Slave. Vi

Vedomosti- this is a quality that characterizes a person who adapts to the real or supposed (as he imagines them) needs and interests of other people. In extreme manifestations, the statement can manifest itself up to the commission of actions or the adoption of decisions that are completely opposite to one's own aspirations and motives. But is it possible to conclude that the statement is an unambiguously negative character trait?

First of all, it should be understood that there are no absolutely driven or leading people - this is a kind of continuum, and the manifestation of these qualities in a person often depends on the specific situation. In any of us there are those and other manifestations.

It is also important to note that the tendency to be led or led depends largely on the properties of the nervous system and temperament of a person, which are innate. This does not mean that a person who has a "led" character can never be a leader, and vice versa. However, such an “internal alteration” in such a situation can be difficult and require very great effort. And here it is worth considering whether you really need it.

It would seem that we all aspire to occupy leading positions. The amount of popular psychological literature, various courses and trainings aimed at developing leadership qualities is huge and still growing, which indicates the high popularity of this topic.

The ability to take a leading position is certainly valuable. These are people, as a rule, confident in their abilities, possessing purposefulness, charisma, good organizational and communication skills.

But at the same time, let's imagine a person who always takes the lead and is never the follower - in his life he encounters a lot of difficulties. In order to learn something, to remain open to new experience, to perform certain tasks, it is simply necessary to be able to be led too.

At the same time, the statement does not necessarily mean weakness, but rather speaks of the flexibility of a person, his ability to sensitively hear other people and take responsibility for the implementation of certain tasks. As a rule, driven people are good at predicting the situation, as well as the reactions and behavior of other people. It is difficult to imagine what our society would look like if it consisted exclusively of leaders - most likely, its existence would be simply impossible, at least in the sense we are used to.

People who strive to constantly occupy exclusively leading positions risk falling into the trap of their own perception - it can be very difficult for them to hear an opinion different from their own, listen to sound advice or ideas, since absolute confidence in their endeavors makes them deaf to the possibility of any alternative point of view or constructive criticism.

Many tend to suppress the driven pole in themselves, but its presence is just as necessary as the leading position, since only together they can provide a harmonious state for development and decision-making. Unable to take a leading position, give in in some situations, maintain flexibility, it is difficult to build harmonious relationships with other people.

The led position also teaches a person another very important skill - to trust their loved ones / partner / colleagues / boss, without being in constant anxiety due to the inability to control absolutely everything, which is basically impossible.

How to understand that you or someone from your environment is a driven person?

1. He is easily persuaded.

Entering into a discussion, you can quickly notice that it is easy for you to persuade such an interlocutor to your side, even if initially your opinions were very different. A guided person can easily change his views under the influence of another person, especially if he is an authority for him.

He can change his mind depending on who he communicates with most. He easily changes his point of view or decisions under the influence of others, even on issues that are important to him.

Such a person may not have a stable personal position, and it is difficult for him to resist the pressure of society. It may be difficult for him to make decisions on his own, rather he will be guided by the opinions of those around him.

2. Between his own and other people's needs, he often chooses others.

It can be difficult for a led person to choose between their own needs and the needs of another person, and often they will rather make a choice in favor of another. However, this may be due not only to a sincere desire to help or take care (which is quite natural), but to difficulties in refusing other people or recognizing what he himself wants. Such a person may agree to something before he understands whether this is what he wants, or agrees only because he was asked about it.

3. Reacts hard to criticism.

It can be difficult for a driven person to face criticism in his address, since the opinions of the people around him have a great influence on him. He may take both constructive and non-constructive remarks to heart, reacting very emotionally to them.

4. Strives to avoid conflicts.

Often, such people tend to avoid conflict situations, and even more so direct confrontations with other people. They prefer to avoid sharp corners as gently as possible, avoiding aggravation of the situation. Sometimes it may be easier for them to agree with their interlocutor than to continue to defend their point of view, even if they obviously disagree with the position of the other person.

5. Reliable performer.

Leading people tend to feel more comfortable in the position of the performer. Often these are responsible and attentive people who do a good job with the duties assigned to them and who can always be counted on.

They give others the prerogative to make decisions, but they do an excellent job of implementing them.

6. It can be difficult for him to understand what he really wants.

It can be difficult for such people to answer the question of what they actually want. Often these are grown children, for whom parents decided a lot in childhood. Not having enough experience of independence and decision-making in childhood, they may have difficulty later on in order to adjust and act in accordance with their own desires and interests.

7. More vulnerable to manipulation.

Followed people need to be especially attentive to the attempts of other people to manipulate them, that is, to do something against their will or desire. Consciously or not, manipulators, as a rule, can rely on some strong emotional experiences: feelings of guilt, shame, duty, etc.

