyak wanted nothing but to fly combat missions, and she fought desperately.[28]

Litvyak scored against a difficult target on 31 May 1943: an artillery observation balloon manned by a German officer. German artillery was aided in targeting by reports from the observation post on the balloon. The elimination of the balloon had been attempted by other Soviet airmen but all had been driven away by a dense protective belt of anti-aircraft fire defending the balloon. Litvyak volunteered to take out the balloon but was turned down. She insisted and described for her commander her plan: she would attack it from the rear after flying in a wide circle around the perimeter of the battleground and over German-held territory. The tactic worked—the hydrogen-filled balloon caught fire under her stream of tracer bullets and was destroyed.[29]

On 13 June1943, Litvyak was appointed flight commander of the 3rd Aviation Squadron within 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.[25]

Litvyak made an additional kill on 16 July 1943.[30][31] That day, six Yaks encountered 30 German Ju 88 bombers with six escorts. The female ace downed a bomber and shared a victory with a comrade, but her fighter was hit and she had to make a belly landing.[31] She was wounded again but refused to take medical leave. She shot down one Bf 109 on 19 July 1943, probably 6-kill ace Uffz. Helmuth Schirra, 4./JG-3 (MIA, Luhansk area).[32] Another Bf 109 kill followed two days later on 21 July 1943, possibly Bf 109G-6 of Iron Cross holder and 28-kill experte Lt. Hermann Schuster 4./JG-3(KIA, near Pervomaysk, Luhansk area).[33][31]

Last mission

Krasnyi Luch wall of Honor to the Heroes of War and Labor. Litvyak took off for her last mission from an airfield close to this city, where a museum dedicated to her is located. On August 1, 1943, Litvyak did not come back to her base at Krasnyy Luch. It was her fourth sortie of the day, escorting a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. As the Soviets were returning to base near Orel,[6] a pair of Bf 109 fighters[28] dived on Litvyak while she was attacking a large group of German bombers. Soviet pilot Ivan Borisenko recalled: “Lily just didn’t see the Messerschmitt 109s flying cover for the German bombers. A pair of them dived on her and when she did see them she turned to meet them. Then they all disappeared behind a cloud.” Borisenko, involved in the dogfight, saw her the last time, through a gap in the clouds, her Yak-1 pouring smoke and pursued by as many as eight Bf 109s.[34]

Borisenko descended to see if he could find her. No parachute was seen, and no explosion, yet she never returned from the mission. Litvyak was 21 years old. Soviet authorities suspected that she might have been captured, a possibility that prevented them from awarding her the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.[35]

Two German pilots are believed to have shot down Litvyak: Iron Cross holder and 30-kill experte Fw. Hans-Jörg Merkle of 1./JG.52, Knight's Cross holder and future 99-kill experte Lt, or Hans Schleef, of 7./JG 3. Merkle is the only pilot that claimed a Yak-1 near Dmitryevka on 1 August 1943, his 30th victory. (Dmitrijewka is where she was last seen and was – reportedly – buried.) This occurred before being rammed and killed by his own victim (Luftwaffe combat report of collision: 3 km east of Dmitrievka). While Schleef claimed a LaGG-3 (often confused in combat with Yak-1s by German pilots) kill on the same day, in the South-Ukraine area where Litvyak's aircraft was at last found.[36][37]

Recognition and controversy In an attempt to prove that Litvyak had not been taken captive, Pasportnikova embarked on a 36-year search for the Yakovlev Yak-1 crash site assisted by the public and the media. For three years she was joined by relatives who together combed the most likely areas with a metal detector.[35] In 1979, after uncovering more than 90 other crash sites, 30 aircraft[35] and many lost pilots killed in action, "the searchers discovered that an unidentified woman pilot had been buried in the village of Dmitrievka... in Shakhterski district." It was then assumed that it was Litvyak and that she had been killed in action after sustaining a mortal head wound.[25] Pasportnikova said that a special commission was formed to inspect the exhumed body and it concluded the remains were those of Litvyak.[38]

On 6 May 1990, USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev posthumously awarded her the title Hero of the Soviet Union.[39] Her final rank was senior lieutenant, as documented in all Moscow newspapers of that date.[citation needed]

