Talalikhin Viktor Vasilievich. Fighters. Heroes of the sky. Victor Talalikhin short biography For what feat was Talalikhin awarded

The last spread of "The Seagull". As if from a steep glass mountain, she rolled onto the airfield field. Talalikhin got out of the cabin. The technicians, mechanics, and pilots saw a happy smile on Victor’s face. Victor took a deep breath of the invigorating frosty air.

It was a fun day! - he said, but the roar of the engine drowned out the words.

How many? - asked technician Konstantin Andreev. - One? - And he showed his thumb.

Talalikhin showed 3 fingers. This meant that the squadron pilots destroyed 3 enemy aircraft.

Have you opened your account? - shouted in Viktor Andreev’s ear.

One! And another one with Kostenko! - Talalikhin answered, and his face broke into a good-natured smile.

Congratulations! And you and all the pilots of the squadron,” the technician shook Victor’s hand. - Now you are a fired pilot. Received a baptism of fire.

In the evening, Talalikhin’s friends pestered him with questions about what happened and how it happened.

Our commander was the first to open the scoring. Then Kostenko and I shot down the second enemy plane,” Victor said. “Suddenly, I noticed an enemy car to the side. He quickly turned around and walked towards him. He does not accept the fight and tries to get away from me, dives. I give it full throttle. We fall to the ground like a stone. I see that the enemy is maneuvering, believing that I will not have time to bring my car out of the dive and will crash into the ground. But the enemy miscalculated. I was on his tail again. He fired a burst, then another, and the enemy vehicle, blazing, fell down. That's all.

Squadron commander Korolev was pleased with the pilots that day.

Nice job! - he said. - And Talalikhin distinguished himself well! He has great endurance.

Judging by Victor’s own story, one might think that he endured everything easily. In fact, he was tired, exhausted after each flight, so much so that he could barely drag his feet. True, he tried to hold on and didn’t show it. After a short “smoke break,” Victor again hurried to his car. We need to check it and be ready to take off at any moment. Mikhail Ivanovich Korolev looks at Talalikhin and smiles. “How much energy he has!” He was also pleased with the other young falcons.

New combat mission. Talalikhin flew out with the squadron commander to intercept enemy bombers. Suddenly, Korolev’s car came under fierce fire from a camouflaged Finnish anti-aircraft battery. The shells exploded near the commander's plane. But Korolev tirelessly pursued the enemy bomber and, using some contrition, fired a long burst at it. The plane began to smoke and fell into a tailspin. However, another enemy aircraft was already approaching the commander’s vehicle from behind. He managed to damage Korolev’s car, which began to sway like a chip in a river.

Despite the mortal danger, Victor rushed to the rescue. At that moment, he was possessed by only one thought: to save his commander at all costs, to divert enemy fire from him, to take the enemy’s attack upon himself! I remembered the soldier’s wisdom: “Take care of your commander in battle like your own head.” Talalikhin began to maneuver. “If only the enemy doesn’t sneak up on your tail!” the thought flashed. “We must be careful.”

Turning around, Talalikhin noticed an enemy Fokker in the tail, which was pursuing our “hawk”. “It might knock me out...” Talalikhin became worried. Seconds decide the outcome of the battle. Victor quickly turned the fighter into a sharp turn, approaching the Fokker. He attacked the enemy with lightning speed and knocked him down.

“Have you tasted our light?” Victor triumphed, looking at the falling Fokker, completely engulfed in flames. “Now hurry up to your airfield.”

Talalikhin noticed that the engine began to slow down. There were 50 kilometers left to the airfield. As luck would have it, there was a headwind. Under the wings of the plane there are granite hills, pine trees, frozen lakes. Between the hills there are narrow gorges. He flew, almost clinging to the tops of the forest.

“I wish I could get to my people safely,” thought Talalikhin. Turns followed one after another, and the “hawk” went onto the straight line, and then slid along the snow cover of the landing path.

Pilots Vasily Romanov, Sergei Kostenko, and technicians Konstantin Andreev and Alexander Chudetsky ran up to the plane. Firm handshakes.

Commander Mikhail Ivanovich Korolev shook Talalikhin’s hand especially firmly.

Thank you, Viktor Vasilyevich, for your help in battle! I will never forget. You are brave in the air! I was in a bit of trouble, but you helped me out. - Then he asked in a half-joking tone: - But it was quite scary under enemy fire, huh? Is not it?

“It was all sorts of things,” Victor answered and laughed. - Everything turned out well.

A few days later, representatives of the air force command spoke with Talalikhin. They asked how he decided to do such an act. Talalikhin shrugged his shoulders, then answered:

I had to save the life of the squadron commander. And I didn’t have to think about everything else...

From the first days of service in the 27th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Victor met pilot Gumar Ayupov. They were the same age. They quickly got along and became friends. Their beds in the dugout stood next to each other. Talalikhin liked the cheerful, energetic Ayupov for his simplicity and straightforwardness. The black-eyed, dark-skinned, impetuous Tatar was in love with his profession as an air fighter. At the front, the friendship between Victor and Gumar strengthened even more. They spent more than one night in intimate conversations, making plans for the future, remembering relatives, friends from childhood and youth. The aviators said that “You can’t spill water on Talalikhin and Ayupov.”

The front days passed. Victor and Gumar, even in combat situations, found time to improve their theoretical knowledge of aviation, testing them in practice. But in a combat situation you can’t foresee everything...

