Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Mayor Ivan Mikhaylovich Dubovik

1917 –

Ivan Dubovik was born in 1917 in Moiseyevo.

In 1937, he voluntarily joined the Red Army and graduated from flight school.
Before the war, he served in the Leningrad Military District.

Mladshiy leitenant Dubovik took part in the Soviet-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 as a member of 3./7 IAP and flying I-153s with this unit.

For his part in the Winter War he was decorated with the Medal for military merit.

On 20 February, 7 IAP claimed six destroyed and three destroyed on the ground. The I-153s from 3./7 IAP claimed four Bulldogs between Hanhijärvi – Lappeenranta when starshiy leitenant Aleksey Baranov claimed two, mladshiy leitenant Nikolay Ivanov claimed one while mladshiy leitenant Dubovik and mladshiy leitenant S. Masnikov claimed the fourth. Starshiy leitenant Baranov and mladshiy leitenant Ivanov also claimed one enemy aircraft each destroyed on the ground at Utti.
Starshiy politruk Pavel Kalinichenko (I-16 from 1./7 IAP) and leitenant Nikolay Kachkovsky (I-16) claimed the other two over Utti.
The third enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground was claimed by nine I-16s from 1./7 IAP at Utti. Pilots were Franchuk, starshiy politruk Nikolay Isayev, Istaukhin, Ivanov, starshiy politruk Pavel Kalinichenko, Kashrin starshiy leitenant Vladimir Kuochkin, Martynov and Shurdukov.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, leitenant Dubovik still served in 7 IAP, which operated on the North Front with I-153s and MiG-3s.

In the early morning on 22 July 1941, thirteen Russian I-153 fighters attacked Utti airfield. Four Finnish Curtiss Hawk 75A fighters of LeLv 32 took off at 03:25 and a wild melee over the airfield ensued. Alikersantti Mauno Kirjonen shot down one of the intruders just as his plane lifted off the ground, but at the same time one Tshaika attacked him from above; Kirjonen pulled up to meet the new enemy. Both pilots opened fire at the same moment. Kirjonen’s plane was hit, metal pieces flew off and the engine started to smoke. The Russian pilot, mladshiy leitenant Vladimir Shavrov, was hit through the head by one of Kirjonen’s bullets and the I-153 dived into nearby Lake Haukkajärvi (some sources claims that Shavrov’s claim was made in a ”taran” ramming attack). Kirjonen had to parachute. His parachute opened just before he landed into the shallow shore water of Haukkajärvi. These were Kirjonen’s victories 2-3 of a total 9 ¾. The Finnish Hawk was CU-501, which crashed in Karhula village near Valkeala at 03:35.
It seems that Nikolay Svitenko (I-153) also made a claim in this combat as he claimed an Bf 109 over Utti during the day.
At least 14 MiG-3s from 7 IAP were also involved in combat over Utti during the day (reportedly with Bf 109s) and as the Finnish only reported one attack on Utti it seems that these also were involved in the morning attack. One Bf 109 was claimed by starshiy leitenant Aleksey Baranov and a second by leitenant Dubovik. Two more Bf 109s were claimed as shared by 14 pilots including starshiy leitenant Aleksey Baranov and leitenant Dubovik.
Shavrov’s I-153 was lifted from the lake and the dead pilot was buried near the airfield. The engine of the I-153 was detached from the plane and it was lifted in the 1980s. For this combat, Shavrov was decorated with a posthumous Order of Lenin.

Alikersantti Mauno Kirjonen in front of the wreck of Vladimir Shavrov’s I-153 on the shore of Haukkajärvi.
Photo from SA-Kuva

On 21 August, the MiG-3s from 7 IAP was in combat with Brewsters over Antrea Station. Starshiy leitenant Aleksey Baranov claimed one shot down and a second shared with four other pilots (including Dubovik).
These losses can’t be verified with Finnish records.

On 4 October 1941, he was posted to 153 IAP, when 7 IAP’s eskadrilya equipped with MiG-3s was moved to this unit.

On 13 December 1941, he was decorated with the Order of the Red Star.

He was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner on 20 December 1941.

In March 1942, he returned to his old unit when he was posted to 14 GIAP (7 IAP had become 14 GIAP on 7 March 1942) to serve as eskadrilya commander.
With this unit he flew Yak-1s.

Dubovik claimed a Bf 109 over Rabochiy posolok No.8 on 15 March 1943, while Vasiliy Mochalov claimed a FW 190 over the same place.

