Ot kolhoznika Koneva

[Pilot]

Greetings all,

I guess that most of you know this inscription on famous fighter plane flown by I.N. Kozedub. I hear that Konev was real person and that he really buy this aircraft for Kozedub.

Question-

If this is true (above mentioned), how it is possible in Soviet model of economy and industry somebody could have that much of money and buy and airplane? In West- this would sound normal...

Sorry if the question is... stupid or what else.

Cheers )

[HGabor]

Not only small planes, like the La-5, but big bombers, like the A-20G have been bought by her own crews. Many 'private' planes were flown by the 5th Air Army, 452nd, 453rd BAPs. These were usually from the 43-216XX series. Some crews died on their own planes, like the Lt. Victor Kuzmich Starikov crew on December 12, 1945 at Vecses, Hungary in their 43-21679 (453rd BAP)

Gabor

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

The question put is not at all stupid, but the situation can not be compared to that in a Western economy. After the Battle of Stalingrad the Soviet authorithies wanted to support all sorts of patriotic movements. After a number of - more or less spontaneous - appeals by individual and collective (personnel of various factories, kolkhozes, trade unions etc) to donate money to the State Defence Committee, some letters were published in Pravda (iuncluding even grateful anwers by Stalin himself), the matter virtually turned into an avalanche! Symbolic price tags were put on various weapon systems (bombers, fighters, tanks, cannonns etc), and lists of donations filled the pages of Pravda, Izvestiya etc from 1943. The donators were allowed to have patriotic slogans of their own painted of the aircraft, and weere invited to the hand-over ceremonies.

Naturaly the communist regime utilized the situation in order to drain the country of surplus circulating money (there were far more roubles around than goods available for coinsumption). Especially in some parts of the country there were still really rich people (including some Kolkhoze farmers), who may well have been able to donate the real cost of an aircraft. Even the Orthodox church participated, donating money for "purchase" of tank units named "Aleksandr Nevsky" and "Dmitriy Donskoj", and also various types of aircraft, which were then appropriately blesses by Orthodox Bishops. It estimated that far over 1.000 aircraft were donated in this way, and apparently also several hundred tanks. In the 1980s special literature on this topic started to appear in the USSR, and today it is a popular theme in aviation history journals.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Srecko - if You are interested, I have a long list of some "named" regiments, squadons and individual aircrafts.

[Pilot]

It estimated that far over 1.000 aircraft were donated in this way, and apparently also several hundred tanks. In the 1980s special literature on this topic started to appear in the USSR, and today it is a popular theme in aviation history journals.

Amazing info! Thank you very much for details and time

Srecko - if You are interested, I have a long list of some "named" regiments, squadons and individual aircrafts.

Yes!!!

HGabor, Carl-Fredrik Geust and Evgeny Velichko- thank you very much

[HGabor]

I am sorry, the date was of course December 12, 1944, not 1945.

Gabor

[Evgeny Velichko]

LaGG-3 series 66, from Tbilisi Aircraft Factory. "Советская Грузия" - "Soviet Georgia". 1 squadron went to 88 iap in march 1943.




La-5, 240 iap. This a/c was used by two great aces - Kozhedub and Yevstigneev.

Август 1941
Эскадрилья "Омский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown)

Декабрь 1941
Эскадрилья "Солнечный Киргизстан", (a/c unknown), труд-ся Киргизии.

21 декабря 1941
Эскадрилья "Хабаровский Комсомолец", (DB-3), строилась на Д.Востоке (Хабаровск-Комсомольск-на-Амуре) на средства комсомола Хабаровской области.

Ноябрь 1941
Эскадрилья "Новосибирский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown), Новосибирский обком партии.

Ноябрь 1941
Эскадрилья "МОПРовец Узбекистана", (a/c unknown), МОПР Узбекистана

Ноябрь 1941
Эскадрилья "МОПРовец Кировской области", (a/c unknown), МОПР Кировской области

Декабрь 1941
Эскадрилья "Саратовский колхозник", (Yak-1), строилась в Саратове, сказано что ушла на Сталинградский фронт.

Зима 1941/42:
Эскадрилья "Архангельский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Калужский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Кубанский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Куйбышевский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Омский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown), - вторая???
Эскадрилья "Саратовский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Сталинградский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Томский Комсомолец", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Грузии", (LaGG-3 with slogan in Georgian letters)
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Дона", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Забайкалья", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Заполярья", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Кузбасса", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Удмуртии", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Чувашии", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Комсомолец Башкирии", (a/c unknown),

Январь 1942
Эскадрилья истребителей (a/c unknown):
3 самолёта "Комсомолец Нарыма",
3 самолёта "Комсомолец Кузбасса",
2 самолёта "Новосибирский Комсомолец",
1 самолёт ""Новосибирский Пионер" - комсомол Новосибирской области.

