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BOXART STORY #7059
‘One day you’re up, the next you’re down’ is not only
a rule of thumb description of the job of a pilot, but
also a general rule about the cycle of life's successes
and failures…
The most successful 216th IAD V
-
PVO in the
Korean War was the 518th ‘Berlin’ IAP. The pilots of
this regiment shot down 38 enemy aircraft in the
skies over Korea and damaged another 26, at the
cost fifteen aircraft and five pilots of their own. Only
one of the regiment's pilots achieved ace status
and was the only one in the division to receive the
highest Soviet honor, the title of Hero of the Soviet
Union. It was Mikhail Mikhin, the deputy of eskadrilya
commander for the flight training.
Mikhail Ivanovich Mikhin was born on October
25th, 1923 in the village of Borovoye in the Altai
Region. After graduating from the Orenburg Aviation
School and the Stalingrad Higher Military Aviation
School, he joined the 4th ZAB (Reserve Aviation
Brigade) of the North Caucasus Military District in
December, 1944 as an instructor. He was transferred
to the 518th IAP in January, 1946.
It was st. Lt. Mikhin who started the combat
success of the 518th IAP in Korea on August 19th,
1952 by shooting down an F-86 Sabre. His claim to
fame came in September of the same year. During
the five days from September 4th to the 9th,
he added three more Sabers and one F-84 Thunderjet
to earn him ace status. By the end of September,
he added another pair of Sabers (September 12th
and September 29th) and one Thunderjet (September
18th). For these impressive results, IAD Command
recommended he be awarded the title of Hero of
the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the overall picture
of the fighting was not very favorable at that time,
so the headquarters of the 64th IAK suspended the
award proposal. As ‘compensation’, Mikhin received
the Order of Lenin and was specially promoted to the
rank of captain, a method not a commonly done.
However, after the successes of September, things
began to grind down. Not that Mikhin began to lose
his touch - pilots led by him successfully performed
all combat tasks assigned to them. But even
a Commander at times hits a cold streak – perhaps,
in this case, as the result of a psychological block
from the disappointment of not being awarded the
HSU (although, of course, Soviet propaganda always
claimed that ‘a Soviet soldier does not fight for
honors’).
After almost nine months, on May 18th, 1953,
he finally regained his touch. That day, the pilots of
the 518th IAP again faced off against their old friends
from the US 39th FIS, 51st FIW. Captain Joseph
M. McConnell Jr. bagged his 14th and 15th kills that
morning, making him the most successful American
ace of the Korean War. In the second battle of the
day, McConnell scored his 16th and final victory by
shooting down the MiG of 2nd eskadrilya Commander
kpt. Stadnik. Stadnik ejected from the burning MiG.
The second kill of this battle was scored by the
commander of the 39th FIS, Lt. Col. Radell, making
him the 31st ace of the US Air Force in the Korean War
(his victim, the pilot of the 3rd eskadrilya, Lt. Rybakov,
died in the cockpit of his plane).
However, the pilots of the 518th IAP did not owe
anything to the aces of the 39th FIS and also sent two
Sabers to the ground. One of them was attributed to
Mikhail Mikhin, who stated in his report:
‘Att.Unit Commander P/P142192. I report that on
18/05/1953 at 1355h during air combat in the area
east of Siodzia, 35-40 km, an enemy aircraft of the
F-86 type was shot down by me under the following
circumstances:
Flying on a 300 degree heading at 13,500m
I discovered four F-86s on a collision course
1000m below. I approached with a right half-turn
and attacked the leader of the second pair. From
a distance of 1000m at an angle of 2/4 right, I opened
fire. The intended target escaped the attack below
the leading pair. I repeated the attack from the top
left and from a distance of 700-800m at P = 1/4
opened fire again. The enemy aircraft made a sharp
turn to the left and went into a descent. I started my
attack on the lead of the first pair with a slight climb
but I was attacked and fired upon by the wingman of
the second pair, and was forced to break off using
a right combat turn. During the shooting, I observed
hits to the left wing and to the fuselage. According to
the observation of my wingman the enemy aircraft
did not come out of the dive. I believe the enemy F-86
aircraft was shot down. According to the deciphered
data, the enemy plane was hit. kpt M. Mikhin.'
This kill was confirmed by other sources:
‘On May 18th, 1953, at 1430 - 1530h (Pongyang time),
an aerial battle took place over the Yen-pyen District
area, and the plane exploded midair. I confirm
this. 05/27/1953 Sinchisyu Police Chief Major Tsoi
Chu-Hak.’
The armistice, signed on July 27, 1953, came into
effect with Mikhail Ivanovich Mikhin holding the
rank of mayór and the title of Hero of the Soviet
Union, which was awarded to him by decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July
14th, 1953. In total, during his stay in Korea, he flew
140 sorties, participated in 39 air battles, in which
he personally shot down nine enemy aircraft and
damaged another three.
Illustration: Adam Tooby
The Long Wait
Text: Libor Špůrek
INFO Eduard38
January 2024