Alexey Ivanovich Novikov is a hero of the Russian Federation. Alexey Novikov: Hero of Russia with God's help

List of famous aerial victories of A.I. Novikov:

Born on November 7, 1916 - exactly a year before the October Revolution, in Moscow in a working-class family. He graduated from 7th grade and the FZU school. At the flying club I learned to fly a glider and a U-2 plane. After graduating from the Ulyanovsk School of Pilot Instructors in 1936, he worked at the flying club. Since 1939 in the Red Army, in the same year he graduated from the 2nd Borisoglebsk Red Banner Military Aviation Pilot School named after V.P. Chkalov. He served near Lutsk as deputy head of the courses for flight commanders of the 205th Fighter Aviation Division.

Since June 22, 1941, senior lieutenant A.I. Novikov has been in the active army. Until January 1943, he fought as part of the 17th IAP, flew I-16, LaGG-3, Yak-1 and Airacobra; then - in the Directorate of the 278th IAD and 3rd IAK, where he flew exclusively on Yaks.

By August 1942, the squadron commander of the 17th Fighter Aviation Regiment (205th Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Air Army, Voronezh Front), Captain A.I. Novikov, flew 242 combat missions, and in 34 air battles shot down 11 enemy aircraft (from them with 1 ram).

On February 4, 1943, for courage and military valor shown in battles with enemies, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

At the beginning of 1943, he was appointed deputy commander of the 3rd IAK for fire training. He organized demonstration battles in the regiments of the corps, organized conferences, and taught young pilots by personal example. He fought in the skies of Kuban, Crimea, Lithuania, Poland. Lieutenant Colonel A.I. Novikov fought his last battle on May 2, 1945 over Berlin.

In total, during the war he made about 500 combat missions, shot down 22 enemy aircraft personally and 5 as part of a group.

After the war he continued to serve in the Air Force. In 1960 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Since 1970, Aviation Major General A.I. Novikov has been retired. Lived and worked in Moscow. Died October 23, 1986.

Awarded the orders: Lenin, Red Banner (three times), Patriotic War 1st degree (twice), Red Star (four times); medals.

Alexey Novikov met the Great Patriotic War near Lutsk, at the divisional courses for flight commanders. On the first day of the war he flew several combat missions. On the same day, he opened his combat account by shooting down 2 enemy aircraft at once: first an Hs-126 spotter, and then a Ju-88 bomber.

At the same time, the Junkers he shot down fell directly onto a gasoline warehouse located slightly to the side of their airfield. Novikov was very upset and after landing he expected a stern conversation with his superiors. But everything worked out well: it turned out that an order had already been received to relocate the regiment to a new airfield, and the warehouse was to be destroyed. So Novikov actually carried out this order, although without knowing it...

Novikov began flying when he was barely 16 years old. First he jumped with a parachute, then he flew on a U-2, on a glider in the Osoaviakhim circle. After graduating from the Ulyanovsk School of Pilot Instructors, he began working at the flying club. But the instructor's work did not satisfy me; I was attracted by speed. And Novikov decided to become a fighter. Graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School.

The command noticed in him an irrepressible passion for flying and praised him for his filigree execution of aerobatic maneuvers. And in shooting, few even among the instructors could compare with him. The fabric cone, which was attached with a long halyard to the towing aircraft, after it was fired in the air, literally turned into a sieve.

How useful was the pilot’s sniper training now, when he had to shoot not at a harmless and unresponsive cloth bag filled with air during the flight, but at planes snarling in return fire, flown by German pilots who had become experienced in air battles in the west. Gifted with natural powers of observation and the ability to think analytically, Novikov quickly figured out the habits of enemy pilots and began to impose his own tactics on them in every air battle. And it was built on surprise, swiftness, combat audacity, calculated to stun the enemy and cause confusion in his ranks.

That’s exactly how, taking into account psychological nuances, he soon overthrew the seasoned German intelligence officers. Approaching the enemy aircraft at close range, Alexey hit the gunner’s cockpit and killed him, and when the crew lost their protection, he calmly and prudently dealt with the scout. After several bursts, it began to smoke thickly, fell onto the wing and soon crashed into the ground.

In the fighter aviation regiment in which Novikov fought, there were many brave pilots. And yet, the most important tasks were most often entrusted to him. The regiment commander also named Novikov’s last name when in the summer of 1941 they called from the headquarters of the 40th Army and ordered to reconnoiter one of the sections of the railway in the Lgov area, along which the enemy at that time was intensively sending reserves to the front line.

Alexey flew out as part of the flight. The pilots carefully probed the given section of the road, broke through the clouds, descended over the railway junction, examined it and radioed that it was clogged with trains, indicating the expected quantity and nature of cargo. After this, the brave troika attacked the enemy, firing rocket and cannon shells into the very thick of the trains. Flames shot up above the carriages, a large fire broke out at the station, and it was out of commission for a long time. Everything that could burn burned out. Apparently, quite a few wagons with ammunition had accumulated on the tracks...

