Stepan Bakhaev was born on February 2, 1922 in the village of Dvurechki, now the Gryazinsky district of the Lipetsk region, into a peasant family. He graduated from 7 classes and a factory apprenticeship school in 1940. He worked as a blast furnace operator at the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and studied at the flying club. Since 1941 in the Red Army. In 1943 he graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation Pilot School.

Since July 1943, junior lieutenant S.A. Bakhaev served in the 515th Fighter Aviation Regiment and fought with it until the very end of the war.

By May 1945, Senior Lieutenant S.A. Bakhaev had completed 109 successful combat missions on Yak-7 and Yak-9 fighters. Having carried out 26 air battles, he shot down 12 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group with his comrades (3rd result in the regiment).

In the summer of 1950, Captain S.A. Bakhaev, as part of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (303rd IAD), left for the Far East.

At that time, it was necessary to retrain part of the air units of the 54th Air Army on new jet technology and at the same time carry out combat duty on the borders of Primorye.

List of famous victories of Senior Lieutenant S. A. Bakhaev in WWII:
(From the book by M. Yu. Bykov - “Victories of Stalin’s Falcons”. Publishing house “YAUZA - EKSMO”, 2008.)

On December 26, 1950, an American reconnaissance aircraft RB-29 invaded Soviet airspace, and a pair of MiGs from the 1st squadron of the 523rd IAP (leader - senior lieutenant S.A. Bakhaev, wingman - lieutenant N.) scrambled to intercept. K. Kotov) received an order to imprison the offender or destroy him. Over Cape Seysyura (the mouth of the Tyumen-Ula River), our pilots, after a short battle, shot down this Boeing.

In the spring of 1951, the regiment was sent to North Korea. There, from April 1951 to February 1952, Stepan Antonovich made 180 combat missions, personally shot down 11 enemy aircraft in 63 air battles, and 3 more victories did not receive official confirmation.

We managed to find confirmation of 10 victories, including:

1) A truly real battle took place on June 24, 1951 between American pilots from the 8th and 49th IBAG and Soviet pilots. On this day, a large group of F-80s attempted to carry out a bombing attack on one of the railway junctions in the Anshu area. At 8:13 a.m., 16 F-80 aircraft were discovered in the Sozan area, flying to the Anshu area at an altitude of 5,000 meters.

At 8:22, on command from the division command post, the 1st squadron, consisting of 10 MiG-15s under the command of the Guard squadron commander, Major A.P. Trefilov, carried out a combat sortie to intercept enemy attack aircraft in the Anshu area.

At 8:29 Trefilov, following his group at an altitude of 6000 meters in a battle formation with the left bearing of the links, 10 km southwest of Ansyu, at an altitude of 1500 - 2000 meters, he saw up to 16 F-80s, which were carrying out bombing attacks on the railway station Ansyu, and entered into battle with them.

Captain S.A. Bakhaev, following the pair of Major Trefilov, saw a pair of F-80s to his left at a distance of 1.5 - 2.0 km and approached them. Having passed the enemy on oncoming and intersecting courses, Captain Bakhaev made a left combat turn, and the pair of F-80s made a right turn. Bakhaev, with his pair, approached the pair of F-80s from above from behind and, approaching at a distance of 500 meters, opened fire on the follower aircraft. As a result of the attack, the F-80 was shot down and fell into the sea 15 km southwest of Rakocin. The leading F-80 noticed an attack by a pair of MiG-15s and flipped over with a sharp decline and went beyond the coastline. Captain Bakhaev left the attack with a left turn and climbed, after which he continued searching for the enemy in the given area.

In this battle, Bakhaev managed to seriously damage the F-80 of the pilot of the 36th Air Force of the 8th IBAG Telmadge Wilson and wound the pilot. Wilson managed to fly to his base and land his damaged plane, which was scrapped 4 days later.

2) On August 19, 1951, pilots of the 18th Guards IAP, consisting of 8 vehicles, together with a regimental group of 28 crews from the 523rd IAP, fought with 3 groups of Sabers with a total number of 24 - 30 vehicles, at 9:15 a.m. in the area Teishu. The pilots of the 18th regiment came under attack from a large group of Sabers and, while the pilots of the 523rd IAP arrived, suffered losses: Captain V.A. Sokhan and Lieutenant V.T. Kondratov were shot down. Moreover, both were shot down by the pilot of the 334th Air Force, 1st Lieutenant Richard Becker. Fortunately, both of our pilots managed to safely leave their damaged vehicles and return to their unit. The pilots of the 18th GvIAP managed to shoot down only one Saber, and Captain A.A. Kalyuzhny did it.

The pilots of the 523rd IAP who arrived in time gave the pilots of the 18th regiment the opportunity to leave the battle and had a short but fierce battle with two dozen Sabers. According to the reports of the regiment pilots who returned after this battle, Captain S.A. Bakhaev and Senior Lieutenant V.P. Filimonov managed to shoot down 2 Sabers, and Captain I.I. Tyulyaev and Senior Lieutenant A.M. Shevarev managed to damage 2 more " Sabre", without any losses. The plane of Senior Lieutenant A. A. Obukhov was only slightly damaged, but he returned safely to his airfield. However, for some reason, these victories were not counted by the corps command.

The American side again does not report any losses of its F-86s on this day, but the damage to one MiG was attributed to 1st Lieutenant Gill Garrett.