It is important for such people to remember that they are not responsible for the feelings of others and are not obliged to do what they are asked, having the right to say “no” if the request of the other person does not suit them.

Mostly, biographies of aces are always described, who shot down a lot aircraft , they are awarded with awards and other honors. And it is absolutely deserved. But in this article I want to talk about slaves on the example of the biography of Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko who provided a reliable rear in World War II leading . They always remained in the background, their merits looked dull in comparison with the main striking force, but were no less important.

The main task slaves - prevent attacks leading to the rear hemisphere. Only very experienced pilots could slaves shoot down often aircraft .

The beginning of the biography of Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko no different from ordinary people. Born in 1923, after graduating from school he entered the Transport Institute.

But in 1940 his life changed dramatically. Sergei enters the flying club of the Dzerzhinsky district. After graduation, he enters the Borisoglebsk flight school, after which Kramarenko serves in the Arzamas reserve regiment.

In June 1942, he was transferred to the 525th Fighter Regiment of the 1st Air Army, where Sergei Makarovich carried out 76 sorties. Already an experienced pilot in July 1943 was sent to 19 Red Banner Fighter Regiment, which was only at the stage of formation and was created specifically for aces-hunters on the initiative of Marshal Novikov. They undergo very serious training for six months at the Chkalovsky airfield, near Moscow.

And in January of the following year, under the command of Shestakov, they fly to the 1st Ukrainian Front. Flights were carried out on airplanes La-5FN. March 19, during the attack on the German aircraft Ju-88 plane Kramarenko was hit. He managed to leave him, but the pilot's clothes caught fire, one leg was pierced by shrapnel, due to which the entire landing load fell on the second leg. Later it turned out that it was broken.

The Nazis picked up Sergei Makarovich. So it remained unknown what they wanted from him, because they decided not to shoot Kramarenko and be admitted to the hospital. Most likely to extract the data. For six days the pilot was on the verge of death. But one day, when I woke up, I heard shots, people in their painfully native Soviet uniform burst into the hospital. To celebrate, they poured a mug of vodka to the pilot, from which he again lost consciousness, because he practically ate nothing.

Treatment in the hospital was so "quality" that Kramarenko He suffered from complications such as pneumonia and typhoid fever. Only at the end of May did he manage to rise to his feet. When Marshal Novikov heard that the ace was alive, he immediately sent him to the Central Aviation Hospital in Moscow, where Sergei Makarovich was treated all summer.

Receives direction again on the 1st Ukrainian Front. But his native regiment is already in Belarus. At the Tushino airfield, the ace persuades the crew by hook or by crook aircraft DB-3, which flew to Belarus, take it with you. So in a bomb bay, he flew to his native regiment.

The regimental commander at first did not know how to react in such an unprecedented situation. But the aces were very much appreciated, so they managed to settle everything and Sergey Makarovich Kramarenko was attached slave Major Kumanichkin.

He took an active part in the Vistula-Vidersky operation. I especially remember how six of our aircraft attacked 32 Focke-Wulf FW 190s and shot down 16 of them! Here are the names of the heroes, divided in pairs leading - slave : Kozhedub - Gramokovsky, Orlov - Stetsenko, Kumanichkin - and the hero of our article Kramarenko .

Under cover Kramarenko Kumanichkin shot down 12 aircraft , Kozhedub - 1. And although Sergei Makarovich shot down only one airplane , his leading felt behind him like a stone wall.

Yes, and the youngest pilot had invaluable practice, since constant monitoring of the safety of another aircraft taught to quickly navigate in three-dimensional space, which Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko very useful later in Korea, where he shot down 13 aircraft , didn't lose any slave , and all this is not despite the fact that the battles were fought at an altitude of up to 13 km, and not the usual 1-4 km.

Literature:

1. Aviation and astronautics. "Fellow Soldier Friends", Alexander Shcherbakov.

2. Sergey Kramarenko . Against Messers and Sabers in the sky of two wars.

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The winter of 1943 was harsh and snowy, the planes landed on skis instead of chassis, the snow was so deep. The temperature was 30-40 degrees below zero. Our technicians did not even leave the airfield: they warmed up the aircraft engines every 15-20 minutes. We worked in high fur boots, fur overalls and mittens, and sometimes warm mole masks with holes for the eyes, nose and mouth were put on our faces. Despite the harsh frosts, we were constantly near our planes day and night ...

These days, the Kalinin Front, supporting the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad, launched an operation on the right flank to liberate Velikiye Luki.

The lanterns of the cockpits froze over from the cold, and this frost made it difficult to see in the air. Flying was difficult. There were two or three flights a day.