The number of enemy aircraft he shot down grew quite quickly. At the beginning of 1942, Novikov, using an I-16, managed to shoot down an Me-109 with a big ace painted on the fuselage with yellow paint. The pilot of the Messer he shot down was captured and turned out to be a fairly famous ace. In the summer of the same year, on the Voronezh front, Alexei destroyed another enemy aircraft with a ramming attack. After the ram, he jumped out with a parachute. And by August 1942, he had already made 242 combat missions, conducted 34 air battles, and shot down 11 enemy aircraft.

Alexey Novikov moved up his career just as quickly. At first he was a flight commander, then he began to command a squadron, while simultaneously performing the duties of a regiment navigator.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 4, 1943, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism shown, Captain Alexey Ivanovich Novikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal " (No. 782).

In the spring of 1943, it was decided to appoint Novikov as commander of a fighter aviation regiment. He had all the data for this: he participated in the battles of Stalingrad, received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, had the will of a commander, and was an excellent mentor for young people. The strong instructor spirit has remained in him since the pre-war period.

But General E. Ya. Savitsky, who was forming the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps at that time, intervened in the matter. He knew Novikov from the regiment that was part of his division. Therefore, I decided to appoint Alexey as my assistant in the air rifle service. Savitsky’s calculation was simple: such an experienced fighter as Novikov would be an indispensable assistant in training untrained youth. And Savitsky had a good understanding of people.

Savitsky’s request was not immediately respected. But in the end he achieved his goal. So Novikov became the chief of “fire and smoke,” as the position of assistant commander of the air rifle service was jokingly called during the war. Alexey held this position until the victory.

In the regiments of the 3rd Aviation Corps, Novikov spent days and nights, organized demonstration battles, organized conferences, in a word, did everything to teach young pilots to win victories over the enemy as quickly as possible.

The former commander of the 3rd IAK, Air Marshal E. Ya. Savitsky, recalls:

“Once, having visited, on my instructions, one of the regiments whose flight personnel had suffered unreasonably heavy losses in recent days, Novikov ended his report with an unexpected request:

Allow me, Comrade General, to conduct a training and demonstration battle. The pilots have potential opportunities to improve matters, but they don’t yet know how to put them to use. A clear example is needed.

I don’t understand what we’re talking about? - I was surprised. -What special permission do you require? If you want to conduct a training battle, then conduct it. Choose whoever you think is necessary to be your “opponents”, well, and fly around the airfield as long as necessary.

That’s how it is, Comrade General,” Novikov hesitates. “But we decided to hang out not over our airfield, but together with the Germans.”

I don't understand anything! Explain clearly.

An ordinary training battle, Comrade General, will do little in this case. The pilots, although they are new recruits, although they are young, fly well, even great, one might say, they fly. Therefore, I think there is no need to demonstrate to them your personal piloting technique. It’s a different matter if you’re in a fight with a real enemy. How best to attack, from what distance to open fire, well, and everything else... Allow me, in a word, to fly with a group on a combat mission, and then conduct a “training and demonstration” battle. It will be much clearer.

Novikov's proposal puzzled me at first. War, of course, is a school, but not to the same extent... And will anything come of Novikov’s idea? You have to come up with something like this: take the enemy as an assistant in transferring combat experience!

What's the difference, Comrade General? - Novikov objected. - Whether to send a fascist to the next world with spectators or without them. And my charges will not sit in the stalls, but in the Yakov cabins - they will help out, if anything happens...

In short, Novikov persuaded me. They decided that he would take with him eight young pilots, whose task was not to get involved in battle without the leader’s order, and to carefully observe his actions.

The air also rose. At the direction of the ground guidance point, we immediately approached the Junkers convoy - in those days there was no need to look for the enemy, the sky was swarming with enemy aircraft. 12 enemy Ju-87 dive bombers were flying, as usual, in tight formation; This makes it easier for air gunners to organize barrage fire from an attack by fighters. True, for some reason one Junkers stayed on the outskirts, either lagged behind, or something else... In a word, you couldn’t imagine a better target for an attack. But Novikov acted differently. The fight, he decided, should be 100 percent exhibition.

I'm attacking the flagship! - Novikov broadcast on the radio.

Having accelerated the car and using the advantage in altitude, he dived onto the leader of the bomber column. The maneuver turned out to be so swift and precisely calculated that air gunners from neighboring aircraft opened indiscriminate fire only at the moment when the Yak passed almost next to the Junkers flagship. It seemed that in another second the planes would collide in the air, but the path had already slashed across the cockpit of the German bomber, and it, thrown to the side and shrouded in clouds of black smoke, fell onto its wing. And Novikov, having come out of the attack and getting closer to his players, gave the command:

Do as I do!

His eight immediately turned from observers into active participants in the fight. Inspired by the example of their leader, the Yaks quickly forced the enemy to flee.

