Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin (Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Покры́шкин; 6 March 1913 – 13 November 1985) was a Soviet fighter pilot in World War II, and later a Marshal of Aviation.
He was one of the highest-scoring Soviet aces, and the highest-scoring pilot ever to fly an American aircraft, having achieved the great majority of his kills in the Lend-Lease Bell P-39 Airacobra.
1921
It was a Soviet Su-2 light bomber of the 211th Bomber Aviation Regiment, piloted by squadron commander Mikhail Gudzenko.
This was a new bomber type that was kept secret even from other Soviet pilots.
He then frantically flew in front of all the other MiG-3 pilots who were lining up on the other Sukhoi bombers, thwarting any other Soviet losses by other pilots of his unit.
Luckily, Gudzenko survived, although the navigator was killed.
He claimed his first shootdown of an enemy aircraft when he shot down a Bf 109 the next day, while he and his wingman were on a reconnaissance mission, and were jumped by five enemy fighters.
On 3 July, having claimed several more victories, he was shot down by German flak behind enemy lines and spent four days getting back to his unit.
During the first weeks of the war, Pokryshkin began to see very clearly how outdated the Soviet combat doctrine was, and started slowly drafting his own ideas in his meticulous notebooks.
He carefully recorded all details of all air engagements in which he and all his friends were involved, and came up with detailed analysis of each.
He fought in very complicated conditions: constant retreat, poor- to no-controlling and communication from HQ, and overwhelming odds versus a superior opponent.
1928
In 1928, after seven years of school, he found work as a construction worker.
1930
In 1930, despite his father's protests, he left home and entered a local technical college, where he received a degree in 18 months and worked for six more as a steel worker at a local munitions factory.
Subsequently, he volunteered for the army and was sent to an aviation school.
His dream finally seemed to be coming true.
Unfortunately the flight school was suddenly closed, and all students were instead transferred to be trained as aircraft mechanics.
Dozens of official requests were denied with a simple explanation: "Soviet aviation needs mechanics just as badly".
Pokryshkin still strived to excel as a mechanic.
1933
Graduating in 1933, he quickly rose through the ranks.
1934
By December 1934, he became the Senior Aviation Mechanic of the 74th Rifle Division.
1938
He stayed in that capacity until November 1938.
During that time his creative nature became clearly visible: he invented improvements to the ShKAS machine gun and the R-5 reconnaissance aircraft among other things.
Finally, during his vacation in the winter of 1938, Pokryshkin was able to circumvent the authorities by passing a yearly civilian pilot program in only 17 days.
This automatically made him eligible for flight school.
Without even packing a suitcase, he boarded a train to flight school.
1939
He graduated with top honors in 1939, and with the rank of senior lieutenant he was assigned to the 55th Fighter Regiment.
1941
He was stationed in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in June 1941, close to the border, and his airfield was bombed on 22 June, the first day of the war.
His first involvement in air combat was a disaster.
Seeing an aircraft in the air of a type he had never seen before, he attacked and shot it down, only to notice as it was going down that it had Soviet red stars on the wings.
He later said "one who hasn't fought in 1941–1942 has not truly tasted war".
Pokryshkin survived several close calls during this time.
A machine gun round drove through the right side of the cockpit, cut his shoulder straps, ricocheted off the left side and scratched his chin, covering the entire windscreen in blood.
Twice, unexploded bombs landed between his feet, one time during a dramatic low-level raid on his airfield by a pair of Ju 88s.
1943
During the war Pokryshkin earned the title Hero of the Soviet Union three times: 24 May 1943, 24 August 1943, and 19 August 1944.
1981
After the war, he served in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, reaching the rank of Marshal of Aviation; he retired in 1981.
During the war, he strongly promoted training in and use of improved aerial combat techniques, such as vertical maneuvers that newer fighter aircraft were capable of carrying out, and he spent much of his time studying aerobatics for combat situations.
Pokryshkin was born in Novonikolayevsk (now Novosibirsk) in Tomsk Governorate, son of a Russian peasant-turned-factory worker.
He grew up in a poor, crime-ridden part of town, but unlike most of his peers he was more interested in learning than in fighting and petty crime.
His nickname in his early teens was Engineer.
He caught the "aviation bug" when he was 12 years old at a local air show, and the dream never left him.