During the battle, Gumar's plane was overtaken by an enemy shell. The car fell on the ice of Lake Suana-Jarvi. Our infantrymen saw the plane falling, ran to the lake, found the pilot and took him to the medical battalion, located in a dense pine forest. Gumar was seriously wounded in the head and chest. He only woke up in a hospital bed. The pilot underwent surgery. My temples were ringing and I had an unbearable headache. Gumar felt tired and exhausted.

The next morning the roar of enemy planes was heard in the air. Bomb explosions thundered in the location of our rear units. Despite the fact that the red crosses were clearly visible from the air, the enemy also dropped bombs on the hospital. Many medical workers and wounded soldiers died. Gumar Ayupov was also killed by a bomb fragment. The pilots and aviation specialists of the squadron were depressed that day. The fighting, brave, courageous pilot, and wonderful comrade in their close-knit family was gone. Viktor Talalikhin was the most worried about Ayupov’s death. Ayupov was buried on the outskirts of a pine forest, in a mass grave. It was decorated with wreaths of green spruce trees. A triple fireworks salute sounded over the fresh grave mound, topped with a column with a five-pointed star.

The fighting continued. The natural conditions of the Karelian Isthmus made it difficult for our troops to move and maneuver. The pilots helped the artillerymen destroy strong points and the Mannerheim Line. Winter days are short. At 10 o'clock dawn came, and after 15:00 it began to get dark. And yet, Soviet aviators managed to make 3-4 flights a day, and sometimes more.

On the second day after the death of Gumar Ayupov, 6 of our fighters, led by M.I. Korolev, flew to the front line of defense. Viktor Talalikhin was also in this group. We just took off and immediately entered into an air battle with 12 enemy aircraft. Double superiority of the enemy! But this did not bother the Soviet pilots, who, having an advantage in altitude, rushed into the attack. It became hot in the sky. The surprise and boldness of the maneuver yielded results. From the very first approach, the leader of the group, Captain M. Korolev, set fire to the enemy plane. The enemy's formation was broken. He tried to escape persecution, but that was not the case. Having made a sharp maneuver, Talalikhin and Kostenko attacked the right four Fokkers. The distance between the planes was decreasing every second. Victor pressed the machine gun trigger, and the enemy plane began to smoke, rapidly falling to the ground.

This is for the death of Gumar! - Victor exclaimed.

In the evening there was another flight of our fighters. During the day, the pilots shot down 3 enemy aircraft and returned safely to their airfield.

Fresh central newspapers have been received. They published the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the glorious defenders of the Motherland with orders and medals. Among those awarded for valor and courage were squadron commander M. I. Korolev, pilots V. V. Talalikhin, V. A. Romanov, T. P. Kokhan, V. N. Chensky, S. F. Kostenko, military technicians K. M. Andreev and A.P. Chudetsky.

On the Karelian Isthmus, Viktor Talalikhin made 47 combat missions, dropping dozens of bombs on enemy airfields, ammunition and fuel depots, and on convoys. In air battles, he personally and in a group with his comrades shot down 4 enemy aircraft. The Order of the Red Star adorned his chest. In addition, the army commander sent V.V. Talalikhin and his deceased friend Gumar Ayupov gratitude for the excellent performance of combat missions.

On March 13, 1940, radio spread the news throughout the world that hostilities between the Soviet Union and Finland had ceased. And the next day the airfield was empty. The falcons flew away...

In the summer of 1940, the command granted Talalikhin leave for rest. He came to Moscow to visit his parents, who had not seen him for 1.5 years. He lived with them for about a month. Towards the end of his vacation, his brother Nikolai arrived. Together they visited the meat processing plant, the workshops where they had previously worked. Victor told the workers about the combat actions of the pilots at the front and called for hard work.

In the spring of 1941, Talalikhin graduated with honors from the flight commander course and was assigned to the newly formed 177th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The certification issued by the flight personnel improvement course read:

"V.V. Talalikhin loves to fly... He flies boldly... He is energetic and quick-witted in the air. He flies well on I-153 and I-16 fighters. He can be admitted to instructor flights... He is worthy of promotion to the position of commander link..."

Arriving at the regiment, Victor met there an old front-line friend and former squadron commander of the 27th IAP - Major M.I. Korolev, who now commanded the 177th Air Regiment.

Talalikhin ended up in the 1st squadron. Commander V.V. Gugashin was an experienced pilot. He took part in air battles against the Japanese invaders in the Khalkhin-Gol River area in the summer of 1939. Comrades who knew him in his service said: “Born for aviation. Innate talent!”

The regiment's commissar was N. L. Khodorev, also a participant in the battles near the Khalkhin-Gol River. The pilots looked at him with delight at the commissar - tall, okay. He had graying temples and a keen gaze of bluish-gray eyes. On the chest is the Order of the Red Banner, received for military deeds in Mongolia.

In the person of their commissar, they saw their closest assistant, an intelligent adviser, a sincere friend. They also knew that he was a wonderful pilot. By personal example in air battles with the enemy, the commissar inspired bold, deeply thought-out actions, showing examples of fortitude and courage.

And in everyday life, Khodorev was very kind, he tried to penetrate deeper into the soul of each warrior, to help in word and deed. I was always with people. The airfield and airplane cabins served as his “office.” There his whole life is in full view - busy, tense.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, pilots of the 177th Fighter Aviation Regiment defended the skies of Moscow from the southwestern direction. Talalikhin was a flight commander, then deputy squadron commander.

