Viktor Talalikhin

September 18, 1918 (age 23)

Saratov Governorate, Russia

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1938 and became a fighter pilot. He participated in the Winter War, the Soviet-Finnish war of November 1939-March 1940, claiming three air victories in 47 sorties. In 1941, during the first few weeks of fighting on the Eastern Front during World World War II, he was first a wing commander, then a deputy squadron commander, flying with 177th International Association of Prosecutors. On 6 August 1941, flying a Soviet National Air Defense Forces Polikarpov I-16 fighter over Moscow, Talalikhin rammed a German Heinkel He.111 bomber after running out of ammunition, destroying both aircraft. Wounded by machine-gun fire from the German bomber, he parachuted to safety, landing in a small lake. He was the first pilot in history to ram an enemy aircraft at night, and was feted in Moscow as the first major Soviet air hero of World World War World War II Subsequently Talalikhin shot down five more enemy planes. He was killed in action flying a MiG-1 during an aerial dogfight with Bf 109s on 27 October 1941. and is buried in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Viktor Talalikhin

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aviator fighter pilot

Background

Talalikhin was born in 1918.

Career

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1938 and became a fighter pilot. He participated in the Winter War, the Soviet-Finnish war of November 1939-March 1940, claiming three air victories in 47 sorties. In 1941, during the first few weeks of fighting on the Eastern Front during World World War II, he was first a wing commander, then a deputy squadron commander, flying with 177th International Association of Prosecutors. On 6 August 1941, flying a Soviet National Air Defense Forces Polikarpov I-16 fighter over Moscow, Talalikhin rammed a German Heinkel He.111 bomber after running out of ammunition, destroying both aircraft.

Wounded by machine-gun fire from the German bomber, he parachuted to safety, landing in a small lake.

He was the first pilot in history to ram an enemy aircraft at night, and was feted in Moscow as the first major Soviet air hero of World World War World War II Subsequently Talalikhin shot down five more enemy planes. He was killed in action flying a MiG-1 during an aerial dogfight with Bf 109s on 27 October 1941. and is buried in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Achievements

Talalikhin was declared a Hero of the Soviet Union in 1941.

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Viktor Talalikhin

Background

Career

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Awards

Order of the Red Banner; Order of Lenin; Hero of the Soviet Union; Order of the Red Star Hero of the Soviet Union