After landing, Novikov immediately - as they say, hot on his heels - gave an analysis of the “training and demonstration” battle, explaining in detail what exactly led to the quick success.

If I had hit not the flagship, but the lagging Laptezhnik, the German air gunners would have had time to lay down barrage fire. This is the first thing. Secondly, the Junkers must be attacked on the move and at maximum speed; in this case, the shooter either will not have time to open fire or will not be able to aim it,” Novikov stood at the board with a battle diagram hastily sketched in chalk, bending his fingers. - And thirdly, you need to hit from a short distance, but so as not to fall into the explosion zone if the shells hit the bomb load... Well, you saw the rest yourself. Any questions?

There were no questions. The spectators and at the same time the participants in the battle being analyzed looked at their mentor with admiration: the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major Novikov, taught before their eyes one of the most convincing and intelligible lessons one could imagine.”

CHIEF OF "FIRE AND SMOKE".

At the field airfield, which is located not far from one of the small villages near Lutsk, in the summer the 89th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 205th Aviation Division was usually based. On the eve of the war, there were also divisional courses where flight commanders were trained.

On one side of the airfield, an endless expanse of apple and cherry orchards stretched towards the garrison; on the other, a pine forest stood as a wall. The crowns of spreading trees protected from the sun's heat the rows of canvas tents in which the flight and technical personnel were located. Actually, during the daytime, except for the duty officers and orderlies, there was no one in the camp. Summer is the time for the most intense training in the air, and everyone was at the airfield from dawn to dusk.

By Sunday the tent city was empty. Pilots, engineers, and technicians went to the city to visit their families. Only the duty unit and those who were supposed to support both the regiment and the courses in readiness for any surprises remained in the camp. The border is just a stone's throw away, anything can happen. German aerial reconnaissance aircraft had recently become so insolent that they violated the border almost daily, leaving a white trail in the blue Soviet sky.

On the eve of the next day of rest, the head of the course warned his deputy Alexei Novikov:

You will stay for me. There's nothing for you to do in the city anyway. If something happens, come get me immediately. You know the address.

On the eve of the birth, Alexei's wife Marina went to Moscow to visit relatives. Novikov had the opportunity to spend Sunday dawn fishing. Not far from the airfield, a river with surprisingly clear water slowly meandered through the willow thickets. Minnows and roaches darted about in it, and often small crucian carp glistened with golden scales.

Fishing gave Alexey great pleasure. He liked to watch how nature awakens from a short night’s sleep, how the milky muslin of fog floats over the river, listen to the vibrant trills of little birds hiding in the bushes, admire how the crimson-red disk of the sun majestically, slowly floats above all this wondrous splendor, the peaks light up with a bright flame pines and pyramidal poplars.

That Sunday, Alexey came to the river with a friend who was an avid fisherman like himself, don’t feed him bread - just let him sit with a fishing rod. Along with fishing equipment, the pilots took with them headsets so that they would be nearby in case of an emergency.

And they were not mistaken. They had just cast their fishing rods and, frozen, began to watch the floats, when a prolonged howl of a siren was heard from the direction of the airfield.

There’s anxiety again, damn it,” Alexey muttered with annoyance. - They won’t let you sleep or go fishing. We’ll come running, sticking out our tongues, trample in the ranks, listen to the next instruction - and hang up. How many times has this happened?

Before the war, in fact, drills were organized quite often. But this time the siren howled longer than usual.

Eh, something's not right here! - Novikov was wary. - Let's reel in the fishing rods.

Alexey jumped up impulsively and, leaving his fishing gear in the bushes, was the first to run in the direction from where the howl of the siren could be heard. He was gripped by an alarming premonition: no, this is not a drill. With a sensitive ear, the pilot caught a growing rumble in the western sky. Planes were coming. But whose? Their? Strangers?

Together with the pilots of the duty unit, Alexey ran up to his “Donkey,” as the I-16 fighter was lovingly called then, at the command of the duty officer, he quickly threw the straps of the parachute lying on the grass under the wing of the plane over his shoulders, clicked the locks of the carbines and in one fell swoop found himself in the pilot’s cockpit.

Everything is fine? - He looked sternly at the mechanic.

Order, commander! - he answered.

At this time, it was already possible to discern with the naked eye: nine bombers were approaching. Somewhere, on the approach to the airfield, several explosions were heard.

Fascists, commander! - the mechanic said, peering at the planes.

A starter car drove up to Novikov's fighter, purring strainedly, vigorously turned the propeller, and the engine, picking up speed, hummed loudly. Novikov taxied to the start without hesitation and soon took off. But it was not possible to engage the enemy. The enemy bombers, having dumped their cargo on the outskirts of the airfield and without causing much harm, turned around and managed to leave.

Alarmingly, like the sound of an alarm bell, the word “war” flew around the tent city. Although lately they have been talking about war more and more often, the mind could not accept that it would start so suddenly, that it had already begun...

