Lydia “Lilya” Litvyak was the first female pilot to make ace. She is generally credited with twelve individual and three shared victories, plus an observation balloon. She was wounded twice. She was shot down and killed during the Battle of Kursk, her body was not recovered. Due to fears that she might have been captured alive by the Germans, she was not awarded Hero of the Soviet Union until 1990. Despite reports that a body was exhumed and verified to be Litvyak, her fate remains controversial.
Yellow 44 was Litvyak’s assigned aircraft during the spring of 1943 when she flew with the 296 IAP and 73 GIAP.
Inch High Guy 
Sad that the Stalinist paranoia lasted so long after the war and deprived her of timely proper recogition.
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Many Soviet soldiers went straight into the Gulags after the war for fear that they might have been corrupted, especially if they had been captured.
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If they had been POWs, they were lucky (?) if the NKVD didn’t execute them on the spot!
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Excellent build!! Which kit is it Jeff?
Yes, as Mike pointed out, that paranoia lasted for a long time. The author of “Ivan’s War: delves into that in her intro/prologue, and the difficulties that ensued in her trying to get accurate information from veterans for her interviews.
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Thanks Warren, it’s the Brengun kit.
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Lovely model Jeff- quite a nice pair of colours for the camo.
Sad end to the lass though.
Cheers,
Pete.
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