Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Kapitan Ivan Frolovich Gorelikov

1920 –

Decorations
Date Decoration Note
19/02/42 Medal ”for Courage”  
14/08/42 Order of the Red Banner 1st
17/03/45 Order of the Red Banner 2nd
11/03/85 Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class  

Ivan Gorelikov was born in 1920.

He graduated from Serpukhovskaya flight school in 1940.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, mladshiy leitenant Gorelikov served in 12 OIAE-KBF. This unit was part of the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet and was equipped with Polikarpov I-153s.

The I-153s from 12 OIAE-KBF was in combat with Ju 88s on 22 September 1941. Mladshiy leitenant Gorelikov, Nikolay Khromov and Grigoriy Kraynov all claimed a Ju 88 shared ”in group” and it’s thus possible that this was the same Ju 88.
Khromov also claimed a shared Hs 126 together with another pilot during the day.

In October 1941, Gorelikov was posted to 71 IAP-KBF.

In March 1942, he left 71 IAP-KBF and was posted back to 12 OIAE-KBF.

In May 1943, he left 12 OIAE.KBF and was posted to 11 IAP-KBF. With this unit he flew MiG-3s and LaGG-3s.
He remained with this unit until the end of the war.

Gorelikov ended the war with 1 shared biplane victory and a total of 2.
These had been claimed during 407 combat missions.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1941                
  22/09/41   1/? Ju 88 Shared destroyed I-153   Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 12 OIAE-KBF
  1942                
  21/08/42   1/2 Bf 110 (a) Shared destroyed MiG-3   Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 12 OIAE-KBF
  01/09/42   1/? Bf 109 Shared destroyed MiG-3   Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 12 OIAE-KBF
  07/11/42   1/? Bf 109 Shared destroyed MiG-3   Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 12 OIAE-KBF
  1943                
1 07/01/43   1 Bf 109 Destroyed MiG-3   Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 12 OIAE-KBF
2 08/06/43   1 He 111 (b) Destroyed     Air Force of the Baltic Fleet 11 IAP-KBF

Biplane victories: 1 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 2 and 4 shared destroyed.
(a) Not verified with Soviet records.
(b) Not verified with Soviet records.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov




Last modified 30 October 2020