Polikarpov I-16 top ace - Vasilii Golubyev ?

[knusel]

...according to this website
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/g/golubev_vf.htm
Vasilii Golubyev has a total of 17+16shared kills only.
Can anybody tell me the story behind the well-known photo that shows him in front of an aircraft with 39 victory stars ?

Cheers,

Michael

[knusel]

Good morning,

one of the top I-16 pilots is Boris Safonov.
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/s/safonov.htm
I've just read "Boris Safonov, L'As du Grand Nord" by Yourii Rybin.
He indicates that Safonov scored 13 kills until October 1941.
I think this includes his kill on 5Aug which seems to have been confirmed belatedly but neither his kill on 6Aug nor his group kills.

Cheers,

Michael

[knusel]

Good evening Gentlemen,

Safonov is the 3rd or 4th ranking I-16 ace depending on the decimals of Gritsewets' group kills. Will we ever know these ?:

rank/name/I-16 kills (group kills counted as decimals)
1. Грицевец Сергей Иванович = 10-21 [9+24]
2. Пидтыкан Иван Дмитриевич = 16,14 [12+10]
3. Харитонов Василий Николаевич = 14,48 [10+16]
4. Сафонов Борис Феоктистович = 13,83 [13+5] according to Yourii Rybin
5. Пилипенко Иван Маркович = 12,96 [10+13]
6. Оскаленко Дмитрий Ефимович = 12,45-12,95 [12+3]
7. Абрамов Пётр Петрович = 7,42-14,92 [5+25]
8. Игнатьев Николай Петрович = 12,51 [8+13]
9. Цоколаев Геннадий Дмитриевич = 11,95 [9+10]
10. Кравченко Григорий Пантелеевич = 11,79 [11+5] ?
11. Кузнецов Николай Фёдорович = 11,57 [8+11]
12. Баранов Михаил Семёнович = 11,33 [10+3]

Michael