Four air rams (1 photo). Four air rams of the “insane Russian” Who committed 4 air rams

Hero Soviet Union Boris KOVZAN, 1950

On the Alley of Heroes, located on Victory Square in Bobruisk, the names of 18 Heroes of the Soviet Union and one full holder of the Order of Glory are engraved. Among these honored people is Colonel Boris Ivanovich Kovzan, a graduate of the Bobruisk flying club. During the Great Patriotic War, he made 360 ​​combat missions, conducted 127 air battles, and shot down 28 enemy aircraft. B.I. Kovzan is the only pilot in the world who made four ramming attacks on enemy aircraft. April 7, 2017 marks the 95th anniversary of the birth of the famous hero-pilot.

Pilot school

Boris Kovzan was born in the city of Shakhty, Rostov region. Father, Ivan Grigorievich, is from Belarus, mother, Matryona Vasilyevna, is a Don Cossack. Boris was about six years old when his parents moved to the village of Logoisk, Minsk region. Here Borya went to primary school, and in 1932 the Kovzan family settled in the homeland of Ivan Grigorievich - in Bobruisk. It was a time of mass enthusiasm among young people for aviation. The teenager Kovzan studied in an aircraft modeling club, skillfully made kites, gliders and launched them into the blue heights of the Bobruisk sky, then at the city technical station he made aircraft models of various modifications. The Bobruisk Museum of Local Lore now displays the wing of a model airplane, made in those years by 6th grade student Boris Kovzan.

At the republican competitions, this diligent schoolboy aircraft modeller took 2nd place and, among other winners, was rewarded with a flight on the plane of the Bobruisk Aero Club named after M.T. Slepneva. And from then on I literally fell in love with aviation. From the 7th grade, Boris began regularly attending classes at the local flying club, where he made his first parachute jump, then underwent training and made his first independent flight on a U-2 training aircraft. Later he noted: “The biography of many front-line pilots began with the flying clubs of Osoaviakhim. Great school for pilots! We were raised there not just to be pilots, but to be desperate and brave fighters. We grew up ready for heroism, brave, with nerves of steel.”

It was the third day of the war

In 1939, after graduation high school and the Bobruisk Aero Club, 17-year-old Boris entered the Odessa Military Aviation Pilot School named after Polina Osipenko. Here, experienced instructors quickly taught cadets piloting techniques in difficult conditions, the basics of air combat, level bombing and diving on airplanes.

In the fall of 1940, having successfully graduated from college, Junior Lieutenant Kovzan, as a fighter pilot, was sent to serve in the Western Special Military District - the 160th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 43rd Fighter Aviation Division, which was stationed in the Rechitsa region. This is where the Great Patriotic War found him.

Pilot Kovzan opened his combat account on June 24, 1941, on the third day of the war, while defending the air borders of Gomel, destroying a German Heinkel-111 bomber on a single-engine I-15bis fighter.

Hero of the Four Air Rams

For the first time, Boris Kovzan went to ram an enemy plane in the battle of Moscow. On October 29, 1941, at the head of a flight of Yak-1 fighters, he flew to escort Soviet attack aircraft to the area of ​​​​the city of Zaraysk. The collections of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War contain the pilot’s memories of those unforgettable events: “While firing at an enemy column, I suddenly noticed a Messerschmitt-110 fighter-bomber, which was covering its units. I decided to attack and soon I managed to hit the shooter, but then I ran out of ammunition, and the fuel was running out. He mechanically broadcast: “I am “Tulip”, heading to Moscow, I’m going to ram!” My plane cut off the left tail of the Messer with the ends of the propeller blades, and it, having lost control, spun in the air and went to the ground like a stone... I myself landed safely at my airfield.”

Hero of the Soviet Union B.I. KOVZAN at a meeting with soldiers of the Minsk garrison at the KBVO museum, December, 1980

…On February 22, 1942, pilot of the 744th Fighter Aviation Regiment Boris Kovzan flew in a “hawk” to cover the Moscow-Leningrad highway between Vyshny Volochok and Torzhok. Directly in front of me, at an altitude of two thousand meters, I saw three enemy Yu-88 Junkers. Without wasting a second, Boris rushed to the attack. Having fired the ammunition, he used a ramming attack and landed on the damaged plane. The news of the pilot's heroism spread throughout the North-Western Front. For this feat, Lieutenant Boris Kovzan was awarded the Order of Lenin. The award was presented to him by the commander of the front air force, aviation lieutenant general Kutsevalov.

