User:PlanespotterA320/sandbox/Avia
Okhay[change | change source]
| Grigory Ulyanovich Okhay | |
|---|---|
| File:Grigory Ulyanovich Okhay.jpg | |
| Native name | Russian: Григорий Ульянович Охай Ukrainian: Григорій Ульянович Охай |
| Born | 5 January [O.S. 23 December 1916] 1917 Bolshoy Tokmak, Russian Empire |
| Died | 8 February 2002 Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service/branch |  Soviet Air Force |
| Years of service | 1935 – 1960 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Winter War World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Grigory Ulyanovich Okhay (Russian: Григорий Ульянович Охай, Ukrainian: Григорій Ульянович Охай; 5 January [O.S. 23 December 1916] 1917 – 8 February 2002) was a MiG-15 fighter pilot of Soviet Air Force the flying ace who was credited with around eleven,[a] aerial victories during the Korean War.[1][2]
Early life[change | change source]
Okhay was born on 5 January [O.S. 23 December 1916] 1917 in Tomak to a Ukrainian peasant family. After completing his secondary school he entered a trade school, and in 1935 he completed on year of instruction at the Melitopol Pedagogical Institute shortly before being drafted into the military. In 1937 he graduated from the Voroshilovgrad Military Aviation School of Pilots, after which he was assigned to the 46th Bomber Regiment. In May 1939 he was transferred to the 1st Light Bomber Regiment.[3]
Military career[change | change source]
Winter War[change | change source]
In January 1940 he was deployed to the warfront of the Soviet-Finnish War as part of the 39th Bomber Regiment. During the conflict he flew 28 sorties on an SB bomber, attacking Finnish targets. Once the war ended he began attending the Ryazan School of Navigators.[3]
World War II[change | change source]
After completing training for the Yak-1, he served as a flight instructor in the 13th Reserve Fighter Wing during the early phase of World War II. During that time he trained 85 pilots before entering the 897th Fighter Aviation Regiment. Most sources indicate that he had no aerial victories during the war, although he did fly in the Battle of Kursk.[4]
Peacetime[change | change source]
In October 1945 hr was transferred to the 18th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, where he served as a deputy squadron commander. In December that year he became a squadron commander in the 272nd Fighter Regiment, where he remained until switching to the 523rd Fighter Regiment.[3]
Korean War[change | change source]
Shortly before being deployed to Northern China, Okhay was promoted in his regiment to deputy commander of training and combat tactics.
During the war he engaged in 122 sorties and 68 dogfights, always flying the MiG-15. After his seventh claimed aerial victory he was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union, which was awarded on 13 November 1951.[3][4] He observed that the American Sabre performed better than the MiG-15 at lower altitudes but was disadvantaged at higher altitudes and took advantage of this information in combat.[5]
Later life[change | change source]
Okhay remained in the air force until 1960. After leaving the military he transferred to the field of civil aviation until retiring in 1978. He died in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine on 8 February 2002 and was buried in the Zaporozhye cemetery.[4][6]
Awards and decorations[change | change source]
- Hero of the Soviet Union (13 November 1951)
- Order of Lenin (13 November 1951)
- Order of the Red Banner (4 June 1955)
- Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (11 March 1985)
- Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class (28 November 1945)
- Two Order of the Red Star (15 November 1950 and 10 November 1951)
- Medal “For Courage” 20 May 1940
- Medal “For Battle Merit” (6 November 1946)
- campaign and jubilee medals
Aerial victories[change | change source]
| Date | Enemy aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24 June 1951 | F-80 | Status unclear |
| 5 September 1951 | Gloster Meteor | Status unclear |
| 5 September 1951 | Gloster Meteor | Possibly A77-726 |
| 10 September 1951 | F-84 | Status unclear |
| 11 September 1951 | F-80 | Possibly F-80 49-852 |
| 12 September 1951 | F-86 | Possibly F-86E 50-682 |
| 22 October 1951 | F-84 | Status unclear |
| 3 November 1951 | Gloster Meteor | Possibly A77-373 |
| 1 January 1951 | F-86 | Presumably damaged and not destroyed |
| 16 January 1952 | F-86 | Status unclear |
| 2 February 1952 | F-86 | Status unclear |
See also[change | change source]
Footnotes[change | change source]
- ↑ It is very difficult to verify Korean War pilot shootdowns for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, in recent years as more information from loss reports from both sides has become available, aviation historians have noticed high rates of overclaiming were prevalent on both sides of the conflict, casting doubt on the ace status claims of many pilots. For more information, read about overestimation of aerial victories in the Korean War
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Krylov & Tepsurkaev 2008, p. 6
- ↑ Bykhov, Mikhail (2014). Все асы Сталина: 1936-1953 (in Russian). Яуза-Пресс. p. 900. ISBN 9785995507123.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Охай Григорий Ульянович - Советские асы. Герои воздушных войн 1936-1953 гг". soviet-aces-1936-53.ru. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bocharov, Anton. "Охай Григорий Ульянович". warheroes.ru. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
- ↑ Walpole, Nigel (2004). Swift Justice. Pen and Sword. p. 126. ISBN 9781844150700.
- ↑ "Охай Григорий Ульянович". gorod.dp.ua. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
- ↑ Seidov 2016, p. 334.
Bibliography[change | change source]
- Krylov, Leonid; Tepsurkaev, Yuriy (2008), Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War, Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84603-299-8
- Seidov, Igor (2016). Советские асы корейской войны. Moscow: Фонд содействия авиации «Русские витязи». ISBN 9785903389353. OCLC 970400945.
- Werrell, Kenneth P. (2005), Sabres Over MiG Alley: The F-86 and the Battle for Air Superiority in Korea, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 978-1-59114-933-0
Sutyagin[change | change source]
Aerial victories[change | change source]
| Date | Aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 19 June 1951 | F-86 | Probably F-86A 49-1298 |
| 22 June 1951 | F-86 | Probably F-86A 49-1276 |
| F-86 | ||
| 26 June 1951 | F-86 | |
| 29 July 1951 | F-80 | Possibly F-84E 49-2338 |
| 9 August 1951 | F-80 | |
| 25 August 1951 | Gloster Meteor | |
| 26 September 1951 | Gloster Meteor | |
| 26 September 1951 | F-86 | |
| 3 November 1951 | F-86 | |
| 4 November 1951 | F-86 | |
| 26 November 1951 | F-86 | |
| 29 November 1951 | F-84 | |
| 3 December 1951 | F-86 | |
| F-84 | ||
| 15 December 1951 | F-86 | |
| 18 December 1951 | F-86 | |
| 23 December 1951 | F-84 | |
| 6 January 1952 | F-86 | |
| F-86 | ||
| 11 January 1952 | F-86 | |
| 21 January 1952 | F-86 |