Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Starshiy Leitenant Pavel Aleksandrovich Vasil’yev

1916 – 16 February 1944

Decorations
Date Decoration Note
19/04/42 Order of the Red Banner 1st
17/10/42 Order of the Red Banner 2nd

Pavel Vasil’yev was born in 1916.

Mladshiy leitenant Vasil’yev was posted to 482 IAP in December 1941. This regiment was equipped with Polikarpov I-153s and operated on the North Caucasian Front.

On 8 January 1942, the regiment was posted to the Crimean.

From 9 June 1942, the regiment belonged to the Transcaucasian Front.

On 19 July, a Ju 88 was claimed as a shared destroyed over Bataysk by eight pilots from 482 IAP. Among these pilots were leitenant Vasil’yev and Ivan Videnkin.

They retrained on LaGG-3s between 16 September and 10 December 1942.

Between 27 February 1943 and 24 June, they retrained on the La-5.

On 7 July, they went into combat with their new La-5s on the Bryansk Front as part of 322 IAD.

From 21 August, they were held in reserve on the Western Front.

Vasil’yev left 482 IAP in 1943 (after September), when he was posted to the Higher Officer School of Air Combat.

Starshiy leitenant Vasil’yev was killed in an aircraft crash on 16 February 1944.

At the time of his death, Vasil’yev was credited with 3 shared biplane victories and a total of 3.
These had been claimed during 320 combat missions.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1942                
  19/07/42   1/8 Ju 88 Shared destroyed Polikarpov I-153   Bataysk 482 IAP
  20/07/42   1/? Bf 109 Shared destroyed Polikarpov I-153   Transcaucasian Front 482 IAP
  20/07/42   1/? Bf 109 Shared destroyed Polikarpov I-153   Transcaucasian Front 482 IAP
  1943                
1 16/07/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed La-5   Bryansk Front 482 IAP
2 19/07/43   1 FW 190 Destroyed La-5   Bryansk Front 482 IAP
3 19/07/43   1 Ju 87 Destroyed La-5   Bryansk Front 482 IAP
  06/08/43   1/2 FW 190 Destroyed La-5   Bryansk Front 482 IAP

Biplane victories: 3 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 3 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 02 October 2021