Russian Aces

Lilya Litvyak

Katya Budanova

Nikolai Gulayev

Ivan Kozhedub

Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko

Grigori Rechkalov

Aleksiey Borisowitch Panov

Aleksandr Pokryshkin

Boris Safonov

Krill Yevstigneyev

Innokentyi Kuznetsov

A P Maresyev

Z A Sorokin

L. Byelousov's 

Although poorly equipped with outdated aircraft and inferior fighter pilots at the start of the War, Russian fighter pilots soon turned the tables and became a formidable enemy. Those that survived the  German Blitzkrieg through horrendous losses soon began to work up good scores. At first to achieve 'Ace' status a Russian fighter pilot had to score three kills, but by the end of 1942 this was changed to ten kills. Those fighter pilots that achieved this would be decorated with Russia's highest military honour the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union or HSU this was awarded to each fighter pilot as soon as they had downed ten aircraft. The air war that was fought on the Russian front was far different from that fought in the West and there  was certainly  no shortage of Luftwaffe targets.