The pilots of the 177th IAP, in which Talalikhin served, opened a combat account for the destruction of enemy aircraft on the night of July 25. Cirrus clouds floated at high altitudes. The moon, as if bathing in them, then disappeared, then appeared again. Night monitors - pilots were on duty in the cockpits of their "hawks".

Major M.I. Korolev, looking around the sky, remarked, turning to Commissioner N.L. Khodorev:

Heaven is not for us. The Nazis benefit from clouds in order to hide and run away from our “hawks”.

During the first Nazi raid on Moscow, the sky was also not very clear, but our pilots shot down more than two dozen enemy vehicles on the approaches to the capital. - answered the commissioner. - The Nazis got it in the teeth and will get more.

At this time, a telephone call rang at the command post. Korolev picked up the phone. The conversation was brief. Nazi bombers were approaching from the west, so be prepared to meet them. The airfield instantly came to life.

The commander of the 2nd squadron, Captain Ivan Samsonov, received an order to fly to intercept. The pilots immediately took off into the air. The searchlights were already scanning the sky. Suddenly the rays of the light field crossed, and Samsonov saw an airplane shine at the point of their crossing. It was a Ju-88. Samsonov gained the required height and, taking an advantageous position, attacked the enemy with lightning speed. A line of tracer bullets pierced the Junkers. It flared up and, leaving a black trail behind it, fell to the ground.

Other pilots of the regiment also took part in this reflection of the fascist raid on Moscow. By order of the commander of the Moscow air defense zone, gratitude was declared to the following pilots of the 177th IAP for skillfully repelling fascist bombers: M. I. Korolev, N. L. Khodorev, V. V. Gugashiiu, I. D. Samsonov, A. S. Tadeush , V.V. Talalikhin, I. Z. Tyapin and G. Z. Finogenov.

In the last days of July 1941, a new combat life at the front began for Talalikhin. He was appointed deputy commander of the 1st squadron. Soon the squadron commander, Captain V.V. Gugashin, was out of action. Victor had to perform his duties for a long time. The amount of work and worries has increased. Previously, he was responsible for the combat and political training of the people of the unit, and now there are 4 such units under his command.

The squadron knew Talalikhin as a demanding, strong-willed commander and at the same time a sensitive, attentive comrade who knew how to find a way to the pilot’s heart. Before giving orders, making a decision, or drawing a conclusion, he always tried to get to the heart of the matter. His subordinates carried out his orders, understanding the meaning of what they were entrusted with.

One early August morning, Talalikhin received an order to fly as a flight to the Maloyaroslavets area, where enemy convoys were located. The fighters, having taken off from the ground, headed for the given area. Low level flight. Gullies, copses, and villages flash by quickly. In the distance, behind the bluish haze, the outlines of a large settlement appeared, stretching on both sides of the Warsaw Highway.

The day promised to be stormy, with low clouds. The first rays of the rising sun soon disappeared. It is difficult to find an enemy convoy in such weather. But the combat order must be carried out at all costs. Talalikhin peered vigilantly at the ground. Villages, rivers, lakes, and collective farm fields continued to flash through the fog under the plane’s wing. This is the point indicated by intelligence. Talalikhin's vehicles flashed over him once or twice, but did not detect the enemy column. Apparently she had camouflaged herself in the village or moved on.

The fighters circled over the village, located between two hills. And the pilots managed to notice an enemy convoy camouflaged on the edge of the village. Having dived, the pilots fired machine-gun fire at the convoy from head to tail. Several enemy vehicles burst into flames. Anti-aircraft guns hit the Hawks. Maneuvering, Talalikhin and his fighting friends continued to destroy the enemy, and then quickly disappeared.

The next day Talalikhin flew out together with Pyotr Funtov for a “free hunt”. This time the sky was cloudless, and the sun's rays were crushed into thousands of sparks on the planes of the planes. Suddenly Victor notices an enemy Me-109. Having maneuvered, Talalikhin suddenly rained fire on the enemy. The fascist pilot tried to escape from under fire with a sharp turn. Using his advantage, Victor stubbornly pursued the enemy, hitting him with short bursts of machine guns. The fascist vulture darted from side to side in impotent rage, then dived. But Talalikhin also went into a dive. After a fraction of a minute, when the enemy plane began to emerge from its dive to switch to low-level flight, Victor fired a well-aimed burst. The enemy plane began to smoke and crashed to the ground. The regiment's "current account" was replenished with another downed enemy vehicle.

Other aviators also flew out to “hunt”. Over the course of a week, the pilots of the 1st squadron shot down 5 enemy aircraft in air battles.

On the night of August 5-6, Talalikhin again flew into the patrol zone. The searchlight beam was found by an enemy bomber. The blinded enemy rushed across the sky, trying to hide into the darkness. He did not notice the approach of the Soviet "hawk". Talalikhin flew up almost close and pressed the machine gun triggers. Due to the dense fire, the Junkers burst into flames and fell like a stone...

On the night of August 7, 1941, junior lieutenant V.V. Talalikhin, in an air battle near Moscow (near the village of Kuznechiki, Podolsk region), at 23:28 minutes, rammed an enemy long-range bomber Heinkel-111. [For a long time it was believed that this was the first night ram in the skies of Moscow, but this is not entirely true - on July 29, the pilot of the 27th Air Regiment P.V. Eremeev, flying a MiG-3 fighter, shot down a Ju-88 bomber with a ram attack. This was the first night ram in the Moscow sky. By decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 21, 1995, P. V. Eremeyev was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia].