Death controversy Arguments have been published that dispute the official version of Litvyak's death. Although Yekaterina Valentina Vaschenko, the curator of the Litvyak museum in Krasnyi Luch has stated that the body was disinterred and examined by forensic specialists, who determined that it was indeed Litvyak,[40] Kazimiera Janina Cottam claims, on the basis of evidence provided by Yekaterina Polunina, chief mechanic and archivist of the 586th Fighter Regiment in which Litvyak initially served, that the body was never exhumed and that verification was limited to comparison of a number of reports.[41] Cottam, an author and researcher focusing on Soviet women in the military, concludes that Litvyak made a belly-landing in her stricken aircraft, was captured and taken to a prisoner of war camp.[41] In her book published in 2004, Polunina lists evidence that led her to conclude that Litvyak was pulled from the downed aircraft by German troops and held prisoner for some time.[42]

Gian Piero Milanetti, author of a recent book about Soviet aviatrixes,[43] wrote that an airwoman parachuted in the approximate location of the alleged crash landing of Litvyak's aircraft. No other Soviet airwomen operated in that area, so Milanetti believes the pilot was Litvyak, probably captured by the enemy.[citation needed]

A television broadcast from Switzerland was seen in 2000 by Raspopova, a veteran of the women's night bomber regiment. It featured a former Soviet woman fighter pilot who Raspopova thought may have been Litvyak. This veteran was wounded twice. Married outside of the Soviet Union, she had three children. Raspopova promptly told Polunina what she inferred from the Swiss broadcast.[42]

Number of kills There is no consensus among historians about the number of aerial victories scored by Litvyak. Russian historians Andrey Simonov and Svetlana Chudinova were able to confirm five solo and three team shootdowns of enemy aircraft plus the destruction of the air ballon with archival documents.[2] Various other tallies are attributed to her, including eleven solo and three shared plus the balloon,[26] as well as eight individual and four team. Anne Noggle credits her with twelve individual and two team shootdowns.[44] Pasportnikova stated in 1990 that the tally was eleven solo kills plus the balloon, and an additional three shared.[45] Polunina has written that the kills of famous Soviet pilots, including those of Litvyak and Budanova, were often inflated; and that Litvyak should be credited with five solo aircraft kills and two group kills, including the observation balloon.[42]

Litvyak was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Star, and was twice honored with the Order of the Patriotic War.[citation needed]

Character and private life Litvyak displayed a rebellious and romantic character.[46] Returning from a successful mission, she would "buzz" the aerodrome and then indulge in unauthorised aerobatics, knowing that it enraged her commander.

Litvyak could also be superstitious, as Paspotnikova testified:

She never believed that she was invincible. She believed that some pilots had luck on their side and others didn't. She firmly believed that, if you survived the first missions, the more you flew and the more experience you got your chances of making it would increase. But you had to have luck on your side.[47]

Despite the predominantly male environment in which she found herself, she never renounced her femininity, and would carry on dyeing her hair blonde, sending her friend Inna Pasportnikova to the hospital to fetch hydrogen peroxide for her.[46] She would fashion scarves from parachute material, dyeing the small pieces in different colors and stitching them together and would not hide her love of flowers, which she picked at every available occasion, favoring red roses. She would make bouquets and keep them in the cockpit, which were promptly discarded by the male pilots who shared her aircraft[48]

Her comrade Solomatin is believed to have been her fiancé, and after his death, she wrote to her mother:

You see, he was not my type, but his insistence and his love for me convinced me to love him... and now, it seems I will never meet someone like him ever again.[46]

The novel Vernis iz Poleta[49] ("Return from Flight") by Natalya Kravtsova fictionalizes the death of Solomatin, stating that he was killed when he ran out of ammunition while battling with a German Bf 109 fighter plane over his own airfield. In this version, Litvyak and others at the airfield watched the fight and witnessed his death.[citation needed]

Litvyak was called the "White Lily of Stalingrad" in Soviet press releases; the white lily flower may be translated from Russian as Madonna lily. She has also been called the "White Rose of Stalingrad" in Europe and North America since reports of her exploits were first published in English.[50]

In popular culture Litvyak is the major character in Mary Ann Cook's romanticized novel The White Rose, a fictional account of her wartime experiences.[51]

A heavily fictionalized Litvyak (called Natasha in the book) is the main character of Belinda Alexandra's novel "Sapphire Skies" [52]

Perhaps the most detailed work of literary fiction about Litvyak, her life, times and loves, was written by an American, M.G. Crisci, with no Russian ancestry, in cooperation with Valentina Vaschenko, the curator of the Lilya Litvyak Museum and School in Krasny Luch, Eastern Ukraine. The book entitled "Call Sign, White Lily,"[53] also contains never-before-seen photographs contributed by the museum.