3) 09/19/1951. F-84E counted. In total, the corps pilots claimed 7 victories that day, but the enemy recognized only one: F-84E No. 51-528 from the 49th IBAG. Whether Bakhaev is the “author” of this victory can only be speculated for now...

4) 09/25/1951. F-86A counted. Shot down on a collision course, the Saber exploded in the air, and the debris fell 30 - 40 km south of Taysen. The Americans again did not recognize the losses. It’s strange, whose wreckage did the search services find?..

5) 09/26/1951. F-86A counted - crashed into the sea in the Juisen area. Again not confirmed by the Americans.

6) October 6, 1951. F-86A from the 336th AE of the 4th IAKR. This time they admitted...

7) October 23, 1951. B-29 No. 44-23347 from the 372nd AE 307th BAG (made it to the base in Kimpo, where it was scrapped). It was the so-called "Black Tuesday" of the US Air Force. On this day, 9 B-29s from the 307th BAG, under cover of 55 F-84s and 34 F-86s, attacked Namsi and Taisen airfields. 58 MiG-15s from the 303rd IAD and 26 MiG-15s from the 324th IAD took off to intercept them. During the battle, in addition to Bakhaev’s victory, 7 more B-29s were shot down and 1 (the last of the nine) was damaged. F-84E No. 50-1220 from the 111th AE of the 136th IBAKr was also lost, whose pilot J. Sheumecker died (he was shot down by Lieutenant L.K. Shchukin). Of the B-29 crews alone, 55 people were killed or missing and 12 were seriously wounded... The 64th IAK lost 1 MiG - senior lieutenant Khurtin from the 523rd IAP died from an attack by the commander of the 336th AE, Major R Creighton.

8) November 29, 1951. The F-86 shot down in the Junsen area was counted (again not confirmed by the Americans).

9) 01.1952. F-86E No. 50-0635 from the 16th Air Force of the 51st IAKr. Pilot John Logoyda was killed.

10) On January 18, 1952, another meeting took place between pilots of the 64th Corps and attack aircraft from the 49th IBAG. On this day, small groups of F-84Es operated near Andun, reaching target areas from the sea. During the battle, Bakhaev was seriously shot down by an F-84E with No. 51-669 from the 49th IBAG. The American pilot, although he flew to his base in Daegu, crashed during landing. Senior Lieutenant K.T. Shalnov also shot down one F-84, which he was not officially credited with.

For the courage and bravery shown in the performance of military duty, the deputy squadron commander of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, Captain S.A. Bakhaev, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 13, 1951.

Returning to the Soviet Union, he continued to serve in the Air Force. Since 1959, the flight technical inspector of the 523rd IAP, Major S. A. Bakhaev, has been in reserve. Lived in the city of Bogodukhov, Kharkov region (Ukraine). Died July 5, 1995.

Awarded the orders: Lenin, Red Banner (four times), Patriotic War 1st degree, Patriotic War 2nd degree, Red Star (twice); medals. A memorial plaque was installed in Lipetsk.

B Akhaev Stepan Antonovich - squadron commander of the 523rd Orsha Red Banner Order of Suvorov, Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky Fighter Aviation Regiment (303rd Fighter Aviation Division, 64th Fighter Aviation Corps), captain.

Born on February 2, 1922 in the village of Dvurechki, now Gryazinsky district, Lipetsk region, in a peasant family. Russian. Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1945. Graduated from 7th grade. After school, he went to the city of Lipetsk and entered the fruit and berry technical school, but soon fell ill with typhus and was expelled for lack of attendance. He got a job as a gas operator and blast furnace operator at the Lipetsk Metallurgical Plant. Along the way, Bakhaev attended an evening school at a technical educational institution and a flying club.

At the flying club, cadets studied the theory of flight and the U-2 aircraft. The quality of training was quite serious - for example, upon graduation in 1940, Bakhaev managed to make 140 flights on the Po-2.

In October 1940, he was drafted into the Red Army by the Lipetsk city military registration and enlistment office of the Voronezh region, and after seeing his service record, the military commissar, without any questions, wrote him a referral to flight school. Since January 1941 - cadet at the Krasnodar Military Aviation Pilot School (KVASHP).

By the beginning of the war, Bakhaev was only able to begin theoretical training, and then there was an evacuation. Despite the difficult conditions, by the time he graduated from school, cadet Bakhaev was able to master the Ut-2, UTI-4, I-16 and Yak-1. He graduated from KVASHP in March 1943. Sent to the 6th reserve air regiment of the Volga Military District.

From May 1943 - senior pilot, from the fall of 1943 - flight commander of the 515th Fighter Aviation Regiment (first as part of the 294th Fighter Aviation Division of the 4th Fighter Aviation Corps, then as part of the 193rd Fighter Aviation Division, 13th Fighter Aviation Corps, 16th Air Army). With this regiment, they went through a glorious battle path all the way to Berlin as part of the Steppe Front, from October to December 1943 - the 2nd Ukrainian Front, from July 1944 to May 1945 - the 1st Belorussian Front. Participated in the Belgorod-Kharkov operation, in the battle for the Dnieper, in the Belarusian, Vistula-Oder, East Pomeranian, and Berlin offensive operations. The regiment especially distinguished itself in the battles over Pomerania; for its great military successes it was given the honorary name “Pomeranian”.