That night was bright, moonlit, quiet. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun-warmed earth smelled of ripening apples and freshly cut grass. On the outskirts of Moscow, air defense pilots were on night duty, ready at any moment to take to the skies on orders, and such an order came. A squadron of enemy bombers with tons of deadly cargo was spotted on the approaches to the capital. Our fighters took to the skies. The deputy squadron commander of the 177th Air Regiment, Viktor Talalikhin, who received the affectionate nickname “Baby” for his short stature and boyish enthusiasm, discovered the enemy at an altitude of 4800 meters and rushed across.

The twin-engine German Heinkel-111 avoided a head-on collision and, apparently flinching from the unexpected pressure, immediately turned its shafts back. Talalikhin continued the pursuit in his "hawk". The German skillfully maneuvered, not daring to take the fight. "Kid" attacked the enemy 6 times. One engine was damaged. When the ammunition ran out, Talalikhin made the decision: “I’m going to ram!” Did he understand that this was a deadly number? Of course I understood! What was he thinking about then? About the fact that “...if I die, I’ll be alone, but there are four fascists in the bomber.” One against four... This is how we fought in the first months of the war.

Victor approached the armored Heinkel from behind to hit the tail with a propeller and... his right hand was burned with fire: the German hit our "hawk" with a machine gun. The wound did not stop the young pilot: he brought down the entire weight of his combat vehicle on the enemy bomber. There was a terrible crash. The Hawk turned upside down, but this did not stop the wounded Talalikhin from finding a parachute, unfastening his belt and throwing himself out of the falling plane. While the long jump lasted, he managed to notice how the flames grew around the Heinkel he rammed, how it exploded in the air and fell down.

Talalikhin landed in a swamp near the village of Mansurovo (the area of ​​the current Domodedovo airport). Local collective farmers who watched the night battle helped the pilot get out of the water, warmed him up, fed him, bandaged his wounded hand and equipped a collective farm cart to send the pilot to his unit. Upon arrival, he immediately jumped on a motorcycle and rushed to find the crash site of the bomber he had shot down. The wreckage of the Heinkel was burning near a birch grove. The bodies of its crew were scattered 100 meters from the plane...

The commander of the Heinkel crew is a 40-year-old lieutenant colonel, awarded the Iron Cross for military operations against Poland in 1939. On the left sleeve of the jacket is an emblem for the successful bombing of Narvik.

The very next day, August 8, 1941, Viktor Talalikhin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. He was only 22 years old.

“On the night of August 6-7, during another attempt by fascist planes to break through to Moscow, a 23-year-old fighter pilot, junior lieutenant, order bearer Viktor Talalikhin heroically attacked and rammed an enemy Heinkel-111 bomber. In the photo on the left is a rammed and burned vulture and the dead fascist pilots. Among them is Hitler's lieutenant colonel - a seasoned murderer who had distinctions and awards. In the picture on the right are the fascist young men of this crew, who were photographed near their plane shortly before their attempt to break through to Moscow, where they met their inglorious end (the picture was found with one of the killed fascist pilots)".

The wound forced him to linger on the ground, and he rushed into the sky, which was torn apart by the roar of enemy aircraft - the Germans were rushing to Moscow. On September 28, an anti-fascist youth rally took place in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. Talalikhin spoke at it. The final words of his speech were met with thunderous applause: “I swear and urge all my peers to stand up in defense of our youth, in defense of the honor and freedom of our Motherland!”

After a short treatment, he is back in action. Showing high flying skill and creativity in air combat tactics, setting an example of military valor and comradely mutual assistance, in subsequent battles he destroyed another 5 enemy aircraft personally and 1 in the group. In October alone, he had 3 victories to his name - on the 13th he shot down 2 He-111 bombers, and on the 15th he shot down a Me-110 multipurpose aircraft.

On one October day in 1941, 10 Messers appeared above the front line in the patrol area of ​​our fighters. The enemy's calculation was to engage the Soviet fighters in battle and give the Junkers the opportunity to launch an air bombing attack on the front edge of the front line of our search.

Clouds hung over the horizon as Talalikhin led a group of fighters over the leading edge of the front line. In the clouds, Soviet pilots noticed a group of German bombers. Talalikhin, as if slipping from a cloud, immediately attacked the leader of the enemy group. Victor's fighting friends - pilots Pounds, Frolov, Danilenko, Kupava, Turkov - opened heavy fire on the Nazis. In long bursts they pierced the fuselage of one of the bombers. He was already falling onto the wing when the Messers emerged from behind the clouds. They attacked our fighters. But the Soviet pilots pulled the trigger. The fire put the enemies to flight. Another enemy bomber began to smoke from the well-aimed machine-gun fire of pilot Funtov. The remaining fascist planes fled.

Having destroyed 2 bombers and put the rest of the enemy vehicles to flight, Talalikhin and his wingmen returned to their airfield. But as soon as the “hawks” turned around, “Heinkel-111” appeared in front. Talalikhin and his followers attacked the enemy with lightning speed. Pursued by continuous fire, the fascist machine began to decline. The enemy's attempts to break away from the Soviet fighters failed. The Heinkel landed at the edge of the forest. One fascist pilot was seriously wounded and captured, the other 3 were dead.

