Vyacheslav Leshchenko Biography

From the year he worked as an instructor - a pilot of the Melitopol aero club. Since the year in the ranks of the Red Army. In the year he graduated from the Ulyanovsk Military Aviation School of pilots. From the first days of World War II, Sergeant V. Leshchenko in the army. From August to November, he fought as part of the 4th IAP, flew at the Yaki. In air battles received three one heavy and two light injuries.

By May 20, the deputy squadron commander of the 4th fighter aviation regiment, I am a fighter aircraft division, the 4th Air Army, the North Caucasian Front, Lieutenant V. Leshchenko, made combat sorties, in 45 air battles personally shot down 13 and consisting of a group of 10 aircraft of the enemy. By mid-November, the squadron commander of the 4th IAP Captain V. Leshchenko had completed more sorties.

After spending about 50 air battles, he personally shot down about 20 enemy aircraft. After the war, he continued to serve in the Air Force. In the year he graduated from the military Air Academy, in the year - the Military Academy of the General Staff. He held a number of command posts. Since the year, the general - Major of aviation V. Leshchenko - in reserve. He lived in Yaroslavl.

He died on March 30 of the year. His childhood and youth passed in Melitopol, where he graduated from the 7th grades of the Borszansky secondary school now - the Panteleimon Kulish gymnasium, for 2 years studied at a construction technical school, worked as a join at the OGPU plant, and joined the Komsomol. According to the Komsomol vatka, the young man was admitted to the Melitopol airborne club of the Oswavihaim.

So Vyacheslav forever connected life with aviation. Remembering those distant and happy years of his youth, V. Leshchenko said: "When I first rose into the air, I was captivated by the blue scope and I realized that my calling is here." Having finished the flying club, from the year Vyacheslav Leshchenko worked in him as an instructor - a pilot, teaching youth the art of flights, and in April of the year he was sent to the Ulyanovsk school of military pilots.

A young pilot accepted the battle baptism of guarding the sky of Gorky. On January 21, a cloudy day of the year, barracking over the city, Leshchenko noticed a German plane - a scout. Closing closer to the enemy, he released a long machine -gun queue. The combat account was open! Since August, foreman Leshchenko fought as part of the 4th fighter aviation regiment on the Bryansk Front, then near Stalingrad.

In the fire of cruel contractions with the enemy, Leshchenko’s skill was honed. One day, as part of 6 "Jacob" Vyacheslav Leshchenko covered the ground comrades. From a height, a large group of ME suddenly fell on them, having numerical superiority, the Germans acted impudently and boldly. One Messer chose the goal of the Vyacheslav plane.

Having evading his deadly tracks, Leshchenko instantly took advantage of the mistake of the German, who, having slipped forward, set his back for a few seconds. The machine -gun queue exactly stitched a long fuselage, coughed with black smoke, he collapsed to the ground. Another 4 enemies were shot down by the comrades of Vyacheslav. Having lost 5 cars, the Germans disappeared.

A few days later, Leshchenko dumped his 3rd enemy. The correspondent of the army newspaper asked him after the battle: - What helps you to leave the winner from a difficult situation? Leshchenko answered him: - First of all, the wonderful planes that the Motherland handed us, - reliable, maneuverable, fast. The second is love for the native land and hatred of the enemy.

And, of course, our superiority in tactics and piloting technique. On the morning of September 16, an eight of Soviet fighters under the command of Leshchenko met with 26 fascist aircraft - 18 bombers and 8 fighters. Leshchenko ordered the bewitching four fighters to attack the Messers, and he boldly attacked the bombers with the shock fourth. In this air battle, the Nazis lost 4 cars, one of them was shot down by Vyacheslav Leshchenko.

With brave actions, our pilots tore off the bombing of the positions of our troops. The commander of the 4th fighter regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Mironov, appreciated the combat work of Vyacheslav Leshchenko: “In the battles for Stalingrad V. Leshchenko committed 58 sorties, held 11 air battles, in which he personally shot down 5 aircraft of the enemy and 6 in a group with his comrades.

He fought twice with superior enemy forces. He was shot down and escaped and escaped to him. Parachute. The pilot considered a counterclaim with the Nazis on May 8 of the year the most memorable battle. Then the six “Jacob” blocked the path to 46 enemy aircraft! The Soviet pilots inflicted the first blow along the six enemy fighters who guarded the bombers. Soon, 2 IU, drawing a smoky trace in the Kuban sky, crashed into the ground, the rest were cowardly scattered.

The system of bombers was also violated. German planes threw bombs not reaching the target and flew away. A new combat order was handed over from the command post: “There is a new group of bombers. Attack it! In no case to allow the bombing of our positions! The enemy plane exploded in the air, the rest of the bombers unfolded and flew back to their territory the next day Leshchenko knocked out another fascist in the battle of the North Caucasus.

Lieutenant V.Leshchenko made 28 sorties, in air battles shot down 7 aircraft personally and 1 in a group with his comrades, and when the squadron commander was out of order, he replaced him. For 13 days, the pilots under the command of Leshchenko destroyed 23 fascist aircraft, Vyacheslav himself brought the score of the downed enemy vehicles to the award to the commander of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree.

Leshchenko smashed the fascists on the 2nd Baltic Front, then he was sent to study at the military -Air Academy, which he graduated in the victorious year. The general results of his combat activities during the Great Patriotic War are interpreted by various sources not unambiguously. So, N. Bodrikhin in his studies indicates the 16 personal and 10 group victories of the pilot, M. Bykov - 19 personal and 9 groups, and according to the award sheet on the Order of Alexander Nevsky of August 15 - already 20 personal and 11 groups!

.. There are no exact data yet. After the war ended, the brave air fighter continued to serve in the Air Force. In the year he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces, commanded the aviation regiment, he was awarded the title of General - Major Major. In April, for health reasons, he went into the reserve. Having left for the "citizen", the veteran worked as the head of the civil defense at the Order of Lenin and the Order of the October Revolution of the Yaroslavl tire factory.

He died on March 30, was buried in the Western Civil Cemetery of the Churilkovo city of Yaroslavl. A memorial plaque is installed on the wall of the house in which the hero lived. From the materials of the collection - "Heroes of Fire years. Essays on the GSS - Yaroslavls." Yaroslavl, year. Leshchenko: From the book of M. Bykov - "The Victories of the Stalinist Falcon."