Novikov returned from the flight angry and upset. The first combat mission, but I didn’t have to meet the enemy. As soon as I taxied into the parking lot, the unit commander, who had returned from Lutsk, ran up.

Hurry up and refuel, let's go accompany the bombers! - he loudly commanded the pilots huddled near the planes.

Soon, bombers appeared slightly to the side of the airfield, heading west. Novikov quickly caught up with them and, together with other fighters, began to patrol over them. Now he already felt more confident and was ready to enter into battle at any moment.

Behind the state border. “But why don’t the Nazis shoot?” thought Novikov. “Have they really believed in their own strength so much that they consider it unnecessary to take any measures against an air attack?”

Along the highway, stretching for more than one kilometer, a column of tanks, trucks, and gas tanks slowly moved. The bombers descended, and only then did the crowded highway bristle with fire. Novikov could clearly see how the multi-colored tracks of bullets and shells striped the blue sky. However, this did not stop the bombers from dropping their payload on the enemy column.

The appearance of Soviet bombers was a complete surprise to the enemy. The tanks and cars didn’t even try to move to the side of the road or disperse. They paid for this. The column was enveloped in stinking smoke, and flashes of fire shot up. "Well done, bombers!" - Novikov rejoiced. It was the first time he saw how his friends in combat formation worked. He himself could not resist the temptation to descend and slash fire at enemy vehicles.

Already over his territory, Novikov noticed a plane above him. He was on the same course as the Soviet fighter. “Henschel-126,” Novikov identified from the vehicle’s configuration. “He went on reconnaissance, the bastard.” After a successful attack on the enemy column, the pilot was overcome with such excitement that he, without hesitation, increased the engine speed to maximum and rushed in pursuit. The pilot was possessed by one thought: to shoot down, at all costs, to shoot down the fascist spy!

The scout, sensing danger, began to turn around. Novikov, approaching a distance of 40 - 50 meters, took out the fascist intelligence officer with a long burst. Smoking debris fell down, tumbling. The pilot put into this blow all the fury of vengeance that burned him. The pilot's eyes sparkled feverishly, his heart beat rapturously. First victory! The first fascist bastard he shot down!

But even after this flight the fighters were unable to rest. The division headquarters received a command: to relocate to the main airfield in Lutsk.

Having risen into the air, the pilots saw that a new wave of enemy bombers was rolling in from the west. The German command was in a hurry to take full advantage of the surprise attack factor and continued to increase attacks, not particularly caring about air cover. The enemy camp apparently believed that Soviet aviation in the border zone had already been destroyed and could not provide serious resistance. That's why the bombers went without cover.

The Germans did not immediately notice our fighters. They were taller and were hidden by the blinding rays of the sun. The attack by our planes was sudden. Novikov, having developed high speed in a dive, aimed his Donkey at the lead Junkers and, approaching it from behind, activated the weapon. With a long burst he set the bomber on fire. Novikov saw how the Junkers pulled toward the ground, leaving stinking smoke in the sky.

But the pilot’s rejoicing was short-lived. He was immediately overcome with shock. The flaming bomber fell right into the warehouse where the fuel tanks were white. "Well, there will be fireworks!" As soon as the pilot thought about this, a crimson-red mushroom-shaped column rose below. Where a minute ago huge white tanks were peacefully churning, a sea of ​​fire was raging.

“What have I done?” Novikov lamented. “After all, it was my fault that the entire supply of gasoline of the neighbors - the reconnaissance officers - burned out in an instant. What will they fly on? We could have delayed opening fire a little, and the bomber would have fallen to the side.”

At the airfield, the commander, having lined up the pilots, asked:

Whose plane crashed into a gas depot?

Fascist, came the answer.

That’s not what I’m asking,” the commander abruptly interrupted. - Who left?

Everyone was silent. Novikov was also slow to answer. He thought that he would be severely punished for the burned gas depot, and maybe even put on trial. Then he decisively stepped forward.

The commander smiled sparingly and leisurely walked along the line. He approached Novikov and, not at all according to the regulations, slapping him on the shoulder, said:

Again he measured out a dozen steps, stopped and, as if continuing his thought, said, addressing the pilots standing in formation:

This is how you have to beat the fascists! - Flashing his eyes towards Novikov, he asked: - Tell your comrades at your leisure how you killed a bomber and a scout. It will be useful.

Novikov began flying when he was barely 16 years old. At first I jumped with a parachute, then I flew on a U-2, on a glider at the Osoaviakhim flying club. After graduating from the Ulyanovsk School of Pilot Instructors, he began working at the flying club. But the instructor's work did not satisfy me; I was attracted by speed. And Novikov decided to become a fighter. Graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School.