This was a major victory for Talalikhin and his followers. But it was soon overshadowed by the tragic death of pilot Danilenko. The death of a friend deeply shocked Talalikhin and all the aviators of the regiment. The pilots decided to take revenge on the enemy for the death of their comrade.

Gloomy autumn morning. The clouds over the forest dropped so low that they seemed to touch the tops of the trees. And the wind is cold. The preparation of aircraft for combat missions has been completed. The pilots lined up at the command post. The order has been given. Instantly everything began to move. A signal flare went up. Plane after plane took off. The first to take off were Viktor Talalikhin and his wingmen Alexander Pechenevsky and Pyotr Funtov. Behind them are Ivan Samsonov, Vladimir Samodurov, Alexander Tadeush, Ivan Tyapin, Pyotr Myshinsky. The vehicles, having described a semicircle over the airfield, flew to the west, to the front line of defense. Nine was led by the regiment commander.

Our fighters noticed that 6 enemy bombers appeared ahead, above the front line sparkling with flares of fire. They flew in circles, dived, dropping bombs on our battle formations. Pilots Talalikhin and Samsonov quickly gained altitude and disappeared behind the top edge of the clouds. The remaining fighters began to approach the enemy. The attack was unexpected for the enemy. The formation of enemy aircraft immediately crumbled. And at that moment Talalikhin, from behind the clouds, fell on one of the enemies. Accurate machine-gun fire drove the bomber into the ground.

The second group, led by pilot Ivan Tyapin, with continuous attacks forced the Nazis to randomly drop bombs anywhere. In this battle, the regiment pilots destroyed 2 more enemy aircraft.

In the evening, the commander of the aviation corps, Colonel I. D. Klimov, arrived at the airfield. A new combat mission had to be completed.

9 fighters under the command of Korolev took off from the runway. A continuous rumble in the sky. The Hawks quickly flew straight to the target. Over the combat area, our ground forces were met by 20 enemy bombers and 12 fighters. Having personally destroyed the leader of the fascist group, Korolev and his followers, with a skillful maneuver, defeated the enemy’s battle formations. Immediately our pilots began to deliver crushing blows to the enemy from all directions. It seemed that there were not 9 Soviet fighters in the air, but many times more.

The German pilots, stunned by the sudden attacks, became confused and turned back. However, our fighters continuously pursued them. That day, 9 Soviet fighters shot down 5 enemy aircraft.

Having landed at the airfield, Talalikhin, summing up the results of the battle, told the squadron pilots:

According to the regiment commander, we fired successfully and completed the task well. But today this is not enough for us. After all, we had both omissions and problems. If they are not addressed immediately, they can develop into serious deficiencies.

And Talalikhin analyzed the actions of each squadron pilot in battle. The pilots listened carefully to the comments of their beloved commander. In the following days and nights in battles with the enemy, they tried to avoid mistakes.

One day, one of Talalikhin’s wingmen, pilot Pechenevsky, got carried away by an individual battle with a Messerschmitt, broke away from the group and forgot about the danger. At the decisive moment, Talalikhin quickly came to the rescue. Together they won. Returning to the airfield, Talalikhin gathered the flight pilots and demanded that every pilot in any situation be highly organized, disciplined, and constantly remember mutual assistance in battle.

There was another case with Pechenevsky. He did not notice the enemy bomber, but Talalikhin noticed and began to pursue the enemy.

“I was hit hard for my mistake,” Pechenevsky told his friends. - Talalikhin told me: “When you are in the air, you must see everything.” I tried to explain to him that I didn’t notice.” And he responded: “What do you mean “didn’t notice”? You need to be the first to detect the enemy, get close, and attack. Otherwise, it will turn out badly if the enemy notices you first.” I learned this lesson firmly.

One day, after an air battle, Talalikhin was returning to his airfield alone, as often happened after a hot battle with the enemy. Suddenly he noticed that he was being pursued by 2 Messers. Talalikhin looked at the Hawk's watch and instruments. “Well!” he thought. “We have fuel and ammunition. We can meet the enemy.” I decided to approach the enemy. But the "Messers" managed to get behind our "hawk". The situation has become more complicated.

A split second decided the outcome of the battle. Talalikhin's ingenuity and restraint helped him successfully maneuver. He deftly dived at the moment when the enemies were pursuing Talalikhin at high speed. Having removed the gas, the "hawk" sharply reduced its speed. The fascist pilots, who did not expect such a maneuver, rushed forward, and Talalikhin again gave the gas, rushed forward and found himself on the tail of one Messer. He fired a machine-gun burst at the enemy, a second, a third... And the enemy began to smoke and fell down. And the other Messer disappeared, not wanting to compete with the Soviet pilot.

On October 27, 1941, 6 fighters under the command of Talalikhin flew to cover our troops in the area of ​​​​the village of Kamenki, on the banks of the Nara (85 km west of Moscow). When approaching the German airfield, they were met by nine Me-109s. Talalikhin shot down one Messer personally, and another - in tandem with his wingman Alexander Bogdanov. But a machine gun burst also hit the cockpit of his fighter. Talalikhin was seriously wounded in the head and soon a black column of smoke marked the place where his car crashed...

Viktor Vasilyevich Talalikhin is buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Awarded the orders: Lenin, Red Banner, Red Star. The brave pilot is forever included in the lists of the military unit.

