Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Starshiy Leitenant Vasiliy Ivanovich Grishin

1914 –

Decorations
Date Decoration Note
14/02/41 Order of the Red Banner 1st
27/11/41 Order of the Red Banner 2nd
28/11/45 Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class  
06/11/45 Medal ”for Combat Merit”  

Vasiliy Grishin was born in 1914.

Leitenant Grishin took part in the Finnish-Soviet Winter War where he served in 38 IAP between December 1939 and March 1940, flying Polikarpov I-153s.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, starshiy leitenant Grishin still served in 38 IAP. This unit was at the time still equipped with Polikarpov I-153s.

Starshiy leitenant Grishin and mladshiy leitenant Ivan Ilyin both claimed a shared Ju 88 ”in group” on 12 August. It’s possibly that this was the same claim.

The same thing happened two days later, on 14 August, when both claimed a shared Bf 109 ”in group”.

On 17 August, 38 IAP claimed one shared destroyed Do 17 and one shared destroyed Bf 110. Involved pilots seems to have included starshiy leitenant Grishin, leitenant Ivan Konovchenko and mladshiy leitenant Ivan Ilyin.
Leitenant Konovchenko also claimed one Bf 109 during the day.

In October 1941, he was posted away from 38 IAP.
He departed with a regiment from 1 ZAP for rearmament and resupply, but in January 1942, for health reasons, was decommissioned from fighter aviation, and was appointed commander of 370 OAE of the BelVO Air Force.

Grishin ended the war with 1 biplane victory.
This had been claimed during 88 combat missions.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1941                
  12/08/41   1/? Ju 88 Shared destroyed I-153   North-Western Front 38 IAP
  14/08/41   1/? Bf 109 Shared destroyed I-153   North-Western Front 38 IAP
  17/08/41   1/? Do 17 Shared destroyed I-153   North-Western Front 38 IAP
  17/08/41   1/? Bf 110 Shared destroyed I-153   North-Western Front 38 IAP
1 09/09/41   1 Bf 110 Destroyed I-153   North-Western Front 38 IAP

Biplane victories: 1 and 4 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 and 4 shared destroyed.

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




Last modified 14 September 2020