First medal

We gradually got used to the difficulties, and experience was added every day. But still, I was dissatisfied: having already had forty sorties, I could not yet boast of combat results. Then I realized: this was explained, first of all, by the fact that I was a follower. I am obliged to protect my leader, to stay near him. The discipline of the formation is the basis of the combat formation of a pair or link.

I recall a case indicative in this sense: my leader, Captain Vorozheykin, successfully attacked the enemy - Yu-87, and I suddenly really wanted to shoot down an enemy bomber. I broke away from the pair and went on the attack, hastily opening fire from a long distance - to no avail, of course. In this battle, I lost sight of my leader, and because of this, he was attacked by enemy fighters. Only an accident (and, of course, great combat experience) helped Vorozheikin to get out of a critical situation. Of course, for this self-will, I received a fair amount of overclocking on earth. I later stopped any initiative, being the follower, and the leader still treated me well. He has always been a fair and unforgiving person. And in March 1943, when a large group of engineering and technical staff was awarded the medal "For Military Merit", I, one of the first among our young pilots, also received this medal.

After the award, Major Osmakov congratulated us all and said that soon we would be switching from our I-16s to a new materiel. Didn't have to wait long. The entire flight crew of our fighter aviation regiment was transferred to Chkalovskoye, near Moscow. Major Vladimir Stepanovich Vasilyaka, the founder of the regiment, was appointed the new commander of the 728th regiment.

We retrained on the Yak-96. He had richer equipment. In addition, his weapons were much more solid.

In a short time we passed the theoretical course, passed the tests and started flying. Then they received training aircraft and all at once proudly set off towards the front.

Our aviation was already pulling up to the Kursk Bulge, occupying prepared field airfields. Up to five thousand aircraft were concentrated here. Our people were feverishly retrained for updated equipment. Everyone studied - from private to general.

The sky of Kursk

And on the night of July 5, the regiment was alerted. No one knew the reason for it, but the pilots felt that the lull had come to an end. We quickly packed up, got into cars and drove to the airfield. The technical staff began to test the engines. Upon arrival at the command post of the regiment, the pilots received the command: "In 15 minutes formation." We understood that at dawn the Soviet troops went on the offensive near Kursk. The regiment received 30 new "yaks", and all the pilots were prepared for combat operations.

Our new squadron commander, Lieutenant Nikolai Vasilyevich Khudyakov, took an interest in the mood of the pilots, especially the most "green", and determined the battle formations in the group in case of an emergency departure. Captain Arseniy Vasilyevich Vorozheykin was appointed my leader, which made me very happy - I trusted Vorozheykin's combat experience unconditionally.

Suddenly, a signal was received at the command post of the squadron to be ready to take off: to cover our ground troops. Simultaneously with the signal, the head of the operational department of the regiment headquarters, Captain Plyasun, arrived and clarified the ground situation. The pilots immediately plotted the front line on their maps. Captain Vorozheikin warned us about the complexity of the flight area, as the compass is affected by the Kursk magnetic anomaly. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account ground landmarks, as well as the sun - a good helper for pilots!

While we were receiving instructions, joking and chuckling with excitement before the upcoming battle, two green rockets took off from the regimental command post. This meant: 2nd Squadron take to the air. We took off in eight yaks. One four is led by Nikolai Khudyakov, the other by Arseniy Vorozheikin. We go "shelf". Our main task is the fight against bombers. We are obliged not to allow them to our troops for targeted bombing. The cover area was received by radio. The height of actions is up to 4 thousand meters. And La-5 will operate higher.

- Enemy fighter jets are in the air. Be vigilant, we were warned.

After this information, four Me-109s passed above us in extended combat formations. And then we saw eight Ju-87s under cover of six Me-109s. Khudyakov gave the command to attack, and the "yaks" rushed at the enemy. Together with the presenter Arseniy Vorozheykin, I keep strictly my place. The leader moves a lot. I see how our "yaks", German bombers and fighters flash by. I also shot, but I did not understand anything in this battle, since my main task was not to break away from the leader. In one of the attacks, Vorozheikin shot down a Yu-87 - that was my joy too.

After arriving at the airfield, I made a conclusion for myself: you can fight boldly on the "yaks", but in battle you need to maintain restraint and calmness. In short, my first day of combat went well. I quickly got used to the combat situation. Meanwhile, the situation in the air was heating up day by day. We have already carried out three or four sorties per day. There were losses among the pilots of the regiment.

The enemy is cunning, he does not want to get involved in an open battle with our pilots. His tactic is to attack unexpectedly from behind the sun. Or because of the upper edge of the clouds. Or near our airfields. In the latter case, the German pilots are counting on the fact that after the battle we relax, we return from the mission without ammunition and with a minimum supply of fuel. At first, we did not take into account all these methods, we lost three aircraft and two pilots.