In the city of Podolsk after the war, a majestic monument was erected to him (photo on the left), and in Moscow - a bust. Streets in cities are also named after him: Kaliningrad (Moscow region), Volgograd, Borisoglebsk and many others. One of the ships of the Russian Ministry of Maritime Fleet bears the name of Hero.

In one of the old (from Soviet times) books, I discovered a photograph of an unknown pilot, shown below. The inscription under it reads: “This is how during the Great Patriotic War, Soviet ace pilots celebrated their victories over the enemy.” In the photo - Hero of the Soviet Union with lieutenant's cubes. The technician draws the 10th star... Another star is visible (albeit with difficulty) at the technician's hand... I cannot say that this is Talalikhin, but the similarity with his other photographs is quite large (see photo at the top right).

"A FEW WORDS ABOUT V.V. TALALIKHIN'S COMMANDERS

The morning of the next day (after the funeral of Viktor Talalikhin) was cold and windy. The sky is covered with continuous clouds. The pilots gathered at the command post. The face of the regiment commander, Major M.I. Korolev, is concerned, his thick eyebrows are frowned.

Bad weather! - he said angrily. - But we will fight. Radiogram received. The Nazis are pressing... They have fresh reinforcements coming...

Korolev pointed out points on the map. The pilots made notes on their maps.

Hatred towards the enemy began to boil even more in the heart of pilot Alexander Pechenevsky. Pechenevsky remembered the past day, Talalikhin’s funeral, the last farewell to his battle friend... Just last night, Pechenevsky attached a portrait of Victor, cut out from a newspaper, to the cockpit of his fighter. Pilots Alexander Bogdanov, Ivan Tyapin and Pyotr Funtov did the same.

From the command post, the pilots hurriedly headed to the planes. A few minutes later, Pechenevsky was in the air on his “hawk” and patrolling near the village of Tarutino. The group included pilots Pyotr Krotov and Ivan Tyapin.

Soon they discovered 7 Messers. Pechenevsky, having given a signal to his comrades, rushed to attack 2 enemy fighters, opening fire on them. From the very first turn, he shot down a fascist plane. However, he himself came under enemy fire. To the right, very close, fiery trails sparkled. Pechenevsky steadfastly withstood the superior forces of the enemy and did not leave the battle until his fighting friends Tyapin and Krotov arrived.

And 2 days later in the morning, pilots Pechenevsky, Tyapin and Savostyanov were patrolling in the sky near the village of Kamenka, where Viktor Talalikhin died. Here, in an air battle, our pilots shot down 3 enemy Me-109 aircraft.

And so every day, Soviet pilots took revenge on the enemy for the death of their comrade.

On October 9, 1942, Pechenevsky was called to the regiment command post. Pilots Vasily Artyomov, Eduard Nalivaiko and Nikolai Frolov also arrived here. The command set the pilots, led by Pechenevsky, the task of preventing enemy bombers from approaching the Velikiye Luki railway station. At that time, several of our trains with military cargo were there.

The order of the regiment commander was clear. Pechenevsky thought over a plan for carrying out the order and consulted with his followers.

We will have to meet with a large group of bombers, with strong fighter cover,” Pechenevsky said. - You know the enemy’s maneuvers, as well as the Nazis’ vulnerabilities.

He outlined possible combat battles with Heinkels and Messers, and placed his pilots taking into account their combat experience.

Airplanes at the start. A signal flare went up. The fighters took off. Having gained sufficient altitude, Pechenevsky carefully peered into the air. Nearby are pilots Artemov, Nalivaiko and Frolov. While patrolling under the lower edge of the clouds, Pechenevsky discovered a Ju-88 group at an altitude of 500 meters. I decided to attack the enemy with all four. The attack was supported by a flight of fighters from our other flight unit. A hot battle ensued. Pechenevsky took it upon himself to deal with the leading enemy bomber. Pechenevsky's "hawk" rushed to get closer to the enemy. However, he, maneuvering and hiding behind clouds, continued to stubbornly lead his group to Velikiye Luki station. There were only a few kilometers left to the station. In a couple of minutes the Nazis can drop bombs. Pechenevoky continuously attacked the enemy, but... his ammunition ran out. What to do?

The pilot, true to his military duty, decided to destroy the enemy with a ram, as his friend Viktor Talalikhin did. Having approached the bomber, Pechenevsky wanted to “chop off” the tail of the enemy aircraft with the propeller of his fighter. But the fascist, having guessed the Soviet pilot’s plan, managed to dodge. Then Pechenevsky, with lightning speed, made a second attempt to ram the enemy.

Having flown under the wing of the Junkers from below, he smoothly took over the control stick and cut off the wing of the fascist plane with a propeller. The vulture tilted sharply and fell to the ground 15 kilometers from the Velikiye Luki station. Pechenevsky's plane lost control due to the impact. At low altitude, the pilot managed to jump out with a parachute.

While Pechenevsky was chasing the leading enemy bomber, pilots Artyomov, Nalivaiko and Frolov were fighting with other enemy aircraft. In an unequal battle, they shot down 2 bombers. The remaining enemy vehicles flew away without reaching the target. The Nazis failed to break through to the Velikiye Luki station. Our pilots brilliantly carried out the orders of the command.

This was already the second ramming attack in the 177th Aviation Regiment. All military units quickly learned about the feat of the brave pilot A.D. Pechenevsky, and Red Army newspapers talked about him. The poet Anna Khersonskaya dedicated inspired lines to his feat.

