Lisikova Olga

Olga Lisikova - only during the Second World War, a woman commander of the largest U.S. transport planes LI-2 and C-47. On account of its 408 flights in besieged Leningrad, in the heartland of the enemy, flying in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. At least twice she had become a Hero of the Soviet Union, but it is not even awarded the Order of Lenin.
. - THIS SHOULD BE M Lord give that, sitting in Kukuruznik ", which not even a machine gun, choke Messerschmitts!
. Olga says so if it all happened yesterday.
. - I took a good two wounded and fly them to hospital
. It was only twenty miles, as I see the tail comes to Me-109. Where devatsyaN! Suddenly I noticed breakage. It was Mehta, a small stream, but flows between high banks. Dive down to the water, and immediately hear back struck a powerful place - by! Sharply giving way to the side, pressed against the water and flying, barely touching the wings of the coast. Now the fascists have to climb again to find this "Russian bookcase" and try to come to her tail.

The river turns sharply to the right. I - followed. Back, shoulders, back of his head forward, when the fascist strikes again. And sure enough: another strong turn. At this time I feel hit the tail. The plane lurched, but so badly that he left wing and the wheel struck the water. I give full gas, soaring over the cliff, and there is already our airfield. I sit down with the move, without preparation. Turn off the engine, jumped from the cab and the first thing I see our soldiers are running towards me and shouted, pointing somewhere in the direction: "Look!" Look! " I turned my head - my eyes Messer cut into the cliff. What is onN And I understood: was carried away and dived so low that the climb is not enough time.
CURSE OF THE LAW OF SUCH WAR: the joy of victory is almost always mixed with the bitterness of loss. Less than a month, as Olga Lisikovoy reported the death of her husband.

More recently they worked together in the Leningrad detachment Aeroflot. Since the beginning of the war both at once mobilized: it - the squadron of communication, it - in one of the two air divisions, which are particularly important tasks of the General Staff. Now, after Basil died, she decided that it should replace. Women - captains in both divisions was not, but it took. Can not take: Lisikovu in Aeroflot knew everything - and as one of the best athletes, and both experienced pilots, the participant is Finnish war. And most importantly, to know: a girl with character, still does not back down.

. So Olga Lisikova become a lieutenant commander "Douglas" in the 1-m air regiment the 10 th Air Division special purpose.

. Women's pride in combat

. - Most often, we flew in besieged Leningrad
. The most difficult journey - when on the way back were taken blockade of children. Those who could walk, are seated on benches along the sides, for the rest spreading out on the floor, still warm blankets on the motors. Then gave the children a loaf of their own rations. Are any of the older kids there, on a tray, dividing it evenly on the sixty or eighty pieces, depending on the number of children.

. Once a boy had forgotten to count himself, to which all took their piece, he suddenly saw that the tray is empty
. Quietly, without any requests, senior otschipnuli on a bit of its share, and grew up on a tray that's a small hill bread crumb.
. These were children with old people!
. Neither the tears of parting with loved ones, nor the joy of the upcoming flight to the mainland, where there is no starvation, bombing and shelling, - only huge eyes on tiny emaciated face.
. She was lucky, his two-year daughter, she was able to take away from the blockade of death in one of the first flights
. Then she went under lend-lease C-47, the largest transporters of the time
. They took on board up to forty paratroopers with full arms. But when flying to the rear of the enemy passengers were usually only three: a fashionably dressed, in a European elegant young man and a girl, and with them a colonel, was escorted from the Intelligence Service.

. - Once I took off, and is on its way to the front lines we observed a "frame", "Focke-Wulf-190"
. Firepower and flight data from the "frame" such that from it can not get away, especially on the transport plane. But she is not shooting at us, loitering over us, is in its rear, to shoot already there, in their mind to. Just understand: any maneuver will be perceived as an attempt to escape, so - once the fire of all guns, and we died. Moon shone brightly, and, unfortunately, no clouds around.

Suddenly I notice - ahead of the rate of light veil of cirrus clouds. Oblivion to them for five minutes, but each hour seems. Finally time: unexpectedly sharply reduce the height, and here we are flying, okutaynye light cape. German pilot immediately responded, opens fire. But too late: I once again falling into the peak and hide in the normal cloud. Checked rudders - like everything is in order. After some time carefully to climb back up and, topping the front line, reduced to three hundred meters. In general, safely leave to the point of emission, and the next couple of our scouts sent to carry out his secret mission. Now, on the way home you can relax a bit. Transfers the control of the second pilot, they bring me coffee ...