The command noticed in him an irrepressible passion for flying and praised him for his filigree execution of aerobatic maneuvers. And in shooting, few even among the instructors could compare with him. The fabric cone, which was attached with a long halyard to the towing aircraft, after it was fired in the air, literally turned into a sieve.

“Should we give him less cartridges,” the weapons service workers complained to the commander about Novikov. - So he will let us around the world. You can't get enough cones...

How useful is sniper training now for a pilot, when he has to shoot not at a harmless and unresponsive cloth bag filled with air during a flight, but at planes snarling with fire, flown by fascist pilots who had become skilled in air battles in the West. Gifted with natural powers of observation and the ability to think analytically, Novikov quickly figured out the habits of the fascist pilots and imposed his own tactics on them in every air battle. And it was built on surprise, swiftness, combat audacity, designed to stun the enemy.

When you attack suddenly and approach the enemy at high speed, his soul sinks into his heels from fear,” he later taught young pilots. - Where can he conduct aimed fire?

Psychology. It's clear?

That’s exactly how, taking into account psychological nuances, he soon overthrew the seasoned fascist intelligence officers. Approaching the plane at close range, Novikov hit the rear gunner in the cockpit, killed him, and when the crew lost their protection, he calmly and prudently dealt with the plane.

At first, he fired a burst of bullets at the scout to force it to land. But he did not obey. Then Novikov fired at the plane. It began to smoke and, describing a curve in the sky, fell to the ground...

In the fighter aviation regiment in which Novikov fought, there were many brave aces. And yet, the most important tasks were most often entrusted to him. The regiment commander also mentioned Novikov’s last name when they called from the headquarters of the 40th Army and ordered to reconnoiter one of the sections of the railway along which the Germans at that time were intensively sending reserves to the front line.

Special attention to the Lgov railway junction! - they warned from the headquarters.

For insurance, the commander decided to allocate 2 more aircraft.

Select pilots at your own discretion,” he told Novikov.

Everyone was eager for this important task, but Novikov chose Volosyuk and Petrov. He had already fought with the enemy in air battles with the enemy more than once, and he could safely rely on them.

Air reconnaissance aircraft were not allowed to unmask themselves or get involved in battle. Their job is to take a good look at the specified object, remember everything and clearly report it, delivering the photographic film safe and sound.

Novikov flew out for reconnaissance, accompanied by two wingmen. He carefully probed the given section of the road, breaking through the clouds, descended over the railway junction, examined it and radioed that it was clogged with trains, indicating the expected quantity and nature of cargo.

The reconnaissance has been completed and you can return to the airfield. But Novikov could not resist and deviated from the scout rule. The goal was too tempting. “By the time bombers or attack aircraft arrive, the situation may change,” he estimated. “And we have rockets at the ready and guns at the ready.”

Attention, we are attacking! - he commanded his wingmen and, turning around, was the first to fire rocket and cannon shells into the very thick of the trains. Volosyuk and Petrov also used up their ammunition on target. Flames shot up above the carriages. Before heading home, the pilots once again walked over the station and fired at it with machine guns from a low altitude.

Human intelligence later reported: after an attack by three fighter planes, a large fire broke out at the station, and it was out of commission for a long time. Everything that could burn did. The rest was crumpled, crushed, and scattered by explosions. Apparently, a lot of cars with explosives and ammunition had accumulated at the station.

At the beginning of 1942, over the airfield where the regiment was located, at a high altitude, under the cover of fighters, a Messerschmitt with an ace painted on the fuselage with yellow paint began to appear. The “ace” usually did not get involved in a fight and acted cautiously. If one of our people separates from the group and gapes, the “ace” is right there. He will rush from a height like a kite and take the onlooker out of the sky with the first burst.

More than one plane has already become its victim. It was not possible to knock down the yellow “ace”. As soon as he felt that the situation was not in his favor, he immediately turned around and flew away. The wolfish habits of the fascist began to affect the mood of the pilots, especially the young ones. True, no one openly expressed fears, but in their hearts they were afraid to meet the ace. The “ace” acted very lightning fast, hitting without a miss.

The fact that a seasoned fascist ace had appeared on this section of the front was also known at the headquarters of the Air Army. When talking on the phone, the commander first asked:

Is the yellow “ace” still alive?

“He’s alive, damn him,” they answered him with annoyance.

How do you protect him? Are you sorry to part? - the question sounded clearly tricky.

Novikov knew about the cunning and cautious ace, but there was no chance of meeting him in the air. Once Novikov, paired with Lieutenant Korotaev, accompanied attack aircraft to the front line of enemy defense. As they approached the target, six Messers fell out of the clouds. The pair remained on the upper echelon, and the four aimed at the “humpbacks” - as the Il-2 aircraft was dubbed at the front for its cockpit protruding upward.