The ram is a weapon of the brave, a combat technique that was put into practice and used by Soviet pilots. The founder of ramming combat is the remarkable Russian military pilot Pyotr Nikolaevich Nesterov. In an air battle in September 1914, he rammed the wheels of his plane into an enemy Albatross airplane.

The history of the Great Patriotic War contains many examples of how brave Soviet falcons, trying to defeat the enemy at all costs, used a ram. The Soviet Information Bureau frequently reported ramming attacks. Hatred for the enemy, the will to win, the persistent desire to defeat the enemy at the call of the Communist Party and the Soviet government - this is what inspired Soviet pilots to heroic deeds in the name of the Motherland.

The defenders of Moscow remember the night air battle in which Komsomol member Lieutenant V. A. Kiselev took part. He fought a fascist bomber. Having flown closer to him, despite the continuous fire of the enemy, Kiselev fired a machine-gun burst at the enemy’s left engine. Smoke poured out of the engine and flames burst out. But the bomber continued to fire, maneuvering, trying to slip out of the beam of our searchlight. He succeeded for a while. But Kiselyov did not lag behind, although his car was damaged and was losing speed.

The pilot's face was burned. Kiselev pressed the trigger. The machine guns were silent, the ammunition was spent. “I won’t let the enemy go!” Viktor Kiselyov said to himself. “I will act like Talalikhin.” After 2 - 3 seconds, Kiselyov’s car crashed into the bomber. The pilot jumped out with a parachute. The enemy bomber and our "hawk" crashed to the ground. Soon the commander, regiment commissar and pilots congratulated Viktor Kiselyov on his victory.

Pilot Alexey Katrich also performed a brave feat by ramming an enemy plane. It was not far from Moscow. Having fired all the ammunition, Katrich prudently approached the bomber. The blow was accurate. Having lost control, the bomber nose-dived and fell to the ground. But the Soviet fighter, having rammed the enemy, dived steeply. The propeller blades were damaged and the car was shaking. Katrich was not at a loss. Using a large reserve of altitude, he skillfully directed the "hawk" to his airfield and landed safely. A day later, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR followed: “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, to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Lieutenant Katrich Alexei Nikolaevich...”

A. N. Katrich, 1942.

The leaflet “The most skillful high-altitude ram,” sent to Soviet soldiers, said:

“The Hero of the Soviet Union, a young pilot of the Moscow air defense zone, Alexei Katrich, owns one of the most skillful air rams. The passion and fervor of youth are combined in Katrich with prudence and caution. When he ran out of cartridges in one of the air battles, he decided to go for a ram.

Katrich took his time and carefully walked into the tail of the enemy plane. He prudently destroyed the German marksman in advance and accurately calculated the blow. Katrich decided to hit the rudders of the enemy aircraft with the very ends of the propeller blades. The blow was accurate. A German plane crashed into the ground. Only the blades of Katrich's car were damaged; he landed safely. This air battle took place at an altitude of 8,000 meters, and Katrich acted in an oxygen mask."

Soviet pilots carried out ramming attacks on enemy aircraft both at high altitude and in low-level flight, ramming fighters and bombers, demonstrating their courage and skill, the greatness of the spirit of the Soviet man. In air battles near Moscow, fighter pilots P. G. Ageev, N. M. Blagodarenko, S. S. Goshko, B. G. Pirozhkov, M. A. Rodionov, I. P. Shumilov, B. A. became famous for their ramming strikes Vasiliev and other daredevils.

Victor Talalikhin's comrades fought fiercely with the enemy. They opened a new account of downed fascist planes - an account named after Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Talalikhin. In the airspace of the capital, fighter pilots of the Moscow air defense zone crushed 23 fascist aircraft with ramming attacks.

Fighter pilot Gerasim Grigoriev ended every meeting with the enemy in victory. More than once he returned to his airfield with almost no fuel in the gas tank, without a single cartridge, and sometimes wounded. But he always happily reported: “One less dog.” Here are some entries in Grigoriev's diary: "...Loitering over the airfield. I see the Xe-111 crawling. Gave a frontal attack. The vulture exploded in the air"; “I shot down a Yu-88, took it down quickly thanks to clear visibility”; "Night battle. On a donkey, I caught up with and set fire to the Yu-88."

The glorious air defender of the capital, Gerasim Afanasyevich Grigoriev, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

So, day after day, the pilots increased the combat count of destroyed fascist aircraft. One day, while patrolling in the area of ​​a large populated area, pilot Ivan Tyapin and his wingmen saw 6 Ju-88s. The bombers were flying, hiding under the lower edge of the clouds, at an altitude of 800 meters. A couple of our fighters, distracting the enemy, fired at the Nazi formation from a long distance. Meanwhile, the second group, led by Lieutenant Pyotr Funtov, dealt a crushing blow to the Junkers from a short distance. A fierce battle ensued. It ended with the Nazis losing 4 vehicles, and 2 bombers were severely damaged. In this battle, Tyapin destroyed one enemy aircraft and riddled the second.

Pilot Ivan Tyapin already had 7 victories to his name when the regiment commander called him and instructed him to train a group of young pilots in combat experience. Soon Tyapin led his charges into battle: an enemy group was discovered at an altitude of 3000 meters. Almost exactly in the given area, our 4 fighters saw 12 Ju-88s, accompanied by 6 Me-109s.

Ivan Tyapin.

Hiding behind the clouds, our pilots suddenly rained fire on the Junkers, while the Messers broke away from the bombers. With continuous attacks, Tyapin and his fighting friends put the Nazis to flight.