...On July 9, 1942, on the same Yak-1 aircraft, which had already withstood two ram attacks, Kovzan flew as part of a group of fighters to cover Soviet bombers striking the German airfield in Demyansk. Above railway station Lover of the Novgorod region, saving fellow pilot V. Malov, Boris distracted two Messerschmitts, launching a frontal attack on one of them. For his courage and heroism, Kovzan was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and given the extraordinary rank of senior lieutenant.

...On August 13, 1942, near the city of Staraya Russa, Novgorod Region, during a combat mission, Boris Kovzan suddenly discovered several Messerschmitt Me-109s at a distance of 15 km from the Soviet airfield. The 19-year-old fearless pilot decided to enter into an unequal air battle. Belarusian journalist Larisa Shipulya in the story “Four Rams in the Sky”, published in 1982 for the 60th anniversary of B.I. Kovzana, from the words of the pilot, describes this desperate air confrontation as follows: “Towards the burning Yak-1, growing bigger with every moment, the Messerschmitt was coming.” Operators on the ground accepted Kovzan’s words: “The car is on fire. Wounded in the head. Brains are leaking. I’m going to ram!..” And Boris sent his burning fighter straight into the forehead of the approaching “Messer”.

The pilot was thrown out of the cockpit by a strong blow. If Boris had fallen into a meadow or forest, he would have inevitably crashed to death even with his parachute open, but he fell into an unsteady quagmire. Broke my hip in a fall left hand, several ribs. The collective farmers who observed this air battle pulled Boris out of the quagmire, provided him with first aid and soon transported him to the partisans in a pile of last year’s hay. And from there, from the forest airfield, the pilot, who never regained consciousness, was taken to Moscow.

The hardest fight

Soviet political poster “The ram is the weapon of heroes! Glory to Stalin’s falcons - the threat of fascist vultures.”
Artist A. Voloshin, 1941.

In a Moscow hospital, where the famous pilot spent ten months and underwent several difficult operations, he had to endure his hardest battle to survive. “I literally clung to life by my teeth,” he would later tell his colleagues. Doctors not only saved his life, but also restored his health, but his right eye could not be saved. Taking into account Kovzan’s ardent desire to go to the front, he was recognized as fit for flying work without restrictions and was allowed to fly on combat aircraft. Soon he was sent to an active aviation unit, where he spent the entire war, shooting down six more enemy aircraft in air battles.

On August 24, 1943, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Kovzan was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for heroism and courage in battles with the Nazi invaders. The collections of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War contain a front-line letter from Boris Ivanovich to his parents: “My dears. I am happy to inform you: I did not disappoint at the front, and you will not be ashamed of your son. Now I am a guard captain, I continue to smash German vultures. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and four orders. See you after defeating your hated enemy!”

After the war, Boris Ivanovich continued his service in aviation, successfully graduated from the Air Force Academy, and worked as head of the Ryazan DOSAAF club.

In Belarus, the memory of the hero is honored: in Minsk, on Romanovskaya Sloboda Street, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where Boris Kovzan lived; in Bobruisk, a street is named after him. The name of the hero is embossed in gold letters in the Victory Hall of the WWII Museum. Photos of Kovzan are kept in the museum's collections. different years, front-line letters to parents, certificates of honor and other documents of the fighter pilot.

Nikolay SHEVCHENKO

07.04.1922 - 30.08.1985
Hero of the Soviet Union

TO Ovzan Boris Ivanovich - pilot of the 744th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 240th Fighter Aviation Division of the 6th Air Army of the North-Western Front, captain; the only Soviet fighter pilot who flew four combat missions air rams.

Born on April 7, 1922 in the city of Shakhty, now the Rostov region, in the family of an employee. Russian. Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1945. He graduated from 8 classes in the city of Bobruisk, Mogilev region, Belarusian SSR.

