Sniper of Stalingrad battle
This Hero of the Soviet Union killed more than 300 Nazi soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II and taught scores of other snipers.
On the evening of September 22, 1942, Zaitsev crossed the Volga River and joined the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army. He quickly gained recognition during the initial battles in the illuminated city. One day, Zaitsev's commanding officer called him over and pointed out an enemy officer 800 meters away. Taking aim with his standard-issue Mossin-Nagant rifle, Vasily fired a single shot, taking down the officer. Moments later, two more Nazi soldiers appeared in the window to check on their fallen comrade. Zaitsev fired two more shots, killing them as well. For this feat, he was awarded the Medal for Valor and a sniper rifle.
Zaitsev gained a widespread reputation in the Soviet Union. From November 10 to December 17, he was credited with 225 confirmed kills, including 11 enemy snipers. This success led to the establishment of a sniper school at a metal hardware factory, which marked the beginning of the sniper movement in the Red Army.
Despite suffering severe injuries and blindness from a mortar attack in January 1943, Zaitsev continued to train Soviet soldiers and carry out sniper missions against Nazi troops. He was taken to Moscow for surgery by Professor Filatov, a renowned Russian ophthalmologist. While recovering in the hospital, his rifle was passed on to his top students at the sniper school, known as the "zaichata." Together, they achieved over 6,000 kills during World War II. Zaitsev ended the war with the rank of Captain.
Nazi Smart Pilot
In 1937, Adolf Galland requested to be transferred to the Legion "Condor" during the Spanish Civil War. He flew many combat missions with this Legion.
At the start of World War II, Galland was a pilot instructor before becoming a fighter pilot. He fought on various fronts and shot down 103 enemy planes, earning him multiple prestigious awards.
In December 1942, Galland was promoted to Major General, becoming the youngest military officer to hold such a high rank. Despite being banned from combat, he occasionally participated in missions.
Two years later, on December 1, 1944, Galland was promoted to Lieutenant General. His first award was the Iron Cross II class, followed by the Iron Cross I class for his continued success in battle. He was also awarded the Knight's Cross during the Battle of Britain, and later received the Knight's Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds.
With 56 victories to his name, Galland was considered the top pilot in the Luftwaffe.
Nazi Tank Commander
Kurt Knispel is known as the greatest tank ace in the world. This German war hero had 168 confirmed kills and 195 unconfirmed kills during World War II, earning him the title of the tank's equivalent of the Red Baron.
His remains were discovered by historians at the Moravian Museum in Vrbovec, Czech Republic, in an unmarked grave in a cemetery for German soldiers in Znojemsko. In 1940, Knispel joined the German army's armored branch after completing an apprenticeship at an automobile factory. At the age of 20 in 1941, he was sent into battle.
Knispel fought in various German tanks, serving as a loader, gunner, or commander. He is known for destroying a T-34 tank from a distance of 3,000 meters. He received several awards for his achievements, including the Iron Cross, First Class, after his 50th kill, the Tank Assault Badge for his 100th battle, and the German Cross in Gold after his 126th confirmed kill. Commanding a Tiger I tank and later a Tiger II, he destroyed an additional 42 enemy tanks.
Knispel was the only non-commissioned officer mentioned in a Wehrmacht communique.
He never received the Knight’s Cross typically awarded to tank aces, but this did not seem to bother him as he did not strive for awards. In disputes over kills, he always let the other party take credit. His slow promotion was due to conflicts with superior officers, including attacking one mistreating Soviet prisoners of war. He also had longer hair, facial hair, and a tattoo, which helped identify his body, according to museum spokesman Eva Pankova.
Nazi Fighter Pilot
Great Soviet Ace
Aleksandr Pokryshkin, a prominent fighter pilot during World War II, was honored as a Marshal of Soviet aviation and the sole recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union award during the war. Throughout his career, he flew a total of 650 missions, engaged in 139 aerial battles, and holds an official record of 59 enemy planes shot down.
Pokryshkin's journey in aviation began in 1931 when he joined the Soviet Army and was initially sent to an aviation school. However, his aspirations were abruptly halted when the school closed down, and he and his fellow students were redirected to train as aircraft mechanics.
