Paying Tribute to One of the Night Witches

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (Russian: ????? ???????????? ??????; 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 estimate 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



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] dove 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 dove 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]

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]

On 6 May 1990, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev posthumously awarded her the title Hero of the Soviet Union

Wikipedia

She was one of the early members of the "Night Witches" group of female pilots who flew slow bi-planes to harass the German infantry; she later flew the more modern YAK-1 fighter in which she achieved a number of aerial combat victories against the Luftwaffe.

Lydia Litvyak, as an accomplished pilot, flew a variety of aircraft during her service, including Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-1B fighters. She became one of the highest-scoring female fighter pilots of the Soviet Union, credited with at least 12 solo victories and several shared victories. Sadly, she was killed in combat on August 1, 1943, at the age of 21.