Young pilots matured and tempered in battles. Many, already flying on "yaks", had shot down enemy aircraft on their account. Including me, the leader gave me the opportunity to shoot down two German aircraft. But I took it then as my personal victory! ..

The sky of Kursk was getting hot for us fighters. We tried our best so that our pilots, going on long-range missions, did not have to get involved in air battles with bombers and fascist fighters halfway.

I already commanded a flight, took my pilots on missions, however, I conducted the main and responsible sorties as a partner with Captain Vorozheikin. He obviously believed in me. And I was glad to have the opportunity to learn martial arts from him.

Puffs of black smoke

On the evening of July 13, 1943, our regiment was assigned a combat mission: from dawn to cover the Soviet troops in the Belgorod direction. The regiment commander decided to carry out the task by squadron, in battle formations to have only trained pilots, "old men".

The first group, marching under the leadership of Captain Vorozheikin, was reinforced by pilots from other squadrons. My place is clearly defined: led by the group commander. They climbed 2000 m and went to the assigned area in combat formations - strike group 6 Yak-76, cover group 4 Yak-76. Patrolling was carried out in the area of ​​Bogoroditskoye, Belinkhino, Shakhovo. The first approach took place in a calm air situation, and on the second approach we noticed the approach of a whole armada: 40-50 Yu-87 bombers under the cover of Me-109 fighters.

The leader of our group, Captain A. Vorozheikin, gave the command to the cover group to Captain I. Kozlovsky: "Cover, I'm going on the attack." Noticing us, the Junkers gunners opened heavy fire from their turrets. It became difficult for me to stay near the leader, who was sharply maneuvering. How can you keep up with him, so nimble? .. Captain Vorozheykin from below at a distance of 20–30 m fires a burst and immediately sets fire to Yu-87, which, after an involuntary turn in a plume of smoke, falls down. I give a queue at the extreme Yu-87, but to no avail. On the second attack, I lose the leader, because everything was mixed up in one ball: “yaks”, “Junkers”, “Messerschmites” ... At the exit from the dive, I see Yu-87 in front of me, I get close and give a long burst. Clubs of black smoke - and the German bomber, enveloped in flames, went to the ground. The battle with the Junkers continues for a few more minutes, and then we are connected by Me-109 fighters. I am in their midst. One of the bursts of Me-109 Oerlikons smashed the console of the plane to me, I feel that the blow was struck on the tail section.

However, the "yak" keeps steadily in the air and is obedient to the rudders. I make a deep turn, choosing the control stick, and behind me the fire paths from the Me-109 are catching up. I remove the gas sector of the engine, and my "yak" hovered and seemed to stop. The attacking fighter jumped forward and was in sight. I press the trigger, and a sheaf of my fire reaches the target, Me-109 is shot down!

The air battle is over, the fuel is running out. The mood is bad, although two enemy planes were shot down. What about my host, how did the fight end? Where to fly? The compass is spinning from the famous Kursk magnetic anomaly, plus the twist from the carousel in air combat. As I hurriedly analyzed the situation in my mind, several white-striped Yaks scurried by. Apparently, after the battle, in disordered battle formations, they also follow home. This means that I took the course correctly, and after 12 minutes I was in my base area.

After landing, he clarified the outcome of the battle. The Nazis lost 9 aircraft. Our losses are one pilot and the wrecked captain A. Vorozheikin, who left the battle and sat on the fuselage outside the airfield.

I am guilty before him, but instead of an angry scolding, the captain silently but sternly looked at me, and I realized that my excitement could cost him dearly. And that means all of us ... And once again I realized what kind of iron self-discipline a good follower should have.

Follower pilot

During the war, I had to fly a lot as a wingman, even when I was already a squadron commander and a leader of large groups.

Needless to say, this is a difficult role. All around you must see, “feel” your leader and anticipate all his maneuvers. To do this, you need to choose a place for yourself in the battle formation in such a way that there is reliable visual contact with the leader and so as not to be constrained in the review of the airspace. At any time, the wingman must know where he is so that, if necessary, switch to autonomous flight or take the place of the commander. In the event of an attack by the enemy, it is necessary to break it with fire and maneuver or hit the enemy. The follower pilot is a hard worker, it is a mirror of the leader's victory in battle. But I think that during the war years such wingmen were not valued highly enough. In general, I don’t like arguing about which pilots are the most daring or the most needed in battle. The war needed aircraft of all kinds. But I, a fighter, now want to say at least a few words about attack aircraft. Stormtroopers were a thunderstorm for the Nazis. It is no coincidence that the Germans began to call them "Black Death". Our fighter pilots were proud of the courage of these crews.

