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|died= 19 July 1943
|died= 19 July 1943
|placeofbirth= Konoplanka, [[Smolensk Oblast]]
|placeofbirth= Konoplanka, [[Smolensk Oblast]]
|placeofdeath= Antracit [[Luhansk Oblast]]
|placeofdeath= Antracit, [[Luhansk Oblast]]
|caption= Yekaterina Budanova
|caption= Yekaterina Budanova
|nickname= Katya
|nickname= Katya

Revision as of 18:16, 16 June 2010

Yekaterina Budanova
File:YekaterinaBudanova.jpg
Yekaterina Budanova
Nickname(s)Katya
Service/branchSoviet Air Force
AwardsOrder of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War (twice), Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumous)

Yekaterina Vasylievna Budanova (Cyrillic: Екатерина Васильевна Буданова), also known as Katya Budanova (Катя Буданова), (7 December 1916 – 19 July 1943), was a female fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during World War II. With 11 air victories [1], she was one of the world's two female fighter aces along with Lydia Litvyak.

She was born into a peasant family in Konoplanka village in Smolensk Oblast. Working in an aircraft factory in Moscow, she became interested in aviation and entered an aeroclub where she received her pilot training. She served as a flight instructor starting in 1937. She also took part in several air parades, flying the single-seater Yakovlev UT-1.

After the German attack on the USSR in June 1941, she enlisted in military aviation. She was assigned to the 586th Fighter Regiment (586 IAP), formed by Marina Raskova. This unit consisted entirely of female pilots. She flew her first combat missions in April 1942 over Saratov. On 10 September, she was assigned, along with Lydia Litvyak, Maria M. Kuznetsova and Raisa Beliaeva to the 437th IAP, based in Verkhnania Akhtuba,[2] engaged in the fighting over Stalingrad. She soon became known for her aggressive attacking and high piloting skill. She flew Yak-1 fighters.

According to some historians, she shot her first plane - a Messerschmitt Bf 109 - on September 14, 1942, combining forces with Lydia Litvyak. [3] Then, on 2 October 1942, according to regiment archivist Ekaterina K. Polunina, Budanova achieved her two first solo air victories shooting down a Junkers Ju 88 twin-engine bomber and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter.[4] However, Budanova (and Litvyak) aircraft mechanic, Inna Pasportnikova, wrote that she shot down her first aircraft on 6 October, when she attacked 13 Ju 88 bombers by herself, downing one.[5]

On 12 December she shot down two Messerschmitt Bf 110s. [4] In the following months, she was credited with several more aircraft.

In January 1943, she, along with her friend Litvyak, was moved to the 73rd Guards Fighter Regiment of the 8th Air Army. She soon was given the right of "solo hunting", an honor given to aggressive and successful pilots. On 23 February 1943 she was awarded with an Order of the Red Star.

By the start of June 1943 she had six victories to her credit, operating near Rostov on Don during the liberation of Donbas. Heavy fighting here allowed her claims to raise to 11. [6] Then, on 19 July 1943, during a solo combat with three Bf 109s, she shot down one, but was shot down herself and killed near the town of Antracit in Luhansk Oblast.

There are different versions of Budanova's aerial victory score in different publications, with no official tally. The most common quote is 11 kills (6 individual and 5 team kills). According to some historians she achieved 11 individual air victories. [7]

However, Pasportnikova stated that Budanova had only five personal kills at the time of her death. [8] She was twice awarded Order of the Patriotic War. Although it was proposed, she was not awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the war. On 1 October 1993, she was posthumously awarded with the title Hero of the Russian Federation.

References

Notes
  1. ^ Jackson 2003, p. 57.
  2. ^ Pennington 1997, p. 130.
  3. ^ Seidl 1998, p. 135.
  4. ^ a b Polunina 2004, p. 138.
  5. ^ Cottam 1998, pp. 267-268.
  6. ^ Polak 1999, p. 97.
  7. ^ Seidl 1998, p. 324.
  8. ^ Pennington 1997, p. 140.
Bibliography
  • Polunina, Ekaterina K. (2004). Devčonki, podružki, letčicy. Izdat. Dom "Vestnik Vozduš. Flota" Mockba.
  • Cottam, Kazimiera J. (1998). Women in Air War – The Eastern front of World War II. Newburyport, Massachusetts: R. Pullins Company. ISBN 978-1-58510-159-7.
  • Jackson, Robert. Air Aces of WWII. Ramsbury, MarloboRugh, Vital Guide, Airlife Crowood Press, 2003. ISBN 1-84037-412-8.
  • Polak, Tomas with Christofer Shores. Stalin's Falcons - The aces of the red star. London, Grub Street, 1999. ISBN 1-902304-01-2.
  • Pennington, Reina (1997). Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0700615547. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  • Seidl, Hans D. Stalin's Eagles - An illustrated Study of the Soviet Aces of World War II and Korea. Atglen, PA, Schiffer Military History, 1998. ISBN 0-7643-0476-3.
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