Litvyak (along with Budanova) is depicted in Preston Poulter's comic book "White Lily". Issue 1 [54] was funded on Kickstarter in February 2017, #2 in April 2018, and #3 is in production.[citation needed]

Litvyak posed as a model for Sanya V. Litvyak, a character in Strike Witches.[citation needed]

In Zap Comix #11 (February 1985), graphic artist Spain Rodriguez dramatizes the fighter pilot's story in a ten-page narrative: "Lily Litvak, the Rose of Stalingrad."[55] The work is also included in Rodriguez's 1995 Fantagraphics Books anthology, "My True Story."[56]

In the RPC Authority universe, Hellsverg (the pen name of Indra M. Pratama) wrote a fictionalized version of Litvyak, who was a rogue member of the RAVAAF[57].

On March 22, 2019, director Andrei Chaliop announced a film about Lydia Litvyak to be filmed in conjunction with director Kim Druzhinin and produced by the 28 Panfilov studio. In July 2019 the Israeli Metal Band Desert Released a song named "Fortune favors the brave" about Lilly and her bravery in their album with the same name.[citation needed]

Stage play The play White Rose by Scottish playwright Peter Arnott portrays Litvyak's imagined political thoughts, with her character discussing war and Soviet women's resistance against Nazism. It was first performed on 22 May 1985 at the Edinburgh Festival, in the Traverse Theatre. Ken Stott and Tilda Swinton played the lead characters; the role helped advance Swinton's career. Swinton met her future husband John Byrne

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Litvyak

Ли́дия (Лилия) Влади́мировна Литвя́к (18 августа 1921 — 1 августа 1943) — советская лётчица-ас истребительной авиации, командир авиационного звена, гвардии младший лейтенант, самая результативная женщина-пилот Второй мировой войны, Герой Советского Союза (5.05.1990, посмертно). Член ВЛКСМ. Погибла в возрасте неполных 22 лет в бою над Миус-фронтом. Посмертно была дважды повышена в звании — до лейтенанта в 1943 году и до старшего лейтенанта в 1990 году.

Лидия (Лиля) Литвяк родилась в Москве 18 августа 1921 года. Дочь рабочего-железнодорожника. С 1938 года была членом ВЛКСМ[3].

С 14 лет занималась в Кировском районном аэроклубе Москвы. В пятнадцать лет она уже совершила свой первый самостоятельный полет. Окончила курсы геологов и некоторое время работала по специальности, но затем вернулась к профессии лётчика. После окончания Херсонской авиационной школы лётчиков-инструкторов работала в Калининском аэроклубе Осоавиахима. Подготовила 5 выпусков курсантов (45 лётчиков).

Была призвана в армию Коминтерновским РВК Москвы в октябре 1941 года[1]. В 1942 году была зачислена в 586-й истребительный авиационный полк ПВО («женский авиаполк»), входивший в состав 144-й истребительной авиационной дивизии ПВО Саратовско-Балашовского дивизионного района ПВО[4], приписав недостающие 100 часов налёта. Освоила истребитель Як-1. Первый боевой вылет совершила в небе над Саратовом. В августе 1942 года в группе сбила немецкий бомбардировщик Ю-88.

В сентябре была переведена в 437-й истребительный авиационный полк (287-я истребительная авиационная дивизия, 8-я воздушная армия, Сталинградский фронт). 14 сентября во втором боевом вылете над Сталинградом сбила бомбардировщик Ю-88 и истребитель Me-109. Считается, что лётчиком сбитого Me-109 оказался немецкий барон, одержавший 70 воздушных побед, кавалер Рыцарского креста лейтенант Ганс Фусс[en], однако в сводке штаба 102-й иад ПВО — единственный сбитый в этот день Ме-109 был указан как победа старшины Гультяева[5]. 27 сентября в групповом воздушном бою с дистанции 30 метров поразила Ю-88.