During the Great Patriotic War, S.A. Bakhaev made 112 combat missions, took part in 28 air battles, in which he shot down 11 aircraft personally and 3 in a group. He became the regiment's third most successful pilot during the war. He was wounded in a combat mission on March 18, 1945, and returned to duty.

After the Victory, he continued to serve in the Air Force, in the same air regiment until November 1947 he served in the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany.

In December 1947, he was assigned to the 1st Squadron of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, which at that time was based in the city of Kobrin, Brest Region and was part of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division.

In August 1950, by decision of the command, the division began to be prepared for transfer to the Far East in Primorye. It became clear to absolutely everyone that they were being prepared to participate in the flaring up war in Korea. The personnel of the formation left Yaroslavl by rail trains, along with airplanes. The officers rode in the first echelon in their uniform. The echelons went ahead of schedule, however, even here the old Soviet habit worked, and the personnel were “appointed” as athletes.

The 523rd air regiment was based at Vozdvizhenka airfield, on the 18th at Galyonki airfield, and on the 17th at Khorol airfield. In Vozdvizhenka, the flight crew underwent normal flight training, interspersed with constant sorties to intercept state border violators - with the outbreak of the Korean War, American aircraft often violated Soviet airspace.

On December 26, 1950, the Bakhaev-Kotov pair, alerted, intercepted an American reconnaissance aircraft, identified by the pilots as B-29. Over Cape Seysyura, Soviet pilots shot down an intruder. True, after the Americans declared an official protest and an investigation began, the regiment commander chose to hide the fact of the battle itself, ordering the destruction of the film from the FKP, and it became known only in the 80s. It is worth adding to this that the Americans still do not report who was shot down in the area of ​​​​the Soviet-Korean border on December 26-27, 1950. According to the documents of the only American reconnaissance regiment in the area, one of the RB-29s was only damaged that day, not shot down. In March, the regiment was relocated to China, to the Mukden airfield.

As part of the regiment, Bakhaev took part in combat operations in Korea from May 28, 1951 to March 1, 1952, first as a deputy commander and then as a squadron commander. During this period, Major S.A. Bakhaev made 180 combat missions, flying 143 hours and 25 minutes. He took part in 63 air battles, he personally shot down 11 enemy aircraft - 3 F-80, 1 B-29, 2 F-84 and 5 F-86.

U Kazakh Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 13, 1951 for courage and bravery shown during the execution of a special government assignment to Major Bakhaev Stepan Antonovich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

In total, over the years of service, the outstanding ace had 23 personal and 3 group victories.

After the end of his Korean assignment, S.A. Bakhaev continued to serve as a squadron commander of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (303rd Fighter Aviation Division, 54th Air Army) in the Far East. Mastered the MiG-17 and MiG-17PF. Since October 1955 - senior instructor-pilot of the 30th Aviation Division. Since December 1958 - assistant commander for fire and tactical training of the 18th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (11th Mixed Aviation Corps, 1st Separate Far Eastern Aviation Army).

On April 26, 1959, Major Bakhaev, as an instructor, “took out” one of the regiment pilots on another night training flight. During landing, the plane got caught in the trees and fell. The pilots managed to eject, but Bakhaev suffered a sprained spine. I spent 3 whole months in the hospital. After treatment, the doctors’ verdict was unequivocal - “not fit to fly.” For Bakhaev, this was a blow that he could hardly bear. In October 1959, due to health reasons, he was dismissed.

Together with his family, Major Bakhaev left for the city of Bogodukhov, Kharkov region, Ukrainian SSR. For some time he rested, doing his favorite thing - growing gardens. From 1962 to 1973, Bakhaev worked at the Bogodukhovsky DOSAAF training center. At the same time, he carried out a lot of propaganda and military-patriotic work.

S.A. Bakhaev led a very active lifestyle - he spent a lot of time in the forest, fished, loved hunting, but 2 wars made their presence felt, and in 1980 and 1982 he suffered two strokes. Died on July 5, 1995. He was buried in the city cemetery in Bogodukhov.

Major (01/19/1952). Awarded the Order of Lenin (11/13/1951), four Orders of the Red Banner (08/22/1944, 06/15/1945, 10/10/1951, 01/23/1957), two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (11/23/1943, 03/11/1985), Patriotic War, 2nd degree (02/5/1945), two Orders of the Red Star (02/22/1955, 12/30/1956), the medal "For Military Merit" (05/17/1951), and other medals.

In the city of Lipetsk, a memorial plaque was installed on the house in which the Hero lived.

Born in the village of Dvurechki (Lipetsk region) on February 2, 1922. He graduated from a seven-year school and a factory school in 1940. He worked at a metallurgical plant as a blast furnace operator, and studied at the flying club. Since 1941 in the army, in 1943 he graduated from the Krasnodar Aviation School.

Service.

From 1943 he served in the 515th Fighter Regiment, in which he fought until the end of the war. Senior Lieutenant Bakhaev flew 109 combat missions on the Yak-7 and Yak-9. By the end of the war, he had fought 26 battles, shooting down 12 German aircraft.

In 1950, Captain S.A. Bakhaev, as part of the 523rd Aviation Regiment (303rd IAD), was sent to the Far East. Then it was necessary to retrain the air units of the 54th Air Army for jet technology and at the same time protect the borders in Primorye.

In December 1950, an American RB-29 reconnaissance aircraft invaded the country's airspace, 2 MiGs were scrambled to intercept, the leader, Senior Lieutenant Bakhaev, and the wingman, Lieutenant Kotov, were ordered to land the reconnaissance aircraft or destroy it. After a short battle, the pilots destroyed the Boeing.