An enemy scout emerged from the clouds, but, noticing our fighters, wanted to hide. He was struck by a well-aimed burst. Thus, the 8th downed enemy aircraft was recorded in Tyapin’s flight book, and in the column “Number of combat sorties” the number 270 was marked. Soon, his colleagues warmly congratulated Ivan Zakharovich Tyapin on being awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Viktor Talalikhin’s second wingman, pilot Pyotr Funtov, also conducted air battles well. “I’m working with triple the load,” he once wrote from the front to his parents living in Moscow. Only our falcons understood the expression “triple load.”

Often Soviet pilots, including Pyotr Funtov, had to fly 3-4 sorties a day, and sometimes more, in any weather, day and night. This is where the expression “triple load” came from among pilots.

On one cloudy November day in 1941, Pounds set off on his next combat mission - to guard a bridge across the river. Having reached the designated area, Peter looked around. 3 dots appeared in the sky. Pounds gained altitude, then quickly attacked the fascist bombers. At this time, 2 more of our fighters arrived. And since there are friends in the air, then Pounds began to act more boldly. He pointed the "hawk" at the leader of the group - "Junkers-88", opening fire. The bomber tried to maneuver, but fell under well-aimed salvos from two of our other fighters. Pounds hit the engines. The engines caught fire, and the Junkers tumbled downwards. Two other enemy aircraft disappeared riddled with bullets.

Once a group of regiment fighters carried out a combat mission near Naro-Fominsk. In this flight, 2 “hawks” flew to the right of their comrades, and 6 “Messers” rushed at them from behind the clouds. Talalikhin's combat colleagues, pilots Pyotr Funtov and Evgeny Vorontsov, entered into an unequal air battle. All attempts by the Nazis to get behind our planes ended in failure. The lightning-fast maneuvers of Funtov and Vorontsov exhausted the enemy. And to top it off, our pilots shot down 2 Messers with well-aimed machine-gun fire.

And after some time, Pyotr Funtov accomplished an even more outstanding feat. On his "hawk" near Gzhatsk, where he was born, in one battle he shot down 2 Junkers and landed safely at his airfield.

Pyotr Funtov became the commander of the Talalikha fighter flight. His military deeds were highly praised by the government. The Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, lit up with a bright ruby ​​fire on the faded tunic - a reward for the courage and bravery shown in defending the Moscow sky.

In the battles near Moscow, pilots of the 177th Aviation Fighter Regiment, in which V.V. Talalikhin served, shot down 115 fascist aircraft, destroyed dozens of enemy tanks and aircraft. More than 100 particularly distinguished aviators of the regiment were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union.

“Beat the enemy as Viktor Talalikhin beat him!” - these words became the fighting motto for all the pilots of the regiment. During the war, the name of Hero of the Soviet Union V. Talalikhin was assigned to the most distinguished aircraft crews. Komsomol members of the regiment organized a fundraiser for the construction of a combat aircraft named after Talalikhin. The fighter, purchased with funds raised by the aviators, was delivered to the regiment. On the fuselage of the fighter the words burned brightly: “In the name of Hero of the Soviet Union V.V. Talalikhin.” Aviators spoke at the rally in honor of this event.

Ivan Zakharovich Tyapin took the floor. He became the commander of the Talalikhin squadron.

We will keep the combat aircraft named after Viktor Talalikhin as a sacred relic. Our squadron holds first place in the unit. The unit's soldiers vigilantly perform combat service. We will continue to carry our battle banner through fierce battles and will not tarnish it anywhere and never.

Somewhat later, the Il-2 attack aircraft was built, bearing the name of Viktor Talalikhin.

In units and formations of the Moscow air defense zone, the name of Hero of the Soviet Union Talalikhin was assigned to the best anti-aircraft artillery batteries and searchlight units. This title was awarded, for example, to the anti-aircraft artillery battery of commander Fedorov.

History has counted down more than 60 years since the first fireworks display on Victory Day. What was the fate of friends - fellow soldiers of Viktor Talalikhin?

Nikolai Leontyevich Khodorev, combat commissar of the fighter aviation regiment, died a heroic death.

Shortly after the death of Viktor Talalikhin, the regiment commander Mikhail Ivanovich Korolev worked at the corps headquarters, and then began to command the aviation unit. After the end of the war, M.I. Korolev’s health deteriorated greatly. Injuries, shell shock, and worries about their students on the Karelian Isthmus in 1940, and then during the Great Patriotic War, took their toll. Died in Moscow.

The courageous pilots Vladimir Chensky, squadron commanders Ivan Samsonov and Alexander Tadeusz, wingman Pyotr Funtov, and pilots Alexander Bogdanov died in fierce battles with German aviation. Alexander Voronin, Evgeny Vorontsov, Alexey Kupava, Nikolay Sakhno. All these friends, comrades of Viktor Talalikhin, who shed blood for the freedom and independence of the Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, will never be forgotten. The glory of the valiant sons of our people will live forever.

Many of Viktor Talalikhin’s fellow soldiers returned to peaceful creative work, and many continued to serve in the army. Here is Victor's wingman pilot - Alexander Dmitrievich Pechenevsky. He continued to serve in air defense fighter aviation for a long time. He passed on his combat experience to young aviators.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Ivan Zakharovich Tyapin continued to keep watch in the Moscow Air Defense District, teaching young people from the combat experience of the older generation.