В это время на капоте самолёта Лидии по её просьбе была нарисована белая лилия, и Литвяк получила прозвище «Белая лилия Сталинграда», и «Лилия» стала её радиопозывным.

Вскоре её перевели в 9-й гвардейский истребительный авиационный полк — своеобразную сборную лучших летчиков, созданную для завоевания превосходства в воздухе. Во время службы в полку в конце декабря 1942 года Литвяк уничтожила неподалёку от своего аэродрома бомбардировщик Do-217. В конце 1942 года она была переведена в 296-й ИАП.

11 февраля 1943 года в воздушном бою сбила 2 самолёта противника — лично Ю-88 и в группе FW 190. Вскоре в одном из боёв самолёт Литвяк был подбит, и она вынуждена была приземлиться на территории, занятой противником. Когда немецкие солдаты попытались взять её в плен, один из лётчиков-штурмовиков пришёл к ней на помощь: огнём из пулемётов заставил немцев залечь, а сам приземлился и взял Литвяк на борт.

17 февраля 1943 года Лидия Литвяк получила свою первую боевую награду — орден Красной Звезды[1].

22 марта в районе Ростова-на-Дону участвовала в перехвате группы немецких бомбардировщиков. В ходе боя ей удалось сбить один самолёт. Заметив шестёрку Me-109, вступила с ними в неравный бой, давая своим боевым товарищам выполнить боевую задачу. В ходе боя была тяжело ранена, но сумела привести повреждённый самолёт на аэродром.

После лечения была отправлена долечиваться домой, но через неделю снова была в полку.

5 мая 1943 года вылетела на сопровождение бомбардировщиков, в ходе боя сбила вражеский истребитель, ещё один сбила через 2 дня.

В конце мая Лидия Литвяк сбила вражеский аэростат — корректировщик артиллерийского огня, который не могли сбить из-за сильного зенитного прикрытия. Она углубилась в тыл противника, а потом из глубины, зайдя против солнца, сбила аэростат. За эту победу она получила орден Красного Знамени[6].

21 мая 1943 года погиб муж Лидии Литвяк Герой Советского Союза А. Ф. Соломатин.

15 июня Лидия Литвяк сбила Ю-88, а затем, отбиваясь от шестёрки немецких истребителей, сбила один из них. В этом бою она получила лёгкое ранение и в госпиталь ехать отказалась.

18 июля[%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C] в схватке с немецкими истребителями Литвяк и её лучшая подруга Катя Буданова были сбиты [1]. Литвяк удалось выпрыгнуть с парашютом, а Буданова погибла.

В конце июля — начале августа 1943 шли тяжёлые бои по прорыву немецкой обороны на рубеже реки Миус, закрывавшем дорогу на Донбасс. Бои на земле сопровождались упорной борьбой за превосходство в воздухе. 1 августа 1943 года Лидия Литвяк совершила 4 боевых вылета, в ходе которых сбила лично два самолёта противника и один — в группе. Из четвёртого вылета она не вернулась.

Командир полка представил Лидию Литвяк к званию Героя Советского Союза[7], но командиром дивизии награда была заменена на орден Отечественной войны I-й степени[8].

В послевоенные годы однополчане продолжали вести поиски пропавшей лётчицы. Найти удалось случайно в братской могиле в селе Дмитровка Шахтерского района Донецкой области. Её останки были обнаружены местными мальчишками у хутора Кожевня и захоронены 29 июля 1969 года в братскую могилу в селе Дмитровка как «неизвестная лётчица».

В 1971 году в ходе поисковых работ, проводимых поисковым отрядом 1-й школы города Красный Луч, установлено имя, увековеченное на месте захоронения в июле 1988 года[9].

В ноябре того же года приказом заместителя министра обороны СССР внесено изменение в пункт 22-й приказа Главного управления кадров от 16 сентября 1943 года в отношении судьбы Литвяк: «Пропала без вести 1 августа 1943 г. Следует читать: погибла при выполнении боевого задания 1 августа 1943 г.».

5 мая 1990 года Президент СССР подписал указ о присвоении Лидии Владимировне Литвяк звания Героя Советского Союза посмертно. Медаль «Золотая Звезда» № 11616 была передана на хранение родственникам погибшей героини.