Yak aces
 

I am looking for details of the career and victories of Mikhail Ivanonvich Grib. I know he flew Yak fighters for the Soviet Navy.

Re: Yak aces
 

At first: http://www.aces.boom.ru/all4/grib_mi.htm
Sorry I don't have time to search through books but Stalin's Falcons by Shores and Polak should be useful. The brief info is also in Mellinger's Yakovlev aces of WW2.

Re: Yak aces
 

Hi Keith

I can't help much but according to 'Stalin's Falcons' he was credited with 20 victories, 10 by August 1942, having flown 250 sorties with the 8th IAP-ChF (Yak-1s). In August 1943 or 1944, he became CO 3rd Eskadrilya (Yak-9s then Yak-3s). Last victory was over a He111.

Not much help, I fear.

Cheers
Brian

Re: Yak aces
 

Hi all:)

*info if u dont know that*
Aviation of Fleets, Abbreviatures:
ChF - "Chernomorskiy Flot" - "BlackSea Fleet"
KBF - "Krasnoznamjonnyj Baltijskij Flot" - "Baltic Fleet, awarded Order of Red Flag"
SF - "Severnyj Flot" - "North Fleet"

Re: Yak aces
 

Here is link, showing his Yak fighter.

http://www.bellabs.ru/Fotab/Gallery/Yak-9_01.html

1st-4rd vict - July 1942, in one day.

12th vict -- ??????????? -- over Sevastopol' -- Bf 109
13th vict -- 10 feb 1944 -- Bol'shoj Babchik -- Bf 109-- 15:45
14th vict -- 15 feb 1944 -- ??????????????? -- ?????? -- ?????

last, 20th (or 16th) vict -- Jan 1945-- over Bulgaria-- He 111

He was shot many times.

Re: Yak aces
 

If accurate, that's a highly interesting info - at least for me - as fighting over Bulgaria ceased in October 1944.

Does anyone have any further info? Exact date, location, unit the Soviet pilot was part of?

Thanks,

Re: Yak aces
 

Stalin's Eagles by Hans D. Seidl also has a brief listing for him.
it also has a small photo of him standing in front of his Yak-1.
do you have that photo already?

Re: Yak aces
 

Hmmmm... I'll see in my docs 4 sure :)

Re: Yak aces
 

Grib flew with the 8th IAP from the beginning of the war. This unit became the 6th GIAP ChF on 03.04.42. Grib was awarded the HSU on 23.10.42. According to Bodrihin, he scored a total of 17 victories and so his last success must have occurred over Sevastopol. This would automatically eliminate the problem of a mystery He 111 over Bulgaria. However, to be completely sure we would have to ask MB.

Re: Yak aces
 

Hmmmm....
- Grib.

Russian sourses i've read are not large about this pilot. In different sourses he had 16, 17, 20 vict.

S!