I remember that on September 9, 1943, the regiment commander assigned us a combat mission: to cover nine Il-2 attack aircraft on the route in their area of ​​operations with four Yak-76s. The purpose of the attack aircraft is to suppress the accumulation of enemy equipment and manpower in the Krasnaya Znamenka area.

At the appointed time, at the signal of a green rocket, the first pair of senior lieutenant M. Sachkov and the second pair took off from the command post of the regiment, where I was the leader, and junior lieutenant P. Barzanov was the follower. In a given area, they met attack aircraft, took up battle formation. A pair of Sachkovs in front of the IL-2 column, and I - behind. Cloudless sky, bright sun. When approaching the target, they reported by radio that if there were enemy fighters in the air, we were making two approaches to the target and leaving with "scissors" at extremely low altitude. You can not allow the enemy to make attacks on the IL-2 from below, where he is less protected.

Approaching a given object, the target is clearly visible from a height. The enemy is disguised, but this does not save him. The "Ilys" somewhat stretched their battle formation and threw bombs on the move, and on subsequent visits they treated the enemy with cannon fire. Four passes have already been made. The object is on fire. The fighters, and then the attack aircraft, were given a command over the radio to stop the attacks and exit to the assembly area above the forest.

First Order

When entering their territory, they heard the voice of the Orel guidance station on the radio: “Little ones! - that's what they called us, fighters. - Who is in the air, help. In square 2632 (near the city of Gadyach) we are being bombed by Junkers!..

What to do? Throw stormtroopers? And if somewhere over our territory, "Messers" are waiting for them? On the other hand, how not to help your troops if the Germans bomb them with impunity? Our people are dying!

We communicate with each other, then with the leading "silt". We bring them out into the depths of our territory, thank the attack aircraft for their work and, with the leader M. Sachkov, we follow, gaining altitude, into the indicated square.

When approaching, we notice "Junkers" in two tiers: some are bombing our troops, others are waiting for their turn. They counted up to 30 Yu-87s, and above them swarming fighters covering them - "Messers". We decided to attack. To strike only from below, not allowing them to come to their senses and understand our numbers. If we overwhelm them with a bold, effective attack, victory will be ours. This requires exposure and approach to a minimum (15–30 m).

We descend against the backdrop of the forest to a low level flight. The first is Senior Lieutenant Mikhail Sachkov, the second is me. We beat them from close distances at the exit from a dive. We understand each other in flight without words. Mikhail went on the attack, the Yu-87 gunner does not see him, and the fire of the "yak" hits the "Junkers". In the tail of another "Junkers" my gun fires exactly on the sight. The Junkers is on fire and somersaulting from nose to wing. The bombers cannot figure out what is happening, but the panic has reached the upper echelons. They throw bombs in all directions and hastily, with a decrease, go to their base. On the catch-up, together with Mikhail, we hit the Junkers, on board of which some mysterious dragon flaunts. No matter how this dragon maneuvers, there are two of us against it. Ours took. We waited until after the attack, falling with black smoke, he caught on the trees, and from the explosion, chips of his aircraft flew high into the air.

The fight was stopped. Fuel is running out, there is no ammunition. On a low level flight, we leave for our airfield. As soon as we landed, our comrades ran up to us and began to congratulate us on a successful battle and awarding us orders. The first orders! ..

On September 11 we fly again with a group of six Yak-76s. Leading - Senior Lieutenant N. Khudyakov, pilots I. Khokhlov, N. Pakhomov, A. Melashenko. And the closing pair - M. Sachkov and I (follower). We are escorting attack aircraft, 18 Il-2, to suppress firing points in the Prokhorovka - Krasnaya Znamenka area.

Our couple goes above all and makes up the chaining group. Task: to prevent enemy fighters from approaching our attack aircraft. When approaching the target, they met strong anti-aircraft artillery fire. One of our IL-2s was hit, but stubbornly, lagging behind, goes to the target in order to carry out the command to drop a bomb on the Nazis, and even then returns home.

Over the target in the second approach, the second Il-2 exploded on the withdrawal from the dive. Silence on air. The loss of a comrade is bitter, but we continued to attack firing points and sow death among the Nazis even more angrily ... However, enemy fighters approached from the right. We have already seen them... It was the four Me-109s, which "cleared" the air in front of a large group of their Yu-87 and F-190 aircraft.

Having taken a favorable position from the side of the sun, Sachkov and I were the first to launch attacks on the approaching enemy fighters, which with a decrease went to the side. At this time, Khudyakov and his comrades, after the end of the IL-2, led the group to their territory and at the same time fought with enemy fighters.