In the Red Army since 1939. He graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation Pilot School in 1940. Since 1940, he served in the 160th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Belarusian Special Military District.

Participant of the Great Patriotic War since September 1941. Pilot of the 42nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (Bryansk Front), Komsomol member, junior lieutenant Kovzan B.I. opened his combat account in August 1941, shooting down a Do-215 bomber. Then he fought as part of the 126th, 184th and 744th air regiments.

On October 29, 1941, he flew on a MiG-3 plane to escort attack aircraft to the area of ​​​​the city of Zagorsk, Moscow region. In an air battle with 4 Me-109s, he knocked out one of them, but at the same time used up all the ammunition. Upon returning to our airfield, an enemy Ju-88 reconnaissance aircraft was detected at an altitude of 5,000 meters. To prevent him from leaving, Kovzan decided to ram. He came behind the Junkers from below and equalized the speed. Then he gave the gas and suddenly took the stick. The impact shook the entire fighter, but Kovzan managed to control it. "Junkers", somersaulting, went to the ground. He landed at his airfield.

On February 21, 1942, junior lieutenant Kovzan rammed an enemy Yu-88 bomber in the Vyshny Volochok area on a Yak-1 plane. Landed on a damaged plane.

On July 9, 1942, in the area of ​​the village of Myatunovo, Lobnitsa district, Novgorod region, in an air battle on the same plane, on a collision course, an enemy Me-109f fighter was rammed with a plane strike. Made a safe landing on a damaged plane. For three rams of enemy aircraft in early July 1942, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but at the headquarters of the 6th Air Army the award was replaced by the Order of the Red Banner.

Pilot of the 744th Fighter Aviation Regiment (240th Fighter Aviation Division, 6th Air Army, Northwestern Front) Senior Lieutenant Kovzan B.I. by mid-July 1942, he made 142 combat missions, personally shot down 3 and 1 enemy aircraft in the group.

On August 13, 1942, near the city of Staraya Russa, Captain Kovzan, on a La-5 aircraft, discovered a group of 7 Ju-88 and 6 Me-109. The enemy had already noticed our fighter and Kovzan had to engage in an unequal battle. Ignoring the escort fighters, Kovzan rushed towards the Junkers. One Me-109 tried to get in his way, but after a well-aimed burst it started smoking and began to fall. Suddenly an enemy burst hit the cabin. One bullet hit Kovzan in the right eye. He attempted to jump out with a parachute, but did not have enough strength. At this time, a Junkers appeared straight ahead and Kovzan directed his burning plane at it. The impact broke both planes into pieces. Our pilot was thrown out of the cockpit through an open canopy. From a height of 6000 meters he fell into a swamp and this saved his life. In the fall, he broke his left leg, arm and several ribs. This was his fourth ramming.

The collective farmers arrived in time and pulled the pilot out of the quagmire and took him to the partisans, who transported the pilot, who never regained consciousness, to Moscow.

U By the order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on August 24, 1943, for the courage and bravery shown in battles with enemies, Captain Boris Ivanovich Kovzan was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

The fighter pilot spent ten months in hospitals. After discharge, he obtained permission to serve with one eye in fighter aviation, and was appointed pilot instructor in regimental piloting techniques, assistant regiment commander, and deputy commander of the fighter regiment of the country's 144th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Division.

After the war he continued to serve in the Soviet Army. Since 1945 - assistant commander of the country's 123rd Air Defense Fighter Aviation Division. In 1954 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. Since 1954 - head of the Ryazan DOSAAF flying club. Since 1958, Lieutenant Colonel B.I. Kovzan has been in reserve. He lived in the city of Ryazan and continued to work as the head of a flying club. Since 1969 he lived and worked in the hero city of Minsk. Died on August 30, 1985. He was buried at the Northern Cemetery in Minsk.

Colonel (1975). Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin (05/15/1942, 08/24/1943), Orders of the Red Banner (07/16/1942), Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree (03/11/1985), Red Star, medals.

In Minsk, a memorial plaque was installed on the house in which the Hero lived. In Bobruisk a street is named after him.