In the spring of 1951, the regiment was sent to the DPRK, where, within a year, Stepan Bakhaev made 180 combat missions, participated in 63 air battles, and shot down 11 American aircraft.

Military biography.

A major air battle took place on June 24, 1951 between American pilots of the 8th and 49th IBAG and our pilots. A large group of F-90s tried to bomb a railway junction in the Anshu area. The 1st squadron, consisting of 10 MiG-15s, flew to intercept American attack aircraft. In the battle, Captain Bakhaev shot down one plane and damaged another, wounding the pilot. The American pilot was able to fly to his base and successfully land the downed plane, which was scrapped after 4 days.

Awards. Titles

In January 1952, there was another meeting between pilots and attack aircraft of the 49th IBAG. During the battle, Bakhaev seriously knocked out an F-84 from the 49th IBAG. This time the American was also able to fly to his base in Daegu, but crashed during landing.

For the courage and courage shown during air battles, Captain Bakaev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on November 13, 1951.

Upon returning home, S. A. Bakhaev continued to serve in the Air Force. Major Bakhaev retired in 1959. He lived in the city of Bogodukhov (Kharkov region). Passed away on July 5, 1995.

Recipient of the orders: Red Banner, Lenin (four times), Order of the Patriotic War 1st and 2nd degree, Order of the Red Star (twice), has honorary award medals. A memorial plaque for Stepan Antonovich was installed in Lipetsk.
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Born on February 2, 1922 in the village of Dvurechki, Lipetsk district, Voronezh region. He graduated from primary secondary school and the FZU school in the city of Lipetsk in 1940. He worked as a blast furnace operator at the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and studied at the local flying club. Since January 1941, he was a cadet at the Krasnodar Military Academy, which he graduated in March 1943 with the rank of junior lieutenant. Since March 30, 1943, pilot of the 6th ZAP of the Volga Military District. From May 4, 1943 - pilot, from January 24, 1944 - flight commander of the 515th IAP.

Participant of the Great Patriotic War since August 1943 as part of the 515th Fighter Aviation Regiment (193rd IAD, 13th IAK, 16th Air Army) as a senior pilot and flight commander, flew the Yak-1 and Yak-9 . By May 1945, Senior Lieutenant S.A. Bakhaev made 112 combat missions, in 28 air battles he personally shot down 12 and 3 enemy aircraft as part of a group. During a combat mission on March 18, 1945, he was slightly wounded by shell fragments in both legs and hands.

From October 21, 1947 to October 1955, he continued to serve as part of the 523rd IAP (303rd IAP). Then he continued to serve as a senior instructor-pilot of the 303rd IAD (54th Air Force). Since December 30, 1958, assistant commander for fire and tactical training of the 18th Guards IAP (11th SAC, 1st Separate Far Eastern Army). While protecting the air borders of the Motherland, in December 1950 he shot down a B-29 intruder in the Far East.

Since March 1951, he took part in providing international assistance to the peoples of the PRC and the DPRK during the war on the Korean Peninsula of 1950 - 1953, as a deputy squadron commander, squadron commander as part of the 523rd IAP. During the period from June 1951 to February 1952, Captain S. A. Bakhaev made 180 combat missions with a flying time of 143 hours and 25 minutes, participated in 63 air battles, in which he personally shot down 11 enemy aircraft. On November 13, 1951 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Since October 1959, Major S.A. Bakhaev has been in reserve. From 1962 to 1973 he worked at the DOSAAF training center in the city of Bogodukhov (Kharkiv region of Ukraine). Died July 5, 1995.

Awards: Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (11/23/1943 - for battles in the Second World War), Order of the Red Banner (08/22/1944 - for battles in the Great Patriotic War), Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree (02/05/1945 . - for battles in the Great Patriotic War), Order of the Red Banner (06/15/1945 - for battles in the Great Patriotic War), medal "For Military Merit" (05/17/1951 - for long service), Order of the Red Banner (10/10/1951). . - for battles in Korea), medal "Gold Star" No. 9288 (11/13/1951 - for battles in Korea), Order of Lenin (11/13/1951 - with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union), Order of the Red Star (22.02. 1955 - for a raid in SMU), Order of the Red Star (12/30/1956 - for long service), Order of the Red Banner (01/23/1957 - for the development of new technology), Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree (11.03 .1985 - to the 40th anniversary of the Victory).

* * *

The Korean War of 1950-1953 brought the names of several dozen “jet” aces into the history of air wars. Moreover, it is interesting that most of the Soviet aces had experience of the Great Patriotic War. However, a special place in this list is occupied by “ace No. 9” of this war, Stepan Antonovich Bakhaev, who, in addition to 15 planes shot down in the Great Patriotic War, also has 11 shot down in Korea and even one American reconnaissance trespasser!

Stepan Bakhaev was born on February 2, 1922 in the village of Dvurechki, now the Gryazinsky district of the Lipetsk region, into a peasant family. He was the youngest of 4 children. The family lived very poorly and it is not surprising that Styopa, after finishing 7th grade, moved to the city to look for a better life. He managed to enroll in a fruit and berry technical school, but soon fell ill with typhus and was expelled for lack of attendance. In order to survive, there was nothing left to do but get a job as a gas worker at the Lipetsk Metallurgical Plant. Leading a half-starved existence, on the advice of one of his older comrades, he signed up for the local flying club. The fact is that in those days, in order to attract young people, flying clubs also provided food! Along the way, Bakhaev also attends evening school at the Federal Educational Institution. At the flying club, cadets studied the theory of flight and the U-2 aircraft. The quality of training was quite serious - for example, upon graduation in 1940, Stepan managed to make 140 flights on the U-2. And when in October 1940 he was drafted into the army, there were no questions about where he would serve - after seeing his service record, the military commissar wrote out a referral to a flight school. So in January 1941, a simple guy from Lipetsk became a cadet at the Krasnodar Military Aviation Pilot School.

By the beginning of the war, he was only able to begin theoretical training, and then there was evacuation. Despite the difficult conditions, by the time he graduated from college, cadet Bakhaev was able to master the Ut-2, UTI-4, I-16 and Yak-1. The graduation certificate read: “Piloting technique on the UTI-4 and I-16 aircraft is excellent. Theoretical studies are excellent. Decisive, proactive and demanding. Disciplined. Interested in flying, endurance in flights. It is advisable to use it as a pilot in fighter aircraft.”

Thus, the young lieutenant was assigned to the 515th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which he arrived in the summer of 1943. It is worth noting that at that time the regiment was armed with Yak-1 aircraft and was based in the city of Belgorod (Kursk Bulge region). The regiment was commanded by Major Georgy Vasilyevich Gromov. The regiment at that time was part of the 294th IAD, and participated in combat operations on the Voronezh Front, armed with Yak-1 and Yak-7B fighters.

After a short build-up, the young pilot was thrown into battle. Already in the month of August, his flight logbook contained entries about 8 combat missions and participation in one air battle, in which the group shot down an FW-189 spotter. The details of this battle were established from regimental documents. In the evening, a trio of pilots from the 515th IAP, led by leading junior lieutenant M.F. Tryasak, was scrambled to intercept the “frame” in the Chuguev-Gorb area. In a short battle, the spotter was shot down, and the victory was recorded as a group victory on the accounts of all participants in this battle: junior lieutenants Tryasak, Nikulenkov and Bakhaev.

Then there were battles near Kharkov and Poltava, the regiment defended the bridgehead between the cities of Dnepropetrovsk and Dneprodzerzhinsk. Stepan Bakhaev won his first personal victory on September 10 near the village of Trofimovka, in the Kharkov region. Being a wingman of junior lieutenant A.V. Nikulenkov, they entered into battle with a pair of Me-109s: one was shot down by the leader, and the second was shot down by Bakhaev. Both enemy planes fell near the village of Trofimovka between 12:20 and 12:25.

After reorganization and rearmament with the Yak-9T at the end of 1943 in Kharkov, the regiment was relocated to Kirovograd, and then in the spring of 1944 it fought in Poland. South of Warsaw, Soviet troops crossed the Vistula and occupied a bridgehead, which the regiment's pilots defended from the air. By this time, the 515th IAP became part of the 193rd IAD (since February 1944), which became part of the 13th IAK RVGK, newly formed in December 1943, under the command of Major General Boris Arsenievich Sidnev.

After a short break in the offensive, in January 1945, the rapid advance of Soviet troops began towards Radom, Lodz, Poznan, and in February they reached the Oder to the cities of Frankfurt and Küstrin.

At that time, Senior Lieutenant Bakhaev was already a very trained pilot, having shot down 10 enemy aircraft. These successes were noted by the command and the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree (awarded on November 23, 1943) and the Order of the Red Banner (08/28/1944) were displayed on Stepan’s chest.

The regiment especially distinguished itself in the battles over Pomerania. By order of the Supreme High Command in March 1945, formations and units that distinguished themselves in breaking through enemy defenses east of the city of Stargard and capturing the cities of Berwalde, Tempelburg, Falkenburg, Dramburg, Wangerin, Labes, Freienwalde, Schiefelbein, Regenwalde and Kerlin were given the honorary name "Pomeranian". Among the units that distinguished themselves was the 515th IAP, which also received this honorary name.

One fight in particular is worth noting and has become widely known. On February 28, 1945, 20 Il-2 attack aircraft, 18 fighters of the cover group and 12 fighters of the strike group took off to attack the enemy Finowfurt airfield. The task had to be completed at the end of the day an hour before dark. When the strike group broke through to block the airfield, it met 10 enemy aircraft approaching the airfield for landing and attacked them. In a surprise attack, the pilots of the 515th IAP shot down 3 aircraft (one Yu-87 was at the expense of Senior Lieutenant S.A. Bakhaev). The German anti-aircraft gunners did not open fire, for fear of hitting their own.

At about 7 p.m., attack aircraft began approaching the airfield in groups. They attacked aircraft parking lots, anti-aircraft points, and warehouses. In total, according to Soviet data, fighters damaged 10 enemy aircraft on the ground and shot down 7 enemy aircraft in the air. In the book “Wings of Victory,” the commander of the 16th Air Army, Air Marshal S.I. Rudenko, highly evaluates the actions of the flight personnel during this period.

Stepan Bakhaev won his last victories on March 18, 1945, when a group of pilots of the 515th IAP, covering their troops, intercepted a large group of FW-190 attack aircraft in the Stettin-Altdamm area at 18:30 and in a 10-minute battle, scattered this group, destroying 5 enemy aircraft, without any losses. Two Fokkers with bombs were shot down by Bakhaev himself, 2 more were destroyed by junior lieutenant Rysin and another Fokker was destroyed by Lieutenant Kosenko. So the pilots of the 515th IAP prevented the bombing of their troops.

On April 28, 1945, the regiment was relocated to the Tempelhof airfield in Berlin. There were still pockets of German resistance around the airfield, and therefore the pilots were constantly fired upon from the roofs of nearby houses. The first to land at the airfield, after clearing the landing strip, was the regiment commander, Major Georgy Vasilyevich Gromov, with his wingman Yuri Dyachenko. The remaining crews landed in flights. However, heavy mortar fire was immediately opened on the planes. And only after the Katyusha rockets were fired at the identified points, the regiment was able to begin developing the new airfield, although rifle and machine-gun fire was not uncommon in the future.

On April 30, the last stronghold of fascism fell - the Reichstag. The red banner fluttered proudly above him. There were only a few days left until the end of the war. After the capture of the Reichstag, a group of regiment pilots arrived there. They left their signatures on the walls and columns and, of course, took photographs for memory.

There were no flights on May 2. There was silence at the airport. It was being prepared to receive captured Germans. At 4 p.m., the airfield was filled with defeated soldiers of Hitler's Reich - 40 thousand in total. As eyewitnesses write: “Whoever was here: soldiers, officers, generals, traitors to the Motherland - Vlasovites, Benderists, Bulbovites and other bastards. Where did their warlike appearance go? Some looked dejected, some oppressed, some angrily. Soon they were sent away. destination! Some to prisoner of war camps, some for further verification."

Since May 6, enemy aircraft no longer appeared in the air. And the next day, the pilots of the regiment were given a responsible and honorable task: a group of 18 fighters of the regiment under the command of Major Mikhail Nikolaevich Tyulkin would, on May 8, 1945, be an honorary escort as part of a combined group of 36 vehicles to accompany and protect the Douglas aircraft of the allies flying to the signing ceremony. unconditional surrender of Germany. Senior Lieutenant Bakhaev was also included in the group.

On May 8, Major V.N. Sukhopolsky was appointed flight director, and Lieutenant A.V. Nikulenkov was appointed flight duty officer. The technical staff carefully prepared the equipment, the planes were dispersed in groups of 6 one after another, parking areas for arriving planes were determined, the operation of radio stations was checked, and the weather forecast was clarified. The state of readiness was systematically reported to the regiment commander.

The duty officer was given a Willis car at his disposal, on the side of which was written in Russian, English and French: “Drive behind me!”

On May 8, operations at the airfield were clear and punctual. Representatives of the command, journalists, and photojournalists arrived. Flight duty officer Nikulenkov had to meet the arrivals, report on them and introduce them to the command as necessary.

The English plane was the first to land. Having approached him, the flight duty officer pointed to the side of the car with the inscription: “Take after me!” The English pilot nodded his head, then the rest of the planes landed and taxied to their designated parking areas. A large table was placed nearby, on which flags of the 4 allied states were fixed. A brass band was playing nearby. Representatives of our command were standing there. The guests were greeted by Army General V.D. Sokolovsky.

The Junkers without identification marks arrived later than everyone else. The attendant accepted him and placed him in the place assigned to him. The German generals who had arrived to sign the act of surrender came out of the plane in full dress uniform: Field Marshal Keitel, Fleet Admiral Friedeburg, Air Force Colonel General Stumpf and the officers accompanying them.

Soon A.I. Mikoyan arrived by plane. A passenger car drove into the airfield at high speed. Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov emerged from it. The anthems were played, a guard of honor passed, then everyone left in their cars to sign the act of unconditional surrender.

After the signing of the act of surrender, Allied planes took off from the Tempelgof airfield. Passing over the airfield, they shook their wings, and our fighters escorted them as an honorary escort to the Elbe and returned safely. The last one to fly was an unmarked plane.

During 19 military months, S. A. Bakhaev made (according to official data reflected in the flight log) 112 combat missions, took part in 28 air battles, in which he shot down 12 aircraft personally and 3 in a group. He became the 3rd most successful pilot in the regiment during the war.

Although the hostilities ended, the 515th IAP was still on German territory as part of the occupation forces even before November 1947. After taking a vacation, in February 1948, Bakhaev was assigned to the 1st squadron of the 523rd IAP, which at that time was based in Kobrin. It was here that the first child of the young family, son Valery, was born. It is worth noting that Stepan Antonovich’s wife was his fellow villager Maria Ivanovna, who worked as a nurse and then became a faithful life partner.

During this period, the re-equipment of the Air Force with jet technology began and the pilots of the 523rd regiment began re-equipping with the brand new Yak-15. True, the regiment did not stay in Belarus for long and in September it was transferred to Kostroma, where the pilots mastered the MiG-15. It is worth noting that the regiment was part of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division under the command of Georgy Ageevich Lobov. In addition to the 523rd, the division included the 18th and 17th IAPs, which were located in Yaroslavl.

In August 1950, by decision of the command, the division began to be prepared for transfer to the Far East in Primorye, and then to China. It became clear to absolutely everyone that they were being trained for the outbreak of war in Korea. The fears were confirmed by Marshal Moskalenko, who arrived shortly before the departure, who instructed the flight crew and, at the same time, recruited “volunteers” for the trip to China.

