HISTORY

of white smoke. By this time, Dzunkovska managed to expend

all of her UBT 12.7mm rounds. Below them, the river Kuban

appeared, which at the time represented the front line.

Before the German fighters turned back, they managed to

hit the second engine as well, and the Pe-2 quickly began to

lose altitude. Dolina managed a successful wheels-up landing,

during which the radio operator/gunner was injured, but still

managed to help the trapped Dzunkovska from the cockpit.

Shortly after the three-person crew cleared the aircraft, it

exploded. Dolina suffered some spinal injuries, but was able to

return to duty after several months.

The war continued on, and 125th gv. bap. continued on

in their combat duties. On June 26, 1944, Dolina and her crew

conduct a precision attack on a rail line at Orsa, at the moment

when a German train with freight cars loaded with ammunition

was present. The result was the annihilation of the train where

one by one, the cars exploded and left an inferno.

Well-known Petlyakov Pe-2, coded 89 and bearing the swallow artwork below the

cockpit. As a rule, this aircraft was flown by the 1st Flight, 125th gv bap CO Nadezda

Fedutenko, but was also flown by Maria Dolina.

On June 28, 1944, several missions were undertaken in

support of the Red Army against concentrations of enemy units

that were formed up at the village of Zembin and in support of

the river Berezin crossing. She also took part in the liberation

of the town of Borisova.

On August 18, 1945, Maria Dolina was awarded the Hero of

the Soviet Union medal for bravery displayed during the Second

World War. Four other members of the unit were awarded

in the same way: Guards Major Nadezda Fedutenko, Guards

Captain Klaudiya Fomichova, Guards Captain Antonina Zubkova

and Senior Lt. Galina Dzunkovska.

Furthermore, Dolina was twice awarded the Order of the Red

Banner, the Order of the Red Star, Bravery Medal, Medal of the

Defense of Stalingrad, Medal of the Defense of Kavkaz, and

the Medal of Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War

1941-1945. Later, besides several commemorative medals ,she

The crew of Pe-2 dive bomber coded 76 of the 125th gv bap sharing

their experiences with ground crew after returning from a mission.

INFO Eduard - June 2019

Guards Captain Maria Dolina, photographed after having been awarded

the Hero of the Soviet Union Gold Star.

received another high-level commendation, that being the

Order of the Great Patriotic War, First Class.

After the end of the Second World War, she served

as Deputy Commander of the bomber regiment. She married

in 1946, and gave birth to two sons. In 1950, she went into

the Reserves and lived in Lithuania. In 1975, she became

an honorary member of the Normandie-Niemen, a fighter

unit of the French Air Force that was formed in the Second

World War as a Fighter Group of the Free French fighting Nazi

Germany. Her current, full designation is Regiment de chasse

2/30 Normandie-Niemen (Fighter Regiment 2/30 NormandieNiemen). In 1983, Maria Dolina moved to Kiev, where she

lived for the rest of her life. She died on March 3rd, 2010.

She was laid to rest in Kiev, at the Baykov Cemetery.

Order of the Great Patriotic War, 1st Class. Maria Dolina

received this award in 1985.

eduard

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