Sources

		Aviation and cosmonautics of the USSR. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1968.
		Aviation: Encyclopedia. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1994.
		Immortal feats. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1980
		Vazhin F.A. Air ram. - 2nd ed., trans. and additional - M.: Voenizdat, 1962.
		Vodopyanov M.V. Heaven begins from earth. M., 1976

The self-sacrifice of Soviet pilots, who en masse went on air ramming missions, forced the Luftwaffe command to issue a directive prohibiting its pilots from getting too close to the Russians at a dangerous distance. But this did not always help, and even experienced aces became victims of mustacheless youths who went to deadly rams with the enemy.

Boris Kovzan became a real legend of Soviet fighter aviation, who made four such rams, and in three cases even managed to land a crippled aircraft on his airfield.

Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Ivanovich Kovzan

Born to fly and fight

A native of the city of Shakhty, Rostov region, he was born on April 7, 1922. He grew up in the Belarusian city of Bobruisk, to which he moved with his parents. There he graduated from the 8th grade of high school.

In 1939 he entered the Odessa Military Aviation School, which he graduated a year before the war, having mastered the principles of air combat and precision bombing.

He continued his military service in the Western Special Military District in the Gomel Region (Belarus), honing his flying skills and preparing for an early confrontation with the fighters of Nazi Germany. He flew an outdated I-15 bis fighter, which should have become an easy target for the German aces who had traveled all over Europe.

Soviet fighter I-15 bis

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War was stunning. The Soviet Union lost great amount their military equipment. The losses of aircraft, many of which the Germans did not even give the opportunity to take off from their airfields, were simply catastrophic, so every fighter was worth its weight in gold.

Boris Kovzan entered into his first direct combat with the enemy on June 24, on the third day of the war. In his I-15 bis, he attacked a German bomber Heinkel-111 (according to other sources, Dornier-215), sending it burning to the ground.

German Dornier 215 bomber

Already in the fall of 1941 he was transferred to serve near Moscow. Boris “saddled” the more modern Yak-1 aircraft, which for several months became his true friend and savior.

Cut off the fascist's tail

The pilot as part of the group repeatedly flies out on combat missions, driving away German bombers trying to break through to the capital. He enters into air battles, but cannot boast of a new star on the fuselage of his fighter.

Various sources report differently about his first ramming, committed on October 29, 1941. Some say that Boris was returning from a combat mission, during which he shot all the ammunition. Others claim that our pilot ran out of ammunition during the battle with Hitler’s Me-110 reconnaissance plane.

Be that as it may, Boris Kovzan, who did not want to miss the enemy, cut off his tail with the propeller of his plane. You need to understand what kind of virtuoso flying technique the pilot had to have for this.

The German reconnaissance aircraft that entered the dive exploded on the ground, and the Soviet pilot returned to the airfield, reporting to the command about the results of the combat mission. At the same time, he did not consider the perfect ram to be a special feat.

The enemy will not pass

On February 21 (according to some sources, 22), the Yakov group flew out to cover the movement of troops along the Moscow-Leningrad highway to the area of ​​​​the city of Torzhok, Tver Region.

Seeing three German Yu-88 bombers in the air, Boris Kovzan bravely attacked one of them, dodging oncoming fire. In the whirlwind of the air battle, he did not even notice how he had fired all the ammunition, without completing the assigned task.

Then Junior Lieutenant Kovzan decided to repeat his favorite trick. And he succeeded! The Junkers, which had lost its tail, crashed into the ground, and the Soviet pilot returned safely to the airfield.

The story of how Boris Kovzan shoots down German planes quickly acquired a variety of details and spread throughout the entire North-Western Front. It was rumored that Goering himself gave the order never to get close to the “insane Russians”, so as not to give the latter the opportunity to carry out an aerial ramming.

But when, on July 7, 1942, junior lieutenant Boris Kovzan, nominated for the Order of Lenin, cut off the tail of the third enemy fighter with a screw, he became a real legend. And the most interesting thing is that again, as if nothing had happened, he returned to the airfield in his Yak-1.

Soviet fighter Yak-1

Ready to give my life for the Motherland

But Boris Kovzan was unlucky with the fourth ram. Although it was already a huge luck that he survived.