Novikov and Korotaev managed to cut off the enemy. But the Nazis did not calm down and launched a new attack. Soviet fighters did not allow them to get close to the attack aircraft this time either. At some point, Korotaev fell behind the leader. Novikov found himself alone. And at that moment he noticed how one of those who were patrolling under the clouds rushed at him from above. Novikov managed to maneuver, the Messer slipped past without opening fire. The keen eye of the Soviet pilot caught a glimpse of a yellow spot on his fuselage. “So this is an “ace”!” - he noted to himself and tensed up in anticipation of a new fight with the vaunted ace. The pilot was overcome by the excitement of battle. Meanwhile, Korotaev took his place, as expected, behind the command vehicle.

Watch me! - Novikov warned his wingman. - I’m attacking the “ace”!

- "Ace"? - Korotaev began to choke. - I'm watching.

In the first attack, it was not possible to reach the “ace” with cannon fire. Apparently, the distance between the planes turned out to be greater than required, and perhaps it was due to the excitement that involuntarily gripped Novikov. The fascist probably also realized that he was not a newcomer. And, following his habit, he chose not to put himself under attack from the skillfully maneuvering Soviet pilot, and decided not to get involved in the fight anymore.

But Novikov acted differently. “If the gun didn’t reach it, the eres will,” he thought about the rockets suspended under the planes of the plane, and rushed after the “ace.” Having at some point caught the fascist ace in the crosshairs, Novikov pressed the buttons to launch the shells. This time the fascist did not leave. Alexey saw how the enemy plane was thrown up by the blast wave and tilted. But after some time he again took a horizontal position. True, not for long. Here he again began to sharply decline and disappeared from sight against the background of the forest. Novikov did not pursue him. There were still five fascist fighters in the air, and the fuel was running out.

Alexey learned the fate of the “ace” only in the evening. They called from the Air Army headquarters and conveyed the commander’s congratulations. Not reaching the front line, the "ace" landed on the fuselage, the pilot was captured.

Novikov saw the German pilot when he was already being interrogated.

“That’s who shot you down,” they explained to the fascist, pointing to Alexei.

The opponents' gazes crossed. The German's gaze flashed with cold steel, but immediately went out. Standing in front of him was a medium-height, broad-shouldered Captain with a direct, decisive look.

The number of enemy aircraft shot down by Novikov grew quickly. He moved up his ranks just as quickly. At first he was a flight commander, then he began to command a squadron, simultaneously performing the duties of a regiment navigator, and at the beginning of 1943 it was decided to appoint Novikov as commander of a fighter regiment. He had all the data for this: he participated in the battles of Stalingrad, received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, had the will of a commander, and was an excellent mentor for young people. The strong instructor spirit has remained in him since the pre-war period.

But General E. Ya. Savitsky, who was forming the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps at that time, intervened in the matter. He knew Novikov from the regiment that was part of his division. Therefore, he asked to appoint Captain A.I. Novikov as his assistant in the air rifle service. Savitsky’s calculation was simple: such an experienced fighter as Novikov would be an indispensable assistant in training untrained youth. And the general understood people well.

Savitsky’s request was not immediately respected. But in the end he achieved his goal. So Novikov became the chief of “fire and smoke,” as the position of assistant commander for the air rifle service was jokingly called during the war. Alexey held this position until victory.

Novikov spent days and nights in the regiments of the aviation corps, organized exhibition battles, organized conferences, in a word, did everything to teach young pilots to win victories over the enemy as quickly as possible.

One day Novikov asked the corps commander for permission to fly to Greater Tokmak. There was a fighter regiment there, in which things were going very badly. Probably the reason was that the old, experienced flight personnel gradually either dropped out of service or left for other units with promotions. Instead, “green” youth arrived. There is more than enough anger for a fight with the enemy, and combat skill - the cat cried.

“There is an intention to hold a demonstration air battle for young people,” Novikov suggested. “Not a training one, but a real one,” he explained.

The general looked at him slyly and remarked:

Look, don't disgrace yourself.

Novikov arrived at that regiment and asked the commander, who himself had been there for almost a week, to gather the pilots.

“I won’t give a lecture on air combat tactics,” he told the audience. - Let us comprehend this wisdom in practice. We're leaving for a mission tomorrow. I will attack the bombers first. And you look at what and how. Then, at my command, you yourself enter the battle.

The decision of the head of “fire and smoke” was daringly bold, and it is unlikely that anyone else, unsure of his abilities, would have risked such a step. After all, if you fail to shoot down a fascist plane, and even worse, you yourself suffer from its fire, consider that your authority will be hopelessly lost, even though you are an assistant corps commander. Pilots are such a people that they do not tolerate bragging, no matter who it comes from. After an embarrassment, you can’t prove to anyone that you had good intentions, but circumstances, they say, did not allow you to achieve victory.

But Novikov had no doubt that he would be able to demonstrate air combat techniques to the youth. The fighters were equipped with 37 mm cannons. One or two shells were enough to shoot down any bomber. You just need to get as close to the enemy as possible and fire a targeted burst. The pilot was afraid of something else: what if the weather got tricky and the enemy bombers wouldn’t show up tomorrow? However, the “heavenly office” did not disappoint. The next day the sky was clear of clouds and shone with bright blue.