At this moment in the dashboard lights up red light: the fuel is running out! So is the "frame" we still hurt. Only to hang on to their! Again, time creeps along nerves to the limit. Well, thank God, and the front! Another night: the Germans, of course, sleep - they have everything on the clock, but our offer to us shooting from everything that can shoot. Barely crossed the front line, dashing radochno looking for a place to land. And at the very moment when I was preparing to come to some glade in front of us under the lights "T" - landing lights! Sit down. No coincidence that one commander, C-47 became a Hero of the Soviet Union after five raids deep into the rear of the enemy, the other - after six. Olga Lisikova completed nine such flights, and only after that it finally presented to the Order of Lenin.

But the division chief of staff said: "We decided not to give you the Order. Because you're so young, and besides we have the only female commander - even arrogant! We decided to release a better poster with the portrait of your. To the pilots of the whole country know what you fellow! "

She was just numb from the hurt. Not only that it evaded military decorations, so in addition expelled from the regiment. High-Moscow authorities to know that the rear of the flying woman, staged a terrible spacing: "And if sobyutN Fascists say - among Russian men is not enough, they are the most dangerous jobs are forced to send women!"

. She knew from the outset that this case was not a woman - to serve in the special-purpose aircraft
. So when the commanders of other aircraft in between flights were playing billiards, or just sleep, she again and again he studied matchast, spent hours at the meteorologists, for the umpteenth time to calibrate the map the way ahead. For all the service never received even if the comments. Only one thing: the landing after the next job, the report came out immediately, as expected, but after five minutes.

- You know, - explains Olga - from pilot helmet on his head - a storm in the woods. Therefore, before leaving, I quickly nakruchu curlers, and after landing take off, hover prichesochku and only after that run with the report.

However, expelled Olga Lisikovu not somewhere, and in the holy of holies - the government's international aviation. And she began to carry the generals, marshals, the People's Commissars, foreign delegations. Already in the last winter of the war received a new order is responsible - with encampments Far North urgently move in Naryan-Mar, and thence to Archangel furs and valuable catches of fish.

. - In the forty-five, I fell unconscious on the street, then - at home
. I lay for days in a lethargic sleep. The professor came, . examined and diagnosed it as: "The result of a long stay without air!" After all, I in a polar, . not knowing, . that the Far North more rarefied air, . climbed to five and a half thousand meters without oxygen masks! Just high-altitude flying faster, . and one light day could turn into a double,
.
Almost the entire war PILOT Class 1 Olga Lisikova fought on the most dangerous and critical areas. It is rightly considered one of the aces of domestic aviation. In the most risky situations did not lose a single machine and not a single member of his crew. Not once brilliantly performed, even those jobs that have proved too much for men. Why, then, starting a war, Lieutenant, it rose just before the lieutenant and all of its combat award - the Order of the Red Banner and Red Star, two Orders of the Patriotic War, but the medal "For Military Merit" N
. After more than half a century to answer this after them hard
. But there are two, in my opinion, it is quite realistic assumption.
First. In fact, Basil Lisikov did not die in October, forty-first, as Olga said his comrades. His plane is really a fall exploded before their eyes, but the three crew members, including the commander, as it later emerged, had been thrown from the blast collapsed into two cars and seriously injured were taken prisoner. Basil was first Nazi camp, then Stalin filtration and returned to Leningrad only forty-six.
. Olga the war believed her husband died, but the vigilant security officer the number of missing persons, and in enemy territory
. And the laws of that time the wife of a husband could hardly count on a high-ranking officials, awards and titles. What Lisikovoy trust such an important flight, in itself was a miracle.
And second. Need to know Olga Mikhailovna: it is distinguished not only rare beauty, but at independence. And in war, as you know, male bosses no fan of female pride.
Five years ago, OLGA Mikhailov was on to Moscow to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Victory. Even before his departure from the hotel phone rang:
- Olya, we have just been in a museum at Poklonnaya Hill! - She heard an excited voice of one of the old military friends. - There is your portrait among our most famous pilots! Finally you appreciated!