On August 13, 1942, in the sky over Staraya Russa, Novgorod Region, his plane was returning from a combat mission. As always, with the ammunition shot down to the last bullet.

Suddenly, a flight of German Me-109 fighters emerged from the clouds. Quickly realizing that the Soviet pilot had nothing to shoot back with, the Nazis began to play cat and mouse with him, using the Yak-1 as an aerial target.

Methodically shooting at Kovzan's fighter, which was performing unimaginable aerobatics, they managed to break the canopy of his cockpit, seriously wounding the pilot himself (the bullet knocked out his eye). Wanting to give his life more dearly, the pilot turned around and tried to make a frontal ram.

Surprisingly, the fascist did not chicken out either. The head-on collision was so strong that both planes were broken into small pieces. The German died on the spot, and Kovzan was thrown out of the broken cabin.

Frontal ram

Thank you guardian angel

Subsequently, he could not remember exactly whether he was pulling the parachute ring, or whether it was opened by an unknown force. Well, I opened it... Not completely. The pilot rushed to the ground at high speed and fell into a local swamp.

He would probably have drowned if it had not been for the peasants working nearby, who pulled Boris Kovzan out of the swamp and hid him literally a few minutes before the German search team arrived at the scene (the battle took place over the occupied territory).

Policemen and fascists believed the words of former collective farmers, who claimed that the Soviet pilot was swallowed up by a quagmire. Moreover, we ourselves really didn’t want to smear our boots with “Russian mud.”

Within a couple of days, Boris was transported to the partisans, from where he was evacuated to the mainland.

Get yours at any cost

Doctors still managed to save the seriously wounded pilot, although the damaged right eye had to be removed. Boris Kovzan later said that the 10 months spent in the hospital became the most difficult in his life.

He almost completely recovered his health, but the medical commission declared the pilot unfit for fighter aviation service. This was a cruel blow for a guy who was barely 21 years old.

But this was not the character of the hero; he annoyed the members of the medical commissions so much that, in the end, he was allowed to fly without restrictions. And this is with one eye!!!

A small cog in a big Victory

Until the end of the war, Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Kovzan had 28 aerial victories, four of which were by ramming.

True, the brave prowess subsided a little, and he no longer went for rams.

After the war he flew jet planes and taught this to the young recruits. Colonel Kovzan retired in 1958 as a result of a massive reduction in the Soviet Army.

For some time he lived in Ryazan, where he led the local flying club, after which he moved to the capital of Soviet Belarus. Died August 31, 1985.

Streets in several cities of the former USSR are named after him, and in 2014 the Russian Post issued a postage stamp dedicated to the feat of this extraordinary man.

He is the only ace in the world to have completed four aerial rams while remaining alive.

On October 29, 1941, Boris Kovzan flew on a MiG-3 plane to escort attack aircraft to the area of ​​​​the city of Zagorsk, Moscow region. In an air battle with four Me-109s, it knocked out one of them, but at the same time used up all its ammunition. When returning to his airfield at an altitude of 5000 m, he discovered an enemy Ju-88 air reconnaissance aircraft. To prevent him from leaving, Kovzan decided to ram. He came behind the Junkers from below, gave the gas and suddenly took the handle. The impact shook the entire fighter, but Kovzan managed to control it. The Junkers, somersaulting, went towards the ground.

Four air rams by Boris Kovzan

On February 22, 1942, Senior Lieutenant Kovzan rammed an enemy bomber in the Vyshny Volochok area on a Yak-1 plane. Landed on a damaged plane.
On July 8, 1942, near the village of Lobnitsy, Novgorod Region, an enemy fighter was rammed by the same plane in an air battle. Landed on a damaged plane.
On August 13, 1942, near the city of Staraya Russa, Captain Kovzan, on a La-5 aircraft, discovered a group of 7 Ju-88 and 6 Me-109. The enemy had already noticed our fighter and Kovzan had to engage in an unequal battle. Ignoring the escort fighter, Kovzan rushed towards the Junkers. One Me-109 tried to get in his way, but after a well-aimed burst it started smoking and began to fall. Suddenly an enemy burst hit the cabin. One bullet hit Kovzan in the right eye. He attempted to jump out with a parachute, but did not have enough strength. At this time, a Junkers appeared straight ahead and Kovzan directed his burning plane at it. The impact broke both planes into pieces. Our pilot was thrown out of the cockpit through an open canopy. From a height of 6000 m he fell into a swamp and this saved his life. In the fall, he broke his left leg, arm and several ribs. This was his fourth ramming.

