Heroes 19/03/20 Alexei Maresyev: how many German aircraft shot down as flying prostheses
Maresyev Alexey Petrovich was born on 7 may 1916 on a farm Verevkin that in the former Saratov province. It is near the town of Kamyshin, which is the birthplace of Hero of the Soviet Union Maresyev according to the official version. Alex lost his father in early childhood. Ekaterina Nikitichna Maresyev raised him and his two sons by herself. She worked as a cleaner. For obvious reasons the family was quite poor.
After high school and College Alex went to work at a timber processing plant. Even then, he passionately dreamed of becoming a pilot. But in flight school it would not take rheumatism (in childhood maresiev suffered malaria, which gave complications). In 1934, in the direction of the Komsomol Alex went to build Komsomolsk-on-Amur. There he joined the local flying club. In 1937 he was conscripted into the Red army.
When the dream started to come true
During the service Maresyev received the opportunity to graduate from flight school in Chita. He then studied at the aviation school in Bataisk. Finally he could become a pilot. At this point, and the war began. Maresev was immediately sent to the front. He served in the South-West, in the district of Krivoy Rog. There was his first sortie. Before transferring on the North-Western front in 1942, the young pilot had already managed to shoot down 4 Nazi aircraft.
On the new front Marese during the operation “Demyansk pot” covering the bombers in battle with the Germans, his plane was hit, and Alexei himself seriously wounded. Maresyev had to get to its almost 18 days in the village of M it is not found by local peasants.
the Injury could put an end to the business of life
After being wounded 5 APR Alex for almost a month, had to wait for help. Sent to Moscow in early may. As a result, the wounded have developedeh gangrene and severe sepsis. The pilot’s life literally hung in the balance. The Moscow professors had to amputate both legs, which saved the life of Alexei. But after this surgery he could easily give up on his dream of aviation.
Alexei Maresyev too passionately wanted to fly, so easy to give up. As soon as the last severe pain after the amputation, he immediately started training. The aim itself this heroic man set so it is good to learn to use prostheses, to be able to rise again in the air on fighter aircraft. And he did it.
the feat of the pilot
in the first months of 1943 Maresyev got to his feet and was trained in primary flight school in the village Ibresi (Chuvashia). There he learned to use prostheses during control of the aircraft. The command did not want to give the pilot a combat mission. However, the situation at the front was so heavy, that other exit was not simple. In July, Alex returned to duty.
Just on account of his nearly 90 sorties and destroyed 11 fighters of the Wehrmacht. 7 of them he was hit when he was on the dentures. In August Maresyev was awarded the Gold Star and title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The fame of this strong-willed and courageous man began to rattle far beyond his native regiment. Then, among the other correspondents met him in Field, B. N., the future author of the novel the hero of “the Story of a real man.”
In the book, the name of the pilot was only slightly changed (at Meresyev). Thanks to Field his image has become a textbook. After the war Alexei Maresyev was invited to the evening meeting with the youth. He for some time was flying, then in sports, and even set personal records. Were married. Married with Galina Viktorovna Marichevoy they had 2 sons. Died Alexei Petrovich in 2001 from a heart attack on the eve of the concert dedicated to him.
Russian Seven
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