Май 1942:
3 эскадрильи (a/c unknown):
"Советский учитель",
"Советский служащий",
"Советский медработник".

Июль 1942:
Эскадрилья "Кировский колхозник", (a/c unknown),

Ноябрь 1942:
8 эскадрилий от колхоза "Трактор", Терновского района, только 5 известны по именам:
Эскадрилья "Владимир Ленин", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Иосиф Сталин", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Александр Суворов", (IL-2, many photos known),
Эскадрилья "Александр Невский", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Михаил Кутузов", (a/c unknown),

Лето-осень 1942:
Эскадрилья "Работник печати", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Народный учитель", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "За передовую науку!", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Промкооперация", (a/c unknown),

16 декабря 1942
Эскадрилья "Валерий Чкалов", (La-5.),
Эскадрилья "Валерий Чкалов", (IL-2.),

Декабрь 1942
Эскадрилья "Амурский колхозник", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Кировский колхозник", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Валериан Куйбышев", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Свердловский колхозник", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Советское Приморье", (a/c unknown),

Январь 1943
Эскадрилья "Красный пролетариат", (a/c unknown)

Январь 1943
Эскадрилья "Советский полярник", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Лысьевский рабочий", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Московский автозаводец", (a/c unknown)
Эскадрилья "Омичи-фронту", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Украинское искусство", (a/c unknown),
Эскадрилья "Советский артист", (a/c unknown),

Март 1943
Эскадрилья "Советская Грузия", (La-5 with slogan in Georgian letters),

1943:
Эскадрилья "Латвийский стрелок", (a/c unknown), - трудящиеся Латвии

Апрель 1944
Эскадрилья "Освобождённый Донбасс", (Yak-9???),
Эскадрилья "Колхозник Донбасса", (a/c unknown),

1944
Эскадрилья "Советская Молдавия", (a/c unknown),

16 декабря 1942
Эскадрилья "Валерий Чкалов", (La-5.),
Эскадрилья "Валерий Чкалов", (IL-2.)

"Valery Tchkalov" squadron of La-5 first series was built at 21th A/c factory.

First 17 La-5's with "Валерий Чкалов" slogan went to 4 giap VVS KBF.
Next 14 La-5's went to 193 iap.
Next 15 La-5's went to 88 giap.
Next 10 La-5's went to 254 iap.
Two La-5 went to 137 iap and 21 iap. Some La-5's with "Валерий Чкалов" slogan were with 240 iap, 12 giap and 111 giap.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Yak-1B of Maj Yeremin, HSU, ace with 8 + 15 shared air victories.





2nd a/c from F.Golovaty to Maj Yeremin

From Lena for Daddy "
In early 1943, of 237 Assault Regiment arrived a new IL-2. From
Other Il-2's he differed unusual inscription on board "From Lena
for the daddy. " This machine has had a history that began with a letter
to Stalin.

"Dear Stalin. My dad, Anatoly Azarenkov Vasilevich, Squadron attack aircraft was killed at the front, protecting our homeland, which I love very much. My mother died in Kiev, and I live with my grandmother. She retired, disabled in group 2. Upon receipt pensions, she gives me toys. I've been hoarding money for a Christmas tree and had accumulated 110 rubles, which ask you to take to build a ground attack aircraft, and pass it to the Regiment 237, which was my dad's regiment, to friends of my Daddy will revenge Germans for the death of the my father, for his mother - she is so much crying, and for me. "

The author was little girl of 1-B Grade at the Moscow School № 612 Lena Azarenkova. Letter published in the magazine "Ogonyok" »№ 4 in 1943, and the children across the country began to donate their "Christmas" and "candy" money construction of the aircraft. However, their small contributions evolved in a significant amount. From students of the Ivanovo region - one million rubles, from students of the Stavropol Territory - 100 thousand Lena desire fulfilled.
Having bought at the children's money airplane, pilots 237 assault
Regiment girl wrote:

"Dear Elena! We got in a combat operation built on the collected money on your own initiative aircraft. We assure you, that we, your father's friends, will avenge the German bandits for his death. Combat aircraft, attack aircraft, we have written your name and handed him best friend of your dad. "

Sorry for rough translation.

[Pilot]

Evgeny- impressive info and images!!! And accompanied story are great! Thank you very much

[kalender1973]

Ferapont Golovatyj was an initiator of this movement. According the official history he wrote the letter to Stalin where he suggested 100000 rubel for the new fighter. In this letter he described himself as wealthy kolhoznik. He was a beemaster and wikipedia claims he collect 200 kg honey in 1942, price 500-900 rubel/kg