The collective farmers arrived in time and pulled the pilot out of the quagmire and took him to the partisans, who ferried him across the front line. He was in the hospital for 10 months. It took almost a year for my health to recover. Instead of an eye, a glass dummy was inserted. After the hospital, he obtained permission to serve with one eye in fighter aviation. Until the end of the war he shot down 6 more enemy aircraft. In total, during the war years he made 360 ​​combat missions, conducted 127 air battles, and shot down 28 German aircraft.

After the war he continued to serve in aviation. I have already flown as an instructor on jet aircraft. In 1954 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. Since 1958, Lieutenant Colonel Kovzan has been in the reserve. Lived in Ryazan, worked as the head of a flying club. Then retired colonel Kovzan lived in Minsk. Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, Order of the Red Star, and medals. Died August 31, 1985. He was buried at the Northern Cemetery in Minsk.

In 2014, in honor of Boris Ivanovich Kovzan, the only pilot of the Second World War who shot down four (!!!) fascist planes using air rams, a postage stamp was issued as a tribute to the feat of this outstanding fighter pilot.

Sky pilot

The future pilot was born on April 7, 1922 in the city of Shakhty, Rostov region. Already in 1940, he graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation School, where, together with other cadets, he studied flight skills and mastered the principles of bombing and air combat.

After graduating from aviation school, the pilot was sent to serve in the Western Special Military District, stationed in the Gomel region. Guarding the skies over Belarus, honing his flight techniques and improving his skills, the young fighter pilot meets here the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Already on the third day of the war, June 24, 1941, Boris had to demonstrate his training and skill as a fighter pilot. In the sky above Gomel, he entered an air battle with the enemy on a single-engine I-15bis fighter, shooting down an enemy Henkel-111 bomber.

In the fall of 1941, the young pilot was transferred to serve in the 42nd Fighter Aviation Regiment, where he received a more modern Yak-1 fighter, which became his true friend and savior. The regiment was supposed to provide cover from the enemy Moscow direction, preventing fascist bombers from approaching the Soviet capital.

First military victories

In the sky above the Moscow region on October 29, 1941, as part of a group of fighters, the pilot attacked an enemy column and discovered a Messerschmitt-1102 covering his bombers. Without thinking twice, the pilot decided to attack the enemy. As a result of a fierce battle, the Soviet fighter ran out of ammunition, and the enemy tried to escape.

Having sent the message “I’m going to ram” on the air, Kovzan directed the combat vehicle towards the enemy. The Soviet pilot managed to cut off the tail of an enemy bomber with the propeller blades. As a result of this attack, the German fighter crashed to the ground and exploded, and its pilot was never able to jump out with a parachute. Kovzan himself managed to return the plane to the airfield, where he fell into the arms of his comrades.

The pilot made the next ram on February 22, 1942 - during an operation to cover the Moscow-Leningrad highway. He again controlled the same Yak-1, which remained intact after the previous ramming.

The battering ram is the hero's weapon. Poster from the period of the Great Patriotic War.
Artist A. Voloshin

At an altitude of more than two thousand meters, the pilot noticed three German Junkers. Boris attacked the enemy, and when the entire combat supply ran out, he made his signature ramming attack and landed the plane safely.

First military awards

The story of how selflessly and skillfully the junior lieutenant of the Soviet army Kovzan carried out the ramming of an enemy bomber spread around the North-Western Front in the shortest possible time. The second ram in the young fighter pilot's service record was considered a real feat, definitely deserving of the highest award awarded in the USSR - the Order of Lenin. The highest state award was presented to the pilot by the front air force commander, aviation lieutenant general Kutsevalov.

The legendary pilot did not stop there; he continued to demonstrate his incredible skill, coupled with a sense of dedication and deep patriotism. He fought on the same Yak-1, which by some miracle survived two collisions and remained in good condition.