A group of Yu-87 and FV-190 bombers are confidently heading towards our targets. You can't delay. The solution is to attack them from behind. I hear Sachkov's command: "Sanya, cover, I'm going on the attack!" I see Sachkov behind the "Junkers", which he pours with fire from a cannon.

The German, enveloped in black smoke, spun and went to the ground. I have a better position to attack on another link. I radioed Mikhail: "Cover, I'm attacking." I turn around and from close range, from behind from below, hit Yu-87. The path of fire covered the enemy's cabin, and he, engulfed in flames, went to the ground.

Turning away from the downed plane, I attach myself to another Yu-87. The instinct of self-defense makes him maneuver, but this does not save my opponent, he is also on fire.

This was so unexpected for the bombers that it was only after the loss of three Yu-87s that they figured out our actions. Their cover fighters, leaving the upper echelon, rushed down, but we continue to attack Yu-87 from above. Mikhail Sachkov successfully hits Yu-87. It flinched and exploded in the air. Involuntarily, I went on the air and shouted: “Power! Well done, Misha! ..” The attacked bombers dropped their bombs and left in all directions, descending into their territory, with losses.

Below, the air battle of our pilots, who found themselves in difficult conditions, also began to subside. Protecting the attack aircraft, they fought with both the FV-190 and the Me-109. Successfully hiding behind the arrows of the attack aircraft, our fighters boldly switched from defense to attack and achieved success. The enemy could not stand it and retreated. Our task has been accomplished quite successfully. There are no losses on our side. And the enemy did not return to their base 4 Yu-87 bombers and 4 Me-109 fighters. In this difficult battle, I shot down two Ju-87s. At the airfield we were greeted with a smile by the regiment commander: he expressed his gratitude to everyone on behalf of himself and the attack aircraft. And he did it very rarely ...

Plane "Rama"

The next day, September 12, we receive a message that the FV-89 - spotter aircraft - are haunting our tankers and artillerymen who are in their positions. From the air, they look out for our objects, transmit the coordinates to their gunners, who, according to these data, cover our troops and equipment with fire. We called such an aircraft spotter a "frame" for its peculiar two-body body with jumpers at the cockpit and stabilizer. Despite its low speed, it had excellent maneuverability, good armament and a long-range radio station. On board were experienced pilots, trained coordinators, and behind the gunner. Our pilots had encounters with these planes, but they were rarely shot down.

"Rama" always with a sharp maneuver went under the cover of its anti-aircraft weapons or it was guarded at a height by Me-109 fighters.

On these "frames" -spotters, we had a special "tooth". During this autumn period in the Bogodukhovo area, weather conditions did not allow flying in large groups, as well as at high and medium altitudes. However, we were given the task of "free hunting" along the front line to drive and shoot down the "frame" - FV-189 and other enemy aircraft.

Once they flew out. In the event of a pair separation, our actions were determined independently. I was the leader, the second pair was led by Senior Lieutenant A. Tveryakov, my namesake. We passed once at an altitude of 300-400 m under the clouds, but the enemy was not found. Contacted ground control points. They say: "They have been and gone."

Then we decided to make a call from the territory where the Germans were. We had only gone deep 20–30 km when we came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. We saw a break in the clouds and went through this window in stretched pairs beyond the clouds. The cloudiness ended at an altitude of 1500–1700 m, and suddenly we discovered that under the cover of our fighters from above, three nines of the Junkers (Ju-88) and a little higher two nines of the Heinkels - Xe-111 . Total - 45! The course is kept on our territory, apparently, on Kursk or Belgorod, where they were defeated the day before.

We report the air situation on the radio. The earth has requested our actions. We have signaled that we will attack. But what can the four do against forty-five powerful bombers and two dozen fighters?.. One attack from our side is possible, but what next? However, we must act. We make our way from below, from the side, to the first nine Yu-88. Approach is slow, although the engines are running at full speed. Our group is stretched.

Now the distance is already 200 m, 150 m! .. We must come closer. The enemy riflemen found us, turned on their turrets and poured lead fire on us. My weapons work, and so do my comrades. But for these aircraft, close firing distances are needed, only then is the result possible ... We go on the second attack, again failure. The enemy marches in close combat formations and cuts us off in unison.

Senior Lieutenant A. Tveryakov attacks Xe-111. He smokes, but remains in service. At the same time, the “yak” of Tveryakov smoked from the fire of the German shooters, then a fire broke out. Sasha Tveryakov's plane glides first in one direction, then in the other. I tell him on the radio: “Drop the plane! ..”

But he is on a downward course in the direction where the enemy is. He doesn't see it, does he? Why doesn't he see?

I insistently command: “Turn around 180 degrees!” Sasha Tveryakov does not respond.