Four days later, on 19 March, Dubovik and Vasiliy Mochalov claimed one FW 190 each over Myza Station.

Dubovik, starshiy leitenant Ivan Petrov and kapitan Mikhail Lobanov claimed a shared Bf 109 together with a fourth pilot over Fedorovskoye on 23 March.

Kapitan Mikhail Lobanov and Dubovik claimed a shared FW 190 over Rabochiy posolok No.6 on 30 March.

On 3 April, five pilots from 14 GIAP claimed three FW 190s shot down at three different places; Sinyavino, west of Apraksin Gorodok and Berezovka. Pilots included in these claims were Dubovik, starshiy leitenant Ivan Petrov, Vasiliy Mochalov and kapitan Mikhail Lobanov.

On 2 May 1943, he was decorated with the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.

Dubovik claimed a FW 190 over Kolchanovo station on 9 July. It’s possible that starshiy leitenant Ivan Petrov claimed a second FW 190 in the same combat since it’s known that he made a claim during the day.

In September 1943, he was posted to 159 IAP. With this unit he flew Kittyhawks and La-5s.

He returned to 14 GIAP in June 1944, flying Yak-9s until the end of the war.
During this time, he flew a presentation Yak-9 marked with ”Krasnokutskiy collective farm”.

On 10 July 1944, he was decorated with a second Order of the Red Banner.

From November 1944, 14 GIAP didn’t take part in any combat operations being tasked with training and covering the Estonian coast.

Mayor Dubovik was decorated with the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class on 5 November 1944.

Dubovik ended the war with 1 shared biplane victory and a total of 11.
These had been claimed during 288 combat missions and 45 air combats.

Dubovik continued to serve in the VVS after the war.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1940                
  20/02/40   1/2 Bulldog (a) Shared destroyed I-153   Hanhijärvi-Lappeenranta 3./7 IAP
  1941                
1 22/07/41 03:35 1 Bf 109 (b) Destroyed MiG-3   Utti airfield 7 IAP
  22/07/41 03:35 1/14 Bf 109 (b) Shared destroyed MiG-3   Utti airfield 7 IAP
  22/07/41 03:35 1/14 Bf 109 (b) Shared destroyed MiG-3   Utti airfield 7 IAP
  21/08/41   1/5 Brewster (c) Shared destroyed MiG-3   Antrea Station 7 IAP
  1943                
2 15/03/43   1 Bf 109 Destroyed Yak-1   Rabochiy posolok No.8 14 GIAP
3 19/03/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-1   Myza station 14 GIAP
  23/03/43   1/4 Bf 109 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Fedorovskoye 14 GIAP
  30/03/43   1/2 FW 190 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Rabochiy posolok No.6 14 GIAP
  03/04/43   1/5 FW 190 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Sinyavino 14 GIAP
  03/04/43   1/5 FW 190 Shared destroyed Yak-1   W Apraksin Gorodok 14 GIAP
  03/04/43   1/5 FW 190 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Berezovka 14 GIAP
4 09/05/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-1   Pustyanka station 14 GIAP
5 08/06/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-1   Ivanovo 14 GIAP
6 09/06/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-1   S Manushkino 14 GIAP
  09/06/43   1 Balloon Destroyed Yak-1   Mukholovo 14 GIAP
7 09/07/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-1   Kolchanovo station 14 GIAP
  1943                
8 26/06/44 11:00 1 Bf 109 (d) Destroyed La-5   NE Rainikk 159 IAP
9 28/06/44   1 Bf 109 Destroyed La-5   Hovinta 159 IAP
10 09/07/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Lehmyakalilo 14 GIAP
11 30/07/44   1 Ju 87 Destroyed Yak-9   Mustolovo 14 GIAP

Biplane victories: 1 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 11 and 9 shared destroyed, 1 destroyed balloon.
(a) Not verified with Finnish records.
(b) Probably claimed in combat with LeLv 32, which claimed 2 I-153s while losing 1 Curtiss Hawk (pilot safe). 7 IAP claimed 5 enemy fighters while losing 1 I-153 (pilot KIA).
(c) Not verified with Finnish records.
(d) Luutnantti N. Trontti (MT-434) of HLeLv 34 shot down. Baled out safely.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Red Stars 7 - Talvisota Ilmassa - The Winter War In the Air - Carl-Fredrik Geust, 2011 Apali Oy, Tampere, ISBN 978-952-5877-04-5
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov
Suomen Ilmavoimat part III – 1941 – Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, 2007, ISBN 978-952-99743-1-3




Last modified 30 April 2021