A DEADLY WHITE LILY

Arguably the best-known Soviet woman pilot in the war, who became famous for being a double “ace,” was Lidya (nicknamed “Lilya”) Litvyak. A senior lieutenant as well as a flight commander of the 73rd Guards Stalingrad-Vienna Fighter Regiment/6th Fighter Division/8th Air Army, she also served in the 586th as well as two other fighter regiments.

Litvyak was born August 18, 1922, in Moscow and learned to fly at a young age. Striking in appearance and small in stature, Litvyak made a powerful impression on everyone who came in contact with her. A lover of nature, she would decorate the inside of her cockpit with wild flowers found near the airfield. Legend has it that she even painted a white lily on the fuselage of her aircraft. No one could have predicted that this petite blonde pilot (she had to have the pedals of her plane adjusted so she could reach them) who liked to fashion colorful neck scarves out of parachutes, would prove to be such a deadly adversary in the skies.

On September 13, 1942 Litvyak became the first woman to shoot down an enemy aircraft. She actually downed two German fighters that day in an intense air battle over Stalingrad. One of her opponents was a German ace who was a three-time recipient of the Iron Cross and a member of the 4th Air Fleet. He had scored his 11th victory three days earlier. But in this case he was forced to bail out of his aircraft. Once captured on the ground, he asked to meet the Russian ace who had shot down his plane. When 20-year-old Litvyak stood before him, he stared in amazement. In disbelief, he demanded proof that she had indeed been the pilot. After Litvyak described in detail their dogfight (which had been her first), the German ace was forced to accept the truth. For a pilot of her limited experience to achieve two kills in a single day (especially one involving a fighter ace) was an amazing accomplishment.