On July 7, near the village of Lyubtsy, Novgorod Region, a desperate pilot launched his third ram. In an unequal battle with two enemy bombers, the pilot had no ammunition left, and he damaged the enemy’s tail unit with the fuselage of his faithful Yak. The fascist plane lost control and crashed, and the crew of the second German fighter chose to retreat, hiding in the clouds from the “insane Russian,” who, although not without problems, landed at his airfield.

For this feat and incredible courage he received the extraordinary rank of senior lieutenant, as well as the Order of the Red Banner.

The most dangerous fight

The fourth aerial ramming of an enemy bomber almost became fatal. But perhaps it is the ineradicable will to win, the desire to protect one’s people and native land helped Boris Ivanovich stay alive.

This happened on August 13, 1942 in the sky over Staraya Russa, Novgorod region. Returning from a combat mission without ammunition, the fighter pilot was attacked by enemy Me-109s, which began to shoot him like an ordinary target.

Even high aerobatic skill did not allow the pilot to escape these attacks. The canopy (transparent folding roof) of the plane's cockpit shattered after several direct hits, and the pilot himself was seriously wounded in the head. Losing what was left of his strength and realizing that his life was over, the hero went to ram.

The German pilot also turned out to be not timid and did not turn away even when there were only a few seconds left before a head-on collision. The impact was so powerful that both the Soviet and German fighters were torn to pieces.

Our pilot was thrown out of the Yak-1 cockpit. After that, Kovzan did not remember anything: neither falling from a great height on a parachute that did not fully open, nor being rescued when he began to choke after falling into a swamp.

But Boris definitely had a caring guardian angel. An unequal battle and a falling pilot was seen local residents. Together, they managed to pull the 20-year-old hero out of the quagmire.

The collective farmers hid the rescued pilot in the hay and did not hand him over to the Germans, who sent an entire team to search for him. The policemen and fascists believed that the Soviet pilot had drowned in the swamp and stopped the search. Then there was the road to the partisans, who organized the sending of Boris to the mainland.

Long rehabilitation period

The pilot himself later admitted that treatment in a Moscow military hospital, which lasted ten whole months, was the most difficult test of his life. Several times the officer was on the brink of death, and only thanks to the professionalism of Moscow doctors who tirelessly fought for Boris’s life, he was able to get back on his feet.

During the time spent in the hospital, Kovzan underwent several very difficult operations, which not only saved the pilot’s life, but also almost completely restored his health. Unfortunately, Boris lost his right eye, shattered by a shrapnel, forever; Moscow doctors had no chance of restoring it. Instead of a real eye, the pilot had to wear a glass dummy from then until the very end of his life.

After being discharged from the hospital, the pilot, through incredible efforts, managed to return to military service. The war was not over, and the Soviet boy, who loved and strived to defend his Motherland with all his heart, could not live in peace, knowing that his comrades were dying.

Boris had to appear before several medical commissions until he was declared fit for further service and allowed to fly without restrictions.

Until the end of the Patriotic War, Kovzan won 6 more air victories, and in total during the war years he shot down 28 fascist planes.

Life after the war

On August 24, 1943, the legendary Soviet fighter pilot Boris Ivanovich Kovzan was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And when the war ended, it began new life, new trials - of course, incomparable with those that had to be endured at the fronts.

After the war, he decided to remain in the service of Soviet aviation - Boris flew jet aircraft as an instructor. In addition, the young officer continued his studies and graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1954. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, but in 1958, due to cuts in the Air Force, he was forced to retire.

For some time, the legendary pilot lived in Ryazan and ran a flying club. A little later, already with the rank of colonel, he moved to Minsk, where he spent the rest of his life. The Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star and many medals, and devoted the rest of his life to instilling patriotism in the younger generation.

The brave hero's heart stopped beating on August 31, 1985. The cause of such an early death was combat wounds and severe overloads suffered during air battles.

The personality of Boris Kovzan is a vivid example of heroism and the fight for freedom, the embodiment of love for the Fatherland. His heroic air rams should be remembered by all subsequent generations of defenders of our Motherland, ready to sacrifice their own lives for the defense of the Fatherland.