Usually can't go wrong with Osprey books on matters, and they are cheap too:

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/pr...4&cat=0&page=1

:D Chock

Sorry, but I know very little about the Eastern front, other than what I have learned since buying IL-2 in 2001.


The story of the Russian fighter pilot Lilya Litvyak is the one which I would tell....

For your consideration...
In Russia, the 586th Women's Fighter Regiment was first to go to the front. Commanded by Tamara Kazarinova, they flew the Yak-7B and Yak-1, totalling 4419 operational sorties, and credited with 38 victories.

The principal role of this regiment was to drive off enemy bomber formations before they reached their targets. Encounters with Messerschmitt 109s escorting the bombers were common.

Squadron Commander Olga Yamshchikova flew 93 sorties, scored three confirmed victories, and after the war became the first Soviet woman to fly jet aircraft when she became a test pilot.

Lilya Litvyak("The White Rose") and Ekaterina Budanova both flew with the 586th. Maj Tamara Kazarinova noted they had a flair for individual combat so they were both transferred to join the men of the 73rd Fighter Regiment who were involved with some furious battles over Stalingrad. This was a different kind of combat for the girls, joining the Free Hunters and seeking out fighters.

When the women arrived, male pilots found it difficult to accept them. Many refused to have them fly as their wingman, some later relenting after the women proved they were more than capable. Many commanders wanted to protect them even though they continuously proved their abilities. The women flew their missions together.

Both Lilya Litvyak and Ekaterina Budanova became fighter aces. Ekaterina Budanova was credited with eleven victories, and Lilya Litvyak scored twelve official victories and three shared in her year with the 73rd Fighter Air Regiment before her Yak was lost on August 1, 1943.


Lidya 'Lilya' Liivyak, The White Rose"
Hero of the Soviet Union:

http://members.cox.net/wasaf2000/litvyak1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/wasaf2000/litvyak4124.jpg

http://members.cox.net/wasaf2000/litvyak.jpg


More about Lilya:
On each side of her YaK-1's cockpit she painted a white lily, often confused for a rose-hence the nickname. She was so fond of flowers, that she often picked wildflowers and carried them aloft on her missions. According to her mechanic, Inna Pasportnikova, she had a postcard with yellow roses in her instrument panel. The white rose on the fuselage became famous among the Germans, who knew better than to try to dogfight the familiar YaK-1, and usually tried to make good their escape before Litvyak got too close.

Litvyak was injured 3 times during her combat tour. All three injuries occured during the Spring and Summer of 1943, a period of intense combat activity. The first time was on March 15, the same day that she shot down a Junkers Ju-88 bomber, but got hit by their escorting Me-109s (she continued to fly and bagged another Ju-88!). She managed to land at her base, and passed out and she remained in a hospital until May.

When she came back, she was wounded again in combat on July 16 and 18 (the death-date of her comrade Ekaterina Budanova). Both times she landed in German-ocuppied territory, but got back to base on foot the first time, and was rescued by another fighter pilot who landed after her the second.

She was repeatedly successful in flying missions, although was finally killed in action over Orel, while escorting a unit of Shturmoviks returning from an attack on August 1, 1943. Because of her notoriety amongst the Germans, eight Messerschmitt Me-109's concentrated solely on Lilya's YaK-1, and it took all eight of them to finally shoot down the "White Rose of Stalingrad". Her body and aircraft were not found during the war, but a marble monument, with 12 gold stars-one for each enemy plane that she had shot down-was erected in her memory in Krasy Luch, in the Donetsk region. Litvyak had completed 168 missions, and had 3 shared victories in addition to her personal twelve. She was 22 years old when she died.

She is acclaimed as the world's highest scoring female Ace, and was awarded the Gold Star "Hero of the Soviet Union" medal.

Click here for Wikipedia's entry on Lilya Litvyak



.....On the other hand, there's always the possiblity of a story about an IL-2 pilot: Tamara Konstantinova, who survived the war and did not die until she was 80 years old. She also received the "Hero of the Soviet Union" medal.
http://members.cox.net/wasaf2000/konstantinova.jpg

the rose of stalingrad...
thats a very nice story, with a sad ending.
brave women of the soviet union.

HunterICX

Wonder if the Russian studios ever made a film about them?

I'll have to have a look.

Could you imagine a Hollywood version?

There not cheap for 70-90 pages only, I can pick up a book less than them with a good 250-300 pages. But with that aside there series like Campaign and Essential History along with the rest are good, I hunt around for cheaper prices.

The big screen movie version seems to have never gotten up and running:

A shame. Thing is looking at the cast for the first movie they were all English actors.

I think this is the kind of film that needs either Russian actors or ones who could be convincing as Russians, ie not Bob Hoskins as Krushchev eg Enemy At the Gates.

You could havea cracking flying film with som good sub plots. The intrigue of the era would provide plenty and you could have a romance thread in there too.

I think there is a Russo-Finnish film about the winter war that touches on the female pilots. Can't remember the name though.

Well theres been no movees done for a while..
So heres one from last nights campaign..

The 3 amigo's HUNTER/DOWLY/KRATOS :lol: take off on sortie *1 / Dowly hits the action early and scores his first kill / Hunter attempts to take out the aircraft and tanks on the airstrip below. /sadly he gets taken out of action by a tank.Dowly meanwhile gets back among the thick of things,unfortunately no kills for me this sortie, but hey it wasn't a bad landing on the return to base;)

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...22474526907767

Nice one mate! Just had a great sortie with Hunter & Xabbarus. We downed total of 9 enemy planes, need to make a movie out of it. ;)

Yep, got me one Yak and 2 I think Bombers.

Need more bomber intercept.

Can we also get a campaign with the Me-110 and Beaufighter. I love those two.

Come to think of it I'll make an online campaign, which area though? The desert? Would be good to mix up RAF, USSR and German planes.

Was a little bit late getting back to my pc tonight. didnt want to come in and spoil anything..hopefully next time :up:

Few kills from last night.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ghqzq-K4pSI

Yep!! very good matey. :up:

Whats that skin on your plane? Looks cool.:up: