Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Starshiy Leitenant Viktor Afanas'yevich Udovenko

1918 – 31 January 1942

Decorations
Date Decoration Note
21/02/42 Order of the Red Banner Posthumous

Viktor Udovenko was born in 1918.

From July 1941, leitenant Udovenko served in 13 IAP. This regiment was equipped with Polikarpov I-153s.
This regiment entered combat on 15 July 1941 as part of the Reserve Front.

On 27 July, mladshiy leitenant Nikolay Proshenkov claimed a shared Bf 109 together with anther pilot over Yel’nya. It’s possible that he claimed this together with leitenant Udovenko since it’s known that he claimed one shared Bf 109 together with another pilot during the day.
Mladshiy leitenant Vasiliy Terent’yev claimed one Bf 109 during the day at an unknown place.

The regiment was withdrawn from the front for resupply and retraining on 1 September.
Between 7 September and 6 October, they retrained on Yak-1s.

The regiment became operational again on 8 October and operated on the Crimean Front until 4 December.

On 19 October, six pilots from 13 IAP claimed two shared Bf 109s. It seems that Udovenko and Ivan Bazarov took part in this claim.

Seven Yak-1s from 13 IAP claimed one Ju 88 as a shared destroyed over Bagerovo on 3 November. Known pilots taking part in this claim are Ivan Bazarov, Nikolay Proshenkov, Vasiliy Terent’yev and Udovenko.

Udovenko was posted from 13 IAP to 247 IAP in December 1942.
This regiment was sent to the Crimean Front and became operational on 31 December 1941.
In January they retrained on the Yak-1 while being operational at the same time.

On 31 January 1942, starshiy leitenant Udovenko was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery and killed.

At the time of his death, Udovenko was credited with 1 shared biplane victory and a total of 1.
These had been claimed during 76 combat missions and 14 air combats as of 23 January 1942.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1941                
  01/08/41   1/2 Bf 109 Shared destroyed Polikarpov I-153   Reserv Front 13 IAP
  19/10/41   1/6 Bf 109 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Crimean Front 13 IAP
  19/10/41   1/6 Bf 109 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Crimean Front 13 IAP
  03/11/41   1/7 Ju 88 Shared destroyed Yak-1   Bagerovo 13 IAP
  1942                
1 17/01/42   1 Ju 88 Destroyed Yak-7   Crimean Front 247 IAP

Biplane victories: 1 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 18 February 2022