The personnel of the formation left Yaroslavl by rail trains, along with airplanes. The officers rode in the first echelon in their uniform, the echelons went outside the schedule, however, even here the old Soviet habit worked and the personnel were “appointed” as physical culturists. True, the trip was not without incident - when the officer train arrived in the city of Ussuriysk, heavy rains began here, which produced so much water that the rivers overflowed their banks and bridges on the Khabarovsk - Ussuriysk line were destroyed and the train with technical personnel and aircraft were cut off and were delayed in arriving in the city of Ussuriysk for 20 - 25 days.

As a result, the location of the 523rd IAP was determined to be the Vozdvizhenka airfield, which was flooded with water, the 18th Guards IAP - the Galenki airfield, and the 17th IAP - the Khorol airfield. It is interesting that, despite the expectations of the pilots in the Far East, the division was delayed until March 1951. In Vozdvizhenka, the flight crew underwent normal flight training, interspersed with constant sorties to intercept state border violators - with the outbreak of the Korean War, American aircraft often violated Soviet airspace.

For the time being, all clashes ended peacefully, but this continued until December 26, 1950. On that day, the Bakhaev-Kotov pair, alerted, was intercepted by an American reconnaissance aircraft, identified by the pilots as “B-29”. Over Cape Seysyura, Soviet pilots shot down an intruder. This is the report that was put on the table of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Force:

“On December 26, 1950, at 14:00, radar stations noted the approach of an unknown aircraft from the direction of Korea towards the state border of the USSR. Air Force aircraft were scrambled on alert...

Fighters in the area of ​​the mouth of the Tyumen-Ula River (border line with Korea) noticed an American B-29 aircraft approaching from Cape Seisyura (Korea), which, as the pilots later reported, approached our fighters and opened fire. As a result of the return fire from our fighters on the B-29, the left wing caught fire and the plane, turning towards the sea, sharply began to descend. This is also confirmed by radar data.

According to our pilots and the conclusion of the Air Force headquarters, an American B-29 plane was shot down and fell into the sea 50 miles south of Cape Seysyura. It should be noted that on December 27, in the morning, American B-29 aircraft in groups of 2 to 4 aircraft flew in the area where the plane crashed.

Lieutenant General Petrov."

True, after the Americans declared an official protest and an investigation began, the regiment commander chose to hide the fact of the battle itself, ordering the destruction of the film from the FKP and it became known only in the 1980s. It is worth adding to this that the Americans still do not report who was shot down in the area of ​​​​the Soviet-Korean border on December 26 - 27, 1950. Apparently the crew of the RB-29 (although we can talk about the RB-50 and the PBY "Priviter" and the rescue B-17 - our pilots identified all four-engine American aircraft as "B-29") were carrying out some kind of secret mission and are still This incident has been kept secret for now.

On this flight, Bakhaev’s wingman was Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Kuzmich Kotov. He died in China during a training flight on May 11, 1951, and was buried in the Russian cemetery in the city of Dalniy (China). True, this happened already as part of the 17th IAP of the 303rd IAD, where he was transferred a month before as a reinforcement.

The entire next day, Soviet border guards observed incredible activity of American aviation in the area where the reconnaissance officer was shot down - apparently, the Yankees were carrying out a rescue operation. It is clear that after this incident, American aircraft flights along the border stopped for some time.

At the end of March, the division began transferring to China. On March 25, 1951, the 303rd IAD arrived in full force in the city of Mukden, where it settled at local airfields. The pilots of the 523rd IAP were given the Mukden-Vostochny airfield. Already on April 3, 1951, at the Mukden-Vostochny airfield, Soviet pilots began to fly over the assembled aircraft that had arrived by train. At the same time, intensive flight training for future combat operations began.

On May 28, the regiment flew to the Miaogou airfield, which the Chinese built in a record time - one month. During this time, truly titanic work was carried out - a 2.5 km long concrete strip and taxiways to the caponiers were made. The airfield was located 10 - 15 km from the Yalu River, which separated China and Korea.

It is also worth noting that as of June 4, the regiment included: 35 pilots (34 available), 30 MiG-15 aircraft (all operational). According to the documents, the regiment’s combat mission was set as follows: “Destroy enemy aircraft in zones north of the 38th parallel. Zone No. 1: Dadongou - Otsiori - Taisen - Thyangdu; Zone No. 2: Otsiori - Tokuzanri - Tokusen. Conduct battles south of the Pyongyang - Genzan line and exit on the coastline of the Korean Gulf is prohibited!

Almost immediately, the regiment's pilots found themselves drawn into the whirlwind of battles. The pilots of the 523rd IAP conducted their first battle with American pilots on June 18, when 2 flights of MiG-15s under the command of Lieutenant Colonel A.N. Karasev in the Kijio area at 9:35 at an altitude of 8500 meters met 8 F-86 fighters who intended attack the leading link of our group. However, the Americans did not succeed in an unexpected attack: our pilots detected the enemy in time and switched to a vertical maneuver, in which the MiGs were stronger than the Sabers. As a result, after 14 minutes of battle, the enemy was forced to leave the battlefield and the pilots of the 523rd IAP remained complete masters of the situation and victory remained with our pilots. Based on the results of photo control, the 3 participants in this battle (Lieutenant Colonel Karasev, Captain Ponomarev and Senior Lieutenant Yakovlev) were recorded victories over 3 F-86s. Our plane was damaged by Yakovlev, who returned safely to Miaogou.