He lands in the field on the fuselage. The plane smokes. The site seems to be flat and there is a country road nearby. Around the glade, the forest and everything is calm. “Whose territory is under us? What to do?.."

On the air, I send the command to the pilots: "Cover, I'm landing in the field ..."

But Tveryakov does not get out of the plane. Apparently seriously injured. Must be taken out! Even if I’m lost, I’ll save you! I go in for landing and sit down with a loud "splash" on a limited area. On the run, the plane buried its nose twice, but I did not pay attention to it. I taxi up and, without turning off the engine, I jump out of the plane. I climbed into Sasha's "yak", saw him in the cockpit, bloodied, with a burnt face. Stirred up to get his breath back. But he couldn't speak. Sasha's lips stuck together from fire and blood.

Together, we somehow got out of the cab. What to do next? It is impossible to put him in my cabin: it is single! Temporary confusion is replaced by determination. Behind the cockpit there is a compartment for a tool and a case, I drag Sasha Tveryakov there. I quickly climb into my cabin, taxi to the forest, give full throttle, release the brakes - and take off. The plane ran the entire section of the field, there were tens of meters to the forest, but there was no speed for separation. The thought flashed: “Well, this is the end.” With anger and effort, not paying attention to speed, I tear off the plane. He got up, swayed from side to side in front of the forest and went, and went at the will of the pilot, albeit with difficulty, to climb.

Meanwhile, dusk is approaching, visibility on the horizon is poor. The engine is running at full speed, but the speed is not enough for a full climb. Barely stretching over the forest. Lots of fires ahead and to the side. Thoughts are occupied, first of all, with Sasha: how does he feel? I would rather fly to my own and help him. And time drags on so much that it seems like an eternity has passed! .. And how are our partners doing there? Where are they now? .. And did I take the right course, will there be enough fuel, how long have I been in the air?

In flight, you ask yourself a lot of questions when the situation is not clear. And you answer them yourself. The petrol indicator pointer goes to zero. If after three or five minutes some airfield does not come across, it is necessary to choose a site closer to the settlement ... But then I notice a green rocket to the side - one after the other. I turn around and see my “silts” that are coming in to land. Our life is saved, if only there was enough fuel. Calculated! .. Sat at the airfield with a margin of altitude, I plan to land with a flight. An ambulance drove up, to which I handed my friend Sasha. For a long time he was treated in hospitals. And after the cure, he continued to fly, only in a different part.

Skill fly in pairs, is the basis of group combat. A pilot who confidently flies in pairs can be allowed to fly as part of a group.

What is a couple in aviation

couple in aviation is a powerful fire unit. The pair is capable of taking out single targets very effectively, as well as engaging small groups or making surprise attacks on large enemy groups. A pair consists of two units - leading(commander) and slave. As a rule, only the leader attacks the target, while the wingman covers the commander and engages only with those aircraft that threaten the leader.

Leading must take into account that the wingman needs a reserve to perform maneuvers, therefore, usually, the commander does not fly at full power. Slave should always have a reserve of energy in order to reduce the distance to the leader if necessary. Therefore, the dive follower should not perform as steeply as the leader, and at the exit from the peak to be higher. At the same time, the slave should not be too close to the master, because. in this case, he will not be able to protect the commander.

Working in pairs requires excellent understanding between leader and follower.

Follower of Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshin - Georgy Gordeevich Golubev recalls the words of the commander: "You should be able to read my mind, and I will try to guess yours".

Slave must understand the steps leading. And the commander, be able to assess the position of the follower, who is behind. As a rule, in order to achieve a good understanding, pilots fly in one pair for a long time, skills are constantly honed in training.

Flying as a couple in World of warplanes

Our site is dedicated to aviation games, so our regular readers will be interested to know if it is possible to fly as a couple in flight simulators. AT world of warplanes you can quite successfully act as a couple, for this you will need.

In WoWp, you can implement the actions described above, and in the game it will be much easier to follow the rules of flying in pairs than in real life.

For flying in pairs it is better to use two identical light or heavy fighters. In World of warplanes, you can successfully operate as part of a pair of two attack aircraft, or an attack aircraft and a cover fighter.

Link in War Thunder

In Game War Thunder you can also form a flight and fly as a pair. The best result can be achieved by playing on the same aircraft, usually light fighters, such as P-39, are used for this purpose. To establish a good understanding, it is better to play in a link in War Thunder with communication. Assign a leader and a follower, follow the above tactics, and your pair will provide the team with victory.

In War Thunder, you can successfully operate in pairs consisting of two light fighters, an attack aircraft and a cover aircraft, or a bomber and a high-altitude cover fighter.