It happened as he expected. More than 10 Junkers were approaching Big Tokmak. The planes were in close combat formation, only one was a little behind. His task, obviously, was to photograph the results of the bombing of the entire group. Noticing the enemy, Novikov reported this via radio to the air division commander, Colonel Lisin, who was at the guidance point.

I wish you success! - he briefly admonished.

The young pilots expected that the commander of “fire and smoke” would attack the Junkers that lagged behind, because it was easier to deal with him. But Novikov chose a different option. After waiting until the bombers approached, he mentally ordered himself: “Well, Alyokha, don’t worry!” - and rushed sharply towards the leader of the group. The dive speed quickly increased. When the enemy was in the crosshairs, the Captain fired a short burst of shells at him. One of them apparently hit the gas tank, because the Junkers immediately burst into flames and was enveloped in black smoke. The Novikov plane also disappeared in the smoke.

The pilots with whom Alexey flew on the mission later said:

It seemed that Novikov crashed into a bomber. But when they saw him fall out of the smoky cloud and rush upward again, my heart was relieved. The chief of "fire and smoke" is alive!

Approaching the young pilots, the captain commanded:

Now you attack. Get closer to the enemy. Don't waste your ammo.

With the loss of the leader, the formation of fascist bombers disintegrated, and it was easier to fight them...

On the way back, taking a quick glance to the left, Novikov actually gasped: the wing was black, as if smeared with soot. What kind of obsession? The pilot rubbed his eyes - had something happened to his vision? But no, the wing did not change color even after that. It turns out that in his plane he approached the bomber so close that when its gas tank exploded, the soot from the ignited gasoline settled on the wing.

When the planes landed, almost all the people at the airfield came running to the Novikov fighter. It’s interesting to look at the car next to which the bomber exploded. The aircraft technician shook his head and traced his finger across the soot: “Hitler is kaput!” And Novikov signed off on this in a sweeping manner.

So the chief of “fire and smoke” taught a practical lesson to unfired youth. After this, the pilots began to act more decisively, and things went more smoothly in the regiment.

Air combat is a task with many unknowns. Every moment of it is unexpected. In these conditions, the decisive role is played by the pilot’s ability to quickly react to a changing situation, make a decision that is the only correct one at the moment, and boldly, without hesitation, carry it out. It was these qualities that were inherent in Alexei Novikov and ensured his victory in battle.

However, anything happened. In one of the air battles, fortune changed for Novikov. This happened during a meeting with 5 Me-109. The Nazis were the first to initiate battle and pressed desperately. At some point, Novikov’s wingman broke away from him, and the leader’s plane found itself without cover. One of the Messers hastened to take advantage of this and hit the Soviet vehicle at close range. The Yak's water cooling system was damaged by shell fragments. The pilot's cabin was filled with hot steam. My breath was taken away, my vision was covered as if by cotton wool.

With a powerful jerk, Novikov tore off the cockpit canopy, and immediately a stream of air picked up the leather tablet lying on his lap and threw it out. A white plume of steam trailed behind the fighter. The Germans did not pursue him, considering that the Soviet pilot was finished.

But it was not for nothing that Novikov was considered a master of maneuver and aerobatics. He parked the car in a field on his stomach. True, at the last moment she almost fell over, burying her nose in a ditch. The pilot hit his head hard on the instrument panel and lost consciousness. Having come to his senses, he climbed out of the cabin, felt his sore forehead, and ran his hand over his face. Blood was oozing from a wound under his right eye.

The thought flashed: “What was in the tablet? A flight map,” the pilot began to recall. “But there was nothing secret on it. Even if it falls into the hands of the enemy, he will not extract valuables from this map for himself. Letter to his wife and son Alyosha? But there was nothing there except tender words addressed to them and curses against the fascists. Yes, there was also a photo on the tablet,” he recalled. “It’s a pity.” A photo reporter photographed Novikov when he was presented with another military award. “However, why worry about the tablet,” he reasoned. “What’s important is that the bones are intact and the head is on the shoulders. The plane will be repaired in a couple of days. Everything else is a trifle. And I’ll write another letter home.”

Over time, he began to forget about the tablet. But one day the chief of staff of the corps called him and seriously asked:

Why didn’t you report that you were no longer alive?

Novikov was so taken aback:

How is he not alive? Who said?

Here, read...

Novikov shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment. Silently taking the envelope, he pulled out a scribbled piece of paper and immediately recognized it from the handwriting: a letter from Marina.

“Dear comrade commander!” it said. “Today I received a note from a woman I don’t know, a teacher. She reports that she witnessed an air battle, she herself saw how the plane fell. On the second day, the village children found a leather bag in the field and brought it her to her teacher. In the bag there was a photo of my husband Alexey Ivanovich Novikov and his letter, which he did not have time to send to me. I am in grief and despair. So, why don’t you tell me about this?