However, Stepan Bakhaev first met with American pilots in battle only 5 days later - on June 23. On this day, the pilots of the 523rd IAP made 2 regimental sorties, both in combat. The first flight was in the morning at 9:00 to cover the pilots of the other two regiments of the 303rd IAD leaving the battle. The other was at the end of the day at 17:55 to cover objects along the Andong-Anxiu railway. At the same time, 2 air battles were carried out with small groups of Sabers (12 and 8 aircraft) and both times the victory was celebrated by the pilots of the 523rd IAP: in each of these battles, one F-86 was shot down and both of them were credited to Captain Tyulyaev . Only Captain Mitrofanov's plane was damaged, but he returned safely to his airfield.

But the most successful and effective battle was carried out by the pilots of the 523rd IAP the next day - June 24. Early in the morning at 4:20, the entire 523rd IAP, consisting of 29 crews, under the overall command of Lieutenant Colonel Karasev, flew out in several groups to intercept enemy aircraft in the Bichen-Ansyu area. Stepan Bakhaev took off a little later at 4:22 as part of 10 crews of his 1st AE under the command of Major A.P. Trefilov. And then a word from the document:

“Air battle of a squadron (10 MiG-15s) under the command of the Guard squadron commander, Major Trefilov, with 16 F-80 aircraft in the Ansyu area on June 24, 1951.

8:13 according to RTS data, 16 F-86 aircraft were discovered in the Sozan area, which were flying to the Anshu area at an altitude of 5000 meters. 8:22, on command from the command post of the 1st AE unit, consisting of 10 MiG-15s under the command of the Guard squadron commander, Major Trefilov, carried out a combat sortie to intercept enemy attack aircraft in the Ansyu area.

8:19 Major Trefilov, following his group at an altitude of 6000 meters in battle formation, the left bearing of the units 10 km southwest of Ansyu at an altitude of 1500 - 2000 meters saw up to 16 F-80 aircraft that were carrying out bombing attacks on the railway. Anshu station and entered into battle with them as part of the entire group.

Guard Major Trefilov, with his six, approached 6 F-80s, approaching the four F-80s at a distance of 650 meters, his wingman, senior lieutenant Shalnov, opened fire from a 2/4 angle on the left wingman aircraft. Four F-80s noticed the attack of our fighters and went into the sea in a coup. While pursuing 4 F-86 Guard aircraft, Major Trefilov saw 4 F-80s 2-3 km behind him, who were trying to attack his six from behind. Trefilov made a right combat turn and climbed out from under the attack of 4 F-80s. Coming out of the turn, Major Trefilov saw 2 F-80s 1.5 - 2.0 km ahead, with a pair of captain Bakhaev he went to approach them, approaching a distance of 550 meters at an angle of 1/4 and opened fire on the follower aircraft. A pair of F-80s noticed the attack by our fighters and took a left turn. Guard Major Trefilov continued to pursue her on the turn. A pair of F-80s came out of a turn and went over the coastline. Guard Major Trefilov with his pair continued to search for enemy aircraft in the given battle area.

Captain Bakhaev, following a pair of Guard Major Trefilov, saw 2 F-80s to his left 1.5 - 2.0 km and approached them. Having passed the enemy on oncoming and intersecting courses, Captain Bakhaev made a left combat turn, and the pair of F-80s made a right turn. Captain Bakhaev with his pair approached the pair of F-80s from behind from above. Having approached to a distance of 500 meters, Captain Bakhaev opened fire on the follower plane, as a result of the attack the plane was shot down. The leading plane noticed the attack of the MiG-15 pair with a coup and a sharp decline and went beyond the coastline. Captain Bakhaev left the attack with a left turn and climbed, after which he continued searching for the enemy in the given area.

The pair of Senior Lieutenant Razorvin, when Major Trefilov's Guard was turning to the right, 1 - 2 km ahead of them and below 1000 meters, saw 2 F-80s and approached them. Having approached to a distance of 700 meters, she opened fire on the leader of the pair. As a result of the attack, the plane was shot down. The wingmen of the F-80 pair, noticing the attack of the MiG-15 pair, fled beyond the coastline in a coup. Senior Lieutenant Razorvin left the attack with a right turn and climbed to continue searching for the enemy in the given area.

As Major Trefilov’s six Guards approached with 6 F-80s, Captain Mazilov saw 4 F-80s trying to attack Captain Bakhaev’s pair from behind. Captain Mazilov, with the help of his unit, began to approach them. Having approached to a distance of 300 meters, Captain Mazilov’s wingman, Senior Lieutenant Shatalov, opened fire on the right wingman aircraft. As a result of the attack, the attacked aircraft exploded in the air. The F-80 planes, noticing the attack of our fighters, began to turn to the left. Captain Mazilov, with his flight, pursued the enemy on a turn, approaching at a distance of 240 meters, Captain Mazilov opened fire on the leader of the second pair of F-80s from a 2/4 angle. The plane was shot down. The remaining pair of F-80s went into the sea in a coup. Captain Mazilov left the attack with a right combat turn and climbed, after which he continued searching for the enemy until he received the command to land.

During the air battle, 4 F-80 aircraft were shot down. There are no losses. The air battle was carried out at an altitude of 1000 - 6000 meters in the Anshu area for 10 minutes. Expended: N-37 shells - 92 pieces, NS-37 - 208 pieces. Combat flight time: 5 hours 31 minutes. Weather in the battle area: cloudiness 8 - 10 points, cirrus, visibility 8 - 10 km."

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