Table of contents:
- How the son of a peasant became the star of Soviet aviation
- What records did Stepan Suprun set and what awards was awarded
- How Stepan Suprun became Stalin's favorite and became part of the "Red Five"
- Surrendered or died heroically in battle - versions of the death of Stepan Suprun
Video: The first twice hero: How test pilot Stepan Suprun became "Stalin's falcon" and the star of the "Red Five"
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The future twice Hero of the Soviet Union was no different from his peers until he fulfilled his dream - to fly an airplane. After taking the helm, Stepan Suprun gained fame in the country within a few years, thanks to his professionalism in his favorite business. He tested domestic and foreign equipment without preparation, did aerobatics on any type of winged aircraft and took part in combat missions even before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
How the son of a peasant became the star of Soviet aviation
Stepan Pavlovich Suprun was born on August 2 (July 20), 1907 in the village. Rivers of the Sumy district of the Kharkov province. His parents - Pavel Mikhailovich and Praskovya Osipovna - were ordinary peasants who moved to Canada in 1913 in search of a better life. From 8 to 17 years old, Stepan attended schools in the cities of Winnipeg and Howardville, at the same time his father, who became a communist in 1917, took an active part in the creation of the Russian branch of the Communist Party in Winnipeg, Canada. On the recommendation of a parent, at the age of 15, Stepan was admitted to the League of Young Communists, where his two brothers, Grigory and Fyodor, joined at the same time.
The Supruns returned to their homeland in 1924: at first they lived in Altai, a little later they moved to Alma-Ata, then to the Kyrgyz Pishpek (Bishkek). In the fall of 1925, the family returned to Ukraine, where Stepan began to work as an apprentice in a handicraft workshop in the city of Belopole. After the election of Pavel Mikhailovich Suprun to the post of secretary of the Sumy regional executive committee, the young man got a job as a worker at a machine-building plant in Sumy. But, like many young people of that time, the son of a former peasant dreamed of flying: therefore, when the time came to serve in the Red Army, he asked the draft board to enroll him in aviation.
After safely graduating from courses in the specialty "aviation technician" in 1930, Stepan entered the school for training military pilots. Already in the process of a year's training, the young man showed talent, which was evidenced in his characterization by instructor Kushakov. According to the latter, cadet Suprun proved himself not only as a capable fighter pilot, but also as a thoughtful researcher and experimenter of flight science. As the near future showed, the instructor was not mistaken in his assessment - soon the whole country started talking about the achievements of Stepan Suprun.
What records did Stepan Suprun set and what awards was awarded
After leaving school, the newly-made officer went to serve in the combat units of Bryansk and Bobruisk. From there, with an excellent certification of a pilot who was well versed in technology, in 1933 he entered the disposal of the Scientific Testing Institute of the Red Army Air Force.
Having become a test pilot, thanks to his courage and efficiency, Stepan quickly earned the fame of the best aviator. The pilot took part in testing several of the latest aircraft models and was practically familiar with the management of 140 types of aircraft. For aerobatics, shown in the spring of 1935 in a flight of 5 planes, Suprun received a gold personal watch: it was presented to him by Kliment Voroshilov, who was on Red Square among the observers of the aerial-acrobatic skills of the "five".
More than once, when testing machines, Stepan found himself in a dangerous situation, but the instant reaction and the correctness of the chosen solution saved his plane from accidents and breakdowns. For the success of testing and mastery of new technology, the pilot was awarded the Order of Lenin in May 1936, and in August he was presented with a new car of the M-1 brand.
Stepan Pavlovich acquired his first combat experience in China: the Suprun air group defended the city of Chongqing and the Yunnan province from the Japanese. After several successful operations, in January 1940, the pilot, who was by that time the rank of major, was recalled to Moscow to be sent to Germany in March to get acquainted with German modern aircraft. Upon his return to Russia in May 1940, Suprun received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the "Gold Star" with serial number 461.
How Stepan Suprun became Stalin's favorite and became part of the "Red Five"
In the 30s, the achievements of aviation were supposed to demonstrate not only the military power of the young country, but also symbolize the success of industrialization and the socialist path of development. For these purposes, with the personal approval of Stalin, a parade aerobatic team was formed at the end of 1934. It consisted of five I-16 aircraft painted red, which were flown by such ace pilots as V. Kokkinaki, V. Evseev, S. Suprun, E. Preman, V. Shevchenko.
For several months, the pilots worked out the coherence of flight when performing complex figures, and on May 1, 1935, they showed their skills to numerous spectators on Red Square. Effectively flying at a low altitude, the "five" simultaneously demonstrated a slowed ascending barrel - one of the elements of aerobatics, complicated by low-level flight. This caused genuine delight among observers, among whom was Joseph Stalin. After landing, the pilots were awarded the next military ranks, awarded each with 5,000 rubles and invited to the Kremlin, where the leader himself proclaimed a toast to them at a solemn banquet.
Surrendered or died heroically in battle - versions of the death of Stepan Suprun
Since the beginning of World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Suprun managed to make only 4 sorties, during which 12 enemy aircraft were destroyed - 4 of them Stepan Pavlovich shot down personally. On the fateful day of July 4, 1941, the pilot ascended into the sky 4 times: twice to escort the bomber, once for reconnaissance, and the last - again to cover the "bomb carrier".
Returning from the operation, Suprun collided with six German Messers and took a fight, in which he was wounded in the chest, having managed to shoot down one of the enemy fighters. During the next attack of the Germans, the plane of the Soviet pilot caught fire, but he still managed to land the car on the ground. After landing, fuel tanks exploded and the flames engulfed the plane, cutting off all exit routes from the cockpit.
The next day, the Nazis spread information that the missing pilot was with them, as he voluntarily surrendered. However, the half-burnt documents found in the forest, the Gold Star medal, the weapon and the deputy's badge indicated that Stepan Suprun had died. Later, the wreckage of the plane and the remains of the pilot were found, which local residents buried near the village of Monasteries.
After reburial in 1960, the remains of the legendary pilot rests in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery. S. Suprun was posthumously awarded the second title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
And by a fatal mistake in 1944, the Russians and the Americans clashed in aerial combat.
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