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OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES

Russian Aces

of World War 1

Victor Kulikov

SERIES EDITOR: TONY HOLMES

OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES

111

Russian Aces of

World War 1

Victor Kulikov

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 6

CHAPTER ONE

FIGHTER AVIATION IN RUSSIA 7

CHAPTER TWO

ACES OF THE 1st BAG 15

CHAPTER THREE

ACES OF THE 7th AOI 53

CHAPTER FOUR

ACES OF THE 9th AOI 75

CHAPTER FIVE

OTHER ACES 85

APPENDICES 93

C O L O U R P L AT E S C O M M E N TA R Y 9 3

INDEX 95

INTRODUCTION

lthough it could be argued that aeronautics and aviation were

still in their infancy in Russia when World War 1 commenced

on 18 July 1914, the nation entered the conflict with the most

powerful air arm among the belligerent countries, having more than 200

pilots and nearly as many aeroplanes. And in spite of the difficult

conditions that prevailed in-theatre throughout the war, the Russian Army

Aviation Service exerted considerable influence on military operations on

the Eastern Front. The first Russian AOI (Aviatsionniy

Otryad Istrebitelei

– fighter aviation detachment) appeared at the front in the spring of 1916,

and by war’s end there were 15 fighter squadrons and four BAGs (Boevaya

Aviatsionnaya Gruppa

– battle aviation group) manned by more than 150

pilots.

Russian aviators developed many of the tactics used in aerial combat.

They were also the first to resort to the technique of ramming hostile

aircraft. They mastered formation flying, whereby fighters could escort

bombers over enemy territory, as well as conducting long-range

reconnaissance of the enemy’s rear units. The selfless bravery, courage and

skill of Russian pilots typically compensated for the often-imperfect

techniques trialled in combat and then discarded after they had proven

flawed.

Within the ranks of the Imperial Military Air Fleet were 13 pilots who

each accounted for five or more aeroplanes destroyed to earn the title of

ace – Alexander Kozakov (16 victories), Ivan Smirnov (ten victories),

Vasily Yanchenko (nine victories), Grigory Suk (eight victories), Ivan

Loiko (six victories) and Vladimir Strzhizhevsky, Evgraf Kruten,

Konstantin Vakulovsky, Ivan Orlov, Yury Gilsher, Aleksandr Pishvanov,

Nikolai Kokorin and Donat Makijonek, each with five victories. Pavel

Argeev claimed three and three shared victories, plus nine while flying

with the French

Aviation Militaire

in 1918.

In researching this book, the records in the Russian State Military

Historical Archive, the Russian State Military Archive, the N E Zhukovsky

Scientific-Memorial Museum and the M V Frunze Museum of Aviation

and Cosmonautics have all been consulted. I offer my profound gratitude

to Frank Dorber of Great Britain for his generous assistance. My thanks

also go to Svetlana Nadtochy for assistance with the translation and

Gennady Petrov and Mikhail Maslov for the provision of photographs.

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