The uneven lines of the letter were jumping around in Alexey Novikov’s eyes. He realized what grief the news from an unfamiliar woman brought to his wife.

Nah! - Novikov said thoughtfully, putting the piece of paper back into the envelope.

So much for “n-yes.” Do you see what you've done? The chief of staff tapped the table with the tip of his pencil, stood up and said in a tone that brooked no argument:

Sit down at the table and write, calm your wife down. Better yet, send a telegram. After all, she only needs two words from you: alive and well.

Novikov sent both the telegram and the letter on the same day. The letter was gentle, playful, with poems that he loved to compose in his spare time. He wanted Marina to smile after reading the letter, so that she would immediately be in a good mood, not a trace of her former sadness would remain. The air battle that the village teacher observed, as described by Alexei, was easy. And then he didn’t fall at all, but was forced to sit down in the field because the engine was malfunctioning...

In general, anything happened in the war. Once, one of his friends, a great expert in all sorts of wooden crafts, gave Alexey a mouthpiece for his birthday - a simple craft made from an apple tree knot. The master burned a longitudinal hole into which the cigarette was inserted with a red-hot nail. This mouthpiece was the envy of many pilots. The owner was very proud of it and usually carried it in the left pocket of his tunic. He’ll smoke, clean it, and put it back in his pocket so as not to lose it.

And then one day, returning from a combat mission, when he shot down another plane, Novikov took out the treasured cigarette holder, mechanically, without looking, inserted a cartridge case filled with tobacco into it, and brought a match. But what kind of opportunity? Something whistles and clucks in the mouthpiece, but the smoke does not flow. He put the expensive gift in his palm and saw: the mouthpiece was split. Where, when, under what circumstances? Novikov did not immediately guess this. A young pilot standing nearby remarked:

Comrade captain, there is a hole in your tunic.

Where? - Novikov bent his big forehead.

Yes, right there,” he pointed his finger at the torn hole in the left pocket of his tunic.

Wow! - Alexey was surprised. - Now it’s clear. The fascist almost killed me, but the mouthpiece saved me. Look: a shell fragment passed tangentially through the material and split the mouthpiece. That's when I felt like something was pushing into my chest. Wow...

But as soon as the fragment hit a little to the left, it would be goodbye to youth,” another pilot suggested.

“It’s like nothing,” Novikov agreed.

The pilots surrounded the captain, taking turns examining with interest the mouthpiece that had been damaged in the battle.

“It should be sent to a museum,” someone suggested.

Eh, no! - Novikov shook his head. - I will keep it as a military relic. He saved my life.

Alexey carefully wrapped the mouthpiece in a piece of paper and put it back in his pocket. The expensive gift is still kept in his family.

At the end of the war, the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps relocated to Berlin. The enemy was in agony. The German command desperately threw its last reserves into battle. Stubborn fighting took place on the ground and in the air. But the balance of forces was no longer what it was at the beginning of the war. Soviet aviation reigned supreme in the air. One of the corps' fighter regiments was located at the Dalgov airfield. The corps headquarters was nearby.

The last days of the war were passing. The enemy fought back, intending to surrender to the Americans or the British. On May 2, 1945, at dawn, a group of fascist troops broke out of Berlin and moved along the road that passed the Dalgow airfield. The enemy group was spotted in time. It was necessary to report the enemy breakthrough to the neighboring division located at the Elstal airfield.

The corps commander decided to send his assistant for air rifle training to the division.

Novikov! - he shouted through the open door into the room opposite. - Take my car to the airfield. One leg here, the other there. My plane remained in the hangar. Roll it out and blow it to Elstal. You will give the order to the division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Orlov.

Eat! - All Novikov had time to answer and without hesitation grabbed the headset and rushed to the exit.

There was a battle at the airport. Soviet soldiers held back the onslaught of the fascists who had broken through. Where, in dashes and crawling, Novikov reached the hangar, jumped into the cockpit of the commander's fighter, started the engine and, at full throttle, rushed through the open gates onto the runway. The Germans, noticing the unexpectedly appeared plane, intensified the shelling. The plumes from the mine explosions surrounded the plane, it seemed that it could not break through. However, he rushed forward uncontrollably and soon rose into the air.

All this happened in front of the aviators, who had just repelled the onslaught of enemies. Surprised by the daring courage of the pilot, they wondered who it could be. One of the officers who was there asked his comrade:

Don’t know who took off so famously?

Didn’t you notice the Lieutenant Colonel running towards the hangar?

I noticed. He's such a big guy, he has a Hero's Star.

So this is the assistant commander for “fire and smoke”.

What is this, some kind of position or are you kidding, commander? - someone asked.

Job title. And almost the most important one in the building.

Well then it's clear. Apparently, this eagle is the boss of “fire and smoke.”