The fate of the pilot Guided by Alexander Pokryshkin. September 23rd, 2014

October 5, 1941 55IAP
Major Ivanov clarified the task, stressing that it was necessary to reconnoiter the approach of new enemy forces. He gave specific instructions for completing the task.
- Fly in pairs. Komlev will go with you, - finished Viktor Petrovich.
- Komlev? But he hasn't really gotten back into action since returning from the hospital.
- Maybe we'll go back to Baryshnikov? I had a very serious talk with him.
- Not! It is impossible to fly with such a wingman for reconnaissance.
- You know that all experienced pilots are involved in assault strikes.
- All clear! Allow me to go and prepare for departure!

The appointment of Stepan Komlev as a follower bothered me. The young pilot was shot down in an air battle in Moldova and was wounded. He was treated for three months. All this, of course, affected the flight form. I also believed that he had not yet fully recovered from the psychological shock that he received in battle. He should have been given the opportunity to restore the technique of piloting an aircraft, as well as fly on combat missions as part of sixes.
(from the memoirs of Alexander Pokryshkin)
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/pokryshkin-1/07.html

In this sortie, the scouts met a group of Messerschmitts, and as a result of a short air battle, Stepan Komlev did not return from the mission - most likely, he was shot down by enemy fighters.

The presenter Alexander Pokryshkin could not accurately restore the picture of the air battle and the fate of Stepan Komlev, since he himself made an emergency landing at the location of his troops and, together with the ground troops, towing the plane by car, made his way to his airfield.
We only have to regret that such an experienced pilot as Alexander Ivanovich could not notice what happened to his wingman, and this is important for the good name of Stepan Komlev himself - whether he burned out in an air battle fighting the enemy, or the outcome was others. It remains to believe that he did not chicken out when he saw the "Masses", and fought the Nazis to the death ...

There is nothing special in the fact that Stepan went on reconnaissance with Pokryshkin. During this period, they did not take into account who would be the leader and who would be the follower - links and groups were completed each time immediately before the flight. It also happened that the pilot made one flight as a leader, and the next one was already a follower. Of course, this did not apply to young pilots, but only to the “old men” who had already completed front-line school and who were not so many left.
I, the author of these lines, was supposed to fly along with Alexander on a combat mission, but on the plane of Stepan Komlev - my fighter was out of order and was under repair. But Komlev decided differently, not wanting to hand over his plane - he will go on this flight instead of me, and then I will fly instead of him as soon as my plane is restored. That was decided, but he did not return ...

http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/karpovich_vp/09.html

The pain in the wound was getting stronger and stronger. It didn’t take long to find a hospital: it was right there, on the square….. The doctor asked how I got wounded. After listening, he ordered to bandage and give an injection of tetanus. The nurses, doing the dressing, mentioned that yesterday a wounded pilot had also been brought to them. He sat down near the Polog.
What is his last name, where is he now? I asked. One of the sisters went to look at the book of the wounded in the emergency department.
“It was junior lieutenant Komlev,” she said. - In the evening he was sent to the rear.
- Do you know him? the doctor asked.
- This is my partner. It turns out that both of us and Stepan got it.
- Your comrade was slightly wounded and obeyed us, went to receive medical treatment. But you are stubborn and do not want to lie down, they reproached me.

No. 49 Stepan Komlev - missing.

Junior Lieutenant Stepan Kirillovich Komlev was born in 1918 in the village of Kodukovo, Bushevsky district, Vitebsk region, my Belarusian fellow countryman, friend and comrade of joint studies at the Minsk flying club and the Borisoglebsk military school, from which he graduated in 1938. We had to serve together in air units, in the same squadron; it so happened that, being bachelors, they had to live in one room in a private apartment. Stepan participated in the battles from the first day of the Great Patriotic War, fought with the enemy boldly and boldly. For two and a half months of hostilities, he made about a hundred sorties, participated in air battles, he personally shot down two aircraft on his account, was wounded. Stepan was considered one of the brave pilots, seniors and juniors flew with him with confidence, and it is no coincidence that he was a frequent partner of Alexander Pokryshkin. For successful military operations, he presented himself with the Order of the Red Banner, but was not awarded only because he did not return from a combat mission, went missing. No one saw the last minutes of his life, as his burning plane headed for the ground and crashed into it, burying his merits along with the pilot, but he forever remained in the memory of his comrades.
(from the memoirs of Vikenty Karpovich)

When I returned to the regiment, the pilots and technicians immediately surrounded us and asked us to tell about the ordeals. I had to mentally go through the days and nights of this difficult week again, to tell about the experience. I remember, and I myself think about the follower. Do they know anything about him? Could not resist, asked. But the regiment knew nothing about Stepan Komlev.
(From the memoirs of Alexander Pokryshkin)