Despite facing repeated rejections when requesting a transfer back to aviation school, Pokryshkin remained determined. He recognized the need for engineers in Soviet aviation but was equally passionate about becoming a pilot. To pursue his dream, he took matters into his own hands. Pokryshkin purchased numerous textbooks on piloting and aerodynamics and dedicated countless evenings to studying them.
In the spring of 1938, Pokryshkin approached the director of the Krasnodar pilots club and shared his ambitions. The director was taken aback by an engineer expressing interest in joining a civil aviation club. Even more surprising was Pokryshkin's proposal to complete the entire pilot's curriculum within a month during his vacation. The director reluctantly agreed, hoping that this intense endeavor would dissuade Pokryshkin from pursuing his dreams further.
Undeterred, Pokryshkin worked tirelessly, successfully passing all theory exams, paratrooping exercises, and ultimately piloting a plane. In just one month, he completed the entire aviation school curriculum with exceptional performance. The instructors were astounded by Pokryshkin's natural affinity for flying, noting his intuitive understanding of the aircraft.
Armed with his certificate, Pokryshkin seized the opportunity to reapply to military aviation school in November 1938. This time, the instructors unanimously voted in favor of his admission to the prestigious Kachin Aviation School. He completed his training in 1939 and was assigned to the 55th Fighter Regiment as a senior lieutenant.
Luftwaffe Commander
In March 1937, Mölders was appointed as the commander of Jagdgeschwader 334, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership and teaching skills. He volunteered to go to Spain in March 1938 and was tasked with taking over Adolf Galland's fighter squadron, which was in the process of transitioning from the He 51 to the Bf 109. By May 1938, after a brief transition period, Mölders assumed command of the squadron. As Mölders led his squadron into the Aragon and Ebro battles, he began work on developing a revolutionary new tactical system for the fighters. The system used by all the major air forces up to that time had scarcely changed from World War I, in which squadrons of 9-12 aircraft would fly a very tight formation, usually based on the ‘V’ or Flight of three aircraft. The tight aircraft formations, inherited from World War I combat, came from a period in which fighter aircraft did not have radios and needed to use hand signals; to observe these signals, pilots had to be sufficiently close to their flight and squadron leaders. Now that aircraft were more than twice as fast as the World War I biplanes, and equipped with radios, a Great War tactical system made no sense.
Fighter squadron tactics were now based on pairs and small groups, with aircraft flying 300-500m apart thanks to radio contact for effective communication. This allowed for a larger area of the sky to be patrolled and observed, reducing the risk of midair collisions. Fighter pilots were trained in these new tactics by Mölders, who also introduced the crossover turn to safely change direction in combat. Mölders' success in Spain led to his promotion and appointment to develop and train the Fighter Command in the new tactical system. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a major and group commander in the 1940 campaign in France, and achieving the rank of colonel in 1941 while commanding a fighter wing in Russia. Mölders was appointed Inspector of the Luftwaffe Fighters, but tragically died in an accident in November 1941. He was the first fighter pilot to achieve more than 100 confirmed aerial victories.
Soviet Air Idol
Kozhedub arrived at the front line in March 1943, later than most. His combat career almost ended before it began when his La-5 plane was hit during his first aerial battle over Voronezh, not only by German bombers but also by Soviet anti-aircraft guns. Despite this, Ivan Nikitovich managed to land his damaged plane in a field.
His greatest moment came during the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943. On July 6, he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Junkers Ju-87 dive bomber. The next day, he downed another, and on July 9, he added two German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters to his tally.
Kozhedub described one of his victories as follows: "Two Messerschmitts started chasing me... I calmly spiraled upwards. The Germans followed at a steep angle, and I realized they would fall behind or stall. I observed the nearest Messerschmitt closely. The German lost speed and stalled, and I set him ablaze with my first good burst."
Senior Lieutenant Kozhedub received his first Hero of the Soviet Union star on February 4, 1944, with 20 enemy takedowns. Six months later, he earned a second star with 48 victories. In August 1945, he became a three-time 'Hero in the wake of Victory'.
Kozhedub was one of the first pilots in the anti-Hitler coalition to shoot down a German jet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262 'Schwalbe'. Unfortunately, he also shot down two American P-51 'Mustangs' by mistake in April 1945. He realized his error too late, after the dogfight was over.
